Chapter Sixty-Eight: Prohibition on Sales
What puzzled Gou Ye most was that, throughout the entire letter, Yu’s father never mentioned the second item, which must be the map hidden in the black box. Yet, since he spoke of it before, why did he refrain from mentioning it again? And if he chose not to speak, why did he bring up two items in the first place? Perhaps he initially intended to reveal it, but later feared that, with so many coveting the map, Yu’s mother might expose herself to danger while seeking the other half of it. Indeed, it seemed that Yangzhou must have left a deep impression upon Yu’s father; otherwise, he would not have mentioned this place in his letter. “Old friends fare west from the Yellow Crane Tower; in the misty spring of March, they descend into Yangzhou.” The city’s renowned beauty was something Gou Ye had known, whether from modern television or ancient records. Since Yu’s father described it with such praise, it would be a shame to have traveled to this ancient era and not see it for himself.
“Yu Niang, keep the letter safe. Remember, these things must be hidden in the most secret of places. Apart from me, you must never speak of them to anyone else—do you understand? Otherwise, we may invite calamity far beyond our means to bear.” Gou Ye handed the letter to Yu Niang and watched as she hid it in a slanted crack in the bed cabinet, finally allowing himself a measure of relief.
“When you are ready, Gou Ye, let’s leave the village together. I’ll follow you to Yangzhou, to see for myself that land of poetic beauty and learned scholars.” Hearing this, a smile blossomed on Yu Niang’s face. She had long grown weary of the endless troubles between Gou Ye and the Qin magistrate and his wife, always fearing for his safety. To leave this place early, find some peace, and live a quiet life—this, to Yu Niang, could not be better.
After lingering with Yu Niang for a while, Gou Ye hurried into his study to write. To speed his plans along, he even took his meals there, eating hastily between lines. Yet, as he wrote, his heart felt restless. He worried for the villagers’ plight—how could he solve their problems? This became his greatest concern, one that gnawed at him for three whole days.
On the third day at midday, Gou Ye, as usual, was hard at work in his study, calculating how much manuscript remained and thinking about delivering it to the county office the next day. Suddenly, someone rushed into the courtyard, loudly calling his name. Gou Ye quickly opened the window and saw the errand boy from Boss Hu’s bookshop standing outside, his face clouded with worry.
Gou Ye invited him in. The boy, anxious, said, “Young Master Gou, something terrible has happened. Early this morning, officials from the county office came with a group of yamen runners to thoroughly search all the bookstores for banned books. They seemed to be targeting you, for they came straight in and seized every copy of your ‘The Celestial Sculpter and Chivalrous Lovers,’ issuing a ban on all your works. Boss Hu doesn’t know the reason and sent me to fetch you to the county at once.”
It required no thought—this was surely the work of the Qin magistrate and his wife. Since Gou Ye refused to write for them, they cut off his livelihood by confiscating his books. Unable to find fault with the text itself, they dared not convict him outright, perhaps because of Duke Jing’s influence. Moreover, the book was widely circulated; if they implicated every bookseller, it would offend many. Should things spiral out of control, even the Qin magistrate would struggle to handle the fallout. All of this was a blatant act of retaliation.
Gou Ye had no choice but to dress and go alone with the boy to the county town. On the way, he pondered what the Qin couple would do next—surely, they would not let the matter rest here. If the issue of his books could not be resolved, he would have no choice but to halt the publication of “The Celestial Sculpter and Chivalrous Lovers.” Though not a major loss, it would disappoint his loyal readers.
Arriving at the bookshop, he found a crowd angrily protesting, their books gone from their hands. No one knew why this had happened or why the yamen runners had confiscated their books without explanation. Boss Hu could only blame the authorities, unable to offer any reasonable account.
“Gou Ye! You’re finally here! The officials have taken all our books. Lead us—we must go to the county office and protest. Why ban the books for no reason? There’s nothing improper in them!” The crowd quickly surrounded Gou Ye, each voicing their grievances.
“That’s right, Young Master Gou! Just say the word, and all of us readers will go. There is strength in numbers; I don’t believe the authorities can do anything to us.”
“And what of it? My uncle is the magistrate of Qingshui County—a higher rank than Qin! See if he dares touch us. Come, lead the way, Gou Ye. I promise you’ll be safe.”
These readers had followed Gou Ye from the very beginning, long seeing him as their leader, their sect master, the martial alliance chief of the world within his books. Though touched, Gou Ye would never be so foolish as to lead them in a protest at the county office. If such a disturbance occurred, the Qin magistrate and his wife would be the happiest of all. To gather a crowd, storm the county office, and be accused as the ringleader—such charges could easily destroy him.
“Everyone, please calm down. Let me first speak with Boss Hu and see what can be done. Rest assured, even if the books cannot be officially published, I, Gou Ye, promise you—if I must pay out of my own pocket to print dozens of copies, I will make sure you can read the rest. Please, return home for now. I will have Boss Hu inform you all of any developments tomorrow.” At his words, the crowd, reassured that the story was not lost, dispersed after a few polite words of gratitude.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Gou Ye entered the shop and found Boss Hu pacing anxiously behind the counter. Seeing Gou Ye, he rushed over, deeply troubled. The book ban was a blow to his livelihood; the shop’s recent profits were thanks to Gou Ye’s works, and he had invested heavily in new printing machines. If the ban persisted, it would mean all his earnings had been sunk into equipment that would never see a return.