The spring wind in February was still dry and cold, blowing the thatched grass on the shelter roofs in all directions.
Dust filled the air, blinding people’s eyes. The Imperial Guard officer wiped his face and shouted again, “No one’s admitting to it, eh?”
As he spoke, his finger swept across each person’s face, finally landing on Zhou Muyi. “Come here, bind this one, and take him away.”
“On what grounds are you taking me!”
Zhou Muyi refused to submit, twisting his arms and struggling desperately. The people around him surged forward, “Yes! On what grounds are you taking him!”
These scholars were all from the provinces, most visiting the capital for the first time, and this was their first confrontation with the Imperial Guards. None knew how to keep themselves safe, instead choosing to oppose the Guards. They were all skilled in rhetoric, and once they started arguing, they couldn’t stop themselves, inevitably letting slip some improper comments. The Guards had no interest in matching wits with them, instead seizing upon these verbal missteps. In one sweep, they took thirteen people, binding them together with rope like livestock, and marched them out of the courtyard.
Passersby and examination candidates on East Public Street all witnessed this scene, retreating to both sides of the street in angry silence, pointing and muttering.
An elderly retired Hanlin scholar, seeing these students in such a sorry state, was heartbroken. Leaning on his cane, he shakily blocked the Imperial Guards’ path alone. “Officers, these are all men of scholarly rank. A scholar may be killed but must not be humiliated. You can’t bind them! You can’t bind them!”
Zhou Muyi called out loudly, “Elder, we understand your righteous concern, but please go back. We have passionate hearts, but what can we do when the emperor’s ears are deaf and eyes are blind? The other day, Master Zhou Congshan died at the Meridian Gate, and today we face such humiliation, truly…”
“Silence! Silence!”
The elderly scholar raised his bamboo cane to strike Zhou Muyi but was pushed away by the Guards. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. His elbow and palm were immediately bloodied, and for a moment, no one in the crowd dared step forward to help him.
The elderly scholar struggled for a long time but couldn’t stand up by himself.
“Elder Sir, where are you hurt?”
A woman stepped out from the crowd, rolled up her sleeves, and knelt before the elderly scholar, lifting his sleeve to check his injuries.
The elderly scholar waved his hand, “I’m fine.”
He looked at her and added, “You’re a young woman, don’t get involved.”
But she didn’t acknowledge this, instead turning to the Imperial Guards and saying, “Apologize.”
Then she looked at Zhou Muyi, “And you must apologize too!”
Zhou Muyi recognized the woman as Yang Wan and sneered, “Apologize? Do you dare tell the Elder who you are? Let’s see if he’ll still let you help him then.”
Hearing these words, the elderly scholar’s arm trembled involuntarily as he looked up to examine Yang Wan, “You are…”
Zhou Muyi said, “She’s Yang Wan, that Eastern Depot man’s kept woman.”
The elderly scholar was startled and hurriedly pushed away Yang Wan’s hand.
Yang Wan said nothing, stepping back to perform a woman’s bow to him. After straightening, she said, “Your concern for the younger generation moves me deeply, and I meant no offense. If you find me disagreeable, I can call someone else to escort you home.”
The elderly scholar shook his head, “This old man won’t go back.”
Picking up his bamboo cane from the ground, he addressed the crowd: “Though I left court many years ago, I once served in the Ministry of Rites, overseeing the metropolitan examinations. I never imagined that after fourteen years of spring examinations, things would come to this.”
He raised his cane toward Zhou Muyi: “When scholarship goes astray… what were those Donglin people thinking? The futures of these young people mean nothing to them, they just teach them to curse the court and the emperor. Sooner or later, there will be another Tongjia incident…”
As he spoke, his vision darkened, and he almost lost his balance.
Zhou Muyi said, “Elder, warriors die in battle, scholars die for their principles. We study for no other reason than to serve our country. Why should we fear death!”
“Yes, why fear death!”
The crowd roared, emotions pouring out in waves. Facing these scholars, Yang Wan felt a deep, ice-cold sorrow well up in her heart.
The spirit of resistance exists in human nature throughout every era, but these people before her couldn’t be classified under the revolutionary spirit of “give me liberty or give me death.”
This was the scholarly mind twisted by Ming Dynasty politics, exploited by the Donglin Party, and blinded by their convictions. It wasn’t that they didn’t fear death, but that they sought to justify themselves through death. “Warriors die in battle, scholars die for their principles” – these words sounded so ‘fearless’ yet so helpless. Knowing the path ahead held no light, knowing their deaths would be meaningless, yet still choosing to die. In the end, what they sought wasn’t the righteousness they claimed, but merely their purity.
Did this have any meaning at all?
Yang Wan couldn’t resolve this question in her mind.
As she wrestled with these thoughts, suddenly a voice came from the crowd.
“You studied for over ten years just to die at the Meridian Gate?”
Everyone looked behind Yang Wan to see Deng Ying standing before the crowd, holding his chains in his hands.
He walked a few steps toward Yang Wan, the iron chains scraping against the ground with a slightly grating sound.
He reached Yang Wan’s side and bowed to the elderly scholar.
The scholar waved and shook his head, refusing to accept the courtesy, but Deng Ying insisted on completing the bow before straightening.
Zhou Muyi struggled and shouted at Deng Ying, “Deng Ying, everyone knows you imprisoned Minister Bai in the Eastern Depot to be tortured! Even if you put on this act now, you’re still despised by all!”
Yang Wan couldn’t bear it anymore, “Zhou Muyi, are you stupid? Do you even understand why the Elder was scolding you just now!”
“Wan Wan, come back.”
Yang Wan was so angry her chest heaved, but Deng Ying pulled her back, and she retreated behind him, pressing her lips together.
Deng Ying walked toward Zhou Muyi, speaking as he went: “Do you know how hard it is to find a peaceful desk for studying? Chu Mountain Academy is a private school, and its survival until today isn’t just due to the court’s grace, but also the dedication of several elderly Hanlin scholars from Hangzhou. The court and these officials support the academy and sustain your studies not so you can travel thousands of miles to the capital to die.”
Zhou Muyi spat at Deng Ying, “You dare mention Chu Mountain Academy? Our academy has been driven to the brink these past couple of years. For this metropolitan examination, our teacher nearly emptied his coffers, selling his fields to gather money for our travel expenses. Whose doing is this? Doesn’t Supervisor Deng know?”
He raised his voice, “You embezzled the academy’s fields, lined your own pockets, while we studied bitterly for ten years in poverty, watching you and those eunuchs from the Ceremonial Office in your fine houses and beautiful clothes. Where is the Way of the King? Where is Heaven’s justice?”
“Is the Way of the King truly absent?”
Deng Ying’s throat caught as he raised both hands toward him, “Then what is this?”
Zhou Muyi froze.