Chapter 01: Old Homeland
Farewell, my Chang’an! Farewell, my beloved! Farewell to those tyrannical elders of mine! Farewell to the terrifying Li’er! Farewell to the gentle, virtuous yet sinister and cunning Zhangsun!
The moment his horse crossed the Ba Bridge, Yun Ye’s mood instantly improved. However, with so many elders seeing him off, he dared not show his joyful expression and could only pretend to be sorrowful.
He was merely pretending, but someone beside him was crying tears like a flood, utterly grief-stricken.
“Huairen, when dear friends see off their companions, it’s human nature to feel the sorrow of parting. But why are you so devastated? Our brotherly separation is only a matter of a year or two—there’s no need to be this heartbroken, is there?”
Li Huairen shot Yun Ye a resentful glance. “Even if I don’t see you for eight hundred years, I guarantee I won’t feel the slightest bit sad. It’s just that last night Father told me if I don’t learn something real from you this time, my legs won’t be safe. Looking at your unreliable appearance, grief wells up from my heart—if I don’t cry now, when should I?”
“You’re coming with me to the estate?” Yun Ye was extremely surprised. What were they going there for?
“Brother Buqi, there’s me too.” Zhangsun Chong said listlessly.
“Hmph! Among the military families, as long as they have two sons, they’ve all sent one over. Brother here is just unlucky to be the second son.” Meng Youtong, a Chang’an dandy he’d met some days ago, was unrestrained and extremely loyal—the kind of fool who would even fight to pay for others’ brothel expenses. His father served in the Qianniu Guard, also part of the military faction.
“Brother Meng, we brothers will be together, seeing each other daily, and with less supervision from home, this should be a happy time. Why the long face?” Another dandy jumped out.
Yun Ye was utterly confused, not knowing why there were so many people. Could these be the students that Old Cheng and Old Niu found for me? Yun Ye closed his eyes as his head spun, nearly falling off his horse.
Those dandies were now beating up the fellow who had just spoken. Fists and feet flew together, and one was even holding a steel whip ready to strike. The surrounded fellow was quite resilient though. He drilled out from the crowd and shouted, “Even if little brother said the wrong thing, at least let me die understanding clearly, elder brothers!”
“You bastard! Have good days ahead? If it weren’t for that Old Master Niu over there, would brother here be this miserable? If it were just Little Ye, brother here would be fine even running to the edge of the world.” Li Huairen was still indignantly resentful.
“Old Master Niu is coming too?” Yun Ye’s spirits lifted, and he devoutly thanked all the gods and spirits in his heart. With Old Master Niu in charge, could these scum cause trouble?
Old Niu was kicking a big black fellow wearing bright armor, one kick after another. Each kick produced clanging sounds. The surrounding dandies looked at each other. The dandy who had just mentioned good days said with lingering fear to those beside him, “Little brother totally deserved that beating just now!”
Yun Ye went up to speak with Old Niu, and only then did Yuchi Dasha escape with his life. Before leaving, he gave Yun Ye a grateful look.
Not only was Old Niu there, but also the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, Li Gang. The old gentleman’s health hadn’t been good recently, and he planned to retire. Empress Zhangsun had persuaded him that Yushan had absolutely magnificent scenery and was an excellent place for cultivating one’s character and health. Moreover, with both Yun Ye and Sun Simiao there, they needn’t worry about not curing his illness. While recuperating, he could conveniently teach those dandies who had turned Chang’an upside down—this would count as serving the court.
Old Master Li Gang had always taught without discrimination. He had been the teacher of former Sui Crown Prince Yang Yong—Yang Yong died. He was Li Jiancheng’s teacher—Li Jiancheng died. Now he was Li Chengqian’s teacher…
Just as Yun Ye was worrying about Li Chengqian, he saw him running over from afar, followed by a large group of guards, a mighty procession as if moving house. He wouldn’t be going to Yushan too, would he?
“Brother Buqi, little brother arrived late. Please don’t take offense.” This fellow had good horsemanship—he jumped off before his horse had fully stopped.
Yun Ye ignored him and only sighed deeply, looking at Li Chengqian’s feet and saying, “Before long, I’ll need to make another prosthetic leg.”
“Good! You’re cursing me!” He thought Yun Ye was joking.
“Do I look like I’m joking even a little?”
One sentence choked back Li Chengqian’s teasing words in his throat.
“You’re dissatisfied with my dismounting method? Just say it straight. I’ll pay attention in the future. Is it necessary to make me a prosthetic leg?” He was somewhat uneasy. Yun Ye rarely spoke with a stern face, but he knew that whenever Yun Ye solemnly told him something, that matter was extremely important.
“You’re going to Yushan too?” Since he recognized the seriousness, Yun Ye stopped discussing this matter.
“Not going. I have to attend court. Father Emperor has been watching little brother quite strictly these days. However, Third Brother and Fourth Brother are going.” As he spoke, two youths appeared behind him, one fat and one thin. The fat one was Li Tai, the thin one Li Ke.
“Mother Empress said men cannot be raised in the deep palace, otherwise they’ll develop effeminate dispositions. At Yushan there’s Master Li for civil matters and General Niu for martial affairs, plus you, this slippery character—who knows, there might be some progress. So Father Emperor agreed.”
They had long been familiar from the Tingao Pavilion. Yun Ye said to Little Li Three and Little Li Four, “Ah Ke, Ah Tai, I don’t know whether to feel happy or sad about your leaving the palace to study.”
“Does Marquis Yun think my brother and I aren’t worth teaching?” Li Tai was still that disagreeable fellow. Li Ke was much better, only looking at Yun Ye sideways without speaking.
“With General Niu as instructor, studying won’t be an easy matter. Ah Tai, you’ve always loved reading and have natural talent. For you, reading is a simple and interesting thing, even your greatest pleasure. However, adding mathematics and natural sciences won’t be so easy. Moreover, your eldest brother knows best about General Niu’s methods of managing the academy.”
Li Chengqian looked around and saw General Niu scolding Zhangsun Chong. He lowered his voice to tell his two brothers, “Days under the Niu Demon King are unbearably miserable. Elder brother would rather have died in the Longyou army. Whatever you do, don’t get put in solitary confinement. Better to take a beating than solitary confinement—this is the only warning elder brother can give you.”
The two brothers stared wide-eyed. What the Crown Prince said was terrifying in the extreme. He trembled as he spoke, as if recalling his days in Longyou.
After slaughtering the willows along the Guanghe riverbank, the great procession began advancing toward Yushan. The Yun family’s womenfolk had gone to the fief yesterday. Without their burden, this group of killers rolled toward the Yun estate in clouds of dust.
Old Niu, for once, didn’t ride a horse. He sat in Yun Ye’s carriage with Li Gang drinking wine. The official road was smooth, and with the Yun family carriage’s excellent shock absorption, the two old fellows drank and chatted while occasionally picking up slices of tripe and liver to chew. Li Gang closed his eyes to savor it, nodding repeatedly in praise. “This Yun residence cuisine truly lives up to its reputation. These lowly ingredients, through masterful cooking, become supreme delicacies in the blink of an eye. Marquis Niu didn’t deceive me.”
“Old Li, matters of learning naturally fall to you. How to teach is your elder brother’s decision—this old fellow won’t ask. It’s just that His Majesty has stuffed all of Chang’an’s troublemakers into Yushan. What’s the reason? Explain it to little brother.”
“Nothing else—just making use of waste. These pampered young masters aren’t eldest legitimate sons or grandsons in their families. They’ve never been valued by their households and are mostly left to fend for themselves. This old fellow has also heard of Marquis Yun’s audience with His Majesty. The first question asked whether Confucianism had firmly taken root in His Majesty’s heart. The second asked why other schools were despised while Confucian arts were honored. The third asked: Confucianism arms the mind, but who arms the hands? This is a clever boy. Seeing that Confucianism couldn’t be shaken, he used benefits to entice, finding a thread of opportunity within the great net woven by Confucianism. Upon hearing of this, this old fellow drank three cups straight. That chaotic audience actually concealed some scheming, causing His Majesty to unwittingly fall into the trap. For a youthful disposition to have such calculation—quite rare. Your and my journey to Yushan, since we’ve received the imperial command, naturally holds no intention of being perfunctory. Whether they’re fine talents or waste, once they fall into your and my hands, this old fellow will make even a dead tree bloom.”
Old Niu nodded in approval, then asked, “How shall we handle those two princes?”
“This old fellow has been teacher to three crown princes. His Majesty is very clear about this old fellow’s character. Since they’ve been sent, could it be that this old fellow should treat them differently? This old fellow has invited three professors from the Imperial Academy—which one isn’t a renowned Confucian scholar famous throughout the land? This old fellow refuses to believe we can’t teach a few children with virtue. Those children that the family heads view as waste—this old fellow refuses to believe there wasn’t their instigation. Elevating legitimate sons, suppressing concubine-born sons—this old fellow has long been disgusted with the shameful practices of great households.”
Joy flashed in Niu Jinda’s eyes. He raised his cup to urge more wine, and the two men sank back into the Yun family’s mellow wine and fine food.
From afar, they could see the dark silhouette of Yushan standing there. In the later world, when returning to his hometown, Yun Ye had specially visited it. It could truly be called magnificent with peculiar peaks towering, strange rocks jagged, deep valleys secluded, and clear pools dotting the landscape—an excellent place to feast on nature’s scenery.
As “the vital passage between Qin and Chu, the barrier of the Three Auxiliary Regions,” Yushan had always been a strategically contested military site. Throughout dynasties, remnants of iron horses and golden spears had been left here. Literati and wandering poets had gazed upon scenes and expressed feelings, leaving behind over three hundred poems. Han Yu had written here the famous lines “Clouds cross the Qinling Mountains—where is home? Snow blocks the Lan Pass—the horse cannot advance.” Of course, Han Yu currently existed only in single-cell form within his ancestors countless generations back. The immortal Han Xiangzi was said to have cultivated immortality here. Yun Ye decided that when he had time, he must thoroughly explore this mountain and somehow obtain the immortal’s secret manuals before Han Xiangzi did.
The County Magistrate of Lantian was sincere. Even before Yun Ye returned to Chang’an, he had clearly transferred all the Yun family’s fields that had been encroached upon over the years. Especially after hearing that Marquis Yun had literally beaten a dandy who offended the Yun family into a eunuch in the Chang’an market, he became even more active regarding Yun family matters.
By the small Dongyang River, there was an estate established by a local strongman. High walls and deep moats made it a fortress for avoiding warfare in chaotic times. The County Magistrate had merely issued an order, and the strongman obediently moved out. Who knows how much grain and money had been compensated—anyway, the original owner’s face looked haggard as he waited in the estate for the new master to take residence.
Yun Ye was somewhat displeased. I’m here to establish an academy, not a bandit’s den. Taking advantage of others by force for mere money damages the academy’s reputation—not worth it!
Looking again at the County Magistrate beside him, bowing and scraping—supposedly someone recommended by Du Ruhui—it wouldn’t be good not to give face. After kindly thanking the County Magistrate and promising to definitely tour Yushan with him when there was time, and conveniently leave behind a few eternal masterpieces, the County Magistrate left smiling. Before leaving, he even threatened the original owner to serve well, and if there was any offense, so-and-so would happen.
“This estate of yours is located in a place of beautiful scenery and built impressively large. Tell me its true value—surely it’s not the twenty strings of cash the County Magistrate mentioned?” Yun Ye asked the former house owner.
“My lord, please allow me to report: this estate was built by my ancestors over sixty years across two generations to reach its current scale. Although it somewhat exceeds regulations, it was completed before the Great Tang was established. The County Magistrate insists that this humble one violated legal provisions. I beg your lordship’s mercy—my entire clan of over two hundred people will be homeless.” The house owner prostrated himself on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and weeping bitterly.
“Once the government issues an order, it won’t easily change. As they say, ‘Once a word enters the official gate, nine oxen can’t pull it back.’ Even if this marquis returns the estate to you now, would you still dare to live there?” Yun Ye sympathized with the house owner.
This great big fellow had no solution other than prostrating himself and crying. This lord has made things so clear—how can he not understand?
“I plan to buy this estate at market price. What do you think? Of course, publicly you can only say this was a reward, that the marquis was pleased. Understand?”
Having said this, he ignored this fool who was too happy to function and ordered the family steward to handle it. This marquis has important matters to attend to.
Li Gang and Old Niu emerged from behind, exchanging smiles.
Old Li said with a laugh, “This is how one should establish an academy. If we took advantage of others by force, this academy would be better left unbuilt!”