Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 133 Mr. Baisha's Advice

Lu Beigu was taken aback by his sudden tension and mystery, and frowned: "Why? The state school is indeed safer than the outside, and starving people won't break in looking for food."

"What's safer? It's being confined to the state school!"

Zhou Mingyuan interrupted him, his voice even lower, almost squeezed out from his throat: "Don't you understand yet? You've cut off their livelihood! Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents! This is an irreconcilable feud!"

Seeing that Lu Beigu didn't seem to fully realize the seriousness of the situation, he was so anxious that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he explained in a very fast voice.

"Think about it! You drained the floodwaters from the city, allowing people to go home and alleviating the disaster. This is good for the people, but what about those big-time hoarders and grain merchants who were waiting for the disaster to worsen so they could sell their rice at exorbitant prices? You've smashed their rice bowl! They might have been planning to hoard for a few more days, waiting for the water to deepen and people to become more desperate, when the price of rice could rise to seven or eight hundred coins! Now, the water's gone, and all their plans have fallen through! How much money is that? How can they not hate you?"

Zhou Mingyuan took a breath and continued his analysis.

"Think about it again. Luchuan City is not the same as our Gulin! It's true that Gulin is a tributary state of the Wuman, but the Wuman of Shuixi and the Wuman of Lunan are not the same thing. On the contrary, they are extremely law-abiding and dare not cause trouble easily. But what about Luchuan? This is the front line where the Han people and the Liao people have been fighting for hundreds of years! It is a border town where we fight with the Wuman every now and then! The people here are very fierce! They have blood in their bones! Do you think those who own fertile fields and shops and can establish themselves in such a dangerous place and become wealthy and powerful are kind men and women?"

He leaned closer to Lu Beigu and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"They might not have heavy weapons like armor and crossbows that the court has explicitly prohibited, but they definitely have broadswords and clubs! It's common for them to keep some daredevil farmhands and guards at home! These people may look respectable on the surface, but if they're really provoked, what wouldn't they do? Before they fully realize what's going on, or before they figure out who ruined their 'good deed,' you should stay quietly in the state school! This is an important place for government education, and with the court's prestige, ordinary people won't dare to barge in. It's a kind of protection! Let the storm pass before we talk about anything else!"

Lu Beigu wasn't entirely unaware that the success of the water window would affect the interests of certain people, but Zhou Mingyuan's blunt and specific explanation of the bloody risk of retaliation still sent a chill down his spine.

This era is different from the modern era!
He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the view outside the window.

The state school, this temporary haven, now feels more like a besieged island.

Outside the island, however, lies a raging flood and, even more terrifying than the flood, the greedy and treacherous nature of the human heart.

The slight sense of relief brought about by the successful drainage was completely gone, replaced by a deeper sense of crisis.

"I see."

Lu Beigu looked at Zhou Mingyuan, who had a worried expression: "Thank you for reminding me, Brother Zhou."

He did not show fear; beneath that calm was a clearer understanding.

The water in Luchuan City was much deeper and muddier than he had imagined.

However, Lu Beigu had no regrets. As Fan Zhongyan said, "A gentleman would rather die speaking out than live in silence." If he was afraid of this little thing, then he would not be able to govern the country and bring peace to the world. He would not be able to do anything. It would be safest to stay at home and live a quiet life.

After regaining his strength, Lu Beigu went out again with an umbrella, this time heading to the area where the teachers lived behind the state academy.

This area is at a higher elevation and does not have large residential areas like school dormitories; instead, it consists of detached houses and courtyards, so there is not much standing water.

After sweeping away the water in Mr. Baisha's courtyard with a large broom placed under the eaves, Lu Beigu knocked on the door.

"come in."

Upon seeing Lu Beigu, Li Tian was somewhat surprised: "You've already read the manuscript three times so quickly?" "Not yet," Lu Beigu said in a deep voice. "I've come here because I've encountered a matter that I'd like to ask you about, sir."

Lu Beigu came to find Li Tian for two reasons. First, Li Tian had been in officialdom for decades and had served as the prefect of Rongzhou, so he had a deeper understanding of these sordid matters. Second, although Li Tian was now retired and teaching at the Luzhou Prefectural School, he had no connection with the local powerful families.

Li Tian's white eyebrows twitched, gesturing for him to sit down and speak.

Lu Beigu recounted the events of the day in a clear and organized manner, without incorporating too much personal emotion.

After Lu Beigu finished speaking, the room fell into a brief silence.

The pattering rain outside the window only amplified the somber silence inside.

“You did very well.” Li Tian finally spoke slowly. “I have never heard of such an ingenious ‘water window’ before. It is even more commendable that you were able to step forward in a crisis. It is a blessing that the Luzhou Prefectural School has someone like you.”

This must have warmed Lu Beigu's heart a little, but Li Tian's tone suddenly changed.

"However, you have thwarted some people's hopes of profiting from natural disasters, so this grudge can be considered both big and small. As you said, Luchuan is a remote border prefecture with a history of fierce and valiant people. In addition, Han and Liao people live together here, and Wu and Man people are always watching. The powerful families who have been able to establish themselves here, multiply, and accumulate huge fortunes are far more ruthless and decisive than the wealthy families in other places. However, you are, after all, a student of the prefecture, with a special status. And these people are not a monolithic group. Even if they have resentment in their hearts, it is impossible for anyone to openly break into the prefecture school and do anything to you."

"But don't count on the state government regarding grain prices. Grain merchants hoard and speculate, driving up prices. If there weren't deficits in the official granaries and collusion among clerks behind it, how could they be so unscrupulous as to raise prices so outrageously? The so-called 'having their own plans' is just that the state government is either helpless or afraid to act. As for Liu Yong, a prefect waiting to be transferred after his term is up, why would he risk his career for the sake of ordinary people?"

These words went more directly to the core than Zhou Mingyuan's analysis, and more coldly ripped away the fig leaf.

Lu Beigu leaned down and asked, "Sir, are we just going to stand by and watch the people starve to death? Is there really no other way?"

"It's not like there's no way."

Li Tian's fingers, as thin as withered tree bark, were crossed on his knees as he spoke slowly.

"One is to wait for the rain to stop. If the rain stops in another three to five days, and this flood peak passes, the Tuojiang and Yangtze River waterways will soon be navigable again. With external rice supplies available, the high grain prices in the city will not be sustainable."

In the first year of the Jiayou era, heavy rains in the north often lasted for months, and even Kaifeng suffered from floods. This was the reason why Di Qing's family was forced to stay at the Daxiangguo Temple. Now that the rain line has moved south, even if it doesn't rain for several months, it is possible that it will rain for more than a month. The resumption of shipping is still a long way off.

Clearly, passively waiting is not a solution.

"Secondly, we should let the big players fight each other. As I just mentioned, the big players and grain merchants in the city are not a monolithic entity. If you think about it carefully, you should know that there are only so many interests in Luchuan City. They have accumulated a lot of grudges through their internal strife. Moreover, there must be some people who don't care about the profit from grain prices and will value things from the outside. If we can find a way, as described in 'On the Six States,' to either form alliances or counter-alliances to disintegrate them from within, we may be able to break this situation."

"The student has learned a lot!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Beigu seemed to be deep in thought.

Afterwards, he bid farewell to Li Tian and went straight to the upper house.

(End of this chapter)