Moma Liangshan

Chapter 180 Political Maneuvering and the Struggle Between Education and Culture

Betraying Cai Jing and siding with Wang Hao not only posed a huge political risk for Feng Gu, but also placed him under immense mental pressure. After all, Cai Jing was Feng Gu's nominal mentor. However, given the current situation in Jiaozhou, the only way to avoid being eliminated was to reciprocate by joining Wang Hao's political clique. Returning home, Feng Gu hoped for some peace and quiet, but upon entering his house, he suddenly discovered a pile of three thousand strings of copper coins in the courtyard. Seeing her husband return, Madam Feng hurriedly went to greet him, then dismissed the servants and whispered, "About an hour ago, two officials suddenly came, left this money, and then left without saying a word. I didn't know why, so I quickly asked them, and one of the officials said, 'Madam, you can find out by asking the Registrar!' I just counted it, and it's a full three thousand strings of cash!" Feng Gu felt utterly weak, and leaning against the tea table, he slowly sat down in a chair, saying listlessly, "This is the travel allowance the magistrate gave me!" Madam Feng, puzzled, leaned against her husband... The husband sat down and said, "The magistrate knows that you are a protégé of Prime Minister Cai, so why did you still bestow such a generous gift?" Feng Gu sighed and said, "From this day forward, I will no longer serve Prime Minister Cai, but will only be the magistrate's scribe!" Madam Feng fully understood. Although she was even more surprised, she still agreed with her husband, saying, "No matter which side you stand on, I believe you are right!" Feng Gu held his wife's hand and said, "The court in Dongjing is divided, and the county government in Jiaozhou is speaking with one voice. I have neither the ability nor the power to check and balance Wang Hao for Prime Minister Cai!"

Now that things had come to this, Madam Feng no longer had so many reservations about Cai Jing, saying, "My lord, you have lofty ambitions and yearn to achieve great things, but in all these years under Prime Minister Cai's tutelage, have you ever felt truly satisfied?" Feng Gu didn't speak, only letting out a sigh. Madam Feng continued, "I have served you in Jiaozhou for a year now, and I have witnessed the changes here firsthand. Haven't you ever envied those around Young Master Wang? Although they only hold the positions of secretary or manager of a merchant house, they are all full of vigor and have single-handedly transformed this impoverished and desolate place into a prosperous and peaceful land!" Feng Gu wavered, but still couldn't shake his resentment, scolding, "Woman's perspective! No matter how rapidly things change here, it's still just a county, and a small, insignificant one at that!" Madam Feng also became somewhat angry, saying, "I may be short-sighted, but is the renowned scholar Yanping from Luoyang also short-sighted?" Feng Gu was taken aback and asked, "Brother Yanping has already arrived in Jiaozhou?"

Madam Feng sneered, saying, "Mr. Yanping not only came to Jiaozhou, but also intends to settle down and lecture here?" Feng Gu was even more puzzled. He abruptly stood up, placed his hands on his wife's shoulders, and said, "At a time like this, you still have the mood to joke with your husband?" Madam Feng shrugged, trying to free her hands from her husband's grasp, but Feng Gu held on even tighter. Helpless, Madam Feng said, "Let me go first, I have a letter from Mr. Yanping to you in my bosom!" In his haste, Feng Gu directly reached into his wife's bosom, searching for the letter. Although Feng Gu and his wife had been married for many years, this behavior still made Madam Feng blush with embarrassment. However, Feng Gu, at this moment desperately seeking spiritual comfort, focused intently on Li Yanping's letter, reading it three times over. After a long while, Yang Tian laughed loudly and said, "I offered my heart to the bright moon, but alas, the bright moon shines on the gutter! Li Yanping learned from Zhao Mingcheng that Wang Hao was building the world's number one library, and he actually volunteered to be its director!" Madam Feng asked, "How does husband plan to handle this matter?" Feng Gu replied, "Li Yanping originally came to Jiaozhou to lecture at my invitation, but now I didn't expect that he would covet the empty title of director of the world's number one library and intend to stay!" Madam Feng argued, "Mr. Yanping has always been honest and upright; surely he didn't come to Jiaozhou for nothing?" Reminded by this, Feng Gu suddenly remembered something and said, "When I invited him here, I told him that Confucianism in Jiaozhou was declining, and the Mohist school was dominant, and that we urgently needed renowned scholars to come here to spread the teachings of Confucius and Mencius!"

Madam Feng nodded and said, "Have you considered this, sir? Once the Jiaozhou Library is completed, it will surely become famous throughout the land. Moreover, Young Master Wang has already announced that the library will be open to everyone!" Feng Gu quickly realized the key point and said, "I finally understand why Wang Hao personally drafted a clause called 'Work-Study Program' in the newly formulated decree of Jiaozhou. At the time, everyone thought it was a bit strange, but now, upon closer examination, it was a remarkable move!" Madam Feng, being a woman, lacked some information and perspective, and asked, "This is the first time I've heard you mention this, sir!" Feng Gu said, "Go and fetch that copy!"

Feng Gu had always been determined to reclaim his power, so he meticulously studied every decree issued by Wang Hao, seeking out flaws and, ideally, any instances of usurpation or violation, in order to impeach Wang Hao to the Three Judicial Offices. However, before issuing any decree, Wang Hao not only repeatedly debated it within Jiaozhou but also sent it to the Ministry of Justice for final review and proofreading by officials specializing in criminal law, for which he always paid generously. In the Song Dynasty, official positions and duties were separated; within the Ministry of Justice, many held official titles but lacked actual responsibilities, meaning they received only meager salaries. Scholars valued their reputation, especially after obtaining official status, so unless their families were starving, they would never work for commoners to supplement their income. Therefore, proofreading newly drafted local laws for Wang Hao became a highly sought-after job. Wang Hao, understanding the importance of judicial fairness, intentionally cultivated relationships with these Ministry of Justice officials, always having multiple people proofread the laws simultaneously. One consequence of the rigorous approval process was that no matter how hard Feng Gu studied it, he couldn't find any flaws. For Feng Gu, although he didn't find any flaws, he memorized them thoroughly!

Madam Feng quickly retrieved the book from the shelf. Feng Gu took it and flipped to the page about "work-study programs" in a few seconds. He read aloud, "Anyone coming to Jiaozhou to study who lacks sufficient travel expenses can obtain a certificate from the library, academy, or other institutions to work-study programs at various employers, with daily wages!" Madam Feng was extremely surprised and said, "Young Master Wang's meticulousness is almost frightening!" Feng Gu, however, had a different opinion and said, "Madam, what do you think the magistrate's purpose is in spending so much money to build the library?" Madam Feng suddenly realized and whispered, "Does my husband mean that Young Master Wang built the library to attract students from all over the country to Jiaozhou?" Feng Gu confidently retorted, "Otherwise what?"