Top Scholar

Chapter 315 Gaining Friends in the Southwest
Wang Hua tried to slow down the journey as much as possible, and it took him a month and a half to pass Yangzhou by boat and get onto the Yangtze River.

After a period of careful recuperation, both Wang Shouren and Zhu Liu's health has greatly improved, although the latter's legs are still not very agile. The former still coughs from time to time, which worries his elderly father.

"Cough cough..." Wang Shouren stood on the deck, staring blankly at the vast river for a long time.

It wasn't until a cloak was draped over his shoulders that Wang Shouren turned around and saw that it was his elderly father.

"Dad." Over the past month, the relationship between father and son has continued to warm up, and the father and son have become more loving and filial than ever before in their lives.

"It's windy on the river. You're just recovering, so don't catch a cold," Wang Hua said softly.

"Yes," Wang Shouren said. "Then let's go in."

"Now that we're out, let's talk," Wang Hua said. "Are you worried about what's next?"

"Yes." Wang Shouren did not mince words: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has been following me. I'm afraid Liu Jin will not let me go."

“Yes.” Wang Hua nodded and said, “Liu Jin is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is determined to get rid of you as soon as possible. He is just waiting for my son and me to be separated.”

“Without my father’s protection, they would have attacked me long ago,” Wang Shouren said with a bitter smile.

“Come with me to Nanjing first,” Wang Hua said. “Once we get to our post, we’ll figure out what to do next.”

“I’m afraid that won’t work. That would only implicate Father.” Wang Shouren shook his head and said, “The moment I enter Father’s office, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will come to arrest me and accuse Father of ‘harboring a fugitive’!”

"My son's injuries haven't healed yet, what's wrong with him recuperating in the government office for a few days?!" Wang Hua said angrily, slamming his fist on the railing.

In fact, he had always been resentful. Although he resolutely refused to submit to Liu Jin, he remained silent and did not submit any memorials for the sake of his son's safety, thus becoming the shameful silent faction in the eyes of Imperial Physician Jin...

If this still cannot protect his son, then what is the point of his silence?
"Father, don't worry. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guards are fierce, they are just brainless brutes. It will be easy for me to get rid of them," Wang Shouren quickly comforted his father.

“I believe that.” No one knows a son better than his father; Wang Hua had fought with Wang Shouren for half his life and naturally knew his son's 'cunning'. But he then asked:

"And then what?"

"I can only find a place to hide and wait for the right time," Wang Shouren sighed. This was his real source of distress.

“Then you’ll become a fugitive…” Wang Hua shook his head and said, “Even if Liu Jin falls from power in the future, this part of history will still be an indelible stain on your record.”

"The world is so vast, where should my son go?" In truth, Wang Shouren knew that fleeing to the ends of the earth would only allow him to cling to life. But for him, there were things more important than life itself…

The father and son stared at each other for a long time. Wang Hua sighed and said, "Since things have come to this, let's have a divination done."

"Yes," Wang Shouren replied respectfully. Although his father took the Book of Rites as his foundation, he had been studying the Book of Changes for nearly thirty years after entering officialdom and had become a master of the Book of Changes.

~~
The father and son returned to the cabin and sat facing each other. Wang Hua took out the divination tube and poured the yarrow stalks onto the table.

"Silently think of what you are worried about, and then divide the yarrow stalks as you go."

"Yes." Wang Shouren closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment before distributing the yarrow stalks as instructed.

The result was three yin lines at the top and one yin and two yang lines at the bottom.

Wang Shouren himself was a learned man, well-versed in all five classics. Before his father could even explain them, he muttered to himself:
"The hexagram 'Ming Yi' is formed by placing Kun above Li below, which means that the light is being obscured, like the sun setting in the west, which perfectly matches the son's current situation."

“Yes.” Wang Hua nodded slowly and said, “‘Light enters the earth’ does not mean there is no light at all, but that the light is temporarily hidden in the earth. The lower trigram is Li, which represents fire, and the light will reappear sooner or later!”

“My son also believes that Liu Jin’s perverse actions will not last long.” Wang Shouren’s spirits lifted, and he asked for advice:
"How can I avoid their sharp edge during this time? If I go to Guizhou to take up my post, I fear my life will be in danger; if I flee, I will be violating my duty as a subject. My son is truly tormented."

“You only see ‘the light enters the earth,’ but you’ve overlooked the hidden line in this hexagram—the ‘Kun’ hexagram says, ‘You gain friends in the southwest, but lose friends in the northeast…’” Wang Hua said in a deep voice.

“Gaining friends in the southwest? My son was exiled to Longchang in Guizhou, which is in the southwest!” Wang Shouren’s eyes lit up, but he was puzzled and said, “But that place is rife with miasma and inhabited by barbarians. How can you say he gained friends there?”

“‘Friends’ do not refer to relatives and friends, but to ‘kindred spirits’ who provide ‘assistance.’ The southwest belongs to Kun, which represents the earth and can contain all things—going to the southwest may seem like entering a dead end, but in reality, you can receive the help of the ‘earth.’” Wang Hua said slowly and forcefully.

"It seems that fate has decreed that my son should take up his post in Longchang!" Wang Shouren's gaze hardened.

"Now that you know the direction, do not hesitate any longer. On your journey to the southwest, remember to 'be outwardly gentle to avoid harm, and inwardly civilized to uphold your will,' and you will surely see the light at the end of the tunnel!" Wang Hua instructed.

“Your son obeys!” Wang Shouren replied in a deep voice.

~~
Inspired by his father, Wang Shouren went to the next cabin to say goodbye to his close friend.

“My father calculated my fortune, and it said, ‘The Southwest will gain a friend.’” He said to Zhu Liu, “So I’ve decided to go and take up my post.”

"A friend in the Southwest?" Zhu Liu's eyes lit up. "So, going to Guizhou might actually bring you good fortune instead of misfortune, and you might have some unexpected opportunities?"

“The divination shows this, but it only indicates the time of day, not whether it will bring good or bad fortune…” Wang Shouren said, “However, as long as we handle things carefully, we should be able to see you again alive.”

"It's definitely possible." Zhu Liu nodded emphatically and asked, "When do you plan to set off?"

"I'll leave tonight," Wang Shouren said in a deep voice. "I need to shake off my pursuers first. I'll take a small boat downstream in the middle of the night and get back to my hometown, then things will be much easier."

Although the Wang family's history is not as long as the Zhu family's, it is far more prominent than the Zhu family in this dynasty. As long as he returns safely to the Jiangnan region, he will not have to worry about not having help to get out of trouble.

"Alright!" Zhu Liu nodded, reluctantly shaking hands with Wang Yangming, saying, "After today's parting, we'll be separated by vast distances. We must both take good care of ourselves and live to see the day we meet again." "Yes," Wang Shouren replied, also holding his hand tightly, "Dejia, take care!"

"Oh, by the way, there are two routes to Guizhou. One is through Sichuan, and the other is along the Yuan River from Huguang." Zhu Liu then added, remembering something else.

"Try to go through Sichuan. It's a bit farther, but once you get to Luzhou, you'll have family to look after you."

"Okay." Wang Shouren nodded, but didn't want to cause trouble for the Zhu family.

"And your disciple, you were supposed to go to the capital to see him, but now it's you going to Luzhou to see him instead." Zhu Liu laughed again, "Since you have nothing to do at Longchang Post Station anyway, you might as well teach him a good lesson."

“Of course, no problem,” Wang Shouren said with a smile. “As long as he doesn’t mind, that’s fine.”

“How is that possible?” Zhu Liu laughed loudly. “A kid who could predict today at the age of thirteen wouldn’t be so short-sighted at sixteen.”

"You mean that essay 'On the Faults of the Song Dynasty'? 'Because he used his personal interests to overpower the world,' that's absolutely right!" Wang Shouren exclaimed in admiration. "Do you think the 'friendship in the southwest' might be found in him?"

"Who knows? In any case, you won't be alone on this journey!" Zhu Liu said confidently.

~~
That night, accompanied by his cousin Wang Shouyi, Wang Shouren untied the small boat from the official ship and quietly sailed downstream.

The following day, Wang Hua's official ship slowly sailed to the Dongshuiguan Wharf in Nanjing, and he slowly walked down the gangway amidst the greetings of officials.

On the dock, the Nanjing Imperial Guards' sentries kept a close watch on everyone disembarking from the ship, only to be dumbfounded in the end.

"Where is Wang Shouren? How come there's only one person with the surname Zhu left!"

Upon receiving the report, Zheng, the commander of the Imperial Guards from Beijing who had been following them all the way, was furious: "With so many people watching, how could he have escaped? Did he sprout wings and fly away, or did he turn into a fish and swim away?!"

Qian Ning, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard standing to the side, said in a deep voice, "My lord, please calm down. Wang Shouren must have escaped in a small boat during the night!"

"How did you know?!" Commander Zheng asked, instinctively disbelieving the rookie's words. Although this rookie was quite skilled, he was still a rookie...

“Please look, sir.” Qian Ning walked to the stern of the boat and lifted the loosely covering reed mat, saying, “There should have been a small boat under here, but it’s gone now.”

“That’s right.” The other Imperial Guards nodded in agreement.

"..." Zheng Qianhu, disregarding the loss of face, hurriedly asked, "Then where could he have escaped to?"

“Going to Guizhou requires going upstream, which is impossible with a small boat,” Qian Ning calmly analyzed. “So he either went downstream or landed somewhere and escaped!”

"He can't escape!" Commander Zheng gritted his teeth and said, "Our spies are as numerous as hairs on a cow in the Zhejiang-Zhili area. He'll be discovered as soon as he shows his face!"

"Yes!" Qian Ning dared not say another word.

"Pass down the order: draw up a sketch, mobilize all informants in Zhejiang and Zhili provinces, and keep a close watch on all major transportation routes. If Wang Shouren is spotted, arrest him immediately!" Commander Zheng ordered in a deep voice, secretly relieved that Wang Shouren's distinctive appearance made him easily recognizable in a crowd.

~~
Wang Shouren did indeed shake off his pursuers, but he seemed to have underestimated the capabilities of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

As soon as his boat docked in Hangzhou, it was spotted by Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) spies who were selling tea at a stall.

Seeing Wang Shouren with his high cheekbones and unique appearance, who looked almost exactly like the portrait, the spy immediately abandoned the tea stall and followed him while sending someone to rush to the garrison to report the news.

Upon hearing the news, the commander of the Imperial Guard in Hangzhou was overjoyed and immediately led his men to rush to the Qiantang River, following the marks left by the secret agents.

The spy was seen standing alone by the river, lost in thought.

"Where is he?" Qianhu walked over and asked in a deep voice.

"Dead..." the spy whispered, pointing to the shore.

Qianhu then saw a scholar's boots and robes scattered on the ground. There were also several messy footprints that led into the water.

"This belongs to Wang Shouren?"

"Yes. He must have spotted the younger one, and suddenly started running, trying to shake him off. The younger one followed closely, and saw this scene when he reached the riverbank." The spy nodded and handed a letter to the commander, saying, "This is his last poem."

The commander took it and saw that the handwriting was very messy, clearly written in a state of panic.

'I have wasted my years studying the Way without achieving anything; Heaven, what do you intend for me to do now that I have come to this?'

I was ashamed that I could not contribute to the country in life, and I will never forget my relatives even in death.

With unwavering loyalty shining like the sun and moon, I care not for my remains to be buried among the fish in the river.

How boundless is the sorrow of a loyal subject for a hundred years? Day and night, the sound of the tides weeps for Wu Zixu.

"It seems he really had no other choice but to drown himself..." After reading the report, the commander pondered for a long time before saying in a deep voice, "Report it as is."

P.S. Wang Shouren is one of the three main male characters in this book, so I'll use a bit more detail to connect with the most important plot points that follow. Don't worry, you'll meet the protagonist in the next chapter!

Also, it's the last day, so please use your monthly tickets if you have them. Don't forget there's also a lucky draw this month!
(End of this chapter)