Chapter 2: Time and Tide wait for no Man

Wuxi – The Donglin Academy – Summer 1612


A single sunbeam found its way through the closed curtains and as curious as it was cheeky, it explored the whole study while mother sun was travelling the bright blue summer sky, but it was just an empty room the little ray of light found.

Except for some particles of dust dancing lazily in the narrow line of brightness it left behind as it went to behold the place, it found itself to be all alone within the room where elsewise lively discussions got led and where deep thoughts often filled the air before they used to get written down in books and letters.

It was all silent now and the little flare had a look at the books carefully stored on shelves, loosely spread on the floor and left behind on the writing desk, still opened as if their reader would soon return to continue his work.

A slight breeze had blown a stack of paper from the desk and inkwell, feathers and brush lay on the table as if they just waited for to get picked up and used again.

Some dried flowers rustled within a corner of the room when the little breeze that accompanied the little ray of light made them move inside their vase and withered leaves and petals fell to the ground.

White draperies now covered the colourful sketches and paintings of landscapes, which always used to catch a visitor's eye whenever a guest entered the room and halfway burned down candles waited in vain for getting lit again.

The study lay abandoned and although it still held the spirit of its former dweller, it would not be he who would return to finish the work which still waited to be done.

Feather and brush would soon have to get used to another skilful hand and they would have to follow the different rhythm of thoughts a different mind would think and write down at the, for now, deserted writing desk.

Silent steps announced a visitor and the little ray of light had a last look at the door, waiting impatiently for the door handle to move as it was curious about the one being bold enough to disturb the silence of this place, before it grabbed its companion, the little hint of a breeze, with its sleeve to drag it to a hiding place behind the curtains just in time to vanish right within the moment the door got opened.

The silent flow of the dancing dust got disturbed when the door leading to the study swung open, but the unexpected visitor hesitated to enter.

He had a look around and sighed deeply before he finally dared to step closer.

The slight draft now streaming through the room, blew the fallen down papers right in the visitor's way and he knelt down to pick them up, carefully and wearing a sad smile when he recognized the well-known hand of the writings.

He got up and went over to the writing desk to place the letters and papers back on top of the stack of documents where he believed they would belong to then he let his hand run over the skilful carved table leaf before he turned round to push the curtains back.

Bright light flooded in and the emptiness and sadness the room was filled with seemed to shrink within the kind and gentle face of the sun.

Yang Lian turned round and let his gaze move around the room again. He bowed in front of the writing desk and raised his hands for some last greetings.

His voice was calm when he spoke, but he himself felt unsettled and shaken: "I'm late, master Gu, too late to bid you the last farewell. I knew, even though, I would leave the capital the moment the news reached me, it would be too late to make it here in time, but I promise, the academy will live. Your spirit will live. It will be our task to carry on in your name. May your wisdom and sense of justice always be a guide for us, who we named us proud of having been your humble students and companions."

"You were not the only one the passing of Master Gu Xaincheng caught by surprise, my friend. Even we, who we stayed with him till the end, were not prepared for letting him go. I fear, it is true and there will never be a right moment for being prepared."

"Brother Gao!"

"Yang Lian!"

The two men greeted each other, but when the high ranked guest, who had just arrived at the academy after a straining journey straight from the capital, wanted to bow in front of him, Gao Panlong held him back: "There is no need for such negligibilities. Not today."

He stepped closer and added: "Important changes are before us, and even if we all would wish for more time to be spent with mourning and honouring the master, we cannot delay some imminent decisions."

"Changes and decisions?" Yang Lian raised an eyebrow in surprise: "I admit, I do no understand. The number of students asking for admission is still increasing, the circle of our supporters is still growing and the academy is long known for its excellent reputation. Why would you consider a change?"

Gao Panlong smiled and raised a hand to set his guest at rest: "No worries, my friend. Be at ease. You will learn about our plans tonight, after the evening meal got served. Ouyang Dongfeng will join us then and together we will let you in on our vision. I assure you, we would never act against the spirit of Master Gu Xiancheng."

"Ouyang Dongfeng?" Yang Lian looked up and smiled pleasantly surprised about this unexpected news: "How come, he'll keep us company? I hope there won't be more serious matters for us to discuss tonight?"

"As you surely got informed", Gao Panlong replied: "Gu Yuncheng will take his brother's mortal remains home to their family for the funeral. He won't be around during the upcoming days and, therefore, he asked Mister Ouyang to act in his place and to decide in his place."

"I see! In this case, I better take care to be rested. It might become a long evening and night for all of us, so, will you excuse me until it is time for the evening meal? I would like to change clothes and to recover from the journey's strain for a while."

"Of course! Your quarters are prepared and await you."


It was close to sunset when Yang Lian returned from a walk through the woods and the gardens belonging to the academy.

His path had led him to and fro the place, following the changing pace of his thoughts, until he had reached the holy shrine hidden inside a small temple, where he had lit candles and incense to honour the late Gu Xiancheng.

He had no idea how long he tarried in these calm and peaceful halls, but he knew, there would be no escape neither from the evening meal nor from the debate Gao Panlong had announced to him earlier today.

And so he went back to the academy's main building as soon as the sun slowly turned towards the horizon.

"Am I allowed to accompany you?"

A well known figure approached quickly heading towards him coming straight from the main gate.

It was Ouyang Dongfeng, still dressed within his dusty travelling clothes, and he seemed highly interested in talking to him in private before they would have to join the vespertine meeting.

Yang Lian nodded with a smile as he greeted the arrival: "As if I could refuse such a request of yours."

"Then let's go the long way round! I prefer you to receive the news you'll learn about tonight from my side first."

"But you must be tired. Don't you want to rest first? I'm sure we'll have a moment or two for to talk privately after the evening meal got served."

"No, my friend! No rest for me. Not yet! It might rather be that you'll need a moment on your own before the gathering after I told you what I have to tell you."

"What could be so important that it cannot wait?"

"Taking your reaction into consideration, I dare to claim, you got not informed, yet, why your physical presence is that highly requested this time."

"Aside the news about the passing of Gu Xiancheng, nothing else got mentioned to me. So, tell me, what is all of this about?"

"Well", Ouyang Dongfeng cleared his throat: "the academy's leaders are very well aware about your influence at the Emperor's court and on the Emperor himself. They will come up to you with an utmost concern. They will ask you to use your influence and reputation for to reach one of our group's highest goals."

Yang Lian frowned: "What goal?"

"Gao Panlong will let you in on the details later tonight."

"No, my friend, I won't wait that long. You made such haste to head me off before I'd return to the academy, you insisted on talking to me here and now, so, what is it the academy's leaders will expect me to do?"

"The Eastern Group! The Eastern Agency! You know about their growing power and influence. You know about their spies and about the degree their secret police already infiltrated not only the capital but the whole country."

He paused and looked at Yang Lian, honestly concerned and worried, before he went on: "The academy's leaders will ask you to bring your influence on the Emperor to bear to make him concern himself with his duties against his people again. None of the provincial governors seem to reach him anymore and the more we try the less we achieve. You are one of the leaders of our group and a well respected head of the academy. If there is one, the Emperor will have to listen to it is you, Yang Lian!"

"I'm almost flattered about the trust and confidence you and the academy set in me, my friend, but I fear you all overestimate my skills. The Emperor is in no way inclined to follow the advice I could give to him. There are others, who are way more successful in reaching his ear."

"And they had time and opportunities enough to get that far over decades! Yang Lian, you know better than me what will happen if the Emperor won't set an end to the goings-on taking place behind his back and with the Eastern Agency and the secret police being allowed to operate in the shadows without some valiant men stepping in their way."

"I know, Governor, and I will continue trying my best to oppose those who try to influence the Emperor in a corruptive way, but I am not the only member of the magistrate who is eager to try this. And I can assure you, there is only one thing which you can take for granted – the moment, the Emperor gets behind the try to manipulate him, he will deny listening to you and he won't change his mind in your favour ever again."

"Then it might be time to make a try to win the crown prince for us..."


Author's Note:

Yang Lian was a noble and high ranked official at the Emperor's court. After Gu Xiancheng's death, he became both, the head of the Donglin Academy as well as the leader of the Donglin Movement (Donglin Faction).

Gao Panlong was a famous teacher, and got hired by Gu Xiancheng and his brother to train scholars from all around China at the Donglin Academy. He became also an important member of the Donglin Faction.

Gu Yuncheng was the younger brother of the academy's leader Gu Xiancheng and together with his brother also one of the newly founders of the Donglin Academy.