Chapter 308
Chapter 308
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Aftermath of the Yuan Contest
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Grand Secretary Zhang Fujing's smug expression froze on his face. The scene before him was somewhat beyond his expectations.
In this contest for the top scholar, it had seemed like a clash between Chen Shi and the young master, or Chen Tang against the civil and military officials. But in truth, the one steering the situation was none other than Grand Secretary Zhang Fujing himself!
He was the true master of the局面.
On the surface, he had supported Chen Shi and Chen Tang in their bid for top scholar, stoking the young master's courage to challenge Chen Shi to a decisive battle and bringing about this showdown. Chen Shi and Chen Tang would never suspect him, allowing him unrestricted access to the True King's Nine Halls.
At the same time, he had mobilized the Nine Halls to halt Chen Shi from executing the young master at the final moment, thereby safeguarding the interests of the Thirteen Great Houses.
In this way, whether it was Chen Shi's side, the young master's faction, or the Thirteen Great Houses, all would now tread carefully because of his actions.
He was the backbone of this showdown, the pillar of Great Ming, the grand secretary bearing the weight of the fifty provinces of West Ox New Continent!
Former Grand Secretary Yan Xizhi had stepped down as chief grand secretary due to the arrival of Little Five the Creation Being, retreating to await his chance for a comeback while eyeing the position covetously. Zhang Fujing had taken up the role amid crisis, but his shallow seniority, limited connections, and lack of Yan Xizhi's prestige and authority made it all too easy for Yan to reclaim it.
But in this contest for top scholar, Zhang Fujing had handled the three factions with effortless grace. Civil and military officials, Chen Shi, the young master—all now depended on his whim!
His prestige and authority would surely reach its zenith, and Yan Xizhi could never take back the chief grand secretary position! The only problem now was that he hadn't been able to control Chen Shi.
The young master was dead.
The moment Zhang Fujing activated the majesty of the Central Extreme Hall and shouted "Everyone, stop!", Chen Shi had annihilated the young master beneath the power of the Ten Absolutes Array!
Zhang Fujing felt as if the sky had collapsed.
The Thirteen Great Houses had gone to great lengths to groom a controllable True King successor. Over the past twenty or thirty years, they had meticulously selected and nurtured him. Now, at the moment of fruition, he had suddenly died.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his heart turning to ice.
This maneuver of his had seemed clever, still securing his position and elevating his prestige and authority. But he knew he had botched it.
At that moment, the sky suddenly turned a deep crimson. The two suns slowly closed their eyes, the blazing flames in the eyes of the celestial true god beyond the heavens squeezed out by the lids, forming a vast sea of fire spanning hundreds of thousands of li high above West Ox New Continent at an altitude of eighty li. It burned fiercely, like a sunset glow.
"The sky is darkening—it's come a full quarter-hour early!" An official from the Astronomical Bureau's Spirit Terrace rushed in to report, as if heralding ill omen.
On the twenty-sixth of the fifth month, though it was the height of summer, there was no trace of sweltering heat.
Outside the Morning Glow Teahouse on Wuchang Street stood an extraordinarily luxurious carriage. Its body was adorned with swirling talismans: not just traditional Divine Travel Talismans and Galloping Horse Talismans, but also dragon, phoenix, and thunder patterns. The canopy was opulent, festooned with pearl tassels depicting sun, moon, and stars.
The beasts pulling it were of dragon lineage: a pair of Dragon Steed Colts, their bodies azure-red, already sprouting wings—truly divine creatures.
When these beasts galloped, they would soar into the clouds, streaking through the air at speeds covering thousands of li in a day.
Young Master Xiao circled the treasure carriage four or five times, reluctant to leave.
Inside the teahouse, Yan Xizhi and Zhang Fujing sat facing each other. The two elders watched as Young Master Xiao was tugged away by the golden-red tassels, remaining silent for a long time.
After a good while, as the tea cooled, Zhang Fujing finally spoke unhurriedly,
"Elder Yan, in this round between us, I won. Do you concede?"
Yan Xizhi circulated his magic to warm the tea, lifted his cup, and said solemnly,
"You've always kept a low profile, Fujing, but who knew you had such profound talent—a hundred times my superior. I never expected you to navigate so deftly among the three factions. If not for Chen Shi's final strike catching you off guard, you would have won completely! I'm no match for you; I concede wholeheartedly! A toast to you!"
Zhang Fujing raised his cup of cold tea and smiled.
"To receive such praise from Brother Xizhi—my life is complete." The two used tea in place of wine and drained their cups.
Yan Xizhi called for the waiter to bring a fresh pot of hot tea and poured for Zhang Fujing.
"But the matter of Chen Shi killing the young master has massive implications. How to handle the aftermath—that's the real conundrum, testing the chief grand secretary's mettle. Great Ming is riddled with holes; without the skills of a paperhanger, the Grand Secretariat would have collapsed long ago. Can you enlighten me, Fujing?"
Zhang Fujing smiled.
"Brother Xizhi has been a grand secretary for years; surely you have ideas aplenty. But since you've asked, I'll offer a few words."
He paused, then said,
"The young master is dead, his tree has fallen, and the monkeys have scattered. It's all over—no need to bother with it. As for the forces he planted in the court and localities, uproot what must be uprooted, absorb what can be absorbed. After all, it's no small fortune."
Yan Xizhi nodded lightly.
Zhang Fujing continued,
"As for Chen Shi's top scholar title, give it to him—no punishments whatsoever. First, it demonstrates the court's impartiality. Second, it silences Chen Shi and Chen Tang. Third, with three generations of accumulation, though the Chen family is thinly populated, their power already rivals the great houses. The court must show due respect to such formidable strength."
Yan Xizhi said,
"I'm only worried the young master's remnants won't let it rest."
"That's between them and Chen Shi—none of the court's concern. The court should continue to embrace the Chen father and son."
Zhang Fujing sipped his tea and said,
"As for the third matter: giving the Thirteen Great Houses an accounting for their years of toil. Someone must face punishment for creating this situation."
Yan Xizhi sighed.
"This is indeed the trickiest point."
Zhang Fujing nodded lightly.
"You're right; this one's tough. Brother Xizhi, this tea's on you." Yan Xizhi replied,
"My treat."
Zhang Fujing rose and descended the teahouse stairs, then paused and turned back.
"You did nothing, while I did everything. I won everywhere, triumphed over you at every turn—it's baffling, truly baffling."
Yan Xizhi smiled.
"In Great Ming at times like these, doing nothing is winning. Acting, on the other hand, is the mistake—and leads to loss."
"Doing nothing is the right way?"
Zhang Fujing shook his head with a hearty laugh and turned to leave.
Yan Xizhi waited a moment, then went to the window and looked down. He saw the carriage driver open the door, and Zhang Fujing stoop to enter.
The carriage set off, departing the western capital.
That very morning, Zhang Fujing's letter of resignation had been submitted to the Grand Secretariat.
Zhang Fujing had done everything, while Yan Xizhi had done nothing—but Zhang had erred and now had to give the Thirteen Great Houses their accounting by resigning as chief grand secretary.
Yan Xizhi had once again become chief grand secretary.
As Yan Xizhi descended the stairs, the storyteller in the teahouse was still recounting the battle between Chen Shi and the young master, voice choked with emotion, portraying Top Scholar Chen Shi as utterly vile and monstrously evil.
Yan Xizhi stood amid the crowd listening for a moment, then shook his head to himself,
"These petty folk only know the surface—biased, emotional drivel."
He left the teahouse and ambled slowly toward the inner city.
Along the streets and alleys, people buzzed about the clash between Chen Shi and the young master, vividly describing Chen Shi's killing of the young master as if eyewitnesses.
Rumors flew wild: some utterly absurd, others analytical and incisive.
"The tea cools when the person leaves, monkeys scatter when the tree falls—these criticisms will all die down in a month. The common folk will carry on as before. Who's right or wrong—what does it matter to their rice, oil, and salt?" he mused inwardly.
He listened to the chatter all the way, entering the inner city where it finally quieted. He arrived at Wenyuan Pavilion, entered the Grand Secretariat, and took his seat.
By now, the other twelve grand secretaries were waiting for him, their gazes fixed on his face.
Yan Xizhi smiled faintly and said,
"Gentlemen, it's time to settle the top scholar title."
"Elder Yan, about Chen Shi killing the young master..."
"Contests for top scholar have always risked casualties—unfortunate, but inevitable. The Grand Secretariat will offer condolences to the Ren Mu family; the court will provide some solace."
Yan Xizhi continued,
"Also, Minister of War Ren Yao has lost his son and is grief-stricken in his old age. The court shouldn't delay his retirement. Tomorrow at court, urge him to step down."
The twelve grand secretaries nodded silently.
Xia Canghai asked,
"What about Lord Chen Tang? As Right Vice Minister of Revenue, overseeing the eight treasuries and four granaries, he's skimmed plenty over the years, hasn't he?"
He couldn't hide his indignation.
"Minister Cui of Revenue acted the fool, utterly clueless to how much Chen Tang embezzled!"
Cui Baihe held the title of Minister of Revenue and was also a grand secretary in Wenyuan Pavilion. Hearing this, his face flushed red; he slammed the table in fury.
"Xia Canghai, if you were Minister of Revenue, he'd fool you just the same! Which of us here didn't see Chen Tang as a pillar of the state? Which didn't view him as vital timber? Which discovered he'd embezzled thirty-seven Symbol Gods of Heavenly Mechanism? You all thought him a great talent!"
Xia Canghai sneered.
"He didn't work under me—he worked under you! Your subordinates embezzled so much, injured civil and military officials—even several ancestors were hurt by him. The Ma family ancestor still had his leg broken!"
Ma Ligshu, Lord Ma, was displeased.
"What do you mean 'the Ma family ancestor had his leg broken'? Didn't the Li family ancestor get his leg broken too? The Li ancestor was humiliated by Chen Wu, beaten into immobility; just as he recovered a bit, the white-clothed fairy beat him down again. Just as he recovered, Chen Tang beat him down again..."
Li Xiaoshuang, Lord Li, slammed the table in rage.
"What are you implying, Ma Ligshu? The Thirteen Great Houses are bound by blood; which family's ancestor wasn't beaten by Chen Wu? Which wasn't struck by the white-clothed fairy? If they hadn't left early, Chen Tang would've beaten them this time too!"
The twelve grand secretaries devolved into a shouting match, nearly coming to blows.
Yan Xizhi let them bicker, inwardly exasperated,
"Great Ming's paperhangers—that's what we're pasting over."
When they tired of arguing, Xia Canghai asked,
"Elder Yan, Chen Tang's crimes are legion—corruption, perversion of justice. How shall we investigate and punish him?"
"Investigate? Investigate what? Who investigates?"
Yan Xizhi spread his hands in mock surprise.
"I'm not investigating—who will? You, Lord Xia? Or you, Lord Ma? Embezzling some wealth—what's that? The Ministry of Revenue still runs smoothly, doesn't it? The court still stands firm, doesn't it? Has Lord Li never embezzled? Or Lord Cui? Or Lords Gao and Fei?"
The group fell silent.
Xia Canghai persisted,
"Even so, we can't leave him in that post. As Right Vice Minister all these years, he's amassed thirty-seven Symbol Gods of Heavenly Mechanism. If he stays longer, who knows how many more he'll gather! Why not demote him a peg?"
Yan Xizhi shook his head.
"You're not afraid of his family's thirty-seven Symbol Gods of Heavenly Mechanism—but I am. Lord Chen Tang has served diligently at Revenue with great merits—how could we demote him? Promote him instead! Elevate him to Ronglu Grand Master, rank principal first-grade. What say you, gentlemen?"
The twelve grand secretaries exchanged knowing smiles and nodded in approval. A promotion in name only—a demotion in effect.
Right Vice Minister of Revenue was third-grade; Ronglu Grand Master principal first-grade—seemingly two levels up. But the vice minister controlled eight treasuries and four granaries, while Ronglu Grand Master was a hollow title without real power, effectively sidelining Chen Tang from all resources.
"Elder Yan, what of Top Scholar Chen Shi? We must assign him a post too."
Cui Baihe said,
"Chen Shi's serving as commissioner at Guangji Depot. By my reckoning, he's no better than his father. That depot's probably become the top scholar's personal rat's nest."
Yan Xizhi smiled.
"Naturally, promote him. Commissioner is mere ninth-grade; bump him three levels to compiler in the Hanlin Academy—befitting his literary talent."
The group acclaimed it brilliant.
With that, the Grand Secretariat's deliberations were settled.
The next day, at court, the Grand Secretariat's decrees were proclaimed: a slew of officials dismissed or investigated, Minister of War Ren Yao granted honorable retirement to his hometown.
Additionally, Fuzheng Pavilion was disbanded, its officials no longer to be employed. The court and country erupted in uproar.
Chen Tang's promotion also sparked widespread debate.
The Thirteen Great Houses had been tormented by the Chen father and son, but Elder Yan's intervention smoothed the storm effortlessly, earning universal admiration.
A few days later, the court published the lists: Chen Shi as golden top scholar, Zhang You as second-place.
The third-place, the flower snatcher, caused no small stir: a female juren named Hu Feifei.
With heavy losses among the Thirteen Great Houses' scions and other noble heirs unable to best Hu Feifei—plus the fox clan's pillow talk—the flower snatcher inexplicably fell to her.
After the flower snatcher came the second-class juren slots, then third-class. Hundreds in all, inscribed on the golden lists.
Two days after that, the court assigned posts: many juren received appointments, some to localities, others to minor capital sinecures.
Chen Shi's post came down too: Hanlin Academy compiler, sixth-grade—a not-insubstantial idle position without real power.
Chen Shi couldn't care less. He signed in at the Hanlin office, then went home to rest, relishing the leisure.
He reclaimed Lady Shiji, the Ginseng Doll, and other spirit herbs from Chen Tang, along with his Small Zhoutian. Lady Shiji reentered his little temple, content at first—until she saw the white-clothed woman on her Divine Shrine. Her face darkened, ready to erupt.
But sensing the woman's aura, she calmed considerably and obediently took the third Divine Shrine.
Chen Shi was surprised, thinking,
"Has Lady Shiji mellowed these days? She didn't even chase this female juren away."
He was also puzzled: this female juren had been comatose for ages, recuperating in his little temple without waking.
His primal spirit sat on the central Divine Shrine, flanked by the "female juren" and Lady Shiji. His true qi became incomparably pure, his Dao body naturally achieved.
Just then, clamor arose outside Chen Manor. Chen Shi went out to see: Hu Guanghan, Tian Yue'e, and hundreds of juren and newly minted scholars had come to pay respects.
Chen Shi hurriedly invited them in, but with numbers too great for Chen Manor, they spoke instead on Qianyang Street.
"Honored teacher, we students have received our posts and will head to our localities. We've come today to bid you farewell."
The crowd bowed in unison.
Chen Shi hastily helped them up, smiling.
"You and I are fellow examinees of this class—how dare I be your honored teacher?"
He questioned each juren and scholar in turn. Their posts were modest: county assistants or registrars; the better ones state judges, supervisors, or magistrates—practical roles, unlike his nebulous compiler post.
Chen Shi asked after their cultivation quandaries, resolving them on the spot, and left each with a Thousand-Li Sound Transmission Talisman.
When time came to part, the crowd bowed together.
"Honored teacher, our journeys are far and perilous, our fates unknown. As we bid you farewell today, may we return one day to receive your personal guidance!"