Chapter 43: A Hundred Schools Once Contended, Now Politicians Are Everywhere

Xu Guangqi wasn’t someone who liked to delay either. He swiftly prepared what Yang Xin requested. However, grinding optical glass was time-consuming, and it depended on the skill of the two hired craftsmen.

Fortunately, that wasn’t a major issue.

In reality, spectacles were already nothing rare.

When they first appeared, whether they originated locally or came from outside, was hard to say. But at least in the big cities, eyeglass shops were already standard fixtures. The most direct proof of this came from an ancient Ming dynasty painting in the British Museum. It depicted a street scene in Suzhou’s commercial district. Just like a modern eyewear shop, someone stood by the counter, trying on his new eyeglasses, while the shopkeeper inside enthusiastically explained.

As for convex lenses, they weren’t even worth mentioning.

The earliest convex lens found in Chinese archaeology was discovered in a Han dynasty tomb. It was clearly intended for use as a magnifying glass and was even framed with gold.

So, making them was actually very simple.

Yang Xin stayed at the Xu Mansion at noon. Then Xu Guangqi invited someone over…

“Brother Fuqiu!” Xu Guangqi greeted him with a smile.

“Brother Xuanhu!” The other man returned the courtesy while looking at Yang Xin and Chen Yujie behind him.

“Zhanyi, Shoucheng, quickly pay your respects to Lord Fuqiu!” Xu Guangqi instructed.

Yang Xin and Chen Yujie bowed simultaneously.

“No need for such formality from Zhanyi. As for this gentleman…?” Zuo Guangdou looked at Yang Xin.

“This junior is Yang Xin, styled Shoucheng. I am currently here assisting Lord Xu in creating a treasure to be presented to His Majesty,” Yang Xin stated.

“Did you perhaps present something once before?” The man asked with a faintly mocking smile.

“Your insight is sharp, Lord Fuqiu. Junior did indeed craft a Da Ming Ba Hong Yi Yu Yi instrument for Grand Secretary Fang and presented it to His Majesty. I was even granted an audience. I merely recalled a new object called a thousand-mile glass. It can make things several li away appear as if right before one’s eyes. This item could be useful on the battlefield to help the Great Ming eliminate the Jiannu. Therefore, I sought Lord Xu’s help here to make it,” Yang Xin explained.

The man maintained his expression, then nodded.

“Brother Xuanhu, I learned on my way here that there is official business awaiting my attention. I specifically came to apologize. Let me invite you this evening for a discussion to make amends. If Zhanyi is free, he’s welcome to join. As for this one…” He glanced at Yang Xin. “…I dare not trouble him!” he added coldly. With that, he cupped his hands toward Xu Guangqi and walked straight out, leaving Xu Guangqi looking awkward.

“Who was that?” Yang Xin asked, confused.

“Zuo Guangdou! A Censorate Official from the Zhejiang Circuit of the Censorate!” Chen Yujie sighed.

“Why isn’t he in Zhejiang?” Yang Xin focused on the unexpected detail.

“There are over a hundred Censorate Officials representing the Thirteen Circuits. All take turns serving as Circuit Inspectors to tour various regions with the Circuit Inspector seal. Those not on tour remain in the Capital. They are the core of the Censorate. Although the Censorate has Left and Right Censors-in-Chief, Left and Right Assistant Censors-in-Chief, and Left and Right Assistant Censors-in-Chief, His Majesty has rarely filled these posts in recent years. These positions have almost all been deployed as Grand Coordinators and Supreme Commanders in various regions. The current head of the Censorate is the highest-ranking Left Censor-in-Chief, Li Zhi. But he is elderly and largely uninvolved. Among the Censorial Officials of the circuits, the most renowned leads, and Zuo Fuqiu is the most renowned. Today, Western Censorate Inspector Xue Zhen submitted a memorial asking His Majesty to issue an Imperial Edict clarifying how to deal with you. But it was ‘left with the palace’ – likely, His Majesty won’t approve it. The Office of Transmission has already leaked this memorial. If you were to go out now, you’d probably see it in the gossip sheets. Without a doubt, Zuo Guangdou and others like him will submit memorials tomorrow morning. This old man originally wanted him to meet you. If you explained the benefits of the thousand-mile glass, plus the promotion of sweet potatoes and corn, perhaps there could be room for compromise. After all, the overall situation is paramount. Your little issue really isn’t worth mentioning; they are simply using it to attack the Imperial Noble Consort and Grand Secretary Fang.

But internal strife is ultimately secondary.

Given the current situation, we must prioritize the larger picture.

But clearly, this old man thought wrong,” Xu Guangqi explained.

“He is a politician. Naturally, his thoughts differ from yours!” Yang Xin stated.

This was truly a difference in thought processes!

Xu Guangqi was the technical type. He instantly saw this man’s value, and compared to that value, nothing else mattered. But Zuo Guangdou was different; he was the political type. He was solely concerned with Yang Xin’s potential as a weapon to attack Consort Zheng and Fang Congzhe. As for things like Yang Xin’s thousand-mile glass…

In his eyes, that was utterly insignificant.

“Politician?” Xu Guangqi shook his head with a bitter smile.

“That term is indeed vivid. Once, a hundred schools contended. Now, the Great Ming Dynasty is swarming with politicians. But politicians, in the end, cannot wage battles in the imperial court and magically produce grain!” he said.

Naturally, his sentiments had little to do with Yang Xin.

Because just then, his uncle appeared at the gate.

“Master Xu, this humble servant must apologize. This humble servant and this nephew of mine have some matters to attend to,” Nine Thousand Years Old said, smiling as he saluted Xu Guangqi.

Xu Guangqi returned the salute and nodded. It was evident he held no fondness for Nine Thousand Years Old, though civil officials generally treated low-ranking eunuchs this way. If it were a high-ranking eunuch, he’d likely have to feign politeness. Nine Thousand Years Old didn’t mind. Right now, he was in good spirits, cheerful all day long like a Maitreya Buddha. Only the previous occasion revealed a flash of his true self. Yang Xin didn’t say much either; the lenses still needed slow grinding. He bid farewell to Xu Guangqi and Chen Yujie and left with his uncle. Once outside, they mounted their horses…

“Uncle, you ride a horse better than I do!” Yang Xin remarked, surprised.

“Your uncle can ride a horse and draw a bow! In my youth, along with Old Huang and others, I was a true warrior!” Nine Thousand Years Old said, not without a touch of nostalgia.

“Um, where are we going?” Yang Xin asked.

“The Eastern Palace!” Nine Thousand Years Old declared.

As they talked, they exited the Mingshi Quarter. At the quarter gate, they met Wang Wang’s carriage.

She leaned out the window and made a funny face.

Then she pulled out a gossip sheet from inside, gesturing toward Yang Xin with it. She didn’t seem troubled by the reputational damage from the rumors. More likely, she was secretly pleased, as she had little interest in this matchmaking trip. The Capital’s customs differed greatly from the south. Besides, her grandfather was also a primary target of the current attacks by Remonstrance Officials. After all, her grandfather held responsibility for the Battle of Sarhu. Yang Gao was merely the front-line commander, but her grandfather was the supreme commander of the theater of war. Her grandfather was part of the Chu faction. After the Qi, Chu, and Zhe factions combined forces during the Metropolitan Census two years prior, dealing the Donglin Faction a severe blow that forced this main enemy into retreat, the three factions then splintered and began fighting each other. This was an important reason for the Donglin Faction’s resurgence.

The Great Ming court was chaos at this moment.

Given the current situation, Yang Xin couldn’t flirt with her freely in the street. They just exchanged looks and hurriedly went their separate ways.

Nine Thousand Years Old laughed weirdly beside Yang Xin.

Then the two continued onward, entering Dongan Gate, then Donghua Gate. They were heading to the Eastern Palace – the residence of Crown Prince Zhu Changluo, the Ciqing Palace. This location corresponds to the Nan San Suo in the modern Forbidden City. The Great Qing demolished the original Eastern Palace to build that complex. After entering Donghua Gate, they went straight toward Linzhi Gate – the main gate of the Eastern Palace. There, they ran into an old eunuch.

“Isn’t this Jinzhong?” the old eunuch quipped with a smile.

But Yang Xin’s eyes focused on the blue-robed man beside him. That man was also looking at Yang Xin with great interest.

“Elder! Your humble servant pays his respects!” Nine Thousand Years Old exclaimed without hesitation, dropping to his knees and bowing as if seeing his own father.

Yang Xin was momentarily baffled.

“Rise. You’ve done well for yourself, I hear. Gained the Imperial Noble Consort’s favor?” the old eunuch inquired, his voice raspy and somewhat unclear.

“Jinzhong was promoted by you, Elder. You are Jinzhong’s reborn parents. Wherever Jinzhong is, he remains your dog,” Nine Thousand Years Old declared from the floor.

“It seems you still understand propriety!” the old eunuch commented.

He then gave Yang Xin another glance.

Yang Xin kept his innocently pure smile plastered on and casually saluted him with clasped hands.

The old eunuch snorted with faint displeasure and walked past. The man behind him smiled at Yang Xin. Yang Xin smiled back, then slowly drew his index finger across his own throat. The man’s face abruptly changed, shock registering as he stared at Yang Xin. He said nothing, his expression wary as he walked past, glancing back once he did. Yang Xin then made a choking gesture. The man stumbled, nearly falling.

“That was Wang An?” Yang Xin asked Nine Thousand Years Old after he got up and the others were out of earshot.

Nine Thousand Years Old stared at the retreating backs, his expression grave as he nodded.

“He’s top dog in the Eastern Palace?” Yang Xin pressed.

“He doesn’t belong to the Eastern Palace. The Companion Studying alongside the Crown Prince isn’t part of the Eastern Palace administration. The Eastern Palace officials are the Six Tutors, the Preceptor of the Heir Apparent, the Grand Secretaries of Wenhua Palace, and then the Office of the Heir Apparent. But in practice, the Office of the Heir Apparent is the key structure; the Six Tutors are all honorary posts. As for the eunuchs, there are the Six Bureaus. But the Companion Studying alongside the Crown Prince is neither a civil official nor a eunuch employed within the Eastern Palace structure. He isn’t part of the Eastern Palace itself; he’s sent specially by the Emperor to accompany and study with the Crown Prince. You could say he’s an imperial envoy assigned to the Crown Prince. He’s effectively the pre-designated Seal-holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial for when the Crown Prince ascends. Generally, immediately upon becoming Emperor, the Crown Prince promotes his Companion to Seal-holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Therefore, no one dares offend him. Even the current Seal-holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, once the Crown Prince takes the throne, would only serve under him,” Nine Thousand Years Old explained.

“Who was that man beside him?” Yang Xin asked.

“Wang Wenyan. A student at the Imperial College, but it’s Purchased Student Status; he has almost no chance of becoming an official. However, he doesn’t lack money and is extremely cunning. He’s now hitched onto Wang An, serving as his advisor and enjoying considerable trust. But this man’s backing isn’t that simple. Probably some country-bound, retired official scheming to return to office, funding his expenses while in the Capital to keep abreast of situations here and handle covert matters. In truth, the Capital swarms with spies sent by various factions. Even some local officials send people. Be careful outside. That new person you meet might belong to some faction. Don’t say the wrong thing and find yourself sold out,” Nine Thousand Years Old warned.

Yang Xin nodded.

This was the man he’d seen last night at Young Master Wang’s house.

Now he should know who was behind Young Master Wang’s fate. This was meant as an open warning; these fellows needed to know he’d done it, otherwise the deterrence effect would be diminished. In any case, he had little to fear. Even if they were certain, they lacked evidence. If he were just some rootless commoner, they might arrest and interrogate him under torture. But now he carried the brand of the Imperial Noble Consort’s faction. Until the outcome of the factional struggle was clear, he didn’t need to worry about that.