Isidore heard his son ask and gave him a glance, "How can you say someone is an idiot? Is there only you one hero in the world?"
Caihong: "Wang Xiang's family has served the court for generations. Can't they afford to buy fish?"
"Even if they truly couldn't afford it, his stepmother was also mentally deranged. With such an insatiable appetite, she would insist on asking her stepson for fish to eat at a time when the river was covered with ice in winter?"
Isidore calmly looked at his second son and did not interrupt him as he spoke.
Caishan went on to complain, "And that Wang Xiang, if he really wants to catch fish, wouldn't he have smashed the ice? Doesn't he know how to net fish, or even how to fish? Why does he have to undress himself and lie down on the ice by himself?"
Isidore's tone turned cold, "Are you finished?"
Perhaps because she was about to embark on a long journey after graduation, Sima Zhao turned the discomfort in her subconscious into criticism of the Wang brothers: "No, my son hasn't finished. That Wang Lan is also problematic."
"Can't they tell and persuade their brother if they discover that their stepmother has poisoned him?"
"If he receives a light rod, he endure it; if he receives a heavy rod, he leaves. If his stepmother wants to kill him, why doesn't Wang Xiang run away?"
"Father," Sima Zhao said with a bow, "If I may say so, Wang Xiang and Wang Lan, the two brothers, are idiots. Their mother is a madwoman!"
Isidore said expressionlessly, "Extend your hand!"
Sima Zhao's heart skipped a beat. His right hand automatically raised halfway, but he thought about using his right hand to write, so he reached out with his left hand instead.
Isidore raised his right hand and slapped Sima Zhao's palm hard three times.
Sima Zhao was too afraid to scream. After hitting him, he covered his hand, winced and gritted his teeth, but didn't say a word.
Since he was young, whenever Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, the two brothers, made a mistake, their father Isidore would slap their palms with his hand.
Sima Shi once asked his father why he used his palm to punish them instead of a bamboo stick or a wooden board.
As Isidore originally said, punishing the two of you for your mistakes is also my fault. I punished you with my hand because I also feel pain, and will punish you together with you.
But Isidore's face still showed no expression, "Do you know where you've gone wrong?"
Sima Zhao defended, "These two are not to be trusted!"
Isidore sighed, "The world is not only as smart as you think. You're not as smart as you imagine yourself to be."
"I'll ask you, when Lu Jian was old and almost unengaged in state affairs in Xuzhou, all the state affairs were handled by Wang Xiang alone as his assistant."
"Son, can you govern a state? Or even a county? What about a single county?"
Sima Zhao nodded, "As the son, I don't know. If he was a capable official, how could he do such a show?"
Isidore sighed again, "My second son is indeed not as clever as my eldest. But he is still my child, and I must teach him."
Isidore said, "There are too many illusions in the world. Can Liu Ci really turn out Songjiang mandarin fish in Ye City? Is it true? How could Han Gaozu become the emperor by cutting a white snake, and who saw the white snake?"
"The mythical animals like the rhinoceros, white deer, and yellow dragon - how many of these auspicious symbols can be displayed on the streets of Luoyang, for people to admire?"
Sima Zhao muttered to himself: 'Doesn't that mean it doesn't exist?'
But he dared not say it aloud.
Isidore said, "Catching fish on ice is not about the ice or the fish, but about the sincerity and heartfelt wish of the person. That person moved heaven and earth, and was rewarded with a fish by heaven!"
"I'll ask you, when heaven bestows unusual phenomena, is it worth praising?"
Sima Zhao nodded blankly.
Isidore said, "The fight over the turtle by Wang Lan is indeed like a story of the two brothers fighting over a poisoned drink."
"Confucius said to be benevolent, Mengzi said to pursue righteousness. Great affairs in the world only require loyalty and filial piety. Is the struggle for death between the two brothers similar to the early conflict during the party censorship when Kong Bao and Kong Rong brother struggled for death?"
"Such acts of loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, are they not worthy of praise throughout the land?"
Sima Zhao had no more words to say. He bowed deeply and said, "Father's teachings are correct, the son knows he made a mistake. He should not presume to guess the great figures of the world."
Isidore snorted coldly, "Knowing one's mistake is a good thing. I was just trying to teach you the lesson, but I did not intend for you to look down on these two."
Sima Zhao was once again puzzled: "Father, what do you mean? I am really confused."
Isidore sighed lightly, "There are many people in this world who practice great deception and seem genuine, and many who commit great evil and appear to be loyal."
"Wang Xiang lying on the ice to seek fish, Wang Lan fighting with his brother for the turtle, are nothing more than a ploy by scholars in Xuzhou to inflate the value of their brothers, accompanying them in this act."
"Nothing more than two sham 'scholars'."
Sima Zhao pondered thoughtfully, "Father, if even the son can see it, why can't the court see it?"
Isidore stared at the outside of the hall: "Who is the court?"
Sima Zhao hesitated, "Is it the Ministry of Personnel, or the Secretariat?"
Isidore shook his head, "Wang Xiang was recommended for the Martial Chengcai in the spring of last year in Xuzhou, and later appointed as the Wenxian County magistrate by the Ministry of Personnel. At that time, both your father and I were in Qin Province, so we didn't know about such small matters."
"Two days ago, I reviewed the records of the Ministry of Personnel. When Lu Jian recommended him, he did not mention these false reputations. I'm sure that at that time, Guan Zheng who stayed in Luoyang also didn't care about these things."
Sima Zhao asked, "When did they start spreading these things about the two of them?"
Isidore stroked his beard and laughed, "Two country bumpkins from Xuzhou still believe that one can secure high positions in Luoyang by making some noise in the past?"
Sima Zhao was surprised, "The emperor hates empty reputations the most! Two years ago, my elder brother was punished. Why didn't father remind those two a little?"
"Why should I remind them?" Isidore said indifferently: "The one who recommended him as the Martial Chengcai was the Xuzhou Administrator Lu Jian. The one who selected him was the Secretary of State for Personnel Yang Jin and the Left Secretary of State for Personnel Weijin. The ones who wanted to make a name for themselves were the brothers themselves. How does this concern me?"
"As a grandee, I am merely practicing the virtue of respecting the talented and associating with scholars from the region to promote young talent. Who can say that I am at fault? Even in the presence of Your Majesty, I have grounds for my actions!"
Sima Zhao said, "In this case, the brothers' reputation has been greatly exaggerated and their stories are so strange that it is likely that both the court and the Ministry of Investigation are aware of it."
"If the court does not investigate, as the first public official to express goodwill towards them, the two brothers will certainly remember father's kindness. If Your Majesty is dissatisfied and does not order the investigation, all officials from Xuzhou to the Ministry of Personnel and left Secretary of State will suffer."
Isidore snorted with derision: "You little brat, you're not stupid at all!"
Sima Zhao scratched his head: "Father has a clear vision of the world, and I can't match a fraction of father's wisdom."
"The future is long, the future is long," Isidore patted his son's shoulder and said, "Tomorrow, you will accompany your father to the hall to welcome them."
"Yes." Sima Zhao nodded, but the mention of his brother again broke the previously harmonious atmosphere of filial piety and fatherly kindness.
Father dare not be resentful, but there was an additional thread of dissatisfaction with his brother.
"Not long ago, Wang Xiang and Wang Lan, the two brothers, came together as well. They were very polite and respectful, bringing many yam roots from Wang Xi's hometown in Wenxian."
As the magistrate of Wenxian, Wang Xiang bringing some of his hometown's specialties from father's hometown was quite normal.
After taking their seats, Wang Lan and Sima Zhao, the two young scholars, hardly spoke at all, listening to Isidore and Wang Xiang converse with each other.
For a while, they talked about local customs in Wenxian County, then about local specialties in Xuzhou, and even about the local customs and atmosphere of Xuzhou. It was all about friendship, with no mention of anything else.
The banquet was slowly drawing to a close, and when Wang Xiang was about to leave, Isidore asked lightly, "Will you report to the Ministry of Personnel tomorrow?"
"Reported to Marquis Sima, that is exactly the case, my subordinate will report to the Ministry of Personnel tomorrow," Wang Xiang answered respectfully.
Isidore said, "You are new to Luoyang, do you know the West Xiang Marquis?"
"West Xiang Marquis?" Before coming to Luoyang, Wang Xiang had also done his homework. Upon hearing Isidore's question, he tried to recall in his mind, "Is it the son of Zhang De Rong, the former governor of Liangzhou?"
Isidore spoke calmly, "Zhang Xie, Zhang Jingzhong, they inherited his father's title."
Wang Xiang, although not understanding Isidore's intention, still replied politely: "Since this person has been valued by the Minister of Civil Affairs, the subordinate will visit him tomorrow."
Isidore said, "Zhang De Rong was a friend of mine. Zhang Jingzhong is now a young official in the three departments, and he should serve in office. The yams you sent are quite good, and he should try them as well."
Wang Xiang understood the meaning behind Isidore's words: "The yams from Wenxian are the most nourishing, and the local soil fosters outstanding talents from this place."
Isidore nodded, "How is Liu Wenchong's reputation in Henan? He is also my local magistrate."
Liu Wengong refers to Liu Jing, the current governor of Henan. Liu Jing is the son of Liu Fu, the former governor of Yangzhou, and he has a good reputation in terms of governance.
In the past, when Liu Jing was serving as a Secretary in the court, he had a close relationship with Isidore.
Wang Xiang, although unaware of these details, tried to say: "Liu Jing has benefited the local area during his tenure in Henan. Henan has been well-governed for the past few years, all due to Liu Jing's efforts!"
Isidore said no more: "It's late, so Xie Jin should return to the inn early. If he can stay in Luoyang for a long time in the future, he should choose a good courtyard well."
Wang Xiang bowed and farewelled Isidore before turning around and walking out with Wang Lan and Wang Jian. Sima Zhao seemed to be watching Wang Xiang's back, and it seemed that his steps were lighter than when he came.
Perhaps it's related to Isidore's words earlier.
Such ambiguous political hints can only make the listener feel elated and think they have gained something. However, if examined closely, Isidore's words contain no promises, no assurances, and no meaningful information at all!
It can be said that he has been wandering the imperial court for half a century, so he is just enough to handle the two Wang brothers from Xuzhou. Their vision, no matter how broad, can only see within one state. How could they ever have seen the great figures of Luoyang?
Isidore walked towards the study with his hands behind his back, and Sima Zhao followed closely behind, asking as he went:
"Father, do you think the Wang brothers can become high-ranking officials? I see that their faces are loyal and sincere, but they seem to have hidden many thoughts within, not possessing the demeanor of officials."
Isidore stopped and asked back, "What is the demeanor of a high-ranking official?"
Sima Zhao thought for a moment before answering, "Naturally, it's like father's, where speech and behavior are full of wisdom and capable of supporting the state."
Isidore asked again, "What about the two of them?"
Sima Zhao shook his head: "The son also cannot speak."
Isidore walked forward without turning around: "Let's see what fate has in store for the two of them." (End of chapter)
