The fifth-month night was already carrying a hint of warmth. In the imperial study, the young sovereign’s words rang out firm and resolute, and for a moment, the faces of everyone present showed an expression of solemn awe as they clasped their hands and listened to his instruction.
The night wind blew quietly in, stirring the gauze curtains and the lamp flames. The room fell silent for a moment, and Cheng Zhouhai and Wenren exchanged a glance before clasping their hands. “…Your Majesty’s words are entirely correct.”
“That Your Majesty has come to such an understanding is a great fortune for the nation.”
Zhou Pei, standing to one side, also nodded. Li Pin clasped his hands but did not immediately accept the order. Jun Wu, hands pressed on the table, breathed a few times before finally sitting down slowly. Seeing the exchanged glances among those below him, he asked, “What’s the problem?”
Wenren Buer stepped forward. “Your Majesty’s words are enough to establish the great policy direction of our Martial Dynasty going forward — in my view, this is a very good thing. As for the situation at the decisive battle at Hanzhong, it is truly inspiring, and if Your Majesty wishes to release the news, then let it be released… but before that, this humble servant has something to say.”
Jun Wu, his face still somewhat flushed, said, “Speak.”
“Your Majesty should understand clearly: from the southwest campaign to the decisive battle at Hanzhong, once the news of the Huaxia Army crushing the Jurchens is released, it will surely delight the hearts of the people. Our Martial Dynasty has suffered under Jurchen bullying for years, and countless Martial Dynasty people have died at Jurchen hands — suppressing this news would indeed run counter to the way of a benevolent ruler. Therefore, this humble servant supports Your Majesty’s decision. But within this larger direction, there are some smaller matters that, in my view, cannot be overlooked.”
Wenren Buer paused. “First, while the common people learn of the news of the Battle of Hanzhong, how should we let them understand the reasons behind the Huaxia Army’s victory? Second, what Your Majesty said today was open and aboveboard, truly striking and inspiring — the sharp resolve and do-or-die determination in Your Majesty’s words are also among the reasons a nation can be revitalized. So then, in releasing the news of the decisive battle in the southwest, are we simply sharing joy with the people, or do we hope that, alongside feeling comforted by this news, they will also feel the same sharp resolve and urgency that Your Majesty feels? In my humble view, to achieve the best effect, a certain amount of shaping and framing will be needed…”
He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. For a long time, Jun Wu’s temperament had been relatively mild, cautious, and receptive to advice — even when impassioned in moments of life and death, he had merely been doing what needed to be done. That today he would be this impassioned clearly showed he had been deeply moved by the battle in the southwest, and had arrived at a genuine understanding of what it meant to press forward boldly.
Whether in the way of a sovereign or in a nation’s grand strategy, being aggressive or being conservative was, many times, not really a matter of right or wrong — what mattered more was that the one holding the helm chose a direction, and then carried out a correct sequence of actions to advance it. Though the path Jun Wu had chosen appeared difficult, it was by no means unreasonable — and in fact, deep down, everyone present was more inclined to want to move in this direction as well.
By the time Wenren Buer had said this much, Jun Wu had already slowly sat up straight, his eyes brightening. “That makes sense. What I said just now was rash — I’d had some wine… There’s a great deal of room to work with here…”
Wenren Buer nodded. “For the Huaxia Army to crush the Jurchens in the southwestern campaign and the decisive battle at Hanzhong — it would not be an exaggeration to call this a turning point for the entire realm. So then, what kind of turning point, and in what direction do we want the realm to turn? For instance, Your Majesty has long wished to promote the study of natural principles, but has met with much resistance both at court and among the people, many of whom do not understand its benefits — this is now an excellent opportunity…”
“That makes sense, that makes sense…” Jun Wu tapped the table, then stood up and took down several wooden models from the wall behind him. “These past days I’ve had people investigating what weapon the Huaxia Army used in the Battle of Wangyuan Bridge. In fact, when you get down to its principle, it’s just a large firecracker rocket — except their gunpowder charge is far more powerful, and it flies more accurately. With this, the Huaxia Army used seven thousand men to easily defeat the thirty thousand of the Yanshan Garrison…”
The sky above was thick with stars, and Fuzhou’s night was peaceful. It was against this quiet backdrop that, in the imperial study, the Emperor spoke of the study of natural principles, his eyes already alight, his whole body seeming unable to stop moving with excitement — he had already begun to realize certain things, and his mood grew even more animated. Zhou Pei stepped out of the room to instruct the servants to prepare a late-night meal of porridge. Inside the study, the voices of Cheng Zhouhai and Li Pin could occasionally be heard as well.
“…As for advancing the Ministry of Works reforms, this is also an excellent pretext…”
“…As for the Huaxia Army’s approach to military governance, we too can further study and model it…”
“…This matter needs both speed and thoroughness — full preparation must be made…”
“…Also, we might as well have General Yue move quickly to take Quanzhou — no need to wait any longer…”
The discussion in the room buzzed on, and after a while, more advisors were summoned to discuss further matters. Zhou Pei walked out into the courtyard, over to the quiet courtyard next door, and by candlelight went through all the intelligence reports concerning the entire southwestern campaign, page by page, sheet by sheet, all the way through to the killing of Wanyan Sheyema and the panicked flight of Zonghan and Xiyin.
Afterward, she sat quietly for a long while.
…
The early hours of the first day of the fifth month gradually passed, and a faint fish-belly white began to rise over the eastern sea horizon. The curfew was lifted; fishermen began preparing to head out to sea, officials at the harbors and docks took their morning roll call, and the refugees gathered in the eastern part of the city waited for the morning porridge distribution and for the day’s registration work to begin. The city appeared to be settling into another busy, ordinary day. Having hastily washed up, Li Pin rode his carriage through the streets of the city.
Voices bustled all around.
Many emotions were brewing in his heart, and his fingers moved slightly, as if calculating names one by one.
Returning to the courtyard where he lived, he immediately gathered his servants, the staff of the newspaper office, and the Confucian scholars who often sat discussing matters there and occasionally helped out, and quickly began issuing orders and arranging tasks.
Some were assigned to handle meals, some were to immediately take charge of carriages and horses, and more took lists of names and began gathering people from all over the city… This was the pool of manpower he had been quietly cultivating for months — mostly young, sharp-minded Confucian scholars, though some older, more open-minded scholars made up a small portion as well.
Those who received their orders left the newspaper office courtyard and merged into the bustling crowds, like drops of water merging into the sea. For a Fuzhou now gathering hundreds of thousands of people, their total number was not large — but something was already beginning to brew within this deep sea of humanity…
…
The sun gradually rose, warming the city under its light.
Something big was about to happen…
As the hour of the Dragon drew to a close, Chen Cangji, crossing the streets of Fuzhou to reach Feng Heng Academy in the west, sensed an unusual atmosphere. Quite a number of Confucian scholars had already gathered there. Some were old acquaintances with one another; even those who did not know each other could recognize the extraordinary bearing many of them carried. They had all been summoned by Li Pin, and since Li Pin had recently become a rising favorite at the Emperor’s side, gathering people together so hastily clearly meant something significant was afoot.
Acquaintances exchanged words with each other, but for the moment, no one learned anything definite.
By around the hour of the Snake, the number of people gathered here was already estimated to be over a hundred, when Li Pin arrived from outside. He first greeted everyone in general terms, then went to the steps at the front of the courtyard — the interior courtyard of the academy had an enclosed structure on all four sides, making it easier for voices to carry clearly — and stood beside a table. He waved for everyone to quiet down, then, restraining his smile, clasped his hands: “All of you may consider today’s gathering to be like an imperial examination.”
This statement carried great weight.
After he said this, the crowded courtyard grew even quieter than before. People thought to themselves: the Emperor needs men.
Of course, many years later, what more people would remember was what they heard next.
Amid the silence, Li Pin looked around, then spoke: “What I am about to tell you today are matters of great significance. You will find them surprising, even shocking. Because there are so many of you, I ask that you prepare yourselves — whatever news you hear in a moment, please do not make noise, do not discuss it amongst yourselves for now. From today onward, there will be endless time for discussion… Now then, let me begin.”
He pressed one hand on the table, then stepped up onto a stool and climbed onto the eight-immortals table. Standing at this height, he could see even the people at the very back of the courtyard clearly, and only then did he continue:
“What I want to tell you today concerns events in the southwest — the decisive battle between the Huaxia Army and the Jin state’s western route army… Regarding this matter, fragmentary news has been circulating around Fuzhou for months now, and I know that all of you have already heard a good deal of it. But the outside situation is chaotic, and all sorts of news, strange and varied, has been circulating — what you have heard is not necessarily true, and for certain reasons, the court has not, until now, shared these reports with you in detail… But from today, this information will all be made public, including news of the entire course of the great battle in the southwest, before and after. Whatever intelligence the court has received will be shared with all of you — and then, through the articles you write, through the newspaper, it will be announced to all the people of the realm!”
A faint buzz rippled through the crowd, but soon quieted again. Li Pin took a breath. “What I can tell you first is that the great battle in the southwest has already concluded. On the twenty-fourth of the fourth month, the decisive battle at Hanzhong ended. Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Xiyin led one hundred thousand troops against the twenty thousand men led by Qin Shaoqian — and were crushed head-on by those twenty thousand! Qin Shaoqian, right in front of Zonghan, hacked his son Wanyan Sheyema to pieces. Zonghan and Xiyin fled in ignominious defeat. From this point on, the Jurchen western route army has been utterly routed in this southern campaign, with hardly any troops left…”
“…Quiet! I know you’re all curious — all the intelligence will be shown to you afterward… Upon receiving this news, the court actually had two schools of thought. One, of course, was to suppress the news — our Martial Dynasty’s conflict with the Huaxia Army is known to all, and some believed this news should not be revealed, as it would only boost the enemy’s morale while dampening our own. But this morning, His Majesty said something…”
“All of you! Here is what His Majesty said—”
Li Pin bowed toward the table, then began reciting aloud what Jun Wu had said, naturally with some embellishment and omission, but the spirit of diligent self-strengthening and determined pursuit still came through clearly in his words. Someone could not help but speak up, and the courtyard buzzed again with murmurs. After Li Pin finished reciting, he waited a moment.
“All of you! What His Majesty said just now are truly the words of an enlightened, sage ruler — but what is the deeper meaning behind what His Majesty said? These past years, our Martial Dynasty has never defeated the Jurchens — the Huaxia Army in the southwest has. To gloss over this fact would be unacceptable! If they were able to defeat the Jurchens, there must be reasons for it. We may fight the Huaxia Army, but we cannot ignore those reasons — we cannot keep our eyes shut to the causes of their strength. What is good, we must learn; what we lack, we must strive to catch up on! This world is changing. These days, in discussing matters with all of you, one thing has become clear — clinging to old ways no longer works—”
“Why release all the news about the southwest? Let me tell you — many officials at court are unwilling to do so. But we must face the Huaxia Army honestly, and learn what is good from them. This is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two, nor explained in a few simple words. So, starting today, His Majesty hopes that a group of quick-minded people can begin learning to face it honestly, to analyze it…”
“You must find the reasons for the Huaxia Army’s strength, and use your writing to tell the people of the realm those reasons! You must tell the people of the realm what we ought to do! At the same time, you must not think that because the Huaxia Army defeated the Jin state, the Huaxia Army must therefore be entirely good — you must also, for the sake of the people of this realm, look at what problems the Huaxia Army has, what shortcomings it has! You must also tell the people of the realm what things we must not do, and why we must not do them—”
“All of you are intelligent people, who have devoted your lives to learning, hoping to serve the nation with your talents. My friends, our Martial Dynasty has endured over two hundred years, and today it stands in peril. We have come to Fuzhou with nowhere left to retreat. Many people have knelt down in surrender — the small court in Lin’an knelt down, countless others have knelt down. The Huaxia Army has, for the moment, driven back the Jurchens, but they are extreme — they kill emperors, they wish to destroy our Confucian tradition. Their path cannot be followed, but our own path must be corrected — we must observe, we must learn, learn what is good in them, and avoid what is bad!”
“Going forward, your task is not merely to look over the intelligence about the Huaxia Army. Why have we gathered here today? What lies beside Feng Heng Academy — some of you know, some do not. Adjoining this courtyard is a branch of the Jiangning Institute for the Study of Natural Principles, relocated here. The Huaxia Army promotes the study of natural principles, delving deeply into the laws governing all things in heaven and earth. As for the strange weapons and firearms that appeared on the battlefield in this southwestern campaign — especially at the Battle of Wangyuan Bridge — the Institute has already begun deducing and investigating them in depth. This is among the most important things concerning the Huaxia Army, and concerning the future of this age. In a moment, you will have the opportunity to go see and understand them for yourselves.”
“And once you understand them, you will be able to tell the people of the realm what this so-called study of natural principles from the southwest truly is.”
Li Pin paused. “As for the war reports from the southwest and Hanzhong, they are expected to begin appearing in the newspaper starting tomorrow. Today, look and think it over — and of course, if you have a good piece of writing, you may hand it to me tonight, and it might just be the first to appear in tomorrow’s paper. But in general, there’s no need to rush. Write about this great battle and the lessons within it according to your own thinking, and whatever is well-written, over the coming month, or months, we will place in the newspaper and distribute it gradually throughout the realm — it may even be compiled into a book. Your words will be seen by countless people — even His Majesty himself will read what you write…”
“Going forward, whatever thoughts you have, you may tell me — privately or openly, either is fine.”
The sun had already climbed high, and the city’s bustle continued as usual. Li Pin had spoken himself hoarse in the courtyard, sweat beading on his forehead. Before long, all sorts of voices rose up one after another, and he began answering questions one by one.
Those gathered here were only the first group he had thought to call — perhaps not many of them would prove truly useful, but that did not matter; more people would come, one after another. The beginnings of a reformation were emerging, though at the time, few could yet grasp its significance.
While Li Pin was speaking of these things at Feng Heng Academy, Jun Wu had already personally seen to all manner of matters concerning the Institute for the Study of Natural Principles — including how to explain the principles of natural science to the visiting scholars, how to choose words, and how to make things sound suitably alarming and dramatic. At court, arrangements for the reform of the Ministry of Works were already being planned; privately, Cheng Zhouhai had taken on the task of spreading various rumors and opinions. The people of the realm certainly had the right to know of the Jurchens’ crushing defeat in the southwest — but that did not mean they had to be made into propagandists for the Huaxia Army. This was the world of grown-ups now.
The order for Yue Fei to stop his slow negotiations and swiftly seize Quanzhou was already racing along the road by warhorse.
Over Lin’an, heavy rain fell, with occasional thunder.
Several days later, Wu Qimei and others finally received word, learning of the unusual stirrings taking place in the direction of Fuzhou…