Chapter 64: CH 64

While Imperial Censor Liu was still lamenting over the loss of such a child prodigy, Xie Ying rose out of his seat, walked over to him and asked, “Da-ren, is the questioning over?”

This question had not been too loud, but it just happened to interrupt Liu Zan’s regretful sigh. He pulled his hand off of Cui Xie’s shoulder and glanced back at Xie Ying: “Yes, the cases that should have been investigated have been investigated and the essays that needed to be tested have been tested. According to this official, County Magistrate Qi is indeed innocent and Cui Xie is also a loyal and righteous youth deserving of praise. Is there anything else Colonel Xie has in mind?”

Xie Ying answered, “Liu da-ren’s line of questioning was extremely clear, this official has nothing else to ask. But, there is one matter that I must request for Zhang tongzhi[1] to arrange for —’

Zhang Gui tongzhi immediately leapt to his feet and respectfully saluted, “Da-ren, just give the command!”

Xie Ying mildly said: “Why is Zhang da-ren so overcautious? This official will not do anything to you. Us Jinyiwei are reasonable people. It is just that our Northern Administrative Division is a place where Imperial missions are handled. Outsiders are unaware of the crux of the matter and believe that once the Jinyiwei make a move, it is only to seize people or question via torture. Actually, us Jinyiwei admire people who are loyal, righteous citizens who serve our country as well as honest, competent officials. If we come across those who have been wrongly accused, we feel compelled to redress such an injustice.”

Zhang tongzhi’s sweat was about to drip down and he lowered his head, solely engrossed in giving soft acknowledgements and didn’t even dare to say a single word back.

Xie Ying offered a few more words of explanation before letting out a deep sigh and asked Zhang Gui: “Tongzhi da-ren, even having interacted with me before, is still trembling with fear. Outside, the common people think that the Jinyiwei have seized Young Master Cui, and there is even a Patrolling Censorial Inspector that was here to conduct the questioning. Wouldn’t it have terrified them?”

Only after hearing Xie Ying’s words did Zhang tongzhi finally understand what the other was getting at. He hurriedly answered, “This minor official will arrange for someone to placate his family and friends.”

Liu Zan also added, “The Colonel is thoughtful. This official was so preoccupied with investigating the case that I had overlooked this matter. As for you Jinyiwei…” It was better if they didn’t go. Just taking one person to the yamen had frightened the group of spectators watching, if they were to go to the inn to take a look, that group of examinees would be scared out of their wits.

When the time came for the yuanshi, the prefectural examinations, what could be done?

Liu Zan pivoted towards Zhang tongzhi and raised his hands into a cupped fist salute, “Then I will have to trouble the tongzhi to send someone to the Young Master’s residence to offer an explanation. The investigation process and having him recite his essay just now had taken quite a lot of time. I see that it is getting quite late, and it is about time….”

“It is about time for him to eat.” Xie Ying answered very naturally: “One finds it hard to eat and rest when in the examination room. With great difficulty, he had finally finished the three rounds of examinations, but was then summoned to answer our questions. Surely this student is flustered and in a confused state of mind as well as exhausted and famished. If we ask him to return to the inn, my heart will not be able to bear it. How about we invite him to a meal before we send him on his way?”

Imperial Censor Liu was inwardly surprised, but thought it wasn’t worth it to refute and deny the other’s face over this trivial matter. As such, he dimpled and said: “Alright. In the future, he will be the go-between his peers and my generation. Zhang da-ren and I will just get to know the juniors of the examination in advance then.”

Prefectural Magistrate Zhang was suffering as he was caught between these two giant Buddhas and was secretly pleased that there was going to be a Cui Xie to help block the thunder. During the banquet, Imperial Censor Liu was arranged to sit in the seat of honor while those accompanying included Colonel Xie, who sat in the lower seat and at his side was Cui Xie. The rest of the Jinyiwei entourage wearing orange-red silks were seated separately elsewhere in the Flower Hall. There was also the local magistrate and the Registrar, these two personages, that accompanied them for drinks.

Having discovered a new child prodigy,  Liu Zan was so fond of Cui Xie that he didn’t know what to test him on first. After downing a few cups of wine at the banquet, he suddenly recalled that he hadn’t tested Cui Xie’s poetry skills yet, so he pointed to the willow branches outside the window and declared, “Since Colonel Xie and I are leaving tomorrow, break a willow branch off and write a farewell poem to send us off on our travels.”

Xie Ying took a glance at Cui Xie and the corners of his mouth curved upwards, “Last time, after returning to the capital from Qian’an, I had also requested for a farewell poem from you, but you said you didn’t know how yet. This time, I am returning to the capital from Yongping. Have you learned how to now?”

In the farewell poems after the Song Dynasty, Cui Xie only remembered “Outside the pavilion, on the ancient road, fragrant jade green grass reaches towards the sky”. Don’t ask if it was even according to the times, even the style was hard to rhyme with. Besides, his essays had already received Imperial Censor Liu’s approval and it had cleansed his illiterate reputation. Even if he were to delay a bit in composing this poem, it was not serious——in 《The Scholars》, wasn’t it said that “The current emperor attaches great importance to essays, is there a need to discuss those of the Han and Tang Dynasties?”

The more Cui Xie thought, the more his courage grew and the more confident be bcame. Without a shred of timidity, he gazed at Xie Ying, “This student is dull and although I have been studying for more than a year since I came to Qian’an, I haven’t had the time to learn poetry composition yet. But, I am able to write essays now and would like to give the Colonel a farewell essay, inviting the Colonel to evaluate my current progress in  my studies.”

Xie Ying shook his head, “I am a military man and cannot see the delights in an essay. Since you have remembered that you still owe me a poem, just give it to me when we see each other next time.”

At this moment, Cui Xie finally concocted a verse to reply to him, “Harbored in one’s heart, how could it be forgotten?”

When Imperial Censor Liu heard that Cui Xie really did not know how to compose poems, he felt the same regret as Prefectural Magistrate Wang——a child prodigy that doesn’t not know how to compose poems, how could this be the type of the child prodigy that could be easily showed off and tested at any given moment?

You’ve been at Qian’an for a year, but all you thought of was how to write essays. Before arriving in Qian’an, you didn’t know how to write essays and weren’t familiar with the classics. If you have nothing to do in your leisure time, why not learn how to compose poems??

Liu Zan couldn’t suppress his rising anger and squeezed hard against his chopsticks, asking: “Just how did you even study at home? If you were to have started your schooling around seven or eight years old, with your memory that won’t forget after seeing something once, at the age of twelve or thirteen, you should be familiar with memorizing characters,  antithetical couplets, rhyme groups and have recorded down the established standards in composing a poem. What was the name of the teacher that was hired when you were studying back in the capital? Is he a scholar who has passed the county examinations?”

Not only were they xiucai, but they were two juren[2] as well!

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Cui Xie told Liu Zan the two people’s full names as well what official position the Xu family’s uncle held. He wasn’t sure if Teacher Lu had taken the metropolitan examinations and only said that he was a juren.

Liu Zan was astounded: “Two juren? They’ve taught such a prodigy since your childhood? It seems they were distracted to have taught you into a sixteen year old boy who can’t even compose poetry….such a person was even elected as an official?! If one is half-hearted and muddled in teaching, how is it possible for them to be loyal and diligent when governing the common people!”

Liu Zan practically wanted to whip out one of Xu juren’s works and visit this Xu juren just to make sure that the other wasn’t simply holding a sinecure and causing disaster for the people.

Lu juren was also bound to have shallow and insufficient learning. Liu Zan just didn’t know where the other had plagiarized some old articles, to the point that he had fooled those rotten scholars at the provincial examinations. Even a pedant like Cui Xie had been turned into a child prodigy after being taught by the County Magistrate, but this juren had taught him for two to three years, but even learning the scriptures had been hopeless? It was sure to be that the person himself was muddle headed and his knowledge mediocre!

Mencius once said: “Anciently, men of virtue and talents by means of their own enlightenment made others enlightened. Nowadays, it is tried, while they are themselves in darkness, and by means of that darkness, to make others enlightened”, it truly fits this situation too perfectly!

Xie Ying lifted his wine cup to block his face and his tone contained traces of a laugh as he added, “It is not that they are poor teachers, wasn’t that mogu style[3] lotus painting from Lu juren well taught?” It had even taught Cui Xie to raise one and infer three[4], allowing the other to draw beauty portraits.

Even this Imperial Censor Liu had bought the《Water Margin》and 《Qi’s Travel Anthology》published by Cui Xie. It could be seen that even though Lu juren had shallow learning, his painting methods were acceptable.

Xie Ying’s gaze crossed the distance between his wine cup and landed on Cui Xie’s face. The faint smile gracing his face made Cui Xie feel that he would blush even without drinking the wine.

But, Imperial Censor Liu had not discerned the deep meaning of those words and casually replied: “What’s the use of teaching painting? Poetry and knowledge that was supposed to be taught wasn’t taught, isn’t this just tarrying one’s talent? With such a teacher, upon my return to the capital, I will summon Official Cui so that he doesn’t hamper other students’ progress and lead other people astray.”

The more he hated the two juren, the deeper his tender affections for Cui Xie grew. Liu Zan let out a breath and said, “This is not your fault. But, if you wish to become an official in this dynasty, it is necessary that you start learning poetry. Otherwise, when the day comes and you land a distinguished rank on the public roll of successful examinees, you will receive the grace of the Holy One and be invited to a Qionglin Banquet[5]. During the banquet, one must compose a poem on the order of the Emperor. Don’t tell me that when the time comes you will also say that you haven’t studied for a long time and can’t compose poems?”

This won’t do. Although Cui Xie wouldn’t be disqualified as a jinshi, his career as an official and future prospects were as good as dead.

Cui Xie honestly drooped his head down and assented, “Da-ren’s words are wise. After the prefectural examinations, I will return home and start studying poetry seriously. I don’t dare to betray da-ren’s hopes and expectations.”

Liu da-ren’s expectations of him had actually far exceeded that, but saying them at this time was premature, so he only uttered one sentence, “Do not only learn to compose poems, but also read more history books. When you had recited your two essays earlier, although it contained a lot of allusions, they mainly referenced the Four Books or the Five Classics. It is alright to occasionally mention such articles. In the future, if you are to assemble an anthology, the readers will see that your studies are narrow.”

He did not think that Cui Xie was a good-for-nothing, but treated him like a shengyuan. Liu Zan, as a rank-two jinshi graduate, simply rolled up his own sleeves and personally instructed Cui Xie in his studies. After teaching the youth for an entire evening, the banquet came to a close and Cui Xie was also sent back to his next destination. Only then did Liu Zan ask Xie Ying; “Since our assignment has been finished, it is time to return to the Imperial court. Shouldn’t it be time that we request the Emperor to issue an imperial edict decreeing that Qian’an’s County Magistrate be restored to office?”

Even after an entire night of drinking, Xie Ying’s face was still the usual, clean snowy-white and there was no trace of intoxication in his eyes. A dazzling brilliance as bright as snow shone in his pupils, and his lips hooked up as he faced Liu Zan.

While this smile looked exactly the same as his usual smile, it unknowingly caused people to feel a slight chill. But upon closer inspection, one would discover that this genteel smile was extremely gentle and refined. Xie Ying’s voice was also very soft as he looked to the west, “The Imperial Censorate may be finished with their case, but the Jinyiwei still have some matters to investigate.”

Liu Zan stared blankly at Xie Ying and questioned, “Is there something else?”

Xie Ying unhurriedly spoke, “In November of the 18th year of Chenghua, Wang Chang, the Chief Military Commissioner of the Gongchang Garrison was impeached by his subordinates, a Company Commander and an Investigating Imperial Censor. He was impeached on the account that he had stolen army provisions from the garrison and other equally-ranked various criminal charges. The Inspector General, also known as the Censor-in-Chief, ordered someone to question him and asked him about his embezzlement. Afterwards, Wang Chang’s kin repeatedly presented memorials listing out their grievances and the Emperor sent Colonel Li Long to dig out the truth of the matter. Only then did he find out that in the course of handling matters, Wang Chang had caned someone to death by flogging and such a crime was punishable by exile. The rest of the criminal charges had been false accusations. Later on, the Emperor issued a decree and ordered the Inspector General to re-investigate those who had made the false accusations and that those who were unable to distinguish the facts were to be held accountable…”

Liu Zan suddenly understood what Xie Ying planned to do, and exclaimed in astonishment, “You aren’t even on friendly relations with those two people, yet you are willing to shoulder this aimless case?

Xie Ying arched his eyebrows and chuckled, “It is not aimless, just carefully check to see which Imperial censors had movement outside their gates that day and if any people had visited. If this case could not be resolved, then in the future, everyone in the Imperial court would send a post to each Imperial censor’s residence and become narrowly partisan in order to frame other ministers. If things continued like this, just what was the Imperial court’s face and what was the point of the clean, pure reputation of the Imperial censors?

That made sense!

It was unexpected that a Jinyiwei harbored such righteous thoughts and was so devoted to his country. It was just like those Clearist officials!

It was no wonder that vehemently generous child prodigy Cui, loyal to the Emperor, was so close with Xie Ying!

Footnotes:

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