Chapter Thirty: A Spring of Clarity Amidst the Murky World

Chapter Thirty: In a Turbulent World, Clear Springs Emerge

“Indeed, men delight in the strange; they neither seek its origin nor inquire into its end, but crave only to hear what is extraordinary.

In ancient times, there were four classes among the people; now, there are six.

Of the teachers of old, they occupied but one; now, they occupy three.

There was but one household of farmers, now those who eat grain are six.

There was but one household of craftsmen, now those who use implements are six.

There was but one household of merchants, now those who profit are six.

How then can the people not be impoverished and driven to theft?”

Tie Xinyuan recited once again the middle section of “On the Origin of the Way,” set the book aside and asked, “Sir, the text says there were four classes in ancient times, meaning the scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, but now there are six, which adds monks and priests to the mix. With fewer people farming, less people crafting, fewer engaged in trade, and more simply living off the efforts of others, those who labor must give more; when this happens, will chaos not descend upon the land? Will the people not rise in revolt?”

He watched as the son of Master Zhang was once again beaten with a board, his cries so wretched that Tie Xinyuan could barely bear to listen. Yesterday, the boy had failed to memorize the paired sentences yet again. For the sake of the fruit this boy offered him every morning, Tie Xinyuan decided to intervene.

Master Guo, hearing Tie Xinyuan pose a proper question, tossed aside his broad ruler, caught his breath, and answered in a deep voice, “When reading the writings of the sages, you must be mindful of the times in which they lived. Lord Wen Zheng, then, was fervently advocating the restraint of Buddhist and Taoist expansion, so his tone was naturally severe. The text describes the worst outcome, not an event about to occur.

But you must remember: the four guiding principles of society must not be confused or lightly reduced. Too many farmers and the state lacks money; too many merchants and the nation is short of grain. Too many craftsmen and there will be excessive building; too few, and the implements of daily life will be insufficient.

Your question touches upon a cycle: when considering one class, you must consider all four, or trouble will arise. This is the root of widespread banditry.”

Tie Xinyuan saw Master Zhang’s son pleading with his eyes, so he asked, “Sir, what if someone is born a thief?”

“Execute him!” Master Guo’s expression turned grim. Tie Xinyuan hurriedly nodded in acknowledgment, picked up his own copy of “On the Origin of the Way,” and resumed reading.

Tie Xinyuan had developed the skill of dividing his attention: his mouth recited the text fluently, while his mind was already pondering how he would face Ouyang Xiu and his companions later.

To a swindler, relentlessly deceiving a single person is the basest act. If a swindler gains a hundred strings of cash from hundreds, it is merely a redistribution of wealth. But should he ruin one person for the same sum, it could easily lead to disaster; once the authorities investigate, the swindler’s ruse is exposed, leaving him no choice but to flee. His trade would be finished.

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Shuizhu’er no longer considered himself a beggar. Indeed, his clothes were finer than those worn by most children, and if he carried a piece of rice cake, he was indistinguishable from the offspring of wealthy families.

Thus, he held his chest high, reluctant to eat the rice cake, but always raising it for all to see. Passing by the street beggars, he would even mimic adults by coughing twice to draw their attention to the treat in his hand.

In the past, those children who had the protection of the Beggar's Guild ate better than he did; back then, Shuizhu’er dreamed of tasting a snowy-white steamed bun...

Tie Xinyuan’s focus was quite different. He noticed a fox squatting outside a cosmetics shop, wagging its tail persistently, behaving much like a dog seeking favor.

Such behavior was expected of dogs, but his family’s fox had always been proud, never lowering itself for a piece of chicken or any treat. Why then today?

On closer inspection, Tie Xinyuan was furious. The cause was clear: a familiar young girl held another fox in her arms—the other fox appeared to be female.

Tie Xinyuan tried to drag his fox away, but it played dead, sprawling on the ground, refusing to budge. Even as Tie Xinyuan pulled on its neck, its four paws clung stubbornly to the earth.

A soft fist struck Tie Xinyuan’s nose, making stars dance before his eyes; blinking away tears, he finally saw the culprit who had assaulted him.

Whose daughter’s body was cinched by her dress like a silkworm? None other than the girl from Master Geyuan’s household. In all of Tokyo, finding a girl fatter than her was nearly impossible.

“Rogue! Scoundrel!” she cried.

Tie Xinyuan, clutching his nose, retorted in a muffled voice, “How am I a scoundrel?”

“Look at your fox!”

Tie Xinyuan glanced at his fox, and only then noticed the shameless creature lying on its back, its indecent parts starkly visible against its snowy fur.

Tie Xinyuan pounced, turned the fox over, and looked up at the girl, saying, “He’s just an animal.”

“Hmph! Like master, like pet. You’re no better.”

“How am I no better?”

“A few days ago, when Grandpa took me to the Academy, weren’t you shown naked and hung on the pole for all to see? Your fox learned from you.

Look at my Little Snow—anyone can see she is a proper lady…”

Tie Xinyuan howled, forcibly dragging his reluctant fox away from the cosmetics shop.

A veiled maiden stepped out of the shop, lifted her veil to reveal a delicate chin, and watched Tie Xinyuan’s noisy retreat. Smiling, she asked the plump girl, “Tangtang, is that your cousin from Aunt’s family?”

The chubby girl struggled to pull a handkerchief from her chest strap, wiping her fox’s mouth, and replied, “Yes. Grandpa went to see. Your aunt truly does sell noodle soup, and the boy you just saw is the rascal who likes to bare his bottom.”

“Aunt didn’t recognize Grandpa?”

“No, Grandpa intended to reveal himself, but upon noticing Aunt’s son had issues, he decided to wait a few years.”

“But that means Aunt must suffer.”

Tangtang, annoyed, glanced at the picturesque woman, “Who says Aunt will suffer? She’s now the most famous noodle shop manager in Tokyo, living happily every day. If it were me, I’d rather run a noodle shop than return to your dull mansion.”

Having said her piece, she ignored the pretty girl, tossed Little Snow to the ground, and hurried after Tie Xinyuan.

No longer catching the scent of the female fox, Tie Xinyuan’s fox finally calmed down, though it remained listless. Soon, Tie Xinyuan and Shuizhu’er arrived at the Academy. Today, they had no need to deal with those shameless lackeys—rumor had it they had circled the imperial city, causing a commotion and were caught by the magistrate’s constables, given thirty hard strokes, and fined three pounds of copper before release.

Such punishment was lenient, considering the Academy’s status as a cultural institution; it was merely a warning. As for their vicious dogs, those had long since become the guards’ evening meal.

Tie Xinyuan swiftly set up his stall, and naturally, the servants standing nearby went to report to Ouyang Xiu and his companions. Before long, Ouyang Xiu arrived, fanning himself and accompanied by three others.

He first glanced behind Tie Xinyuan, searching for the infamous flag, and complained, “Boy, raise your flag. Without it, things just don’t feel right.”

Seeing the murderous looks from the Academy students, Tie Xinyuan reluctantly unfurled the battered flag. As soon as the words “Fool” appeared, the crowd erupted.

“If you weren’t so young, we’d have flattened you already…”

“Hurry up, Grandpa’s getting impatient. We’ll take all your money, and see if your family comes out…”

Yesterday, these men had been reluctant to participate, proud of their status. But with the celebrated Ouyang Xiu backing them, today the crowd surged.

Brother Mei, observing the sea of heads, smiled helplessly at Ouyang Xiu, “Looks like we’ll have little chance today.”

Wang Gongchen scoffed, “I refuse to believe a mere child can best us all.”

Yin Zhu pointed at Mei Yaochen and laughed, “It must be Brother Mei making excuses for yesterday’s late arrival. No matter, today we’ll not leave until we’re drunk.”

Ouyang Xiu, watching the students gradually quiet, remarked, “Wait a bit. In my view, this noisy scene won’t last long.”

The four moved to a tea stall, sipping tea and discussing the chess match from the previous day.

“That chessboard was uncanny,” Ouyang Xiu said. “Black seemed to hold every advantage, just one move away from trapping Red completely. Yet, strangely, if Red made the first step, Black would face a relentless assault, losing piece after piece. To end in a draw was a stroke of luck.”

Wang Gongchen frowned, “Extreme Yang gives birth to Yin, extreme Yin gives birth to Yang—that’s just theory, not reality. Deadlock is deadlock. Unless the commander possesses supreme wisdom and unmatched skill, there’s no way to turn the tide. I do not believe that child’s chess ability surpasses yours.”

“Heh, Brother Dongchen, ‘clear springs in a turbulent world’ is more than a saying. I didn’t believe it either, yet Brother Mei and I both lost without excuse.”

Yin Zhu, gazing thoughtfully at Tie Xinyuan’s direction, mused, “Could there be another reason? I too doubt that child can rival Brother Ouyang in chess.”

End of Chapter Thirty