Moma Liangshan

Chapter 31 The Transport of the Flower Stones from Tokyo: Emperor Huizong Witnesses a Fairyland

After pondering for a moment, Wang Hao replied, "Yes!" He Li wasn't entirely convinced and asked, "Young master, are you trying to fool me?" Wang Hao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "Fooling you won't do me any good! Your misfortune lies in the early death of your parents; they will never witness your success. Their expectations for you back then seem to have become a death sentence, unchangeable. But life is full of changes. You face a rapidly changing reality, yet you are imprisoned by an unchanging death sentence. If you can't untie this knot in your heart and can't see through your parents' love, you can only be trapped in self-torture!" He Li was moved and asked, "Are your parents still alive, young master?" Wang Hao replied, "My mother passed away when I was young, but my father is still alive!" He Li asked, "Do you and your father get along well?" Wang Hao replied, "Very well. My father was a scholar who never passed the imperial examinations. He struggled for half his life on the path of the imperial examinations, but ultimately achieved nothing and had to open a private school." He taught at a private school, becoming the first teacher for young children. Therefore, my father had no hope that I would pass the imperial examinations; he only wanted me to read and write. After I learned the Thousand Character Classic, he never forced me to study again. He no longer clung to the imperial examinations, yet by sheer coincidence, he gained the emperor's favor and obtained a sixth-rank official position. Isn't life strange? After their conversation, He Li had developed a sense of admiration for Wang Hao, saying, "Young master, you don't love the imperial examinations, yet you possess great talent. A person of great talent is destined to be a pillar of society!" "Wang Hao repeated, "Are truly talented people destined to be pillars of society? Do you believe that? The scholars of the Su School were all highly talented, yet how many were demoted? What talent did Gao Qiu possess to hold the position of Grand Commandant? Of the hundreds of thousands of officials in the Song Dynasty, how many haven't exploited the people and plundered their wealth? Today's imperial examinations are merely shortcuts to officialdom, not the path to governing the country and bringing peace to the world!" He Li quickly said, "Young Master, please be careful with your words!" Wang Hao, realizing his lapse in decorum, looked around and shouted, "Everyone, let's drink heartily and not leave until we're drunk!"

The transport of the "Flower and Stone Tribute" to Tokyo took a full seventeen days. When this enormous, strangely shaped boulder swept through the streets of Tokyo and into the imperial gardens, the entire city practically emptied out. Previously, the wealthy Li had flaunted his 75,000 taels of silver through the city to Erlibao, making Wang Sheren's name known to everyone in Tokyo. Today, the arrival of a hundred strongmen carrying a ten-thousand-pound boulder into Tokyo was an even more spectacular sight.

The Flower and Stone Caravan travels three li into the Bian River, where there is no further waterway. This place is still two li from the imperial gardens. After Wang Hao led He Li to conduct an on-site survey, he said, "Two li is a distance that requires crossing four stone bridges. Rolling logs placed under the boulders won't allow it to slide across the bridges. What do you think is the best course of action?" He Li replied, "Two li isn't too far, and over ten thousand jin isn't too heavy. We already have over forty strongmen; we can recruit several dozen more from Dongjing City, making a total of one hundred and twenty. Then, we'll pass seven hardwood logs through the bottom of the Flower and Stone Caravan, with each log spaced one shoulder-width apart. The one hundred and twenty men will be divided into two groups, one in front and one behind..." Sixty men were arranged in six rows and ten columns. Each man was given five feet of coarse cloth, which was fixed to hardwood on either side of his body. The cloth was draped over his shoulders as a support. When crossing the stone bridge, the strongmen at the front and back could simply adjust the length of the cloth to ensure the balance of the stone convoy. What do you think, young master?” Wang Hao closed his eyes and pondered for three breaths before saying, “This plan is excellent!” Wang Hao summoned Yang Zhi and instructed him, “Go quickly and recruit strongmen. I will inform the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial Gardens. The transport will begin in two days.”

Two days later, in a two-story teahouse, a middle-aged man and a young woman sat by the window, sipping tea and chatting. The woman said, "Your Majesty, is this truly the route Wang Hao must have taken to transport the precious stones?" The man replied, "Kaifeng Prefecture has ordered its officials to seal it off; no carriages or horses are allowed to pass. Rest assured, sister, it's indisputable!" The man was none other than Emperor Huizong; the woman was none other than Li Shishi. Li Shishi said, "I never imagined that Wang Hao could actually transport this celestial stone back to Dongjing?" Emperor Huizong also sighed, saying, "I rarely dream, and even fewer dreams feature celestial beings. I hope to record every dream with my paintings. Over the decades, I've created more than ten paintings, but only this one captures the essence of the scene perfectly." Eunuch Chen took out a scroll and carefully unfurled it. The scroll depicted few scenes, only a celestial stone above a sea of ​​clouds. The stone remained motionless, while the clouds seemed to move with the wind. But in Li Shishi's eyes, the sea of ​​clouds was tranquil, and the immortal stones were moving swiftly. She said, "Brother, this painting is truly magical. Why does it give people the feeling of immortal stones leaping across the sky?" Emperor Huizong sighed slightly and said, "I don't know either! I have simply presented the dream exactly as it is. Therefore, I am not an immortal, but merely a mortal." Li Shishi said, "Brother, you are not a mortal. You are the Emperor. How can a mortal present the realm of immortals in the mortal world?" Outside the window, the shouts of strongmen drifted in. Emperor Huizong said, "They're here!" The eunuchs opened the window completely so that Emperor Huizong could see the scene on the street below.

Although 120 men were moving the giant boulder simultaneously, to prevent anyone from suddenly becoming exhausted, Wang Hao ordered them to rest for half an hour after every 80 steps. When the boulder was being carried past the teahouse where Emperor Huizong was, the laborers had just reached the eightieth step. He Li shouted, "Eighty, drop!" The massive boulder landed with a deafening crash, the enormous tremor causing the wooden supports holding the window to fall off, and the window slammed shut. Li Shishi, caught off guard, screamed, and Emperor Huizong quickly rushed to comfort her. Li Shishi took Emperor Huizong's arm and said, "Sister, it's alright, I was just startled!" Emperor Huizong smiled warmly and said, "I am the Son of Heaven; demons and monsters will not dare to approach within a hundred steps." He then ordered the eunuchs to reopen the window. The laborers sat on the ground, massaging their aching muscles. A cloud of steam blew in from the Bian River, enveloping everyone in a white mist. The water vapor covered the ground beneath their feet. Fearing an accident, He Li decided to let everyone rest until the water vapor dissipated before setting off again.

When the window was reopened, the scene before Emperor Huizong's eyes was completely different from before. Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, a massive rock stood majestically. Huizong shouted, "Bring me my painting!" Eunuch Chen dared not delay, unrolling the scroll again and approaching Huizong. Huizong picked up the bottom scroll, pulling it close, glancing downstairs and checking the painting. After a moment, he shouted, "Xuan paper, brush and ink! I want to paint!" The eunuchs immediately brought over a painting table, brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Li Shishi took the inkstone and began grinding the ink. Huizong removed his outer robe and began to paint with great effort; in less than a quarter of an hour, a painting was completed. Emperor Huizong asked, "Sister, what do you think is the biggest difference between these two paintings?" Li Shishi replied, "The outlines of houses are faintly visible in the new painting." Emperor Huizong replied, "The outlines of the houses were deliberately drawn by me to ensure they match the real scene. But the biggest difference between the two paintings is definitely not the outlines of the houses!" Li Shishi said, "Sister also feels that there seems to be a subtle difference in the spirit of the two paintings, but I just can't find it." Emperor Huizong said, "Although the paintings are my work, I don't understand their mysteries." At this moment, Eunuch Chen said from the side, "It seems that Wang Sheren is downstairs. Should I summon him upstairs?" Emperor Huizong went to the window and saw that the white mist had dissipated. The person dressed in brocade downstairs was Wang Hao. He said, "Summon him upstairs." Eunuch Chen ran upstairs and said softly, "How has Wang Sheren been lately?" Wang Hao looked down, his face full of surprise, and said, "Why is Eunuch Chen here?" Eunuch Chen said, "Please come upstairs, Wang Sheren. His Majesty is upstairs!" Wang Hao looked up and saw Emperor Huizong standing at the window looking at him. Wang Hao bowed respectfully, immediately went upstairs, and said, "Your subject Wang Hao greets Your Majesty!"

Emperor Huizong waved his hand and said, "My dear minister, no need for formalities! You have accomplished what the Ministry of Works refused me for, which is a great achievement, and a great achievement deserves a rich reward!" Li Shishi said from the side, "Brother, why don't you thank His Majesty?" Wang Hao quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your grace!" Emperor Huizong said, "No need for formalities. Although we are ruler and subject, there are no state affairs between us, so you can be more relaxed." He then said, "Look at these two paintings, are there any differences?" Wang Hao looked up and said, "The left scroll has a lower and flatter angle of view, while the right scroll has a higher angle of view." Emperor Huizong and Li Shishi both suddenly realized and looked at the two scrolls at the same time. After a moment, Emperor Huizong said, "My dear minister, you are truly a man of great talent. When you painted the first scroll, I was still Prince Duan; when you painted the second, I was already the emperor." Wang Hao looked at the second scroll and, seeing that the ink was still wet, asked, "The scroll on the right seems to be a new work?" Emperor Huizong said, "You don't know what scene I painted?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "How could I possibly know Your Majesty's talent?" Emperor Huizong laughed heartily and said, "Is it depicting you carrying the tribute of flowers and stones downstairs?" Wang Hao suddenly understood and said, "Just now, a thick fog drifted in, and I was shrouded in it, as if a leaf had blocked my view. Your Majesty, with your far-sighted vision, can naturally perceive the changes in the world." Emperor Huizong laughed heartily and said, "You cannot see the true face of Mount Lu because you are in the mountain yourself." "You are truly my benefactor!" Wang Hao was startled and said, "Without Your Majesty's appreciation, I would still be just a commoner. How could I dare to be called a benefactor by Your Majesty?" Li Shishi said from the side, "It is naturally excellent that you remember Your Majesty's kindness, but a ruler's word is law. From now on, you must always think of Your Majesty and share your burdens every day!" Wang Hao said, "Although I have not thoroughly studied the classics, loyalty to the emperor and love for the country have been my guiding principles since childhood. If Your Majesty gives any order, I will certainly obey even unto death!" Emperor Huizong waved his hand and said, "Today is a joyous occasion; why talk of life and death? I am your discerning eye, and you are my prized horse. A prized horse meeting a discerning eye is a stroke of luck; a discerning eye meeting a prized horse is also a stroke of luck!"