Compared to the interpersonal relationships that Cheng Danruo had to deal with, Xie Xuanying faced a far more complicated situation.
Liu Haiping led a group of soldiers in attacking the sand ship, killing the several pirates left behind and rescuing a number of boatmen and helmsmen.
It was just that some of the luggage on the ship had been rummaged through, the local specialties meant to be brought back to the capital had been looted clean, and the meat and fine wine had all gone into the pirates’ bellies.
Fortunately, the pirates did not know the value of things, and the most precious ancient books, calligraphy, and paintings had been tossed aside and thus survived.
Some of Cheng Danruo’s thick clothes, which she had not brought with her when disembarking, had long since been taken by the pirates to win over the women of the fishing village, and now could not be recovered either.
In short, the losses were heavy.
But Xie Xuanying did not care much about financial matters. His most important task was to seek merit for others.
Liu Haiping and the others had fought the enemy alongside him and had truly rendered meritorious service. What they sought was not merely a few dozen taels of silver, but prospects, promotion.
The problem lay precisely here: Xie Xuanying was not qualified to give them promotions or raises.
It was true that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the guard garrisons were both military units, but the guard garrisons were subordinate to the Five Military Regional Commands, and the Huai’an Guard fell under the jurisdiction of the Central Military Command, while the Embroidered Uniform Guard did not belong to the Command and was directly under the emperor.
Strictly speaking, they were not even part of the same department.
Therefore, to seek merit for Liu Haiping and the others, it was necessary to have the properly authorized leading department speak up.
But the Regional Military Commission far away in Jinling did not think so.
Let us sort out the levels of the military system: the Five Military Regional Commands (central military department) – the Regional Military Commission (local military department, one of the three commissions) – the (Huai’an) Guard – the (Yancheng) Chiliarch Offices – the (Lizitun) Centurion Offices.
So the whole course of events was as follows: pirates occupied a fishing village, which in theory fell under the jurisdiction of the Yancheng Chiliarch Offices (a county-level unit). If the Chiliarch Offices handled it poorly, reporting it up to the Huai’an Guard (a prefecture-level unit) would have been about the limit.
But in a fit of anger, Xie Xuanying went directly to the Regional Military Commission.
To put it even more simply, a clash between two villages had been escalated all the way to the provincial military department.
The Regional Military Commissioner received the news and was so angry he laughed: A trivial little matter had been blown up this big – was everyone insane? A few petty thieves, and you think I’ll be grateful if you catch them? Does your fucking mother know that this crappy matter should have been covered up tightly? Stirring it up – are you trying to affect my official achievements?
Seek merit? Seek your fucking merit!
Fine, kid, you and I are now enemies!
He was in the middle of his anger when someone suddenly came to report that Master Lin had arrived.
The Commissioner was somewhat surprised, but still said, “Invite him in quickly.”
Come to think of it, Lin Xin was an official of the fourth rank, while the Commissioner was of the second rank. There was quite a gap in rank between them, and moreover, socializing between civil and military officials was a major taboo; ordinarily they should both avoid suspicion.
But Yan Hongzhi had chosen him as the middleman for a reason.
The two were from the same hometown.
In ancient times, fellow townsmen were natural allies, promoting each other and looking after one another. It just so happened that both were serving as officials in Jiangnan, so normal contact between them was not considered excessive.
“Brother Tianzhi.” Lin Xin was over thirty, with a wisp of handsome beard, elegant in manner. “Barging in like this and disturbing your peace. Forgive me, forgive me.”
The Commissioner’s surname was Xu, given name Jiang, courtesy name Tianzhi. He was forty-eight, and being able to sit in a second-rank position at this age counted as quite capable.
“Zhixin, sit. Bring tea.” Xu Jiang said, “Why have you come at this hour?”
It was now past three in the afternoon, approaching evening. By convention this was not a time for visiting relatives and friends. He assumed Lin Xin must have something important, and without being long-winded, got straight to the point.
Lin Xin smiled bitterly. “There is indeed a reason.”
He did not keep him in suspense, and briefly and concisely explained the whole sequence of events, making clear that on the hijacked merchant ship were his own honored teacher and junior fellow disciple.
Xu Jiang suddenly understood, and immediately recalled it all.
The letter had been written by the Yancheng Assistant Magistrate, in tactful wording, saying only that it concerned a marquis’s young master, a noble from the capital. At the time his attention had all been on the names in the battle report, and he had not paid attention.
He immediately said, “So it was Master Zizhen. Is he well?”
“He suffered some fright, but there is nothing seriously wrong. It is only that my junior fellow disciple is young and rash, and I fear he has already caused you quite a bit of trouble.”
As soon as Xu Jiang heard this, he knew that the other man was still unaware of what had happened afterward, so he took out the letter and handed it to him. “Take a look.”
Lin Xin took it and scanned it in a few moments. His face turned deathly pale. “The bandits are detestable – they dared to attack and occupy a county office, treating the court’s authority as nothing!”
Xu Jiang was no fool. After a moment’s thought, he understood the purpose of Lin Xin’s visit. But fellow townsman or not, now that his actual interests had been harmed, he could no longer afford to care about friendship.
And what of Yan Hongzhi? A mere literatus, not even an official yet, utterly unconnected to a military official like him. To have spoken a few polite words was already giving Lin Xin considerable respect.
He said nothing, and Lin Xin likewise gauged his meaning. He cleared his throat. “Ahem, fortunately my junior fellow disciple does carry some of his grandfather’s spirit – when killing pirates, he showed not the slightest fear.”
Xu Jiang was startled, and something stirred in his heart. “Speaking of it, that young master of the Xie family… could he be the son of the Marquis of Jinghai?”
There were many noble titles in the capital – fathers of empresses, brothers of empresses dowager, generally all holding some marquis title. This was a customary reward for imperial relatives, and apart from the title and stipend, they had no real power at all.
They were merely rich and idle.
Aside from military officials who were genuinely ennobled as marquises for military merit, there were also civil officials who, for great service and toil, were enfeoffed as counts or marquises, generally non-hereditary, merely honorific.
The imperial clan need not even be mentioned – with a good father, one had a stipend to live on.
So at first, he had not thought carefully about which marquis it was, and had merely taken him for an impetuous youth who thought highly of himself.
But the Marquis of Jinghai’s household was different.
Xie Yun, Marquis of Jinghai, had been ennobled for suppressing pirates. When the present emperor was still a commandery prince, he had studied martial arts under him, and later he had even rendered merit in supporting the emperor’s rise to the throne.
The current Marquis of Jinghai – his younger sister was the former empress – led the Right Military Command, one of the high-ranking military leaders, and was naturally a trusted confidant of the emperor.
Xu Jiang weighed this for a moment, then asked again, “Which young master of the marquis household is he?”
Lin Xin held up three fingers.
Xu Jiang suddenly understood, and then was left speechless.
The court was strict about hereditary titles, generally requiring inheritance by the legitimate eldest son. If there was no legitimate son, then how to establish a concubine-born son could easily lead to disputes. But the Marquis of Jinghai’s second son was precisely the legitimate eldest son, so it could be said that barring any accident, he was as good as set in stone as the heir apparent of the marquis household. The other sons were another matter – after the family was divided, who knew if they might end up with some minor post.
However, the essence of feudal society determined that there was one thing more important than noble title, official position, or bloodline.
Imperial favor.
Xu Jiang was a local military officer. For many years he had simply been transferred from place to place, and apart from reporting on his duties, he rarely returned to the capital. But since he could serve as an official in a rich province like Jiangnan, his information was absolutely well-informed, and his backing was absolutely solid enough.
Of course he had heard of Xie San-lang.
His first impression was that he was exceptionally beautiful – so beautiful that when his wife took their daughter to offer incense, she came back and talked about it for days, glaring at him and finding fault with everything.
Ah, never mind. His wife of humble origins had been his child bride, and they had shared hardships together to this day. Endure it!
Apart from being beautiful, there was imperial favor.
On the day he entered the palace to meet the emperor, they discussed military affairs in the southwest – Xu Jiang had won a battle in the southwest, resolving an incident of tusi rebellion, and only then had been transferred to Jiangnan province. He had spoken at length when his interest was stirred.
His attendant reminded him that it was time for the midday meal, and the emperor granted him a meal.
When the dishes came, Xu Jiang naturally could not taste much, but he saw the emperor speak. “This venison, winter bamboo shoot, and three-delicacy pot – take it to San-lang. He is young and can handle it.”
Then he pointed out shredded chicken with assorted vegetables and stir-fried magnolia slices for the favored consort, and a platter of fresh shrimp cakes and jujube paste pastries for Princess Rong’an.
It was easy to guess whom the emperor favored – just watch what dishes he bestowed.
Although Xie Xuanying received only one dish, he was the first person the emperor thought of.
But Xu Jiang had never seen Xie Xuanying. Still, beautiful and studying under Yan Hongzhi – by any account, he sounded like a frail scholar. The so-called military merit was probably something his subordinates had delivered to his door, precisely to gild this young master of the marquis household.
There was nothing strange about that. Xu Jiang was used to it.
What he was weighing was whether to grant someone a favor.
Although there had been bandit trouble, it was quickly suppressed, with no great casualties. He could both sell a favor to a man in the emperor’s good graces and forge ties with the Marquis of Jinghai – why not do it? After all, his official career in the provinces had already reached its ceiling.
Xu Jiang was not a pedantic literatus. He had not even forgotten to send gifts to the eunuchs. So he immediately put on a moved expression. “Truly young and accomplished!”
As if he genuinely admired a youthful hero, he slapped his thigh in praise. “Zhixin, this junior fellow disciple of yours is truly remarkable.”
Lin Xin, hearing the tune and understanding its meaning, smiled at once. “He has caused you quite a bit of trouble. I hope you will not take offense.”
“Youthful spirit.” Xu Jiang still revealed a trace of dissatisfaction. “Which of us was not young once?”
Lin Xin pondered for a moment, then said, “I intend to bring my teacher to Jinling. When the time comes, I will call on you. Brother Tianzhi, please do not shut us out.”
Translation: Later I will bring my junior fellow disciple to apologize in person.
Xu Jiang, having recovered his face, was finally satisfied. Smiling, he said, “A youthful hero – even if it’s not because of you, I would still want to meet him.”
Translation: Fine, for your sake, I will let this matter go.
The two sides reached an agreement and parted amicably.
From Jinling to Huai’an by water did not take very long. The next day, Xie Xuanying received the reply from the Regional Military Commission.
Formal official documents were issued at the same time. Centurion Wu of the Lizitun Centurion Office, had been derelict in his duty and was removed from office and sent packing. Liu Haiping, for rendering great merit, was promoted to Centurion Officer.
Although Centurion Wang had not killed any of the enemy, he had sat on the right side, and was promoted to vice-Chiliarch Officer of the Yancheng Chiliarch Office.
And Wu’s relative, Chiliarch Li, although he had not personally gone into action, his sick leave was difficult to verify, and moreover he had given Xie Xuanying military horses and weapons, which also counted as a merit. The “vice” was removed from his title of Chiliarch Officer, and he became the head of the Yancheng Chiliarch Office.
Of course, to put it more deeply, the most important reason he could be promoted was that he was clever enough.
The account books of the Chiliarch Office’s armory were written thus: so many military horses, carts, long sabers, bows and arrows, armor. But how many there actually were… everyone knew. In any case, there were definitely not that many.
This chiliarch officer had promptly handed over weapons and prevented Xie Xuanying from investigating the problem of the weapons depot too deeply. That was a great merit. And as for his own promotion, naturally it did not matter that his relative had lost office. He even specifically sent gifts to the inn, intending to build a good relationship with Xie Xuanying.
He was not the only one sending gifts.
Once the Regional Military Commission’s official documents were issued, the great families and powerful clans of Yancheng became even more eager to curry favor.
In the rich lands of Jiangnan, to become a powerful clan in a county town at least proved two things: land, and people.
Land, of course, meant the finest fertile fields, with countless tenant farmers beneath them. People, of course, meant scholars, or at least provincial graduates. It was also quite normal for a metropolitan graduate to be serving as an official elsewhere.
Such local worthies also had considerable face before the county magistrate, and could have a say in many matters in the county town. If the emperor made a southern tour of Jiangnan and stopped somewhere, he would also summon local worthies, inquire about local customs and conditions, and grant them rewards.
They were both the leaders who maintained order in the countryside and stumbling blocks for the county magistrate in controlling the locality. They were both great benefactors who repaired roads and provided disaster relief in the local worthies’ shrine, and also great landlords who preyed upon the common people.
In a word, they had to be taken seriously.
So when Cheng Danruo once again received calling cards and gifts from several prominent households, she could not help feeling troubled.
Especially since this time it was the respectable maids from their households who had come, saying they wished to pay their respects to her.
“Why do they want to see me?” Cheng Danruo asked Nanny Zhang. “Should I meet them?”
She had certainly asked the right person. Nanny Zhang was one of Madam Gu’s dowry attendants, and had seen far more of the world than Cheng Danruo.
Grateful for Cheng Danruo’s kindness, she did not conceal anything, and spoke bluntly, “If you can avoid meeting them, Miss, then it would be best not to.”
Cheng Danruo was slightly surprised. “I did not want to meet them in the first place, but what do you mean…”
“In prominent households, how can an unmarried daughter casually receive visitors without the guidance of an elder?” Nanny Zhang said with earnest sincerity. “In families that understand propriety, there is absolutely no such thing as calling at someone’s door like this.”
Cheng Danruo’s brows furrowed slightly, and she could not help looking at her a couple more times.
What did Nanny Zhang mean by this – was she saying the other party lacked family upbringing, or was she hinting at something?
She probed. “I am afraid it is too much of a coincidence.”
Nanny Zhang secretly let out a breath of relief, and said, “It is no coincidence.”
Cheng Danruo’s brows then knitted tightly together.
One household, eager to curry favor, might overstep, but there was no reason for several households all to make the same mistake. Since they had come to the door, they must have believed they could meet her.
Connecting this with what Nanny Zhang had just said – “an unmarried daughter” – it was not hard to guess what they had misunderstood.
Once Cheng Danruo guessed the reason, she was filled with speechlessness.
“Then please decline them tactfully,” she said.
Nanny Zhang agreed, and with a few words sent away the maids waiting at the gate.
