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In the Han dynasty, great clans were composed of numerous smaller collateral branches, and the economic foundation of these gentry families lay in their monopolistic control over all regional trade. This was the essence of the saying "a peddler does not carry firewood a hundred li"—what later ages would term regional protectionism. By seizing mountains and enclosing marshes, these families encroached upon and annexed vast tracts of land, thereby forming a manorial economic model. The targets of their encroachment were the independent smallholding farmers—those who had the least voice. These self-cultivating farmers were, in turn, the economic bedrock of the central imperial house, for the government's tax revenues and military conscription both relied upon them to bear the burden.
Thus, the very emergence and development of the gentry clans were innately at odds with the centralized imperial authority. To put it bluntly, these gentry clans were entities that flourished by brandishing the imperial household's own signboard while drinking deep of its lifeblood.
Did those emperors of grand vision and great talent not know this?
Some emperors did know, but they simply could not manage it all. On one hand, there was the innate limitation of their worldview; on the other, the dissemination of knowledge among the common populace was so abysmal that they were forced to rely upon the local gentry clans.
Therefore, when Fei Qian laid a card like the academy upon the table, it immediately drew the projected gazes of the gentry—hungry, greedy, envious, resentful, a whole spectrum of glances.
An academy was not something one could open on a mere whim. It required prestige and, more importantly, it required books. Fei Qian had both. Well, to be precise, Fei Qian's teacher, Cai Yong, had both. In the entire realm under heaven today, it was truly impossible to find anyone with a larger personal collection of books than Cai Yong, and as for prestige—he was quite simply the leading titan of letters.
Thus, as long as Fei Qian wished to open the academy, and Cai Yong did not step forward to oppose it, the academy could indeed be established. Of course, the Cai clan of Chenliu would inevitably have some objections, but that was of no use whatsoever. Cai Yong was like someone operating with a heaven-defying cheat; besides him, there was no second person surnamed Cai who could reach such a level.
Did the Wei clan have objections? Of course they did! Why did the Wei clan command such prestige in Hedong? Naturally, the transmission of classical learning through the family accounted for a very large part of it. Now Fei Qian had come along and, without so much as a word of agreement, casually slapped down such a hand of cards. Should one be afraid? Should one be enraged? Should one be anxious?
Thus Wei Wang had come, attempting to ensure that this academy would, to some degree at least, be dyed with the colors of the Wei clan.
The sordid little affair between Cai Yong and the household of Wei Ji, along with the troubles Fei Qian had previously encountered—Wei Wang was not unaware of them. But he had initially assumed that Fei Qian was, after all, merely a young man of twenty. Even if he were exceptionally mature for his age, if you poured enough honeyed, befuddling words upon him, he probably would not grasp the deeper implications involved. If he muddle-headedly accepted the estate, then the rest of the matter could be easily arranged. Yet upon hearing Fei Qian refuse using the pretext of his teacher Cai Yong, Wei Wang could not help but be somewhat dumbfounded.
Wei Wang pondered again and again, then sighed and said: "In my youth, I was forever distressed at having no books to read. Every time I beheld a classical scroll, I could not bear to let it out of my hands. If by chance I obtained a rare, orphaned copy, I would certainly copy it out by lamplight through the entire night, not daring to slacken for even a moment... Alas. Thus, I once set a heartfelt aspiration to open a convenient gateway for all students devoted to learning under heaven, to provide a stepping stone for their advancement in study. Yet my whole life has been one of mediocrity, lost in a blur of worldly affairs. It was only as my end drew near and I learned that the General of the Household intended to open a mountain academy that I rediscovered my original heart... Alas! Pitiable, lamentable! In offering this estate this time, I seek solely to fulfill my lifelong wish. I have no other request. I beseech the General of the Household to honor this earnest, heartfelt sentiment of mine, to complete this beautiful deed... I... I... then even beneath the Nine Springs, I could close my eyes in peace!"
Having spoken, his aged tears streamed down in rivulets.
What the hell! First he had taken the path of enticement, and now he was switching to the emotional route, coupled with flaunting his age and seniority, was he? So the implication was that if Fei Qian refused, he would be brutally and inhumanely trampling upon this beautiful, sincere intention? And Wei Wang had wrapped it up so neatly in every respect—claiming that in his youth he had harbored such a grand aspiration, which had then been forgotten under the influence of worldly cares, and now that Fei Qian had launched this endeavor, the memory had resurfaced...
So, put that way, it was my fault then?
This Wei Wang fellow really did possess a certain... well, how to put it? A certain self-righteousness. From the very beginning with the name card, to his faintly proud bearing outside the city, and now to his flaunting of age and seniority, there was a trace of this throughout. This was, admittedly, understandable. Although Wei Wang was the County Three Elder, because of the renown of the Wei name, no one had competed with him, and thus he simultaneously served as the Commandery Three Elder. The position of Three Elder, though not officially ranked among the government posts, was only half a step below the local chief official. In terms of later ages, it was somewhat analogous to the head of a local political consultative body.
Thus, to lower his voice in pleading like this, in the manner of an elder, was, in Wei Wang's heart, already an immense concession of face to Fei Qian. But how much did face cost per jin? Branded, twenty yuan a jin; unbranded, ten yuan.
Fei Qian smiled faintly and said, "Revered Sir Wei, your grand aspiration fills me, Fei Qian, with profound admiration, engraven upon my very heart and soul. However, the academy is but newly initiated; not a single clod of earth has yet been turned. To accept property and goods at this moment—those who understand would know it is but a token of your sincere heart, Revered Sir, while those who do not... might well gossip that the atmosphere and principles of my teacher's school are, shall we say, rather unconventional..."
"This..." For a moment, Wei Wang could find no argument to refute this. Fei Qian's few placid words had sealed shut even the doors and windows he had tried to forcibly wedge open. This estate—he would not be able to give it away.
Yet having dragged these old bones all the arduous way from Linfen, how could Wei Wang bear to return empty-handed? He gritted his teeth inwardly and said, "In that case, this old man shall not insist. Yet the academy is newly built and will ultimately need timber, bricks, and tiles..."
Seeing that Fei Qian was about to speak, Wei Wang raised his hand slightly, forestalling him, and said hurriedly, "This old man fully understands the General of the Household's concerns. For these materials this time, I shall not donate them, but merely charge the base cost... Surely the General of the Household does not still intend to keep this old man a thousand li away?"
Though the spoken words were "base cost," in reality, the price would probably be slightly below market value. Nevertheless, this arrangement at least had the formal name of a transaction—one party willing to sell, the other willing to buy. Even if someone sought to find fault, there would be little grounds to do so. Most crucially, it simultaneously blocked off every one of Fei Qian's excuses. Building the academy would always require construction materials, and Wei Wang was willing to supply them. Therefore, since materials had to be purchased, why could the Wei clan's materials not be bought? Could Fei Qian really insist on rejecting what was near at hand to seek it far away, transporting it laboriously over a thousand li from elsewhere? Unless he was ready to immediately fall out with the Wei clan, it truly was...
"Very well! I accept, then, and thank the Revered Sir for your generous intentions!" Since refusal was practically impossible, it was better to be forthright and agree directly. Fei Qian raised his wine cup and toasted Wei Wang.
With the intention settled, as for the specifics and the pricing, those were matters for subordinates to negotiate later. Although Wei Wang had not achieved his primary objective, securing the supply of raw materials meant he had at least pried open a crack at the academy. What further breakthroughs could be made from there would be left for the future.
Thus, Wei Wang was naturally relatively satisfied. He drank a few more cups, then begged off on the grounds of being overcome by the wine and excused himself to rest. Fei Qian saw him out the door and instructed Wei Liu to represent him in seeing to Wei Wang's proper care and arrangements. He stood smiling outside the gate for a moment before turning back.
Jia Qu quietly followed behind Fei Qian. Once they were within the residence, he spoke: "My lord, this move by the Wei clan—you must guard against it."