Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 233 The storm is coming

The chill of late autumn grows heavier day by day, yet Tokyo remains bustling with people and full of life.

These past few days, Lu Beigu has almost always appeared in front of the Song residence at the beginning of the 11 PM hour, and today was no exception.

He wrapped his coat tighter and followed the familiar path, preparing to cross the state bridge westward.

However, when he stepped onto the Zhou Bridge, he was captivated by the scenery on both sides of the Bian River.

At this time of day, the river would normally be bustling with boats and people, but today is quite different. Not only are there far fewer people, but there isn’t a single boat in sight.

Lu Beigu was curious, so he walked a few steps east along the riverbank and found a slightly higher spot to stand and look out.

Near the riverbank, dozens of strong laborers were standing in waist-deep, icy water, chanting work songs as they vigorously drove huge wooden stakes deep into the riverbed.

The wooden stakes were all about the thickness of a bowl, with sharpened tips. They were hammered into the deep mud with heavy thuds.

On the riverbank, more laborers carried or lifted long, equally thick logs to the river, filling the air with the scent of fresh wood.

"What's going on here?" Lu Beigu couldn't help but ask an old man next to him who was wrapped in a coat and watching the commotion with his neck hunched.

The old man rubbed his hands together, exhaling white breath: "Hey, young man, are you a scholar from out of town? The Emperor has just issued an edict! See it? To build the 'Shushui Mu' (a type of wooden embankment)!"

“Shushui Mu'an?” Lu Beigu was unfamiliar with this term.

"The idea is to use these big logs to build two narrow embankments on both sides of the Bian River, squeezing the riverbed thinner!"

The old man gestured as he explained, "The foreman said this is to clear the silt. With a narrower river channel, the current becomes stronger, which washes away the silt from the riverbed, saving us the trouble and expense of dredging every year! The government has sent a man surnamed Shi to be the Grand Supervisor of the Imperial Household Department, specifically to oversee this matter. He said that the entire route from Tokyo to Sizhou needs to be repaired!"

Following the direction the old man pointed, Lu Beigu saw several people in official uniforms standing on the riverbank not far away.

The leader, a man around forty years old, with a fair complexion and no beard, was wearing a round-necked, narrow-sleeved official uniform and a cross-legged turban. He was supervising the construction work in the river.

He was accompanied by several minor officials and foremen who were pointing at the river and whispering to each other.

This must be the "Master Shi" the old man was talking about.

"This guy is really efficient and decisive! In just a few days, he has gathered all the timber and laborers and got right to work! It's just tough on those working in the water, in this freezing weather."

Lu Beigu turned his gaze back to the river. He thought to himself, "It seems to be similar to the principle of using water to attack sand. I wonder how things are on the other side of the Six Towers River. I hope that the tragedy of the Three Returns to the River can be changed in the future. It's one thing for such a man-made disaster to happen once, but we must not let it happen a second or third time."

Passing through the construction site overseen by the eunuch from the Forbidden City, Lu Beigu continued walking into the city.

At the beginning of the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), Lu Beigu entered the Song residence as usual.

The courtyard was quiet, with only a few withered leaves swirling in the cold wind.

The steward led him to the study by the pond and whispered, "The young master has gone out and has not returned. Before he left, he instructed that if the young master comes, he can study in the study and wait for him."

Because of his advanced age and poor legs, Song Xiang rarely went out except to attend court assemblies. His going out this afternoon was quite unexpected.

"Thanks for letting me know."

Lu Beigu bowed in thanks and pushed open the door to enter the familiar study.

His gaze first fell on the large sandalwood desk, where the writing implements were still in place, and a stack of newly arrived official gazettes, weighed down by a paperweight, were neatly placed in a conspicuous position. He could read any of the gazettes that Song Xiang placed here, and since they were placed here, there must be important news in them.

Lu Beigu sat down at the desk, picked up the topmost official gazette with its still-fresh ink, and began to read it carefully.

His gaze swept over the first few unimportant official transfers and local reports, but when he saw the black ink in the middle, his eyes paused slightly.

The official gazette clearly stated this.

"The imperial edict states: Wang Deyong, the Privy Councilor, Military Governor of the Three Cities of Heyang, and Chancellor, has achieved great merit and is now old, and has earnestly declined his duties. Therefore, he is hereby relieved of his post as Privy Councilor and reassigned as Military Governor of Zhongwu Army, Chancellor, and Commissioner of Jingling Palace, so that he may retire and enjoy his old age, as a sign of the imperial favor he is bestowed upon him."

Jia Changchao, the military governor of Shannan East Circuit, concurrently serving as Chancellor and prefect of Daming Prefecture, was renowned for his meritorious service and profound understanding of governance. He was promoted to Attendant-in-Ordinary and appointed Privy Councilor, in charge of all military affairs.

Han Qi, the military governor of Wukang and prefect of Xiangzhou, was resolute and resourceful, and repeatedly pacified the border regions. He was appointed as the Privy Councilor and jointly in charge of important matters.

The imperial edict further stated: "The former Deputy Military Governor of Chongxin Army, Yin Zhu, is posthumously reinstated as Imperial Diarist and Director of the Dragon Pavilion; the former Prefect of Huzhou, Su Shunqin, is posthumously reinstated as Judge of the Court of Judicial Review and Compiler of the Jixian Academy. Both men were previously reprimanded for minor transgressions; now, after examining the details, they are hereby exonerated and restored to their former positions to uphold justice."

It contains a lot of information in just a few lines.

Wang Deyong, the veteran general who was in charge of the highest military institution of the Song Dynasty, was promoted to the position in order to suppress Di Qing on the surface. After Di Qing was dismissed from his post as Privy Councilor, he eventually resigned as well.

Although Wang Deyong was given the honorary title of "Envoy of Jingling Palace" to show respect, it was clear to everyone that this was a formal change of power, and the brief era of dual military privy councils was over.

The fact that Jia Changchao and Han Qi both served as Privy Councilors is even more intriguing.

Han Qi's reinstatement signifies that after more than a decade of dormancy, the former officials of the Qingli era have once again collectively ascended to the most central stage of the Song Dynasty's imperial court.

Jia Changchao, a conservative former prime minister who had many disagreements with Fan Zhongyan and others during the Qingli Reforms, has now not only returned to the central government but has also been given the title of "Attendant-in-Ordinary," becoming the chief privy councilor, ranking even higher than Han Qi. This is clearly a way for the emperor to check and balance the old officials of the Qingli era.

As for the overturning of the verdicts against Yin Zhu and Su Shunqin, it was clearly the work of Wen Yanbo and Fu Bi.

Yin Zhu was exceptionally talented and outspoken. Due to his close friendship with Fan Zhongyan, he was implicated and suppressed after the failure of the reforms, and eventually died in depression. He was demoted and died, but the prestigious post of "Zhilongtu Pavilion" was a belated recognition of his literary reputation.

As for Su Shunqin, he was even more unlucky. Because he supported Fan Zhongyan's Qingli Reform, he was hated by the conservatives. At that time, Wang Gongchen, the Imperial Censor, had his subordinates impeach Su Shunqin, accusing him of selling the discarded seals of the Jinzouyuan when he was worshipping the gods, and using the money to entertain his colleagues.

Subsequently, Su Shunqin was convicted of "embezzlement" and was stripped of his official position, reduced to a commoner. He eventually died in Jiangnan in his prime, filled with resentment. Now, he has been posthumously restored to the titles of "Dali Ping Shi" and "Jixian Xiaoli", restoring his noble status as a scholar-official and his honors in the imperial academy.

This belated "vindication" is no less significant than the simultaneous promotion of Jia Changchao and Han Qi to Privy Councilor.

For Yoon Soo and Su Shunqin personally, it was nothing more than posthumous fame.

But for the entire scholarly community and for all those with insight, it was a spark that rekindled hope.

It proclaims that justice may be delayed, but it will eventually be restored!

This is undoubtedly a resounding slap in the face to those who persecuted loyal officials and fabricated charges against them in the past, and it also subtly reveals the emperor's intention to reform the government and appoint virtuous and capable officials.

Lu Beigu sat there, staring at the few lines of text on the official gazette for a long time, his heart churning with turmoil.

Wang Deyong's dismissal, the establishment of Jia and Han as equals, and the reinstatement of Yin and Su—undoubtedly, this was not merely a matter of a few changes in official positions, but a dramatic shift in the entire political climate of the court!
A sense of impending doom permeated the thin official gazette.

(End of this chapter)