Chapter 56 Merits to be Remembered in History (Supporting Character's Perspective/Plot)
The next day, Emperor Qianyuan told his ministers about the matter at the morning court. Just as he had initially thought, disaster relief and grain collection were not easy tasks. Even with the emperor's authority, some people still hid the silver they had collected over the years, pretended to be poor and cried poverty in front of the emperor, and were single-mindedly tightening their belts, as if the lives of tens of thousands of people in Cangzhou had nothing to do with them.
Of course, some officials pretended to be poor, while others generously donated money because they loved the people. However, with more than a dozen counties and prefectures suffering from floods, this amount was just a drop in the ocean and could not save the people.
If this matter proves truly unavoidable, then forceful measures will likely be necessary.
Because of this incident, the emperor's aura has become noticeably tense lately, and the officials in the court are keeping their eyes down, acting like quails, with no one daring to be the first to step forward at this critical juncture.
They are all enduring, all waiting.
Either some officials and aristocratic families with resources showed their weakness first, bowing to the emperor like the imperial examination system a decade or so ago, completely giving up any thought of regaining power and becoming completely at the emperor's beck and call; or they waited for the emperor to forcibly order disaster relief and grain collection. The money could be raised, but it would indeed affect the emperor's trip, making it easier for aristocratic families to profit from this matter in the future and regain the glory that they had decades ago.
No matter how the imperial examination system and the system of officials in the court are changed, the aristocratic families have accumulated their wealth over a hundred years. Now, they do not show their power because of the emperor's authority, but the amount of silver hidden in their mansions is probably astonishing.
Clearly, this is a silent tug-of-war, with everyone waiting, and the timeframe for this tug-of-war is the time that the eighteen prefectures and counties surrounding Cangzhou can wait.
Even so, the things that need to be done still need to be done.
After the morning court session, the officials in charge of disaster relief and grain collection, along with their personal guards and officials from the Ministry of Revenue, began going door to door to the residences of high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital, trying to raise grain and money to help Cangzhou and eighteen other prefectures and counties get through this year's cold winter.
Their first destination was the Xiao family.
On West Street, lived the Xiao family of the capital. Tracing back a hundred years, they were the Qinghe Xiao family, a model of the northern elite families, ranking first among the northern aristocratic families. Many members of the family held official positions. However, after the implementation of the imperial examination system and more than a decade of changes, the Xiao family in the capital still had a considerable foundation, but had long lost its former glory. They could only live under the emperor's power, retaining their wealth and status, but no longer possessing the overwhelming power they once had.
Therefore, when the officials who came to collect grain arrived, Xiao Gong—the teacher of Meng Hanzhou, the heir of the Duke of Wei—and Xiao Weizheng, a famous figure painter of the Great Chu, stood at the door. He was wearing an ordinary blue robe, with ink stains on his sleeves. He bowed slightly, with a hint of guilt on his face.
Judging by her figure and attire alone, she hardly exudes the air of a wealthy and noble family with a history spanning centuries.
Xiao Gongdao said, “My family is poor, and in recent years I have only made a living by selling paintings. Although the younger generation in my family are officials in the capital, they are not wealthy. We are also worried about the people of the eighteen counties of Cangzhou, but we are willing but unable to help. Therefore, my whole family has only managed to squeeze out this thousand taels of silver, hoping to help them out in a small way.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the servants of the Xiao family worked together to carry over a dark red wooden box. Inside lay a thousand taels of silver, but it wasn't even in whole pieces. Instead, it was made up of silver ingots, broken pieces of silver, and even several strings of copper coins, giving the impression that the Xiao family really had a hard time raising the money.
There were even six bags of grain standing next to the mahogany box. Xiao Wei said that they were new grains that he had moved from the mansion’s storeroom, which could be considered as his contribution to disaster relief.
The officials who came to collect grain had no way of expressing their grievances.
What Xiao Wei said was true. In recent years, he has mainly sold paintings, but the problem is that he usually doesn't sell his own works. When he does sell a painting, it is easily worth more than a thousand gold coins. In fact, the thousand taels in the wooden box right now may only be a fraction of the value of his paintings!
Even the younger generation of the Xiao family who serve as officials in the capital can earn several hundred taels of silver a year, and even more depending on their rank.
Aside from their official salaries, many people also had various shops, private houses and farmland, and gifts from subordinates. If you look closely at the accounts, the official salary is only the smallest part of the money. All those miscellaneous expenses add up to more than a thousand taels a year. Add to that the savings accumulated over the years, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were extremely wealthy.
However, these people from aristocratic families were all shrewd. Their power had been weakened by the imperial examination system and by Emperor Qian Yuan. Now that they needed money, the wealthy aristocratic families would not easily lend a hand. They even wanted to take advantage of the disaster in Cangzhou to redefine the status of aristocratic families and recreate the glorious scene of decades ago.
The officials who came to collect grain had no choice but to call their guards over. They couldn't force people to donate silver by holding knives to their throats, so they could only load the thousand taels and six bags of new grain onto the plate and move on to the next house.
After the officials who had been collecting grain had gone far away, the Xiao family steward said with some worry, "Master, such actions may anger the Emperor."
"Ha, let them be angry. How many years have we aristocratic families been angry since His Majesty ascended the throne? We've always had to keep our tails between our legs in the capital. I'm afraid I'll be ashamed of my ancestors after I die! The dignified Xiao family of Qinghe has fallen to such a state?"
Thinking about what he had experienced in recent years, Xiao Wei felt depressed and angry. But after a few breaths, he seemed to think of something else, and his expression relaxed slightly, even showing a hint of a smile.
"This disaster in Cangzhou has given the aristocratic families an opportunity... His Majesty wants money for disaster relief to solve the troubles in the south. Since he wants us to contribute, he should also offer some reward. I don't expect my Xiao family to be as prosperous as during the reign of the late emperor, but it can't be in such a state as it is now!"
There are many powerful families in the capital, and using force to suppress them is one way to do so, but it will also affect the rule of Emperor Qianyuan. This slight wavering is exactly what they want.
As he spoke, Xiao Wei stroked his beard, his gaze drifting towards the imperial city, and said in a low voice, "Just wait, this time... it's His Majesty who is making concessions to us."
For most of the day, the officials in charge of disaster relief and grain procurement walked back and forth through the busiest streets of the capital several times, but the results were basically the same—
Wealthy and powerful officials and prominent families would only contribute a symbolic five hundred or one or two thousand taels of silver and a few bags of new grain, then complain with bitter faces about their poverty and hardship, saying they couldn't really offer much help.
But who would believe that? How could they have served as officials for over a decade or two without accumulating any wealth? It's all an act!
As for those officials who were incorruptible and not good at cultivating official relationships, they donated the most money they could, which made the official in charge of the matter feel sad. Unfortunately, it was still far from what Cangzhou needed.
On the matter of disaster relief and grain collection, the Duke of Wei's mansion and the Minister of Revenue, who had previously suffered the "divine wrath" of Emperor Qianyuan, were honest and straightforward—
The Duke of Wei donated 23,000 taels of silver and also gifted 1,000 bags of new grain; the Minister of Revenue donated 15,000 taels of silver and also gifted 1,000 bags of new grain.
Although the Emperor and Empress's wedding had taken place, the Duke of Wei and the Minister of Revenue were still worried that their son's previous offenses had left a mark on the Emperor's mind. Rather than seeking power and influence like other aristocratic families and competing with Emperor Qian Yuan, they decided it was better to do what they were supposed to do and avoid getting involved in those unfortunate events.
The officials who raised the money were so moved that their eyes reddened and their voices choked with emotion.
He was born in Cangzhou and grew up on the charity of his fellow villagers. When he came to the capital to take the imperial examination, the villagers also raised money for him. Now, having received the two largest sums of money since the fundraising began, he was overjoyed and wept. He shook his sleeves and bowed deeply, repeatedly praising the "great righteousness and benevolence" and thanking the magistrate on behalf of the people of Cangzhou and the surrounding eighteen counties.
The matter of disaster relief was of utmost urgency. The officials in charge of fundraising visited every household in the capital in one morning and quickly wrote a memorial to send to the palace. Just as Emperor Qianyuan had predicted, the amount of silver raised so far was pitifully small. It was not enough to cover even one of the eighteen prefectures and counties affected by the flood, let alone Cangzhou!
Emperor Qianyuan understood the legal case behind it all, but after reading the memorial, seeing the worry still lingering in Wen Miao's eyes, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
If he hadn't been so eager to involve Wen Miao in government affairs, she probably wouldn't have been so anxious and restless. Especially since she's soft-hearted and grew up in such a peaceful and prosperous era, she certainly wouldn't be able to bear this situation.
"How's the disaster relief effort in Cangzhou going?"
Wen Miao doesn't know how to govern a country. All her knowledge comes from the emperor. As a new student, she is concerned about the suffering people in Cangzhou, but she overlooks the fact that there will never be a shortage of people who hold positions without doing their jobs.
Upon hearing the emperor's explanation, she couldn't help but be stunned. As she pondered the tug-of-war that had been a standoff between them, she felt a chill run down her spine and was utterly terrified.
Are human lives nothing more than tools for power struggles and manipulation in their eyes?
If high-ranking officials and powerful families are truly unwilling to cooperate, what will happen to the people of the eighteen neighboring prefectures and counties of Cangzhou?
Seeing the Empress's current state, Emperor Qianyuan felt both pity and love. He gently stroked Wen Miao's cheek and whispered:
"Your Majesty need not worry too much. This matter will definitely be resolved... Officials care about their reputation, and noble families also value their honor. If they refuse to contribute even a penny in this situation, they will lose face. They are just waiting for an opportunity for me to back down."
And they wanted to use this opportunity to rebuild the family's status.
After all, from the imperial examination system to the restructuring of the official structure in the court, Emperor Qianyuan has gained too much advantage since he was the crown prince. He holds great power, but disaster relief is not something that an emperor alone can change. The national treasury can be used to raise funds, but it cannot be used only for this.
Upon hearing this, Wen Miao was slightly taken aback, but the words Emperor Qian Yuan had said earlier kept replaying in her mind—
"Officials are concerned about their reputation, while aristocratic families value their honor..."
A gentleman is distressed if his name is not mentioned after his death [Note]. People value reputation, especially officials from prominent families in the past. Everyone wanted to "leave a loyal heart to shine in history." Therefore, people often ask: What should one do to leave a name in history and be remembered for generations?
The answer is: Establish virtue, establish merit, and establish words.
It's easier said than done, but the biographies in the Records of the Grand Historian are mainly of emperors and generals. For ordinary families, officials, and merchants, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven to leave their mark in the history books.
But it was precisely because of this name that Wen Miao saw another feasible way to raise funds for disaster relief amidst the gloom.
“Your Majesty,” she suddenly spoke.
Emperor Qianyuan: "What?"
"Perhaps... there is a way we can try, but I'm not sure if it will work."
Wen Miao was unsure how much "reputation" was worth on this stalemate—something she subconsciously struggled to understand.
Seeing the slight surprise on the emperor's face, Wen Miao softly explained her plans and thoughts, and then tried to explain the reasons: "...Your Majesty said that people value fame and fortune. If this method can be implemented, those who donate will be able to leave their names. Perhaps at that time, they will not need to bow to the powerful families and can still achieve their wishes."
Those who record disaster relief and grain donations in books may not be remembered by posterity, but what if a stone monument were erected, arranged by the amount of silver donated, and the names of those who contributed to the cause of disaster were written down, and it stood in the capital for hundreds of years?
In the future, as the world changes and the Chu dynasty falls and a new dynasty is established, that weathered stone tablet will still stand in the same place, revered and admired by future generations...
If we lure them with fame, perhaps these people will willingly hand over their money?
Emperor Qian Yuan paused slightly, but quickly understood Wen Miao's meaning. He chuckled softly, pulled her onto his lap, and couldn't help but kiss the beautiful woman whose eyes still held hesitation.
"My Empress is so intelligent."
"But... I'm afraid they won't act as I intend. I came up with this plan to raise money, and they'll naturally be able to figure out what's behind it."
Wen Miao sighed softly. She never underestimated anyone's wisdom, so she wasn't very confident after making the suggestion.
What she could think of, others could also think of. Once those official families figured it out, they probably wouldn't walk into this trap.
"But so what?"
Emperor Qian Yuan looked at Wen Miao with a calm and composed demeanor, as if he were the most patient gentleman in the world. His words were full of encouragement and praise for Wen Miao. "This is an open scheme—an open scheme that everyone can see through. Even so, the benefits it represents are something that no one seeking fame can refuse."
Emperor Qianyuan even used Wenmiao's method to draw inferences from one instance to another, saying, "...Merit steles are prepared for official families, but I may also prepare a few imperial plaques for merchants."
High-ranking officials, aristocratic families, and merchants were the three most wealthy groups in the Great Chu. However, the latter were of a much lower status. Even if they had a fortune, they would still be cautious and obsequious when they met a minor official, as if they were begging for a favor. To put it bluntly, no matter how rich a merchant was, he was still a commoner. And as a commoner, he could not suppress an official.
But if they could possess a plaque handwritten by the emperor, their future status would undoubtedly be different—it was a plaque bestowed by the Emperor of Great Chu! It was the emperor's own handwriting! It was an honor recognized by Emperor Qian Yuan!
Is having such a plaque hanging in your home making you feel insecure about doing business?
Inside the Wenyuan Hall, Emperor Qianyuan finished expressing his thoughts a second ago, and then lowered his head to kiss Wen Miao's lips the next second.
With the matter of Cangzhou on her mind, the Empress pushed the Emperor's head away and tugged at his sleeve anxiously, urging Emperor Qian Yuan to hurry up and attend to important matters, lest he delay the people in the south who were preparing for winter.
Emperor Qianyuan nodded obediently and said, "I obey your decree."
That afternoon, the official from Cangzhou, who was in charge of procuring grain, hurriedly went into the palace and soon came out again, repeating his morning routine of knocking on doors. This time, however, he carried an extra roster with him.
At the entrance of the Xiao residence, Xiao Wei stared at the list of names handed to him with both hands, looking puzzled. He stroked his beard and asked, "May I ask what this means?"
With the emperor's instructions in mind, the official explained, "His Majesty and His Majesty are concerned about the disaster situation in the eighteen prefectures and counties surrounding Cangzhou, and are also grateful for the kindness of all the officials who have donated to the disaster relief. They have specially ordered me to record the names of all the officials in order of the amount of money they have donated. Afterwards, a blue stone tablet will be erected in the capital to engrave the names of all the officials, so that such good deeds can be passed down for generations and be admired by future generations."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wei's heart skipped a beat. He immediately flipped through the roster in his hand and saw his name on the third-to-last page.
Xiao Wei's vision went black, and his fingers trembled as he stammered, "This...this..."
The official pretended to have just noticed and immediately approached with some difficulty: "Oh dear! It seems that Lord Xiao's position is a bit too far back! When it is carved on the bluestone tablet, I'm afraid we'll have to squat down and bend over to see it."
Squat down? And crouch down?
Do they even care about the reputation of the Xiao family anymore?!
Xiao shuddered, his mind seemingly splitting in two—
On one hand, there was the glory of the Xiao family of Qinghe a hundred years ago. They were wealthy young men, with their houses full of gold and jade. Any one of the Xiao family members could be an official or a talented man, famous throughout the world. They could make the emperor sitting on the throne tremble with just a stomp of their feet.
On the other hand, a hundred years later, the descendants of the Xiao family, carrying their bags, squatted under the bluestone in the capital, crouching low and staring wide-eyed, barely managing to glimpse Xiao Weizhi's name from the bottom of the stone tablet.
How could this be? How could this be!
Dynasties rose and fell in endless succession, and various forces came and went. A dynasty's rise and fall lasted only a few hundred years, but the blue stone buried deep in the loess and standing in the capital city stood firm. It could be passed down for thousands of years, let alone hundreds of years!
If, a thousand years from now, the descendants of the Xiao family really have to squat on the ground to find their ancestors' names, then the Qinghe Xiao family might as well just disappear from history! What's the point of passing down the family name? They'd lose all face!
Even though he knew that the Emperor and Empress were clearly waiting for him to donate money, it was a monument of merit! Who could resist the temptation of having their name engraved on a monument of merit?
When Xiao Wei looked closely, he saw that the Yang family, whose lineage could be traced back to Beiting a hundred years ago, was listed above him on the roster. The two families had always been at odds. They had been related by marriage for hundreds of years, but later became enemies due to their ancestors' divorce and other matters. They never spoke to each other again and always fought each other.
Now that Xiao Wei saw that the old scoundrel from the Yang family had outbid him with 1,500 taels of silver, he was so angry that he felt like he was choking on blood. How could he possibly stand it?
A mere 1,500 taels? Do they think the Xiao family is dead?
Seeing that the official had finished collecting the list and was about to send it to the next household, Xiao Wei quickly reached out to stop him, forcing out a somewhat stiff smile.
"Please wait a moment, my lord. After careful consideration, I suddenly remembered that I still have some wealth at home. However, due to my advanced age, I did not think of it at the first moment! Now that the people of Cangzhou are in distress, no matter how poor and destitute I am, I should do my best to help. I just need to trouble you to write down the names again in the register."
After saying that, Xiao Wei immediately gave the steward a wink. Soon after, servants from the Xiao residence carried out several large boxes, which swayed and wobbled. When the lids were lifted, lo and behold, they were all bright, shiny, whole silver ingots, each about the size of a palm, neatly stacked together. There were dozens of boxes, worth at least tens of thousands of taels.
The official in charge of raising the silver beamed with joy, loudly proclaiming Xiao Gong's righteousness, and immediately picked up his pen to write Xiao Weizhi's name on the first page.
Such incidents not only occurred at the gate of the Xiao residence, but soon followed in front of the mansions of various officials and prominent families.
When Yang of Beiting saw Xiao Wei's name prominently displayed at the top of the homepage, she immediately objected and generously offered silver, determined to outdo him.
He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the official lift his pen and write his name above Xiao Wei of the Xiao family.
At this moment, the head of the Yang family no longer felt the unbearable pain of suddenly losing a large sum of money. All he felt was the pleasure of suppressing his mortal enemy and the surging emotion of being admired by future generations for thousands of years to come.
The merits are inscribed on the monument. If he were to be placed at the top of the monument, it would be enough to show how profound his merits are. It is probably the glory that was achieved by the many members of the Yang family in the Northern Court when they were all powerful. But now he alone can suppress all the heroes. Why should he not be glorious? Why should he not be famous?
Because of the Merit Stele incident, officials and prominent families in the capital immediately sprang into action. Even though they knew it was a trap set by the emperor and empress, they could only try to fall into it and wait for a great opportunity to leave their mark on history and be remembered for eternity.
Meanwhile, soldiers and officers inside the city posted another notice, which they were loudly reading aloud to the public—
It was stated that if any wealthy merchants contributed to the disaster relief efforts, the emperor would select a few and bestow upon them plaques personally inscribed by the emperor, praising their great benevolence and kindness as a reward and encouragement.
The news caused an uproar, and soon wealthy merchants arrived with their servants, some cautiously inquiring of the soldiers in front of the notice whether the matter was true.
The officer immediately clasped his hands in the direction of the imperial city and said loudly, "It is indeed true! This matter was spoken by His Majesty and His Majesty together. Since there are already merit steles in the capital to leave a lasting mark on the names of the officials in the court, plaques should also be used to commend the merchants who provide disaster relief and rescue, so that their descendants may inherit them."
The wealthy merchant's eyes widened, his face filled with excitement. Without saying a word, he immediately ordered his servants to go to the bank to get silver notes. Not only silver notes, but he also brought an oxcart with sacks of grain on it. The sheer scale of the operation almost blocked half the street.
Many merchants remained in a wait-and-see mode, not taking any action, but just watching quietly.
The officer immediately asked the wealthy merchant, "May I ask your name, sir?"
The wealthy merchant immediately replied, "I dare not accept the title of 'sir.' My name is Zhang Lu."
The officers and soldiers nodded and said, "Please wait a moment."
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, while everyone was whispering among themselves, a pair of guards in silver armor, riding fine horses, came from afar. In the middle of the group, they seemed to be carrying an object, but it was covered by a red cloth, so the details were not clear.
The wealthy merchant surnamed Zhang peeked out and saw the Imperial Guards rein in their horses, dismount, and present the object to the crowd. The red cloth fluttered slightly, instantly revealing its true form—
It was a wooden plaque with red silk tied on both sides, and several large characters written in the middle: "Accumulating good deeds brings abundant blessings."
A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings; the power of the pen is enough to demonstrate the majesty of Heaven.
The wealthy merchant surnamed Zhang was stunned for a long time. Suddenly, his eyes reddened. He carefully stroked the imperial plaque, turned around, knelt down and kowtowed three times towards the east where the imperial city was located, muttering, "Thank you, Your Majesty" and "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Merchants are considered lowly and often treated with disdain. They are ranked last among the four classes of people: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. But when a merchant has this plaque, it means he has gained the emperor's approval and can speak with his head held high!
Seeing that the imperial plaque had been given to this wealthy merchant, the merchants who had been watching from the sidelines began to get anxious. They didn't lack money, but they lacked the recognition from the superiors. Now that they saw it, they immediately rushed to the money shops and grain shops, afraid that if they were late, they would miss out on the plaque personally written by His Majesty!
It's just a simple matter of donating money and grain; they can handle that!
-----------------------
The author says: A virtuous person worries that his name will not be praised after his death.
The countdown to the faint resurrection of memories begins—[kiss]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
