Chapter 71: Resignation (I)

Wang You passed the imperial examinations and entered the Hanlin Academy; this news did not cause much of a stir among the upper circles of Chang'an.

After all, compared to his younger brother Wang Ce, who was ennobled as a general in his youth and whose mighty prowess shook the three armies, the achievement of being a second‑class jinshi and a seventh‑rank compiler does look rather dim.

In the eyes of those nobles and officials who have seen many storms, the Wang family's eldest son, while also excellent, ultimately falls short compared to his brother whose brilliance shines like a myriad rays.

This is exactly the effect Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) wanted to achieve.

What he wanted was not another "outstanding talent in the forest" genius, but a cornerstone capable of "great concealment in the court".

The night before Wang You took up his post, Wang Hui summoned him to the study again. The scene was the same, the hot tea the same; only the interlocutor changed from the younger son Wang Ce to the elder son Wang You.

"You'er," Wang Hui personally poured him tea, "tomorrow you will enter the Hanlin Academy to serve as an official. As your father, I have a few words to impart to you."

"Father, please speak; I listen with respectful attention." Wang You replied respectfully. He knew that every word of his father contained wisdom beyond what others could attain.

"The Hanlin Academy is a place of purity and refinement, yet also a hotbed of right and wrong." Wang Hui's tone was much gentler than when he spoke to Wang Ce: "Those there are either rich or noble, every one a shrewd person. When you first enter officialdom, remember these eight characters."

"Which eight characters?"

"Listen more, watch more, speak less, act less."

Upon hearing this, a flash of understanding crossed Wang You's eyes. This was wonderfully akin to his father's teaching to the younger son of "concealing clumsiness."

"Father knows you possess strategic vision and sound plans." Wang Hui continued, "but you must remember that your talent is not for showing off, but for use at the most crucial moments."

In the Hanlin Academy, your duty is to compile books and write history, to organize the classics. You must do this to the utmost, to be flawless. Let everyone think that Wang You is a erudite, conscientious scholar with no political ambition.

"Do not involve yourself in any factional strife, do not criticize any colleague, and above all do not try to guess the sovereign's will. Whatever His Majesty orders you to do, you do; what He does not order, do not even think about."

"You must make everyone see you as a wooden person, someone who merely follows orders. Only then will others feel at ease and reassured in dealing with you. This will be your greatest talisman in officialdom."

Wang You listened silently, committing his father's words to heart, character by character. His nature, influenced by the 【Impartial and Harmonious】 talent, naturally resonated with his father's way of governance.

"Father, I understand." Wang You nodded, "I will keep your teachings in mind and become someone useful to the family but a threat to no one."

"Good." Wang Hui nodded satisfactorily. He knew that Wang You and Wang Ce were different. Wang Ce is a sharp sword that needs a sheath to blunt its edge, whereas Wang You is a boulder, naturally knowing how to stay steady and composed.

After seeing to the eldest son, the stone in Wang Hui's (Wang Xiu's) heart fell to the ground; the Wang family's civil‑military layout was now complete.

Next came the question of how he himself should carry out his own "golden cicada shedding".

He began laying the final groundwork for his path to retirement.

Consciously, he displayed signs of being "overwhelmed" at court: during discussions he would occasionally zone out, coupled with frequent coughing; when submitting memorials he would deliberately make minor harmless mistakes; and when walking, his steps seemed a bit more insubstantial than before.

At the same time, he began frequently entering and leaving the capital's major drugstores, summoning many renowned physicians to his residence to "take his pulse." For a while, rumors that Wang Hui had "fallen ill from overwork" and "was in poor health" quietly spread through officialdom.

All this was done so silently and smoothly that even if anyone suspected, the long preparatory time meant no further investigation would follow.

Yet while Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) was meticulously laying his plans, the invisible political clouds over Chang'an grew ever thicker.

The new emperor, Li Heng, felt his apprehension and suspicion toward the retired emperor residing in Xingqing Palace reach their peak.

He ordered the guards of Xingqing Palace strengthened, nominally "protection" but in fact "soft confinement." Any official wishing to visit the retired emperor had to first obtain his personal approval as emperor.

He also followed the advice of his trusted eunuch Li Fuguo, using the pretext that "the retired emperor is advanced in age, Xingqing Palace is damp, unsuitable for recuperation," to forcibly move Li Longji to the more secluded, heavily guarded Ganlu Hall of the Taiqi Palace.

This series of actions reduced Li Longji to a literal "caged bird." The former Son of Heaven of the Tang Dynasty completely lost all channels of contact with the outside world.

And those who had once followed him, the "old ministers," found their days growing ever harder. Li Heng began, on various pretexts, to demote or dismiss them, gradually clearing them from the core of the court.

Wang Hui (Wang Xiu) keenly sensed this chill. He knew that Li Heng's sword was about to fall upon his own head.

Even though he, a "meritorious follower" Remonstrant Officer, had always been uncontentious, this awkward identity, this unstable factor, had become a thorn in Li Heng's eye.

He could wait no longer, for if he left the capital he would not be returning to his Jiangnan homeland but instead heading to Yunnan to breathe its malarial vapors.

That day, after morning court, Wang Hui did not return to his office as usual; instead, alone, he knelt outside the Taiqi Hall.

"Your subject, Remonstrant Officer Wang Hui, has a memorial to present."

His voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly all around. All the civil and military officials who had just dispersed from court and were about to leave stopped in their tracks, staring at him in astonishment.

What is he intending to do?

Soon, the emperor's edict was issued.

"Summon Wang Hui to appear before the throne."

Wang Hui straightened his attire, drew a deep breath, and with a coughing, weak gait entered the hall that symbolized the supreme power of the Tang Dynasty.

He knew this was not only for the latter half of his own life, but also for the first half of his sons' lives.

He needed to use his own "retreat" to exchange for the Wang family's "advance," to exchange for the family's future.

Therefore, this plan was called "advancing by retreating"!

(ps: In the rented house, the cold wind urges, the keyboard shatters the youth's return.

In the night of writer's block, coffee tears; amid the urging to update, I head north.

On the data list, readers withdraw; perfect attendance cannot outweigh the tears of hair loss.

The list's anonymity is not my defeat; the editor's advice to change, I do not regret.

Brothers, I've noticed a pattern: chapters released in the morning get far fewer urging-to-update comments; are you still not up? As a beast of burden, I'm already at my workstation by past eight!