Academy students kept accumulating. The common people also changed from their initial spectator mentality to a solemn expression. The peddlers’ hawking voices became much softer. Even the usually unrestrained wandering martial artists lowered their voices.
Atmosphere was contagious. Before long, the entire Vermillion Bird Avenue became deathly silent.
A yellow dog squeezed out from the crowd with its tail between its legs, snatching in passing a strip of meat from a basket a woman had set down. Discovered by the woman, she shouted angrily all the way, wanting to snatch back from the dog’s mouth the fatty pork she’d carefully selected after picking left and right.
Du Ruhui walked with official steps, full of dignity, coming before the formation. He swept a glance, his gaze fixed on Ma Zhou’s face for a full cup of tea’s time. Yet Ma Zhou showed no fear, holding up his “Essay on Land Tax” a bit higher, meeting Du Ruhui’s eyes without retreating at all.
Du Ruhui, in purple robes with jade belt and towering official hat, held in his arms a tablet board densely covered with tiny script. His heart stirred with emotion—things had appeared too suddenly. No one had anticipated that a small conflict of views would evolve into the current unmanageable scene.
He no longer looked at the students below. There were many juniors he knew well—the Yuchi family’s foolish boy sat there like an iron tower, the Duan family boy’s bald head was quite conspicuous. When he spotted his own son in the crowd, the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
“Marquis Yun, His Majesty summons you to the hall.” Having spoken, he turned and walked away, not wanting to linger even a moment.
Ma Zhou stood up wanting to go in together with Yun Ye, but was glared at by Yun Ye and obediently sat back down. It wasn’t that he was timid, but that he currently had no qualification to ascend the hall to face the Emperor.
Entering Vermillion Bird Gate, Du Ruhui sighed and asked Yun Ye: “Why has it come to this?”
“How would I know? Just now I was at home holding my child, happy and carefree. Who knew that an hour later I’d be sitting in front of the palace gates coercing His Majesty?”
Speaking of anger, Yun Ye’s exceeded his.
“You don’t know?” Du Ruhui’s face showed amazement. He’d originally thought Yun Ye wanted to find his position at court and thus stirred up this huge wave to build momentum for himself. This was the only way to advance in official circles.
“Then what are you sitting there for? Why don’t you hurry and take your disciples back? Utterly baffling.”
“Easier said than done. If they could be brought back, Master Li and Xu Jingzong would have brought them back long ago. Would they need me to step in? Academy students are different from the Imperial Academy and different from the Hongwen Hall. The academy emphasizes speaking freely, with no taboos, trying hard to preserve each person’s natural qualities. Now each one is stubborn as a donkey. The academy masters have all been tied to their war chariot, unable to move. Knowing it’s a fire pit, they still have to jump down with them. I’m the same. Now I just hope His Majesty will vent all his fury on me and not affect them.”
“Minister Du, when you see His Majesty shortly, please speak well of us. Whatever errors there are, they’re all my errors. Just punish me alone.”
Du Ruhui was also someone who’d waded through mountains of blades and seas of fire. His temper was explosive. Hearing Yun Ye’s words, anger rose from his heart. He grabbed Yun Ye by the collar and said viciously: “Old Fang is now at home awaiting impeachment. This old man has also been cursed as a rat or sparrow. You still want this old man to plead for you? Are there such convenient things in this world?”
“You set the fire yourself, you clean it up yourself. That this old man won’t add insult to injury already preserves face.”
Yun Ye chuckled and pulled at Du Ruhui’s sleeve, saying: “Minister Du, if you don’t plead for us, then I’ll say the ringleader in all this was Du Yan. I repeatedly advised against it but was coerced by them into this situation.”
Du Ruhui pointed at Yun Ye with trembling finger, saying: “Shameless, supremely shameless! That this old man serves at court with you is the shame of my life. It seems if His Majesty prepares to punish you, you also plan to bring up the Prince of Wei and Prince of Shu, right or not?”
“Minister Du has keen insight. That’s exactly what this youngster is thinking. Not just His Majesty—whichever of the hundred officials doesn’t let the academy students off, I’ll also drag down into the water together. As for this youngster, these hundred-some pounds are at your disposal. As long as you calm your fury and suppress this matter, I’ll bear any consequences. What does Minister Du think?”
Du Ruhui heaved a long sigh, brushed off Yun Ye’s hand gripping his sleeve, looked at Yun Ye seriously and said: “As a master, you are qualified. That those students have your protection is their good fortune. This old man, considering your benevolent heart in protecting your disciples, will say what can be said. Be careful yourself—His Majesty is extremely enraged. Take care.”
One in front, one behind, they entered the great hall. The atmosphere in the court was extremely oppressive. The hundred officials sat on their cushions, eyes observing nose, nose observing heart, like old monks in meditation. The disturbance outside seemed to have nothing to do with them.
Li Er sat on the high imperial throne. The Tongtian crown obscured his features—joy and anger couldn’t be discerned.
“Subject Yun Ye pays respects to Your Majesty.” He obediently prostrated himself to plead guilty. This was treatment for criminal subjects. Who would willingly be a kowtow insect?
Li Er’s cold laughter was like crows circling at low altitude. “Yun Ye, your audacity is immense! Relying on favor to be arrogant? You actually dared incite students to sit-in at the palace, putting pressure on me. Do you think I can’t kill you, this subject with ulterior motives?”
Yun Ye closed his eyes and said nothing. At this time, the more said, the more errors. He could only wait for Li Er’s fury to vent a bit before pleading. Otherwise, Li Er was now at the height of his anger—speaking more would only ruin things.
“I have always been lenient toward the academy. Now it seems, relying on favor to be arrogant isn’t just you alone—the entire academy is like this. Li Gang, Yushan, Yuanzhang, Lishi, Xu Jingzong are all like this. I can establish the academy, and I can close the academy.”
This won’t do! Why suddenly talk about closing the academy? He’d thrown down hundreds of thousands of strings of cash to achieve the current scale. Why should you, the beneficiary, close it just like that? This is taking my life!
“Your Majesty, the academy is the Great Tang’s academy, not this subject’s. If you say the students gathering now to remonstrate is coercing Your Majesty, this subject doesn’t dare agree. Not one of them is arguing for their own interests—all are for the Great Tang’s long-term peace and stability. Each person hopes the Great Tang will continue for ten thousand generations. If there’s an error, it’s the method that’s wrong. However, this subject believes that when students explain their positions to the principal, what timing matters?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Yun Ye speaks with honeyed words and a sharp tongue, wanting to minimize the great crime of forcing the palace. Your Majesty, this subject requests beheading this honeyed-tongue type!”
Ritual Ministry Vice Minister Linghu Defen left his position to memorialize. He was the Hongwen Hall’s chief instructor and had long been extremely dissatisfied with the academy’s prosperity. The Hongwen Hall hadn’t recruited students of exceptional quality for two years. This was digging at his foundation. Given the opportunity, how could he not put Yun Ye to death?
If he’d only said “severe punishment,” Li Er might have agreed. In Li Er’s view, Yun Ye lacked discipline and could be punished. The thought of killing Yun Ye had never appeared in his mind.
Du Ruhui, Kong Yingda, and Chu Suiliang all secretly sighed. Linghu Defen was lifting a rock to drop on his own foot.
Sure enough, Li Chengqian, sitting at the head of the class, flew into a rage, pointing at Linghu Defen and saying: “This is just a small dispute. The students are merely ardent in loving their country. The procedure and method were wrong. As masters, just order them to correct their errors. Why bring up killing people at court? The court hasn’t heard the sound of slaughter for two years. Now, for a small matter, you want to raise the butcher’s knife again? Your Majesty, your son believes Linghu Defen is taking revenge for private grievances, losing a great minister’s demeanor. Please expel this person from court to rectify court discipline.”
The Crown Prince’s words were very serious. Linghu Defen lowered his head dejectedly, not daring to debate further with the Crown Prince. The consequences were too severe.
“Your Majesty, the students worry about the world. The suggestions they raised are reasonable and well-founded. Even if the Emperor temporarily cannot accept these suggestions, why can’t you be more tolerant toward them? When this subject entered the palace, swords and spears gathered from all sides. With the slightest carelessness, there would be bloodshed. The consequences would be even more worrying.”
Li Er threw down the ten-thousand-character memorial from the table and said to Yun Ye: “Look, look at what they’ve said! Since the rent-yong-tiao system was implemented, all under heaven has been at peace—that need not be discussed. Relying on having some learning in their hearts, they dare to despise all subjects under heaven, denouncing them as rats and sparrows. Do they have even one portion of respect for their predecessors in their hearts? You’re one with great audacity. Could it be that at the academy, you’ve taught all my students to become bold and reckless types?”
What excellent sleight of hand by Li Er! With one sentence, he put himself and the students on the same side. Yun Ye was kicked out. Obviously, this punishment’s rod—Yun Ye couldn’t hope to escape.
“Students acting wildly, the crime lies with their masters. Yun Ye, as academy superintendent, his crime cannot be pardoned. The Court of Judicial Review will investigate and handle according to circumstances.”
This meant all the blame was carried by Yun Ye alone. Li Er didn’t give Yun Ye the chance to push out Li Tai and Li Ke. He himself summoned the students to the Imperial Garden to fraternize with the principal. Yun Ye, all alone, followed Court of Judicial Review Minister Dai Zhou to receive punishment.
“Uncle Dai, this nephew’s body is weak. Can you see your way to fewer rod strikes?”
Dai Zhou said with a smile: “This time, no rod strikes.”
“Confinement? When did the Court of Judicial Review also learn this routine?”
“No confinement either.” After Dai Zhou spoke these words, Yun Ye’s heart sank.
This was absolutely not a good sign. No rod strikes, no confinement—this meant things were more troublesome than anticipated.
“Young Yun, didn’t you feel that today’s court session—you passed through, passed a bit too easily? Apart from Linghu, not a single minister in the full court came out to speak? Do you think everyone fears a Crown Prince who just came of age?”
Looking at Dai Zhou’s fox-like smile, Yun Ye felt as if standing naked in ice and snow. A chill penetrated his bones. Indeed, the joke-like confrontation was very incongruous with the previously tense atmosphere. Then there was only one possibility.
Dai Zhou patted Yun Ye’s shoulder and continued: “You’re thinking wrong. You think the academy and His Majesty conspired to frame you? That’s not it. Your disciples are good, those old masters are also good—all wanted to hide it from you and take on this matter. Have you never suspected the person who sent messages to your Yun family?”
“So you’re saying there was no student unrest, no head-on confrontation—everything was a play performed by His Majesty?”
“This old man doesn’t know. This old man only knows His Majesty wanted to see the court’s control over the academy. Possibly seeing you too invested, His Majesty stopped the ministers from continuing this theatrical performance. Your family’s Grand Theater performs plays every day—you know how it works.”
“Oh, right, His Majesty told me to tell you these things, also told you not to easily trust others again. His Majesty, taking advantage of before the academy’s two-level contradictions completely erupted, first stabbed it out. This way the storm would be much smaller and easier to control. Don’t look down on your academy. This old man just doesn’t understand—a group of yes-men masters taught disciples who are each wolves and tigers. In another ten years, this old man will definitely request to retire and return home. The court is too dangerous.”
Dai Zhou stroked his beard, seeming to speak to himself, yet also seeming to admonish Yun Ye.
“So you’re saying there will be no punishment, no one will suffer disaster. Pitiful, our academy’s masters—used by their own disciples without knowing it. Is it lamentable or deplorable?”
“You’re wrong. The academy is truly remarkable. Those tiny people could fan the flames, trim their sails with the wind, give the hundred officials at court a warning blow. This is the result of your education. What, seeing your efforts about to bear abundant fruit, your heart isn’t pleased?”