Volume Two: The Great and the Small, Chapter Seventy-Three: A Single Day’s Transformation (Part Two)

A similar scene was unfolding within Jiaozhong Lane, located in the northern part of Beijing.

Much like the western part of the city, which was home to wealthy merchants and prominent families, the northern districts were primarily inhabited by scholars, many of whom were candidates from across the country waiting to take the metropolitan examination early next year. In the vernacular of the Beijing populace, there was a saying about the "destitute south and the pedantic north"—the former referring to the commoners living in the southern city, and the latter to the northern quarters, thick with the pretentious, musty air of scholars.

Xu Jie, a scholar from Huating County, Songjiang, was one such candidate residing here while awaiting the examination. Unlike many provincial scholars of modest means, Xu Zisheng—his courtesy name—possessed a substantial family fortune. He had no need to worry about the costs of living in the capital; he had even purchased a two-courtyard residence and kept several servants to attend to him. To him, as long as he could reside here in peace until the examination and secure a place among the successful candidates, no amount of silver was too much to spend. He held the same pragmatic view when he had earlier sought to cultivate a relationship with the son of Grand Secretary Yang.

Today, however, the environment was far from conducive to study. It was not the heat, but a sudden commotion and shouting that erupted near noon, the noise penetrating even into his study.

"Xu Tong, what is happening outside?" A frustrated Xu Jie set his brush down on the desk and called out.

The loyal servant, Xu Tong, who had accompanied his young master all the way from Huating, hurried over to report. "Young Master, it seems the neighbor, Scholar Wang, is involved in a legal case, and officials from the yamen have come to make an arrest..." he said, his voice carrying the distinct lilt of a Jiangnan accent.

Xu Jie was startled. Unable to remain seated, he immediately stood up and strode into the courtyard, looking toward the residence on his left. There, he saw several men in bright red uniforms—Imperial Guards—pinning down a struggling young man. They were binding him with ropes, intent on taking him away. This man was Wang Mao, a fellow scholar and neighbor with whom Xu Jie shared a friendly acquaintance.

A sense of righteous indignation surged within Xu Jie. He could not help but shout angrily, "What are you doing? How dare you barge into a private residence and seize a scholar for no reason? Is there no rule of law left in Beijing?"

His roar gave the struggling Wang Mao renewed courage. He began to cry out in grievance, "What do you Imperial Guards want? Is there no law left for you to arrest people so recklessly? I am a candidate for the imperial examination; I hold academic status!"

Behind them, a young woman chased after them, weeping incessantly. "Is there no justice in this world? I am a member of the household of the Duke of Ding! Are you not afraid of the court's retribution for doing this?"

The commotion stirred the neighborhood. Many scholars who had been sequestered in their homes studying opened their doors, stepping out to confront the Imperial Guards and demanding they release the captive.

Seeing this, Xu Jie stepped forward as the leader. "If the Imperial Guards are going to act so lawlessly, how can we, the scholars, stand by and watch our peer be humiliated? Release him, or none of you will be leaving!"

With someone to lead them, the young, hot-blooded scholars in their twenties were the first to surround and block the path, followed quickly by the older, more seasoned candidates. In a matter of moments, the ten or so Imperial Guards who had brought Wang Mao out were surrounded, unable to move a single step.

"Release him! Release him! Release him!"

Soon, the crowd’s chant became unified. As they shouted, they pressed forward, clearly intending to trap the Imperial Guards completely.

The commander of the Imperial Guards, a captain, was genuinely stunned. He had never imagined that such a minor errand—arresting a scholar who lacked the strength to truss a chicken—would meet with such resistance. In the past, not only would such a thing never happen, but anyone daring enough to obstruct the Imperial Guards in their duties would be treated as an accomplice and arrested, regardless of their status as a scholar. But now, the Imperial Guards were struggling for their own survival and were far less formidable than before. They dared not escalate the conflict with so many scholars, and could only retreat step by step, eventually falling back into Wang Mao's courtyard.

Seeing this, the shouting scholars grew bolder. They followed the guards into the Wang residence, intent on forcibly rescuing the man from the hands of the Imperial Guards.

Just then, a detachment of Imperial Guards led by Thousand-Man Commander Xu Xingzhi arrived quickly at the entrance of the alley. He had just seen the rescued Xu Yunzhi and Xu Qingzhi home and, knowing the importance of Wang Mao, had rushed over, only to be met with this chaotic scene. He was both shocked and enraged; never before had the Imperial Guards been so humiliated!

Unable to contain himself, he charged forward and bellowed, "Are you all attempting to rebel? Or are you all accomplices to this kidnapper?"

The thunderous shout silenced the clamoring scholars, causing them to pause and look back with curiosity. Xu Jie, frowning, immediately demanded, "Can you clarify your words, Officer? What do you mean by 'kidnapper'? Brother Wang is a scholar; how could he commit such an illegal act?"

"Exactly! Brother Wang has a family, a business, and academic rank. He is just a student; how could he possibly be a kidnapper?" others chimed in, refuting Xu Xingzhi’s claims.

Xu Xingzhi was unfazed. With a grim face, he snapped, "The full facts are not yet established, but it is an undeniable truth that he is deeply connected to the kidnapping case at the Shuiyue Nunnery outside the city walls two days ago."

Raising his voice, he challenged the still-protesting Wang Mao in the courtyard. "Wang Mao, do you dare say that Xu Yunzhi and the others did not go to the Shuiyue Nunnery with you? The nuns there can testify to it! And shortly after you left, a kidnapping occurred there. The two scions of the Duke of Ding’s family, Xu Yunzhi and Xu Qingzhi, were abducted by thieves. How can you say this has nothing to do with you?"

Wang Mao and his wife froze, their faces betraying their guilt and panic. They were not people accustomed to crime or deceit; caught off guard by Xu Xingzhi’s public revelation, they lost their composure, unable to offer a single word of defense.

Watching from nearby, Xu Jie felt his heart sink. Was there truly something wrong with Wang Mao? Had he helped the wrong person? The other righteous scholars felt the same; within moments, many quietly retreated and slipped back into their homes.

Seeing the situation turn, Xu Xingzhi commanded firmly, "Bring them out! And bring Lady Wang as well; she is surely an accomplice!"

Now, as they watched the couple being led away, the scholars dared not intervene. They could only look on with strange, conflicted expressions as the Imperial Guards escorted the pair out of the lane. Many felt a lingering fear, worried that the Imperial Guards might later come for them, branding them as accomplices to the kidnapping.

Compared to the events in the west, this transformation in the northern city finally ended with the Imperial Guards successfully making their arrests.