Chapter 25: Clearly I Was Here First

Though all of them had received the recommendation and could enter court as Gentlemen, in scholarship no one claims first, but in martial matters no one admits second — among three men there must still be gold, silver, and bronze. With four slots, the ranking was even more pronounced.

The Xin Dynasty, like the Han, ruled all under Heaven through filial piety and virtue. "Possessing virtuous conduct" was without doubt the foremost of the Four Categories, equivalent to the old Filial and Incorrupt.

In Xiao Yan's view, what Zhang Zhan had done was just like Emperor Wu of Han's way of employing men — the latecomers had overtaken him!

Whether it was an inside appointment or a ranking, he had clearly come first! The Xiao clan and the Zhang clan of Yangling County, descendants of the Marquis of Liu, had an agreement to take turns recommending their sons. Xiao Yan had waited an extra year for this. This year should have gone smoothly, yet for no reason someone had squeezed him out of the top slot.

Of course he would not accept it! Better to be a chicken's beak than a bullock's rump — Xiao Yan felt deeply shamed.

In family background, pedigree, classical scholarship… and yes, literary talent — in what way was he not better than Diwu Lun? As for filial piety, fraternal duty, and virtuous conduct, in Xiao Yan's eyes those had always been calculated deceit, nothing but reputation-mongering.

Wasn't it just giving away a pear, or declining an office? Anyone could do that! He would decline right now!

And so, on impulse, Xiao Yan actually rose to his feet and asked to withdraw — to hell with this recommendation!

But the moment the words left his mouth, Zhang Zhan's already stern face grew even graver. He slammed the table and rebuked him harshly: "Xiao Yishi, the Four-Category Recommendation decreed by the Son of Heaven is a matter of the utmost solemnity. Do you think you can just decide not to go?"

All four present were startled. Though Zhang Zhan's bearing was solemn, his governance was in fact mild. Even when the Jing River flooded, he had rarely raised his voice at the powerful families. Yet today he had, for the first time, rebuked Xiao Yan.

But Zhang Zhan quickly regained his calm. He reasoned with Xiao Yan, speaking with earnest patience: "Do you know of Xuan Bing, a renowned scholar of this commandery?"

Diwu Lun did not know the man, but Wang Long was very familiar with him. Wang Long's father was a cousin of the Marquis of Qiongcheng, and the family had already moved from Changping Lodge to Yunyang County in the north of the commandery — and Xuan Bing was precisely a man of Yunyang.

"Xuan Bing, courtesy name Jugong, cultivated high principles from youth and was renowned throughout the Three Adjuncts."

His fame at the time was probably greater than Diwu Lun's now. Back in the reigns of Emperor Ai and Emperor Ping of the former dynasty, Xuan Bing saw the Wang clan seizing power, encroaching on the imperial house with signs of rebellion, and resigned his official post. The local two-thousand-bushel official sent men to recruit him as a bureau clerk, but Xuan Bing pleaded illness and refused to serve.

After Wang Mang supplanted the Han and founded the Xin Dynasty, he heard of Xuan Bing's reputation and again sent envoys to summon him as Filial and Incorrupt. Xuan Bing once more pleaded illness. This was a clear attitude of non-cooperation. Wang Mang sent men to summon him again, only to discover that Xuan Bing had already fled, taking his wife and children to live in seclusion deep in the mountains of Yunyang.

After hearing Wang Long's account, Diwu Lun understood. It seemed that in this era, there were indeed many scholars who cherished the House of Han in their hearts and refused to serve the Xin.

He only wondered if any had drowned themselves to die for the dynasty.

"There is also Li Ye of Jiudu Commandery (Guanghan Commandery)."

Zhang Zhan began citing examples of the gravity of refusing a recommendation: "Li Ye passed the examination in the Mingjing classics during the Yuanshi era of the former dynasty and was appointed a Gentleman, but later resigned and returned to his hometown."

"The Company Commander of Jiudu summoned him to serve. Li Ye refused and was thrown into prison, nearly executed. It was only through His Majesty's benevolence that Li Ye was pardoned and recommended as Worthy and Good, Upright and Square, to serve as a Senior Officer in Chang'an. Yet Li Ye still pleaded illness and refused office, eventually taking his family to hide in the mountain valleys, erasing all traces of his name."

Zhang Zhan spoke the next words while glaring at Diwu Lun, who had not yet had a chance to state his position.

"Normally, when you yield an Imperial Academy slot or refuse a village clerk or petty grain-wage post, this official can tolerate it. But the Four-Category Recommendation was decreed personally by the Son of Heaven. The Four Adjuncts and Three Dukes have finalized the roster, and the list has already been reported. If any of you still refuse, it will surely alarm the court. The high ministers will then wonder: could it be that you wish to emulate Xuan Bing and Li Ye, cherishing the former dynasty in your hearts and unwilling to serve the Xin?"

These words were gravely serious. Even Xiao Yan, who had been fighting for a moment's pride, was stunned into fright. As a descendant of Xiao He, his family's status was inherently sensitive, and they feared nothing more than being branded with the label "longing for the House of Han." They had always been exceedingly cautious, yet this time he had rushed headlong into that very charge!

Diwu Lun secretly stuck out his tongue. Thank goodness that Xiao had charged ahead and stepped on the mine — otherwise, the one being rebuked by Zhang Zhan would likely have been himself.

It seemed that if he wanted to complete his three refusals and three declinations, he would have to do it another day.

In a word, times had changed. Playing the game of courteous refusal in a matter like this recommendation carried political liability. Daring to refuse could land you on the court's blacklist. If you ran into a commandery Grand Governor who wanted to make trouble for you, you might even be thrown into prison and implicate your entire clan. Otherwise, Xuan Bing and Li Ye would not have fled in haste to hide deep in the mountains.

Thinking of the family behind him, Xiao Yan backed down. He sheepishly apologized to Zhang Zhan and, holding his nose, accepted the "Eloquent in Speech" recommendation slot, ranked beneath Diwu Lun, obediently becoming the bullock's rump.

But in his heart, his loathing for Diwu Lun deepened another layer. Xiao Yan only thought to himself: "Zhang Zhan must be thinking that Diwu Lun, young and from a humble family, will feel grateful and repay the favor."

After this episode, their relationship with Zhang Zhan was now that of recommender and recommended. Xiao Yan and Wang Long had their own clan pedigree and took the recommendation as their due. But Diwu Lun and Jing Dan had only been selected through Zhang Zhan's strong endorsement, and by the conventions of this era, they were expected to regard Zhang Zixiao as their lord.

Henceforth their fates were intertwined, sharing praise and blame alike. If the recommended man broke the law and committed a crime, the recommender would be implicated, and vice versa.

Zhang Zhan finished speaking. So incorruptible was his habit that he did not even keep the four for a meal. Jing Dan, Xiao Yan, and Wang Long walked out of the hall. Diwu Lun's steps were a little slower; he turned back and bowed to Zhang Zhan with clasped hands.

"What is it — does Boyu also wish to withdraw?" Zhang Zhan kept a stern face. He had already made the gravity of the matter very clear. If Diwu Lun dared to refuse again, it would not be praised as lofty virtue but roundly condemned.

"Lun would not dare."

Diwu Lun said: "I am merely puzzled. I had never met you before, Commandery Lord, and was even so ungrateful as to refuse your summons. Yet you took no offense, recommended me to the court, and even placed me first in the Four Categories…"

Zhang Zhan shook his head vigorously: "A two-thousand-bushel official upholds the bonds of human relations, assists the Sage Son of Heaven in guiding the common people, encouraging the masses, and promoting the teachings of the local communities. Is recommending the worthy and talented of my own commandery not my very duty? What is so strange about it?"

He was merely doing what ought to be done in a world twisted into abnormality — that was all.

Seeing that Diwu Lun still stood with clasped hands, not rising, Zhang Zhan knew he would not give up until he got a clear answer, and so said: "The reason I recommended you is that your filial piety, fraternal duty, and virtuous conduct surpass all the younger generation in the commandery."

"And because of what you did in Diwu Village — establishing the charity granary, aiding the needy — it deeply accords with the Sage's intent."

"And also because that line you spoke at Changping Lodge — 'The rise and fall of all under Heaven is the concern of every common man' — struck right to this old man's heart!"

Zhang Zhan said with emotion: "The Xuan Bing and Li Ye I just mentioned are widely praised by the world. People regard refusing office as high principle and living in seclusion as solitary integrity. Some even compare the two to the ancient Bo Yi and Shu Qi. But in my view, though they sought benevolence and attained it, they are not worthy of emulation by scholars."

He too had been an official of the Han dynasty and eaten the grain of the Liu house. Yet he continued to hold office under the Xin, choosing not to refuse the new grain. He certainly had his own struggles and insights on the matter.

"When Confucius traveled through the various states, he once encountered two recluses in the land of Chu, named Changju and Jieni, who were yoking oxen to plow the fields."

"Confucius sent Zilu to ask directions. The two men, knowing it was Confucius who had come, said to Zilu: 'This world is in turmoil like a surging flood — chaos and wickedness flow everywhere. With whom will you go to change it? Better to follow us and plow in seclusion.'"

"After Zilu reported their words to Confucius, Confucius sighed deeply and said: 'How can a man live like a bird or a beast? If the Way prevailed in the world, Qiu would not have to labor so hard seeking change!'"

Zhang Zhan said: "Boyu, I hope you will learn from Confucius, not from Changju and Jieni. This world may be far from satisfactory, still far from the rule of the Three Dynasties. But precisely because of that, those with resolve must go forth and change it, not retreat into seclusion and sit watching as the world's morality decays."

Diwu Lun understood. Zhang Zhan was also an idealist struggling in a degenerate age — no wonder he approved of Wang Mang's governance.

He readily agreed, but in his heart he knew that his own ideals were not the same as Wang Mang's or Zhang Zhan's.

But now that things had reached this point, there was no way to refuse this time. Could he abandon the Diwu clan, run off to hide deep in the mountains, or go straight to join a rebel army?

Besides, Diwu Lun had more or less figured out the logic of this era: in an official-rank-centered society, if you wanted to convert reputation into tangible benefit, you first needed an official post.

At his level, a year of painstakingly climbing the tech tree and farming might increase yields less than the money and grain he could rake in as an official.

The wrought iron he could scrounge by petty pilfering probably could not compare to the abundance of channels opened up once he held office.

An Imperial Academy student had to study the classics until his hair turned white, desperately groveling before those old classicists, just to master one classic and sit the exam. Like a thousand troops and ten thousand horses crossing a single-plank bridge, only the top forty in the first rank each year could become "Gentlemen of the Palace."

But the Four-Category Selection, like the Filial and Incorrupt, was a proper path — one could directly enter court as a Gentleman. After a few years, with full dignity, one would be sent out as a six-hundred-bushel or four-hundred-bushel official, wielding real power. Was that not splendid?

What was more, Diwu Lun truly looked forward to the city of Chang'an, where he was soon to go. To be precise, he was interested in two people there.

One was Wang Mang, the Xin Dynasty Emperor in the Longevity Chamber.

And the other was that State Preceptor "Liu Xiu," who made him wonder if he had misremembered history!

"Since I'm here anyway, wouldn't it be a shame not to go meet these two?"

…

Diwu Lun and Jing Dan walked out of the commandery office together. He was just about to fetch his horse and go home when he found a large crowd gathered outside the main gate — men and women, young and old, all standing on tiptoe to watch the excitement.

Seeing Diwu Lun emerge, the crowd grew visibly excited and shouted: "Diwu Boyu has come out!"

This caught Diwu Lun completely off guard — the news had already spread? It was just a Filial and Incorrupt nomination; was it really cause for such excitement? Surely they weren't going to parade him on horseback through the streets like in a TV drama?

Diwu Lun looked to Jing Dan for an explanation, only to find him looking equally dumbfounded.

Something was wrong!

Looking again, he saw that at the center of the encircling crowd knelt a sword-bearing knight-errant. His conical hat was slung behind his back, revealing his face: a man in his thirties, square-mouthed and lean-faced, with a full beard. A scar from a blade cut a notch through one eyebrow — likely the result of a brawl.

Could he be some troublemaker who'd come to the commandery office to lodge a complaint? And what did that have to do with him?

When the man saw Diwu Lun step out the door, he made a deep bow toward him, then began to speak, slowly and deliberately.

"Worthy sir, we meet again."

Diwu Lun froze. There was no mistaking it — he could never forget that lukewarm, unhurried way of speaking and that thick Maoling accent. This was the very same knight-errant who had tried to assassinate him!

"Several days ago, my master, at the behest of Diba Bao, dispatched me to waylay and kill you, sir, on the county road."

Having said this, the knight-errant paused, waiting until the onlookers' gasps and their curses against the Di clan had somewhat subsided before continuing: "But after making certain inquiries, I was won over by your reputation for filial devotion and fraternal duty. I judged that a worthy man must not be harmed, and so I broke my bow and turned back."

"A true knight-errant!" The ever-growing crowd of Changling county folk began loudly praising the man for his righteous, principled chivalry — and praising Diwu Lun for his lofty virtue, which could make even an assassin stay his blade.

Jing Dan, who had known nothing of this, looked at Diwu Lun in astonishment, thinking to himself: "It is indeed true that only worth and virtue can win men's hearts."

At last, the knight-errant added: "Yet to abandon my lord's command is a breach of trust. I returned to Maoling to recount what had happened, and only then did my master learn the full truth of the matter. He therefore ordered me to travel once more to Changling, in the hope of clearing up this misunderstanding."

"Ah, yes."

Having said so much, he seemed to recall only now that he had not given his name. He bowed once more to Diwu Lun: "I am Wan Xiu, a knight-errant in the service of Yuan Juxian of Maoling!"

The name of Yuan She, the great knight-errant of Maoling, drew fresh exclamations from the onlookers, but Diwu Lun felt little stir at the mention of either Yuan She or Wan Xiu. He could only stare blankly at the scene unfolding before him.

He had spent years fishing for fame and cultivating his reputation to land the Filial and Incorrupt nomination — but today he had met his match. This Yuan She and Wan Xiu had seized on him and begun farming reputation directly, with no foreplay whatsoever!

And the other side had even mobilized the masses; now he wouldn't have to lift a finger to spread the word.

Though he knew this was ultimately to his own advantage, a single thought still rose in Diwu Lun's mind.

"Why are you so practiced at this?"

……

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