Chapter 24: A Sudden Turn of Events

Following a brief interlude, Qian Weiming resumed his lecture.

The first two points had been well-received—they were, after all, matters of personal judgment—but once the third point was raised, the audience became exceptionally focused. It turned out that the Great Famine, which occurred every two hundred years, was not subject to the wisdom or folly of a monarch, but was instead an inevitable law of history. This had been recorded in history books throughout the ages, from the Spring and Autumn period down to the present day.

The audience made some quick calculations and realized with shock that the next cycle was not far off—a mere fifty years away.

It was staggering! A truth that had eluded scholars for thousands of years had been clearly explained in a single essay by a descendant of the Qian clan. Governing the world, they realized, was simply a matter of balancing the four classes of society and resisting the cycles of history.

As he concluded, Qian Weiming opened the floor to questions and discussion. All eyes turned to Su Shi; as the most prestigious scholar present, everyone wanted to hear his take.

"Oh, I am still reflecting on this," Su Shi said. "It is often said that when the world is in chaos, Shu is the first to rebel, and when the world is at peace, Shu is the last to settle. After today, I finally understand the meaning of that proverb!"

With that, he bowed to the stage in a gesture of respect. Qian Weiming hurriedly stepped aside and returned the deep, formal bow. When the others saw the great Scholar Su paying the respects of a student to a teacher, they saw no reason to hold back themselves—after all, they would need to continue listening to Scholar Qian's brilliant works in the future. Studying the Four Books and Five Classics might only secure one the title of a budding scholar, but mastering this new knowledge offered the truth to see through the illusions of the world.

The crowd realized this was an entirely new way of thinking: to look at problems from their roots, to discover the patterns governing all things, and to judge the trajectory of the times. Several students from the Imperial Academy asked a few minor questions, which Qian Weiming answered one by one, keeping the atmosphere cordial.

At the very end, Li Chang'an finally took the stage. He clapped his hands loudly and addressed the crowd: "Is not the century-old learning of the Qian family worth your applause and thanks?"

*Clap, clap, clap...*

The applause drowned out the sound of the rain, persistent and enthusiastic. Though they did not fully understand why clapping was a sign of respect, it was, at the very least, a more elegant form of expression than mere cheering. Naturally, from that day on, the people of Bianjing adopted a new custom: whenever they were greatly impressed by something said or done, they would applaud instead of slapping their thighs.

As the lecture concluded, the clouds parted and the rain ceased. The sunlight gilded the dark clouds, illuminating the vibrant life below.

"It's clearing up! Look, a rainbow!" someone who had just stepped outside called back. Indeed, a clear, brilliant rainbow hung in the east. A good omen—a grand opening!

***

Li Chang'an felt a sense of satisfaction; it seemed the third step was on the verge of success. Su Shi was surrounded by a crowd of people—some offering greetings, some extending invitations, and others holding poetry collections in hopes of receiving his critique—as if he were a superstar.

Qian Weiming felt a pang of jealousy. "Ingrates," he thought, "they just finished listening to my masterpiece and are already fawning over someone else."

"Chang'an, do you think one day I could be like that, too?"

Li Chang'an gave his friend a look of disdain. "Do you want to be Xiang Yu or Liu Bang? Perhaps you should study Zhang Liang instead; it’s a faster path."

Qian Weiming was left stunned by this nonsensical reply.

After packing up, the group planned to head to the Golden Tower on the Bian River to celebrate. Just as the carriage driver pulled to a stop, a red figure came racing toward them in a donkey cart.

It was Master Wang—young Minister Wang?

"Yuanze, you're late! Hahaha..."

Wang Pang, looking anxious, tossed the reins to the driver and immediately pulled the two men into the carriage.

"Run! Hurry, go to the south of the Yangtze or to Bashu! The Empress Dowager is furious. She rejected the advice of my father and Minister Sima this morning, insisting on forcibly levying the national debt tax. Immediately after, members of the imperial clan entered the palace with secret reports, using your articles as proof that you are trying to incite chaos. The Empress Dowager has already issued a decree for the Imperial City Guard to make arrests!"

Was there even time? Bianjing was only so large, and with checkpoints on every side, it would be a miracle if they could escape. Sure enough, before the carriage even reached the East Gate, a line of imperial guards caught up and blocked their path.

The officer rode up to the carriage and tapped the side with his scabbard, signaling for those inside to show themselves. Wang Pang gestured for the two to stay hidden and leaned out to handle the situation.

"What is it, General? Is there some urgent business that requires you to search my carriage?"

Wang Pang was wearing his official robes. Though only a sixth-rank official, he was a lecturer before the Emperor and enjoyed great favor, dressed as if he were a third-rank official.

"Young Minister, are you leaving the city? This is not the Prime Minister's carriage, so I must ask to search it."

The officer’s etiquette was flawless, but he had no intention of letting them go. Wang Pang had no choice but to open the carriage door and signal for them to search as they pleased.

The officer leaned in and peered inside, catching sight of two handsome young men huddled together in a rather suggestive manner. He spat on the ground and shouted, "Pass!"

Li Chang'an was confused. "Big brother, what exactly were you looking for? Were you waiting for me to turn myself in?"

Qian Weiming’s eyes darted around, and he immediately grasped the situation.

"It seems the state doesn't really want to arrest us; they just want us to realize the difficulty and leave Bianjing as quickly as possible. Look at what just happened—that was clearly just a scare tactic. But if we don't leave, the arrest warrants might arrive any moment!"

After all, as a member of the Qian clan of Wuyue, he understood the inner workings of officialdom far better than most.

After they cleared the city, Wang Pang got out and headed back. He still had to return home to discuss countermeasures with his father. If the court really resorted to force and tried to sell the national debt by coercion, the world would surely fall into chaos. Why was an old woman meddling in state affairs anyway? She had never even left the city in her life. The great scholar Wang was truly worried to the bone for the Song Dynasty.

***

Back at their residence, the two men calmed down. They realized they had been reported by that student surnamed Zhao from the Imperial Academy.

Run? That was impossible!

In the Song Dynasty, the world was shared between the Emperor and the scholar-officials. And by "scholar-officials," it wasn't just those who passed the imperial examinations, but those born into natural aristocratic families. When it came down to it, there were few families in the world more prominent than the Qian clan of the Southeast.

"You should go into hiding for a while," Qian Weiming began to advise Li Chang'an. "I have my status to protect me, but you are a commoner. Even if the Emperor granted you an honorary title, you haven't been removed from the commoner registry."

"Hahahaha! I suspect they wouldn't dare arrest me," Li Chang'an said, full of confidence. "I am the 'Little God of Wealth of Bianjing,' the backbone of twenty thousand working-class people, and the sole operator of the national debt. Since they didn't dare arrest us at the city gate, they certainly won't come for us now. Don't worry, as long as they want to borrow money, they will have to come and beg me to return to the fray."

Li Chang'an was brimming with confidence. The Song Dynasty was a fragile regime—so fragile that it would compromise with enemies, rebels, and insurgent peasant armies. He was right under the Emperor's nose; if things went wrong, he could trigger an even greater disaster. Did they dare?

In the Xingqing Palace, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor sat on high, with two rows of ministers standing on the east and west sides.

Li Chang'an was merely a minor irritation. Their true concern was the sluggish issuance of the national debt; they had questioned all the dignitaries in the capital, and only a million or so had been promised. Although Empress Dowager Cao was already a grandmother, she was not yet old—barely past fifty—and was at the height of her temper.

Below, Wang Anshi, Wen Yanbo, Ouyang Xiu, Sima Guang, and other ministers were all trying to persuade her. They insisted that they must not use force; if they did, everything would truly fall into chaos.

"What is this?" the Empress Dowager thought. "Wang Anshi just said, 'The mandate of Heaven is not to be feared, and the ways of the ancestors are not to be followed,' and now you want to discard the ancestral laws that treat meritorious officials with kindness?"

The military officials would not mind staging another "Chen Qiao Mutiny." The descendants of the Chai family were not extinct, and if worst came to worst, there was still the lineage of the founding Emperor.

"This won't work, that won't work! Can you at least come up with a plan? The money owed to the merchants is due soon. What are we to do? Let the imperial family lose its credibility?"

If they truly defaulted on the debt, what would happen next year, or the year after? Would any merchant ever be willing to lend money to the imperial court again? Although Wang Anshi was the Prime Minister, his tenure was new, and he did not dare to openly defy her while she was in such a rage.

At this moment, Wen Yanbo stepped forward.

"I request a decree to summon the private pawnshop merchant Li Chang'an to an audience. Though he is not versed in literature or law, this man has unique insights into commerce and lending. I ask the Empress Dowager to grant permission for him to be brought into the palace to discuss a strategy!"

The old woman squinted and leaned forward, trying to hear exactly who he was talking about.

Zhao Xu whispered into his grandmother's ear: "Li Chang'an!"

Suddenly, a minister stepped past several of the other ministers to the center of the hall. "I object!"