Chapter 17: Too Hasty

The Grand Governor of Liewei Commandery was named Zhang Zhan, courtesy name Zixiao, also a man from Guanzhong, whose home was in Guangli County of Jingwei Commandery.

Zhang Zhan had already held a two-thousand-dan rank under the former dynasty's Emperors Cheng and Ai; after the Xin Dynasty was established, he came to Liewei Commandery to take up his post. On the surface it was a lateral transfer, but in reality it was a demotion. It was simply because Zhang Zhan was rigid and upright by nature, and had not followed the tide by presenting auspicious omens and prophetic texts to flatter Wang Mang, so he was not enfeoffed with a five-rank noble title and only managed to get a Neighborhood Marquis, equivalent to a Pass Inner Marquis of the Former Han.

Zhang Zhan did not wallow in self-pity or pine for the former dynasty, but still diligently carried out his duties. Two years ago, when the Jing River silted up and changed course, had he not actively provided disaster relief, it would likely have led to an even greater calamity and more deaths.

Yet in the eyes of the commandery's people, Grand Governor Zhang was far too solemn, forever keeping a stern face — so he was when deliberating with his bureau heads, so he was when he returned home and dealt with his wife, and even so when he sat alone in his private chamber.

His official robes were arranged impeccably neat, every crease smoothed flat; his tall cap was worn perfectly straight, its ribbon tied in a very rigid knot right behind the pointed beard on his chin. In ten years, there had been no change whatsoever, so the people of Guanzhong gave him a nickname.

"Zhang Zixiao, the Model of the Three Adjuncts!"

When Jing Dan returned to report, Zhang Zhan remained as solemn and stern-faced as ever, until Jing Dan reported that Diwu Lun had politely declined the summons — only then did a flicker of surprise cross that poker face of his.

As commandery governor, sending a trusted bureau head to summon an unranked youth from a minor landowning family — this was a chance for advancement that countless people begged for. Most would accept with fearful gratitude and take up the post that very day, yet Diwu Lun had actually chosen to refuse?

Diwu Lun's prior record of declining study and refusing the Filial and Fraternal nomination had given Zhang Zhan a little mental preparation. He did not grow angry, but merely asked: "Did that youth give a reason?"

He rather wanted to hear it — was Diwu Lun going to claim he had to care for his aged grandfather at home and could not travel far, or some other worn-out excuse?

Jing Dan, however, said: "Diwu Lun stated that he is young and has read little; his person is not yet cultivated, his family not yet regulated — how could he rashly become a clerk and assist the governor in governing the commandery?"

Cultivation, regulation, ordering, pacification — these are words from the Book of Rites, and also the life creed of a Confucian official.

"'From the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all must take self-cultivation as the root. When the person is cultivated, the family is regulated; when the family is regulated, the state is ordered; when the state is ordered, all under Heaven is at peace.' These words are indeed correct."

Zhang Zhan said: "And Diwu Lun has already done quite well in self-cultivation. He values his clan, possesses filial and fraternal virtue, rushes to aid those in need, and his reputation is known throughout the county and township — that is precisely why I sent you, Sunqing, to summon him as a clerk. Yet he actually says his family is not regulated, so he will not serve as a clerk?"

He gave a cold snort: "In the former dynasty, under Emperors Zhao and Xuan, the Grand General Huo Guang ordered the state with such skill that he nearly pacified all under Heaven. But because he was unlearned and unskilled, Huo Guang could not even regulate his own family, raising a wayward wife, arrogant daughters, and lawless servants, bringing the calamity of clan extermination upon the Huo house. This shows how difficult regulating a family is. A mere youth, yet his tone is quite grand."

In Zhang Zhan's view, self-cultivation and family regulation were not contradictory to state governance — all were lifelong pursuits, and one absolutely did not need to complete the previous stage before entering the next.

Jing Dan responded: "My lord's words are reasonable, but from what your subordinate has seen with his own eyes, Diwu Lun has indeed done exceptionally well in regulating his family."

"Oh? It actually deserves Sunqing's praise of 'exceptionally well'?" Zhang Zhan's interest was piqued. He trusted Jing Sunqing deeply; others might be jealous and obscure worthies, but Jing Dan would not.

Jing Dan then first recounted Diwu Lun's establishment of the communal granary, a most interesting measure. After hearing it, Zhang Zhan sighed with emotion: "In the former dynasty, Bao Xuan once said that the people face seven flights and seven deaths. One of the flights is when yin and yang are out of harmony, and flood or drought brings disaster."

From the reigns of Cheng and Ai straight through to the present dynasty, for several decades now, this first flight that forces the common people to abandon their homes and wander has still not been properly alleviated; on the contrary, it has grown ever more severe as natural disasters intensify. The Former Han's Ever-Normal Granary system had long been abolished, and the localities could only treat the head when the head ached and treat the foot when the foot ached. Two years ago, when the Jing River disaster struck, Zhang Zhan had suffered from it deeply.

As Grand Governor, he was indeed very dutiful and exhausted all his strength to aid the disaster victims. But because there was no long-term planning, the relief grain only lasted a few meals. Facing land washed away by the great flood, how could the victims possibly survive until the next year? And so, after the disaster relief officials withdrew, one scene of human tragedy after another unfolded.

The communal granary of Diwu Village, however, was clearly a path of "self-rescue" through clan and community pooling.

Zhang Zhan stroked his beard and said: "This communal granary carries on the intent of the Ever-Normal Granary established by Grand Minister of Agriculture Geng Shouchang in the former dynasty under Emperor Xuan. It does no harm to the public, and benefits the private — very good."

Then Jing Dan spoke of how Diwu Lun lent oxen and plows to the poor.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhan praised again: "The fourth of the seven flights Bao Xuan spoke of is when powerful and great clans encroach insatiably, so that the rich hold continuous acres while the poor and lowly have not even a pinpoint of land to stand on. Diwu Lun, as the young master of a village magnate family, instead acts in the opposite way. Relieving disaster and showing compassion to neighbors — this is the Dao. Walk in the Dao and you shall have good fortune. No wonder his family's reputation is so good in the township."

The age of the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han had passed. After the reigns of Yuan and Cheng, the central government could no longer reach every village and hamlet; the administrative cost of a big government that managed everything was too high, and a dynasty in decline could only shrink and shrink again. Such charitable deeds by powerful local families were not only free of suspicion and suppression by the commandery and county, but were actually encouraged.

Jing Dan hesitated a moment, then still brought up how Diwu Lun had coincidentally matched the sage Son of Heaven Wang Mang's idea of separating latrines by sex.

"There was actually such a coincidence?"

Zhang Zhan opposed separating men and women on the roads — was that not sheer nonsense? — but he did support dividing public latrines by sex. He merely praised: "First they established a communal granary to ensure no deaths in famine years, then they lent oxen and plows to guarantee deep plowing and a rich harvest, and now at last they are beginning to understand the distinction between men and women. 'When clothing and food are sufficient, they know honor and shame' — this saying describes Diwu Village."

As for the community school that Jing Dan mentioned last, that was "when granaries are full, they know ritual and propriety." Diwu Village was showing signs of becoming a model village for the entire commandery.

But Jing Dan had seen that the community school had not yet been implemented and did not know what its effects would be, so he only mentioned it briefly. He did, however, remember Diwu Lun's offhand fabrication about "inviting the hundred entertainments to perform stories from the Classic of Filial Piety for the villagers, in order to spread moral instruction," and thought it was a good idea.

As Jing Dan finished recounting what he had seen and heard, Zhang Zhan grew more and more astonished. He, who was always so dignified, even slapped his thigh in admiration: "Ever since I assumed the post of commandery governor, I have revised the rites and ceremonies, established regulations and teachings, hoping that governance and moral transformation would prevail widely. Yet I never noticed that in Diwu Village there had emerged a young worthy!"

Earlier he had called him a youth; now he directly called him a worthy.

At this point, Zhang Zhan somewhat understood why Diwu Lun had politely declined to take office: "Looking at it this way, Boyu is clearly a great worthy who understands without being taught, yet I took him for a minor talent and offered him the post of an assistant clerk. No wonder he was unwilling to come forth from the mountain. I was too hasty."

Zhang Zhan was upright and rigid by nature, and his character also had a streak of stubbornness, but he was quite good at self-reflection.

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"That being the case, does my lord still intend to continue summoning him?"

Jing Dan smiled: "The next step up from assistant clerk would be bureau head. Could it be that the next time I go, I should directly present him with a bronze seal and yellow cord?"

He added fuel to Zhang Zhan's fire: "The Classic of Filial Piety says, 'As one serves an elder brother with fraternal respect, so that obedience can be transferred to elders; as one manages a household, so that governance can be transferred to office.' If Diwu Lun can truly govern Diwu Village in perfect order and achieve self-cultivation and family regulation, then why not have him take charge of moral instruction in the commandery?"

"My lord, if there is no suitable position, I am willing to yield my post of Literary Clerk."

Although Jing Dan appeared refined and scholarly, he had the heart of a military commander. He had long since grown tired of this idle sinecure and wished to trade it for a post with real authority, such as Military Bureau Head or Bandit Bureau Head. This was also the reason he harbored no jealousy toward Diwu Lun's worthiness, and at this moment he was hinting furiously at Zhang Zhan.

Zhang Zhan was truly tempted. He asked in return: "How old is Diwu Lun?"

"Seventeen."

"Too young. By convention, before twenty, one cannot serve as a senior clerk or bureau head."

Zhang Zhan was troubled. Jing Dan continued to egg him on: "In ancient times, Gan Luo became a chancellor at thirteen — what of becoming a bureau head at seventeen?"

Zhang Zhan was far too rigid and devoutly believed in procedure. He shook his head: "I do wish to continue summoning him, but I also fear pulling up seedlings to help them grow. Diwu Lun is a fine seedling, and should be transplanted to the very best of soil."

"He has twice declined and twice yielded, and in his village he personally practices the Dao of Confucius: to make the people numerous, to enrich them, and to teach them. With such established conduct, he is not only rare in Liewei Commandery, but looking across all of Yong Province, he is exceedingly uncommon. It seems his capacity, like yours, Sunqing, is absolutely not something a minor clerk's post can contain. He is fit to be a renowned minister of the present age!"

"Fit to be a renowned minister of the present age" was the praise Zhang Zhan had bestowed upon Jing Dan; now he had given it to Diwu Lun, whom he had never even met. His evaluation was actually this high?

Jing Dan was inwardly startled, understanding Zhang Zhan's intention, and even felt a twinge of jealousy: "Could my lord be thinking of nominating him as... Filial and Incorrupt!?"

Filial and fraternal conduct is the great obedience of all under Heaven; incorrupt officials are the model for the people. Following the moral logic that a filial son is surely a loyal minister and an incorrupt official can surely govern a locality well, ever since the time of Emperor Wu of Han, it was decreed that each commandery and kingdom annually recommend one person filial to kin and elders and one person incorrupt and upright — and this became a fixed institution.

The Filial and Incorrupt nomination was the orthodox path of official selection for the empire, from Han to Xin, and the main source of court officials; renowned ministers and great ministers mostly came from this route. Thirty years ago, Zhang Zhan himself had entered the political arena by being nominated as Filial and Incorrupt.

Jing Dan had guessed correctly: Zhang Zhan had indeed conceived the idea of recommending Diwu Lun as Filial and Incorrupt. After all, such conduct of twice declining and twice yielding was extremely rare from the Former Han to the present dynasty. Add to that his talent in regulating his family and village, and a reputation that had spread across several counties — in Zhang Zhan's view, Diwu Boyu was absolutely qualified.

"But it is impossible."

"Absolutely impossible!"

Speaking of this, Zhang Zhan felt pained. After more than a hundred years of development, the Filial and Incorrupt nomination was long since as simple as it had been at the start. After all, people of true virtue and integrity in the commanderies and kingdoms were actually not many. Moreover, since Filial and Incorrupt nominees could directly become officials without examination, the lure of profit was too great, and the shady dealings within it grew filthier and filthier.

Not to mention buying one's way up through bribery — even in normal recommendations, they often took clan as virtue, rank as worth, and merit was judged by family pedigree. Under this turbid current, even a relatively upright official like Zhang Zhan could not escape the custom.

Zhang Zhan shook his head regretfully: "This year, this commandery's two quotas for Filial and Incorrupt have already been decided. One is Wang Long, a nephew of the Wang clan; the other is Xiao Yan, the direct heir of the Xiao family. The name list has already been submitted to the court and cannot be changed!"

There was no helping it. To govern smoothly in the commandery, one had to cooperate with the powerful families. Had they not seen that saying from the Former Han?

"Better to betray a two-thousand-dan official than to betray a great magnate family!"

The commandery governors come and go, but the powerful local magnates are here to stay — two centuries of accumulated strength is not to be underestimated.

Though the realm is full of powerful magnates these days, they are divided into many ranks. The weakest are small landlords like Diwu Lun's family, who can only throw their weight around inside their own village; once they step outside, they are nothing, and they have no pedigree of office-holding whatsoever.

The second rank are the county-and-township magnates. Their power is greater — they can dominate local communities by force. Their ancestors held posts of six hundred bushels or higher. The Diyi clan, for example, are county-and-township magnates who have fallen on the hardest times.

The top tier are the "great magnate houses," also called grand magnates. Their hallmark is landholdings that spread across commanderies and counties, control over the vital points of a region, ancestors who once flourished and produced officials of two thousand bushels or even the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, while they themselves hold noble ranks of marquis or earl, with influence that reaches everywhere.

As for "hereditary great houses" whose power spans multiple provinces and commanderies, with disciples and former subordinates spread across the realm — those have not yet appeared in this age.

Liewei Commandery has only two "great magnate houses," and they are not even people that Zhang Zhan can afford to offend.

One is the Wang clan of Qiongcheng, the family of the third Empress of Emperor Xuan of the Former Han. Its head, Wang Yuan, delights in making friends and enjoys extremely high renown. It is said that he is a bosom friend of the State Preceptor's trusted aide, the "State Scholar" Wei Ao.

The other is the Xiao clan of Marquis of Xiao Village, descendants of Xiao He, who migrated back to Changling.

Over the past ten years, the Filial and Incorrupt nominations in Liewei Commandery have basically alternated between these two families — a trend very hard to reverse. Only when their own clansmen have vacancies do lower-ranked county-and-township magnates, or worthies truly valued by the commandery governor, get to fill the spots.

This year was indeed unfortunate: the quotas were divided up in advance by the sons of the Xiao and Wang families. Even Jing Dan, whom Zhang Zhan rather admires, did not manage to get a "Upright Official" slot — let alone Diwu Lun.

"No need to continue recruiting Diwu Lun then. Let it rest for now."

Whether consoling himself or comforting Jing Dan, Zhang Zhan said with regret: "Since the quotas are already settled, let it be next time."

"Sunqing and Diwu Boyu — next time, you must be selected as our commandery's Filial and Incorrupt!"

……

Meanwhile, back in Diwu Hamlet of Linqu Township, Diwu Ba had, in the end, not taken the fire tongs to Diwu Lun. After all, the clan's authority had been handed over to his grandson along with the meat-cutting knife. This little rascal surely had his own calculations.

That morning, Diwu Ba, holding a hooked shield and an unsharpened ring-pommel saber, was going back and forth with Diwu Lun, teaching him martial skills.

His mind wandered back to the matter of the previous day, and Diwu Ba could not help speaking up: "Lun'er, refusing the Grand Governor's recruitment really was a bit rash…"

Diwu Ba was fine in every way, except he was a bit of an office-chaser — perhaps because he himself had idled away a lifetime and only ended up a township clerk. He pinned all his hopes on Diwu Lun rising in the world and adding some credentials to the family's pedigree.

Diwu Lun swung his saber and said with a smile: "Grandfather."

"This refusal was the result of careful deliberation — not rash at all! Let me explain it to you in detail."

……

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