Chapter 155: The Succession of the Old and the New

The spring breeze of Sima Ge’s reforms had swept across the entire Ward Street, giving the place a completely new look in more ways than one.

Merchants seemed as though they had been hexed. They no longer believed that doing business was a matter of course, nor did they hold customers in any regard. In the past, they would rub their hands together and bow deferentially, but now, they stood proudly before patrons, ready to start a brawl at the slightest disagreement.

Luo Gan mused, "Perhaps if things go on this way, the world will only grow more turbulent."

Inside the All-Purpose House, the atmosphere was entirely devoid of any festive cheer. Although Lord Long dared not throw his weight around lately, and Huang Changjun was languishing indefinitely in the dungeons, Sima Ge's power had by now returned to its absolute peak—or rather, to say it surpassed his previous prime would not be an exaggeration at all.

Xiao Zhi understood his master best. As an apprentice, Sima Ge could certainly be considered a dutiful mentor. He had held back almost none of his craftsmanship, so much that the bond between master and apprentice was as close as that of father and son. Even after finishing their apprenticeships, some lingered without any haste to leave, simply wishing to continue working by his side. His personal charisma was evidently quite powerful. At the same time, he was charitable and fond of giving. Though he usually had a sharp temper, everyone knew he was a good man at heart.

Yet a man like this, once he became a populist opinion leader and initiated his own set of reforms, began to affect others. As for how it impacted the rest, Luo Gan could hardly care less, but the disruption to his own business brought Luo Gan endless misery, feeling very much like lifting a stone only to drop it on his own feet.

Xiao Zhi remarked, "Master Sima Ge has indeed changed somewhat. At least for now, he seems to thoroughly enjoy being the darling of the crowd."

Liu Buwen was still toying with a cloud-shaped wooden carving that Xiao Zhi had recently made for him. The likeness was remarkably vivid, making it impossible for Liu Buwen to put it down.

Yanshan asked, "Wasn't our purpose to get rid of Huang Changjun and that so-called Lord Long? Now that our goal has been achieved, why are you all still so full of anxiety?"

Naturally, Yanshan could not comprehend Luo Gan's hardships. At most, he could only think about how to do his own assigned work well, and expecting him to think any deeper would likely cost him his life.

Liu Buwen replied, "Why we had to eliminate Huang Changjun and Lord Long, you must surely know, Yanshan. They committed countless atrocities, bullying people by relying on their own power."

Xiao Zhi may not have possessed much more strategic foresight than Yanshan, but after all, he still understood the plans firmly settled in the minds of Luo Gan and Liu Buwen. Sometimes he felt that Yanshan would understand at least a little bit, but looking at it now, everyone was pretty much the same.

Xiao Zhi said, "I suppose everyone is worried that if Master Sima Ge now has a faction of his own, some unfavorable changes might occur."

It sounded like a very understated remark, yet it pierced straight through everyone's inner misgivings about the situation. Naturally, Luo Gan did not wish to see any powerful factions emerge on the street, as that would place him in a very passive position. The ideal state of affairs was for everyone to mind their own turf and keep their intelligence separate, which was the only way to make a business grow grand and robust.

Liu Buwen was considering another aspect entirely. From his perspective, if he were the one governing Chang'an, and gathering crowds began sprouting up one after another within Ward Street, wouldn't he have to take a few precautions? Especially since this man had established numerous rules that heavily impacted the local shops and merchants. Earlier, Sima Ge had mentioned setting up some sort of trade guild—an idea he had heard from Luo Gan—and had clamored that he would go and establish a guild of his own.

Looking at it now, those words had turned into a prophecy.

Sima Ge's maxims were pasted uniformly across every major street and narrow alley, flying slogans like "Revitalize Chang'an Commercial Street, Reshape the Capital's Appearance," while holding rallies time and again with considerable momentum. Luo Gan grew increasingly suspicious: what on earth was Sima Ge's background? How could a mere carpenter be so adept at statecraft and regional administration? No matter how one looked at it, it was thoroughly bizarre.

What made him most skeptical of all was this whole business of protests and parades; surely modern concepts were incomprehensible to people of this era? In this lifetime, farmers or merchants mostly just wanted to live peaceably and finish out their days, yet Sima Ge's various actions gave the impression that he genuinely possessed a modern set of administrative methods to govern the city of Chang'an.

The news inevitably spread like wildfire, ultimately reaching the ears of Li Shimin.

Li Shimin declared, "Audacious scoundrels, actually running amok right here in the capital! Do they take us for turtles in a jar?"

Zhangsun Wuji was utterly perplexed as to how a mere carpenter could stir up such a massive commotion and wield such tremendous appeal, turning out to be a figure completely unheard of until now.

Zhangsun Wuji pleaded, "Your Majesty, calm your anger! Viewed this way, the other party's actions must be organized; otherwise, how could they assemble so many people to work for their cause in such a short span of time?"

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard, deep in thought. His considerations were quite similar to Luo Gan's; he believed that this person Sima Ge was inextricably linked to the tournament—either he was directly a participant, or there was a mastermind operating behind the scenes. With someone appearing who could accelerate his game progression, Fang Xuanling felt he had finally been handed an opportunity.

Fang Xuanling submitted, "I believe Your Majesty's words are entirely correct. We must thoroughly investigate this matter and find out what kind of background this person named Sima Ge truly has, and why he is so bold. If he cannot provide a satisfactory explanation, he must be made to pay the price he deserves."

Li Shimin felt a deep sense of trepidation. Ever since ascending the throne, he insisted on personally inquiring into everything to understand what the realm of his Great Tang truly looked like. He cared deeply about the affairs of his subordinates, encompassing everything from people's livelihoods to matters great and small. He still dared not delegate authority entirely to any royal prince or high-ranking minister; after all, having just ascended to power himself, his grip on authority was not yet unbreakable. Many ministers harbored their own hidden agendas, and external factors were exceedingly complex. Not a single minor detail could escape Li Shimin's discerning eyes, lest people assume these matters had nothing to do with the Son of Heaven and refrain from reporting the truth clearly in the future.

Li Shimin asked, "Earlier, someone captured a fellow named Huang Changjun. Does that have any connection to this affair?"

Du Ruhui replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Sima Ge and Huang Changjun are indeed connected. Several years ago they were bitter rivals, and it was precisely because Huang Changjun murdered Sima Ge's two apprentices that Sima Ge was incited to lead the people in these protests."

Li Shimin concluded, "When all is said and done, the root cause lies in the initial murder. However, had the racecourse not been built, none of this would have happened. Just as I thought! That racecourse should never have been constructed in the first place!"

The racecourse within the city of Chang'an had actually been arranged and built by Li Jiancheng, something Li Shimin had never been satisfied with. Thus, stumbling into this pretext allowed Li Shimin to finally find an opportunity to continue erasing the traces left behind by his elder brother, so that people's impressions of him would grow increasingly faint until they forgot him entirely.

Within the imperial court, officials continued to bicker endlessly over the affair of Sima Ge, seemingly unwilling to adjourn the assembly without a definitive conclusion.