Chapter 6, The Celestial Book Movement
Li Er had to take care of Li Zhang, so she stayed at home. After Douzi and the others left, Li Er helped Li Zhang to the courtyard and brought him a chair to bask in the sun. As a result, after a few days of sunbathing, Li Zhang, who was not very fair to begin with, became even darker.
Li Zhang, with the help of Douzi, washed himself yesterday. The original Li Zhang was completely indifferent to hygiene, with black mud all over his body. When he was struggling to meet his basic needs, he hardly paid attention to this issue, at most having Li Er give him a quick wipe. Now that his life is more secure, he naturally finds it unbearable. Even though his feet are inconvenient, he managed to wash himself roughly. Now, free of mud and feeling light, his clothes are also clean, and he cannot express how comfortable he feels.
Li Zhang hypothesized many possibilities, yet ultimately could not find a reasonable explanation, nor could he conceive what that so-called "divine bird" truly was. However, in his subconscious, he still felt that this thing resembled the ill-fated plane he had been on. If it really was that plane, perhaps he could still find his luggage, but he wondered whether there were any other survivors on board.
"Alas, it is best to see it in person; otherwise, relying solely on speculation will never reveal whether that divine bird is an airplane," Li Zhang suddenly sighed at last.
When speaking of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, one cannot simply categorize him as a good or bad emperor. In fact, during his reign, he opened up channels for public discourse, diligently governed the country, maintained political integrity, and saw the economy flourish, a period historically referred to as the "Xianping Reign." However, he was also devoted to matters of ancestral worship, glossing over the realities of peace, extensively constructing palaces and temples, which burdened the populace and drained the treasury. In his later years, this led to the depletion of the Song dynasty's national treasury, and the internal conflicts within the country became increasingly acute.
It is precisely because of this understanding that Li Zhang is concerned that the so-called "divine bird" may very well be a fabrication by someone with ulterior motives, aimed at pleasing Emperor Zhenzong of Song. After all, there have been so many so-called "auspicious omens" before, and now there is no shortage of a so-called "divine bird." Although the description from Douzi and the others suggests that the divine bird resembles an airplane, he has not seen it with his own eyes.
According to the news that Huozi and his companions heard at the dock, the incident of the divine bird, after several days of fermentation, not only did not cool down but instead intensified. Many people at the dock even said that in recent days, they had seen the imperial guards heading towards the place where the divine bird had landed. It was even reported that the county office had closed, supposedly because the county magistrate was not present. Those in the know said that the magistrate had also gone to the location of the divine bird. Huozi and Douzi also noticed that the number of patrolling officials at the dock had significantly decreased in recent days.
Thank you very much, Uncle Wu!" Li Zhang politely expressed his gratitude to Lu Wu. He did not know how his gambling father had developed a good relationship with Lu Wu, but their family often received considerable care from him. For instance, the reason they were able to stay at the charity house was due to Lu Wu's connections. Even though their gambling father was often absent, no one dared to drive the siblings away.
At that moment, Li Zhang immediately opened his eyes and happened to see the courtyard door being pushed open. Subsequently, a middle-aged man dressed in a round-neck, narrow-sleeved shirt entered. This man was tall and robust, with a square face, a large mouth, and a full beard. He wore a sword at his waist, exuding an imposing presence.
Just as Li Zhang was resting with his eyes closed, he suddenly heard a heavy sound of footsteps coming from outside the courtyard. This place is a charity cemetery, and there are hardly any residents nearby; even passersby tend to avoid it, so it is rare to hear footsteps from outside. Moreover, the vendors should not have packed up yet, and given the heaviness of the footsteps, it was clear that it was an adult rather than a playful child.
"I heard that you were injured. A few days ago, I had some official business to attend to, and today I returned to check on you siblings, bringing along some provisions for you!" It was only at this moment that the imposing middle-aged man raised a bag in his hand and spoke to Li Zhang.
Of course, the so-called auspicious signs mentioned above are mostly forgeries, yet Emperor Zhenzong of Song was endlessly fascinated by them. The officials below also catered to his whims, leading to a continuous emergence of auspicious signs from various regions. Emperor Zhenzong took advantage of these signs to travel extensively and lavishly construct palaces and temples. The entire Song dynasty seemed to be under a spell, and later generations referred to this prolonged activity, lasting over a decade, as the "Tianshu Movement"
"I won't hide it from you, Uncle Wu. Previously, I injured my head, and when I woke up, I felt different. There are some things I can't remember, and I don't know what happened. However, Li Zhang's reaction was swift; without even blinking, he kicked the ball over. As for how Lu Wu interprets it, that is not his concern.
Reflecting on the historical achievements of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, Li Zhang suddenly considered a possibility. This Emperor Zhenzong was deeply enamored with the ritual of fengshan (sacrificial offerings to heaven and earth), but there were conditions for the emperor to perform such rituals. Either it was a time of peace and prosperity, or there were auspicious signs from heaven. Although the Song dynasty under Emperor Zhenzong was commendable, it was still far from a truly peaceful and prosperous era. Therefore, he could only pursue the path of seeking auspicious signs from heaven.
Li Zhang was also taken aback upon hearing this. In recent days, he had become accustomed to interacting with Li Er and the other children, and he had not deliberately concealed his changes. After all, they were just children, and it was quite easy to fool them. However, when he met Lu Wu just now, he unexpectedly forgot this point
From Li Zhang's original memory, he immediately recognized the other party and quickly sat up straight, smiling as he said: "Uncle Wu, what brings you here?"
If we were to evaluate the merits and demerits of this Emperor, it would be fair to say they are evenly balanced, akin to a fifty-fifty split. He can be considered a lower-tier version of Li Longji. The reason for this characterization is that during his reign, even at the height of the Song Dynasty's prosperity, it did not reach the level of the "Kaiyuan Prosperity Era." However, it also did not decline to the extent of nearing national destruction as seen during the "An-Shi Rebellion."
Thank you, Uncle Wu! When Li Zhang heard that Lu Wu wanted him to become a yamen runner, he felt somewhat reluctant, as he knew that the status of yamen runners in ancient times was very low. He had heard that they were even unable to participate in the imperial examination. Although he did not intend to take the imperial examination, he also did not want to be a yamen runner. However, he did not refuse outright, as the other party was acting out of goodwill. He thought it would not be too late to find a more tactful way to decline in the future.
However, auspicious omens are something that can only be encountered by chance. Thus, His Majesty the True Sovereign created a celestial book himself, claiming that he had dreamt of a divine being who presented him with the book. As a result, a few days later, he indeed found the so-called "celestial book" on the roof of the imperial palace.
As long as it is not serious, a few days ago I met your father. Although he is a gambler, do not blame him too much. He also asked me to take care of you. You are not young anymore. Once you have healed from your injuries, come with me to the county to work as a constable. Although the pay is not much, it will be enough to support you and your sibling. In the future, you will no longer have to resort to petty thefts on the streets.
Early the next morning, Douzi took people to sell the bamboo baskets, while Chou Niang took several other children to work at the Yuefeng Building. Although the source of leftover food is no longer limited to the Yuefeng Building, other restaurants are still not as stable as the Yuefeng Building, so this basic foundation must still be maintained
It was precisely due to this "heavenly book" that Emperor Zhenzong of Song went to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony, and he even had his trusted officials assist him in fabricating auspicious signs. As the saying goes, when those above have preferences, those below will certainly follow suit. As a result, the two prime ministers competed to procure lingzhi mushrooms, and even the prime ministers sided with the emperor, let alone the officials below them. Thus, in the following decade, various regions vied to present so-called "auspicious signs," such as white-haired monkeys, two-headed wheat ears, and lingzhi mushrooms found on roof beams.
By the way, Uncle Wu, what have you been up to these past few days? I heard that everyone has been discussing the matter of the divine bird during this time. Have you seen it?" At this moment, Li Zhang suddenly thought that since Lu Wu was at least a person from the yamen, he might be able to find out some information that couldn't be gathered on the streets.
This is indeed possible, but with the technology of this era, can one create a 'divine bird' that flies in the sky and is seen by countless people? However, Li Zhang then muttered to himself with some doubt, although he greatly admired the intelligence and ingenuity of the ancient people, the significant technological gap cannot be overlooked
"By the way, how is your injury? Have you seen a doctor?" At this moment, Lü Wu pulled up a stool and sat down next to Li Zhang, asking again. At this time, Li Er had also finished eating the baked cake, and then brought over a bowl of water. As a result, Lü Wu was not polite and drank the water in one go.
Li Er fetched water and washed the clothes that Li Zhang had changed out of in the yard, while Li Zhang reclined in a chair with his eyes closed, occasionally contemplating his future plans and at other times thinking about the divine bird that had fallen in the west of the city. If it were not for his mobility issues, he might have been able to see that divine bird by now
The middle-aged man, surnamed Lü and named Wu, is one of the foremen in Xiangfu County. The term 'foreman' actually refers to the head of the yamen runners, which is quite similar to the role of a constable during the Ming and Qing dynasties, although the title 'constable' had not yet been established at this time
There is nothing serious, just a period of unconsciousness; however, the injury on the foot is somewhat troublesome and will require about a month of recovery said Li Zhang with a smile.
So it is, but it doesn't matter. When I was apprehending criminals in the past, I encountered a guy who fell from a building and injured his head. When he woke up, he didn't even recognize his own parents. The doctor said he had a condition called soul loss, and it took him several months to recover. You should take care of your injuries; you will eventually recover. Lu Wu, being well-informed, did not doubt this at all, especially since Li Zhang's appearance had not changed in any way. Who would have thought that the soul inside had already been replaced by another person
Additionally, Li Zhang received a very important piece of information, which is that many people are discussing the celestial bird as a rare auspicious sign. Consequently, many are comparing it to the heavenly scriptures discovered during the emperor's sacrifices in previous years. Throughout the entire history of the Northern Song Dynasty, there is only one individual associated with auspicious signs, heavenly scriptures, and sacrifices, and that is Emperor Zhenzong of Song, who was compelled by Kou Zhun to personally lead a military expedition and subsequently signed the Treaty of Tanyuan with the Liao Dynasty.
Uncle Wu! When the little girl saw the middle-aged man, she immediately cheered and ran over. As a result, the middle-aged man picked her up and spun her around twice before putting her down. Then, he took a baked pancake from his pocket and stuffed it into the little girl's hands, which made her cheer again as she hugged the pancake and began to nibble on it
The night was already deep, and the raccoon and Douzi beside him had long fallen asleep, yet Li Zhang was tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep, his mind constantly occupied with the news he had heard today about the "Divine Bird"
"Eh? How have you become so unfamiliar?" Lu Wu, upon hearing Li Zhang's words, couldn't help but regard him with a strange look. He was not like the children, Li Er and Dou Zi; from the moment he entered, he felt that Li Zhang was somewhat different from before.