Moma Liangshan

Chapter 58 In the Yandang Mountains, the Prefect Ponders

Wang Hao understood: "What the Prefect just said seems simple, but passing it down for a thousand years is incredibly difficult." He said, "Possessing extraordinary skills and a heart for the world, yet born at the wrong time, one can only live like a hermit for generations. Isn't that too unfair? Doesn't it make one's clansmen doubt the use of all one's skills?" The Prefect couldn't hide his melancholy and said, "Young Master, your insight is keen. If I didn't have this lingering resentment, why would I bother to seek this local official position?" Wang Hao nodded and asked again, "The Mohist school has a thousand-year history; naturally, it should produce many outstanding talents. Since we cannot enter the central government to set an example and eliminate the accumulated abuses of the court, why not go deep into the local areas and promote reforms from the bottom up?" The Prefect smiled bitterly and said, "From the Spring and Autumn Period to the present, there have been thousands of..." For thousands of years, the Mohists, though hidden in the countryside, never completely withdrew from the court; they simply met with no good end. Wang Hao frowned and cautiously asked, "I would like to hear the details!" The prefect sighed involuntarily and slowly said, "During the transition between the Western and Eastern Han dynasties, Wang Mang deceived the people with a facade of benevolence. My ancestor was misled and sent three hundred Mohist disciples to serve him, intending to break the shackles of 'dismissing all other schools of thought and exclusively honoring Confucianism.' As for the outcome, outside Chang'an, there were piles of white bones. At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, the Three Kingdoms period began. Sun Wu, using the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, seized control of Jiangdong. To defend against Cao Wei's iron cavalry, they heavily invested in building a Yangtze River navy as a barrier. The Mohists designed and supervised the construction of warships for them, and were rewarded with the title of Yandang Mountain for their contributions. During the Jin dynasty, the court officials..." Immersed in metaphysical discussions and rampant Taoism, even Confucianism faded from the central government, remaining dormant in local areas, let alone Mohism. In the early Sui Dynasty, when Yang Guang led his army south to conquer Chen, the Mohists assisted him, later being given important positions to oversee the repair of the Grand Canal connecting Hebei, the Central Plains, and Jiangnan. However, Yang Guang's ambition and aggressive military campaigns led to the Sui Dynasty's collapse a decade later, with the Mohists quickly disappearing from the court. The late Tang and Song Dynasties were a period of chaos, and the Mohists sought refuge to protect themselves. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of our dynasty, Wang Anshi, the "Master of Linchuan," governed the court and implemented sweeping reforms. The Mohists emerged to serve under him, and more than ten of his disciples were given important positions. However, times change, and after Shenzong, the new laws were abolished, leaving only me as an official today.” Wang Hao sighed upon hearing this, saying, “Now the Mohists…” "Is the Mohist school preparing to re-emerge?" The prefect didn't hide anything, saying, "Whether the Mohist school re-emerges depends on you, young master!" Wang Hao was slightly doubtful, saying, "If I can rise rapidly and become the second Master Linchuan, then the Mohist school will wholeheartedly support me; if I remain confined to a corner of Jiaozhou, unable to advance an inch, then the Mohist school will abandon me! Is that so?" The prefect pondered for a moment, then said, "Probably so!" Wang Hao nodded, saying, "Very fair!" The prefect was very pleased with Wang Hao's demeanor, saying, "Please accompany me, young master, to meet the Grand Master!" Wang Hao said, "The Grand Master, the leader of the Mohist school?" The prefect nodded, saying, "Indeed, and also my elder brother!" Wang Hao said, "Please lead the way, sir!"

Yandang Mountain, located on the coast of the East China Sea, is a landscape of overlapping peaks vying for prominence. Led by the prefect, the group arrived at a cliff. Wang Hao stopped and said, "This is a desolate mountain, devoid of roads, palaces, or caves. Is it because the mountains are high and the forests dense, making it difficult to find one?" The prefect smiled slightly and said, "The path is right before your eyes; you simply haven't noticed it!" Wang Hao looked around again, still unable to discern anything, and said, "I am dull-witted and cannot see the secret!" The prefect pointed to a huge rock on the edge of the cliff and said, "The path lies behind this rock." Wang Hao tried to increase the distance between himself and the rock, attempting to see what lay behind it. However, the space on the cliff was limited, and no matter how Wang Hao moved, he could not see what was hidden behind the rock. The prefect was quite proud, saying, "The boulder is over three zhang high, about five zhang long and wide, with one side of the cliff offering about a step of air, and its shape is neither square nor round. On this narrow cliff, it's impossible for you, young master, to see what's behind the boulder." Wang Hao admired him, saying, "I admire you. There is indeed a blind spot behind the boulder; no matter how you move, you cannot discover the mystery behind it." Arriving at the foot of the boulder, he looked up at the sky and said, "The boulder is smooth and vertical, even more so than a city wall. Without a ladder, how can one climb over it?" The prefect asked, "Young master, can you see the holes on the boulder?" Wang Hao looked closely and indeed saw several holes of varying sizes, saying, "Sir, you wouldn't be thinking of using these holes, which are so small you can't even insert your toes, to get up there, would you?" The prefect shook his head, saying, "Insert wooden sticks into the holes, and you'll have a natural ladder." Wang Hao suddenly understood. Just then, two constables arrived carrying a bundle of wooden sticks. Wang Hao looked at the two constables and asked, "Are they also members of the Mohist school?" The prefect replied, "Young members of the clan, accompanying me on my training!" Wang Hao was now truly envious of the scions of large clans. With numerous members, and the support of elders, they could quickly assemble an elite force. The two constables looked at the prefect, who said, "Quickly construct a ladder." The constables obeyed, picking up suitable wooden sticks and inserting them into the holes in the boulder. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a ladder was perfectly formed. The two constables were already on the boulder. The prefect said, "Please, young master!" Just as Wang Hao was about to climb, Yang Zhi said, "The wooden sticks might be loose. It would be best if I went ahead to scout." Wang Hao nodded and said, "You go first, I'll follow!" Yang Zhi slung his sword behind his back and began to climb. Stepping onto the wooden sticks, Wang Hao discovered that they weren't horizontal, but slightly angled, so there was no need to worry about them slipping off.

A quarter of an hour later, everyone reached the boulder. Wang Hao turned around; to his right, a man-made stone path led into the cliff face. At that moment, a constable retrieved a bamboo pole with a loop from a cave and pulled out the wooden sticks stuck in the boulder one by one. Wang Hao suddenly noticed that each stick had a fork at the far end, which fit perfectly into the loop on the bamboo pole. After all the sticks were pulled out, the constable tied them into two bundles with vines and tossed them into the bushes for later use. Led by the prefect, Wang Hao entered a cave along the stone steps on the cliff side. The cave was large enough to accommodate a hundred people at once. Wang Hao looked up; sunlight streamed in from a gap in the cave ceiling, illuminating the cave. After walking about three hundred steps, they reached another cave entrance. The prefect stopped and said, "It's windy on the plank road; please be careful, young master." Wang Hao pushed aside the branches at the cave entrance and stepped onto the plank road. The plank road stretched into the distance along the cliff; on one side was a sheer cliff with towering walls, and on the other, a deep abyss shrouded in mist. Wang Hao gripped the railing and peered down, seeing eagles circling and soaring in the valley. Calming himself, he asked, "How high is the valley floor from the plank road?" The prefect replied, "I don't know the exact height, but the eagles circling are at least eight hundred meters above the ground." Wang Hao nodded in agreement, and the group continued on. After traveling three or four li, the plank road disappeared, replaced by a gravel mountain path. Wang Hao looked around and saw dense forests surrounding them, asking, "Are we almost there?" The prefect smiled meaningfully and said, "Another eight or nine li of mountain path, and we'll be there." Wang Hao, slightly out of breath, hadn't expected the journey to be so long and said, "Please continue leading the way, Prefect!" The prefect led the way, about a step ahead of the group, with Wang Hai and Yang Zhi following behind. About an hour later, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys. Wang Hao, his face beaming with excitement, exclaimed, "We're almost there!" The prefect nodded and said, "Follow the smoke, and you'll reach the Di family village." Seeing this, Wang Hao asked, "The vegetation here is lush and the terrain is flat. May we take a shortcut?" The prefect surveyed the surrounding terrain and said, "If you wish to try, we are willing to accompany you. Please lead the way!" Wang Hao looked at the prefect and said, "Are you truly serious, sir, that I lead the way?" The prefect replied, "Indeed!" Wang Hao then asked, "If I lead you astray, will you be able to guide us back to the right path?" The prefect said, "The people of the Di family all grew up in these mountains and forests. Apart from you and Yang Zhi, none of us could get lost even with our eyes closed!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "That's good then. I'll follow your own path!" He then began to walk towards the direction of the smoke.

Although there was a path in the mountains, it was barely visible amidst the overgrown weeds due to the sparse population. Wang Hao, gazing at the rising smoke, paid no heed to whether there was a path ahead, proceeding straight ahead wherever there was foothold. Yang Zhi followed closely behind, while the prefect and his entourage lagged behind by more than ten steps. Yang Zhi said softly, "Since everyone knows the way, why make us waste our energy exploring ahead?" Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "I only asked and there were no shortcuts, yet the prefect made me explore on my own. In my opinion, although the Mohists are prepared to cooperate with us, they must have conducted some research beforehand, and perhaps this exploration is one part of that research." Yang Zhi said, "The terrain here is flat, and with the smoke as a guide, how could you possibly not reach the Di family village?" Wang Hao replied, "What they are investigating may not be the final result, but rather the method they will use." Yang Zhi seemed to understand, and asked, "How do you intend to arrive, young master?" Wang Hao chuckled and said, "How they investigate is their business; we don't need to worry about it." "We can go wherever we want!" Di Gongkao looked at Wang Hao wading across the water and asked, "What does Second Brother think of Wang Hao?" The prefect stopped and said, "He's courageous, insightful, responsible, unpretentious, efficient, and genuine." Di Gongkao was surprised that the prefect spoke so highly of Wang Hao and asked, "So, our cooperation with Wang Hao can be finalized?" The prefect smiled slightly and said, "The cooperation can be finalized, but the method will be completely different from before. I need to discuss it with Third Brother and have him personally come out of seclusion." Di Gongkao was even more surprised and said, "Given Third Brother's personality, how could he possibly serve a fifteen-year-old boy?" The prefect said, "Have you ever considered why the Mohists' more than ten appearances in the past have all ended badly?" Di Gongkao was bewildered. The prefect sighed and said, "Because the Mohists' collaborators all studied Confucianism, not Mohist philosophy."