Moma Liangshan

Chapter 64 Father and Son United, Facing the Future

That night, Wang Lun and Wang Hao sat down for a heart-to-heart talk. Wang Hao said, "With the departure of the three Ruan brothers, only Yang Zhi and Zhu Gui remain in the stronghold capable of handling things independently. Zhu Gui is in charge of the daily operations of the Eight Immortals Winery, a heavy responsibility that is difficult to reassign. The capital city of Dongjing cannot be without a leader, and Yang Zhi, being from a military family and having a master-disciple relationship with Chen Song, is truly the best candidate to remain in Dongjing." Wang Lun asked, "Who is Chen Song?" Wang Hao replied, "The adopted son of the Grand Eunuch Chen." Wang Lun nodded and said, "Excellent!" Wang Hao continued, "Going south to Mingzhou, I formed a connection with the Mohist school. The Mohist disciples have already come out of seclusion to assist my son in building Jiaozhou. Although the Mohists are skilled in both literature and martial arts, they have been away from the world for too long and are somewhat out of place. I plan to leave the Mohists in Jiaozhou to specifically oversee the construction of the port, workshops, and city walls, and allocate funds to build a school. The school will primarily teach astronomy, geography, civil engineering, mechanics, casting, and other subjects relevant to people's livelihoods." Wang Lun, being a scholar, was quite puzzled by this and said, "The world's learning..." "Even private schools aim to spread the teachings of sages. But your school trains craftsmen; isn't that too frivolous?" Wang Hao said, "The reconstruction of the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office is for the vast seas. But the ocean is boundless, with towering waves; only the stars at sea can guide us, hence the establishment of astronomy. China is vast, with gold, silver, copper, iron, and coal buried deep underground. They should be mined to benefit the people, hence the establishment of geography. Cities, bridges, ports, roads, and canals are the lifeblood of the nation, hence the establishment of civil engineering. Bows and crossbows, waterwheels, iron plows, carts, and boats are vital tools for strengthening the nation and enriching the people, hence the establishment of machinery. The core of most tools is copper and iron; casting is fundamental and cannot be ignored." Wang Lun did not continue to refute, but he did not completely agree either, saying, "The classics, histories, philosophical works, and collected works carry the spirit of sages and virtuous men, and the changes of China over thousands of years; they must not be desecrated!" Seeing his father's firm attitude, Wang Hao said, "It is not that I belittle Confucianism, but that I have limited manpower and resources and am unable to do so."

When Confucianism was mentioned, Wang Hao showed no respect. Wang Lun, angered, rose from his seat, saying, "If you truly have no suitable candidate, I can temporarily assume the position of Confucian professor!" Wang Hao, who had never seen Wang Lun angry with him before, quickly apologized, saying, "Your son was ignorant, Father, please calm down!" Wang Lun's anger subsided slightly, and after a few breaths, he said, "Do you know what the consequences would be if there were truly no Confucian teachings in the Jiaozhou academy?" Wang Hao dismissed it, saying, "There are plenty of Confucian professors; my academy won't make a difference. If someone truly wants to learn Confucianism, they can simply go elsewhere." Wang Lun shook his head, saying, "The Confucian way is the Great Way. You abandon the Great Way and vigorously promote heterodox doctrines. Do you know what the consequences will be?" Before Wang Hao could answer, Wang Lun continued, "Those close to him will lament, those neutral will despise him, and those who are hostile will slander him." Wang Hao truly realized the situation. "Why?" Wang Hao asked seriously. Wang Lun sighed and said, "You are an official of the court and highly valued by the emperor. In the eyes of the people, your every word and action represents the court; in the eyes of the officials, your every word and action represents the emperor. Was your distancing yourself from Confucianism at the behest of the court or the emperor? Neither; it was your own decision! You should know how many people, openly and secretly, are envious of your current success. If they were to remove your official hat, they would not only lose a political enemy but also gain an opportunity for advancement!" Wang Hao understood the gravity of the situation and asked, "Who are these people, Father?" Wang Lun chuckled and said, "The New Party, the Old Party, countless unapproved scholars, and those who have not yet entered officialdom—aren't they all watching you closely, hoping that one day you will make a mistake so they can take your place!" Wang Hao took a deep breath and, after a long while, said, "I will remember this!"

Wang Lun nodded slightly and said, "Since Liang Zhongshu's birthday gifts have already been seized, the men from Erlong Mountain should be able to withdraw. Lu Da's skills are even better than the three Ruan brothers'. With him by your side, your safety will be more guaranteed." Wang Lun recalled for a moment and then said, "A while ago, Lu Da wrote a letter saying that a man named Lin Chong is an old acquaintance of yours. He committed a murder in Cangzhou and is temporarily staying at Erlong Mountain." Wang Hao's eyes widened suddenly and he said, "Lin Chong was originally the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards. His martial arts are definitely no less than Yang Zhi's. With his help, what is there to worry about in achieving great things!" Wang Lun asked in surprise, "Can this person really have such abilities?" Wang Hao was very certain and said, "In Dongjing City, Master Chai, Lin Chong, Lu Da, and his son have met and drunk together at Fanlou many times. They are very familiar with each other. Even Master Chai speaks highly of Lin Chong!" Hearing that Lin Chong and Chai Jin were also old acquaintances, Wang Lun felt a little relieved and said, "Lin Chong can..." "To catch the eye of Master Chai, he must be no mere figurehead!" Wang Hao said. "Lin Chong was framed by Gao Qiu and his son, and thus imprisoned and exiled to Cangzhou. His wife and her father-in-law's branch of the family lived in Erlibao." Wang Lun was surprised and said, "You already predicted that Lin Chong would escape from Cangzhou?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Lin Chong was imprisoned because Gao Qiu's son took a fancy to his wife. Lin Chong couldn't bear to see his wife humiliated, so he incurred the wrath of Grand Commandant Gao. Grand Commandant Gao used his position for personal gain and framed..." Lin Chong was framed in the White Tiger Hall. Lin Chong's exile to Cangzhou was merely a step in Gao Yanei's scheme to seize Lin Chong's wife. Lin Chong and I are close friends; how could I stand idly by while my friend's wife was humiliated? Therefore, I arranged for her to stay temporarily in Erlibao. Lin Chong's father-in-law, also an instructor in the Imperial Guards, moved to Erlibao with his daughter. The martial arts instructors at the escort agency were all trained by Lin Chong's father-in-law, with excellent results! Wang Lun was finally relieved and said, "In that case, when Lin Chong arrives at Liangshan, I will certainly treat him as an honored guest!"

Wang Hao nodded and said, "The purpose of rebuilding the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office is to form an alliance with the Jin Dynasty via sea routes, and then launch a pincer attack on the Liao Dynasty. However, to reach the Jin Dynasty's territory from Liaodong, one must traverse thousands of miles within Liao territory. Such a difficult task is unlikely to succeed without the help of heroes, and Lin Chong is the most suitable person!" Wang Lun pondered for a moment and said, "Lin Chong, having been convicted, would indeed face too many risks traveling within the Song Dynasty's borders. However, it would be unwise for him to waste his skills in obscurity. Going north to Liaodong to serve the country is an excellent choice." Wang Hao continued, "Ma Decao has been lurking in Daming Prefecture for a long time. Now that the men from Erlong Mountain have withdrawn, Daming Prefecture has also..." "They've temporarily lost their value as infiltrators, so it's better to recall them all." Wang Lun asked, "Is there another arrangement for Ma Decao's recall?" Wang Hao nodded and said, "He's been ordered to lead a small group of men to infiltrate Liaodong as a merchant caravan when the time is right." Wang Lun said, "Liaodong is not like Daming Prefecture; it's within the Liao Kingdom's territory. Does Ma Decao have the courage?" Wang Hao said, "Ma Decao is ambitious. If you promise him something substantial, he'll have the courage. Moreover, he's quick-witted and capable!" Wang Lun said, "Ma Decao and Zhang Sangou were your initial close followers and are true confidants of our Wang family. They should be treated well!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "Your son will remember!"

As evening approached, Wang Lun said, "If there's nothing else, get some rest!" Wang Hao said, "There's something else, related to Father!" Wang Lun asked, "What is it?" Wang Hao said, "The Emperor intends to make you his son-in-law!" Wang Lun was very excited and said, "My son is truly magnificent! One day you will become the Emperor's son-in-law!" He paused for a moment and said, "Marriage has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Are you going to the capital to propose marriage on your behalf?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "The royal family doesn't observe the customs of commoners. When a princess chooses a husband, it's always the Emperor who arranges the marriage. How can we possibly go to the palace to propose?" Wang Lun laughed loudly and said, "Father was presumptuous!" Wang Hao said, "Father, do you completely approve of me becoming the Emperor's son-in-law?" Wang Lun was surprised and asked, "Do you already have someone you like?" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "There is no one I like. It's just that I haven't even met this princess yet, and we've already hastily arranged this marriage. Isn't that too casual?" Wang Lun comforted him, "Although our Wang family is not a noble clan, we are not poor either. I will give you everything I have to make sure you don't lose face!" Wang Hao realized that his father and he were not on the same level at all, so he could only say, "Can't I decide my own marriage?" Wang Lun was very certain and said, "As long as I am alive, you will not be able to decide your own marriage!" Wang Hao asked, "Why?" Wang Lun replied, "Because it is the rule of our ancestors!" Wang Hao had heard of the ancient etiquette, but he had never experienced it firsthand. Now, with an arranged marriage, he finally had a preliminary understanding of it, but this feeling was not pleasant.

Wang Hao never dwelled on things he couldn't change. He said, "If the Emperor's bestowal of marriage is finalized, our family's background will inevitably be investigated. We must make arrangements as soon as possible." Wang Lun looked grave and asked, "What should we do?" Wang Hao replied, "With Eunuch Chen as our inside man in the palace, there's no immediate worry. Liangshan Marsh is under the jurisdiction of Yuncheng County. The court's investigation of our family's background will inevitably go through the magistrate of Yuncheng County, so the magistrate of Yuncheng County must be of one mind with us!" Wang Lun nodded and asked, "How can you get him to be of one mind with us?" Wang Hao replied, "By offering him substantial benefits!" Wang Lun asked, "What benefits?" Wang Hao replied, "Half a share of the Eight Immortals Winery!" After a long silence, he said, "Your father agrees!" A moment later, he added, "Jiaozhou is newly established, its foundation is yet to be established, Liangshan cannot be abandoned! Once you are settled, your father will definitely leave Liangshan and go to Jiaozhou to reunite with you." Wang Hao nodded and said, "Liangshan was created by Father himself; how could Father bear to abandon it so easily?" Wang Lun replied, "You are the future of the Wang family. Wherever you take root, your father will reunite with you there. Liangshan is good, but its goodness lies in its treacherous terrain, surrounded by water on all sides, making it easy to deal with the government, a place for bandits. Now that you are an official appointed by the court, Liangshan is definitely not a blessed place; abandoning it is no pity!"