Chapter 9: Entrustment

The Great Zhou Dynasty has been established for over four hundred years, spanning the reigns of eight monarchs. Its founding was a path fraught with great hardship. Before the rise of the Great Zhou, the world was fractured and torn asunder, with various warlords carving out territories for themselves. These feudal lords, driven by their own interests, viewed the common people as mere blades of grass, subjecting them to excessive taxes, brutal levies, and forced military service. The populace lived in misery, displaced and destitute.

However, the founding sovereign of Zhou was a man of great ambition and diligence, who governed with care for his people. He sought to sweep across the land, to strike down the lawless, and to deliver the people of the Central Plains from the suffering of endless war. Building upon the legacy of seven generations of ancestors, he marched north to vanquish the tyrants and cleanse the land of their cruelty.

The monarchs who followed honored the will of their predecessors, holding back the northern barbarians for over four centuries to ensure the people of the Central Plains knew no more the bitterness of war. Yet, to resist these barbarians, the nation remained in a state of perpetual conflict, and countless courageous men lost their lives in foreign lands. Nevertheless, the men of the Great Zhou possessed iron bones; they would rather die on the battlefield than surrender their ancestral lands.

To safeguard the borders, the successive monarchs of Zhou championed martial strength. The nation’s resources were heavily skewed toward military development, leading to the creation of a professional standing army and even an extensive intelligence network. Nearly half of the annual national treasury was devoted to military expenditures, leaving economic development and the welfare of the people in a state of disarray. Still, the monarchs of Zhou, through the strength of a single nation, held back the vast barbarian kingdoms of the north—nations that had once relied on wolf-like armies to plunder the Central Plains at will—preventing them from taking a single step south for four hundred years.

However, due to the ceaseless wars, the Zhou state, having never rested, now totters on the brink of collapse. The people are exhausted, the population has dwindled, and the nation is nearing a state where every step is a struggle. The Zhou monarch believed that the Central Plains, with their fertile soil, rich resources, and pleasant climate, were a rare and auspicious land. Only by holding this fertile territory could the state of Zhou thrive. If this land were lost, and they were forced to cede territory and pay reparations to live in a corner, no royal family would ever again show such care for the people, and the populace would inevitably become slaves to the barbarians.

To ensure stability and the prosperity of the people, the former kings abolished the enfeoffment system, returned land to the commoners, and refrained from arbitrary taxation. Furthermore, the former kings compiled the "Great Code of Yongchang." Any monarch who does not uphold its tenets is unfit to rule. All princes were required to study it, which indeed fostered generations of wise rulers, yet it also rendered the governing philosophies of successive monarchs overly archaic. The conditions of the present day can no longer be managed by the methods of the past.

Nevertheless, the state of Zhou places great importance on education. Regardless of gender, children may attend private schools in their districts for free until the age of twelve. This has provided the Great Zhou with many excellent talents, and it is these scholars who, with their knowledge, sustain the operation of the state.

Take, for example, the Magistrate of Zeng County. He entered the imperial examinations with grand ambitions, well-versed in poetry and classics. He treated subordinates with courtesy and was daring in his appointment of talent. In every county he governed, the social customs were transformed within three years. The imperial court had even promoted him, but while he possessed administrative talent, he was not a man of grand vision. Managing a county was the limit of his capability, so he was assigned to various difficult districts.

The true man of great talent was the Left Minister, Qu Yuan. He once served as a high official, implementing both the rule of law and the rule of man. He mastered the essence of Legalism while admiring the way of the sages, wholeheartedly adhering to the spirit of benevolence. In governing, he combined kindness with severity, possessing both the impartiality of the law and the warmth of human nature. He was a prolific writer; his political treatises were essential reading for all officials, and his philosophical works served as a guide for scholars’ self-cultivation.

He treated his wives with the utmost respect. Even after being appointed Left Minister by the monarch, responsible for reform and legislation—a position of great power and status—he would still accompany his wives on outings and work alongside them during his leisure time. The ancient poems about marital affection that he compiled became the aspiration of all women.

The "Shexia Academy," which he advocated for, gathered brilliant teachers from all walks of life, and all manner of classics could be studied there. If a student could write an essay worthy of being presented to him, and if he found it commendable, he would spare no effort in recommending that student to the Emperor. He provided the nation with a large cohort of talented officials, making the academy a dream destination for students. Many ambitious scholars traveled thousands of miles to study there. The Magistrate of Zeng County had studied there, earning a "Grade B-minus" rating.

Students there were divided into four tiers: A, B, C, and D. Those in Grade A were destined to be high-ranking ministers; Grade B consisted of capable and talented officials; Grade C were those of upright character; and Grade D were those who possessed high aspirations. Li Xing had once earned a Grade C rating at the Shexia Academy. However, because so many sought entry, those who failed to pass the academy's examinations within a year were required to leave.

Driven by Qu Yuan, the imperial court also established "Homes for Scholars" in various regions. These provided housing and special treatment for students from humble backgrounds, such as exemptions from taxes and forced labor. However, with the national treasury stretched thin, the court was divided when the policy was first implemented.

"Your Majesty, I believe the Homes for Scholars is indeed a plan for the next century, but at present, the local treasuries are short on funds and grain, and there is a severe lack of laborers," one official argued.

"What Minister Zhang says is not untrue, but what I seek is a way to break this deadlock! Are there any sound strategies?" the Emperor replied.

"I—I have no sound strategy to offer Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, we could draft the military to take charge of this!"

"Your Majesty, the soldiers of our Great Zhou have all received our intensive training. They are loyal to the core, brave and fearless in battle, and each can stand against ten. We could draft them to build the Homes for Scholars."

"Minister Wei! How can you speak such nonsense! The soldiers of the Great Zhou protect our homes and country, and their contributions are immense. How can they—how can they—do the work of common laborers?"

"Minister Han! Though the soldiers of our Great Zhou have made great contributions, they are also the group we can most rely upon. Besides, Your Majesty rewards all soldiers with great wealth each year; we have never treated them lightly."

The Emperor of the Great Zhou rested his face on one hand, looking at his fingernails, appearing somewhat distracted. "Minister Han, your words are mistaken! When the Great Zhou High Ancestor founded the nation, he used the law to clearly affirm that all people are equal. Where does this talk of high and low status come from? Do the commoners who transport military provisions to the front lines not also have merit?"

Once Song Ci spoke these words, the civil and military officials began to blame one another, and the court erupted into a clamor of argument. The Left Minister stepped forward, bowing to the Emperor and then to the gathered officials, before passionately presenting the solution he had long since prepared.

"Quiet, everyone! As ministers, you should be resolving worries for His Majesty, not arguing amongst yourselves. His Majesty rises early and sleeps late, attending to everything personally; do not disturb his peace!"

Upon hearing this, the officials immediately knelt and kowtowed, unable to rise. "Your Majesty! We are guilty of death; please punish us!"

"You are all innocent!"

The officials still dared not rise, for the Emperor had not yet granted them permission. In their hearts, they held both great fear and deep respect for their sovereign, obeying his every word. Looking at the Emperor sitting on the dragon throne, he still rested his head on his hand, observing his fingernails. He remained silent for a long time, refusing to speak another word.