pdf-ebookys Chapter 606 Inciting villagers to resist the imperial examinations is tantamount to treason.
Chapter 606 Inciting villagers to resist the imperial examinations is tantamount to treason.
"Now?" Zhang Bing asked, taken aback.
"Now." Li Shiqi turned and left, followed by armored soldiers, their armor clanging.
A spring banquet was being held at the Li residence. Although the state of Han had fallen, Li Huan still maintained his old refined tastes, inviting renowned scholars from Yingchuan to drink and compose poetry, reminiscing about his lost kingdom. During the banquet, someone brought up the imperial examinations, and Li Huan, after drinking a few more cups, angrily remarked:
"The Qin people are barbarians, what do they know about poetry, books, rites, and music? Sending our children to take the Qin examinations is not as good as letting them learn to herd horses! My Li family has passed down poetry and rites for generations, how can we do such a disgraceful thing?"
The guests echoed their sentiments, creating a lively atmosphere. Some recited poems in remembrance of the King of Han, while others composed verses lamenting the rise and fall of dynasties. In the midst of their convivial drinking, it was as if the state of Han still existed, and they were still subjects of Han.
Just then, the gatekeeper rushed in with a panicked report, his voice trembling: "Master! Something terrible has happened! The prefect has arrived with an envoy from Xianyang! Armored soldiers... dozens of armored soldiers!"
Li Huan, half-sober, straightened his clothes and went out to greet him. Just as he reached the front courtyard, he saw Li Shiqi dressed in a black robe, a long sword at his waist, followed by more than ten armored soldiers, exuding a murderous aura. Prefect Zhang Bing followed behind, his face deathly pale.
"Li Huan, receive the decree." Li Shiqi unfurled the yellow silk, his voice as cold as frost.
Li Huan knelt down, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
"Li Huan of Yangdi, Yingchuan, has openly defied the imperial edict and incited his fellow villagers to resist the imperial examinations. His crime is tantamount to treason. He is hereby detained immediately, his property confiscated, and his clansmen placed under guard pending the court's decision!"
Li Huan was struck dumb, standing there as if thunderbolts. Disobeying the imperial edict? A crime equivalent to treason? This…how could this be? He only said a few words, how could it become treason?
The armored soldiers stepped forward, removed his hat and belt, and put him in shackles. The heavy wooden shackles pressed down on his shoulders, and Li Huan awoke with a start, struggling and crying out, "Innocent! I'm innocent! I just..."
"Just what?" Li Shiqi looked down at him. "Just said a few words? Li Huan, do you take the laws of Qin for a joke? You dare to openly defy the King's decree. What is that if not treason?"
"I...I didn't resist, I just..."
"Take him away!" Li Shiqi waved his hand, no longer listening to his explanations.
Armored soldiers escorted Li Huan away. The gates of the Li residence were sealed, and his family members were driven out of the mansion and temporarily detained in a courtyard next to the prefectural governor's residence. The cries of women, the wails of children, and the screams of servants created chaos.
Overnight, the most prestigious family in Yingchuan collapsed.
The news spread like wildfire throughout Yingchuan in an instant. Those aristocratic families who had initially been observing now felt insecure.
That very night, the head of the Chen family summoned all the eligible young men and sternly declared, "Everyone must register tomorrow! Anyone who dares not to will be expelled from the family! And all the girls, all those who can read, must register!"
"Father, are the women going too?" the eldest son asked in surprise.
"Go! Why wouldn't we go?" The Chen family head's face was ashen. "Haven't you seen the lesson of the Li family? Qin is serious! Disobeying the imperial decree is treason, and treason means the confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan! Do you want my Chen family to follow in the footsteps of the Li family?"
The Han, Zheng, and Xu families followed suit. In just three days, the number of registered test-takers in Yingchuan surged from less than 500 to over 1,700. Among them were more than 200 women—although most of them only knew a few characters, at least they had registered.
Inside the residence next to the prefectural governor's mansion, Li Yuan and her clansmen were under house arrest. The residence was small, with dozens of people crammed together, sleeping on shared beds and eating coarse grains, a far cry from their previous life of luxury.
Li Yuan sat by the window, looking at the lonely peach tree in the courtyard. The peach blossoms were in bloom, a sea of pink, but no one appreciated them. Petals fell like rain, like tears.
“Ah Yuan,” her elder brother Li Jing approached quietly and whispered, “I’ve heard that this matter was ordered by the Xianyang Bureau of Personnel and Merit. It’s said…it’s said that it was because Uncle publicly resisted the imperial examinations and was labeled as ‘disobeying the imperial edict,’ that…”
Li Yuan closed her eyes. She had long advised her uncle that times had changed and that he should adapt to the times. But her uncle clung to the old dream of the Han state, always believing that Qin would not dare to touch the powerful families. Now, that dream was shattered.
"What do we do now?" Li Jing's voice trembled. "Our family property has been confiscated. How...how are we going to live?"
"Is there any future?" An elder, Li Huan's uncle, wept bitterly. "The crime of disobeying the imperial edict is punishable by the execution of the entire family! Even the least serious offense is exile or military service... We... we're finished..."
A mournful atmosphere filled the courtyard. Women wept, children looked bewildered, and men sighed. The pain of national subjugation had not yet subsided, and now the tragedy of their entire family's extermination had struck.
Li Yuan stood up and walked into the courtyard. Petals fell on her shoulder, which she gently brushed away.
"I want to see the envoy from Xianyang."
"What?" Li Jing exclaimed in surprise, "A Yuan, you..."
"I want to see Imperial Censor Li." Li Yuan turned around, her gaze resolute. "At this point, we can only save ourselves."
Looking at her, Li Jing suddenly realized that this younger sister was different. Her former gentleness was gone, replaced by a resoluteness and a tenacity.
"I go with you."
The two women requested an audience with Li Shiqi. Li Shiqi was handling official business at the prefectural governor's office when he heard that Li Yuan was requesting an audience. After thinking for a moment, he agreed.
Li Yuan entered the hall, knelt down, and performed a grand salute: "This humble woman, Li Yuan, pays her respects to Your Excellency the Censor."
"Stand up and speak." Li Shiqi sized her up. The girl was only fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed simply, but with dignified manners, clear eyes, and neither servile nor arrogant.
“On behalf of the Li family, I beg the court for forgiveness.” Li Yuan rose and spoke calmly, “My uncle Li Huan was ignorant of the times and openly defied the imperial edict, and he deserves his punishment. However, the rest of the Li family members were unaware of the situation and did not participate. I earnestly request the court to investigate the matter thoroughly and punish him leniently.”
Li Shiqi raised an eyebrow: "You are quite reasonable. But the crime of disobeying an imperial edict is no small matter. How can you excuse it with just a word?"
“I understand,” Li Yuan said, looking up. “Therefore, I am willing to offer my own experience in exchange for my family’s forgiveness.”
"Oh?"
"I am willing to be the first to register for the exam, and I urge all women in Yingchuan to take the exam," Li Yuan said. "If I pass the exam, I wish to enter Xianyang Women's Academy and serve the court. I only ask that the court consider that this is the first offense committed by the Li family and give them a lenient sentence, thus giving my clan a way out."
Li Shiqi pondered. This woman was no ordinary woman. Not only was she reasonable, but she also dared to negotiate. Even more remarkable was that she grasped the key point—the court needed role models, needed someone to take the lead.
“I cannot make this decision myself,” Li Shiqi said. “I need to consult Xianyang.”
“I understand,” Li Yuan bowed again. “I humbly request the Imperial Censor to convey my message.”
Li Shiqi nodded: "Go back first. We will inform you if there is any news."
Li Yuan withdrew. As she walked out of the prefectural governor's residence, a spring breeze caressed her face, yet she felt a biting cold. This was the path she had chosen herself, and no matter how difficult it was, she would continue on it.
When the news reached the Bureau of Personnel and Merit, Zhou Chang and Lü Zhi were reviewing the examination reports submitted from various regions. The candlelight flickered, illuminating their weary faces.
"Something has happened in Yingchuan." Zhou Chang put down the bamboo slip. "Lord Li investigated the Li family. Li Huan was imprisoned and his family property was confiscated."
Lü Zhi took the briefing, quickly glanced at it, and said without changing her expression, "As expected, the Li family was chosen. How was the result?"