Top Scholar

Chapter 220 Offering Advice
“Hehe…” Commander Ma’s expression was quite complicated as he said, “Hongzhi, you can’t just look at the benefits. The garrison commander’s office is going to fight.”

"Does that mean the Thousand Households don't have to fight?" Su Lu asked rhetorically.

“It’s different.” Commander Ma shook his head. “If it’s a Thousand-Household Garrison, and the Yang family of Bozhou attacks, I can resist for a while. If I can’t win, I can retreat because the Yongning Guard is there to protect me. But if it becomes a Defender Thousand-Household Garrison, I have to defend it to the end. Retreating means losing territory, which means losing my head.”

"Understood." Su Lu nodded. The garrison was a first-level independent military unit. Of course, the garrison commander's office was also...

He then asked, "What if Commander-in-Chief disagrees?"

“What’s the use of me disagreeing? At most, I’ll just go home and take care of my grandchildren, and someone else will take over as commander.” Commander Ma said with a wry smile, “But the roots of the Ma family are in Taiping Town. In that case, we might as well grit our teeth and take the job.”

“Okay, what changes will there be after the Thousand Household Office is upgraded?” Su Lu asked again.

"Firstly, militarily, their power has expanded... They can independently undertake regional defense and possess complete command authority. When encountering enemy activity, they no longer need to report through layers of bureaucracy; they can directly decide whether to engage in combat. Correspondingly, more standing troops will be deployed, better weaponry will be distributed, and more fortifications will be built." Commander Ma then counted on his fingers:

"They will also independently manage civil affairs, the judiciary, and land reclamation, achieving complete military-political integration..."

"It has an independent defense zone, independent command authority, more troops and facilities, and it even combines military and political power." Su Lu clicked his tongue and said, "Isn't that just being a junior commander?"

"You could say that," Ma Qianhu said, scratching his cheek sheepishly. "If I were ten years younger, I'd be so happy I couldn't sleep. But I'm almost sixty now, I don't know if I can still manage."

"Why not? You were able to lead your troops on a flanking maneuver for hundreds of miles, crossing the river to launch a surprise attack on Shangbaisha." The old man said, "It's obvious you're still as sharp as ever."

"Huang Bingxian thought the same thing, which is why he decided to keep me. Originally, he was planning to replace me with a younger person..." Ma Qianhu said with emotion, "Who would have thought that a moment of impulsiveness would actually bring me this opportunity."

“Since even the commander considers it an opportunity, what else is there to ponder?” Su Lu asked with a smile.

"Of course!" Commander Ma's eyes widened. "Why would you suddenly want to upgrade our commandery? This is no small matter; it requires the approval of the Minister of War!"

"Yes, the imperial court has always been very strict with our garrisons. This sudden upgrade must mean something's up." The old man also worriedly asked, "Could it be that war is about to break out?"

"I wouldn't dare say there will be a war, but it's true that the situation is going to get tense," said Commander Ma. "Huang Bingxian said that the Yang family of Bozhou wants to interfere in the succession struggle of the She family of Yongning. The two sides will definitely be preparing for war and confronting each other... Our commander's office is caught in the middle, and I'm afraid we won't have a peaceful day."

This is what frustrates him the most. At his age, he should have been able to retire, but they dragged him up again and made him act as a buffer zone between the two major powers.

"Lord Qianhu, don't worry too much. This upgrade is probably not just to deal with emergencies, but more because our Qianhu Office is in a very important position." Su Lu calmly analyzed, "Of course, the current situation has undoubtedly accelerated the decision-making process, so it can also be seen as a warning to the two chieftains of Bozhou and Yongning."

He paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Of course, people have to understand first."

“You don’t need to worry about that. They’ve dealt with the imperial court for hundreds of years. What don’t they understand? Unless they’re pretending to be confused.” Commander Ma asked, “What do you think their reaction will be?”

“I think they’ll play dumb,” Su Lu said without hesitation. “These so-called barbarians are the kind of people who won’t learn their lesson until they see the coffin; they only care about the sound of gunfire. So until the court has assembled a large army and is really going to beat them up, they will definitely continue to do as they please.”

“Hongzhi understands too well! That’s exactly the kind of bastards he is!” Commander Ma slapped his thigh and sighed, “That’s why I’m worried… Do you know how rare it is to have peace right now? Once a fight breaks out, we won’t have a moment of peace for eight or ten years.”

He said with concern, "But before the two sides start fighting, the court can only do what it is now, strengthen its military and make a show of it. It is impossible to mobilize a large army into the mountains in advance. No one can afford to wait that long for the people and horses to eat and feed."

“Actually, there’s another way to make them completely obedient without mobilizing a large army,” Su Lu said in a deep voice.

"What method?" Commander Ma asked hurriedly.

"Dredge the Chishui River!" Su Lu answered, enunciating each word clearly, and then proceeded to speak eloquently:

"In fact, neither Bozhou nor Yongning are the same as those chieftains who live far from the emperor. Their territories are in the heart of the Ming Dynasty. It is only because of the mountains and inconvenient transportation that the court has to keep them under control because it is too costly to send troops."

"Yes." Commander Ma nodded in agreement. Especially Bozhou, it's practically next to Chongqing Prefecture...

"Why did they obediently submit in the early years of the Hongwu reign? It was because the Taizu Emperor dredged the Chishui River, allowing the imperial army to sail upstream at any time and reach their heartland." Su Lu continued:
"So for over a hundred years, they have been quite well-behaved. So why are they restless now? It's simply because the Chishui River is basically blocked, and it can only be barely navigable in winter each year. Moreover, its transport capacity is extremely limited and cannot support a large army to penetrate deep into the region. That's why they have lost their fear."

“The Di and Yi people fear power but do not cherish virtue. Therefore, not only for the present, but also in the long run, it is absolutely necessary to dredge the Chishui River again and keep it open to navigation in order to maintain a deterrent effect on the Tusi (local chieftains) of Bozhou, Yongning, and even Guizhou!” Su Lu concluded.

"Excellent! Excellent! This method is wonderful, beneficial to the country and the people, a permanent solution!" The three elderly people present all applauded. Which person in the mountains doesn't long for the Chishui River to become navigable?

After calming down, Ma Qianhu faced reality and said, "Just like I said last year, the Chishui River section belongs to one county, one department, and three guards. It is meaningless to dredge it alone. It requires all five to work together."

"These government offices all happen to be under the jurisdiction of the Xuyong Military Commissioner." Su Lu then laughed, "Therefore, Huang Bingxian is the perfect candidate to dredge the Chishui River. This time he has walked right into our trap, so Commander Ma must not let him go." "You have a problem with Huang Bingxian?" Commander Ma glanced at Su Lu and found his wording somewhat disrespectful.

"No, no." Su Lu hurriedly waved his hand and said, "I am just an ordinary citizen, what opinions could I possibly have about a high-ranking military officer? I am just reminding the commander that this is an excellent opportunity, so don't miss it."

"Good!" Commander Ma stroked his white beard and nodded emphatically. "I will certainly report back!"

~~
When Su Lu returned to his room, he found that his eldest brother had not yet come back, and his second brother was sleeping happily with his wife in his arms, probably dreaming about something wonderful.

The next morning, both brothers were doing their morning exercise in the yard when the older brother came back with dark circles under his eyes.

Su Lu was doing the "two hands grasping the feet to strengthen the kidneys and waist" exercise when he looked at Chun Ge'er, who was standing upside down, through his crotch and exclaimed, "How much does Master Zhu like you? He's stayed up with you for two nights in a row."

"Uncle Zhu said he's leaving today, so he needs to hurry up and explain things to me clearly." Chun Ge'er was also deeply moved. "He's such a noble and warm-hearted old man, I've already become his apprentice."

"Great, great!" Su Lu said happily, "Putting everything else aside, at least we've saved a hundred taels."

I never imagined that bringing Master Zhu home would lead to a connection with my elder brother...

“He also asked me to go to Luzhou to study with him,” Su Man added.

"So, did you agree?" Su Lu straightened up, his back bouncing like a spring, as if 'seven bounces and a hundred ailments disappear'.

“I keep my word.” Su Man shook her head.

"Sigh, my brother is really too principled." Su Lu sighed helplessly.

“But I promise I’ll go next year after the New Year,” Su Man added.

"That's alright." Su Lu nodded.

"Great!" Su Tai put down the stone bench he used for practicing his skills and grinned. "Then we can be together again."

~~
Before Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the main street outside the county school was already packed with people.

What ordinary person wouldn't want to witness the unveiling of the Chuanlu Archway? Some parents even brought their children, setting off in the middle of the night from dozens of miles away. Some young fathers brought out their newborn babies, just to absorb some of the literary atmosphere of that moment.

The much-anticipated brick and wood archway has four pillars and three bays, with a plaque wrapped in red silk. The four thick, vermilion-lacquered wooden pillars stand firmly on the carved stone base, still exuding the smell of fresh tung oil.

The archway erected in the county may not be as precious as the one made of white marble in the prefecture, but look at the brackets at the junction of the beams and pillars, which are carved into intricate lotus petals. Even the "carp leaping over the dragon gate" between the beams and pillars, and the "deer calling and feasting" painted at the bottom of the crossbeams, are all lifelike and not at all perfunctory.

At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), civil and military officials including Huang Bingxian, Prefect Jia, Magistrate Lu, and Commander Ma, along with family representatives such as Zhu Jie, and representatives of teachers and students from the academy such as Qian Shanchang and Su Lu, gathered under the archway to devoutly worship Heaven and Earth, and the Supreme Sage Teacher and the God of Literature.

Then, thirty-six students from the county school, carrying feather flutes, performed the offering of vegetables ceremony with a six-row dance to the solemn ancient music of "Yunmen"...

Watching the scholars lined up in six columns and six rows, their movements mechanical—bowing, spinning, and parting—Su Lu realized he had misjudged Chun Ge'er and the others. Their dance was like that of robots, utterly devoid of any beauty.

However, Su Lu now knows that these Confucian dances actually evolved from ancient shamanistic rituals. Aren't those trembling shamans and sorcerers performing similar movements?
As the dance ended, the master of ceremonies drawled:

"The auspicious time has arrived..."

Huang Bingxian, Prefect Jia, Magistrate Lu, and Zhu Jie then cut the red rope tied to the red silk with scissors.

The moment the red rope was cut, thirty-six strings of firecrackers exploded at the same time, and the silk covering the plaque fell to the ground like a red cloud, suddenly revealing the four large golden characters "Huang Jia Chuan Lu" on the blue plaque!
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, countless eyes were fixed on those four large characters, unable to look away for a long time.

At this moment, the seed of reading has been planted in the hearts of countless people...

~~
After the ceremony, the Su brothers boarded the boat of Prefect Jia and returned to Luzhou.

Huang Bingxian, accompanied by Commander Ma and Magistrate Lu, went to Taiping Town for inspection.

Su Youcai and his wife, along with Su Daji, returned to Erlangtan for final negotiations with the Cheng family...

(End of this chapter)