Chapter 18: What Mattered Most in the First Century AD?

"Grandfather, does our family have a lot of land, money, and grain?"

Faced with Diwu Lun's counter-question, Diwu Ba suppressed the urge to land a fierce chop on him.

"Not much. And ever since you built that charity granary, it's only gotten less and less."

"Then is our clan's prestige and official pedigree high?"

Diwu Ba answered with silence, only putting more force into the weapon in his hands; when it clashed with Diwu Lun's blade, the impact numbed his grandson's palms.

The old man was displeased — their family had been muddling along in the county and township for two hundred years, the highest post being a township Bailiff, unqualified to erect a pedigree pillar, so low they were beneath the horizon. A disgrace.

Diwu Lun asked again: "I studied at the county school for several years. Although I ranked in the commandery's top ten, I only studied the Classic of Filial Piety and the Analects. If we speak of classical expertise, can I match those grey-bearded Confucian scholars living in retirement?"

"Five Classics, Six Classics, Classic of Filial Piety — this old man can't understand any of it anyway, so how would I compare high and low?"

Diwu Ba was very displeased. He hooked Diwu Lun's blade with his hooked shield, flung it far away, and ended this morning's bout — Diwu Lun had been very diligent about martial arts lately, and grandfather and grandson practiced together for a while every day.

Diwu Lun handed his grandfather a sweat cloth and said with a smile, "Since I'm not outstanding in any of these three, why have officials from the County Magistrate to the commandery Governor taken turns coming to recruit me as a clerk?"

"Because you are filial and fraternal, and you have talent." Diwu Ba answered without thinking — his own family's child was full of merits.

But he had spoken too broadly. Diwu Lun pressed the key point: "And how did those people know that I possess both virtue and talent?"

He answered his own question: "Because my yielding of pears and yielding of school places have yielded a reputation! Where a path forms beneath a fruit-laden tree, people come unbidden."

In the first century AD, what matters most? Reputation!

As the saying goes: ten years by the window, no one asks your name; one success at the exams, and all under heaven know you. Diwu Lun had discovered that in this era, having a good name was terribly important. The Xin Dynasty had no imperial examinations, only recommendation-based selection. Although commandery and county recommendations mainly considered clan prestige, official pedigree, and old connections, every year a few poor boys still leaped through the dragon gate, relying entirely on a reputation for filial piety and fraternal duty within their commandery and county.

"Grandfather, have you heard of the deeds of the Maoling gallant, Yuan Juxian?"

"Of course I know of him." Diwu Ba was thoroughly familiar with this man, while Diwu Lun had heard people talk about him in the county seat.

Yuan She's father had been the Governor of Nanyang under Emperor Ai of Han. After Governor Yuan died, Yuan She went to attend the funeral and actually refused the funeral gifts sent by local strongmen and officials, which amounted to over ten million! Over ten million wuzhu coins — at that time Wang Mang had not yet run amok, prices had not yet soared, and the purchasing power was equivalent to tens of millions of RMB in later ages.

Not only did he regard wealth as dirt, Yuan She also followed strict Confucian rites, living in a hut by the tomb passage and observing the full three years of mourning for his father.

Because moral standards had decayed at the end of the Han, few people fulfilled the three-year mourning, and combined with his refusal of wealth, Yuan She's fame filled the capital in a flash.

Thereupon, officials and scholars admired him and flocked to him like spokes to a hub. No sooner had his mourning rites ended than envoys inviting him to serve as a commandery office Discussion Clerk came rushing like a gale. Scholars who looked up to him also gathered from all directions, bringing their own provisions and willing to pay their own way to become his retainers — I hear that Diqi Bao went to work as one of Yuan She's underlings.

Even Diwu Ba greatly admired this man, and said with a laugh, "If this old bones were thirty years younger, or if he had been born a few decades earlier, I might well have gone to be one of Yuan She's retainers too."

In Diwu Lun's view, although Yuan She had the foundation of a second-generation official's background, the great fame he stirred up still relied on his filial conduct. Relying on this reputation, at just twenty years old, he was recruited by the then Grand Chancellor Shi Dan and appointed as a County Magistrate with a six-hundred-dan salary. The local people also submitted to Yuan She and feared his retainers, so a county seat that had been in turmoil suddenly became docile — contemporaries praised it as "governing without speaking."

Now, although Yuan She no longer held office, his reputation was still resounding. The powerful houses of the commanderies and kingdoms, along with the gallants and wayward youths of Chang'an and the Five Tombs, all turned to him in admiration. A word from Yuan Juxian carried more weight than the Grand Governor of the capital commandery. Even the Emperor Wang Mang had taken notice of this man, and several times used offenses by Yuan She's retainers as a pretext to have officials arrest him, only to release him without charge in the end — precisely because he feared that killing him would provoke a backlash from the gallants of the Guanzhong region.

Apart from the anomaly that was Wang Mang, there were plenty of second-generation officials and filial sons under heaven, but very few could reach Yuan She's level. Now even children in neighboring commanderies knew the name Yuan Juxian.

So you see, a man cannot just bury his head in solitary struggle; he must also consider the course of history. Go with the era's fashion, learn to promote yourself, and combine resources with reputation to take flight.

Taking reference from that Great Gallant Yuan's successful experience, after a self-assessment, Diwu Lun discovered that he lagged behind comprehensively in family wealth, official pedigree, and scholarship. His true core competitive strengths were only two.

First, his knowledge as a transmigrator. He could rely on it to slowly farm and build up operations, laying a solid foundation for his own clan — this was his internal hard power.

Second, to expand his reputation like a rolling snowball, so that he would have a degree of local influence, and when the realm fell into chaos, he could issue one call and get a hundred responses. Otherwise, the powerful families of Guanzhong were as numerous as ox hairs — why would others choose to follow you over anyone else? This was his external soft power.

Therefore, faced with the commandery Grand Governor sending Jing Dan to recruit him, only two choices lay before Diwu Lun.

Become a petty clerk in the city government office, content with occasionally exchanging greetings with the mayor? Or refuse once more, and let his reputation roll even bigger!

Diwu Lun chose the latter.

He could not fully explain these calculations to his grandfather, so he merely said with feigned pride, "Is my capacity something a petty Chief Clerk's post can contain?"

"Grandfather, do you believe me? Every time I yield and decline, the next time someone comes to invite me, the official rank they offer will be even higher!"

Diwu Ba spat at him: "You little brat, not very old, but your appetite is not small — you actually think a commandery clerkship is too low!"

Though he said this, Diwu Ba no longer dwelled on the matter, and only worried about one thing: "The Grand Governor sent a Literary Clerk to recruit you out of regard for you. If you directly refuse and offend him, what then?"

His family had already completely fallen out with the Diyi and Diqi clans. If they offended the commandery and county as well, the trouble would be rather serious.

This was the risk that came with yielding and declining. If the Grand Governor was a narrow-minded man, he might fly into a rage and send men to tie Diwu Lun up.

But Diwu Lun had long since inquired. This "Paragon of the Three Adjuncts, Zhang Zixiao" at least appeared to be an upright official, and would probably not make things difficult for him. And looking again at Jing Dan's attitude that day, he was also a reasonable man with emotional intelligence. Only thus did Diwu Lun dare to take the gamble — turn a bicycle into a motorcycle!

Grandfather and grandson practiced with the ring-pommel saber and hooked shield for a while longer. Near breakfast time, the steward Diwu Ge came hurrying over. Judging by the happy look on his face, you would have thought he'd just become a grandfather.

Diwu Ge was indeed very excited. With trembling hands, he presented a wooden invitation tablet.

"Master, Young Master, a man claiming to be a retainer of the Wang clan of Changping Lodge has come to Dili Ward to deliver an invitation, by order of the Marquis of Qiongcheng."

"The Marquis of Qiongcheng?!" Diwu Ba was startled when he heard this. He snatched the tablet made of two wooden boards, opened the seal and looked, and could not help but be overjoyed. His iron palm clapped heavily on Diwu Lun's shoulder, nearly dislocating A-Lun's joint.

"Good Lun-er! The Marquis of Qiongcheng, Wang Yuan, has named you specifically, inviting you to a banquet at Changping Lodge on the ninth day of the ninth month!"

…

At noon on the eighth day of the ninth month, Diwu Lun sat in the carriage compartment, impatiently listening to Diwu Fu, who was driving for him, chatter on and on.

"Young Master, the Wang clan of the Marquis of Qiongcheng — they are the greatest powerful family in this county… no, in this entire commandery. Changping Lodge north of the county seat was a traveling palace of the former dynasty, but now it has been granted to the Marquis of Qiongcheng's family as an estate. Everyone who has been there says it is enormous!"

Diwu Fu's excitement was exactly the same as his father's, and even Diwu Ba's, when they learned the Marquis of Qiongcheng had sent an invitation. Was it really necessary to be this happy? Diwu Lun inwardly disapproved.

He had initially thought that the Marquis of Qiongcheng, surnamed Wang, might be of the Xin Dynasty imperial clan. Only later did he learn that it was the same surname but a different lineage.

The rise of the Marquis of Qiongcheng had to be traced back to the time of Emperor Xuan of Han. That Liu Bingyi was originally an orphan of the Witchcraft Calamity. In his youth, he had knocked about among the common folk, and his greatest love was cockfighting and horse racing. His favorite "cockfighting buddy" was a man named Wang Fengguang, who lived in Changling.

Later, when Liu Bingyi was enthroned as Emperor by the Grand General Huo Guang, he recalled his past friendship with Wang Fengguang, and so took Wang's daughter into the rear palace…

Wait, I treated you as a brother, and you want to sleep with my daughter?

Diwu Lun was thoroughly confused by this relationship. He was a history novice, utterly ignorant of obscure eras like the Zhao-Xuan Restoration, and could only rely on asking around.

Later, after a series of complicated political struggles and palace intrigues, the Wang daughter, by a twist of fate, became Empress. Wang Fengguang, as the imperial father-in-law, was enfeoffed as a marquis. The family had continued to this day, with Wang Yuan being the fifth-generation Marquis of Qiongcheng.

Judging by the overwhelmed and flattered reactions of Diwu Ba and the others, the Marquis of Qiongcheng's estate was indeed the number one local magnate in this county, with long-reaching influence, not someone a small household like theirs could compare to.

Diwu Lun could not help scratching his head: "Isn't it said that a sword of the former dynasty cannot behead an official of the present dynasty? Why is a Han dynasty imperial in-law still doing so well in the Xin Dynasty?"

His reason for going to this banquet was not because Diwu Ba had threatened him with fire tongs, nor because he feared offending the Marquis of Qiongcheng. Rather, Diwu Lun thought: "Wang Yuan's banquet has invited all the powerful right-side families from every county. It's necessary to go meet them in advance. These people are all local power players. When the realm changes in the future, they might be cooperation partners, or they might be my…"

"Enemies!"

Changping Lodge was north of the county seat, a full day's journey from the south of the county where Dili Ward was located. They had to set out early and spend the night in the county seat.

Along this journey, Diwu Lun's impressions were vastly different from when he had returned from yielding his school place in the county some time ago.

The people he met on the road were mostly figures from the various Di clans of Linqu village: merchants in plain white clothes, barefoot farmers carrying rice to market on their shoulders, and young wandering swordsmen with short blades or long swords at their waists. When they spotted Diwu Lun's carriage, they would murmur a few words to their companions, then stare at Diwu Lun as if paying their respects. When Diwu Lun looked back, the passersby would break into smiles, cup their hands, and bow to him.

"Greetings, Lord Diwu."

"Where is Lord Diwu off to?"

Diwu Lun had no choice but to respond to each one. This sort of courtesy used to be reserved for when he returned to Diwu Hamlet; now, walking through the village, he had to return a greeting every three steps. His reputation had clearly spread, though it was a bit of a nuisance.

Diwu Fu, however, was thoroughly pleased. Whenever anyone asked about their journey, he would proudly declare in a loud voice: "The Marquis of Qiongcheng has invited our young clan head to Changping Lodge for the Double Ninth feast!"

Diwu Lun kicked him. Diwu Fu still felt wronged. "Young master, the Marquis of Qiongcheng's invitation is so precious! The guests are either the gentry and magnates of this commandery or high officials from Chang'an. The Diyi clan may call themselves village magnates, but they've never once been invited. Now that you, young master, get to go — this is tremendous face for the Diwu clan!"

"How tremendous? Greater than being summoned by the Commandery Governor?" Diwu Lun asked coldly.

Diwu Fu, failing to detect his master's displeasure, thought it over and actually replied: "I'd say about the same. A Commandery Governor changes every few years, but the Marquis of Qiongcheng has been here for generations."

Truly, better to offend a two-thousand-bushel official than to offend a great magnate family. Diwu Lun found his curiosity piqued — he wanted to go see for himself the great magnates of this era!

For the rest of the journey, Diwu Lun continued to receive frequent courtesies. Even sons of the Diyi clan, when they ran into him, would take the initiative to detour around him, afraid of giving offense.

When they passed a relay station, the Precinct Chief greeted him warmly and insisted that Diwu Lun stop to rest in the station, offering to feed his horses for free.

Diwu Lun declined politely and continued on. A few travelers resting in the station pointed at the departing carriage and said to a wandering swordsman wearing a bamboo hat, dressed in close-fitting attire with a bow slung across his back: "Man from Maoling, look — that's Diwu Lun, whose name has stirred the whole county lately!"

"So that's him? He's young."

The wandering swordsman raised his head, revealing a full beard. His gaze followed Diwu Lun as he moved, then unhurriedly drained the water the station attendant had poured for him, rose to untie his horse, swung himself up, and with a light squeeze of his legs followed the wheel ruts left by Diwu Lun and his servant, trailing them at a distance, neither far nor near.

Although Changling had a thriving population, the roads were not so crowded that travelers jostled shoulder to shoulder. Before long, as they reached the border between two villages, pedestrians and carriages gradually thinned. Within a li or two in any direction, only the carriage ahead ambled slowly along, while the rider behind followed at a leisurely pace, the distance between them closing bit by bit.

"Why have we stopped?"

Diwu Lun opened his eyes and looked at Diwu Fu, only to see him climbing down from the carriage with an awful expression, plucking a few leaves by the roadside, clutching his stomach, and saying sheepishly: "Young master, I need to squat for a bit."

"A lazy donkey only grinds at the last moment. Why didn't you go at home? Remember to go far off — don't stink me out." Diwu Lun waved him off, telling the fellow to hurry up and deal with it.

There was no roadside privy. Diwu Fu, already sweating anxiously, burrowed through the underbrush until he finally found a good spot. Only then did he undo his belt, squat down, and let out a long sigh: "That was close!"

Diwu Lun waited idly in the carriage, looking up at the puffs of white autumn clouds, until the sound of hoofbeats drew nearer and he turned his head, alert.

What he saw was a horse with a jade-white blaze and licorice-yellow coat. Its rider wore a sun-shading bamboo hat and black hempen close-fitting attire, a medium-length ring-pommel saber hanging at his waist — the past few years had not been very peaceful, and the Xin Dynasty only banned crossbows and armor; commoners were permitted to carry bows and blades, so this was not unusual.

The rider halted ten paces behind the carriage, raised his head, met Diwu Lun's eyes, and spoke: "May I ask — is the one in the carriage Diwu Lun, who twice yielded and twice declined?"

"It is."

The accent was from another county. Diwu Lun acknowledged it. Seeing the man cup his hands and bow, and having encountered similar situations all along the road, he assumed it was another greeting and prepared to return the courtesy.

But to his surprise, the man took down the bow from his back and, in the blink of an eye, was aiming straight at Diwu Lun! His words took a sudden, sharp turn!

"Diwu Boyu."

"I have been entrusted by another to come and kill you!"

PS: Asking for recommendation votes.

Thanks to the two alliance masters "Oda Nobusuke" and "Huang Qiu", and to all other readers for their tips.