Li Yi wore a broad smile and plain cloth robes, still holding his battered palm-leaf fan.
Gu Zhengchen was puzzled. Was this fellow stalking me again? You creep, what are you doing trailing another man?
Li Yi pointed his fan at the procession delivering the betrothal gifts. "This procession is far grander than the one your family sent..."
Gu Zhengchen wanted to kick the fellow to death. He just had to poke the sore spot. Given the Gu Family's circumstances, it was already generous of them not to send the Zhao Family two wild chickens. Where would they have found wild geese?
Besides, it had been the Zhao Family currying favor with the Gu Family back then...
"This is fine."
With that, Gu Zhengchen clasped his hands behind his back, turned, and walked away.
Li Yi followed. Seeing not a trace of dejection or anger in him, he could not help asking, "Doesn't this stir anything in you?"
Gu Zhengchen chuckled and shrugged, utterly unconcerned.
A woman like Zhao Ya'er had neither a bosom nor brains, merely a passable face. There was nothing to regret. As for the Zhao Family, those snobs would not only keep their distance when their own son-in-law fell on hard times, but stand far away and throw stones at him. They were even less worth keeping.
Gu Zhengchen looked down on the Zhao Family from the bottom of his heart.
But in Li Yi's eyes, that disdain became the carefree spirit of "walking to where the waters end, then sitting to watch the clouds rise." He could not help praising him. "What admirable composure, Candidate Gu. May I invite you for a cup of tea?"
Gu Zhengchen pointed at the middle-aged man nearby pretending to buy medicinal plasters. "Tea is fine, but aren't we missing someone?"
Li Yi's brows rose.
What keen powers of observation. He had actually spotted his adviser, Yan Bin.
Gu Zhengchen had not wanted to notice him, either. But if they were going to tail someone, they could at least find a professional. The man had craned his neck to peek seven or eight times while buying a dogskin plaster. Had they not noticed that even the stallholder was shooing him away?
Besides, this was the same fellow who had crouched with Li Yi beside the Gu Family's eastern fence yesterday. After making fools of themselves for ages, they had left without saying a word. Did they really think mingling with a crowd made the pair of them invisible, with those enormous heads and enormous faces...?
The teahouse.
After introducing Yan Bin and exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Yi let his smile fade and said solemnly, "Yesterday, I witnessed your astonishing methods, Candidate Gu. Today, I would like to ask: if you were to govern a locality, how would you administer it, and how would you help its people prosper?"
Gu Zhengchen looked searchingly at Li Yi. "Are you a man of the court?"
Li Yi did not deny it. He merely said, "Please answer, Candidate Gu."
Gu Zhengchen lifted his tea bowl, considered briefly, and said earnestly, "Governing a locality-the word 'locality' is far too broad. You should know that geography varies from place to place, as do the mountains and rivers, the produce of the land, and the people's customs. To govern a locality, one must adapt to local conditions. Take Teng County, for instance. What does Teng County have the most of?"
Li Yi paused, then ventured, "Water?"
Yan Bin added, "Mountains?"
Gu Zhengchen looked at the two in exasperation and tapped the table. "What Teng County has the most of is coal."
"Coal?"
Li Yi and Yan Bin were rather surprised.
Coal had been known in ancient times as submerged stone, stone resin, black cinnabar, and stone coal, among other names.
It had already been used on a large scale as early as the Han dynasty. By the Song dynasty, records stated, "The millions of households in the former capital of Bian all relied on stone coal."
Now, in the Great Ming, coal was even more indispensable. Leaving aside the fuel Old Zhu and his family needed to keep warm in Nanjing, minting vast quantities of copper coins and forging weapons both required enormous amounts of coal.
The Great Ming's foreign wars were not yet over. The northeast had not been reclaimed, Goryeo was playing both sides, the Northern Yuan forces beyond the northern passes remained a threat, and in the southwest, the Prince of Liang of Yuan still occupied Yunnan.
Without coal, what would they use for smelting? Burning sticks would not do...
Gu Zhengchen said solemnly, "If Teng County could mine coal and use the canal to transport and sell it, the county could prosper in less than ten years. Of course, whether mining should chiefly be undertaken by the government or by merchants, and how the proceeds should benefit the court and be returned to the people, would all require careful consideration. I am merely conducting warfare on paper."
Li Yi looked at Gu Zhengchen in surprise.
This man thought far ahead and possessed a distinctive vision. If he entered officialdom, he could accomplish great things.
Yet Gu Zhengchen had still oversimplified the issue. Mining coal required substantial manpower. Teng County was a lower-grade county with fewer than six thousand-odd households, nowhere near enough to support large-scale coal mining.
"After all those years studying by a cold window, what is your ambition?"
Li Yi asked.
Gu Zhengchen said, "Why don't you tell me yours first?"
Li Yi's expression turned solemn, and he said with utmost seriousness, "My lifelong ambition is to be the Gong and Huang of this dynasty."
Gu Zhengchen's brows stirred.
Gong and Huang referred to Gong Sui and Huang Ba, exemplary officials of the Han dynasty.
The "Commentary on the Biographies of Good Officials" in the Book of Song stated: "In the Han era, households were numerous and the population flourished; penal affairs were simple and lenient. Commanderies and counties governed the people without wanton harassment... the civilizing governance of Gong and Huang readily achieved success."
Gong and Huang could be considered models of ancient administration and justice. The man before him wished to become their equivalent in the Great Ming. It seemed he was a man of ambition.
Li Yi looked at Gu Zhengchen.
Gu Zhengchen blew on his tea and said calmly, "I would rather be myself."
Shock appeared on Li Yi's face.
I would rather be myself!
It was an answer no one would have expected.
"A New Account of Tales of the World: Appraisals" recorded:
In their youth, Lord Huan-Huan Wen-and Marquis Yin-Yin Hao-were equally renowned, and Huan often felt a competitive urge.
Huan asked Yin, "How do you compare with me?"
Yin replied, "I have kept company with myself for a long time. I would rather be myself!"
What he meant was: I do not wish to compete with you. I only wish to be myself and hold fast to my beliefs and aspirations.
Across countless classics and poems, only a rare few, such as Xin Qiji and Lu You, had cried out, "I would rather be myself."
In this world, countless people wandered through worldly society, drifting with the current like willow fluff in the wind or duckweed on the water. With a single excuse-"I had no choice"-they explained away losing themselves, sinking into corruption, and fawning on the powerful. How many held fast to "I would rather be myself" throughout their lives, never forgetting their original purpose or their convictions?
To choose to be oneself was not to cultivate eccentricity, but to seek truth with conviction and put one's beliefs into practice!
After watching Gu Zhengchen leave, Li Yi told his adviser, Yan Bin, "Add Gu Zhengchen's name to the nomination register. The court needs talent like his."
Yan Bin was somewhat worried. "Now I fear he may be too unyielding, his edge too sharp. Once he enters officialdom, others may suppress him."
Li Yi's expression grew grave, and he said quietly, "At Mount Ma, many short-robed travelers hail from Chu; within the city, half those with lofty topknots are men of Huai. Hu Weiyong now controls the Central Secretariat alone. I fear it will not be long before he becomes its right chancellor. People say he is bold and forthright, with grand strategic vision, yet inwardly cruel, treacherous, and ruthless. I fear he will tolerate no one else who stands out."
Yan Bin nodded and asked, "Then should we keep Gu Zhengchen here for a few more years? He is still young, after all."
Li Yi waved his hand and insisted, "Though the emperor hails from Huaiyou, the Huaixi nobles cannot blot out the sky. Hu Weiyong may control the Central Secretariat, but he cannot control all under heaven. If Gu Zhengchen truly is jade, then he must endure the pain of carving. Only then can he become something of worth!"
Yan Bin smiled mildly. "What you mean, Magistrate, is: fierce winds reveal sturdy grass, and turmoil reveals loyal ministers!"
Just then, Deputy Magistrate Jin Dache hurried over and told Li Yi urgently, "Magistrate, an edict has arrived from the court."
Li Yi handed his palm-leaf fan to Yan Bin, straightened his robes, and strode forward, saying in a deep voice, "Back to the county offices!"
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