White-robed Minister

Chapter 112 0110 [The Emperor's Eyes Wept as He Read the Memorial]

Wen Yanbo's third son-in-law, Cai Xiang's youngest son, Cai Min, rode on a donkey and said, "My lord, this is the ceremonial procession of the top scholar. Seven Jinwu Street guards are leading the way."

"Riding high on the spring breeze, let him give way." Cai Xiang's voice came from inside the carriage.

As a result, the Cai family's carriages, donkey carts, and servants all retreated to the side of the street.

As the sounds of gongs and shouts grew closer, Cai Xiang couldn't help but lift the carriage curtain, just in time to see Xu Lai riding up on horseback.

Cai Min had already dismounted from the donkey and smiled as he bowed to Xu Lai.

Xu Lai also smiled and cupped his hands in return, but he didn't just return the greeting to Cai Min; he did it to a whole group of people today.

"The top scholar is truly impressive!"

People on the street praised it, and young women and wives all cast fiery glances at it.

Only after Peng Ruli and Zhang Zi rode over did Cai Xiang say, "Let's go too."

Cai Xiang was a little disappointed at this moment.

The newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were enjoying great prestige, but he was demoted to the position of prefect of Hangzhou, a result only after several high-ranking officials strongly protected him.

Now that Zhao Shu has secured his throne, he's finally starting to dredge up old grievances!

Why bring up old grievances?

Of course, this is an old grievance about someone opposing his appointment as crown prince.

In any matter, big or small, there will always be supporters and opponents. The selection of a crown prince is no exception.

Zhao Shu took the initiative to chat about the events of that year. The speaker meant well, and the listeners took it to heart. Everyone understood that the emperor wanted to investigate those who had expressed dissent.

However, there were more than just one or two people who opposed it at the time, and none of them discussed it publicly; instead, they wrote it down and secretly submitted it to Emperor Renzong of Song. Now that they want to investigate, rumors are spreading like wildfire.

Finally, all sorts of doubts and rumors converged on Cai Xiang.

In a daze, Cai Xiang became the leader of the opposition to making Zhao Shu the crown prince that year.

Why is this happening?

First, Cai Xiang was outspoken and dared to speak his mind when he was young, which offended many people.

Secondly, Cai Xiang acted irrationally in his later years, especially in the extravagant construction of the imperial mausoleum, which led to repeated impeachments from censors. Upright ministers and treacherous villains alike hated Cai Xiang!

The consensus among both the government and the public is to bring down Cai Xiang.

Zhao Shu also began to find fault with Cai Xiang.

Cai Xiang, as the Minister of the Three Departments, spent half his time on leave. When the emperor inquired about it, Ouyang Xiu explained that Cai Xiang's elderly mother was ill, and Cai Xiang was taking leave to care for her at home. Moreover, he did not neglect his duties.

When the Western Xia attacked and harassed Jingyuan, the emperor questioned why the Three Departments had made no preparations.

Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang, and Ouyang Xiu pleaded for Cai Xiang's life, but they knew they couldn't save him. So Han Qi said to Zhao Shu, "We can wait for Cai Xiang to resign voluntarily, and then transfer him to a local post."

The Cai family's convoy drove out of the city and arrived at the dock to prepare to board the ship.

Cai Xiang stood by the river and looked back, only to find that not a single relative or friend had come to see him off.

The veteran officials of the Qingli era were afraid of further provoking the emperor, so they were not in a position to see Cai Xiang off.

Others dared not come to see him off, because the emperor had an extreme dislike for Cai Xiang.

"Ugh!"

Cai Xiang was dejected. Together with his son, they helped their 80-year-old mother board the boat.

After the new emperor ascended the throne, all the veteran officials of the Qingli era were promoted, but he alone was demoted to a local post. What a disgrace!

The Hall of State Affairs.

Ouyang Xiu was reading Xu Lai's memorial: "Memorial Requesting the Revocation of the Silver Grant for Newly Appointed Scholars".

After reading the memorial, Ouyang Xiu, who had intended to help polish it, handed it to Han Qi without changing a single word.

After reading it, Han Qi asked in surprise, "Was it really that difficult for him in his childhood?"

"It should be true." Ouyang Xiu nodded.

Zeng Gongliang and Zhao Gai also came to read it, and both of them were quite moved after reading it.

Han Qi said, "The Xie En Silver should have been abolished long ago, and this is a good opportunity. But the Tokyo Public Housing—it's better to discuss it for now than to touch it. It's good that the top scholar brought up the drawbacks of public housing; we should put it on the table now so that we have a reason to discuss it again in the future."

Why can't we touch low-rent housing?

The Western Xia are up to something. They did it once last year, and they're doing it again this year.

The most urgent task for the Song Dynasty is to unite and fight against the Western Xia. If they were to dabble in the mess of the low-rent housing issue, it could very likely lead to disunity, and who knows who might deliberately sabotage them during the war.

However, both Han Qi and Ouyang Xiu agreed with Xu Lai's approach.

First, raising this issue now will provide a starting point for future efforts. Second, the prime minister can use the pretext of abandoning the reform of low-rent housing to unite certain powerful figures in the capital.

"Should I take it and present it to the Emperor?" Ouyang Xiu asked.

Han Qi said, "You're more familiar with the top scholar, so it's best if you go."

Ouyang Xiu then set off for the East Hall, where the emperor was summoning Cai Kang.

Zhao Shu asked, "I just heard from the guards that the top scholar requested to be exempted from the thanksgiving gift. The newly appointed top scholar, Xu Lai, is from Guangdong, and Mr. Cai previously served as an official there. Do you know this man? Is his family truly so impoverished?"

Cai Kang and Zhao Shu were both teacher and friend in their early years, without much complicated relationship.

Cai Kang stated directly, "I have not personally seen the top scholar, but I am indeed familiar with him. He was a disciple of the late Duke of Shixing and Minister of Justice, Yu Jing. Before becoming Yu Jing's disciple, he was indeed of humble origin. When he took the exam at the Guangzhou Prefectural School, he expounded on the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Principles in his essay, which astonished the teachers and students of the school—"

"After studying at the prefectural school, he discovered that the people of the prefectural city were having difficulty getting drinking water. So he led more than twenty students from the prefectural school to survey the mountains and rivers and formulate a strategy. Their water conservancy strategy was adopted by the Guangdong Provincial Administration Commission, and I was responsible for its implementation. The dikes have long been built, and the people of Guangzhou no longer have any trouble getting drinking water."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shu remained noncommittal and then asked, "What are the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Principles?"

Cai Kang replied, "The Three Cardinal Guides are: manifesting one's bright virtue, loving the people, and attaining the highest good. The Eight Items are: investigating things to extend knowledge, cultivating sincerity of intention and rectifying one's mind..."

Cultivating oneself, regulating one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world. This is the way of the Great Learning, and also the way of the superior man.

Zhao Shu was finally moved: "I've read these words in the Book of Rites. Did he summarize them into the Three Cardinal Guides and Eight Principles when he was examining the prefectural school? Hadn't any great Confucian scholar proposed this before?"

"It was he who first proposed it," Cai Kang said. "And that's why Master Yu accepted him as his disciple. There's a wonderful story between them. At that time, Xu Lai was conscripted as a patrol soldier—while reporting on the maritime trade case, Xu Lai met Master Yu—Master Yu examined his literary talent, and Xu Lai then composed the poem 'New Thunder'—"

After listening to the poem, Zhao Shu smiled and said, "It seems that his success in becoming the top scholar was not a fluke. He is well-versed in the classics and history, and also skilled in poetry. Bring me his top scholar essay."

Immediately, a close attendant eunuch ran to retrieve Xu Lai's examination paper from the Ministry of Rites.

In a normal year, the prime minister would have personally read the top scholar's essay to the emperor before the list of successful candidates was announced.

Then, Zhao Shu said to the official in charge of rites, "Since his family is poor, then we will waive the thanksgiving money for him."

"As you command." The official in charge of rites accepted the order.

Just then, Ouyang Xiu arrived.

Ouyang Xiu presented the memorial to the emperor.

Zhao Shu frowned as soon as he saw the title.

Should I ask for a reward money?

I am not begging to be exempted from paying a token of gratitude!

Not only does he refuse to pay the money himself, but he also wants to abolish this rule.

Zhao Shu couldn't help but feel displeased.

The emperor genuinely didn't consider the thank-you money a burden on the newly appointed scholars; he believed they could certainly afford it. Even if they couldn't, they could apply for exemption.

The emperor didn't want money; he wanted the sentiments of the newly appointed scholars!

Out of respect for the deceased Yu Jing, out of respect for Ouyang Xiu personally delivering the memorial, and out of respect for Cai Kang, who was both his teacher and friend, Zhao Shu forced himself to read the memorial despite his dissatisfaction.

[Your humble servant, a lowly scholar, has by chance passed the imperial examination with top honors. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's favor, which places me at the top of the list. Your kindness is as heavy as mountains, and I am moved to tears.]

First, flatter the emperor, saying that you are grateful for his great favor.

After Zhao Shu finished reading the first paragraph, his dissatisfaction subsided slightly.

I was born in a remote and desolate place, where my family has lived for generations deep in the mountains. The surrounding village comprises several dozen households, all making a living by farming and woodcutting, yet not a single family has even been classified as a fourth-class household—they toil year-round, barely escaping hunger and cold.

[I once heard of a village school beyond the mountains—during the off-season for farming, I would rise early and walk more than ten li, secretly standing outside the window to eavesdrop, doing this every day without fail, regardless of the heat or cold—my family was poor and had no paper, so I used pheasant feathers as pens, writing hundreds of characters a day on a blue stone by the stream—I did this for ten years, until there were no books to read and no paper to use, and all that remained were the crisscrossing marks on the stone.]

What followed was entirely about Xu Lai's reading experiences, recounting how he killed bandits and earned merit, using the reward money to buy books, and how he met Yang Shu who gifted him a copy of the Analects. He even made a special mention of Yang Shu passing the imperial examination that year.

Zhao Shu was a very sentimental person. Recalling his own experiences in his youth, he read with tears in his eyes: "Are there really scholars in the world who suffer such hardship? Using pheasant feathers as pens, stream water as ink, and bluestone as paper, he managed to persevere for ten years. It must have been so difficult for him."

[I have heard that in ancient times, the selection of officials was based on choosing the virtuous and capable. Once the right person was found, he was honored and rewarded, allowing him to fully utilize his talents; once he entered officialdom, he was provided with a salary and support, so that he had no worries about his career. I have never heard of anyone selecting someone based on merit and then demanding bribes.]

The origins of the system of "gratitude money" are unknown. Historical records suggest it was a temporary expedient during the chaos of the Five Dynasties period and the early years of a newly established dynasty, unsuitable for a peaceful and prosperous era—ostensibly for expressing gratitude, but in reality for currying favor; ostensibly for showing respect, but in reality for offering bribes. The discrepancy between name and reality could not be greater!

People are starting to question the legitimacy of Xie Enyin's claim.

Because of the emotional build-up beforehand, Zhao Shu didn't find it offensive, and even somewhat agreed with what Xu Lai said.

Moreover, impoverished scholars, diligent in their studies and practice, sometimes travel thousands of miles with their books, or burn the midnight oil. After more than ten years of hard work, they may only achieve one success in the imperial examinations.

On the day of the announcement of names, the joy of escaping poverty was quickly replaced by worry about borrowing. The rich could easily manage, but the poor struggled. Some pawned their ancestors' belongings, others begged relatives and friends for loans, and some even borrowed from street urchins at exorbitant interest rates. The glory of passing the imperial examination lasted less than a hundred days; yet, a lifetime of burdens had already been inflicted upon them. I am deeply saddened by this.

Zhao Shu asked, "Are there really scholars who borrowed money from the marketplace to pay their thanks for the imperial favor?"

"Yes, and there are many," Ouyang Xiu said.

Cai Kang said, "Even those from moderately well-off families often have to borrow money to pay their taxes. One hundred taels of silver, according to the market price in Tokyo, is at least 150 strings of cash. Those scholars from remote areas spend a lot of money traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, and they certainly don't have enough money to carry. In addition to the silver for thanking the emperor, they also have to pay their taxes on a fixed-term basis, so borrowing money from the streets is a common occurrence."

Zhao Shu remained silent, lost in thought.

He quickly regained his composure and continued reading Xu Lai's memorial.

[Your Majesty's early reign has seen the elimination of long-standing abuses and the revitalization of all things; this is precisely the time for reform. If Your Majesty were to issue a special edict to abolish this silver, not only would the poor scholars be grateful and the whole country praise your virtue, but the people of the four seas would also know that the court is eager for talented people, not prioritizing material gain or considering wealth. What they would gain would far exceed a hundred taels of silver.]

[Moreover, this silver, though nominally presented at the palace gate, actually belongs to the relevant officials. With Your Majesty's wealth encompassing the entire realm, how could you rely on such a mere hundred taels? With Your Majesty's children nurturing countless people, how could you bear to punish this impoverished scholar? If you abolish it, the court will have a reputation for treating scholars with respect; if you retain it, scholars will feel ashamed of seeking favors. The advantages and disadvantages are clear, and need not be understood by the wise.]

In the past, Emperor Wen of Han rejected the best horses, and Emperor Taizong of Tang abolished tributes from various regions, all because he did not want to show the people benefits. Now Your Majesty has succeeded to the throne and is about to follow in the footsteps of the Three Kingdoms and Five Dynasties. How can you retain this outdated practice from the late Tang and Five Dynasties at the very beginning of the selection of officials?

This involved flattering the emperor while simultaneously analyzing the pros and cons, and even using the examples of Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang to spur Zhao Shu on.

They've put the emperor on a pedestal!

They then discussed the low-rent housing in the capital, saying that many public houses in the capital had collapsed or been abandoned, and that it was a great waste to leave the land there, while the candidates for the imperial examinations were facing housing difficulties.

Another issue is that last year, when Cai Xiang was building the imperial mausoleum, he made a lot of haphazard purchases and requisitions of materials, and now a lot of them are left piled up in the warehouse, exposed to the sun and rain.

The scholars have already paid their thanksgiving silver this year, and there's no reason for it to be returned.

The silver coins awarded to over a hundred successful candidates in the imperial examinations amounted to a total of 26,000 strings of copper coins. Why not use this money to recruit artisans and poor people, use abandoned land for low-rent housing as foundations, and use the leftover materials from the construction of the imperial mausoleum to build public housing?

These public houses were specifically rented at low prices to scholars who were waiting to be selected for the imperial examinations.

In this way, the scholars who paid their thanksgiving silver this year will be very happy and grateful to the emperor.

The recruited artisans and poor people got jobs, especially during this year's drought, and recruiting disaster victims to build houses can also be considered a form of work relief.

Those abandoned low-rent housing sites were also reused. Moreover, building houses there made Tokyo look less dilapidated; otherwise, the crumbling houses in the city would have been an eyesore for the capital.

The construction of the late emperor's mausoleum had been extremely costly, drawing criticism from both the court and the public. Furthermore, the remaining materials had been piling up for a long time, not only wasting the people's hard-earned money but also ensuring that the people would always remember the imperial tomb's expropriation.

We should quickly put those waste materials to good use and guide the criticism into praise, which will also demonstrate Your Majesty's filial piety and your benevolent rule and love for the people.

Furthermore, the batches of scholars who will be selected for the imperial examinations in the future will be able to live in affordable housing built with funds intended as a token of gratitude, and they will forever be grateful for His Majesty's benevolence.

Zhao Shu was stunned.

Because following Xu Lai's method would bring so many benefits that everyone would benefit!