Chapter 223: Instant Kinship, the Carp Transforms into a Dragon (Begging for monthly tickets

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the capital grew ever colder.

Qian Changle tightened the new cotton straight-hemmed robe he was wearing and walked with a spring in his step along the streets of the inner city.

He had risen early today and deliberately taken a long detour, entering the city through Fucheng Gate on the western side of the inner city, all to avoid the crowded, filthy stretch of road at the Mule and Horse Market and Vegetable Market Junction.

For no other reason than to cherish the new clothes and new shoes his sister-in-law, Madam Wang, had rushed to make for him over the past ten-odd days.

The cotton robe was nothing costly, but the stitching was fine and close; worn on his body, it was both respectable and warm.

His sister-in-law had even gone so far as to smoke it carefully with incense, making absolutely sure not a trace of that Yongchang coal odor remained.

Ever since his family's fortunes had declined, he had not worn clothes this fine in a very long time.

Turning the corner past Guangji Temple, the construction site on Xuanwu Gate Avenue was as bustling as ever.

Many sturdy laborers were digging trenches and relaying stone slabs, while the old, the weak, women, and children took care of other, lighter tasks.

Qian Changle walked cautiously along the edge of the trench, fearful of dirtying his new shoes.

A clerk from Shuntian Prefecture, dressed in a clerk's robe with an iron ruler hanging at his waist, stood with arms akimbo, barking orders at the laborers.

Perhaps too caught up in his tirade, he failed to notice what was behind him; his foot slipped on empty air, and he began to topple toward the freshly dug trench beside him.

Had he taken that fall solidly, he would have been in pain for a good long while.

"Watch out!"

Qian Changle was quick of eye and hand; in one swift stride he was there, steadying the clerk by the arm.

The clerk, still in shock and pale as a sheet, turned to see that the one who had caught him was a young man with fine, clear features. He hurriedly cupped his hands: "Many thanks to this—many thanks to this young brother."

"A mere lift of the hand, nothing worth mentioning." Qian Changle released his grip and smiled.

Who knows, we might even be colleagues.

The clerk collected himself and was about to exchange a few more pleasantries when his gaze shifted and fell back upon the worksite.

The look of gratitude on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a cutting, overbearing authority.

"Are you blind as dogs? Can't you see that rock is about to roll into the trench?"

"Get it cleared away at once! Delaying my work is a small matter, but if you hold up the officials going to court, let's see how you deal with that!"

He raged and cursed, his fury still unspent, then pointed at a basket of freshly delivered crushed stone.

"And this stone—look at the size of these chunks, how are we supposed to fill with that? I told you to break them up before using them, don't you understand human speech?"

"Carry it back! Tell that fellow Wang at the stone-crushing yard that if he dares send material like this again, I'll go before the Vice Prefect and charge him with dereliction of duty!"

He spat on the ground again and went on cursing and grumbling.

"The clerk examinations are all done, and you still dare to be this negligent in your duties—truly, your ballsack has blinded your heart, and your cock-hairs have plugged your eyes."

"If you're rushing to your deaths, don't drag me down with you!"

The laborers, silenced like cicadas in winter, scrambled in a flurry to carry the basket of stone away.

Qian Changle stood quietly to one side, watching the clerk's manner. He felt no contempt in his heart; instead, a powerful sense of anticipation surged up.

What would his own future posting be?

Would it be like the man before him—staying in the capital, responsible for repairing roads, managing canals, overseeing the baojia system, or inspecting commercial taxes?

Or would it be—being sent out to the provinces?

If he absolutely had to be sent out—

Qian Changle hardened his heart.

Then may Heaven grant that he be assigned to Yongping Prefecture.

When that time came, he would let that once-high-and-mighty Old Master Zhang know the meaning of the saying:

A county magistrate who ruins a family, a clerk who exterminates a household!

The Qian family would, beginning with him, return to Yongping Prefecture in glory and splendor!

These ten days had been the most wondrous ten days of Qian Changle's life.

Ever since the imperial notice announcing the successful candidates of the clerk examination had been posted, his name, Qian Changle, had become the hottest topic of conversation in Centurion Ji's village in Wanping County.

Of course, passing the clerk selection was not, in itself, anything particularly remarkable.

But Centurion Ji's village was not a particularly large place, either!

The entire village, all told, numbered no more than a thousand souls.

Most crucially, he had placed one hundredth! That was simply too dramatic!

His elder brother, Qian Changping, these past few days—who knows how many times he had been sitting somewhere and suddenly burst out laughing for no reason.

Though this ranking was at the very bottom of the list, barely hanging on at the tail end, passing was passing!

For a farming lad who was not even a xiucai, this was already a tremendous, heaven-sent joy.

As the saying goes, when your name falls behind Sun Shan, sorrow follows.

But what if you yourself are that Sun Shan? Then only joy remains, and no sorrow at all.

The confusion and uncertainty outside the Examination Hall, the resentment beneath the bedcovers, and that unwashed pair of underpants—all had long since been washed clean by this sudden, overwhelming happiness.

In these ten days, the threshold of the Qian family's little courtyard had nearly been worn down by footsteps.

His family had moved here as outsiders only a bit over ten years ago and had always been somewhat estranged from the village—not exactly hated, but certainly never close.

But now, everything had changed.

The first to come was Master Wang, who not only gave him that copy of the Categorized Penal Code but also threw in a half-worn set of the Four Books, earnestly exhorting him that "now that you have entered public service, you must study the sages' books all the more diligently, and never forget your roots."

The village head came carrying a clucking old hen, saying that if you tended this hen well, she'd lay an egg every three days—the most nourishing thing there is.

The local country squire, Old Master Li, also broke with precedent and had his steward deliver a bolt of blue cloth.

What pleased his elder brother and sister-in-law most of all was that a matchmaker also came calling, proposing daughters from several well-to-do farming families, one after another.

The neighbors were even more enthusiastic: today they'd bring half a jin of charcoal for the winter, tomorrow a few eggs they had saved up.

Truly, poverty in a bustling market leaves you unasked-after; wealth in the deepest mountains brings distant kin.

The warmth and coldness of human relations — to think it comes to this!

Of course, Qian Changle knew in his heart that all this bustle could never compare to true official rank.

If he passed the xiucai examination, the matchmaker would not be proposing a farmer's daughter, but rather the niece of Old Master Li, still waiting in her chamber.

If he could pass the juren examination, then Old Master Li himself would have to come in person to curry favor and fawn upon him.

A clerk, after all, is still just a clerk.

But even so, it was enough to lift this impoverished household a single step into sufficiency.

Qian Changle was in high spirits, his feet swift, and soon the towering gate tower of Zhengyang Gate loomed distantly in sight.

North of Zhengyang Gate, a broad open square stretched before the eyes — this was Chessboard Street.

This place sat at the very center of the capital, gripping the throat between north and south.

To the north it touched the Gate of Great Ming, the imperial way of the Son of Heaven, the pivot for the passage of the imperial carriage; to the south it led to Zhengyang Gate, running straight through to the bustle of the Outer City. East and west, moreover, were vital and strategic grounds: the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, the Chief Military Commission of the Five Armies, the Hanlin Academy, and other government offices stood in dense array. Thousands of civil and military officials handled state affairs here daily, and the capital's imperial guard patrolled with halberds here day and night.

As for the bustle of the marketplace, though the capital had the flowing lights of Lantern Market and the clamor of City God Temple Market, compared to this place, they all paled into dullness.

On Chessboard Street, official sedan chairs and street vendors interwove; imperial edicts and market cries mingled; rare goods from the four seas converged; the sentiments of the Nine Provinces gathered — truly the foremost place of elegance and wealth in the capital.

And this was the place Qian Changle would pass through every day for the coming month.

But for now, he had to first walk east a little, enter the Ministry of Personnel compound, and find that so-called "training room."

The entrance was not hard to find. The hour approached dawn, and the hundred officials had already begun arriving for duty one after another.

Following the stream of crimson, purple, blue, and black official robes, Qian Changle soon arrived before the Ministry of Personnel compound.

Yet, when he truly stood before this architectural complex that was the pinnacle of Great Ming civil official power, an indescribable timidity suddenly welled up from the bottom of his heart.

In this lifetime, Qian Changle had never set foot in such a place.

Every brick and tile here seemed to exude an awe-inspiring majesty that warned strangers away.

Even the ministers and clerks going in and out seemed more stern — and more terrifying — than those at other government offices.

Qian Changle hesitated for a long while, but ultimately feared missing the reporting hour. Only then did he finally grit his teeth and prepare to summon the courage to step inside.

"This brother, please hold your step!"

A hearty voice came from beside him.

Qian Changle turned at the sound and saw a young man about his own age, looking at him with a face full of smiles.

The young man wore a sapphire-blue silk long gown, draped with a black cape, his figure tall and straight, his bearing extraordinary.

Behind him followed two young servants in blue, clearly the scion of a wealthy household.

"Brother, could it be that you too passed the clerk examination and are here at the Ministry of Personnel for training today?" The young man cupped his hands in greeting.

Qian Changle hurriedly returned the courtesy. "Exactly so. I am Qian Changle, courtesy name Yong'an, a man of Wanping County, residing at Centurion Ji's Village outside You'an Gate."

"A pleasure, a pleasure," the young man laughed. "I am Wu Yanzuo, courtesy name Mengju, a man of Daxing County, residing by Chongwen Gate. My father has some slight renown, known to people as Wu Goldfoil."

At these words, Qian Changle could not help but feel a violent shock in his heart, and he looked the man before him over anew.

The son of Wu Goldfoil — how could he also come to take this clerk selection examination? Had he gone mad?

Wu Goldfoil was a wealthy merchant of the capital.

How wealthy?

When the late emperor built the Three Great Halls and needed gold foil, he borrowed from this man — rumor had it he borrowed as much as two million.

No matter who else Qian Changle did not know, he absolutely could not fail to know such a magnate!

After all — had it not been for this clerk examination, he would have been going to a shop to become an apprentice.

And the shop originally designated for him, placed before Wu Goldfoil, was probably like Great Ming compared to Yelang — utterly beyond comparison.

In an instant, Qian Changle felt utterly ashamed of himself, and even the new clothes on his body seemed to grow dull and lusterless.

Wu Yanzuo, as if seeing through his thoughts, laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Brother Yong'an, there is no need for this. Though my father has some modest wealth, I am merely his seventh son, and my mother is not favored — just an ordinary man, that is all."

He turned back and instructed the two servants, "You may return. I am to begin duty today; there is no need to attend me further."

The two servants bowed in acknowledgment and turned to leave.

Only then did Wu Yanzuo turn back and warmly throw an arm around Qian Changle's shoulder. "Brother Yong'an, I saw you hesitating here for quite some time — could it be you do not know the way? Just as well, you and I can go together, and have company on the road."

His warmth and easy familiarity slightly diluted Qian Changle's reserve and self-abasement.

"In that case, I thank you, Brother Mengju."

Under Wu Yanzuo's guidance, the two easily found the duty room the Ministry of Personnel had specially prepared for newly selected clerks.

Inside the room, several dozen people had already arrived, gathered in twos and threes, conversing in low voices.

Seeing Wu Yanzuo enter, quite a few people took the initiative to step forward and greet him.

Wu Yanzuo was a man of the world, handling it all with ease, and soon became the center of a small circle.

Qian Changle stood at the periphery of the crowd, somewhat distracted by the conversation within the circle, paying more attention to the reactions of those around him.

He waited a moment, and seeing that no one suddenly remarked on smelling any pungent smoke odor, he finally relaxed a little and squeezed toward the center.

For today's training matter, his elder brother and sister-in-law had deliberately stopped using their homemade Yongchang coal three days in advance, and instead went to the Fuel Depot to buy official briquettes to burn.

As it now appeared, there truly was none of that choking smell anymore.

Just as he squeezed in, he heard someone in the crowd ask curiously.

"Brother Mengju, with your esteemed father's capabilities, securing a future for you would be as easy as turning over a hand. Why suffer to take this clerk examination with the rest of us?"

Wu Yanzuo sighed and spoke.

"Don't bring it up. A few days ago, my father donated twenty thousand taels of gold to the court for road repairs. His Majesty showed grace and bestowed the post of Secretary of the Central Drafting Office, which went to my eldest brother."

He spread his hands, a face full of helplessness.

"I am merely the seventh son, and my mother is not favored, so my father sent me off to take this examination, saying it was to temper me."

At this point, Wu Yanzuo lowered his voice. "To be honest with you all, during the examination, I had originally intended to deliberately fail. I made a point of writing at great length about how the exam cell patrolman solicited bribes — who knew — ah, fate makes fools of men!"

The crowd, hearing this, was first stunned. They had not expected this to be his reason, and for a moment did not know how to respond.

But then Wu Yanzuo shifted his tone, clasped his hands toward the group, and said with utter sincerity, "However, you gentlemen are not like me."

"I am a man of shortcuts and tricks, lazy and useless — but you are true men of iron courage and loyal integrity, daring to speak out for righteousness."

"In all my life, what I admire most are heroes such as you! Should you ever need anything, wherever you can make use of me, I will never say a word of refusal!"

This speech stirred everyone's hearts to fervor, and they all praised Wu Yanzuo as a man whose single promise was worth a thousand in gold, his heroic spirit soaring to the clouds.

Listening to these words from the side, Qian Changle felt for a moment that this man was truly amiable and approachable — utterly unlike those rich young masters he had spoken with outside the examination hall ten days ago.

After another while, everyone had gradually arrived, and the noisy duty room slowly quieted down. Each person found a seat and sat down.

Qian Changle had wanted to sit at the very front, so he could hear more clearly.

But Wu Yanzuo grabbed hold of him and pointed to a corner in the very last row. "Brother Qian, sit at the back — it's quieter back there."

Qian Changle could not overrule him, and was reluctant to part with this newly made "friend," so he had no choice but to accompany him to the rearmost spot.

When the bell had tolled three times, the training was at last about to begin.

Two figures, one in front and one behind, walked into the duty room.

Everyone hurriedly rose to offer their salutations.

Qian Changle's eyesight was excellent; raising his gaze, he saw the two men with perfect clarity.

The one in the lead wore a bright-red changfu-style informal robe, a jade belt bound at his waist, and a sable-and-cicada cap upon his head. His face was lean and spare, with a few sparse, short whiskers beneath his chin.

Behind him came a civil official in a blue official robe, his bearing refined and scholarly — yet for some reason he had two deep dark circles under his eyes, which marred his overall presence.

Wu Yanzuo, a man of broad experience, had already murmured the identities of the two men.

"It's Eunuch Liu Ruoyu, the brush-holder of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and His Excellency Ni Yuanlu of the Hanlin Academy!"

Qian Changle's heart stirred.

Ni Yuanlu he knew of — that memorial "The Dispute Between Men and Land" that had stirred the whole realm had come from his hand and those of four others.

In the Great Ming Times a few days ago, when it rebuked the scholars for their joint petition, it had used the five of them as an example.

That line in the newspaper had been so bitingly caustic that it remained deeply impressed on his mind even now:

A single fierce tiger needs no pack of jackals; a true dragon, what use has it for a hundred earthworms? Five men like Lord Ni can shake the world — a hundred mediocrities? Ha! No more than ants swarming to carrion!

At any rate, the newspaper said that henceforth, any joint public letter could involve no more than five people — and this case was cited as the precedent.

Who would have thought that figures like these, celestial stars of literature descended to the mortal world, would actually come to lecture them?

As for that Eunuch Liu —

Qian Changle felt he had seen that name in some issue of the Great Ming Times, but for the moment he could not recall.

He was merely a little curious: so eunuchs could have beards after all?

Never mind the many thoughts running through Qian Changle's mind in that corner of the classroom.

On the platform, Liu Ruoyu and Ni Yuanlu exchanged a glance. The former smiled faintly. "Your Excellency Ni, shall this slave go first?"

Ni Yuanlu clasped his hands in salute and said with a smile, "That is only proper. Please, Eunuch."

Liu Ruoyu nodded, then turned around, his sharp gaze slowly sweeping across the hundred newly promoted clerks assembled there.

He cleared his throat and began to speak, slowly.

"In His Majesty's eyes, the fact that you were able to speak out directly against the ills of the times in your examination papers — regardless of your present insight or ability — marks you all as fine uncut jade."

"However, as the Book of Rites says: 'If jade is not cut, it cannot become a vessel.'"

"This slave, Liu Ruoyu, brush-holder of the Directorate of Ceremonial, having today received His Majesty's decree, has come to deliver upon you the first cut of this carving."

His voice dropped abruptly, carrying with it a natural weight of oppressive pressure.

"And this first cut asks not of essays, nor of policy discourse — it asks only of your original heart!"

"In today's lesson, this slave asks but a single question."

Liu Ruoyu swept his gaze across the entire hall, his eyes like lightning, and hurled out the opening line of the lecture he had firmly memorized, one word at a time: "What — is — your — aspiration?"