Chapter 293: 291: Jiangxi's Literary World

The three celebrated courtesans were sent on their way. Once outside the Regional Commander's residence, all three let out a long breath.

Lin Xue clicked her tongue and said, "When he recited that poem, it truly frightened me."

"I wasn't frightened — I actually found it rather interesting," Liu Rushi said with a laugh. "In the past, whenever we discussed poetry and verse, host and guests always parted in perfect amity. Today is the first time someone has written a poem to admonish us."

Wang Wei couldn't help herself: "Mr. Zhao told us not to sing the old Song of Everlasting Sorrow, yet this poem of his own has much of Bai Letian's spirit."

Liu Rushi said, "Mr. Zhao cares about the common people's hardships, and he is one who unifies knowledge and action, so naturally his poetry is plain and direct. I find him utterly forthright, disdaining tortuous twists and turns — a style wholly different from that of ordinary literati."

The three women walked together, leaving the city for their inn, and saw standing outside the city walls a public notice pavilion.

There were also notice pavilions over by the docks, but those mostly posted commercial information, whereas the pavilion here carried more official proclamations.

Wang Wei drew close for a look and read aloud: "'The Luling County yamen is expanding recruitment by twelve policy observer positions. Observation term three months; board and lodging at one's own expense; may transfer to probationary clerk status. The six townships of Luling shall each expand recruitment by three policy observers…'" Having finished reading the notice, Wang Wei sighed and said, "Were I twenty years younger, I would certainly go and be one of these policy observers. Who knows, I might even become a county magistrate someday."

Having listened to Li Fenglai's explanations along the way, Liu Rushi already had some understanding of Jiangxi's governance. She said, "This notice has been battered to pieces by wind and rain; it must have been posted two or three months ago. For Luling County alone, thirty new probationary clerks are being added. It seems they really do mean to send out the army this summer."

Jiangxi was already capable of producing officials and clerks in batches, and Hunan and Guangdong were fast getting on track as well.

The larger the territory, the less the shortage of men.

Unfortunately, hidden perils were also multiplying — new and old officials and clerks, a motley mix of dragons and fish. Especially in remote counties and townships, the Discipline Office's reach fell short, and everything depended on the propaganda instructors and the peasant associations for oversight. And once land redistribution was complete, most of the propaganda instructors would be withdrawn, leaving only a propaganda section in each county yamen.

Starting this spring, the Regional Commander's residence Discipline Office established twelve discipline commissioners.

In groups of three, they draw lots to determine their direction, then travel incognito along that set bearing to inspect the various departments and counties. Somewhat akin to the Ming dynasty's Regional Inspectors, but without judicial authority, and they are not permitted to interfere in local affairs.

Lin Xue then read a second proclamation: "'Zhong An, Vice Town Chief of Wuxing Township, took as wife a woman of that township, née Huang. Of the mountain wasteland collectively reclaimed by Lijia Village, Vice Town Chief Zhong An colluded with Village Chief Li Long to allot an extra three mu each to the households of née Huang and Li Long. Upon investigation, Zhong An was found to have committed additional crimes of corruption, embezzling over sixty shi of paddy rice and over ninety shi of maize…'"

"'Following trial and judgment by the Luling County yamen: Zhong An is sentenced to penal exile as a miner; his wife, née Huang, is compelled to remarry. All land under Zhong An's personal name is confiscated; the two mu of land under née Huang's name are confiscated; half the land of née Huang's natal family is confiscated. Li Long is sentenced to penal exile as a miner…'"

Liu Rushi exclaimed in wonder, "For a mere six mu of wasteland, sixty shi of rice, and ninety shi of maize — two officials sent into penal exile?"

"Jiangxi's official discipline is truly strict," Lin Xue remarked with feeling.

Under ordinary circumstances, it really would not be this strict.

In this case, first, land was touched — an absolute red line was crossed. Second, the incident occurred in Wuxing Township, which is precisely where Zhao Han first raised his army!

Wang Wei said scornfully, "That vice town chief was truly a fool. For a few mu of wasteland and a hundred-odd shi of grain, he threw away his own future. According to what Steward Li said, to be a town chief in Jiangxi now means you'll be at least a department magistrate in the future, and very likely a prefect."

"The world is never short of such short-sighted people," Liu Rushi said with a smile.

Lin Xue laughed, "There are punishments, and there are rewards — here is a commendation order as well."

It turned out that at the Luling County armory, a craftsman had improved the technique for manufacturing rattan armor, shortening the curing period by three months. He was specially rewarded with five taels of silver, a three-grade wage increase, one mu of land, and selection as one of this year's "Ten Master Craftsmen."

Liu Rushi found it remarkable: "Even a craftsman receives such courteous treatment."

Wang Wei said with a smile, "If I were a craftsman, I too would exert myself to the utmost in service of Mr. Zhao."

The three celebrated courtesans found it more and more interesting the more they looked, and together they went to explore the market streets outside the city.

Their first destination was neither a jewelry shop nor a rouge and powder store, but rather they made straight for the nearest bookshop.

"Please come in, young ladies!"

The bookshop owner's eyes lit up, and he came over personally to attend to them — the fact was, these three women were simply too beautiful.

Liu Rushi said, "We are from out of town. Do you have any new books here?"

"Plenty of new books — right this way, young ladies." The bookshop owner was all eager attentiveness.

With just a casual glance, the three women discerned the difference.

In the bookshops of the Jiangnan region, in terms of sheer quantity, the first category was examination aids, the second was poetry and prose collections, and the third was drama scripts and novels.

Here, however, examination aids were practically nonexistent.

The entire bookshelf by the entrance held nothing but books on law, water conservancy, mathematics, official document writing, Great Unity theory, and agriculture.

Starting this spring, any official or clerk being promoted to county magistrate must pass an examination, and the above subjects are mandatory.

The main reason was that too many people had the seniority to become county magistrates, and no method of selection seemed fair — so they simply organized an examination.

Let those "probationary county magistrates" answer the questions. They weren't expected to answer everything; they just had to do better than the others. Those who placed at the top were given priority selection. (Anyone who failed the Great Unity theory section was immediately disqualified from this promotion opportunity.)

By now, the county magistrate examinations were already over. All that remained was to fight the war after the summer harvest, and as soon as new territory was taken, they would go at once to serve as county magistrates.

The news had been announced last winter, and booksellers everywhere, scenting opportunity, had printed large quantities of the relevant books.

It wasn't only those qualified to become county magistrates who came to buy them; many ordinary officials, clerks, and scholars also came to purchase books — after all, sooner or later, they would have to take the exam.

Gazing at those specialized books, Liu Rushi sighed and said, "The Restoration Society has always advocated practical learning, but it is Jiangxi that truly esteems practical learning."

Wang Wei moved over to the classics, histories, philosophers, and belles-lettres section. The traditional books were no different from those in Jiangnan, but there were quite a few recently printed literary collections.

"Sir, might you know what literary societies there are in Jiangxi?" Wang Wei asked.

The bookshop owner reeled them off like a catalog: "In Ji'an there is the White Egret Isle Society, the Fidelity Society, and the Beneath the Bamboo Society; in Nanchang there is the Hongdu Society, the Duck Society, and the Daybreak Society; in Jiujiang there is the River Province Society, the Flourishing Society…"

Wang Wei said in surprise, "So many literary societies?"

The bookshop owner smiled. "Many scholars of the great clans have no wish to toil over official documents, and so they do not go to apply for clerkships. Jiangxi, moreover, has no civil examinations, so they form societies to recite poetry and pass their days in the company of rivers, lakes, wind, and moonlight. Fiction and drama are also flourishing greatly — some scholars of fallen great clans make their living writing novels and plays. The Governor-General does look after such people: any printing house that does not pay an author's fee is forbidden to print that author's works without permission. Only twenty years after the original author's death may they be printed without consent."

Liu Rushi laughed. "That is a fine method, but can it be enforced?"

"It certainly cannot be fully enforced. The author must bring the accusation himself, and identify which printing house is doing the pirating," the bookshop owner said.

Liu Rushi casually pulled out a volume titled Collected Works from Beneath the Bamboo.

She opened it and read. Most of the contents were landscape and pastoral poems, and among them were not a few works venting grievances — between the lines one could discern discontent with Zhao Han's policies.

"Miss Wang Guan?" someone suddenly cried out in surprise.

Wang Guan was the name Wang Wei had used in her youth. She turned to look but had no recollection whatsoever. She smiled and said, "My greetings to you, sir."

The man was in his forties, with a handsome and upright appearance. He cupped his hands and said, "I am Wu Bing, courtesy name Kexian. More than twenty years ago, I had the honor of boating with you, miss, on Lake Tai."

"So it is Mr. Wu." Wang Wei still had no impression of him.

Wu Bing, however, was quite excited: "At the time, I was still a juren, and had the good fortune to accompany Master Meigong on a lake excursion."

Master Meigong was Chen Jiru, the author of Meditations by a Small Window. Wang Wei immediately recalled the occasion.

That said, there had been many people present, and she still had no impression of Wu Bing.

Wu Bing said with a smile, "I passed the jinshi examination in the forty-seventh year of Wanli, and thereafter was posted from place to place as an official. I have never again had the chance to behold Miss Wang Guan's celestial countenance."

One could understand Wu Bing's enthusiasm for Wang Wei. As an unremarkable juren in his youth, when he followed a group of luminaries on a lake outing, he could only sit in a corner and help liven things up, unable to leave any impression on this celebrated courtesan.

Wang Wei was also quite surprised. A jinshi of the forty-seventh year of Wanli should by now at least be a high provincial official — why was he wearing plain cotton clothes in Ji'an Prefecture?

Wu Bing took the initiative to explain: "When Mr. Zhao seized Nanchang Prefecture, I was the Jiangxi Provincial Education Commissioner. Now I hold no office; I am an external consultant to the Propaganda Department of the Regional Command. 'The Record of the Great Unity Journey' is my work. This spring I also wrote the play 'The Western Window Record,' likewise adapted from real people and events."

"I have been remiss, remiss!" Wang Wei hurriedly bowed.

Wu Bing's old home was also in Jiangnan. This fellow had sold off all his fields and brought his wife, concubines, and children to Jiangxi.

His son, at that awkward in-between age, was packed off by him to attend elementary school. His daughter married a town chief — a town chief of juren background, no less — who would most likely become a high official in the future.

As for himself, since 'The Record of the Great Unity Journey' caused a sensation, he simply devoted himself full-time to creating "revolutionary literature," and was even specially hired as a consultant by the Propaganda Department, frequently invited to cadre training classes to tell stories.

Have him serve as an official?

That was impossible. The officials under Zhao Han's governance worked far too hard, and Wu Bing, long accustomed to leisure, could not endure it.

Wu Bing invited the three celebrated courtesans to a teahouse and told them about Jiangxi's literary circles.

"Jiangxi writing falls into just three categories."

"The first is Great Unity writing. The most famous is undoubtedly 'The Legend of the White-Haired Girl.' At first there was only spoken drama, then it was adapted into opera, and last year someone wrote it as a novel. My own 'Record of the Great Unity Journey' also belongs to this category and can rank among the top three."

"The second is grievance writing — either their families have had their land redistributed, or they feel themselves unappreciated and frustrated."

"The third is virtue-extolling writing. Though these scholars hold no office, they support the Regional Commander's governance, and most are sons of merchant families. They say that in a mere twenty or thirty years, the Divine Land will surely return to the glory of the High Tang. These men are also archaists; whether in poetry, lyrics, or rhapsodies, they revere the High Tang as supreme. Just last month, over thirty scholars jointly submitted a petition to the Regional Command, urging the Regional Commander to dispatch troops soon and seize the Huai and Yangzi region."

Wang Wei asked: "May I inquire, sir, where a girls' school still lacks teachers — the closer to Ji'an Prefecture the better."

Wu Bing said: "Jishui County is just setting up its third girls' school. I can help write a letter of recommendation."

Wang Wei said happily: "Many thanks, sir!"

Liu Rushi suddenly interjected: "I want to go to the Luling county office to observe governance, and become a female official in the future!"

Everyone was utterly astonished.

Liu Rushi's aspirations were exceedingly high. Ever since parting with Chen Zilong, she had sworn to marry a man of even greater talent and learning.

She thought Zhao Han was not bad at all.

From today's brief contact, Liu Rushi had already figured out that Zhao Han did not care for reciting poetry or composing verses — he preferred those who could do practical work. She therefore resolved to become a female official: first, to realize her own life's value; second, to draw Zhao Han's attention.

(Seeking monthly tickets — double monthly tickets these few days.)

(End of chapter)