Moma Liangshan

Chapter 138 The Commoner's Reply to Laizhou

Three days ago, Zhao Mingcheng, the newly appointed prefect of Laizhou, ordered all the city's yamen runners to sweep all the main streets of Laizhou, and even paved the area outside the east gate with yellow earth. This was because Zhao Mingcheng was to welcome a very important guest that day: the renowned scholar Li Tong, a commoner. Who was Li Tong? He was a direct disciple of Cheng Yi, one of the founders of the Luoyang School, and the teacher of Zhu Xi, the later founder of Neo-Confucianism. Zhu Xi lived during the Southern Song Dynasty and was the only non-direct disciple of Confucius to be enshrined in the Confucian Temple, ranking among the Twelve Philosophers in the Dacheng Hall, and receiving Confucian sacrifices. Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucian thought had a profound influence on the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, becoming the official philosophy of these three dynasties, with the Ming Dynasty's "eight-legged essay" being a prime example. At this time, Li Tong was just a young man under thirty, while his future disciple, Zhu Xi, was still several years away from birth. Such a learned and renowned scholar never participated in the imperial examinations and always pursued his studies as a commoner.

Zhao Mingcheng was born into a scholarly family and had a deep connection with the Cheng brothers, Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao, in Luoyang. He was also a fellow student of Li Tong. Having spent many years in exile in Qingzhou, Zhao Mingcheng, now reinstated, had long seen through the treacherous nature of officialdom and held Li Tong, this learned and talented commoner fellow student, in even higher regard. On this day, the weather was fine and sunny. Willows lining the roadside, laden with tender buds, swayed gently in the air, like a young girl's flowing hair. On the riverside meadows, withered yellow and tender green mingled, and clusters of wildflowers, about to bloom, swayed in the breeze.

Li Tong arrived in an oxcart, carrying only a straw mat and neatly arranged scrolls. Beside the scrolls lay a rolled-up cowhide, presumably for rain protection. The driver was highly skilled, and Li Tong sat calmly, his hands resting on his knees. Suddenly, the driver said, "Sir, look! We can already see the gate tower of Laizhou City!" Li Tong looked up and saw the prefect's entourage at the city gate. He said, "Hurry up! Senior Brother Mingcheng is already waiting for us!" The driver chuckled and shouted, "Giddy up!" Li Tong swayed slightly, the oxcart noticeably moving faster. A moment later, Zhao Mingcheng saw Li Tong arrive and quickly stood up, calling out, "Brother Yanping, how have you been lately?" Once the oxcart had stopped, Li Tong immediately alighted and said, "All is well!" He then looked at the officials accompanying Zhao Mingcheng and said, "Congratulations, Brother Defu, on your appointment as Prefect of Jiaozhou!" Zhao Mingcheng stepped forward and pulled on Li Tong's sleeve, saying, "Don't make fun of your elder brother!" The two then walked towards the city gate. Although Li Tong was a commoner, he showed no restraint. Looking at the clean and tidy streets, he said, "I didn't expect that Brother Defu, upon arriving in Laizhou, would already be implementing benevolent policies for the people?" Zhao Mingcheng sighed slightly and said, "I have been in office for two months, and this benevolent policy is nothing more than sweeping the streets!"

Li Tong, puzzled, said, "There's a saying, 'A new broom sweeps clean,' why haven't you lit your other two?" Zhao Mingcheng replied, "Laizhou is mountainous with little land, and the people are poor and lack education." He then leaned closer to Li Tong and whispered, "Moreover, many are both commoners and bandits!" Li Tong frowned involuntarily and asked, "Why?" Zhao Mingcheng said, "The land is small and the population is dense, so the people rarely have surplus grain. During lean seasons, many bandits form gangs to rob wealthy households and merchants." Li Tong seemed to understand Zhao Mingcheng's purpose in inviting him to lecture, and said, "Brother Defu, do you want me to..." "The words of the sages enlighten the people, thus restoring peace to the world?" Zhao Mingcheng, unable to hide his excitement, said, "That's exactly what I meant!" Li Tong shook his head helplessly and said, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Brother Defu!" Zhao Mingcheng asked urgently, "What do you mean by that, my brother?" Li Tong said, "Brother Defu, you've probably heard that when I was in Luoyang, I traveled to various prefectures, counties, townships, and villages, carrying books in an oxcart!" Zhao Mingcheng said, "Your boundless love is a story praised by countless students!" Li Tong shook his head and said, "This only earned me a little empty fame; it brought me no other achievement!"

Zhao Mingcheng pressed further, "Brother, you've visited over a hundred villages in three years, how could you have achieved nothing?" Li Tong smiled awkwardly and replied, "Precisely because I've visited over a hundred villages in three years, the travel time meant I could hardly stay in each village for more than three days. Without three days, the people who come to listen to my lectures wouldn't even have a complete understanding, let alone spread morality and educate the people!" Zhao Mingcheng suddenly seemed dejected, and after a long pause, he said, "In that case, it seems I'll have little to achieve in Laizhou!" Li Tong couldn't help but feel disappointed in his senior brother, comforting him, "Brother Defu, as long as you govern a prefecture diligently and love the people, how could you not achieve anything?" At this moment, the two finally arrived at the prefectural government office. Zhao Mingcheng didn't answer immediately, but said, "Brother, you must be tired from your journey, please come in and have some tea!" Li Tong didn't stand on ceremony, saying, "Brother Defu, please go first!"

Upon arriving at the main hall of the prefectural government office, a servant brought over brewed tea. Zhao Mingcheng asked, "Brother, what do you think I should begin in governing Laizhou?" Li Tong smiled and replied, "The one who can answer Brother Defu's question is not me!" Zhao Mingcheng, as if grasping a glimmer of hope, immediately pressed, "If not you, then who is it?" Li Tong said, "Wang Hao, the magistrate of Laoshan County!" Zhao Mingcheng looked puzzled and asked, "Do you know Wang Hao?" Li Tong shook his head and said, "We've known each other for a long time, but we've never met!" Zhao Mingcheng said, "I know Wang Hao from the past!" Li Tong immediately became interested and said... "Brother Defu, what do you think of Wang Hao's character?" Zhao Mingcheng pondered for a moment before replying, "He achieved early success, possesses extraordinary connections, is meticulous and far-sighted, earns a fortune daily, and is approachable!" Li Tong smiled and said, "According to Brother Defu, Wang Hao is indeed a remarkable man!" Zhao Mingcheng said, "Although Wang Hao is only a county magistrate, his area is well-funded and has many talented people, unlike you, brother, who is all alone!" Li Tong said, "The root cause of the banditry in Laizhou is the poverty of the people; if Brother Defu can find a way out for the people of Laizhou, this problem will naturally be solved!"

Zhao Mingcheng hurriedly said, "Please enlighten me, Brother Yanping!" Li Tong said, "It's no secret that Wang Hao wants to use the Bohai Sea to intervene in the Jin-Liao War. But Brother Defu, have you considered that the northwestern part of the Jiaodong Peninsula, the eastern part of Youzhou, and the southwestern part of the Liaodong Peninsula surround the entire Bohai Sea, while Laoshan County, which Wang Hao governs, is located in the southern part of the Jiaodong Peninsula, on the coast of the Yellow Sea? Starting from Jiaozhou Bay, taking the sea route to the Bohai Sea requires going around the entire Jiaodong Peninsula, a journey of at least a thousand li. However, if taking the land route, it only takes two hundred li, and this shortest route is completely within the jurisdiction of Laizhou." Zhao Mingcheng suddenly realized and said, "Brother Yanping, do you want me to work with Wang Hao to build an official road in Laizhou that connects the Bohai Sea and Jiaozhou Bay?"

Search for books on Shuqi Bar!