It’s him… Xu Qi An suddenly realized, remembering the great scholar who had shamelessly claimed his poem as his own.
While not everyone might recognize Yang Gong, the name Zhuyang Hermit was renowned. This scoundrel had taken advantage of Xu Qi An forgetting the title of his farewell poem and, after Erlang recited it, forcefully assigned it a name.
It was the height of shamelessness.
Later, when Xu Qi An used poetry to lead the three great scholars of the academy and then unashamedly benefited from them, he was inspired by Zhuyang Hermit’s actions and felt not a shred of guilt.
In the rivers and lakes, if you don’t take advantage of others, they’ll take advantage of you.
After hiring a carriage near the dock, Governor Zhang sat inside and, lifting the curtain, continued: “Zhuyang Hermit was the top scholar in the 14th year of the Yuanjing era. The following year, he retired from office and began teaching at the academy, nurturing countless talents.”
Xu Qi An’s interest was piqued: “He retired the following year?”
The top scholar could enter the Hanlin Academy, and the Hanlin compilers were considered potential prime ministers. In other words, the top scholar could compete for the position of head minister.
Retiring the following year was a huge loss!
“He fell victim to the factional struggles at court. Although the various factions fight fiercely now, they unite against the scholars of the Yunlu Academy,” Governor Zhang sighed:
“After Zhuyang Hermit became the top scholar, he was relegated to an insignificant position and ignored. As a result, he became depressed for a year, frequenting the entertainment districts daily. The following year, he resigned and returned to teach at the Yunlu Academy.”
…I’ve heard about this. He took advantage for nearly a year. Xu Qi An sincerely envied him.
Regarding Zhuyang Hermit’s experience of being suppressed by various court factions, Governor Zhang only sighed without further explanation.
As someone familiar with the Yunlu Academy, Xu Qi An understood the situation clearly.
The dispute over the imperial succession two hundred years ago had made the royal family both wary and resentful of the Yunlu Academy scholars. As a result, the Cheng family’s lesser sage rose to prominence, establishing the Imperial Academy to replace the Yunlu Academy in supplying talent to the court.
It could be said that there was both a conflict of interests and a dispute over orthodox teachings between the two sides. If it weren’t for Emperor Yuanjing being obsessed with balance, Zhuyang Hermit might still be teaching at the academy today.
“Zhuyang Hermit’s talent and tactics are truly first-class in the world. When he first arrived in Qingzhou, he swept through the administrative office with thunderous force. Within a month, he dismissed and imprisoned 178 corrupt officials, shaking the entire Qingzhou officialdom,” Governor Zhang’s tone was full of admiration.
Is he that reckless? Although it’s common for new officials to make a strong start, for an official sent from the capital, even if he wanted to clean up the Qingzhou officialdom, he should have proceeded gradually… How long has it been since Zhuyang Hermit accepted the court’s appointment as the Qingzhou Administrative Commissioner?
Xu Qi An was puzzled and frowned, asking, “Did the various court factions allow him to take such drastic actions?”
Governor Zhang smiled and said, “During the imperial inspection period, the court factions were fighting fiercely and couldn’t cooperate. Plus, there was Minister Wei’s restraint…”
He gave Xu Qi An a look that said “You understand,” and continued, “Moreover, Zhuyang Hermit’s seemingly rash actions were actually carefully calculated. He obtained all the necessary evidence and made the accused officials confess… Well, the Yunlu Academy scholars are best at reasoning, aren’t they?”
The “reasoning” you’re referring to is probably physical reasoning, right? Xu Qi An understood and exchanged a knowing smile with Governor Zhang.
After arriving at the official courier station in Qingzhou, Governor Zhang deliberately brought Xu Qi An along to visit the Administrative Commissioner’s office to meet Zhuyang Hermit.
By now, Xu Qi An had understood why Governor Zhang had initiated the conversation. This shrewd and experienced governor feared that Zhuyang Hermit might not cooperate, so he brought Xu Qi An along.
After all, this governor was inspecting Yunzhou, not Qingzhou.
With Xu Qi An accompanying him, Zhuyang Hermit would certainly be courteous and accommodating.
Entering the Administrative Commissioner’s office, a clerk led them into the inner hall, where tea was served and they were seated.
“The Administrative Commissioner has gone to inspect the warning steles at various major offices.”
The Left Assistant Commissioner, a fourth-rank official, received them.
Governor Zhang pondered, “Is that the stone stele erected in the front courtyard?”
The Left Assistant Commissioner nodded with a smile: “The Administrative Commissioner wishes to erect warning steles to admonish all Qingzhou officials to be upright and benefit the local area.”
Governor Zhang nodded. This was the aftermath of cleaning up the official atmosphere. “The Administrative Commissioner’s intentions are commendable, but why are there no words on the warning stele?”
The Left Assistant Commissioner replied helplessly, “The Administrative Commissioner hasn’t decided what to inscribe yet. He’s been troubled by this matter recently and has asked us to brainstorm and provide inspiration, causing us all to rack our brains.”
Zhuyang Hermit is quite clever, knowing how to organize a solicitation for ideas… Xu Qi An thought to himself.
The Administrative Commissioner was in charge of administrative affairs, equivalent to a high-ranking official in Xu Qi An’s previous life.
The Dafu Empire was divided into sixteen provinces, and Xu Qi An understood provinces as similar to provinces in his previous life, but not every province was a province, and there were also many smaller regions.
For example, Qingzhou governed over a dozen regions, as well as prefectures, counties, and so on.
…
At this time, Administrative Commissioner Yang Gong was leading a group of Qingzhou officials into the Qingzhou prefectural office. The prefectural magistrate humbly accompanied them.
Yang Gong, dressed in a crimson robe, stood before the stone stele and nodded with satisfaction: “Gentlemen, do you have any suggestions for the stele inscription?”
In just a few months, the scholarly air of an educator had gradually faded from him, replaced by the official authority of one governing a region.
“This humble official thinks we could inscribe Your Excellency’s deeds of purging corrupt officials and upholding righteousness on the stele as a warning to future generations,” the Qingzhou prefectural magistrate suggested with a bow.
Yang Gong was somewhat tempted. This way, the inscription would surely be recorded in the Qingzhou local chronicles for future generations to praise.
But he soon rejected this idea: “The inscription should not be too lengthy, or it will become cumbersome and lack impact.”
“Then how about inscribing a poem?” an official suggested instinctively.
Then he realized that everyone present was looking at him with calm gazes…
The official gave a dry laugh and fell silent.
For well-read scholars, writing poetry wasn’t difficult. Who didn’t have a few works from their youth? Whether they were worthy of great appreciation was another matter.
A poem to be inscribed on a stele not only had to be well-written but also had to serve as a warning. It wasn’t something that could be casually composed.
During the discussion, a clerk from the Administrative Commissioner’s office rode in on horseback, ran into the prefectural office, and saluted from a distance:
“Administrative Commissioner, a governor from the capital has arrived and is already at the Administrative Commissioner’s office.”
A governor? Has this year’s governor come so early? The Gengzi year was the year of the imperial inspection. According to custom, they should wait for the results of the imperial inspection in the capital before sending a governor down.
This involved the unwritten rules of officialdom. The completion of the imperial inspection in the capital also meant that the factional struggles had concluded, with clear winners and losers.
Only then would a governor be sent down to remove officials from the losing faction.
Yang Gong, who had received a letter a few days in advance, explained: “He’s not here for Qingzhou but for Yunzhou. He’s just passing through our Qingzhou.”
Yunzhou… The officials all wore knowing expressions.
Yang Gong looked at the clerk and said, “Tell the governor that I have important matters to attend to and won’t be meeting him. If he needs anything, tell him to ask the Left and Right Assistant Commissioners.”
Yang Gong was a great scholar from the Yunlu Academy and didn’t align with the various factions at court, let alone have any personal connections. He was still troubled by the matter of the stele inscription and was in no mood to deal with an unfamiliar governor.
“Yes!” The clerk responded, then added, “The governor also asked me to relay a message to you.”
Yang Gong and the other officials looked at him expectantly.
The clerk said, “Constable Xu Qi An is accompanying him.”
Constable Xu Qi An? Who’s that? The officials didn’t immediately react, but Yang Gong did. He had been keeping an eye on the capital’s affairs and maintaining correspondence with the great scholars of the Yunlu Academy.
“Prepare the sedan chair, quickly return to the Administrative Commissioner’s office,” Yang Gong’s attitude changed 180 degrees, his tone urgent and joyful:
“Hurry, prepare the sedan chair.”
With that, he left the officials behind and headed straight out of the prefectural office.
This… The Qingzhou officials looked at each other in bewilderment, staring blankly at Yang Gong’s retreating figure.
“Who is this Constable Xu Qi An? The name sounds rather familiar,” the Qingzhou prefectural magistrate frowned.
“Why don’t we all go to the Administrative Commissioner’s office to see and welcome the governor from the capital?”
“Good idea, let’s go.”
The officials left the prefectural office together, a procession of sedan chairs heading toward the Administrative Commissioner’s office.
…
Xu Qi An didn’t have to wait long at the Administrative Commissioner’s office before a man in a crimson robe arrived. He had an ancient and honest face, with a goatee popular among middle-aged and elderly men, and eyes that sparkled with intelligence. His demeanor was naturally imposing.
He was a man of great presence.
His chest was embroidered with a golden pheasant… He was a second-rank official, and the Administrative Commissioner seemed to be of the lower second rank.
Xu Qi An only recognized official attire, not faces, and guessed that this impressive man in crimson robes must be the Qingzhou Administrative Commissioner, the great scholar from the Yunlu Academy, and the Zhuyang Hermit who had shamelessly claimed his farewell poem.
After exchanging bows with Governor Zhang, Zhuyang Hermit turned his gaze to Xu Qi An, who was wearing a dark official uniform with a bronze gong tied to his chest, silently appraising him.
At this moment, he was no longer excited, but rather gentle with an underlying air of authority.
…There’s only one constable, so this must be Liu Cijiu’s elder cousin… Judging by appearance alone, the two brothers bear no resemblance… Compared to Cijiu, the difference is quite significant… Yang Gong smiled and said:
“Are you Liu Ningyuan?”
Xu Qi An quickly cupped his hands in salute: “It is indeed this humble official.”
“There’s no need to be so formal in my presence. You may consider yourself a student,” Yang Gong’s smile widened as he said, “Indeed, you are a talented young man, no less than Cijiu.”
Zhuyang Hermit has a good eye… Xu Qi An said delightedly, “Your Excellency flatters me.”
After some pleasantries, Yang Gong inquired about the recent situation in the capital, although he had learned quite a bit through letters from the academy.
Bringing Liu Ningyuan along for the visit was indeed the right decision, otherwise, the Administrative Commissioner wouldn’t have been so accommodating… Governor Zhang sighed and said, “The situation in the capital is chaotic, and factional struggles are still fierce…”
He then proceeded to discuss everything from the Sangbo case to the Yunzhou case involving the Minister of Works.
Zhuyang Hermit listened with frequent cold laughs but didn’t comment much on the court situation, mainly because Governor Zhang wasn’t one of his own. If only Xu Qi An had been present, he would have spoken his mind freely.
After nightfall, Zhuyang Hermit hosted a banquet for Governor Zhang in an elegant courtyard. Jiang Luzhong was also invited, along with the Qingzhou prefectural magistrate and other high-ranking officials.
The small courtyard was brightly lit, with low-hanging curtains. The officials sat at their tables, drinking and chatting merrily.
A band and dancers invited from the entertainment district performed gracefully in the cold courtyard, entertaining the officials.
The original entertainment district was purely a cultural and entertainment department, specializing in singing and dancing at official banquets. It gradually evolved into an official brothel later on.
The ladies went from performing arts to selling their bodies, forced into the business.
The central figures at the banquet were Administrative Commissioner Yang Gong and Governor Zhang Xingying. As for Jiang Luzhong, although he was a powerful gold badge constable, the night watchmen and civil officials were natural enemies, so few people bothered to engage with him.
Xu Qi An initially thought he would be in the same situation, content to be left alone and not have to deal with the social niceties of officialdom.
To his surprise, an official wearing a crimson robe embroidered with clouds and wild geese raised his cup to Xu Qi An and tentatively asked, “Young master, are you the poet who wrote ‘Slanted shadows cross the shallow, clear water; A subtle fragrance drifts as the moon wanes’?”