Chapter 342: The Two Cais

In the end, the position of Teaching Instructor was merely one of the sub-nine rank. A State Councilor could handle it entirely on his own. He only needed to submit a letter of recommendation to his superiors; the emperor’s approval was not required. Although the Song dynasty imposed strict controls over officials in the lower ranks, those measures were mostly directed at those holding real power.

For example, local magistrates and Chief Clerks fell under such oversight. A Teaching Instructor, however, was essentially just a teacher. Moreover, Sima Guang currently served as Dean of the Law Academy, and given his status as State Councilor, he could simply write and approve the appointment himself. It was something he could settle at any moment.

That Sima Guang was in such a hurry to issue Zhang Fei the official appointment document and the ceremonial robes was not really to confuse Wang Anshi. He was just afraid that Zhang Fei might change his mind.

Sima Guang had arranged the whole matter single-handedly, without consulting Zhang Fei. And Zhang Fei had not been entirely willing either.

Therefore, Sima Guang was worried that Zhang Fei would once again invoke that theory about “first perfecting the family, then governing the state, and finally bringing peace to the world”. In truth, the claim that a man cannot hold office unless he has a family was not even supported by Confucian ethics. But if Zhang Fei chose to speak that way, no one would be in a position to object.

Sima Guang therefore decided to make it a done deal first.

Zhang Fei never could have imagined that his official career would begin by teaching at the College of National Scions.

It was truly absurd!

Just like the official robe Sima Guang had sent, it simply didn’t fit. No one knew where that old man had found it, but fortunately for Gao Wenyin’s skillful hands. In a single night, she had altered the robe to fit Zhang Fei almost as perfectly as if it had been made to measure.

“How is it?”

Zhang Fei spun around in front of Gao Wenyin, looking at her with a smile.

Naturally, Gao Wenyin said it looked good.

Zhang Fei asked again, “Compared to my battle robes?”

Gao Wenyin looked Zhang Fei over once more and smiled faintly. “I don’t know if I’ve just gotten used to it, but I still think that green robe suits you better.”

“Good taste.”

Zhang Fei said, “I also feel that wearing this thing makes me look out of place.”

Gao Wenyin hurriedly said, “Zhang San, please don’t say that carelessly. If anyone heard you, it might cause trouble.”

Zhang Fei smiled and said, “As my wife commands, I dare not disobey.”

Gao Wenyin glared at him coyly, reproaching, “Talking nonsense again.”

Knock, knock, knock!

“Zhang San, are you in there?”

Xu Zhiqian’s voice came from outside.

Zhang Fei replied, “Yes.”

“May I come in?”

“It’s not convenient.”

“Why not?”

“Because I and my wife are busy with something.”

“What?”

Gao Wenying’s cheeks were already flushed crimson. She hurried over and opened the door to find Xu Zhiqian standing there holding a stack of documents. Gao Wenying, both bashful and flustered, said, “Sister Xu, please don’t believe anything he’s saying.”

“Say what?”

Xu Zhiqian kept her gaze fixed on Gao Wenying. “Sister Gao, why is your face so red?”

Then she looked over at Zhang Fei. “What are you two doing?”

Zhang Fei chuckled. “Nothing suitable for children.”

Seeing his cheeky grin, Gao Wenying stomped her foot lightly in frustration. “Sister Xu, Zhang San is just messing with you. I was only helping him get dressed.”

This realization made her frown in discomfort. She quickly added, “I was checking out this altered official robe on him.”

Xu Zhiqian could tell Gao Wenying was making an excuse. In her mind, Gao Wenying had been Zhang Fei’s woman from the start. She had even helped arrange things herself. She didn’t care about such matters, and she knew perfectly well that Zhang Fei was talking nonsense. She gave him a deliberate look, then teased, “Wearing that official robe, you really look out of place.”

“Who could disagree?”

Zhang Fei agreed wholeheartedly. “I don’t think this official robe suits me, either.”

“But you have no choice,” she said.

Xu Zhiqian grew anxious. She hurried into the room. “I meant the color is wrong for you. If you wore a different shade, it might look much better.”

Changing the color of an official’s robe was not an easy matter. It signified a promotion!

Zhang Fei smiled. “So you want me to become a high official?”

Xu Zhiqian nodded vigorously, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at grain.

They had discussed this very issue before. Xu Zhiqian believed that while pen-in-caps could help the common people, their impact was merely a drop in the ocean. True service to the people required holding a high position in the court.

This was the husband of her dreams.

A man who stood firm and upright, leaving his mark in the histories.

This was the complete opposite of Gao Wenyin. Gao Wenyin desired a plain life, far removed from the turmoil of the world. Xu Zhiqian, however, feared neither difficulty nor disturbance. She only wished to plead the people’s cause, just as her father did.

Zhang Fei gave a slight smile. Then he suddenly asked, “What are you holding in your hand?”

Xu Zhiqian, as if suddenly remembering something, hurriedly placed the book in her hand on the table. “These are books my father has treasured for a long time. They are all essays on laws and statutes. Please take a good look at them.”

Zhang Fei looked utterly baffled and asked, “Why should I look at these?”

Usually, the most he would do was glance through the Song Code of Punishments.

Xu Zhiqian said, “Aren’t you about to start teaching at the College of National Scions? Those students will certainly try every way to make things difficult for you. You must prepare well, so they don’t take advantage of you.”

Zhang Fei suddenly realized what she meant and laughed. “If I were to use these to prepare my lessons, I would be done for.”

Xu Zhiqian was surprised. “What do you mean?”

Zhang Fei explained, “The number of books I have read is probably not even half of theirs. I can’t even memorize the Song Code of Punishments. In terms of reading volume, how could I possibly match them?”

In truth, he had read far more books than anyone else at the time. After all, there were not many books available in the present day. However, he had not read much poetry or classical essays. The only literary work he could recite from memory was Li Qingzhao’s anthology of poems.

Xu Zhiqian thought about it and agreed. After all, the College of National Scions was filled with students preparing to sit for the imperial examinations the following year; future top scholars might well be among them. Education was not like handling lawsuits; it required a solid foundation of extensive learning.

Therefore, the court had specifically stipulated that a Lecturer must be at least forty years old. This Lecturer post was rank sub-eight, a full level higher than Teaching Instructor, equivalent to the level of a university professor.

The Teaching Instructor post, in contrast, had few such restrictions.

“Yet you have always been adept at preparation,” Xu Zhiqian said with worry in her voice. “Before every lawsuit, you would study many precedents.”

Zhang Fei smiled. “What? Afraid I will embarrass myself?”

Xu Zhiqian nodded. “I know those scholars well. If you cannot hold your ground against them, I fear people outside will mock you tomorrow. Moreover, I hear that many will come to listen to your lectures.”

In truth, she did not support Zhang Fei taking this Teaching Instructor post. She believed it was clearly a trap designed to put him up high for public ridicule. Since they could not defeat Zhang Fei in the courtroom, they had shifted the battle to the classroom.

But since the matter was already settled, all she could do was help him with all her strength.

Zhang Fei smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’m not that incompetent. In fact, I’ve long since settled this matter with Academician Sima. I’ll just be sharing some of my views with them, so I am prepared. It’s just that I don’t want to teach there. After all, teaching requires speaking a lot, and saying too much invites mistakes. If I slip my tongue a little, I’m afraid those literary figures will pounce on me. But these one or two classes, I can handle easily enough.”

“Really?” Xu Zhiqian asked with delight.

Zhang Fei smiled confidently. “When have I ever let you down?”

……

It was not that Xu Zhiqian was merely worrying over nothing. The Song Dynasty attached great importance to teachers. One could become an official, but that did not necessarily qualify one to be a teacher. Even the teachers at the College of National Scions were usually in their fifties or sixties.

A teacher of forty was considered a baby at the College of National Scions.

When the news came out that Sima Guang had recommended Zhang Fei to teach at the College of National Scions, it immediately sparked huge controversy, especially within the college itself.

What kind of nonsense is this?

Letting someone younger than us teach us? They clearly don’t respect us, the future pillars of the nation, at all.

This did not look like something Sima Guang would do; it was the sort of heretical act that Wang Anshi might commit.

In a dormitory, two young men in their early twenties sat together. They looked somewhat alike.

The two were brothers. The elder was named Cai Jing—yes, the very Cai Jing who would become the greatest treacherous minister of the Northern Song dynasty.[1] The younger was his brother, Cai Bian.

They were candidates for the imperial examinations the following year and had only arrived in the capital the previous autumn.

They happened to arrive just as the educational reforms were underway.

Whether it was Wang Anshi or Sima Guang, their academies were open to all examination candidates.

In the eyes of many, this was simply a way to force the candidates to pick a side.

By choosing an academy now, a candidate who passed the imperial examinations could join the faction of either Wang Anshi or Sima Guang directly.

This arrangement had both advantages and disadvantages.

“What do you think, Second Brother?”

Cai Jing asked, turning to his younger brother who was revising his books.

Cai Bian looked up and asked, “What do you mean, Big Brother?”

Cai Jing said, “I mean the matter of choosing an academy.”

After thinking it over carefully, Cai Bian answered honestly: “Although I lean toward the Academician Wang, we came to the capital to take the examinations. So for now, I will not join any academy.”

Cai Jing, however, said, “You can’t put it that way. If we pass the examination and earn the graduate-scholar title, we will be newcomers at court. It is hard to avoid being taken advantage of. If we join one of the factions, we might get some protection.”

Cai Bian gave a helpless smile. “Big Brother, you are looking far too far ahead. Let’s worry about that after we pass.”

Cai Jing replied, “Given our talent, why would we fail? We should plan for the long term, so we can get a step ahead. How about this: you and I each choose an academy. That way, no matter who wins or loses, we will still be able to look out for each other.”

Cai Bian just shook his head, too lazy to engage him, and went on reading.

Although the two were close brothers, they often held sharply different views on many matters.

But as the younger brother, Cai Bian felt he could not keep quarreling with his elder sibling. Usually, he chose to remain silent.

Cai Jing found this tedious and asked again, “By the way, did you hear that pen-in-cap Zhang San is coming to teach at the College of National Scions?”

Cai Bian nodded.

Cai Jing continued, “Right now, everyone is furious. They say that if Zhang San actually has the nerve to come and teach, they will all go listen together and give him a taste of his own medicine. A mere pen-in-cap dares to take on a teaching role—utterly outrageous.”

Cai Bian set down his book and frowned. “I think Academician Sima has gone too far with this, too. The College of National Scions is the premier institution of our Great Song. And he assigns a mere pen-in-cap, barely older than us, to teach here. He truly treats education like a game. Because of this, I wouldn’t set foot in his law academy.”

“Is that so?”

Cai Jing exclaimed with surprise and delight.

Could it be that his younger brother shared the same view!

“But, Second Brother, you know only one half of the story,” Cai Jing said.

Cai Bian asked, “Pray tell.”

Cai Jing replied, “I heard that Academician Sima and Academician Wang are both vying for this pen-in-cap, Zhang San. That is why Academician Sima is in such a hurry to recruit him into his law academy.”

Cai Bian’s disdain deepened. “It seems Academician Sima is just a fame-seeking person.”

Sacrificing education for political maneuvering was simply unforgivable.

“Let’s go listen when the time comes,” Cai Jing said.

Cai Bian hesitated for a moment. “Very well. I am actually curious to see what this pen-in-cap is so capable of. At his young age, he dares to come and teach at the College of National Scions.”

---

[1] In history, Cai Jing would become famous for being extremely corrupt, accelerating the Northern Song dynasty’s decline. He is portrayed in also fictionalised as one of the primary antagonists in Water Margin. You may read more about him here.