“Cui Jiu, since you all believe a batch of Yuezhou officials need to be replaced, why not think of a solution? Just get rid of them. Master Guan is deeply appreciated by His Majesty and is good friends with Xiao Yu. Big shots like Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui are very clear about why His Majesty sent Master Guan to Yuezhou. By rights, getting rid of these people should be very easy.”
Cui Jiu cupped his hands and said, “To be honest with Teacher, this student also used some underhanded methods, but the Yuezhou officials are very united. They seem to advance and retreat together—when one has trouble, support comes from all directions. Plus, their official reputation is indeed quite good. In Yuezhou itself, they’re very popular with the people. Master Guan’s impeachment memorial was also intercepted. This time, this student came hoping you could send the impeachment document up through your channels.”
Yun Ye laughed so hard he could barely breathe. He took a book and heavily knocked Cui Jiu on the head once. These students had far too much scholarly air about them, including Guan Tinglong. The court had long established regulations that memorials from outer provinces could only be submitted upward through the Secretariat. Once levels were skipped, the weight of such a memorial would be greatly reduced. Even if it had ten parts reason, only three parts could be expressed. If one encountered a more principled Minister on duty, he might immediately send this memorial to the incinerator without any consideration, and even the Emperor couldn’t do anything about it, because this memorial itself didn’t follow proper procedures and rules.
Guan Tinglong appeared to have already been forced into a corner. As an Assistant Administrator, having no way to handle the Chief Administrator and the Marshal already indicated his own insufficient political acumen and inability to control complex situations.
After clarifying the names and backgrounds of the Yuezhou Chief Administrator and Marshal, Yun Ye took a sheet of paper and began helping Guan Tinglong write a merit report memorial. Privately submitting an impeachment document was a petty person’s move, but privately sending up a merit report was promoting junior colleagues. This had long been an unwritten rule in official circles. He would exert his effort, and whether His Majesty approved or not would depend on His Majesty’s opinion. Regardless of success or failure, those who received merit reports could only be moved to tears with gratitude.
As for the Prime Minister and Ministers, when they saw it, as long as it didn’t have too great a conflict of interest with themselves, they would generally laugh heartily and facilitate the good deed. Such memorials had never been heard of being rejected, after all, anyone who could submit a memorial before the Emperor must be a close minister of the Son of Heaven. No one would needlessly sweep someone’s face for no reason.
“Teacher, they sabotage things everywhere, yet you still want to recommend them for promotion—this is outrageous!” Cui Jiu was very dissatisfied with Yun Ye’s approach, jumping up and down wanting to obstruct him.
“When Master Guan was most short-handed, he sent you back—wasn’t it precisely to have you settle this matter? What do you care whether they’re promoted or demoted? As long as they leave Yuezhou, that’s fine. One is Lower Sixth Rank, one is Upper Seventh Rank, and you bring them to me to rack my brains—aren’t you humiliating me? You only know to work with your head down, but don’t know to lift your head and look at the road. It seems if I don’t go to Yuezhou as Regional Inspector, you won’t have good days.”
“Really! Teacher, you’ll come to Yuezhou as Regional Inspector? Ha ha ha, excellent! As long as you sit in the great hall, I want to see which bastard dares make a sound.”
“Nonsense! If I make a sound, wouldn’t I also become a bastard? Don’t be happy too early. Whether I can go to Yuezhou depends on how well you lay the foundation. If you don’t implement everything properly before I arrive, you know my temper. In the past at the academy, at most I’d have you pile up rock gardens. This time, if you still can’t complete the expected work with my help, I’ll have you pile up an island in Dongting Lake. Your manpower isn’t enough—this year’s senior students’ practicum location will be Yuezhou. This is the maximum extent I can help you. Do your best.”
Cui Jiu departed with eyes smiling like flowers. Reaching the door, he turned back, stammering, “Teacher, those two bastards have done us endless harm, even collapsing our houses, making us endure rain in grass sheds for a month. Letting them get promoted so easily—this student feels very uncomfortable.”
“Who told you promotion is necessarily a good thing? The court is currently massively expanding the horse breeding supervisorates—there are some in the Mobei grasslands. I heard the pastures under the Yinshan Mountains are short a Superintendent and Vice Superintendent. Perfect—one is Upper Sixth Rank, one is Lower Sixth Rank. Promoted one rank, they can lead a hundred or so bearded men to breed horses for the court. I heard there’s quite some profit.”
You couldn’t beat it out of Cui Jiu that leading a hundred or so bearded men to herd on the grasslands would be profitable. The court’s control over war horse numbers had already become strict to the extreme—even one horse short had to be reported layer by layer. Thinking of two old scholars tied to war horses wearing old sheepskin coats herding on the grasslands, a chill ran from his head straight to the soles of his feet. He couldn’t help but feel sorry for those two plump old men. However, doing this was truly too wonderful. Since his own business was already done, of course he should go to places like Yanlai Tower to celebrate. He just didn’t know if his current appearance could still win the favor of the top courtesan.
Reading their proposal, Yun Ye’s favorable impression of Guan Tinglong rose another level. The old fellow was truly fighting with his old life. Those young academy students had all become black people—the old fellow’s appearance must be even more miserable. The proposal format was standard academy format: objectives, expected values, breakthrough points, emergency mechanisms for dealing with sudden incidents in the middle, backup plans. Yun Ye even saw a future city rendering—beside the great lake stood a square, imposing city, drum and bell towers soaring into the clouds, spacious and orderly residences, straight streets, majestic government offices, bustling markets, beautiful gardens. Just add an imperial palace and it would be a replica of Chang’an. Where had these fellows’ imagination gone?
Moving Chang’an to the Two Lakes—this was an idea only someone with their brain in their buttocks could have. You want the city scale to be grand and imposing, want to obtain more funding—this was understandable. But what did it mean to move Chang’an to the Two Lakes? Preparing to divide and rule along the river? There was only one Chang’an, and there must be only one. With Li Er’s arrogant mentality, if you created a second Chang’an, where would his imperial capital’s face go? Moreover, your city was prettier than Chang’an, newer than Chang’an.
Most excessive of all was the rendering—why cite poetry? I’ve stolen so many poems, yet you chose this one? Why did you have to write this one? “Bite tight to the green mountain and don’t let go, roots originally in broken rocks, through thousands of grindings still resilient, let you blow from east, west, south, or north winds.” An ambitious poem written with great spirit indeed, but writing it here had the suspicion of being determined to undermine the Li family’s foundation. The old master still didn’t know how to conduct himself properly.
Those with bitter fates could only work with their own hands. The square city became a great city built along the mountain. To build a city, it was best to rely on mountains and water—the original location of Yuezhou was very good. “Mist steams over Cloud-Dream Marsh, waves shake Yueyang City”—what a fine artistic conception! These two lines should be written on it, not that poem undermining others’ foundations.
Square city walls were most wasteful of labor and materials, and from a military angle had not half a merit. Thus, half the city appeared on the hillside. The entire city was terraced—this also had great benefits for future property sales. Lower areas could be described as located in the bustling downtown, higher areas could be described as winding paths leading to secluded spots, with the grand vision of viewing all mountains as small—the first choice for wealthy prominent households. If the city was built on flat ground, who would he sell the houses near the city walls to in the future? Who liked having trebuchet stones smash their heads?
For three full days, Yun Ye didn’t step outside, saw no one, comparing maps while drawing renderings. The renderings didn’t need to be so detailed—as long as things conformed to aesthetics, he put them in. As for what the city would actually be built like in the future, only heaven knew. Yun Ye wasn’t an architect. Great Tang had specialized talent in this area, but even if you beat those specialized talents to death, they couldn’t draw such a beautiful rendering.
After the entire picture came out, Yun Ye believed it was extremely deceptive. Look at those two drum and bell towers, one east and one west—they practically soared into the clouds. Look at the vast expanse of blue waves of Dongting Lake beside them, how beautiful—truly fish swimming in shallow depths, eagles striking the long sky. Even more rare were the white sails dotting the lake surface, as if fishermen’s songs answered each other. Dongting Lake was simply an enlarged Qujiang Pool.
As for annual flood disasters, dike breaches, how many people became fish and turtle feed—such matters naturally couldn’t be shown on the rendering. Too scenery-spoiling. Gloss over it with one stroke—he could also use Spring and Autumn brush techniques.
Yun Ye had almost added windows to the residences. A corner of flying eaves faintly visible through trees at high places was enough to make those crazy nobles in Chang’an who wanted to buy houses and establish lands for their descendants reveal thoughts of murder and robbery. Look—the picture even specially marked the locations of underground drains. Massive underground waterways guaranteed this city wouldn’t see half a bit of filth. As for dirty, chaotic, poor Chang’an, it had absolutely no comparability with this city.
He requested Master Li Gang to wave his grand brush, writing in the largest characters with a brush seized for catching: “Mist steams over Cloud-Dream Marsh, waves shake Yueyang City.” Ten large characters possessed an air of ruling all under heaven. When Cui Jiu saw this picture, he nearly went mad. He picked up Di Renjie, who was lying on the large map applying paint, and casually tossed him aside. He also wanted to toss Xiao Wu, but under a pair of phoenix eyes awkwardly retreated, rubbing his hands asking Xiao Wu to first come down from the large map so he could properly look at this picture. Really, really—too satisfying!
“Why is it ‘too satisfying’ rather than ‘too beautiful’ or ‘too magnificent’?”
“Teacher, it’s impossible. You don’t know—the ground there is too soft, can’t build tall buildings. Also, this large expanse of high ground is all hard rock. When a chisel goes down, sparks fly directly. Can’t keep trees alive. Also…”
“Is it very important? Where we can’t build tall buildings, we’ll build markets. Where we can’t keep trees alive, we’ll make it a training ground, military camp. Who told you military camps need trees planted? Even if trees were planted, they’d be pulled out by the roots by the generals. As for how to build military camps, that’s the War Ministry’s business. What’s it to us? Even if they build it like a pigsty, it’s the War Ministry losing face. Worry less about worthless concerns, think more about where to get people back from—that’s the proper business.”
Cui Jiu looked at his teacher with worship, hammered his own head twice to show he was very stupid, then honestly picked up a brush and together with Xiao Wu and Di Renjie applied paint to the large map. Watching him meticulously add countless blooming osmanthus trees on both sides of the roads, Yun Ye smiled and nodded, then went out.