Cheng Danruo was at a complete loss.
Trying to obtain household registration as a displaced person was extraordinarily difficult. For one thing, she was a woman. A woman registering her own household in her own name was an extremely rare occurrence in itself, and even bribing officials with money would hardly make it possible.
Ask Master Chen to help her? Impossible.
If he allowed a relative of his own family – or, worse, an orphaned girl – to establish an independent household, anyone who heard about it would surely assume that Master Chen was unwilling even to support an orphaned girl.
The Chen family simply could not afford to embarrass themselves like that, so they would certainly oppose her registering as a female head of household.
But even supposing that, through one means or another, she somehow succeeded in registering her own household, would life become any easier? Not at all.
In theory, the authorities were supposed to allocate land to displaced people, or allow them to reclaim wasteland themselves. But was land consolidation really something to joke about? The farmland in Jiangnan had long since been swallowed up by powerful officials and aristocrats.
It was bad enough that these people occupied vast amounts of undeclared land. Worse still, they colluded with the local authorities, registering their own fields under the names of farmers and making those farmers pay the taxes.
The farmers had never even seen the so-called land, yet they were forced to shoulder all kinds of taxes and levies. Being cheated just once could be enough to drive an entire family to suicide.
Even if they were fortunate enough not to suffer that fate, they would certainly be exploited, burdened with heavy taxes. If they could not afford to pay, they would have no choice but to borrow money; if they could not repay their debts, they would have to sell themselves. As a result, many displaced people would end up becoming tenant farmers for landlords, or simply sell themselves into servitude as slaves and maids to powerful families.
Of course, if she refused to identify herself as a displaced person, there was another option.
Registering under a new household register.
Merchants could have two household registrations: one in their hometown and another in the place where they conducted business. But there were prerequisites: they needed enough money to bribe the local authorities, and they had to have a residence in their own name. It could either be a property they had purchased or one they were renting.
It was rather like applying for a residence permit in modern times – you needed a rental contract.
But Cheng Danruo did not have that much money.
Her father had been a physician, and the family had never been wealthy to begin with. She had brought some money with her when she fled, but it had all been spent along the way. The Chen family gave her one tael of silver each month for spending money, but that had to cover cloth for making undergarments, gauze, snacks from the kitchen, and various other miscellaneous expenses.
Cutting back on spending was unrealistic, while finding a way to earn more money was even less possible.
She had no opportunity to work. On the rare occasions when she did receive patients like Gu Lan-niang, what they gave her was a gift of gratitude, not payment. As for her free medical consultations, the whole point was to build her reputation and spread her good name. Charging money would amount to destroying everything she had worked to establish, so she could not charge for those either.
“Miss, living under someone else’s roof may be a little difficult, but at least you have no worries about food or clothing.” Nanny Bai tried earnestly to persuade her. “Don’t fall out with the Chen family. You don’t have anyone else you can rely on now.”
Those words were absolutely true.
Cheng Danruo was not a sheltered young lady who had grown up secluded in the inner chambers. She had been transmigrated to this world more than ten years ago, and she understood all too well what the ancient world was really like. The common people at the bottom of society did not live lives fit for human beings.
And women had even fewer rights than men.
If that were not the case, she would never have shamelessly clung to the Chen family for support. Who would not want to be self-reliant and independent? Who would willingly live at the mercy of other people’s moods?
“I was only asking,” she replied vaguely. “I won’t do anything rash.”
Nanny Bai sighed.
Cheng Danruo changed the subject. “What about the things I asked you to have made? Are they ready?”
Nanny Bai was still very attentive to the only mistress of the Cheng household. At her words, she produced a bundle. “They’re done. My husband had to find several blacksmiths before they could forge this whole set. But the twenty taels of silver you gave me have basically all been used up.”
Cheng Danruo nodded and hurriedly opened the bundle.
This was one of the reasons she had become completely penniless: a fairly comprehensive set of surgical instruments – metal syringes, vascular clamps, tissue scissors, surgical forceps, needle holders, suturing needles with different curves, scalpel blades…
After carefully inspecting them, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The skill of ancient craftsmen really was no worse than she had expected. These ordinary, straightforward tools had not been enough to stump them.
Twenty taels of silver represented several years of her savings, but it had been absolutely worth it.
With proper tools in hand, she could now perform some basic surgical procedures. And it was this skill that would ultimately be the foundation of her survival in the ancient world.
She ran her fingers over the cold metal instruments and felt somewhat reassured. “Thank you. Bai Zhi, serve some tea.” She called for her maid. “You and your mother haven’t seen each other in a long time. Go and have a private chat.”
“Thank you, Miss.” Nanny Bai was deeply grateful.
Bai Zhi was delighted as well, and she helped her mother back to her own room, where the two went off to exchange private words.
Cheng Danruo carefully put the bundle away, then sat beneath the window and fell into thought.
For now, establishing an independent female household was clearly the worst possible option. There was a very real chance it would cause her to fall out with the Chen family. Unless she was truly left with no other choice, it would be best not to take that step lightly.
She couldn’t afford to be impatient. Chen Zhixiao was not yet engaged, which meant she still had time. Keep calm.
She silently warned herself: Someone who cannot afford to make mistakes has no room for even one mistake. Hold on. Wait a little longer.
By early June, the weather had begun to grow hotter. The cicadas were becoming increasingly noisy, and more and more students at Spring Breeze Academy were finding themselves unable to concentrate on their studies.
Under the shade of the parasol trees, students gathered in twos and threes, lounging on daybeds as they sipped iced sour-plum drinks and chatted about the latest piece of news.
The great Confucian scholar Yan Hongzhi was coming to the academy to give lectures.
Although the academy’s teachers were all learned scholars in their own right, and the headmaster was also well known, this particular lecture series had nevertheless piqued the interest of quite a few people.
Everyone was enthusiastically debating one question.
Once Yan Hongzhi arrived, would he end up getting into a fight with Vice Headmaster Gao Chong?
“Master Zizhen” (Yan Hongzhi) and “Master Wangshan” (Gao Chong) belong to the Mind School and the Principle School respectively, so I’m afraid they have quite a few differences of opinion.” A student dressed in a long robe and waving a folding fan immediately put his finger on the key issue.
“Master Gao venerates Zhuzi and has criticized the Lu-Wang School of Mind on numerous occasions. Now that Master Zizhen is coming, I’m afraid they’ll have quite a debate.” The person saying this was none other than Chen Zhixiao.
Master Chen had risen to the rank of a fourth-grade official, so naturally, he was no insignificant figure at Spring Breeze Academy. He had a certain amount of standing there.
As soon as he said this, one of his classmates chimed in:
“I agree with Master Gao’s position. The teachings of Lu and Wang are certainly not orthodox doctrine. If innate knowledge is the same thing as the principles of Heaven, then where does the pursuit of knowledge through study come in? If one neither investigates nor studies, how can one cultivate and honor one’s moral nature?”
“That isn’t quite right. Lu and Wang inherited the teachings of Cheng and Zhu; they aren’t their opposites.” Another student corrected him.
Yet someone else countered, “If principle means the principles of Heaven and exists outside the self, while the mind is itself principle and exists within the self, how can the two possibly be the same?”
The two sides began arguing the moment their opinions diverged, but the onlookers were completely unsurprised.
There was no other reason for it: this was, in fact, the greatest intellectual divide in the Xia dynasty at present – or, well, you could call it a divide between rival camps.
There was nothing to be done about it. At first, it had merely been a difference between schools of thought. But as everyone knew, once you’ve been tearing into each other for long enough, eventually you have no choice but to become opponents.
So much for that.
In the early years of the Xia dynasty, the dominant school of thought was still the School of Principle. In simple terms, it held that principle was the foundation of the world, and that in human society, this principle manifested itself as morality. Hence the injunction to “preserve heavenly principle and extinguish human desires”: whenever one’s desires exceeded what was considered proper, they ought to be restrained.
But what counted as heavenly principle, and what counted as human desire?
Zhuzi once said, “Eating and drinking are heavenly principle; seeking delicacies is human desire.”
At first glance, that sounds rather absurd. What’s wrong with wanting to eat something nice? But he offered another analogy: “Husband and wife are heavenly principle; three wives and four concubines are human desire.”
Doesn’t that suddenly sound a lot more reasonable?
And Zhuzi also said, “Even within human desire, there is heavenly principle.” The two were therefore not completely opposed to one another. His philosophical discussion of principle and qi was also quite significant, although rather complicated, so we shall leave that aside for now.
After the development of the School of Principle came the School of Mind, with its proposition that “my mind is the universe,” transforming philosophical thought from objective idealism into subjective idealism.
According to later generations, the two were related through inheritance and development. But at the present time, unfortunately, they had evolved into two rather complicated opposing camps.
The School of Principle was represented by Gao Chong and the orthodox Confucian scholars, who upheld the teachings of Confucius and Mencius concerning loyalty and filial piety, strictly followed the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, raised the banner of Confucian ritual propriety, and regarded the School of Principle as orthodox doctrine.
The School of Mind, naturally, consisted of the rebellious and heterodox Li Wu, along with Yan Hongzhi in the present day.
They subscribed to the idea that “my mind is the universe,” and advocated the “pure and genuine heart.” One should reflect upon oneself with a sincere and unadulterated state of mind, continually improve oneself, and ultimately reach the standards of a sage – in other words, achieve inner sagehood.
The students of Spring Breeze Academy had spent years studying under Gao Chong, so naturally they were more inclined to agree with his teachings.
Standing beneath the shade of the trees, Chen Zhixiao spoke confidently:
“Just now, Brother Zhicai mentioned the incident of the woman in Yangzhou who cut off her own arm. I cannot agree with his position. As the saying goes, ‘It is a small matter to die of hunger; it is a great matter to lose one’s chastity.’ The man rashly intervened to save her. Although his intentions were good, he ruined her reputation and chastity. It is a classic case of good intentions leading to a bad outcome. As for the woman herself, her chastity and resolve were admirable. She severed her own arm on the spot and deserves to be held up as an example.”
“‘That men and women should not exchange or receive things directly from one another is propriety; but when an elder brother’s wife is drowning, to reach out and pull her to safety is an exception.’ If you speak only of morality without considering human circumstances, is that not rather cold-hearted?” a fellow student retorted.
Chen Zhixiao replied firmly, “Propriety cannot be discarded. If we invoke human circumstances in every situation, will that not lead the common people to disregard ritual propriety and pursue only their own interests? Today, you use saving someone as a reason to take her by the arm. Tomorrow, will you not claim that physical intimacy between men and women is permissible as well?”
The students beneath the trees were all young scholars in the prime of their youth, so naturally, they could not help laughing when they heard this.
Some even began teasing him. “Isn’t this just like those stories in popular romance tales? ‘The young master saved my life, so I shall give myself to him in return’?”
“Marriage is a matter of one’s parents’ arrangement. How could something so absurd be permitted?” Chen Zhixiao laughed. “In my view, it’s nothing more than an excuse for an adulterer and a woman to elope and consummate their relationship without a matchmaker’s approval.”
“Brother Chen is absolutely right.” Someone else chimed in. “I once heard that Master Mingwu [Li Wu] wrote that Hongfu’s flight in the night was the finest way to marry in all the world. What a terrible influence on the young! A woman who is formally betrothed becomes a wife; one who runs away with a man becomes a concubine. If respectable women all started following her example, what would become of the world?”
“Brother, that is where you are mistaken.”
Amid the argument, someone abruptly interrupted. His voice was cold as he said, “Hongfu abandoned Yang Su and ran away with Li Jing. One could say she had a discerning eye for heroes. She also recognized that the tyrannical Sui dynasty was nearing its end and that Yang Su had lost the people’s support, so she abandoned darkness for the light. Such an extraordinary woman, and yet in your mouth, she is reduced to nothing more than ‘sexual impropriety’?”
“That’s complete nonsense!” The student was furious and immediately turned to argue back. “Eloping… uh…”
His voice abruptly died away.
But none of his classmates laughed at him – or rather, they hadn’t even noticed his awkward predicament.
The shade of the parasol trees was cool and open, and a gentle breeze stirred the warm air.
Xie Xuanying stood before them in a sky-blue ramie Daoist robe, a broad-brimmed hat on his head and a mud-gold fan in his hand. His expression was stern as he looked toward them.
For a moment, all the students fell silent. It wasn’t exactly shame that silenced them. Mainly, they had just been hit by an overwhelming blast of good looks, and their minds were suddenly filled with phrases like:
“Solemn and composed, yet fresh and graceful.”
“With a pearl or jade at one’s side, one suddenly feels ashamed of one’s own appearance.”
“Like walking beneath a jade mountain, its radiance illuminating all around it.”
…Wait. Who was Hongfu again?
What were we talking about just now?
Once the conversation stalled, all the momentum drained out of the argument, and they could no longer continue debating.
Xie Xuanying was instantly annoyed.
“Ahem.” Seeing the situation, the headmaster stepped in to smooth things over for the students. “Come and pay your respects to Master Zizhen.”
Only then did everyone notice Yan Hongzhi standing behind Xie Xuanying.
“Your junior Zhang Zhicai.”
“Your junior Chen Zhixiao.”
“Your junior…”
“…”
“Greetings, Master Zizhen.”
Yan Hongzhi nodded with a smile. “This is my disciple, Xuanying. You are all around the same age, so you should spend more time together and discuss your studies with one another.”
Since his teacher had put it that way, Xie Xuanying naturally couldn’t openly show his displeasure. He introduced himself. “My name is Xie Xuanying.”
“Brother Xie.”
“Young Master Xie.”
Everyone was slightly flustered, and they addressed him in a variety of ways.
Xie Xuanying deliberately cast a glance at Chen Zhixiao.
He had already had someone make inquiries earlier. The Chen family had two sons in total. The younger one was still only at the age when boys wore their hair in two little tufts, meaning that Chen Zhixiao was the only one old enough to marry and take concubines.
Bai Mu had said that the Chen family’s son was a promising young scholar, and that his reputation at Spring Breeze Academy was quite good.
Who would have thought that after meeting him today, he would turn out to be such a hypocrite?
From what he had just said, he actually regarded an act of kindness that had saved someone’s life as nothing more than a sordid act of illicit sex without a matchmaker.
What did he think genuine feelings were? What did he think people’s hearts were?
If Miss Cheng married a man like this, not only would she be wasting all her learning and talent, she would probably have to endure his humiliation as well.
After all, according to his reasoning, on the day of the Shangsi Festival, when he had pulled Miss Cheng up, shouldn’t she have cut off her own hand to prove her innocence?
At the thought of this, Xie Xuanying suddenly shuddered inwardly.
He abruptly realized that if Miss Cheng were to marry this man out of a sense of indebtedness, then once the truth became known, there was no guarantee that she would not lose her life.
Wouldn’t that mean… he had been the one to harm her?
