Linxia

Chapter 237, Loyalty

The capital, the imperial prison.

Dong Zugao stayed in a single room, without any shackles on his body, and even the mattress he slept on was not just a pile of straw. Although it wasn't soft and comfortable, at least it was clean and tidy.

It’s not that he is trying to be special, but the imperial prison is different from ordinary prisons. Those who can be imprisoned here are all officials of high rank, and most of them are old. What if the environment is too bad and the imprisoned officials die?
Many of these officials were thrown here for two days by the emperor when he was angry, hoping that they would remember and return to their original positions one day. Therefore, the jailers generally would not make these imprisoned officials uncomfortable or deliberately use any means to torment them.

Of course, if you say that it is so comfortable here that it can be compared to your own home, that is impossible, but as long as you are willing to spend money, you can eat and drink well.

These days, Dong Zugao has been imprisoned here and has no more complicated affairs. He has truly eliminated external factors, calmed down, and started to think about some things.

"Because I sit on the side of the civil servants, I am naturally incompatible with the eunuch party headed by Wei Zhongxian. I shouted slogans so many times that I thought I was on the absolutely righteous side. But are we really absolutely righteous, and are the eunuch party headed by Wei Zhongxian really guilty of heinous crimes?"

Dong Zugao was thinking, if Wei Zhongxian was really evil and committed unforgivable crimes, then why was Daxia still able to be considered peaceful and prosperous despite the constant natural disasters? Why did it even win the war in Liaodong, and the Tartars were unsuccessful in their attempts to attack the border for several years in a row? Were these ironclad facts all false?

"Why could Wei Zhongxian, who was 'evil and evil', do this? If we were in the same position as the civil officials, would we be able to do this?"

This is the question Dong Zugao was thinking about. He was unwilling and afraid to think about it before. But now, he has the time and energy to put aside his position and start thinking objectively.

Then, he found that Wei Zhongxian seemed to have done many things he wanted to do: rectifying the appearance of the capital, combating corruption in disaster relief, and reforming the Liaodong military system...

Moreover, it is extremely ironic that even if they were civil officials in power and wanted to do these things, they would probably fail due to complicated relationships and huge resistance. However, Wei Zhongxian pushed them forward through power.

——Wei Zhongxian was able to accomplish all this, and the method was very simple. He just had to deal with those who created resistance!

"Why is this so?"

Dong Zugao analyzed the reasons: "We, the civil officials, are in charge of a party, a group, with our own interests and calculations. If we divide our forces, we will be weak. If we want to truly reform, we must have a strong person who can take control of the government and cut the Gordian knot. However, this person will inevitably be slandered because he touches the interests of all parties."

He was surprised to find that Wei Zhongxian was playing this role. Although he did not do it thoroughly, upon careful consideration, he was already the best choice under the current situation in Daxia.

"As a former assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, I am well aware of the dire situation of Daxia today. After the Single Whip Law, the court temporarily increased its tax collection, but within a few decades, the tax collection began to slowly decline. Today, the court's tax collection is even lower than before the Single Whip Law. The reasons for this are that Daxia has suffered from disasters year after year, and that wealthy families in various places have concealed their land, resulting in 'fake fields'... In short, tax revenue is getting less and less, the treasury is empty, and it can't support the operation of the court at all. Liaodong has been in arrears of pay for years."

In this situation, money must be found, but where does the money come from? Raise taxes on the people? In such a situation of continuous disasters, if taxes are raised again, the people will not be able to survive, and the worst case scenario is war.

So, what did Wei Zhongxian do? He took action against the princes and nobles in the capital and the wealthy families in the Jianghuai area. At the same time, he levied industrial and commercial taxes on the relatively wealthy Jianghuai area.

Because of this, the civil servants who came from the Jianghuai area were very dissatisfied. After all, this blow fell on them. To some extent, Dong Zugao was one of them.

"If we, the civil officials, defeat Wei Zhongxian and take charge of the government, we will also face the problem of an empty treasury. So, what should we do? What will we do?"

Dong Zugao was horrified to find that under such circumstances, if he wanted to ensure the stability of the country, he had to continue Wei Zhongxian's strategy. However, it was like this before Wei Zhongxian was overthrown, and it was still like this after Wei Zhongxian was overthrown. Wasn't Wei Zhongxian overthrown in vain?
Not to mention, taking this action would inevitably offend the princes and nobles in the capital, just like Wei Zhongxian did today, and he would also have to bear the pain of having the knife cut into his own body.

"But if we change the policy and cancel the heavy taxes on the Jianghuai area and distribute them to other places, then..."

Dong Zugao could imagine the result: the people who could no longer survive would rise up in rebellion.

It can be said that what Wei Zhongxian is doing now is relatively the most beneficial to Daxia. If Wei Zhongxian is really defeated, this relatively most beneficial policy may not be implemented.

Dong Zugao had a broad view and could bear to cut himself, but could other civil officials bear to do so? What if they couldn't bear it...

Cold sweat oozed from his forehead, and he found that he was in a dead end. He did not support what Wei Zhongxian did, but if he really wanted to defeat Wei Zhongxian and come to power, he had to continue to do so. If he really did not do so, Daxia would be doomed.

"Ugh!"

Dong Zugao sighed. At this moment, he thought of many things. He thought of the "Dynasty Cycle Law", "The Harm of Accumulated and Unrecoverable Situations", and "The Scholar's Rebellion Failed in Three Years, on the Weakness of Scholars" that he and Fang Lin had talked about when they were drinking...

"Brother Fang, you really have great talent, but it's a pity that you are a little lazy."

When he thinks back on some of the things they had talked about at different ages and stages, he always has different feelings.

"Brother Fang, you are truly a good teacher and helpful friend. However, I am afraid I will never see you again in this lifetime. What a pity!"

At the beginning, Fang Lin advised, "It is important to protect yourself, and don't be too rigid... If the official keeps the position but loses the person, both the official and the person will lose; if the person keeps the position but loses the position, both the official and the person will keep." Unfortunately, he was in the court and had no choice, and he was ultimately unable to stay out of it.

Dong Zugao knew that he was so deeply involved this time, and considering Wei Zhongxian's cruelty, he was probably doomed.

However, he also figured it out. Since defeating Wei Zhongxian would most likely be worse than Wei Zhongxian being in power, why bother fighting? Not to mention Wei Zhongxian, even he couldn't stand the fact that many civil servants claimed to be concerned about the people of the world, but in fact they were only concerned about their own selfish interests.

"From the perspective of a civil servant, Wei Zhongxian is an enemy, but for the overall situation of Daxia, having a figure like Wei Zhongxian is not necessarily a bad thing!"

Just when Dong Zugao was relieved, the prison door was unlocked, and the jailer came in with a bowed back, his attitude was polite, even a little flattering and fawning: "Master Dong, you can go out now!"

"Ok?"

Dong Zugao was puzzled. How could he be released from prison? Could it be that Wei Zhongxian, the carnivorous tiger, had changed to a vegetarian diet and a Buddhist?

However, he also knew that he would probably have the answer soon.

Walking out of the prison gate, the dazzling sunlight made Dong Zugao raise his wrist to shield his eyes. Then, he saw from the corner of his eye that the person who greeted him was none other than Zhang Ruian: "Congratulations, Mr. Dong. Mr. Dong is released from prison today. I am hosting a banquet to welcome him. I also know that Mr. Dong has doubts in his heart. Why don't you sit down and talk slowly..."

Half an hour later, Dong Zugao learned the whole story and was deeply moved: "It turned out to be Brother Fang. I owe you so much in this life!"

……

With the help of Zhang Ruian, Dong Zugao survived the disaster and went through the procedures in the capital waiting to take up his post. However, Zhang Ruian faced his own ordeal.

……

Zhang's House. That day, Zhang Ruian returned home from the government office. When he arrived at the door, he heard that his mother had come and he was a little nervous.

Now, as a cabinet minister, there are not many people who can make him so panic, but Wei Zhongxian is one of them, and his own mother is another one.

"Something bad happened!"

After Zhang Ruian became rich, he built a garden in his hometown so that his mother could enjoy a peaceful life. He did not bring her to the capital. It was not because he was unfilial, but because he took his reputation in the capital into consideration. His mother was upright and stubborn, and would not tolerate any injustice. If she knew about this, she would be very sad.

Before Zhang Ruian could ask in detail, he was called away by my mother.

"My son, you see that he is different now." Zhang Fan stared at Zhang Ruian for a while before saying.

When Zhang Ruian saw his mother, he could not tell from her expression. He smiled and said, "Mom, why did you suddenly come here without saying anything? And why didn't you tell me in advance?"

"Why, mother can't come? You are my son, can't mother come to the capital to see you?"

"Yes, of course I can. But, mother, please let me know in advance so that I can send someone to pick you up. It will be more convenient... By the way, mother, you must have been exhausted from the long journey. I have scheduled a banquet for tonight..."

"I'm not busy." Zhang Fan waved her hand and suddenly said, "Son, I see that your mansion has a housekeeper, guards, maids... and such a big garden, it's really great... But, I'm afraid you can't afford it with just your salary? Son, you can't be a corrupt official, right?"

Zhang Ruian's eyes trembled slightly when he heard this, but now that he was a cabinet minister, he didn't show his emotions. He paused and said, "Mother, what are you talking about? How can your son be a corrupt official? This mansion was provided by the court, and the expenses of the servants were also paid by the court. My son sits in this position, can live here, and enjoy all this. When he retires, he will return it."

"It's from the imperial court!"

Zhang Fanshi seemed to accept this statement, and suddenly changed the subject: "But when mother came to your house, she took a look around and saw that the silver, jewels, and treasures in the treasury were piled up like a small mountain. Could these also be provided by the court?"

The old lady was smart. After hearing something, she did her own investigation. When she came to the mansion, she used her status to visit the warehouse.

"This... Mother, this... This... My son is a cabinet minister, and this is a reward from the court..."

"You're still lying!" Zhang Fan raised her cane and hit Zhang Ruian. Zhang Ruian didn't dare to resist or even hide, just to make her calm down.

She cried as she beat him, her tone full of sorrow and pain: "Mother heard all the rumors in the village, but she didn't believe it... When I came to the capital, I asked around, and people said that you became a high official today because of your relationship with that Nine Thousand Years Old Man. Mother also asked about that Nine Thousand Years Old Man, and he was even more corrupt than the corrupt officials in the drama, doing all kinds of bad things and killing so many good people... Son, do you know what people say about you? They say you're a running dog!"

Zhang Ruian was not afraid of being beaten, but when he saw his mother crying, he panicked and knelt down: "Mom..."

"When you were studying in the village, your mother saved money and fed you barley porridge with water, so that you could study hard and be a good person... Since you were a child, your mother also told you the story of Yue Wumu and taught you to read and understand reason, but she never taught you to be a running dog, a corrupt official, to harm loyal people, and to harm the people!"

Zhang Fan took a breath and choked up, "Son, tell me, how did you become like this?"

"Mother, everyone says that if you don't have anyone in the court, you can't be an official. I had no choice but to do so. I don't want you to live the hard life you had before... I'm not the only one who has turned to Duke Wei. There are many scholars as well... I may have done some wrong things by following Duke Wei, but I have never done anything evil. I can live up to my conscience..."

"Silly child, mother only hopes that you will succeed and become a useful person. That's enough. I don't expect you to bring me much return. I am a burden to you."

Zhang Fan said with tears in her eyes, "I don't understand officialdom. You know your limits. I trust you. I just hope you remember that Qin Hui, who murdered loyal officials, is still kneeling before Yue Wumu... You must be a good person, an upright person, so that I won't be ashamed to see your father in my grave."

Zhang Ruian burst into tears when he heard this and these earnest words: "Mom, I was wrong!"

"Everyone makes mistakes... If a son is not taught well, it is the fault of the father. Your father is old, but your mother did not teach you well... If you know you are wrong, just correct it..."

Zhang Fan warned: "You must remember what mother said, and don't make mistakes again."

"Mom, I'll remember this!" Zhang Ruian choked up and agreed when he heard that his mother had forgiven him. He was so overwhelmed with joy and sorrow that he quickly ate his meal and went to rest.

……

The next day.

Zhang Ruian was strong-willed and had recovered overnight. He came to his mother's room early in the morning, ready to greet her and offer her tea, but after knocking on the door and calling out, there was no response for a long time.

He was worried that something had happened to his mother, so he broke in.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw: My mother was hanging on a white silk cloth, with a long tongue sticking out, staring at me. Next to her was a letter written in blood, with only four words written on it: "Serve the country with loyalty and devotion".

Zhang Ruian staggered, tears streaming down his face. He inhaled and exhaled. At this moment, he suddenly recalled many things: when he was young, his mother held him in her arms and told him the story of Yue Fei's loyalty to his country; when he grew up and studied, his mother left all the good things for him, and he only ate barley porridge with water to fill his stomach; when he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, his mother was so happy that she took him to worship his father and cried loudly in front of his father's grave; and when she came to him yesterday, she scolded him for not being able to make up for his shortcomings, and finally gave him earnest instructions, with a complicated look in her eyes...

"Mother! Mother! Mother!" He screamed three times, vomited blood and fainted.

"Master!" The servant who came following the voice hurried over to support him.

……

People like Zhang Fan can only say that in this era where loyalty and filial piety are advocated and feudal ethics are cannibalistic, there are indeed poor and pedantic scholars, and hypocrites who talk about benevolence, righteousness and morality, but there are also mothers like Yue Fei's mother and Xu Shu's mother who are righteous and upright!

Afterwards, Zhang Ruian was in great pain and decided to carry the coffin back to his hometown to observe mourning. Wei Zhongxian wanted to take her away, but Zhang Ruian firmly refused. Wei Zhongxian was also a sentimental person, so he did not force her.

If we say that a month ago, Wei Zhongxian had thwarted the conspiracy against him, his power would have been further enhanced and his fame would have been unmatched. But now he has also lost a wise man like Zhang Ruian, and it is difficult to tell the gains and losses.

From another perspective, Zhang Fan's suicide also represents the backlash of Wei Zhongxian's bad reputation. Civil officials all over the world have suffered from Wei Zhongxian for a long time.

This also means that even if the counterattack by the civil service group fails this time, it is not the end, but perhaps just the beginning.

……

(End of this chapter)