Chapter 10: Wholehearted Devotion
“Seeking help? Is he reaching out to us for help?”
“This… this…”
Fan Dayou was bewildered for a long time, utterly unable to understand why his mentor would say such a thing.
After his teacher’s guidance, he had come to comprehend the predicament faced by the young emperor, Ning Chen.
Indeed!
A mere puppet emperor, with the Empress Dowager determined to depose him, joined by the prime minister and a host of court officials.
Faced with such circumstances, let alone a nine-year-old child—whether it was himself or anyone else—it was doubtful anyone could find a way out.
Yet he truly couldn’t grasp why his teacher claimed the young emperor had devised a solution, and was even sending out a distress signal to him.
All his current actions clearly seemed to be mere flattery toward the Empress Dowager!
Could it be that he hoped to win her favor and thereby avoid being deposed?
How could that be possible?
Seeing this, the venerable Confucius sighed again, trying to soften his tone.
He explained slowly, “If my judgment is correct, from the moment the young emperor threatened to die in the court that day, he had already planned everything.”
At this, Confucius couldn’t help but praise, “Such a young child, yet able to conceive a supreme overt strategy of threatening death in the court—this boy will surely be extraordinary in the future…”
As he spoke, Fan Dayou suddenly asked in confusion, “An overt strategy? Why…”
Confucius cast a disappointed glance at him, as if scolding a child, “Why do you think? Think carefully about the histories you’ve read!”
Fan Dayou racked his brain and suddenly his eyes lit up. Excitedly, he said, “I understand now! It is an overt strategy indeed, a supreme overt strategy!”
“Especially that line he said then: ‘Let’s see if you dare bear the shame of forcing the Son of Heaven to his death in this very court!’”
“He knew none in the court wanted to bear such a disgrace, so he deliberately threatened death to buy time!”
Seeing Fan Dayou finally enlightened, Confucius stroked his beard with satisfaction and continued, “So now, do you still say he is foolish?”
Fan Dayou asked again, “You say all this was within his calculation, but how could he have known in advance about my later impeachment of Zhao Siwen?”
Confucius sighed, “You’re truly clueless, failing entirely to grasp his painstaking intent!”
“From that day of threatening to die, he had already predicted someone would speak for him in court, and that someone was you.”
“He knew the Empress Dowager and her faction would never let you off, so it wasn’t long before you fell into their trap and impeached the Minister of Revenue, Zhao Siwen.”
“That is precisely the young emperor’s brilliance—he feigned letting you atone by performing meritorious deeds through disaster relief, so as to protect you while sending you a distress signal!”
Fan Dayou was stunned again, “A trap? Could it be that my impeachment of Zhao Siwen was their ploy…”
A chill ran down his spine at the thought!
That his mentor said the young emperor had foreseen all this utterly shocked him!
Yet thinking further, he asked, “But if his intention was to protect me, shouldn’t he have fully supported my disaster relief efforts? How could he act so recklessly as to ignore the suffering of the victims just to curry favor with the Empress Dowager?”
“And you say he was sending me a distress signal, yet he never said a word to me…”
Confucius said, “You’re truly foolish, utterly foolish!”
“Think about it: the Empress Dowager is determined to depose him and surely watches him like a hawk. If he spoke freely, and it reached her ears, he would be deposed even before her birthday!”
“Besides, the fact that you fell into the Empress Dowager’s trap indicates there must be her spies around you!”
Fan Dayou frowned, “Spies?”
Confucius continued, “Exactly. Since he foresaw all this, how could he be foolish enough to tell you openly?”
“In such circumstances, he must pretend to flatter the Empress Dowager, confuse her, and buy time, while secretly aiding you!”
Fan Dayou said doubtfully, “But he clearly hasn’t helped me. He even forbade me from requesting the one hundred thousand taels for disaster relief…”
Confucius shook his head, “You’re really a bookworm, completely oblivious!”
“Can’t you see he’s actually helping you by having the Prefect of Jingzhao launch public activities to celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday?”
“And this is far more effective than just handing out silver for relief. Using public works to replace relief is arguably the best disaster relief method in history!”
“Helping me with disaster relief? The best method?”
Fan Dayou’s mind was increasingly muddled.
He was not stupid, but his teacher’s words struck him so deeply he couldn’t immediately respond.
Besides, prejudices are like mountains. He had been full of prejudice against the young emperor!
Confucius went on, “By launching public activities, numerous public works naturally arise.”
“More works require more laborers, and the young emperor deliberately suppressed the wages you offered to the victims, so the wealthy would hire more disaster victims to save money!”
“Though they earned less, the victims at least became self-sufficient. Isn’t that helping with disaster relief?”
Fan Dayou frowned, recalling what he had observed during the relief efforts these past days. Suddenly, it was like a thunderclap in his mind. He slapped his own head and exclaimed, “I see now!”
“No wonder fewer and fewer victims came for relief grain these days.”
“It turns out those victims went to work and earn their own living…”
At this, he seemed completely enlightened, his heart swelling with admiration for the plan.
Excitedly, he said, “And in doing so, they saved the treasury’s silver, which was already depleted, while publicly celebrating the Empress Dowager’s birthday to win her favor and buy more time!”
“This is simply a plan that kills three birds with one stone!”
“Brilliant, brilliant—this method of replacing relief with public works is truly ingenious!”
Thanks to his teacher’s guidance, he finally realized the young emperor’s brilliance.
His heart was filled with admiration for the nine-year-old child who could achieve so much under such circumstances!
No wonder!
No wonder his teacher said he was the making of an emperor for the ages!
Thinking of this, he suddenly slapped himself twice, lamenting, “How foolish I have been!”
He looked again at Confucius and said, “Master, thank you for enlightening me. Otherwise, I would still be unaware of His Majesty’s painstaking intent, and might even resent him…”
Seeing this, Confucius finally revealed a satisfied smile and said,
“No matter, the young emperor will not hold it against you!”
“Do you realize that disaster relief is not even the most brilliant part of this young emperor’s plan?”
Fan Dayou was taken aback again, thinking seriously. At this moment, he felt the heavy veil of prejudice lift instantly.
In just a moment, he reacted, excitedly saying, “That’s right! His greatest brilliance lies in using the excuse of holding a poetry gathering to celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday as a pretext for me to seek your counsel!”
“His Majesty must have guessed that once you hear my story, you would understand his painstaking intent!”
“And that you and I, knowing his true purpose, would surely aid him!”
“That is the distress signal he sent to us!”
At this moment, Fan Dayou finally fully understood Ning Chen’s painstaking intentions!
Confucius’s face at last broke into a smile: “Indeed, you have finally seen through it!”
Fan Dayou scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, “I was dull-witted, thank heavens you were here!”
“Otherwise, I might have continued to misunderstand our young emperor…”
Confucius looked off toward the palace, deep in thought, and said, “It is not thanks to me, but thanks to the young emperor’s own brilliance!”
“All of this was planned from the start!”
Hearing this, Fan Dayou nodded deeply, his heart filled with both guilt and admiration for the young emperor.
“Yes, everything was within the design of our young emperor!”
Confucius stroked his silver beard again and solemnly said, “Our young emperor chose you and this teacher for a reason—he is truly extraordinary!”
“At just nine years old, still so innocent, yet he understands human nature, knows how to endure, excels at disguise, and is a master strategist!”
“Isn’t this the very makings of an emperor for the ages?”
“So, Dayou, encountering such an emperor is our fortune. We must support him well and help him become the emperor for the ages!”
Fan Dayou nodded vigorously.
Suddenly, he turned and knelt facing the palace, knocking his head heavily several times, and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, was foolish and have only now come to understand your painstaking efforts!”
“I swear, from now on, I will wholeheartedly support you!”
At this moment, he was completely and unwaveringly devoted to the young emperor Ning Chen.
Seeing this, Confucius also cupped his hands and bowed toward the palace, his face full of hopeful smiles.
After a moment, he said to Fan Dayou, “Dayou, you know what to do next, don’t you?”
Fan Dayou nodded firmly, “Rest assured, Master, I know. I will not disappoint you, nor His Majesty…”