“Why only replace the highest ones and not the lower ones? Replacing them all wouldn’t cost much money.”
“And you say you’re not pig-brained—you still don’t believe it. If we replaced them all, what secrets would remain in the public office? Superiors with nothing to do love walking around. I’m lazy and like to slack off and daydream. Getting caught too many times looks bad on my official evaluation. Besides, I only planned to let sunlight through the glass shine on my spot—that’s enough. Let the sunlight pass over everyone else’s heads for the rest.”
Zhuzong was very dissatisfied with Wang Xuance constantly calling him pig-brained, but hearing Wang Xuance’s strange methods, he couldn’t help asking again, “Why?”
This question hit exactly on Wang Xuance’s itch. Seeing Zhuzong ask, he said proudly, “To change the tables and chairs! Once we change the tables and chairs, everyone can enjoy the sun.”
“So these past days when you were climbing up and down ladders, it was to calculate the angle of sunlight? That’s too selfish, isn’t it? What if the department head still doesn’t agree to change the tables and chairs? Then you’d be the only one who could bask in the sun this winter while all the other old men huddle in dark corners shivering like mice?”
“How could that be? Everyone knew that only my worst position could get sun. Naturally I wouldn’t enjoy it alone, so I gave up the position—not to the oldest person, but to the one in poorest health. This way, though the others were still dissatisfied, they had nothing to say.”
“You know how things work in the office—people don’t resent scarcity but inequality. Within two days, the elderly ones said they’d recently been experiencing back pain and leg cramps, probably because they hadn’t gotten enough sun. Those who’d been on battlefields said their old war wounds were being triggered by the cold, damp weather and they needed more sun. And since they all had decent eating and drinking relationships before, now they wouldn’t speak to each other for three or four days. The one with poor health desperately wanted to give up the position, but was only met with cold stares. Finally, I casually mentioned that if we raised the seats higher, wouldn’t everyone have sun? That best position could rotate among those with weak health, battlefield veterans, and elderly colleagues every ten days—wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“It turned out that among the colleagues, the well-traveled ones immediately said that Pianyi Restaurant had those tall chairs and tables, we just needed to buy them back—supposedly wouldn’t cost much. That colleague sitting in the only position the sun could reach had been living a fate worse than death these days. His office colleagues were inexplicably distancing themselves from him—not a good sign. So he volunteered to find the department head and tearfully begged him to change everyone’s tables and chairs, otherwise he’d have no way out.”
“And then you got to sit in a chair?” Zhuzong looked at Wang Xuance in shock. “To sit in a chair, you didn’t hesitate to isolate your colleague, deliberately bringing their conflicts to the surface? To sit in a chair, you didn’t hesitate to tear apart a perfectly good office?”
Wang Xuance looked at Zhuzong calmly and said, “To achieve the goal of sitting in a chair, I wouldn’t hesitate to start a war. For them, I’ve already shown mercy.”
Zhuzong shook his head and said, “You’re a damn lunatic. No, you’ve already gone mad.”
“I’m not mad. I’ve never been mad. On the contrary, my mind is incomparably clear. The Great Tang is currently in the midst of the greatest transformation in history. We need to create an unprecedented golden age and make it last forever—that requires madness. Look through the history books—which person who left their mark on history wasn’t a lunatic? Champion Marquis was a lunatic—eight thousand cavalry charging three thousand li, achieving the merit of carving stone at Mount Yanran. Ban Chao was a lunatic—with only thirty-two attendants, he dared to kill all the Xiongnu envoys, forcing the heroes of the grasslands to kowtow to Chang’an.”
“Heh heh heh, Zhuzong, without obsession, nothing is achieved. If you lack the courage, then obediently stay in the Great Tang heartland as a prefecture official, riding an ox cart all day, shepherding the people for the Son of Heaven. Go home and make children with your vulgar wife, living every day exactly the same as the last.”
“I’m different. I want to see the highest mountains, shoot down the proudest eagles, fight with wolves in the wilderness. If I don’t die, with the horizontal blade in my hand, I will certainly eliminate all threats to the Great Tang’s people, gladly becoming their hound. Any who harbor evil intentions—I will make them feel the terror from hell.”
Looking at Wang Xuance’s mouthful of white teeth, Zhuzong fled. Staying too long with this guy, he might catch the madness himself. The academy had long taught him that a gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. This bastard wasn’t a dangerous wall—he was a volcano about to erupt, certain to burn him to ashes. Of course, this fellow would also burn to death himself. By his appearance, he’d already been driven mad by the peaceful and auspicious Chang’an.
“Tomorrow’s gathering, I’ll state my views clearly. If I can’t convince you all, I’ll do it alone.” Wang Xuance’s voice carried from afar, clear and methodical.
Fu Yi looked at the red apricot blossoms in the vase, picked one, then took out a paper packet from his bosom. Opening it, he placed the apricot blossom together with an almost withered peach blossom. Looking up at Yuan Tiangang, he said, “You want to use me? You should know I have no good feelings toward your Daoist sect either. However, seeing that you’ve already submitted a memorial requesting to be included under the Great Tang’s tax system control, this old man doesn’t mind too much. At least you know when to advance and retreat. These Buddhist monks have gone completely insane—mud statues and wooden puppets presuming to call themselves divine Buddhas. Laughable, laughable.”
“The Grand Astrologer excels at precise calculations of astronomy and the calendar. How to choose regarding the natural way—this poor Daoist simply cannot bear to see the people deceived, so naturally must expose their evil deeds. Though I die nine times, I will have no regrets.” Yuan Tiangang’s words were spoken with dignified righteousness and magnificent grandeur.
Fu Yi chuckled lightly and looked at Yuan Tiangang strangely, saying, “Indeed, only enemies truly understand each other. I know clearly what you’re worried about. Your Daoist immortals also continuously descend to the mortal world—what’s the difference from what the Buddhist sect is doing now? But forget it. This time, as long as we can expose their ugly behavior, what does it matter if this old man is used by you once? Tell me, where do these apricot blossoms come from? Who has such miraculous craftsmanship?”
Yuan Tiangang said nothing but took out a five-hundred-string draft and pushed it before Fu Yi. Seeing Old Fu’s beard and hair bristle in anger, he quickly said, “This isn’t for you. The Yun family’s goods have never been cheap. Everything you want is at the Yun family. You, Old Fu, have been poor your whole life—even if you saw the mirrors, peach blossoms, and fragrances, you could only stare helplessly. This money is for purchasing those items—don’t think it’s for you. Since we’re the ones benefiting and the common people are benefiting, it’s proper that we contribute some funds.”
“I thought of it—only Marquis Yun would have such ability. Perhaps he’s truly descended from immortals. Potatoes, corn, and noodles benefiting the Great Tang’s people, using so many immortal techniques to improve people’s livelihood—this is what immortals should look like. Sun Simiao has done countless good deeds in his lifetime—even without divine miracles, this old man would respectfully call him Immortal Sun.”
“That’s how this world works. The truer the immortal, the more they fear people knowing, desperately concealing their identity, afraid of being different from others. The faker the thing, the more they want the whole world to know, fearing the common people might see them as ordinary mortals. I’m not looking down on you, but spending all day deceiving people to gather wealth—is it really that interesting?”
Old Fu Yi’s words made Yuan Tiangang’s face turn green then white. If not for striking at the Buddhist sect, he wouldn’t come here to suffer this indignity.
Fu Yi was a man of action. Having already learned the details, he naturally wouldn’t delay. He had his servant harness the ox cart and creaked his way out of Chang’an, heading straight for the Yun family estate.
Old Fu wasn’t visiting the Yun family estate for the first time. When he had nothing to do, taking his library card and spending a day in the academy’s library had become his habit during rest days. At noon he’d order an inexpensive but not simple meal, paired with rice wine brought from home, able to remain pleasantly tipsy for a long time. He didn’t enjoy boating or mountain climbing—he only enjoyed going to the estate to chat with old farmers, hearing them say their family’s days were gradually improving. If there were one or two who liked to boast, all the better—he could learn about the actual situation of the Yun family estate from their talk.
Today having no time to do these things he greatly enjoyed was somewhat regrettable. His old servant took the calling card to knock on the Yun family’s main gate. Soon, a young man in blue clothes came out to greet them, with proper etiquette and humble manner. By the gate, a farm woman was arranging her fruit on the steps, blocking the path. He didn’t hurry her but patiently waited for the farm woman to finish organizing before inviting Old Fu inside. Old Fu didn’t feel this was improper—rather, he felt this was how a great family should conduct itself. Being proud to superiors but not insulting to inferiors had always been a virtue praised by scholar-officials.
“Sir, this is not your first or second visit to the Yun family estate. Each time I’ve wanted to invite you into the residence for conversation, but seeing you chatting happily with the tenant farmers, I didn’t disturb you. Today that you’ve come to the door, the Yun family’s humble dwelling is honored.”
Fu Yi said with a smile, “The Yun family is a high gate and great household—not easy to enter once. As they say, when a night owl enters a home, nothing good happens. This old man is Chang’an’s famous night owl. If I can bring people less bad luck, I’ll bring less. But today I truly have business coming to your door. For any impropriety, I ask Marquis Yun’s magnanimous understanding.”
The two conversed and laughed pleasantly, walking side by side toward the great hall. Along the way, seeing the Yun family’s well-ordered arrangements, Fu Yi continuously expressed praise. Indeed, the impression the Yun family gave everyone was one of ease. Servants carrying water sang songs. Maids bustling about with work laughed constantly. The old steward busily kicked servants’ bottoms—both the kicker and kicked wore smiling faces. The female manager jumped about pleading for the young master in the tree to come down. Two earth dogs lay in the sunny spot with eyes for no one, yawning lazily. A magnificent warhorse stuck its head through a window watching with great interest—probably a maid changing clothes inside, embarrassedly pushing the huge horse head out while mixed with bashful cursing and laughter.
This was the atmosphere the mortal world should have. Fu Yi looked at the blue-robed man before him and suddenly had a whimsical thought: Was this what the Immortal Realm looked like?