Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 231 Siege of Bright Peak

The back courtyard of the pavilion was where the pavilion head lived and also served as an inn. Scholars and even officials would often stay there, so it was much larger than the front courtyard.

A sycamore tree was planted in the center of the backyard. To the left of the tree, on the south side of the backyard, were seven or eight side rooms and wing rooms, all of which were single rooms.

The building to the north is a suite structure, with two suites in total, each consisting of a main hall and two bedrooms, clearly intended for people of high status.

Perhaps because it was built a long time ago, the walls and wooden doors of the house are somewhat old, the square bricks under the eaves are pitted and uneven, and weeds are sprouting from the cracks between the bricks.

A figure about eight feet tall stood in front of the largest room, holding a bronze candlestick in both hands, his back straight and motionless.

As they approached the eaves, Xu Zhao quickened his pace, taking two steps forward. He turned his gaze to the figure ahead and introduced him with a smile in a low voice: "This is Gao Dai, Gao Kongwen, a disciple of Sheng Gong. His father, Gao Biao, was a great Confucian scholar from Wu County. He ranked first in the imperial examination and his works, including fu, sang, and essays, were praised by the late emperor. He was appointed magistrate of Waihuang. The late emperor once issued an edict to have Gao Biao's portrait painted at the Dongguan Pavilion to encourage scholars."

Xu Zhao had little formal education, so he greatly respected learned people, and when he mentioned Gao Biao, his tone was full of admiration.

Yan Yi, however, was more interested in Gao Dai.

Gao Dai was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official by Sheng Xian in his early years and was grateful to him. After Sheng Xian was persecuted by Xu Gong, it was Gao Dai who escorted Sheng Xian all the way to Yuhang to seek refuge, and also sought help for Sheng Xian from Tao Qian, the governor of Xuzhou.

Tao Qian initially refused, but Gao Dai wept bitterly and refused to eat or drink. Tao Qian was moved by Gao Dai's loyalty and bravery, regarding him as Shen Baoxu of the Spring and Autumn Period. He wrote a letter to Xu Gong to put pressure on him, ultimately forcing Xu Gong to lift the order to arrest Sheng Xian.

Afterwards, Xu Gong harbored resentment towards Gao Dai and imprisoned Gao's mother. Gao Dai was extremely anxious and tried every means to rescue her, but Xu Gong never relented, and several months have passed since then.

Such a loyal and courageous person, as well as a learned man, was simply the ideal subordinate model in Yan Yi's mind.

He approached the firelight and carefully examined Gao Dai. Seeing his robust physique and dignified appearance, he grew even more fond of him. He bowed and said, "Yi greets Senior Brother. I have long admired your name, which is renowned far and wide. Meeting you today is a great joy."

Gao Dai returned the greeting respectfully, but dared not address him as his younger brother. He said softly, "My teacher has a habit of going to bed early, usually before midnight. It is getting late, so please pay your respects to my teacher first."

Yan Yi followed him into the room. Xu Zhao made an excuse and went elsewhere.

The room was simply furnished, with only a bed, two tables of different heights, a few mats, and two wooden chests.

A bronze lamp stand stood behind the desk, with only three of the nine oil lamps on it lit, their flickering candlelight casting trembling halos on the plain wall.

A middle-aged man with a tall hat and wide belt was kneeling on a mat by the window on the east side. He had a thin face and slightly gray hair and beard. He was looking at the bamboo slips in his hands by candlelight. When he heard the door open, he gently put down the bamboo slips and raised his head.

Yan Yi took two quick steps and knelt down: "Disciple Yan Yi greets Master."

"Please get up quickly." Sheng Xian reached out to help him up, looking the disciple who had fallen from the sky up and down.

When he first learned that Yan Yi wanted to become his disciple, he hesitated, because he knew that Yan Yi's motives were impure and that he wanted to use his name to win over the scholars. Only after being persuaded by Xu Zhao did he reluctantly agree.

In retrospect, this disciple is excellent in every aspect, truly a rare and exceptional talent. However, it is somewhat regrettable to hear that Yan Yi's knowledge of the classics is slightly lacking.

Sheng Xian was eager to test Yan Yi's scholarship, so after he sat down, he stroked his beard and asked, "What classics do you usually study?"

Yan Yi felt a surge of emotion, like during a job interview in his past life. To him, this test was insignificant; with his current status, it wouldn't be difficult for him to become anyone's student. However, in order to leave Sheng Xian with an impression of being polite and diligent, he patiently answered, "I have read the Spring and Autumn Annals and Zuo Zhuan, and have a rough understanding of their main principles."

He actually read the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han the most, but neither of these books are Confucian classics, so mentioning them at this time would be inappropriate.

Among the Confucian classics, the Spring and Autumn Annals emphasizes the concepts of respecting the king, repelling barbarians, and unification, which aligns with his own interests. Therefore, he had some knowledge of it and used it to answer Sheng Xian's questions.

Besides advocating the concept of unification, the Spring and Autumn Annals also embodies a high regard for loyalty and righteousness. Guan Yu, who was well-versed in the Zuo Zhuan (Commentary of Zuo) on the Spring and Autumn Annals, was loyal to Liu Bei throughout his life for a reason.

A sense of disappointment welled up in Sheng Xian's heart. The Spring and Autumn Annals was only one of the Five Classics of Confucianism, and the Zuo Zhuan was merely an explanation and supplement to the Spring and Autumn Annals. It seemed that the rumors were true; Yan Yi indeed had little attainment in the study of the classics.

However, considering Yan Yi's background, he quickly felt relieved.

For a martial artist to have some knowledge of the Spring and Autumn Period is already quite good; we can't expect too much.

"Do you know the meaning of the Spring and Autumn Annals' revision?" Sheng Xian asked tentatively, choosing a relatively simple question.

This question is not difficult to answer; for Confucian scholars, it is roughly equivalent to elementary school homework. Yan Yi answered without hesitation: "I know a little. When Confucius wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals, rebellious ministers and traitors were terrified. A single word of praise was more glorious than a magnificent robe, and a single word of criticism was more severe than an axe."

Sheng Xian stroked his beard and smiled, letting out a slight sigh of relief; at least his disciple's basic level of scholarship had been preserved. He then asked, "'Zheng Bo Ke Duan Yu Yan,' what is the meaning of the word 'Ke'?"

This question is a bit more difficult; clearly, Sheng Xian is gradually increasing the difficulty of the test. After thinking for a while, Yan Yi replied: "The Zuo Zhuan says 'like two rulers,' hence the word 'conquered,' meaning that Gongshu Duan was not a brother, hence the word 'brother.' Like two rulers, hence the word 'conquered.' This is Confucius's pen that is truly insightful."

Sheng Xian breathed a sigh of relief, raising his expectations of Yan Yi to the level of a 'middle school student'. He stroked his beard and asked again, "When the people of Jin captured Duke Yu, why did they not say they captured their ruler?"

This time, Yan Yi pondered for a longer time before slowly saying, "Lord Yu coveted the bribe of the jade and the horse, bringing about his own destruction. He has lost the way of a ruler, so the character 'ruler' is removed to show his demotion."

"Hmm, not bad, not bad." A hint of surprise flashed in Sheng Xian's eyes. He did not ask any further questions but instructed, "The key to learning is perseverance. You must remember that."

Yan Yi respectfully replied, "I am willing to emulate Yan Yuan's unwavering determination."

Sheng Xian was increasingly satisfied with him. He got up, walked to a wooden box, took out a scroll of bamboo slips, and handed it to him: "This is my annotated version of the Spring and Autumn Annals. Take it back and read it. In three days, write an essay for me entitled 'On the Heavenly King's Hunt at Heyang'."

Yan Yi was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected that after transmigrating to this world, he would be assigned homework. He reluctantly accepted the bamboo slips.

The topic that Sheng Xian assigned to him was quite profound. It seemed to be testing his knowledge, but in reality, it was probing his attitude towards this chaotic world.

The phrase "King Xiang of Zhou hunts at Heyang" refers to the event in 632 BC when King Xiang of Zhou was summoned to Heyang by Duke Wen of Jin to participate in a meeting of feudal lords. At that time, the Zhou emperor was merely a figurehead, and the feudal lords were powerful. Duke Wen of Jin used this opportunity to get King Xiang of Zhou to endorse his position as the leader of the alliance.

This is very similar to the current situation of the Han emperor, where the ruler is weak while the ministers are strong.

Sheng Xian asked Yan Yi to discuss this matter, and his intention was self-evident.

This was practically a death sentence. Yan Yi now controlled a prefecture, commanding tens of thousands of elite troops, his power seemingly at its zenith. If he continued to expand, it would mean the fragmentation of the territory into its own independent kingdom. This question was tantamount to asking Yan Yi: 'Do you want to be a loyal minister, or a rebellious one?'

Yan Yi knew that if he wanted to recruit Sheng Xian, his answer to this question had to be to his liking.

Sheng Xian was in high spirits and they then discussed current affairs. This was Yan Yi's forte. In terms of classical studies and essays, he was far inferior to the talents of his time. But when it came to discussing the advantages and disadvantages of current affairs and, based on that, predicting the future course of events, who could compare to him?
In this world, he is a prophet who can foresee the future, and his casual remarks are seen as earth-shattering insights by others.

Sheng Xian was no exception. After a conversation, this learned man, who was well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, was deeply moved and dared not consider himself a teacher anymore. He adopted the attitude of treating his peers as equals.

As the saying goes, regardless of rank or age, wherever the Way exists, there the teacher exists. In some respects, Yan Yi is certainly qualified to be his teacher.

Gao Dai, who was standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded and did not notice the passage of time until an oil lamp went out because the oil ran out, and only then did he come back to his senses.

"It's getting late, teacher, you should rest early. I will come to listen to your teachings another day."

Yan Yi seized the opportunity to get up and take his leave. He had been kneeling there for over an hour and had wanted to leave for a long time. If Sheng Xian hadn't been so engrossed in their conversation, holding hands and discussing philosophy, showing no sign of wanting to stop, he would have already slipped away.

Sheng Xian reluctantly let him leave. Before parting, he wrote two courtesy names for him and let him choose one.

The first courtesy name is "Ren Zhi". It is taken from Mencius's saying "Heaven will entrust a great task", and also contains the admonition from the Analects that "the task is heavy and the road is long".

The second courtesy name is "Bo Zhen". Liezi Tangwen said: "In the beginning, there was nothingness, nothingness had no name. From the origin of oneness, there was something that had not yet taken form, which is called 'true'." Baopuzi said: "Those who attain true knowledge are not confused by the past and present." Lunheng said: "True knowledge is what is received from Heaven."

Sheng Xian presented Yan Yi with a genuine gift, which shows that he was indeed somewhat frightened by Yan Yi's "prophetic nature".

To roam with the Creator, in the realm of ultimate truth. This word "truth" resonates so deeply with the time traveler.

Yan Yi liked both courtesy names, but after some thought, considering his identity as a transmigrator, he ultimately decided to use Bo Zhen as his courtesy name.

As he stepped out of the room, a night breeze swept over him, creeping up his neck and making him shiver involuntarily. A sudden thought arose in his mind: he was becoming more and more like an ancient person; the marks left from his past life seemed to have vanished, leaving only memories.

Gao Dai kindly escorted him to the backyard.

Seeing his worried expression, Yan Yi asked, "Kong Wen, is there any progress in rescuing your mother?"

Gao Dai shook his head, his face clouded with worry, and his voice held a hint of pain: "Xu Gong had already agreed to release my mother, but for some reason, he changed his mind. I am currently devising another plan."

Xu Gong's sudden change of heart and refusal to release Gao's mother was partly due to Yan Yi. Ever since the news of Yan Yi becoming Sheng Xian's apprentice spread, Xu Gong's hatred for Sheng Xian had intensified. In addition, Sheng Xian's recent public support for Yan Yi had also drawn resentment towards those around Sheng Xian.

Gao Dai tried every possible means and asked people everywhere to plead for Xu Gong, but he still couldn't change Xu Gong's mind. He wanted to ask Yan Yi for help, but when he thought of the hostile relationship between Yan Yi and Xu Gong, his newly ignited hope was extinguished again.

Yan Yi smiled slightly and patted his arm: "Brother, you don't need to worry about this. Leave the matter of rescuing your mother to me."

Gao Dai opened his eyes wide, a hopeful light shining in them: "Bo Zhen, do you really have a way?"

Yan Yi nodded. Rescuing Gao's mother was a trivial matter to him.

Gao Dai suddenly knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "If you can relieve my mother's predicament, I will repay your great kindness even if it means sacrificing my life."

Yan Yi wanted to hear those words, so he quickly helped him up: "Within half a month, I will send your mother to Yuhang. Kong Wenjing will await good news."

Gao Dai was extremely excited.

After offering him a few words of comfort, Yan Yi took his leave.

No sooner had they stepped out of the gate than Yin Li followed them like a ghost.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Yan Yi asked.

Yin Li whispered, "Does Young Master intend for me to go and rescue Madam Gao?"

Yan Yi nodded slightly: "Are you confident?"

Yin Li raised his sharply defined chin slightly, revealing a smile: "Xu Gong's guard over Gao's mother is not strict. Within five days, I will definitely rescue Gao's mother."

Yan Yi quickened his pace and walked forward, instantly putting the matter out of his mind.

Upon arriving at the front yard, a figure standing with his hands behind his back slowly turned around.

Xu Zhao seemed to have been waiting there for a long time. His rugged face was a little blue from the cold wind. He approached and said, "Young Master, I received a dispatch from the Prefect of Wu County yesterday. It's urgent, and I wish to discuss it with you. I wonder if you are available today?"

Yan Yi was speechless for a moment. Xu Gong had nothing better to do all day than issue orders to this person or that person. It was so damn annoying.

The two entered a brightly lit side room in the front yard and closed the door.

Xu Zhao moved the candle on the table to the corner, took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his sleeve, and spread it in front of Yan Yi.

By the flickering candlelight, Yan Yi took a closer look, and a solemn expression appeared on his face.

The bamboo slips were inscribed in thick ink:

"I have recently heard that Jiangdong is in turmoil, with powerful clans rising up, rebels running rampant, and officials and people living in unrest. As the governor, I have been appointed by the court to govern Yangzhou, and my priority should be to bring peace and tranquility to the region and its people."

"I have summoned Mr. Xu to the government office in Wu County to discuss the grand plan for Jiangdong."

"First, we should discuss policies for military farming and supporting the people to consolidate the foundation; second, we should discuss strategies for suppressing rebels to quell internal troubles; third, we should discuss methods for exchanging goods to alleviate the people's hardships; fourth, we should discuss appropriate measures for the defense of prefectures and counties to prevent unforeseen events."

Xu Zhao observed his expression for a moment, then said in a low voice, "As far as I know, this campaign is widely spread throughout Jiangdong. Anyone with even a little power, whether an official, a gentry, a hero, or a bandit, is on the invitation list, except for one."

Yan Yi understood the unspoken meaning of his sentence: 'The young master is the only one not among those invited.'

As for the traitor mentioned in the surrender order, it's obvious who it refers to.

A cold glint flashed in Yan Yi's eyes, like a frost-covered blade being drawn from its sheath, and a chilling killing intent instantly filled the air.

Xu Gong and Wang Lang, those two fools, instead of studying how to strengthen their army, they spend all their time engaging in these crooked and evil practices. What are they trying to do? Is it to issue invitations to heroes, hold a martial arts conference, and besiege Bright Peak?
(End of this chapter)