Chapter 8, Prosperity (8)
It is no wonder, it is no wonder, that you are the only child in your family. Your father is nearing fifty, and if you were to become a mere shadow in Liaodong, the Li family would lose its lineage. Alas, it is a pity that you have such talent in writing; I had originally written to a few old friends, intending to ask them to look after one or two matters after the upcoming Mingjing examination next year. The words of Master Yang carry no blame, only an indescribable sense of regret. Alas, it is a pity that you have such talent in writing; I had originally written to a few old friends, intending to ask them to look after one or two matters after the upcoming Mingjing examination next year. The words of Master Yang carry no blame, only an indescribable sense of regret.
Moreover, once he engaged in commerce, according to the customs of the Sui Dynasty, he would automatically forfeit his status as a gentleman and would never again be eligible to participate in the imperial examination
No matter how bitter or unwilling one feels, there are certain things that must be done. Avoidance cannot truly be avoided; the more one tries to escape, the more flustered one becomes when the moment arrives. Li Mao sighed, gently set down his wine glass, and said to his son, who was eating heartily, "At the beginning of next month, a merchant caravan will be heading to the frontier, led by an old acquaintance of mine, whose surname is Sun..."
Li Xu looked at his father, forever unwilling to accept this answer. Although the family was impoverished, it could still be considered relatively wealthy compared to the destitute families among the neighbors. Attending the county school did not require paying the teacher a fee, and the government provided students with two meals a day. ... Despite the fact that the meals rarely contained any oil or meat, if it were not for the need to help his mother with household chores, he could almost stay in the school, returning home only once a month for a meal ...
I will not go to the frontier; if I am to be a soldier, then I shall be a soldier. Achievements can only be gained on horseback...! Upon hearing his father reveal the true reason, Li Xu felt a weight lift from his heart and casually replied.
Father, this is also unavoidable! Old Li Mao felt ashamed to face his son's gaze, dodging as he tried to explain
Father is getting old and wants you to run errands in the frontier for me Li Mao did not dare to look into his son's eyes and tried to repeat his meaning in a calm tone
"Take it easy, what are you doing!" Li Zhangshi rushed over and embraced his son tightly. He wanted to comfort his son, but before he could speak, tears streamed down his face.
Li Zhang stood silently, turning away and wiping her tears incessantly. It was not that her son was ungrateful; rather, it was precisely because he was too understanding that it made the decision made by his parents so particularly difficult. ... If it were not for that damned Goryeo, if the emperor were not always preoccupied with the submission of the four barbarians. ... Those matters were beyond her control; nowadays, the only thing she could decide was her own son.
The disciple has been taught for many years and has no way to repay this kindness. These few jars of light wine are not worth a single drunkenness!" Li Xu sighed and pointed to the several jars of aged wine placed outside the courtyard. The success or failure of the Eastern Expedition was no longer related to him. From this day forth, he would no longer be considered a gentleman. According to the customs since the Han Dynasty, commerce is a lowly profession, and merchants are not qualified to discuss national affairs such as the Eastern Expedition. Henceforth, unless there was a matter of request, he could no longer visit the home of Master Yang as casually as before. Otherwise, even if the Yang family did not drive him away, other learned scholars would mock Master Yang for having poor associations and willingly consorting with merchants.
"Alright, I have never seen what a large merchant convoy looks like!" Li Xu put down his bowl and replied cheerfully. Suddenly, he understood his father's meaning, his eyes widening as he murmured, "Father, you, you mean...!"
Li Mao looked at his son, then at his wife, and felt a sharp pain in his heart, causing his anger to vanish without a trace. He heavily collapsed back onto the stool and said dejectedly: "Tomorrow, you will bid farewell to the teacher and prepare to leave the borders! Your brother has already become a wandering soul, and I cannot send you out any longer. If I do, when I die in the future, I will have no face to meet our ancestors"
Mr. Yang, the scholar from the county, always appeared so wise in Li Xu's eyes. A few days later, when he murmured that he was preparing to leave school to assist his father as a traveling merchant beyond the frontier, Mr. Yang immediately exclaimed, "Is there going to be another war? You can't even spare time to study?"
"Father—" Li Xu covered his face and softly called out, as large tears rolled down his fingers. This slap had completely stunned him; he instinctively wanted to say a few soft words to apologize to his father, yet he did not know where he had gone wrong. "Success and fame can only be achieved on horseback," the family motto and the teachings of his teacher were thus, yet this principle had turned into words of disobedience and unfilial conduct in front of his father
There is no lack of money at home to support you! A war is about to break out, and in Shanggu County, all well-bred youths must prepare their own armor and weapons to join the army. Your father wants you to take the opportunity of being a traveling merchant to avoid the front lines for a while, and return to take care of your mother when the main forces set out in the following year!" Li Mao, unable to bear the pressure in his heart, finally decided to speak the truth. Although forcing his son to become a deserter is not a glorious act, it is somewhat better than letting his son misunderstand that he is sacrificing his future to save money. This reason can at least allow people to see through the tone.
Old Master Yang waved his hand and let out a long sigh. "Enough, your father has his reasons for doing this. In this expedition to the east, there is defeat but no victory. The common folk can see it clearly, yet the officials of the court are all turning a blind eye!"
Hearing her husband speak of their eldest son, Li Zhangshi was overwhelmed with sorrow. Embracing her son's shoulders, she sobbed, "Xuzi, listen to your father! Ah! Your mother does not expect you to bring glory to the family. I only hope you can live a safe and sound life, marry a wife, and have a son. Your brother, back in the day, followed Lord Gao to the frontier, and among three hundred men, he was the most skilled in archery and horsemanship..."
"Hmm, hmm!" Li Xuxin replied absentmindedly, one hand holding a large bowl of mutton soup, while the other grasped a half-eaten flatbread. He must have been very hungry after playing outside all day, eating with the swiftness of a whirlwind. Li Zhangshi, feeling sorry for her son, continuously urged him gently from the side: "Take your time, take your time, don't choke, there’s plenty more in the pot!"
The leader is Sun Anzu, an old acquaintance of mine. I think you are of an age where you should go out and see the world
A sharp slap interrupted his words, leaving a fiery pain on his cheek. His usually harmonious father stood up and struck him across the face. In an instant, Li Mao's face, weathered by the years and marked by the hardships of life, turned a deep shade of blue-black. With wide eyes, he shouted, "Shut up! Achievements can only be gained on horseback. Look around you, among the hundreds of households in our hometown, how many have returned alive with honors! In the eighteenth year of the Kaihuang era, we set out eastward with three hundred thousand men, and two hundred ninety-nine thousand died..."
Recalling the kind reminder from Zhao Erguan while looking at the books, the wine in Li Mao's mouth began to taste bitter. During the Sui Dynasty, there were regulations prohibiting the conscription of the elderly and the weak, as well as forbidding the enlistment of the only son in a family. However, those were decrees set by the late emperor. To speak a word of treason, while the late emperor was alive, the new emperor did not take his regulations seriously, let alone the fact that the late emperor has been dead for so many years now
I, I am the best in the academy. I, I can recite the entire Analects from memory! I ... ... " A half piece of flatbread fell from Li Xu's hand to the ground. Just yesterday, at this time, his father was still discussing with him whether to take the Mingjing or the Jinshi examination, but today, it has turned into sending him off to become a merchant.
That is not his dream! In Li Xu's dreams, there were aspirations to pass the imperial examination and stand in the court, as well as to ride into battle wielding a spear. However, the most frequent dream was to wear an official's robe and buy a large mansion next to the county school in Shanggu County, bringing his parents in to ensure they had food to eat and drink to enjoy, while also allowing figures like Zhao Er and Yang Laotou to bow and submit. Among all the dreams of youth, there was none that resembled his father's life as a merchant, running back and forth between the border and the Central Plains each year, enduring sun and rain yet earning little, while also suffering from the bullying of government officials, clan elders, and local ruffians. He wanted to bring his parents in to ensure they had food to eat and drink to enjoy, while also allowing figures like Zhao Er and Yang Laotou to bow and submit. Among all the dreams of youth, there was none that resembled his father's life as a merchant, running back and forth between the border and the Central Plains each year, enduring sun and rain yet earning little, while also suffering from the bullying of government officials, clan elders, and local ruffians.
Master Yang has always felt a connection with this disciple who has come to him and voluntarily resigned. Having experienced many ups and downs in life, he no longer feels so many constraints in his old age. With a smile, he said: "People say that merchants are of lowly profession, but I have never viewed it that way. The worth of a person lies in their heart; if the heart is noble, even if one is a mere peddler, it cannot conceal their lofty spirit and scholarly demeanor. If the heart is base, even if one stands in the halls of power, they are still despicable and vile, their infamy spreading far and wide. The worth of a person lies in their heart; if the heart is noble, even if one is a mere peddler, it cannot conceal their lofty spirit and scholarly demeanor. If the heart is base, even if one stands in the halls of power, they are still despicable and vile, their infamy spreading far and wide. Your courtesy name has been bestowed by me, and thus you are naturally my disciple. Once a disciple, always a disciple. Regardless of whether you become a merchant or a thief in the future, the doors of my school will always be open to you!
Thank you for your guidance, Master!" Li Xu lifted the hem of his long robe and bowed down. Having studied the teachings of sages since childhood, the distinctions of high and low, rich and poor in various trades had long been engraved in his heart like inscriptions. Therefore, ever since he learned last night that he could not escape the fate of a traveling merchant, Li Xu had been troubled by it. A single phrase from Master Yang was like opening a window above his head, allowing him to suddenly see the color of sunlight in the suddenly overcast sky. A single phrase from Master Yang was like opening a window above his head, allowing him to suddenly see the color of sunlight in the suddenly overcast sky
In Li Xu's memory, he can hardly recall his brother's appearance. In the 18th year of the Kaihuang era, he was only two years old. According to his mother, he used to ride on his brother's neck all day long to watch the soldiers. ... Later, his brother was also conscripted into the army, and subsequently, all that remains in his memory are his father's sighs and his mother's tears
"Sir, it is my father's command, and it is difficult to disobey!" Li Xudeng's face turned red, and he lowered his head, his voice as faint as a mosquito's.
Thank you for your kindness, sir. Although I am unworthy, I shall never forget this favor!" Li Xu bowed deeply, performing a long salute to the ground. Over the years of studying, Master Yang has taken great care of him, providing him with countless opportunities for additional instruction. From the studies of classics and mathematics to poetry and essays, he has shared almost everything. He even allowed this nominal disciple to read the notes he wrote during the southern expedition with General Yang Su, which he had taken while following the army. However, given Li Xu's age and understanding, while he could recite them fluently, his true comprehension was far from adequate.