Chapter 50 Countermeasures: We must plant a pond of lotus flowers.
The atmosphere inside the pavilion was heavy, as if a storm was brewing.
Yue Yining stared intently. She didn't recognize the aggressive-looking male scholar, but judging from his attire, he should also be a newly appointed scholar this year. Centered around him and Zhou Congyi was a group of people, mostly students who had passed the imperial examination this year, all whispering and discussing amongst themselves.
Yue Yining, with her sharp eyes, spotted the person standing at the very front of the crowd—Li He, the son of the Vice Minister of Rites. He had a smile on his lips, wearing a sapphire blue robe and a rhinoceros horn belt, looking like he was about to watch a good show.
The whispers around her reached Yue Yining's ears: "Why didn't Zhou Congyi refute a single word? Could it be that what Lu Bo said is true?"
"But I don't think Lady Zhou is the kind of person who would plagiarize other people's articles. She is a well-known talented woman in our county."
Even the sharp-tongued Zhou Congyi could be rendered speechless by words.
Yue Yining raised an eyebrow after hearing this. Her light green dress fluttered as she stepped out from the crowd: "It's quite lively."
Lu Bo, who was questioning Zhou Congyi, narrowed his eyes when he saw her walking over loudly: "And who is this young lady?"
"My surname is Yue, and I'm from the Princess's residence. I'm just an unknown strategist who happened to be passing by," Yue Yining said with a smile. "What are you gentlemen talking about? Would you mind if I joined in?"
Zhou Congyi looked up and stared at her in surprise.
“Your arrival is just in time,” Lu Bo said loudly. “There’s something fishy about this Zhou Congyi’s exam essay. I discovered that this essay is very similar to another essay I wrote privately a month ago. To say it’s similar is an understatement. The writing style and arguments are almost identical from beginning to end.”
"I now suspect that the essay Lady Zhou wrote in the examination was actually heavily based on the essays I showed her. Lady Zhou was able to obtain the third-place ranking in the literary anthology based on these essays. If she is not worthy of the title, then this ranking should be invalidated, right?"
Zhou Congyi suddenly said, "I didn't copy."
Zhou Congyi's words were firm and resolute. Although she spoke with stubbornness and bitterness, she finally raised her head and looked directly at him: "I did not plagiarize his article."
Lu Bo stared at Zhou Congyi: "You say you didn't plagiarize, but I have a draft from a month ago as evidence, while you have nothing to show for it. If you're so capable, then produce some proof! Prove that your exam essay didn't reference my essay at all. Zhou Congyi, can you do that?"
How could they possibly produce that? Yue Yining naturally noticed Zhou Congyi's tightly pursed lips, as if she were unwilling.
Yue Yining turned to Lu Bo and asked, "Lord Lu, may I take a look at your articles?"
“Of course.” Lu Boyi said without hesitation, picking up two scrolls from the stone table and handing them to Yue Yining. “Lord Yue, please take a look!”
After comparing the two articles, Yue Yining found that they were extremely similar in terms of theme, explanation, and argumentation. No wonder Lu Bo felt that Zhou Congyi had plagiarized his article. Lu Bo had a draft as evidence to prove that his article had been conceived long ago, while Zhou Congyi could not produce one. It's no wonder that public opinion was biased towards Lu Bo.
After a moment's thought, Yue Yining suddenly smiled and said, "It's alright, I just happened to have thought of a good idea."
"As long as the two gentlemen are willing to cooperate, we will be able to find out who the plagiarist is."
Lu Bo and Zhou Congyi both looked at her. Lu Bo couldn't hold back and spoke first: "What's the plan?"
Yue Yining: "The essay required for the Wenxuan examination is a policy essay, and a major characteristic of policy essays is that they need to cite classical texts for argumentation. I see that both of your essays are policy essays, and they both cite a lot of examples from ancient books."
"Being able to write these cases to support one's point of view shows that one knows the source and origin of the text, and at least has read the original book." Yue Yining placed the two policy essays side by side. "For example, here it quotes 'Confucian scholars use literature to disrupt the law' from Han Feizi. May I ask which sentence follows in the text?"
Lu Bo stammered, "...A knight-errant...a knight-errant who uses martial arts to break the law?"
“Wrong,” Zhou Congyi suddenly said, his voice as cold as a wind. “The original sentence is ‘Their scholars then invoke the ways of the former kings to justify their benevolence and righteousness.’”
Lu Bo's expression instantly turned grim.
Yue Yining nodded, a smile in her eyes: "All we need to do is question you two about the sources of the viewpoints cited in these two articles. We'll see who can answer and who can't, and then we'll know who the plagiarist is."
The stark contrast between Lu Bo and Zhou Congyi was evident to everyone. Now, as soon as she finished speaking, the crowd erupted in an uproar, with someone shouting, "That's a good idea!"
Yue Yining smiled and said, "Why don't we ask you learned scholars to be our witnesses? Let's follow the rules of the Wenxuan (Anthology of Literature) and select five quotations from each of the two policy essays to examine their classical origins."
Seeing that everyone around him was nodding in agreement with Yue Yining's suggestion, a hint of panic flashed in Lu Bo's eyes.
When he looked at Yue Yining again, his expression turned hostile, and his words became sharp: "Absurd! These two articles involve a great many classical texts and are of different levels of difficulty in interpretation. Who among us can be the examiner?"
"You're not coming yourself, are you? Who knows if you'll side with Zhou Congyi! No wonder you suddenly showed up, just to fish in troubled waters for her!"
As soon as Lu Bo finished speaking, a voice suddenly rang out from the restless crowd.
"This old minister is willing to be the examiner."
The crowd parted to the sides, and an elderly man with a long beard stepped out, dressed in a dark red robe with a calm gaze.
Yue Yining raised an eyebrow. She recognized the man; he was Cui Yan, a third-rank official and a well-known member of the Qingliu faction.
Cui Yan glanced at the two people in the pavilion and said, "This old minister is not talented, but I happened to have read a lot of books when I was young. If you want to examine the classics and ancient books, this old minister can do his part and serve as a touchstone for you two."
Lu Bo's face was pale, but before he could speak, Yue Yining stepped forward and greeted him, saying, "This junior greets Lord Cui. I think no one here would object to Lord Cui's willingness to be an examiner."
This was no exaggeration. Lord Cui had an excellent reputation within the court; he was a recognized upright official and a Grand Secretary of the Chongwen Academy. The Chongwen Academy was in charge of collating and editing classical texts, and he himself had overseen the revision of the "Study of Taxation." His political influence and academic authority were beyond question. Everyone present echoed his sentiments, and Lu Bo's unspoken words were thus silenced.
Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, Cui Yan opened Lu Bo's article, and his deep voice rang out: "The first paragraph of Lord Lu's article quotes from 'The Book of Lord Shang: The Order of Reclamation,' which states, 'Those who have high salaries but also high taxes, and feed a large number of people, are the ones who ruin farmers.' I would like to ask Lord Lu, what kinds of officials who ruin farmers are listed thereafter?"
Lu Bo answered fluently: "Three kinds. Scholars, merchants, and artisans."
"Then what does the phrase 'no one may take labor' mentioned earlier in the 'Reclamation Order' mean?"
"Banning the hiring of laborers forces people to focus on farming." Yue Yining observed that Lu Bo's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the mutton-fat jade pendant at his waist, and a hint of nervousness and unease flashed in his eyes.
Cui Yan stroked his beard, not raising his eyes, but slowly nodded.
The crowd continued to whisper. Cui Yan lowered his gaze and opened Zhou Congyi's article: "In your article, Lord Zhou quoted the line 'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette' from Guanzi's 'Shepherd of the People.' This old minister would like to ask Lord Zhou, how does the text later discuss the consequences of 'the four cardinal virtues not being upheld'?"
Zhou Congyi: "As Guan Zhong said, 'If the four cardinal virtues are not upheld, the state will perish.' Propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame are the foundation of a nation, the cornerstone of social stability, and the basis for popular support, just as the severe drought in northern China last summer demonstrated—"
As she spoke, her gaze suddenly shifted to the crowd, looking at the group in the center. A slight smirk appeared on her lips, revealing her signature sarcastic expression: "Have you gentlemen ever witnessed famine victims exchanging children to eat? If even getting enough to eat is a pipe dream, how can you possibly care about propriety, righteousness, or shame?"
Seeing Zhou Congyi raise her head, her eyes regaining their sharp, sword-like brilliance, a smile slowly crept into Yue Yining's eyes as well.
Zhou Congyi looked at the group of scions of prominent families, led by Li He, who were watching the commotion.
They all looked away from Zhou Congyi's bright eyes, then quickly looked away, and even awkwardly straightened their clothes. Only Li He, the leader, remained unmoved, though the smile on his face faded slightly.
Cui Yan: "In the last chapter, Lord Lu quoted Mencius's 'The wise man, with his own clarity, enlightens others.' I would like to ask Lord Lu, what does this sentence mean in the original text?"
Lu Bo's Adam's apple bobbed: "Of course, it's about the way of education..."
“Wrong.” Zhou Congyi’s eyes were sharp. “The opening says that ‘nothing is better for cultivating the mind than reducing desires.’ The so-called ‘brightness’ actually refers to the sages’ teaching of the world with a clear mind. Later, the text quotes Confucius’s ‘If you hold on, you will survive; if you give up, you will perish’ to illustrate that cultivating one’s mind is like rowing against the current. Lord Lu has not even grasped the main idea of ‘Exhausting the Mind’. How can you have the face to say that I plagiarized your article?”
Cui Yan looked at Zhou Congyi in the center, his expression softening, and nodded, saying, "Lord Zhou is right."
Cui Yan's affirmation was like a powder keg thrown into the crowd, instantly igniting a dense chorus of discussions.
"Fourth question," Cui Yan's voice rang out again, silencing the clamor of voices, "When Lord Zhou discussed the talent selection system in his writings, he quoted from Han Feizi's 'Manifest Learning': 'A prime minister must rise from the local government.' This statement has a second part: 'A valiant general must emerge from the ranks.' Lord Zhou, how does Han Feizi prove his point in the book?"
Zhou Congyi replied in a clear voice: "When Wu Qi was the governor of Xihe, he refused the rewards from Marquis Wu of Wei three times. Sima Rangju executed Zhuang Jia to uphold military discipline. Only those with true talent and learning can go far in their official careers; only those who are rooted in the soil can understand the hardships of the people's lives."
“And some people, even if they can enter officialdom through their family’s influence, when faced with cases of corruption involving grain transport and the need to check the accounts, or border military pay and the need to verify the troop registers—” Zhou Congyi smiled coldly, his gaze sweeping over Li He without fear, his voice clear and firm, as if a resounding slap had been delivered to the mastermind behind the scenes, “probably can’t even turn the abacus beads properly!”
Li He closed his folding fan with a livid face. He stared intently at Zhou Congyi, but the female student in front of him had completely shaken off the dejection she had shown when she was attacked by her classmates, and had become full of energy.
It seemed as if ancient bamboos were growing from her chest, piecing together her shattered bones and supporting her upright.
"good!!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, and most of the students present were from poor families, so they naturally praised Zhou Congyi's remarks and nodded repeatedly.
Amidst the applause, Cui Yan stroked his beard: "Then, I only have one last question left."
"At the end of your article, Lord Lu quoted the line 'The world is bustling, all for profit' from the 'Biographies of Merchants' in the Records of the Grand Historian. I would like to ask Lord Lu, how did Sima Qian evaluate Fan Li?"
Lu Bo staggered backward, cold sweat already covering his forehead: "Of course, we should praise him, praise him for his wise retreat..."
"Let me answer that."
Zhou Congyi stepped forward, meeting Cui Yan's gaze, and said:
"The original text by Sima Qian reads, 'Fan Li moved three times and became famous throughout the world,' but Young Master Lu deliberately omitted the second half of the sentence, 'Wherever he stopped, he became famous.'"
"You only see the surface of Fan Li's timely retirement, but you don't know that he revitalized the people's livelihood wherever he went. Just like when you forged your so-called draft, you copied my article and changed it randomly, forcibly applying the strategy of drought relief in Longxi to the water towns of Jianghuai—you turned the story of Fan Li stockpiling grain for disaster relief into a pretext for speculation and making money!"
Zhou Congyi spoke with a firm and resounding voice. After she finished speaking, she snatched the two policy essays that Lu Bo had placed on the stone table and slapped them directly at him.
As the snowflakes drifted down, Lu Bo saw Zhou Congyi's resolute gaze. His fingers trembled, and he found himself speechless.
The red string on the jade pendant at his waist suddenly broke, and the mutton-fat jade fell to the ground and shattered into three pieces.
A hint of a smile flashed in Cui Yan's eyes. He stroked his beard without making a sound and slowly said, "The five questions are over. This old minister, the touchstone, has served his purpose and is now retiring."
The crowd gathered inside the pavilion erupted in cheers. Yue Yining heard the incessant exclamations behind her. Almost at the same moment Cui Yan made his final decision, the tide of public opinion instantly turned in favor of Zhou Congyi.
"My God! That means the real plagiarist is Lu Bo!"
"So this was all a premeditated slander and frame-up?!"
"Weren't Lu Bo and Zhou Congyi classmates and friends? Why would Lu Bo deliberately frame her?"
As the clamor grew louder and the situation descended into chaos, she discovered that Cui Yan had already disappeared into the crowd.
Zhou Congyi kept staring at Lu Bo, who remained silent. Just as Yue Yining was about to step forward, a figure in sapphire blue appeared – it was Li He. He called out, "Wait!"
"Even if that policy essay wasn't plagiarized, Lord Zhou's article still deserves to be punished for a grave offense of disrespect." Li He closed his folding fan, slapped it against his palm, and stared intently at Zhou Congyi. "Lord Zhou's article is radical in its language and even satirizes His Majesty's reform measures. Look at this line, 'Powerful families are favored, their coughs and spittle are like pearls, they wear coarse clothes but possess gold and jade, and orchids and fragrant herbs are turned into straw.' It's clear that Lord Zhou harbors dissatisfaction with His Majesty's reform of the recommendation system?"
Yue Yining paused. This passage sounded familiar; it seemed to be the poem she first noticed when the Princess showed Zhou Congyi's exam paper.
Zhou Congyi's face darkened, but this time, before she could speak, someone had already stepped in front of her.
Zhou Congyi stared blankly at Yue Yining's retreating figure.
Yue Yining looked directly at Li He with a faint smile: "Lord Li has misunderstood. This passage is not a satire of His Majesty's reforms. On the contrary, Lord Zhou is using this poem to praise His Majesty's wisdom."
"The *Zhou Li* states that noble families preside over sacrifices, and 'powerful families are often suitable,' praising the responsibility of nobles in charge of rites. Furthermore, the phrase 'coughing and spitting naturally form pearls' comes from the *Shizu Zhi* compiled by Wang Situ of the previous dynasty, which records the virtuous words of prominent families as models; 'wearing coarse clothes but carrying gold and jade' alludes to the story of Emperor Guangwu's edict seeking talent while wearing coarse clothes, precisely praising the emperor's benevolent act towards talent. And 'orchids and fragrant herbs turn into straw' further implies that the emperor selected talent regardless of social status, returning to simplicity and authenticity. Therefore, how can there be any intention to slander?"
As soon as Yue Yining finished speaking, the garden fell silent. The same thought simultaneously popped into everyone's mind—could it really be explained this way?
Li He's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He knew perfectly well that Yue Yining was spouting nonsense and making excuses, but he realized that he hadn't read enough books and couldn't think of anything to refute her at this moment!
Zhou Congyi stared blankly at Yue Yining.
Suddenly, a group of maids appeared outside the pavilion, all dressed in moon-white silk skirts. The one in the lead was Su Yue. She bowed and stepped forward, her sachet at her waist remaining perfectly still as she spoke: "Her Highness the Princess has settled in Linhu Pavilion and specially ordered me to come and fetch Your Highness. The perilla drink to dispel the spring chill has already been prepared, and it will get cold if we stay any longer."
Yue Yining nodded, "It has indeed taken too long. I'll head over now."
Su Yue did not look up: "His Highness said that Lord Zhou is also requested to come along."
Zhou Congyi was stunned by these words. She saw Yue Yining turn around and look at her with a smile: "Lord Zhou, would you like to come with me?"
"I just read Lord Zhou's policy essay, and I would like to ask him for some advice as well."
Zhou Congyi didn't know how she had agreed. When she came to her senses, she had already followed Yue Yining and left that place of trouble.
All the slander and lies were left behind, all the deception and betrayal were buried in the wind. The willow catkins that came towards her carried the fragrance of peach blossoms, as if they were laughing at her for wasting the beauty of spring because of those people.
Looking at Yue Yining's retreating figure, she suddenly asked, "Why did you help me?"
If she still believes that Yue Yining is just here to join in the fun, then she is truly foolish.
Yue Yining didn't answer her, but instead chuckled: "And you? Why didn't you refute it from the beginning?"
Zhou Congyi pursed her lips: "..."
"The last time I saw you was about three days ago. At that time, I told you that a classmate and friend from the East Campus was waiting for me to go see him, and that person was Lu Bo."
Yue Yining slowed her pace. Zhou Congyi continued, "I met him the second time I took the civil service exam. But I passed, while he didn't. However, he didn't distance himself from me because of that. When he saw that I had passed the exam, he was happy for me and said that the court had gained another capable and ambitious person."
“He once said, ‘Students from poor families should be like locust trees; even if they are felled by axes and burned by fire, they should still take root in the cracks of rocks and point straight to the sky.’” After saying this, Zhou Congyi’s voice trailed off, and he spoke again after a long while, “…So even someone who said such things can change?”
Yue Yining could tell that Zhou Congyi was sad.
She also knew why Zhou Congyi couldn't retaliate against Lu Bo as easily as she had against Miss Li, but she still asked, "So, in the beginning, you let him slander you without saying a word in defense because you felt betrayed?"
“…It’s not just that.” Zhou Congyi lowered her head and bowed her neck. “I feel very ashamed.”
"This was all meticulously planned by Li He, simply because I offended his precious little sister a few days ago."
"He didn't need to do anything more. Just standing there watching Lu Bo denounce me was enough for him to win. His eyes were telling me, 'Look, all I need to do is use my money and power to alienate you, thus completely dismantling and destroying your so-called alliance and battle lines.'"
"Yes, he was right, he succeeded. He made me feel like I was just an insignificant ant, so I was so humiliated that I couldn't speak, and suddenly I felt exhausted and didn't want to argue anymore."
“Perhaps if it were someone else, I would hate myself for misjudging people. But Lu Bo was clearly an ambitious man, yet he also bowed his head before power.” Zhou Congyi smiled self-deprecatingly. “Suddenly, I see no hope. I don’t know how many ‘Lu Bo’s’ are left in the court. If even those from humble backgrounds are only superficially aloof, bowing and scraping before the powerful, how am I supposed to find trustworthy companions?”
Yue Yining understood Zhou Congyi's meaning. If today's poor family is tomorrow's rich family, then the poor family is no different from the rich family.
The side Zhou Congyi wanted to join was never based solely on her background. It was just that in this day and age, there were more people from poor families who would conspire with her. If she chose a powerful family that leeched off ordinary people, she would only go further astray and end up in a more miserable state.
The imperial court that Zhou Congyi desired and the Dongxi that Princess Wei Yihua desired were, in a sense, in sync.
So Yue Yining said, "Lord Zhou, you might as well consider Her Highness the Eldest Princess's camp."
Zhou Congyi was stunned for a moment, but Yue Yining had already stopped in her tracks, turned around and looked at her, her smiling eyes gentle and tender: "Don't be surprised. I am now serving the Princess, so naturally I will do my best to recruit talents for her. Lord Zhou is very talented and will surely achieve great things in the future. Besides, I feel that I get along very well with Lord Zhou."
This was the first time Zhou Congyi had been so openly recruited. After her initial shock, she hesitated and said, "But... I don't know Her Highness the Princess's character, so I can't rashly agree to Lord Yue's request."
Yue Yining smiled and said, "As for the Princess's character... I think Lord Zhou is sometimes quite similar to the Princess."
The two walked towards Linhu Pavilion. Zhou Congyi listened absentmindedly to Yue Yining's description of the Eldest Princess. Before this, she knew nothing about the Eldest Princess, nor about this highly praised "First Talented Woman of Yanjing." But through Yue Yining's description, she gradually came to picture Wei Yihua's image; she was no longer just a figure of superficial nobility, but a full and vibrant being.
Linhu Pavilion was right in front of them. Zhou Congyi could even see Wei Yihua sitting on the edge of the railing inside. She seemed to be getting a little bored while waiting, and she actually reached into the lake water to poke at the fish pecking at the scraps.
Yue Yining was also watching Wei Yihua's actions from afar. After watching for a while, she smiled and said, "Lord Zhou, there's no need to rush to tell me the answer. Her Highness the Princess and I will still help you enter the court and find a suitable faction to develop in. You can take your time to consider this matter in the future."
Zhou Congyi couldn't help but ask, "But even if I join you, what can I do?"
“We…we plan to plant a pond of lotus flowers in this muddy place,” Yue Yining said with a faint smile. “If that’s the case, Lord Zhou, would you be willing to be the root?”
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