“The Inquiry of the Heart is upstairs. Go up from here and keep walking until you reach the top floor,” Song Tingfeng led him to the staircase and pointed upwards. “There are no specific requirements for this test, but remember, follow your heart. If you act too deliberately, your score will be lower.”
“What’s the use of the score?” Xu Qi An asked in return.
“Why do you think we test aptitude? The scores are divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D. The better the aptitude, the easier it is to be cultivated.” Song Tingfeng raised his chin proudly, “I’m a B.”
Zhu Guangxiao mumbled, “I’m a C.”
I’m just a strong D… Xu Qi An silently joked to himself as he climbed the stairs alone. When he reached the second floor, he saw an ancient bronze mirror hanging on a red-lacquered pillar opposite the stairs.
His reflection appeared in the mirror.
Xu Qi An felt an inexplicable palpitation, his muscles involuntarily tensing before slowly relaxing.
His inner thoughts settled, and his mind became peaceful, letting go of all ambitions, fame, fortune, and personal desires.
This mirror is problematic… This thought flashed through his mind before sinking to the bottom of his heart, no longer paying attention to it.
Forcibly entering sage mode… This thought also settled.
He lightly walked around the corner to the second-floor hall, where a Buddha statue was enshrined, with a plump figure and a solemn, majestic appearance.
Offerings were placed on the incense table, with wisps of smoke rising.
A clerk stood in front of the Buddha, watching him.
Xu Qi An calmly observed the Buddha statue for a few moments, then looked away and walked towards the stairs to the third floor.
The clerk watched his back as he left, then lowered his head to write on paper, seeming to make an evaluation.
…
The third floor enshrined the Taoist Sovereign, dressed in Taoist robes, holding a wooden sword, and standing on auspicious clouds.
Another clerk stood silently in front of the deity, watching Xu Qi An’s arrival.
After Xu Qi An casually glanced around and turned to leave, the clerk similarly picked up a brush and wrote an evaluation on the paper spread out on the desk.
…
The fourth floor enshrined the Confucian Sage, wearing a Confucian robe and cap, gazing into the distance.
A clerk again stood silently in front of the sage’s clay statue, watching Xu Qi An.
This statue of the sage is identical to the one at Cloud Deer Academy… Xu Qi An mused inwardly, leaving without any lingering attachment.
He arrived at the highest level – the fifth floor.
The fifth floor enshrined a man wearing a yellow robe. He stood tall, both hands resting on a sword, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding an imposing aura.
Xu Qi An didn’t recognize this figure, but the bright yellow dragon robe said it all.
A certain emperor of the Great Feng Dynasty, or perhaps the founding emperor.
Reaching this point, he suddenly understood the true meaning of the “Inquiry of the Heart.” Testing aptitude was only part of it; the real purpose was to test a person’s moral character.
The mirror’s function was to prevent people from acting against their true intentions, deliberately offering incense or paying respects.
…Terrible, I didn’t pay respects to the Buddha, didn’t bow to the Taoist Sovereign, didn’t revere the sage. This shows I’m a person who doesn’t respect the gods, doesn’t worship Buddha, and disdains the Four Books and Five Classics…
…None of that matters, but I must pay respects to this figure on the fifth floor… If I don’t, I’m finished… A person without loyalty to the emperor, without filial piety, and disregarding gods and Buddha, is not tolerated in this era…
What kind of organization is the Nightwatchman?
It’s an espionage and protection agency under the emperor’s command.
It may not respect the three teachings, but it cannot be disloyal to the emperor.
So the “Inquiry of the Heart” is a screening of moral character.
Xu Qi An was undoubtedly unqualified; he had climbed all five floors without paying respects to anyone.
A scum like me will probably be kicked out of the Nightwatchman’s office… That would be fine, but the key is that the Nightwatchmen know about my crime of framing Zhou Li. Who knows if they’ll bring up old accounts because of this…
These thoughts flashed through his mind one by one, then settled, automatically ignored.
Xu Qi An anxiously fought against the “sage mode,” forcing himself to bow to the emperor. The two consciousnesses fiercely battled his body stiffening, muscles spasming and trembling.
The clerk standing in front of the emperor’s statue observed Xu Qi An for a moment, then passed by him to go downstairs.
A few minutes later, the clerk returned. Xu Qi An was still standing in place, his whole body rigid and trembling, as if his hands and feet were cramping.
The clerk looked at Xu Qi An as if examining a rare animal and said softly, “I’ve already exchanged evaluations with my colleagues downstairs.”
The clerk continued, “When Lord Wei established the Inquiry of the Heart, he gave an instruction: if someone doesn’t bow or pay respects on all five floors, they must be a person of utmost evil.”
…Brother, give me one more chance!
Xu Qi An was extremely anxious inside.
“So Lord Wei gave another chance, setting up a separate sixth test, though no one has ever gone there before.” The clerk looked at Xu Qi An with wonder. “You’re like a scorpion defecating, one of a kind.”
“Relax your body, don’t cramp up,” he said.
Xu Qi An stopped fighting against the inner sage mode, adjusted his breathing, and successfully stopped his muscles from twitching.
Only then did he realize his back was already soaked with sweat.
He followed the clerk around the emperor’s statue to a deeper area.
Dappled sunlight fell through the latticed windows, faintly illuminating a wooden platform in the room.
A line of poetry was carved on the platform:
“Slaying a million enemy troops, the sword at my waist still bloody.
Returning with a golden mace in hand, all court officials dare not speak.”
The little poem is quite domineering… What’s the point of showing me this poem?
Xu Qi An glanced at the silent clerk, initially wanting to slip him some silver to extract information.
On second thought, how could a mere clerk understand the intentions of that all-powerful eunuch? Impossible.
Don’t lead yourself astray and end up on a dead-end path.
A poetry contest? Impossible, the theme isn’t about comparing poetic talent. The Inquiry of the Heart is related to moral character; he must approach it from this angle.
Since it’s a test of moral character, why did Wei Yuan put this poem here?
Xu Qi An cleared his mind of distractions and actively engaged his brain.
The sixth test is arranged for materialists like me who have no loyalty to the emperor or teacher and don’t respect gods or worship Buddha. It’s like a last chance.
Naturally, they want to dig out some precious moral qualities from me. If I don’t have any, then I’m done for.
Precious moral qualities… Suddenly, Xu Qi An thought of the couplet in the first-floor hall:
“Willing to serve the dusty world with a deep heart, not seeking benefits for oneself.”
The Nightwatchmen must monitor officials… Wei Yuan’s poem also carries the meaning of loyal service to the country and intimidating officials.
Realizing this, he suddenly understood clearly, comprehending that eunuch’s intention.
This poem wasn’t placed here for a poetry contest but for empathy.
If that person without loyalty to the emperor or teacher, that person of utmost evil, truly had a vicious nature, he wouldn’t be able to resist his own heart in the Inquiry of the Heart and forcibly write an empathetic poem.
Conversely, if he could, it would show he still possessed precious moral qualities, and Wei Yuan would be willing to give him a chance.
Xu Qi An sighed and exhaled, reaching out his hand: “Brush and ink, please.”
The clerk handed him a brush and spread out rice paper on the wooden platform.
Xu Qi An held the brush over the paper and closed his eyes.
Although I have no emperor in my heart and disdain to respect gods or worship Buddha, being a thorough materialist,
I am not a person of utmost evil. I have justice in my heart and principles under my feet. I have never oppressed the common people, never extorted or blackmailed using my position as a minor official, even though… this is a social norm…
Even though… I once desperately wanted to make money.
You want empathy, so I’ll compose a poem, as you wish.
Xu Qi An put brush to paper without any mental obstacles, writing in ugly characters:
“You eat your salary, the fat and marrow of the people.
The common people are easy to oppress, but Heaven is hard to deceive.”
The clerk looked at the words on the paper in a daze.
He collected the rice paper, stared intently at Xu Qi An for a while, and said, “The Inquiry of the Heart is over. You may go about your business, sir, but please don’t leave the office before the results come out.”
“The aptitude of each Nightwatchman needs to be personally decided by Lord Wei. I will take this to him right away.”
He left the floor almost at a run, with rapid footsteps quickly fading away in the stairwell.
Xu Qi An felt as if he had collapsed. He leaned against the wooden platform, panting for a moment, then followed downstairs.
Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were waiting for their colleague on the first floor. Seeing Xu Qi An come down, Song waved with a smile: “How many times did you kneel?”
His smiling face looked like a fox.
The clerk who went downstairs hadn’t told him about the process or results.
Xu Qi An opened his mouth but finally chose to remain silent.
Zhu Guangxiao’s usually expressionless face frowned slightly: “You don’t look too well.”
Not just not too well, I feel like I’ve been hovering between life and death twice, more thrilling than a roller coaster… Xu Qi An shook his head wearily and said:
“I want to find a place to sit down, have some tea, and rest for a while.”
Song Tingfeng raised an eyebrow with a smile: “Shall I call for a courtesan to massage your shoulders and legs too?”
You’re like someone doing a comedy sketch under a bridge… Xu Qi An nodded with a smile: “Go to the Imperial Academy and invite the top courtesan, Fuxiang.”
Song Tingfeng was stunned, then burst into laughter: “I had that dream when I was young too.”