Top Scholar

Chapter 329 A Scholar Can Be a Million Soldiers

Previously, She Yunluo had brought back news that Yang Bin, the Pacification Commissioner of Bozhou, had managed to get through Liu Jin and was promoted to the position of Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Sichuan for the first time ever!

Huang Ke's original position as the Military Commissioner was the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Sichuan, which meant he was Yang Bin's subordinate.

Although Huang Ke might not listen to Yang Bin, the Yang family certainly wouldn't listen to Huang Ke.

“Ever since Yang Bin became the provincial governor, the Yang family has been acting like ‘Zhang Fei in women’s clothing—both arrogant and domineering!’” Su Youjin said dejectedly, “They openly set up roadblocks on the river, preventing boats from passing. They claim that the Chishui River is their sacred river and that boats cannot travel on it.”

"That's utter nonsense!" Wang Shouren said angrily upon hearing this. "They're just acting recklessly because they have connections in higher places!"

“Yes, sir.” Su Youjin nodded and said, “The jurisdiction over the Chishui River does not lie with Bozhou at all, and they have no right to do anything about it. But with Yang Bin as the provincial judge, no one can do anything to them.”

"Wouldn't the people who repaired the river be very disappointed?" Wang Shouren frowned.

“Who can argue with that?” Su Youjin nodded dejectedly. “Forty thousand men toiled all winter, hoping that once the waterway opened, they could live a better life. Now that’s all gone. How can they not resent it? I don’t even dare to see them now. I’m too ashamed…”

As he spoke, he tilted his head back and gulped down a mouthful of wine.

"Then we have to find a way to make the Yang family back down," Wang Shouren said slowly, gazing at the campfire.

"There's nothing we can do, sir..." Su Youjin said helplessly, "We've negotiated with the Yang family, but they're completely unyielding. They won't listen to reason, not even offering tolls. They just won't let boats pass through this waterway!"

“Yang Bin is definitely the one who calls the shots in Bozhou. There’s no point in talking to them,” Wang Shouren said in a deep voice.

"The military commissioner went to the provincial capital to pay a visit to Yang Bin. That bastard is the most despicable! He says one thing to your face and another behind your back. He promised to make them withdraw, but there's still no sign of it." Su Youjin spat with a distressed expression, "Actually, those bastards were all instigated by him..."

"Hmm." Wang Shouren nodded and said with a carefree smile, "Brother, don't worry, this matter is not difficult to solve."

"Oh?!" Su Youjin's eyes widened upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, "Sir, can you control Yang Bin?"

“Yang Bin is already the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner. How could I, a mere post station clerk, possibly control him?” Wang Yangming shook his head and chuckled.

"So, who does the gentleman know who can keep him in check?" Su Youjin asked.

“No.” Wang Yangming shook his head.

"Brother, just ask Master Yangming what to do, why are you guessing?" Su Youcai couldn't help but laugh, "With your brain, you won't be able to figure it out even at dawn!"

"Yes, yes, please enlighten me, sir," Su Youjin said with an embarrassed smile.

“It’s actually very simple. It’s nothing more than appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him.” Then Wang Yangming said, “I’ll write him a letter and persuade him not to take the position of Provincial Surveillance Commissioner.”

He laughed matter-of-factly, "As long as he resigns from his post, won't the Yang family behave themselves?"

"Huh?" Su Youjin stared in disbelief. "Yang Bin isn't a three-year-old child. He's only been the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner for a few months. How could he possibly quit after just a few words of advice from you, sir?"

"Don't believe me? Let's make a bet." Wang Shouren laughed and said, "If I win, you have to send me two more jars of Erlang wine, and they have to be 'ten-year aged'."

"Of course, no problem! Even if you lose, I'll still keep your wine." Su Youjin said with a smile.

"Well, one thing at a time, the wine I won tastes especially good," Wang Shouren said with a shake of his head and a smile.

~~
That evening, after the banquet, Wang Yangming returned to his room and prepared to write a letter of thanks to Yang Bin.

Although Yang Bin was an official in Chengdu, his stronghold, Hailongtun in Bozhou, was less than 200 li away from Longchangyi.

With the arrival of the renowned Master Yangming, the Yang family naturally sent their disciples to offer their condolences with generous gifts.

At the time, Wang Shouren was in seclusion at Yangming Xiaodongtian and did not see anyone from the Yang family. Now, he naturally had to write a letter to Yang Bin to sincerely thank him, and then take the opportunity to give him some advice...

Su Lu prepared the ink and laid out the paper for his teacher, and then Wang Yangming picked up his brush and wrote:
"Your Excellency has previously bestowed upon me generous gifts, such as rice, millet, and cloth, greatly alleviating the difficulties faced by the post stations. As a banished subject, I have no way to repay you, but considering Your Excellency's imminent danger to your family, I dare to speak frankly and sincerely."

Su Lu originally planned to serve Old Wang well and then slip away to watch the stars with Huang E later. But after reading the first part, he couldn't move on.

I thought to myself, the teacher can't shake the habit of using clickbait titles, but they do manage to get people hooked and keep reading...

Then Wang Shouren continued writing:

"I have heard that Your Excellency intends to curry favor with Liu Jin. What foolish scheme could lead you to this? It is truly unwise. Though I am far away, I am deeply concerned for Your Excellency—Liu Jin, through his eunuch power and manipulation of the law, is hated by everyone in the court and the public! However, his perverse actions are only temporary. Even if he escapes punishment for now, in five or six years, or eight or nine years, he will surely face a swift and decisive reckoning."

"Consider the Yang family, Your Excellency. For over a thousand years since the Han and Tang dynasties, your land and people have remained unchanged. The reason for this enduring stability is that you have consistently upheld the imperial laws and rites, remaining utterly loyal and diligent, never daring to deviate even slightly. Therefore, even the emperor cannot transgress these laws and rites, nor can he unjustly punish loyal and virtuous officials. Otherwise, Your Excellency's land and people would be wealthy and prosperous; the court could easily seize them all and govern them as prefectures and counties—who would object?" "If Your Excellency is implicated in the future purge of Liu Jin, losing your ancestral official position is a minor matter. Would your two regional governors and six local officials still submit? Once Your Excellency's power weakens, they will surely harbor rebellious intentions; the surrounding chieftains, who have long coveted Your Excellency's territory, will also seize the opportunity to plot against you. At that time, your ancestral property will be lost, your descendants will resent you, and even if Your Excellency regrets your actions, how will you face your ancestors in the afterlife?"

Seeing this, Su Lu understood his teacher's meaning. He contrasted Liu Jin's short-lived power with the Yang family's nearly thousand-year-long rule in Bozhou. Then he let Yang Bin think for himself—was it worth it to become entangled with a treacherous minister like Liu Jin for a few years, risking lifelong stigma and even giving the court an excuse to abolish the native chieftainship system in Bozhou?
Of course it's not worth it at all...

Moreover, Wang Yangming foresaw that Yang Bin would not be easily persuaded, and analyzed the consequences for him from his perspective: once he was dismissed by the court... Yang Bin himself coveted other people's territory, so he would naturally worry that if he lost his hereditary official position, his ancestral territory would be divided up by other chieftains.

Wang Yangming then went on to explain his current precarious situation:
"The Pacification Commissioner is an official responsible for guarding the territory, thus allowing him to retain the land and people for generations; but the Inspector, on the other hand, is an exiled official, serving in all directions, only at the emperor's command. If the court issues a single edict, entrusting a governor with this post, whether in Fujian or Zhejiang, how could he dare disobey? Otherwise, the punishment for disobeying the edict would arrive in no time. Holding the edict and carrying it out, the land and people that have existed for thousands of years would no longer belong to the governor."

It means, wouldn't it be great if you were the Pacification Commissioner? You'd be like a local tyrant for generations. But if you become the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, you'll become a visiting official, forced to go wherever the emperor orders you, or face punishment and execution. At that point, the land and people of Bozhou will no longer belong to your Yang family.

"Therefore, even if it were the position of Provincial Governor, Your Excellency should resign quickly and not linger! Considering all this from the perspective of benefit and harm, weighing the moral implications, and reflecting on your own conscience, Your Excellency will surely feel uneasy. Given Your Excellency's wisdom, you will surely have already made a decision. This humble servant only wishes for the long-term prosperity of Your Excellency's family and career… Shouren bows respectfully."

Think about what I'm saying, isn't that true? This incompetent official is a jinx, so he should resign as soon as possible...

What's most ingenious about this letter is that it makes no mention of the Chishui River, leading Yang Bin to believe that Wang Shouren is genuinely worried about him.

After reading it, Su Lu gave a thumbs up and said with heartfelt admiration, "Teacher, as the saying goes, a scholar can be a million soldiers. Today, I have witnessed it firsthand."

"Hehe." Wang Shouren put down his pen and laughed smugly, "I wasn't always this sharp. It's only after enlightenment that I feel I see things much more clearly than before, as if nothing can stump me."

"Is it really that powerful?" Su Lu asked incredulously, "This disciple doesn't feel that way at all."

“That means your cultivation is not yet sufficient, and you still need to continue your practice.” Wang Shouren laughed and said, “No matter how miraculous our teachings are, it is impossible to become invincible just by knowing them. We still need to put knowledge into practice and practice in real-world situations.”

"Yes, teacher," Su Lu replied honestly.

Indeed, even if we attain enlightenment together, I am still far behind my teacher...

“You don’t need to rush. You’re only seventeen now, and among your peers, it’s impossible for anyone to be stronger than you.” Wang Shouren said with a smile as he carefully folded the dried letter, put it into an envelope, and sealed it with glue. “By the time you’re twenty-seven, you will have far surpassed your teacher today.”

"The teacher really has confidence in me," Su Lu said with a smile.

“Of course, you are one of the people who co-founded the School of Learning with your teacher.” Wang Shouren said solemnly, “Do you still need to doubt your own great wisdom?”

"Hehe..." Su Lu scratched his head, too embarrassed to nod. He had to save face.

He quickly changed the subject, asking, "Teacher, can this letter really persuade Yang Bin to resign?"

“Of course.” Wang Shouren nodded. “If this had been the case when he first took office, it might not have been useful. But he has been the provincial inspector for half a year now, and he has experienced the taste of it all. He probably already finds it boring.”

"What do you mean?" Su Lu asked.

"Just as it's difficult for Han Chinese to become chieftains, it must be equally unpleasant for chieftains to become Han Chinese officials, especially in Chengdu, where there's the Provincial Administration Commissioner and the Governor-General above them, and a bunch of Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioners they can't easily control below them," Wang Shouren said with keen insight.
"It's like a drop of oil in a water tank; it just won't dissolve. Others band together to exclude him, sidelining him. Do you think he'd feel bad?"

"Given his current state of mind, reading this letter will surely move him deeply," Wang Yangming said confidently. "Just wait and see!"

“I believe you.” Su Lu nodded emphatically.

"Trust me, that's the right thing to do. I would be very sad if my disciples didn't trust me." Wang Shouren then smiled broadly and said, "Oh, right, there's something else."

"Please give your instructions, teacher," Su Lu said respectfully.

“The reason I built Longchang Post Station so large is because I want to open an academy inside,” Wang Shouren said. “Originally, I wanted to educate the local Miao people. They are actually drawn to China. As long as we teach them culture and etiquette, even the barbarians can become part of China.”

“Yes,” Su Lu agreed, “this is the way to long-term stability.”

"Furthermore, now that we have grasped the essence of Taoism, we should naturally lecture here and promote our school's doctrines." Wang Shouren then asked, "What do you think would be a good name for this academy?"

"Here we go again." Su Lu said helplessly, "Teacher Mingming is the best at naming, and loves naming the most, yet he always asks his disciples for help."

"Haha, you say one first, and then I'll say an even better one, so that it will seem like I'm a little bit better than you," Wang Shouren laughed.

"Then let's call it Longgang Academy," Su Lu said.

"Uh... okay." Wang Shouren paused for a moment, then laughed, "You're thinking the same thing."

P.S. There are still 1000 words left in the next chapter...

(End of this chapter)