novelnext Chapter 1137 - 1119: Stirred Thoughts
Chapter 1137 - 1119: Stirred Thoughts
"Chuzhong did not return during New Year’s Eve."
With that statement, everyone fell silent, unable to resist feeling worried.
Chuzhong is Wang Dun’s courtesy name, and a majority of King Langya’s military power is in his hands. He is also the brother of Wang Dao. If King Langya does not get along well with these brothers, how can Jiangnan and Jiangdong have peaceful days?
After a long silence, someone whispered, "I heard that Zhao Hanzhang is very favorable towards the noble families returning north. She personally invites those with talent and virtue to the court, and even if they don’t wish to be officials, she recommends them to official schools like the Imperial College to become leisurely yet respectable gentlemen. For those who prefer not to join, she also favors them, offering land and houses as rewards, which is secondary. The main incentive is that she provides funding to print collections of poems and essays, regardless of factions."
"What does ’regardless of factions’ mean?"
"It means that regardless of which branch of Confucianism you’re from, as long as your writing isn’t twisted in meaning, she will have it printed. Besides Confucianism, she offers free printing for books of the Legalist School, Military School, Agricultural School, and Mo School."
Printing books requires money, and most people nowadays have to pay a significant sum to bookshops to get their works printed. Even then, the books may not be displayed in the shop.
Before they left the Northern Land, bookshops were rare; a state might have only a few counties with them, and they mostly sold stationery rather than books.
Many books were not circulated in shops but were majorly collected by noble families themselves.
They enjoyed collecting books left by the sages and were reluctant to share them. At the same time, they wanted to publish books that could be widely distributed, ideally having a copy in every person’s hand so that everyone would hear their name.
Thus, the offer to print books for free and spread their thoughts and talents is truly tempting to them.
A few exchanged glances, yet no one uttered the words "Let’s go back."
They had fled south from the north, suffering great losses along the way, and had worked hard to establish themselves in Jiangnan. It wasn’t something they could simply leave behind and walk away from.
Even for the Wang Family, which was protected by King Langya and Wang Dun’s army, many had died or been injured during the journey, leaving countless family members displaced and unknown in number. So, how could these clans fare?
They couldn’t endure another major migration.
But that doesn’t mean they won’t do anything.
Upon returning from the tavern, they sought out a few competent yet scarce members to lead a journey to the Central Plains, "If you can establish yourselves in the Central Plains, then the family can gradually return."
"Whose connection should we use to enter the court?"
A family head said, "Our family has an in-law relation with the Zhao Family. I’ll write a letter that you can take to visit Zhao Hanzhang, and you needn’t ask her to let you into the officialdom. Just make a good impression in front of her, if you have talent, she will naturally employ you."
Another family head said, "Though our family has an in-law relation with the Zhao Family, unfortunately, our ties have weakened and we haven’t kept in touch. Rather than using the Zhao Family connection, you should attend the talent recruitment examination in Luoyang."
Yet another family head advised, "Take a substantial amount of money with you; once you’re back in the Northern Land, the clan won’t be able to support you, and you’ll have to rely on yourself. However, I’ve heard that Zhao’s Seventh Grandfather loves entertainment; perhaps it’s worth a try."
These three families—Hongnong Yang Family, Fanyang Lu Family, and Chen County Yuan Family—had members who decided to travel together.
Of course, they couldn’t say they were returning to the Northern Land; otherwise, before even leaving the city, they might be caught, and their families targeted by King Langya.
Thus, they came up with a decent excuse, claiming that in the bright summertime, during a bountiful harvest, it was a perfect time for a trip. So they decided to travel together.
Yet some matters can be hidden from superiors but are harder to conceal from those on or below the same social level with an interest.
Moreover, Yuan Li is still stirring up trouble in Jiangnan.
Almost as soon as he got wind of the news, he selectively spread the information.
Xie Kun, the current Jiangzhou long-history official, heard some seemingly ambiguous news, but being sharp-minded, he quickly understood that these great noble families were seeking other avenues or, as it were, leaving themselves a backup plan.
After mulling over it all night, Xie Kun set out to visit his brother Xie Pi immediately.
Xie Pi was surprised, "Brother, coming here so late, did something major happen?"
"I heard that several young members from the Yang Family, Lu Family, and Yuan Family are going to travel. They will be accompanied by many, why not join them?"
Xie Pi laughed, "I am much older than them and usually don’t play together; what should I go for?"
As he said this, he realized the reason, frowning slightly, "Are they not actually traveling?"
Xie Kun nodded, "They intend to return north."
Xie Pi was astonished and then fell silent.
Xie Kun continued, "Given the current situation, unless Zhao Hanzhang becomes arrogant and complacent like the previous Princes and Great Generals, self-sabotaging her foundation, unifying the north and the south is only a matter of time."
"We must plan ahead, brother."
Xie Pi turned and sat on the mat, turning his head to the side and said, "Brother, please don’t say any more. I will not leave; I am the Great King’s military advisor, and the Great King has treated me with favor."
"Favored treatment can be repaid in other ways; you are a member of the Xie Family with the responsibility to revitalize the family. You have read the sages’ books, and you should have the duty to support the nation; you cannot neglect other responsibilities just to repay the favor."
Xie Pi opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.
Xie Kun stepped forward, patting his shoulder, "Young Ruler, I know you have deep feelings for the Great King. That means you can see the current situation even more clearly. The Great King sustains himself in Jianye all due to Wang Dao’s interventions."
"Without Wang Dao, how would the aristocrats of Jiangdong and Jiangnan recognize him? Without Wang Dao, how would Wang Dun bring a grand army from Qingzhou and Xuzhou to protect him? Yet, in just one year, the Great King has become estranged from Wang Dao..."
"This is also due to the Wang Family’s excessive arrogance. The Great King wants to appoint an official but must look to Wang Dao. The Wang Family has squeezed him to the point of having almost no standing."
"But Wang Dao’s recommended people are all capable, even surpassing the talents personally selected by the Great King," Xie Kun said. "He lacks the stature to appoint based solely on merit and insufficient standing to appoint based on personal connections. With Jiangdong’s noble families not fully loyal and the court’s power divided, if he battles with Wang Dao and Wang Dun out of spite, how far do you think he can go?"
Xie Pi attempted to argue but found no words.
Xie Kun said, "Knowing he’s bound to fall into a deep pit, and unable to persuade him otherwise, are you willing to jump down alongside him just to repay the favor?"
"Why not seek another path, strengthen yourself?" Xie Kun continued, "In the future, when he inevitably falls, you can extend a hand to help him. Even if you can’t save his life, at least preserve his lineage."
Xie Pi stayed silent for a long time before asking, "Will Zhao Hanzhang agree?"
"How will you know if you don’t try?" Xie Kun answered, "Based on her actions over the years, once she employs someone, she places great trust and is not stingy with power. If she indeed unifies north and south, leaving a branch of Jin Dynasty bloodline is entirely possible."