Once the initial shock had passed, those gathered were able to reason it out for themselves: Prince Yu truly could not afford to move openly against Principal Gao just yet. He had not yet raised his banner — if he began by laying hands on the foremost Confucian scholar of the age, who would come to follow him?

This whole enterprise lacked legitimate standing to begin with. Commissioning Principal Gao to write the war proclamation was precisely the attempt to lend it a veneer of righteousness.

Li Chi looked at Gao Xining sitting on the courtyard steps, staring blankly into the air. He was quiet for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside her.

“A very long time ago, my master told me a story.”

Li Chi kept his eyes on the ground. There were ants busy at his feet — going nowhere in particular, bumping into things as they came. And yet they were, in their way, more fortunate than people. In this world it was people who were the real insects, and insects would not go extinct — people might.

He said quietly, “In the days of the Zhou, the emperor died suddenly. Master Zhou returned from his wanderings, and everyone expected him to seize the throne for himself. But instead he wanted only to serve as regent for the young heir — though not everyone shared his desire to serve faithfully. Some wanted to have Master Zhou killed and usurp the throne themselves.”

He glanced at Gao Xining and continued, “So Master Zhou thought of a plan. He had notices posted throughout the city, and sent men through every street and lane beating drums and gongs, telling the common people that he was working together with all the lords and ministers to prepare for the young heir’s enthronement — so that the people could rest easy.”

“He put the names of those very lords and ministers who wanted him dead at the very front of the notice, calling them the most devoted and tireless in their service, and on behalf of the royal house of Zhou expressed his gratitude to them.”

Li Chi looked at Gao Xining. “If Prince Yu wants a war proclamation — then I’ll give him one. I’ve already written a draft and had Yu Jiuling take it back to the carriage depot. By tonight they should be able to make at least a hundred copies, and before morning they’ll be posted up all over the city.”

He smiled. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to Principal Gao. And I won’t let you be sad. I care very much about this world — it’s where I live and where I’ll die. But when you’re sad, I find I can’t stand this world at all.”

Gao Xining looked at Li Chi, her eyes bright and glistening. Right now she desperately wanted to throw her arms around him.

—

The next day.

Prince Yu’s residence.

Prince Yu was eating his morning meal. He glanced aside and asked one of his attendants, “Has Principal Gao agreed to write the war proclamation?”

The attendant bowed. “Your Highness, Principal Gao has agreed — but he says that to write a proclamation worthy of being sent throughout the realm is no task of a single day, and he must take time to think and compose properly.”

Prince Yu nodded. “And the men sent out last night — still no sign of Gao Xining?”

“None, Your Highness. The principal’s granddaughter did not return home all night.”

“No matter,” said Prince Yu, nodding. “Have people continue looking for her. Since Principal Gao has agreed to write this proclamation denouncing the traitors, we can wait a few more days.”

He was still speaking when a guard came hurrying in from outside, a sheet of paper in his hand. The man entered, then dropped to one knee.

“Your Highness — someone has been posting notices all over the city. Outside the Jizhou prefectural offices, inside and outside the Four-Page Academy, and many other locations as well.”

He held the paper up with both hands. An attendant brought it forward and presented it to Prince Yu, who took it and unfolded it.

His expression changed at once.

The first four characters at the top of the notice read: *Proclamation Denouncing the Traitors.*

The proclamation stated, in essence, that the Emperor of Dachu had fallen under the influence of the treacherous eunuch Liu Chongxin and countless other members of the rebel faction, who had thrown the court into disorder and stirred the people to deep resentment until the realm itself was on the brink of collapse. His Highness Prince Yu, keenly aware of the people’s suffering, had resolved to raise his armies, purge the treacherous faction, and restore the dynasty.

It further stated that Principal Gao of the Four-Page Academy had been invited by Prince Yu to his residence, in order to call upon all learned men of the realm to unite in denouncing the eunuch Liu Chongxin. Prince Yu’s respect for Principal Gao was boundless; he treated the principal as an honored guest, regarding him as a revered teacher — a measure of character that inspired awe and warmed the hearts of scholars throughout the land.

A substantial portion of the proclamation was devoted to praising Prince Yu — describing him as humble before men of talent, offering as proof his extraordinary consideration for Principal Gao, and explaining that, fearing agents of the treacherous faction might move to harm the principal, Prince Yu had specially invited him to stay at the residence for his protection.

The proclamation ran to over a thousand characters in total, roughly four hundred of which addressed the denunciation of the traitors; the remaining five or six hundred concerned Principal Gao at length. The message it sought to convey was clear: look at the Emperor, trusting eunuchs and traitors — and look at His Highness Prince Yu, showing humble reverence toward scholars and men of learning.

Prince Yu read through the proclamation, his complexion turning as white as paper.

The common people would naturally assume that this notice had been posted by men from Prince Yu’s residence — that it was Prince Yu’s way of announcing to the people of Jizhou that he, Yang Jixing, was raising the banner of purging the court of treacherous advisors.

“Send men to tear them all down!”

Prince Yu shot to his feet, his voice hoarse.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

His attendants hastily acknowledged the order and turned to carry it out.

“Who did this?”

Prince Yu slammed the table with a crack. The dishes scattered; a jade bowl spun and toppled off the edge, shattering on the floor.

“Find them at once. Find out who posted these notices!”

Before the words had fully left his mouth, one of his advisors came striding in quickly from outside, his own expression grim. He bowed first, then said urgently, “Your Highness — how has this proclamation appeared so quickly?”

“We have no idea who posted it,” Prince Yu snapped. “And it was certainly not written by Principal Gao!”

The advisor said, “On my way here, Your Highness, I could hear the common people speaking of nothing else. In the span of a single morning it seems to have become common knowledge everywhere — particularly at the Four-Page Academy. Yesterday was a periodic rest day, so there was no one at the academy. This morning, when the students arrived, every last one of them saw the notices posted there.”

He looked at Prince Yu and continued, “The students of the Four-Page Academy — they all know now that Principal Gao is here at Your Highness’s residence. They have… they have taken to the streets, chanting slogans in support of Your Highness’s campaign to purge the court of treacherous advisors.”

*Crack!*

Prince Yu’s hand came down hard on the table a second time.

“Your Highness, peace,” the advisor said. “It may not all be bad. The proclamation calls this a purging of traitors from beside the throne — the common people already despise the eunuch Liu Chongxin to the bone, and yet no rebel force has dared to be the first to raise that banner openly. If Your Highness is the first to do so, it may well draw countless followers to your cause.”

Prince Yu’s eyes shifted slowly. He let out a long breath and said, “Regardless of all else, the man who posted these notices must be found. A person like that cannot be left alive… However, first send someone to intercept the men just dispatched to tear them down. Leave the notices for the time being.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The advisor bowed and said, “The common people of the city all believe this proclamation was written by Principal Gao…”

He looked at Prince Yu. “Then — does Your Highness still want Principal Gao to write another?”

“Keep him at the residence for now,” said Prince Yu. “Find out who posted the notices first, and then we’ll see. Also —”

He paused in thought for a moment, then said, “Prepare my carriage. I’m going to the Four-Page Academy.”

The advisor understood at once, and said admiringly, “What foresight, Your Highness — your servant cannot compare. Going at this moment to meet with the students of the Four-Page Academy — they will only respect Your Highness the more, and will pledge themselves to you wholeheartedly.”

Prince Yu blinked. His actual intention in going to the Four-Page Academy had been to pressure the students into going home and ending the procession — but the advisor’s words had given him a different idea entirely.

“Hmm…”

He made a sound of assent, and as he walked out he said, “Scholars are the foundation of the realm, the cornerstone of its future. Of course I must go in person to see them. Only when all the scholars of the land stand with me will this great endeavor succeed as it should.”

—

Meanwhile, at the small courtyard.

Yu Jiuling came running back in from outside, his expression beginning to ease.

He looked at Li Chi. “Last night I took the brothers out in small groups. Those who could write stayed at the carriage depot to make copies. Those who couldn’t write followed me to a printing house in the city — we covered our faces and forced our way in, then made the printers set the type and run the press. We got over a thousand copies printed by midnight, and by the second half of the night, everywhere people were likely to gather had been posted.”

Yu Jiuling wiped the sweat from his forehead. “No need to worry about being traced — we used false accents from out of town when we spoke. Just now on my way back, the whole city is talking about it. And here’s something you couldn’t imagine: the toadies from the Four-Page Academy have actually organized themselves and taken to the streets in a procession, calling out slogans in support of Prince Yu’s campaign to purge the treacherous advisors.”

Li Chi breathed out in relief. He smiled and said, “That being the case, Prince Yu truly cannot afford to touch Principal Gao. He’ll have no choice but to go along with what our notice laid out.”

As he was speaking, Ye Zhangzhu came in from outside. Her first words were: “Was that notice your doing?”

Li Chi nodded. “It was.”

Ye Zhangzhu said, “What a ridiculous idea!”

Li Chi and the others froze.

Ye Zhangzhu suddenly smiled. “And it actually worked… I just came from the residence. The prince has ordered that Principal Gao be treated with the highest respect — no one is to show him any discourtesy. And Prince Yu has already set off for the Four-Page Academy to meet with the students. He intends to make use of those scholars.”

The last of the tension in Li Chi’s chest finally released.

Ye Zhangzhu asked, “What do you plan to do next?”

Li Chi said, “If my reasoning is correct, it won’t be long before Prince Yu sends Principal Gao back to the academy with honors — and then holds a gathering together with the principal to summon the prominent literary figures of Jizhou, so they can build public sentiment for his uprising.”

He looked at Ye Zhangzhu. “If Principal Gao has not been returned to the academy within three days, I’ll be making ready to go into the prince’s residence to bring him out.”

Ye Zhangzhu shook her head. “Go into the prince’s residence to rescue someone? You won’t get in. And even if you did, you wouldn’t get out.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s always a way,” said Li Chi. “For now, let me head back to the carriage depot to make preparations.”

He looked at Gao Xining and the others. “Don’t go out. Under any circumstances, do not go out.”

Gao Xining had not yet spoken when Xiahou Zuo’s mother reached over and took firm hold of Gao Xining’s hand. “Chier, you just go and do what you need to do. Little Ning stays here with me — I’m not letting her go anywhere, not now, and not in the future either, she’s not to go wandering off anywhere.”

She gave Li Chi a sly wink, wearing the look of a mother who had gotten away with something very clever.

Her expression said quite clearly that she was enormously pleased with this future daughter-in-law she had acquired.

Lady Xiahou took Gao Xining’s hand and said, “Are you a little hungry? Your godmother will go and make you something good to eat. Come and keep me company while I cook.”

“Ah?”

Gao Xining couldn’t quite take it in — when had she suddenly acquired a godmother?

Lady Xiahou gripped Gao Xining’s hand and would not let go, pulling her toward the kitchen. As they walked she said, “Don’t you worry about any of it. That foolish boy of mine will handle everything just fine. You just stay home and rest, and keep me company. All the rest is men’s work.”

Gao Xining’s face went scarlet — she could feel the heat blazing in her cheeks.

“What do you like to eat?”

Lady Xiahou asked, “Don’t be shy. Tell your godmother, she’s a good cook, can make just about anything.”

Gao Xining, red-faced, said, “I… anything is fine, I… whatever Godmother makes, that’s what I’ll like.”

Lady Xiahou broke into a great, warm laugh. That old face was very pleased indeed.

—