Moma Liangshan

Chapter 70: The Mohist School's Diverse Learning, A Family Banquet at the Cui Residence

Wang Hao pondered for a long time before asking, "What would the Mohists' ideal court system be?" Di Qinyang replied, "Having never held a position in the imperial court for a thousand years, the Mohists only have their own ideas about the court system, without a final answer." Wang Hao nodded and said, "The Mohists are meticulous in their conduct; every statement they make is based on solid evidence, and they almost never engage in empty talk. In this respect alone, they are indeed superior to the Confucian and Daoist schools." Di Qinyang nodded and said, "Humans live in this world, with heaven above and earth below. The Confucianists cultivate a righteous spirit, while the Daoists pursue transcendence. The key to both lies in seeking answers from the heavens. The Mohists, on the other hand, cultivate the fields to earn a living, spin thread and weave cloth to obtain clothing, and seek answers from the earth to ensure the people's peaceful and prosperous lives." Wang Hao pondered for a long time before asking, "In the eyes of the Mohists, what is a nation?" Di Qinyang answered, "The people, the land..." "Land, monarch, and the three combined form a state." Wang Hao then asked, "Why do we need a state?" Di Qinyang pondered for a moment, then said, "We need order, even if it's not the best order!" Wang Hao continued, "Who establishes this order?" Di Qinyang replied, "The people of the world!" Wang Hao laughed and said, "The people of the world govern the world, so order should be established by the people of the world, isn't that right?" Di Qinyang answered, "Yes!" Wang Hao said, "It seems obvious, but in reality, it's impossible to implement!" Di Qinyang didn't believe it and asked, "Why?" Wang Hao said, "Compared to the Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties, the territory of the Song Dynasty was much smaller. But even so, the Song Dynasty was still a vast country spanning thousands of miles, supporting 120 million people. How can such a large country achieve 'the people of the world governing the world'?"

Di Qinyang was at a loss for words, so Wang Hao continued, "If everyone in the world were a sage, and everyone restrained themselves with virtue, perhaps the world could be governed by its people, because then the world wouldn't need governance at all, and the court could be dissolved. But what is the reality?" Di Qinyang replied dejectedly, "A sage is hard to find even once in a hundred years. The world is bustling with people coming and going for profit!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "This is reality, and it is the state of the nation. The Mohists are learned in both ancient and modern times, and they are strict with themselves, yet they have not been given important positions for a thousand years. There must be a reason! Have you ever thought about it?" Di Qinyang was silent for a long time before saying, "The reason is that the Mohists are out of touch with the actual state of the nation!" Wang Hao said, "This should be an extremely important reason. Whether it is the only reason or not, future practice will prove to us." Di Qinyang suddenly asked, "Now that Jiaozhou is newly established, how will you plan to govern it, young master?" Wang Hao said, "Win over the hearts of the people, build a port, and promote trade." "Build schools to enlighten the people," Di Qinyang continued. "After the people are united, commerce flourishes, and their minds are enlightened, what will you do, young master?" Wang Hao, unsure of Di Qinyang's true intentions, replied, "Build warships, train warriors, march north to Liaodong, unite with the Jin Kingdom, and assist the Emperor in recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun." Di Qinyang hesitated, wanting to ask further, but then gave up, saying, "Chu Xiang excels in the manufacture and use of military equipment, Jin Xing in the surveying and mapping of terrain, and Qi Zhong in the stabilization and motivation of the army. These three can assist you, young master." Wang Hao thought to himself, "Although the Mohist school is located in a remote corner of the southeast, it has a profound heritage spanning a thousand years and has not truly isolated itself from the world. What Di Qinyang just said is not an arrogant statement." He countered, "What are your and Di Wuyue's strengths?" Di Qinyang replied, "Qinyang excels in defense, and Wuyue excels in offense." Wang Hao was slightly taken aback, but quickly understood: "The Mohist school excels in defense, and Di Qinyang, as the eldest disciple, should naturally be like that!"

Wang Hao turned to the others, sized them up for a moment, and asked, "I wonder what kind of military equipment Brother Chu Xiang is skilled in?" Di Chu Xiang replied, "Skirts, chariots, crossbows, cannons, and so on!" At this point, Wang Hao suddenly thought of an old acquaintance—He Li, the man who had once helped him retrieve tens of thousands of kilograms of precious stones from the Yellow River silt. He Li was a tragic figure in the feudal imperial examination system, who later accompanied him to Dongjing (Kaifeng), hoping to make a name for himself. It had been more than half a year since their last parting. He Li, a Confucian scholar, was exceptionally skilled in the study of natural philosophy; if he could be recruited to Jiaozhou, it would undoubtedly be a great help to him. Wang Hao said, “I have an old acquaintance who used to work hard in the Yellow River for a living. He is quite knowledgeable in mechanics and once helped me successfully retrieve a massive boulder weighing tens of thousands of pounds that had sunk in the Yellow River's silt. Later, he went with me to Tokyo to make his own way in the world. I would like to ask Brother Chu Xiang to go and recruit him on my behalf. Is that possible?” Di Chu Xiang said, “To retrieve a boulder weighing tens of thousands of pounds from the silt, brute force alone is absolutely impossible. This person can utilize the power of the river, so he is no ordinary person. I am willing to go to Tokyo to recruit him!” Wang Hao then looked at Di Jinxing and asked, “Brother Jinxing, how do you record the mountains and rivers?” Di Jinxing replied, “By drawing squares and measuring distances.” Wang Hao was puzzled and said, “Please enlighten me, Brother Jinxing!” Jin Xing said, "Use a sheet of Xuan paper with sides of three feet long to survey a land area of ​​thirty li in length and width. Beforehand, divide the paper into thirty squares horizontally and vertically with fine ink lines." Wang Hao understood and said, "One inch on the paper corresponds to one li on the ground, is that correct?" Di Jin Xing nodded and said, "Exactly!" Wang Hao was surprised and exclaimed, "The ancients actually understood the use of scale!" He said, "After returning to Jiaozhou, I will need to trouble Brother Jin Xing to draw a map of Jiaozhou Bay!" Di Jin Xing hesitated slightly and said, "Mapping cannot be done by one person alone. You will need to allocate a group of people to me first, and they can only draw the map after training!" Wang Hao agreed and said, "I will allocate the funds and provisions, and you can choose the personnel."

A moment later, he added, "With the addition of the Commander of the Palace Guard and the Magistrate of Laoshan County, we can train eight hundred soldiers. These eight hundred soldiers must be elite troops, skilled in both offense and defense, and with a united morale! Therefore, we will have to rely on Brother Qin Yang, Brother Qi Zhong, and Brother Wu Yue!" At this moment, Di Qi Zhong asked, "Soldiers should have conviction. I wonder what conviction your soldiers should have?" Wang Hao replied, "To protect our homes and country, and to safeguard our borders and the people!" The Mohist disciples were surprised, looked at each other, and after a moment, said in unison, "We will certainly not fail your high expectations!"

At the Cui family banquet, Wang Hao arrived as scheduled. Accompanying Zhao Mingcheng to greet Wang Hao was a middle-aged man. Observing the two from afar, Wang Hao felt the other man was more like the master of the Cui household than Zhao Mingcheng. A moment later, the two arrived at the gate. Zhao Mingcheng said, "Brother Xianmeng is indeed punctual!" Then, pointing to the other man, he said, "This is Lord Cui's son, the renowned scholar Shao Gong of Qingzhou!" The man smiled and said, "Brother Xianmeng is straightforward. Brother Defu, why bother with pretense? I'm just a useless idler who has dropped out of school!" Wang Hao said, "It seems Brother Shao Gong is naturally carefree and dislikes the intrigue and compromises of officialdom!" Cui Shao Gong laughed loudly and said, "Having mastered both literature and martial arts, I'm now serving the emperor. I, Cui Shao Gong, started studying at five and entered the Imperial Academy at fourteen, but I never imagined I'd end up a disqualified student. It's quite laughable!" The three had already arrived in the garden, where Cui Zhigong overheard his son's complaints. He said, "If you hadn't insisted on serving as an official in Tokyo, how could Cai Jing have had the opportunity to ruin your promising future?" Cui Shaogong retorted, "Tokyo is the capital of the Song Dynasty, not Cai Jing's private property. If everyone fears Cai Jing's power and dares not disobey in the slightest, when will the court ever be able to rebuild its glory?" Cui Zhigong said sternly, "You resisted, but you failed! This isn't bravery; it's overestimating your own abilities!" Wang Hao, seeing this, said, "Cai Jing is old and will eventually retire from the court. Brother Shaogong is in the prime of his life; why dwell on past setbacks? One should persevere and fight on despite repeated defeats!" The father and son stopped arguing, and Cui Zhigong said, "Xianmeng's insights are extraordinary; please take your seats!"

After everyone was seated, Cui Zhigong cut to the chase, saying, "The real reason I invited you to this banquet, young master, is to ask you for a favor!" Wang Hao, suspicious, said, "Please speak plainly, sir!" Cui Zhigong said, "Feng Gu, the registrar of Laoshan County, is a protégé of Cai Jing. Are you aware of this, young master?" Wang Hao nodded, saying, "Yes, I know!" Cui Zhigong said, "If I join forces with you to remove Feng Gu from Laoshan County, what will you do in return?" Wang Hao asked, "How should I repay you?" Cui Zhigong said, "Recommend Shao Gong to the Emperor for the position of registrar of Laoshan County!" Wang Hao looked at Cui Shao Gong, thinking... This man was someone worth befriending. He said, "I have a question, and I would appreciate it if you could enlighten me, sir!" Cui Zhigong said, "Please speak!" Wang Hao said, "Sir, you are the Pacification Commissioner of the Eastern Circuit of Jingdong, a high-ranking official of the third rank, and also the Prefect of Qingzhou. Why didn't you arrange a position for Brother Shaogong under your own command, instead of coming to this remote corner of Jiaozhou?" Cui Zhigong said, "Cai Jing drove Shaogong out of Dongjing (Kaifeng) precisely for this move. If I were to place Shaogong in Qingzhou, regardless of Shaogong's abilities, Cai Jing would surely impeach me for nepotism." "You, sir, are envious of the position of Prefect of Qingzhou. Do you know how many people are jealous of this post? At that time, I fear that regardless of faction, they will all rise up against me. After Prime Minister Zhao passed away, I had no help in Tokyo. It's a miracle I've managed to hold out for so many years!" Wang Hao understood and said, "So, you thought of me, sir?" Cui Zhigong said, "If you hadn't come to Qingzhou, I'm afraid I would have gone to Jiaozhou to inspect the area and personally visit you." Wang Hao said, "Does your lord truly think so highly of me?" Cui Zhigong said, "Having seen through Gao Qiu..." "I would never dare to underestimate you, young master." Wang Hao asked, "Why?" Cui Zhigong replied, "Gao Qiu is nothing but a good-for-nothing, yet he can rival Cai Jing simply because he enjoys the Emperor's trust. You, young master, are not only highly regarded by the Emperor, but you are also meticulous and learned. As long as you don't make any mistakes, you will surely be promoted to a high-ranking position in due time!" Wang Hao nodded slightly and said, "Cai Jing is old, much older than my father. If I simply avoid him, I am already in an invincible position. I'm afraid there's no need to contend with such a powerful enemy for your sake, sir?"