Along the banks of the Dongyang River, willows hung like silk threads, and soft, delicate grass swayed gently with the wind on both shores. April was the most beautiful season at Yushan. Every morning, Yun Ye and the four elderly scholars would stroll along the riverside, taking the opportunity to discuss the day’s arrangements.
“Tomorrow His Majesty has commanded you to attend the morning court session. I wonder if you’re prepared?” Li Gang walked ahead with his hands clasped behind his back, asking Yun Ye who followed behind as he walked.
“Prepared for what? Since this junior dared to do it, I’m not afraid of anyone using it as an excuse to make things difficult for me.” Yun Ye’s face showed complete indifference.
“You led over forty cavalry riders rampaging through the countryside, showing no regard for the law—that’s already a grave crime. Yet you still show no remorse. Who knows what kind of disputes will arise in the court hall.” Though Li Gang’s words sounded severe, his face bore an expression of calm detachment.
“Teacher, if this matter were left to you to handle, what would you do?”
“Fifty years ago, I would have broken both his legs. Forty years ago, I would have taken his life. Thirty years ago, I would have had the authorities step in. Twenty years ago, I would have gone to Chen Shuda to argue about it. Now, I would let you handle this matter.” Old Li’s words drew laughter from the other three elderly scholars.
“When young people handle affairs, they’re most satisfying—no need to think about so many consequences. The older one gets, the more timid one becomes. Thinking carefully about it, the decisions made in youth aren’t necessarily wrong. When handling things in old age, one goes in a big circle, only to return to the starting point in the end. Little Ye does things very much to my liking.” The Yushan Scholar seemed to relish the chaos.
“The deed was done satisfyingly enough, but the aftermath is troublesome. With Chen Shuda’s complaint, you can’t escape the charge of allowing your servants to commit violence. How is that charcoal-selling old man on your estate doing now? If I hadn’t happened to go boating alone on the river that day, that old man’s life or death would have been uncertain.”
“Hmph! One cartload of charcoal, over a thousand catties, exchanged for half a bolt of red silk and one zhang of thin silk, tied to the ox’s head as payment for the charcoal. That damned scoundrel—the old man worked hard all winter, only to have it extorted and seized by him. He even injured the old man, leaving his whole family without means of livelihood. By spring, there wasn’t a single grain of rice in their home, and now they’re seeking death and contemplating suicide. I’m starting to regret not breaking both his legs.” Yun Ye was still indignant.
“Oh? Young man, your literary talent is quite good. Those two lines just now have some merit.” Scholar Yuanzhang appreciated the verses but showed no sympathy for the people involved.
“What’s there to worry about? A mere wicked merchant relying on backing to tyrannize the countryside—what’s so serious about Little Ye breaking one of his legs? With Chen Shuda filing a complaint, I estimate that wicked merchant will hardly escape death.” Scholar Lishi remained as sparing with words as ever.
The four old men and one youth looked at each other and laughed. Yun Ye shook his head—there really were people in this world as stupid as pigs.
“Young man, I’m curious why you didn’t use this excuse, but instead used such a domineering method as him not giving you tea leaves. Don’t tell me you couldn’t afford to lose face over it.” Scholar Yushan asked curiously.
“Look at the fate of that merchant caught between me and Chen Shuda, and you’ll understand why this junior wanted to distance myself from that old man’s family.”
Scholar Yushan nodded and said to him earnestly, “I’m finding that I like you more and more, young man.”
The other three scholars also wore expressions of great satisfaction.
How disgusting—that was Yun Ye’s inner assessment.
The old matriarch was very worried about her grandson. A few days ago, her grandson had led people to Hu Village ahead, smashed it to pieces, and even broken the family head’s leg. She didn’t know if there would be trouble. She just found it strange why her grandson had given the tea money to a farmer on their own estate and wouldn’t let anyone ask about it.
Perhaps her grandson’s anger the other day wasn’t because of the tea leaves, but perhaps for some other reason. Since her grandson didn’t say, she couldn’t very well ask.
The old matriarch couldn’t figure it out for the moment. Looking at her two daughters beside her, dumb as geese, who only knew how to eat, she pinched each of them hatefully to relieve some of her frustration.
The Taiji Palace in the morning light remained magnificent and imposing. Not having come for several months, there was actually a sense of unfamiliarity. In the military officials’ queue, Old Cheng and Old Niu were both absent—one had gone to Guyuan, the other to Yunzhong.
Qin Qiong wore a worried expression, while Yuchi Gong patted Yun Ye unconcernedly, lavishly praising his feat from a few days ago, saying this was truly the military way of doing things. Breaking just one leg—if it had been him, that merchant’s entire family would have long been in their graves.
No matter who it was, Yun Ye greeted them with a smiling face, showing not the slightest trace of guilt. This made those nobles secretly marvel at the young man’s boldness. Since the promulgation of the “Zhenguan Code,” the powerful clans of Shandong had been downgraded to the third rank, with the Li clan as first rank and the Empress’s clan as second rank.
At this critical juncture, every clan was keeping a low profile and behaving properly, fearing to provoke the Emperor’s wrath and bring great disaster upon their families. Only this youngster acted willfully and recklessly—reportedly mobilizing forces over a few tea trees. Over forty cavalry riders rampaging through the countryside, domineering to the extreme. Who knew how the Emperor would deal with him today?
Thinking of this, everyone unconsciously distanced themselves from him a bit.
The court hall remained lively as usual. The army was departing on a large scale, scheduled to reach various assembly points by August this year. The Tang Dynasty’s military machine was operating at full capacity—provisions, horses, weapons, all manner of complex affairs. By the time these were dealt with, the sun was already high in the sky.
The officials relaxed slightly, only to see Chen Shuda stand up, holding his court tablet as he memorialized: “Your Majesty, on the afternoon of the thirteenth day of the fourth month, the Marquis of Lantian Yun Ye led over forty household servants to invade the countryside at will. Using as pretext that Hu Village master Hu An did not give him tea leaves, he brought military weapons, broke into Hu Village, entered the great residence like bandits, destroyed the household like highwaymen. When Hu An showed slight resistance, his right leg was broken. When family members showed any discontent, they were humiliated. He also destroyed dozens of tea plants entirely. For such a lawless person to stand in the same court ranks as your subject—this subject is deeply ashamed. It’s like black and white that cannot coexist.”
“This subject impeaches the Marquis of Lantian Yun Ye for rampaging through the countryside, being utterly unbridled, allowing servants to commit violence, regarding our Great Tang’s laws as nothing. Now with both human testimony and physical evidence complete, I request Your Majesty to remand him to the proper authorities for prosecution.”
The court hall became very quiet. Chen Shuda’s memorial was delivered clearly, every word filled with blood and tears, arousing great sympathy and pity in others.
Very strangely, the Emperor said nothing. Prime Minister Fang Xuanling also closed his eyes and remained silent. Minister of War Du Ruhui seemed to be thinking of other matters, absent-minded. Even Wei Zheng, who on ordinary days detested evil like an enemy, said nothing.
Chen Shuda’s heart skipped a beat. An ominous premonition rose from his heart. He didn’t understand why he would have such a feeling.
Qin Qiong suppressed his impulse to step forward from the ranks, deciding to observe further. Before leaving, Cheng Yaojin had entrusted Yun Ye to him. If something happened, how would he account to his sworn brother of life and death? Today, even if it cost him his old life, he had to protect this youngster.
Yuchi Gong spoke up: “Your Majesty, military men all have rough temperaments. When encountering matters, they find it more satisfying to use their hands than to use their wits. Please, Your Majesty, considering this youngster has some minor merit and is young in years, just punish him slightly to let him learn his lesson. Talking about remanding to the proper authorities—that’s too much.”
Chen Shuda was greatly shocked. If Yun Ye were let off lightly, he himself could forget about making a living in Chang’an. The various merchant families his household relied upon would all depart one after another. How could this be acceptable? Living a poor life—he might as well be killed.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard the Emperor say: “Young man, what mischief are you scheming now? Planning to trap someone again? Chen Shuda? You two could be said to have no grievances from the past and no enmity from recent days. Is it really necessary?”
As soon as the Emperor spoke, Chen Shuda’s face turned ashen. Where was this the tone of interrogating a crime? This was clearly an elder teasing a junior. In this matter, one person had to be wrong—if Yun Ye wasn’t wrong, then he himself was wrong. That Hu An said he and Yun Ye were complete strangers, much less had any grievances or enmity, merely hadn’t given him tea leaves. Could it be that there was something in the middle of this he didn’t know about?
The usually majestic Emperor using such a frivolous tone in the court hall left the assembled officials secretly shocked. Yun Ye’s imperial favor was so deep—they had to reassess the Yun family’s position.
Yun Ye stepped forward from the ranks to respond: “This subject’s temperament is crude and vulgar, putting Your Majesty in a difficult position.”
“Crude and vulgar? I don’t think so. I have a poem here—the words and lines are concise, yet thought-provoking. Why don’t we have Minister Fang read it to everyone, so they can gain some insight into how poetry can be written this way.”
Old Fang slowly stood up, came to the center, bowed with cupped hands to the Emperor, then drew a sheet of paper from his sleeve. After clearing his throat a few times to make it comfortable, he began to recite.
“This poem is called ‘The Charcoal Seller.’ The charcoal seller cuts firewood and burns charcoal in the southern mountains. His face covered in dust and ash, smoke and fire’s hue, temples graying, ten fingers black. What does he seek with money from selling charcoal? Clothes upon his body, food within his mouth. Pitifully, the clothes on his body are thin, his heart worries charcoal is cheap and wishes for cold weather. Last night outside the city, one foot of snow; at dawn he drives his charcoal cart, crushing ice in the wheel tracks. Ox exhausted, man hungry, sun already high; resting in the mud outside the south city gate. Who are those two riders galloping up? Powerful household servants in black shirts. Hands grasping horizontal swords, mouths proclaiming orders; they turn the cart around, berate the ox, and lead it westward. One cart of charcoal, over a thousand catties; the servants of the powerful drive it away, sparing nothing. Half a bolt of red silk, one zhang of thin silk, tied to the ox’s head as payment for the charcoal.”
“How is it? A good poem, isn’t it? Do you know that when I first read this poem, my heart ached? Yun Ye did what I intended to do. Tell me, what crime should he be charged with?”
Chen Shuda prostrated himself on the ground, begging the Emperor’s forgiveness.
When Yun Ye heard this poem, he knew things had gone terribly wrong. The charges in the court hall were resolved, but the excitement in the inner palace would be great in a moment.
Li Gang, Li Wenji—you’ve killed me! This was Yun Ye’s heartfelt cry.