Judge of the Song Dynasty

“Director Wang, congratulations! Congratulations on finally venting your grievances!”

Director Guan Deng repeatedly clasped fists to Wang Wenshan.

Wang Wenshan just smiled and remained silent.

Guan Deng was surprised, “What? Are you not satisfied?”

Wang Wenshan said, “It’s not that I’m petty-minded. If Lord Fan or Lord Ouyang criticized me a little,[1] I would listen respectfully. Why? Because they are elders with great virtue and reputation. I am a junior and would naturally give them respect. By the same principle, Zhang San, that little brat, treats me with disdain, completely ignoring me and speaking disrespectfully. How can such a minor payback be enough for my grievance?”

“That’s true.” Guan Deng nodded and asked, “So, how do you plan to teach him a lesson?”

Wang Wenshan said, “I haven’t thought about it yet, but I must make him kowtow and apologize to me. Otherwise, this matter won’t be easily resolved.”

Today, Wang Anshi and Sima Guang left their government offices an hour later than others though they would usually work for many additional hours! They were in no mood to work this day!

“Ah, after this incident, I’m afraid it will be difficult for me to redeem the shame of that day! Sima Guang sighed.

He did not have much objections to the policy of restraining litigiation. However, he had always hoped to turn the case of Ayun around in the courtroom, ensuring that Ayun received the punishment she deserved. But now, with this turn of events, he felt that he would no longer have the chance to go up against Zhang Fei in court.

Wang Anshi chuckled, “Now you have an excuse not to go up against him again.”

Sima Guang glared at him, “He was the victor; I have nothing to say. If you want to laugh, go ahead.”

“Actually, I have no right to laugh at you. I also feel ashamed!”

Wang Anshi sighed heavily, “The officials of the imperial government united to deal with a pen-in-cap like this—what a marvel. It’s a disgrace that future generations will mock!”

Sima Guang suddenly looked at him and said, “Anshi, although that’s the case, it may not necessarily be a bad thing for you.”

Wang Anshi looked at his old friend and asked, “What do you mean?”

Sima Guang said, “Don’t be in a hurry to get angry. In my view, while what they did is indeed disgraceful and embarrassing, think about it. If they treat a mere pen-in-cap like this, how would they treat you in the future if you’re not careful? You should consider that.”

Wang Anshi understood the meaning behind his words and immediately retorted, “During the Qingli era,[2] Lord Fan and the other reformers thought the same as you. They were cautious in everything, but the result was inconclusive. The problems persist even now, and they are even more serious than before. How can we afford to repeat the same mistakes? If you don’t advance, you can only concede ground. If you concede, it’s better not to do it at all. In my view, there is no room for turning back on this matter. If I were Zhang San, I would never give up, and I would fight them to the end.”

The Qingli Reforms were very short-lived, and the reason was that there was no one willing to take responsibility. Back then, Emperor Renzong was not enthusiastic about reform, but was pushed into it by reformers. Moreover, figures like Fan Zhongyan were not determined enough. When legislating, they constantly compromised and reduced their policies, resulting in the ultimate failure of the reform effort.

At that time, Wang Anshi had watched how the Qingli Reforms failed, and he was determined not to make the same mistakes.

Sima Guang was also a witness to that era and knew that Wang Anshi was not entirely wrong. However, he believed that going against the current was even more impractical. Therefore, he advocated for searching for different approach. Figures like Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, and others were all outstanding politicians. None of them was inferior to Wang Anshi. Yet they did not dare to take such drastic actions as Wang Anshi, indicating that there was wisdom in that. Sima Guang glanced at Wang Anshi, suggesting, “Zhang San is not as foolish as you think; he will know when to retreat.”

Wang Anshi retorted, “That’s not necessarily true. If he knew when to retreat, why did he come to Bianjing in the first place?”

He was actually not talking about Zhang San, but about himself! Get full chapters from novel~fire~net

Sima Guang snorted, “Let’s wait and see.”

Wang Anshi glanced at Sima Guang and suddenly said, “I quite like the inkstone you have.”

Sima Guang was taken aback, pointing at Wang Anshi, “So, you’ve been eyeing my inkstone for a while. I wondered why you kept looking in my direction recently. Well, what about the notebook that Lord Bao gave us back then.[3] You’ve been keeping it all to yourself.”

Wang Anshi snorted, “We’ve discussed this so many times. My name was mentioned at the start of the notebook, so naturally it belongs to me.”

“That’s just because my name is longer. There are more mentions of me in the notebook. Why should it belong to you?”

“Such words are pointless. The bet is on.”

“Heh, I’m not afraid of you!”

At the same time, on the eastern city wall, a young man and an old man stood.

It was Emperor Zhao Xu and Xu Zun.

“Today, I summoned you to request something,” Emperor Zhao Xu suddenly turned around and said to Xu Zun.

Xu Zun hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, please instruct.”

Emperor Zhao Xu said straightforwardly, “I highly appreciate Zhang San’s talent. Now that he may not succeed as a pen-in-cap, I hope you can use one of your grace appointments to recommend him to enter government service. I will repay you with another grace appointment when the time comes.”

He knew very well what was going on in the imperial court, but he didn’t care. In any case, he did not want Zhang Fei to remain a pen-in-cap forever.

It was worth noting that the status of a pen-in-cap was actually very lowly, similar to a trade broker, both belonging to a lower class.

Xu Zun pondered without an answer.

Emperor Zhao Xu continued, “I know you’re not fond of using grace appointments to make recommendations but consider it a favor to Us this time.”

Xu Zun hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, you’ve misunderstood. I don’t mean to reject you.”

Emperor Zhao Xu asked, “Then why do you hesitate?”

Xu Zun replied, “To be honest with Your Majesty, I also highly appreciate Zhang San, and I hope he can serve the country in the future. However, I don’t want to see him enter the imperial government at this time.”

“Why?”

“Currently, he has encountered difficulties, and Your Majesty is extending a helping hand. This may make him accustomed to hiding under Your Majesty’s wings. However, in the future, when he enters imperial government, he will undoubtedly face even more challenging problems. He might choose to evade rather than confront them, which would hinder his growth.”

“Hmm.”

Emperor Zhao Xu nodded slightly and asked, “But how can he, a pen-in-cap, face these problems?”

Xu Zun said, “I have talked to him, and he is very confident. Therefore, Your Majesty should give him a chance. If it doesn’t work out, we can reconsider.”

Emperor Zhao Xu pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, “Alright! Let’s go with what you say and see how it goes.”

The saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind.

But in reality, such situations rarely occur. A threatening plant would often be nipped in the bud before it can grow into a tall tree.

Especially in politics.

Any power struggle was a zero-sum game; if one gained, another must lose.

Therefore, when Wang Wenshan and his allies lit the spark, others joined in to add fuel to fire.

It was like a landslide, directly stifling Zhang Fei.

This wasn’t a planned conspiracy—Wang Wenshan didn’t have that much influence.

It was just a political understanding.

Of course, they also did hide their motives by not explicitly mentioning Zhang Fei’s name in the decrees issued by the government. The decrees issued by the imperial government were directed at the conduct of litigation in general, not specifically targeting any particular pen-in-cap.

Theoretically, all notaries and pen-in-caps would be affected.

But the reality was different.

On this night, the eight major notaries in Bianjing gathered at the Jufeng Inn. They had come as invited, and the one who invited them was Chen Yu, an official in the Ministry of Punishments.

“I truly appreciate everyone’s strong support this time. I raise a toast to all of you,” Chen Yu said, raising his cup.

“It is our honor!” The eight notaries stood up one after another, toasting in return.

After a sip, Li Zhongguo, the leader of the notaries, spoke, “To be honest, we’ve long been displeased with that young man. But we’ve been holding back on account of Chief Justice Xu Zun.”

“Mister Li speaks the truth. That young man doesn’t know his place, disrupting the rules of our trade. As a result, many officials have been harboring resentment against us lately, and we feel wronged!”

Most of these notaries were former clerks from the government. Their interests were aligned and integrated with the government. It was because of the government’s backing that they could monopolize this trade. Without this relationship, it would be a disaster for them.

However, Zhang Fei’s recent complaints had indeed made them very worried. Firstly, it might break their monopoly position, and secondly, they realized that officials had become wary of people like them.

This was a bad situation.

This time, they were more than willing to help Chen Yu deal with Zhang Fei. Those complaint documents were secretly arranged by them and handed over by their pen-in-cap subordinates, resulting in the deluge of litigation.

If it weren’t for their support, this matter wouldn’t have escalated so quickly.

Chen Yu smiled, “Everyone, please rest assured. The government’s decrees will not affect your livelihoods. Going forward, everything will remain as usual.”

“Thank you for taking care of us. We toast to you!”

Originally, after winning the lawsuit against Li Si, Zhang Fei was full of confidence, ready to make a big move. However, unexpectedly, a wet blanket was thrown over him.

It was chilling!

The key was that he was really unprepared for this. He didn’t expect the other party to act like this, which indeed gave him a great sense of pressure. He felt immobilized and hadn’t left the house in the past two days, feeling like a person awaiting execution.

Now, with the government’s announcement on the new restrictions, the executioner’s blade had fallen.

The Xu manor seemed to be shrouded in gloom.

Zhang Fei half-laid on the low railing of the corridor, suddenly glanced at Xu Zhiqian leaning against a pillar, couldn’t help but sigh, “Alas, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise!”

Xu Zhiqian gave him a faint glance, “Where is the blessing?”

In her view, this situation was simply disastrous.

Zhang Fei looked at her and smiled, “Now that I can’t do anything, we won’t have any arguments. Finally, we can have a peaceful conversation. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Xu Zhiqian immediately said, “Don’t make insinuations against me. I’m not gloating. I just don’t want you to collude with those unscrupulous wealthy elites. This disaster is not what I wished for.”

“See, you misunderstood me again.”

Zhang Fei laughed, “I think this incident has united us, when we were originally divided. That’s definitely a good thing.”

Xu Zhiqian asked, “Do you have a solution then?”

“Not for the moment, but that’s why we have to cooperate.” With that, Zhang Fei turned to Xu Zhiqian and asked, “Do you have a solution?”

Now that the results were out, it was time to figure out how to deal with it.

Xu Zhiqian contemplated for a moment and said, “From what I can see, they are determined not to tolerate you. As a pen-in-cap, you can’t compete with them. The only way is to find a way to enter the imperial government as an official. That way, you’ll have the strength to counterbalance them.”

Coming from a family with a background in officialdom, she had a clearer understanding than Zhang Fei. She knew this all happened because Zhang Fei was not an official but an outsider. Naturally, the officials would unite against an external threat. If Zhang Fei were an official, the situation would be entirely different.

“If you can’t beat them, join them. Well, that’s not a bad strategy.”

Zhang Fei nodded and suddenly looked at Xu Zhiqian with curiosity. “But why do you make it sound like becoming an official is so easy?”

“Others might find it difficult, but you…”

“What about me?” Zhang Fei asked eagerly.

Xu Zhiqian glanced at him and said, “But you have to work hard and build a reputation by doing just and righteous deeds. That way, there’s a possibility of entering the imperial court as an official.”

“Is it true? I find it hard to believe.” Zhang Fei expressed doubt.

Xu Zhiqian nodded, “It’s true! Why would I lie to you?”

This woman is trying to fool me again. I don’t believe her. Zhang Fei frowned and said, “Whether or not I can become an official, I can’t swallow this humiliation. I must find a way to recover from this situation. Otherwise, even if I really become an official, I’ll still be bullied by them.”

He was right. Taking another path might also be a form of surrender. Xu Zhiqian furrowed her brows, thought seriously for a moment, and suddenly said, “Do you know Li Guozhong?”

Zhang Fei said, “The name sounds familiar.”

Xu Zhiqian said, “This person is the leader of your profession.”

hang Fei exclaimed, “I remember now, the leader of the Eight Notaries.”

Xu Zhiqian nodded.

Zhang Fei asked, “Why do you suddenly mention him?”

Xu Zhiqian said, “He used to be a pen-in-cap, originally named Xu Guozhong. After marrying into the Li family, he changed his name to Li Guozhong. Following his father-in-law’s death, he inherited the bookshop and, with his own efforts, became the leader of the industry.”

Zhang Fei said, “What does that have to do with me?”

Xu Zhiqian said, “Do you still remember when I told you that the litigation license issued to bookshops are different from those issued to pen-in-caps? The license issued to you personally was given to you personally, but the issued to the bookshop are issued to the shop, not any individual. Given the current situation where the right to litigate has been granted to the bookshops, if you can acquire a bookshop, you can regain the right to litigate.”

Zhang Fei suddenly sat up and asked eagerly, “So, do you know which family among the Eight Notaries has an unmarried daughter, and is she beautiful? I’m in!”

Xu Zhiqian widened her eyes, “You are beyond help.”

Zhang Fei sighed, “Didn’t you suggest this?!”

Xu Zhiqian said, “Who’s telling you to go marry into a family? I’m telling you to find a way to buy a bookshop.”

Zhang Fei asked in surprise, “Can I buy one?”

“I don’t know if I should say you’re smart or foolish!” Xu Zhiqian scolded him, “The government has not provided clear regulations on a bookshop’s license. But since a bookshop can be inherited, buying a bookshop naturally means inheriting its license.”

“Right!” Zhang Fei pondered, “Since they have taken the wind from our sails, then we’ll have to sail through another route.”

With that, he paused for a moment and asked, “But is it easy to buy a bookshop? You know how much money I have.”

Xu Zhiqian gently shook her head, “That’s definitely not enough. And money is only a secondary concern. The key is whether someone would be willing to sell their bookshop to you. If you can convince one of the bookshops, my father and I can lend you some money.”

Zhang Fei sighed, “If only you…!”

“What about me?” asked Xu Zhiqian.

Zhang Fei shook his head, “Nothing.”

He initially wanted to say, “If only you hadn’t caused trouble, then I might not be short of money,” but in reality, even if Xu Zhiqian didn’t cause trouble, those wealthy elites wouldn’t be willing to cooperate with him.

It was truly a pointless argument.

Suddenly, someone called from behind, “Brother San!”

Zhang Fei turned around to see Li Si standing on the stone path behind the potted plants.

Zhang Fei stood up and said to Xu Zhiqian, “Let’s discuss this later. I have something to attend to.”

Saying that, he left the corridor and came to Li Si’s side, asking, “What’s the matter?”

Li Si said, “It’s about the Ma family.”

“The Ma family? Which Ma family?” Zhang Fei asked in confusion.

Li Si also looked puzzled for a moment, then suddenly slapped his head, “Oh! I forgot to tell you about this. Last time, you asked me to stand at the street corner to receive those wealthy elites, right?”

Zhang Fei sneaked a glance at Xu Zhiqian on the corridor and coughed, “Let’s talk inside.”

Back inside the room, Li Si said, “A few days ago, when I went to buy ink for Qingmei, I met that Little Ma. He said his father wanted to meet you. I remembered that I was supposed to tell you about it, but when I came back that day, you went to talk to Lady Xu, and I… I forgot.”

Zhang Fei’s expression brightened, “A lone fish was caught in the net!”

“What net?” Li Si asked.

Zhang Fei seemed not to hear him, suddenly frowned, and continued, “Considering the current situation, the Ma family probably wouldn’t come looking for me now.”

Li Si quickly said, “No, Little Ma came again just now.”

Zhang Fei sighed, “Did he say that his father wasn’t interested anymore?”

Li Si shook his head, “That’s not it. It’s just that his father wants to meet you in a different place.”

Zhang Fei was puzzled, “Where?”

“In two days, at the Ma Family Restaurant near Cai Bridge,” Li Si replied.

[1]Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu were part of the old-guard of civil officials during the reign of past emperors. See footnote below.

[2] The shortlived Qingli Reforms happened in 1043, two Emperors ago in the current timeline. The reforms were led by Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu. The former is dead by the current timeline, while the latter is old and semi-retired.

[3] ‘Lord Bao’ refers to the Bao Zheng, famous for his honesty and uprightness. Both Wang Anshi and Sima Guang worked under Bao Zheng in the past, so Bao Zheng was something like a mentor to them. Hence their ‘fight’ over his notebook and their little ‘bet’ here.