Chapter 10: Flaked

Early that morning, Diqi Biao was already prostrated in the Linqu Township temple, tearfully recounting how his family had been "bullied and humiliated" by the Diwu clan.

The old man seated upright behind the desk was none other than the Township Bailiff, Diyi Liu. Gaunt of face, with three long strands of beard, he cut an imposing figure. He held a bamboo-strip scroll in his hand, and without even glancing at the pitiful Diqi Biao, he said:

"You two brothers are truly foolish. Though the Diqi and Diliu have long since passed beyond the five degrees of mourning, you are still, by any reckoning, of the same lineage. To be accused of fraternal strife harms public morals. The County Magistrate naturally had no wish to see you litigate; suffering such humiliation serves you right. Take this lesson to heart from now on."

Diqi Biao kowtowed again. "We were indeed reckless, but Bailiff, the crux of the matter is not whether my family was right or wrong — it is by what right the Diwu clan interfered!"

"When my brother and I disputed water with the Diliu clan, even you, Bailiff, said nothing. Yet the Diwu clan insisted on meddling."

"Add to that their earlier reconciliation with the Diba clan, and now their aid to the Diliu clan — Diwu Ba and his grandson have no small ambition. They seek to wrest the position of senior lineage from you, Bailiff, and become the preeminent surname of the township!"

Diyi Liu merely smiled faintly and made no reply, waving his hand to indicate that Diqi Biao could leave.

Diqi Biao dared say no more and left the township temple with a heart full of unease.

The moment he was gone, Diyi Liu, who had been feigning rapt attention to his book, set down the scroll and rose. He paced the room with his hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought.

Diqi Biao's words had, after all, struck a chord.

The Diyi clan, as direct descendants of Tian Guang, King of Qi, had always regarded themselves as the senior lineage, with all the other families as junior branches.

Lately, the Diwu clan had suddenly become assertive — first reconciling with the Diba clan, then intervening in a water dispute between two wards. Diwu Ba possessed martial prowess, and Diwu Lun was currying public favor. Could it be that they truly intended to challenge the Diyi clan's standing within the lineage and the township?

But on reflection, Diyi Liu shook his head. "Become the preeminent surname of the township? The Diwu clan is not yet qualified."

In truth, the economic, land, and population gaps between families like the Diwu, Diqi, and Disi and the Diyi clan — the township magnates — were not actually that large. Yet for over a hundred years, they had been regarded merely as "ward magnates" and had never been able to catch up to the Diyi clan. There was a reason for this.

Because a powerful family could not be judged by wealth alone; one had to consider its pedigree and its family scholarship.

Powerful families often erected two pillars flanking their main gate. The left pillar was called "pedigree," the right "achievement." Clarifying rank was pedigree; accumulating days of service was achievement — in other words, the official posts and deeds of one's ancestors.

Of course, Tian Rong and Tian Guang, the Kings of Qi during the Chu-Han Contention, could not be counted. Starting from the westward migration, the Diyi clan had produced one County Magistrate, two Assistant Magistrates, and one Palace Gentleman — though this last had been purchased with grain contributions during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, a purchased gentleman was still a gentleman!

In contrast, the highest official post among the Diwu clan's ancestors was Township Bailiff. They would be too embarrassed to even erect pedigree and achievement pillars before their gate.

As for family scholarship, it was the learning passed down through generations of a clan. Through hard effort, the Diba clan had managed to establish themselves as transmitters of classical learning, taking the Imperial Academy route. Though their scholarship was mediocre and their teachers were not recognized by serious classical masters, this was the path chosen by most Guanzhong magnates.

The Diyi clan was more distinctive. Their family transmitted the Greater Du Code from the Han dynasty, compiled by Imperial Counselor Du Zhou during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Only thus could they repeatedly produce County Magistrates and Assistant Magistrates.

To put it plainly, a clan could not rely on hard power alone; it also needed soft power. Otherwise, wealth rarely survived three generations.

Regrettably, after the founding of the Xin Dynasty, many laws and ordinances were changed, dealing the Diyi clan a severe blow. Diyi Liu had only managed to become a Township Bailiff.

Though the family had declined, its deep heritage remained. It regarded the key levers of power in the township as its exclusive preserve, and it alone possessed the strength to "arbitrarily decide local disputes." It naturally looked down on relatives like the Diwu clan, who lacked pedigree, achievement, and family scholarship.

It was precisely because of this disdain that Diyi Liu did not heed Diqi Biao's instigation and grow overly wary of the Diwu clan. He merely felt that...

"Since last month, that Diwu brat has indeed been jumping up and down excessively. For our family and lineage, this is not a good thing. It is time to teach him a lesson, to show him the harshness of the world, and restore his proper humility as a junior branch."

Yesterday, the county sent word that Diwu Lun had been appointed the new Filial and Fraternal Exemplar for this township. According to past custom, he would come today to pay his respects to the Township Bailiff and the Elders.

So when the Township Assistant came to report that the Elders and others were discussing holding a welcoming feast and how to prepare the meal, Diyi Liu merely said flatly, "Diwu Lun is a grandson of my lineage. There is no need to stand on such ceremony."

"Furthermore, the township's clerical staff is not fixed. If we held a feast for every arrival and departure, it would be far too extravagant and not in keeping with the frugality in office advocated by the Commandery Governor. Such unnecessary social engagements — let us dispense with them today."

The Township Assistant was taken aback, but the Bailiff spoke again.

"Also, when the Filial and Fraternal Exemplar arrives, let him come pay his respects to me and the Elders on his own. The rest of you continue handling official business; there is no need to go out and greet him. This year's harvest in the township has been poor, and we should be reproaching ourselves. Therefore, let everything be kept simple, with no need to embellish the rites."

The Township Assistant understood. The Bailiff intended to make things difficult for Diwu Lun, to make him understand his place!

Having prepared this show of force for Diwu Lun, Diyi Liu returned to his desk and continued pretending to leaf through bamboo slips. But his mind was no longer on those legal clauses and sentences; he kept thinking about how to humiliate Diwu Lun later.

"The Bailiff and the Elders are all senior officials. When Diwu Lun takes up his post, he must, upon first alighting from his carriage, come to pay his respects."

Although they all used the half-seal, there were still ranks and grades, and Diyi Liu intended to exploit precisely this.

Diyi Liu began to imagine it: Diwu Lun, wearing his small half-seal and carrying the arrogance of having subdued the Diqi clan the day before, would arrive at the township temple expecting a line of people holding registers to greet him at the main gate — only to find it utterly deserted.

And once Diwu Lun entered the township temple, the Township Assistants, having received Diyi Liu's instructions, would surely treat him as air, bustling past with lowered heads without so much as a greeting. A mere seventeen-year-old brat like Diwu Lun, having never seen such a scene, could only look around in bewilderment. No matter whom he called, no one would pay him any heed. In the end, he would have no choice but to obediently come to the courtyard where the Bailiff was and bow in submission...

After that, Diyi Liu still had a few tricks up his sleeve — the kind that made one suffer in silence — to torment the brat. He would collude with the Elders to dump all the most troublesome ward disputes, piled up mountain-high on the desks, onto the newly arrived Filial and Fraternal Exemplar, ensuring he had not a moment's rest each day, toiling without gratitude.

"You like meddling in others' affairs, do you? Then I'll give you your fill!"

And whenever something occurred in the township that harmed public morals, he would directly shift the blame onto Diwu Lun, making him slink in and slink out in disgrace.

"Bailiff? Bailiff?"

As someone knocked on the door, the daydream came to an abrupt halt. It turned out Diyi Liu had fallen asleep slumped over his desk. He hurriedly sat upright, hastily wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth with his wide sleeve, coughed once, and resumed his sanctimonious demeanor. "Enter."

But Diyi Liu's solemn expression was wasted. The one pushing open the door was not Diwu Lun, but a subordinate clerk. He glanced at the marks the bamboo slips had left on Diyi Liu's face, suppressed a laugh, and reported that the meal was ready.

"What time is it?"

Learning that it was already the afternoon meal hour (3:00–5:00 PM), Diyi Liu was quite surprised. On further inquiry, Diwu Lun still had not come to report in!

"Could it be that he guessed I intended to make things difficult for him, and so deliberately waited until the meal hour to come, to avoid embarrassment?"

Naive!

Diyi Liu immediately ordered the clerk to serve the meal at once. He hastily wolfed down a few bites. When Diwu Lun arrived, he would have the kitchen claim they had cooked too little rice today and that there was no food left, forcing him to process that pile of bamboo slips on an empty stomach all night!

But by the time the meal hour ended, there was still no sign of Diwu Lun.

Now Diyi Liu's displeasure deepened. He said to the Township Elder, who still had soup clinging to his beard, "To be so indolent on his second day in office — this Filial and Fraternal Exemplar Diwu certainly puts on great official airs!"

"Indeed, indeed." The Elder, the Diligent Farmer, and all the Township Assistants murmured their assent, indicating they all stood with the Bailiff.

Diyi Liu secretly rejoiced again. Diwu Lun was utterly inept at handling people. Such negligence would make him offend all the clerks and leave him isolated by everyone!

The Diwu clan truly was a family without deep heritage. Not worth worrying about, not worth worrying about.

In the end, Diwu Lun did not appear until the sun was nearly setting. Instead, it was the Township Patrol Officer, returning from escorting bandits to the county seat to be handed over, who brought Diyi Liu a major piece of news.

"No need to wait for the new Filial and Fraternal Exemplar. The Assistant Magistrate asked me to pass along a message to you, Bailiff: Diwu Lun returned his seal as early as yesterday, tendered his resignation to the County Magistrate, and went home!"

"What? You're saying Diwu Lun resigned... resigned before even taking office?"

Diyi Liu had never expected this. The County Magistrate had only informed everyone this morning, so the township had been unaware.

"That's right. Now everyone in the county seat is calling him the 'Half-Day Filial and Fraternal Exemplar.'"

The Township Patrol Officer was a rough fellow and failed to read the room. He laughed and said, "The county folk praise Diwu Lun for 'twice yielding and once resigning' — first yielding the pear, then yielding the academy seat, and now resigning an official post. He truly regards fame and fortune as dirt."

At this, everyone looked at each other in dismay, and Diyi Liu was utterly mortified.

So since Diwu Lun had resigned, all the preparations he had made today to make things difficult for Diwu Lun — wasn't that just a battle of wits against thin air?

But outwardly, Diyi Liu remained impassive, merely saying flatly, "Since the new Filial and Fraternal Exemplar thinks our humble township office too small and refuses to condescend to stay, there is nothing to be done. Gentlemen, it is getting late. Aside from the assistant clerks on night duty, the rest of you may all go home."

After everyone had left and Diyi Liu returned to his room, he immediately tore off his mask of indifference and trembled with rage. A whole day of mentally rehearsing open slights and covert humiliations for Diwu Lun had, upon suddenly finding his target gone, turned into a backlash of shame and fury intertwined.

"Diwu whelp, you have insulted me beyond bearing!"

This feeling of being utterly let down is something only those who have been deeply stood up can understand.

Unlike his dismissiveness that morning, Diyi Liu now grew serious. He resolved to teach Diwu Lun a proper lesson, make him pay for his arrogance, and further suppress the insolent swagger of the Diwu clan — to let them know who the true master of Linqu Township really was!

Diyi Liu merely tugged at his beard and mused, "The County Magistrate made an exception to promote Diwu Lun to Township Filial and Fraternal Exemplar, yet Diwu Lun showed no gratitude and simply resigned outright. Such rashness puts the County Magistrate in a very awkward position. Presumably, Xianyu Bao is also greatly angered. If someone with no ties of kinship or friendship to him were to report the Diwu clan's unlawful deeds to the commandery, and the evidence were conclusive, the County Magistrate would likely not step forward to shield him again."

And the Commandery Merit Evaluator happened to be a marriage relation of the Diyi clan.

As expected of someone who had studied the law, he knew exactly which statutes could be used to ruin a man. After a moment's thought, Diyi Liu devised a vicious scheme and summoned a trusted aide. "Go, invite the head of the Disi clan here!"

Diwu Lun had no idea that he had just missed an elaborately staged workplace initiation hazing experience.

Still less did he know that he had just stood up a man who had waited for him an entire day.

Having rushed back and forth all day yesterday, Diwu Lun was utterly exhausted. Ever since the transmigration, his body had become extremely prone to drowsiness, so today he caught up on sleep at home, sleeping soundly.

Diwu Ba doted on his grandson. Their family was not one that transmitted the Confucian classics through the generations, so they would not blow a midday nap out of proportion and denounce it as "rotten wood that cannot be carved," nor did he have anyone wake him.

He slept straight through until the afternoon feeding hour. Only then did Diwu Lun rub his eyes and come to attend the internal meeting of the Diwu clan's main branch. The topic was the construction of the village shrine after the busy farming season.

Though still drowsy, Diwu Lun would not let it delay proper business. The ideas were all in his head. Holding a tree branch, he sketched several rough diagrams in the courtyard for Diwu Ba, his uncles and cousins, and craftsmen like Chou Gaonu, his expression every inch that of a capitalist.

"Since the farming off-season lasts many days and the provisions supplied are ample, we must not content ourselves with merely renovating the village shrine!"

Meanwhile, Xianyu Bao, who was indeed somewhat displeased by Diwu Lun's rash resignation, received an order from the commandery.

The man sent to deliver the message was the Commandery Literary Clerk, Jing Dan, a native of Shiting County (Yueyang County) in Shiwei Commandery.

Jing Dan, courtesy name Sunqing, was around thirty years of age and had been a student at the Imperial Academy in Chang'an. His features were unremarkable, but his voice left a deep impression. Not only did he speak in an exceedingly standard Elegant Speech, but his voice was resonant and richly magnetic.

"County Magistrate Xianyu, the Commandery Lord summons you on a matter!"

PS: Didn't stand you up. Begging for recommendation tickets.

Thanks to alliance leader "Weepy Obedient Baby" and the other readers for their tips.