Chapter 79 Showcasing Talents:
"What qualifications are required to become a retainer?" Rong Xie asked.
Bai Shuishan smiled slightly, his short mustache curling up: "Confidence."
Rong Xie was taken aback, not expecting to hear such a reply.
Confidence? What kind of condition is that?
"Don't worry, Junior Brother Rong. As long as you show yourself generously, Chief Minister Wang's staff will not lack you for a meal," said Bai Shuishanren.
"But... what exactly are the tasks for the retainers? What if I can't do them? I'd like to prepare in advance," Rong Xie hesitated.
"You don't need to do anything, just offer some advice when Chief Minister Wang encounters a problem," Bai Shuishanren said with a smile.
"Give me a suggestion?" Rong Xie was even more perplexed. "If even Chief Minister Wang couldn't solve this problem, how could I possibly do so?"
"Yes, you can."
"What?"
"Singing, singing can solve everything!"
As he spoke, Bai Shuishan hummed a couple of lines, his powerful and resonant voice invigorating the soul, as if one had escaped from a narrow confinement and arrived in a vast wilderness.
"...The hermit is indeed insightful." Rong Xie felt respect. This confidence and this voice were indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people. No wonder Chief Minister Wang was willing to take Bai Shui Shan Ren as a retainer. If he were Chief Minister Wang, he would also want Bai Shui Shan Ren.
But what about Rong Xie? What strengths does Rong Xie possess that would make the chief minister, who has seen all the talents in the world, take notice and think he is worth keeping?
"Why do you look so troubled?" Bai Shuishan asked in surprise. "If I were you, I would be very confident. If Prime Minister Wang loses me, it's his loss."
Rong Xie was amused by Bai Shui Shan Ren's words.
"Or is it that you look down on the profession of retainer? Someone as versatile as you is indeed a waste of your talents as a retainer." Bai Shuishanren stroked his beard and pondered.
"No, no, I really want to be a retainer," Rong Xie quickly explained. "Perhaps the man has some misunderstanding about me. I just need a job that can make a living and is close to home, let alone being a retainer for Chief Minister Wang. As long as Chief Minister Wang doesn't look down on me, of course I'm willing."
"Excellent!" Bai Shuishanren clapped his hands. "There's no better time than today. It just so happens that Chief Minister Wang is at the villa today. Why don't you come along? I'll introduce you!"
"This...so fast?" Rong Xie felt a chill run down his spine.
"You're lucky to have caught Chief Minister Wang here," Bai Shuishanren laughed. "Come on, let's go now. From now on, we'll be working together. Hahaha, how wonderful!"
Rong Xie never expected that he would be taken to Lan Yuan Villa to participate in the interview for the chief minister's retainer just because he heard Bai Shui Shan Ren singing and came out to take a look.
Several other people were being interviewed at the same time. These people were either dressed in strange clothes or carrying odd props. They all looked eccentric and extraordinary, just as Bai Shuishanren said—very confident.
The Grand Secretary Wang sat in a pavilion by the lake, the curtains drawn so that his face could not be seen. A steward stood in front of the curtains, responsible for relaying messages on behalf of the Grand Secretary Wang. He would call each of the candidates forward to introduce themselves, demonstrate their talents, and answer the Grand Secretary Wang's questions.
Rong Xie was someone who had been added to the queue at the last minute. When the manager saw him, he smiled and nodded at him. Rong Xie recognized the manager; it was this same manager who had received him when he and Shen Bing Si toured the Blue Plains Villa. Suddenly, a sense of confidence rose in Rong Xie.
Among the candidates, some danced, some played the flute, some recited poetry, and some performed talents that even Rong Xie couldn't understand. Chief Minister Wang watched them all patiently and would ask detailed questions based on their performances.
Rong Xie listened from the side and realized that Chief Minister Wang was a true all-rounder. No matter what kind of unorthodox talent his retainers performed, he could always ask questions from a professional perspective, which made Rong Xie admire him.
Finally, it was Rong Xie's turn.
The other candidates for the position hadn't left either; they were still gathered on the lawn in front of the waterside pavilion. However, they were much more relaxed and had the leisure to pay attention to the performance of their competitors. Some critical, scrutinizing, and amused gazes fell on Rong Xie, making him feel even more pressured.
The steward smiled and looked at Rong Xie: "Young Master Rong, what would you like to perform? Please."
Rong Xie was slightly taken aback: "Don't you need to introduce yourself?"
"Young Master Rong may introduce himself if he wishes, but the master already knows you," the steward said with a smile.
Upon hearing the steward's words, the critical and amused gazes turned to surprise. They hadn't expected that this seemingly reserved and shy beauty, who had entered last, would be so famous that even the Grand Secretary Wang recognized her. They wondered what amazing skills she possessed.
Rong Xie hesitated for a moment, then remembered what Bai Shuishan had told him: he must be confident, no matter what he was showing.
Bai Shuishanren didn't know that self-confidence was the most difficult thing for Rong Xie. He envied those candidate retainers. Even if their performance skills were not perfect and they made mistakes when answering the chief minister's questions, they could still raise their chins and speak arrogantly. What they said was not important. It was just their intonation that was captivating.
Perhaps because Rong Xie had paused for too long, the people on the lawn began to whisper among themselves, and the Prime Minister Wang behind the curtain also slightly adjusted his posture.
The steward's smile faltered slightly. He was about to remind Rong Xie that they could begin when he saw Rong Xie, as if he had made up his mind, purse his lips and look firmly at the curtain.
"My name is Rong Xie, a native of Heyang, currently residing in Zhuli Lane, Lanyuan," Rong Xie said.
"Alright, Young Master Rong, then begin your performance." The steward breathed a slight sigh of relief. In fact, keeping Rong Xie was already a pre-arranged decision. After all, Rong Xie was Shen Bing Si's good friend. Even if Rong Xie didn't know anything, they still had to give Shen Bing Si face. It was just a matter of a meal, nothing to their master. However, maintaining their relationship with Shen Bing Si in this way was really worthwhile.
However, thinking this way in private doesn't mean it can be done openly. At least Rong Xie's performance needs to be somewhat passable, and the "unyielding spirit" of his retainers is the most important thing. Chief Minister Wang won't want a timid person. Rong Xie's current performance is still not satisfactory. Hopefully, he can show some skills in the formal performance later, even if it's just chanting a spell or drawing a talisman.
“Actually…” Rong Xie did not take out the talisman as the steward had expected. He remained reserved, with his hands clasped in front of him. “What I am good at is not easy to perform. If the Grand Secretary is willing to give me a chance to demonstrate, please entrust me with one or two matters of managing the villa. I will give the Grand Secretary an answer before the next day off.”
"Huh?" "Haha, what kind of talent is this?" "So you're here to apply for the position of manager?" All the candidates laughed. They had never heard of such a thing before. Someone actually considered managing the garden as a talent? Then wouldn't all the servants who sweep the floor and prune the branches be eligible to apply for the position of retainer?
When the steward heard Rong Xie say this, his expression became somewhat subtle. He had thought he had gained a favor for the master, but he hadn't expected to gain a competitor instead.
The reactions of those around him did not affect Rong Xie. He continued to gaze at the curtain, waiting for the chief minister's reply.
This answer was the result of his careful consideration. While waiting in line, Rong Xie had thought of all his talents. He found that he did have quite a lot of skills, but those did not make him feel confident. He felt that those talents could not help the Prime Minister Wang solve his problems, and he would not feel at ease. However, if it was about managing the garden, he was confident that he could make the Prime Minister Wang feel that hiring him was worthwhile.
"Oh?" came the voice of the Grand Secretary from behind the curtain. He seemed amused. "You said your talent is managing the garden?"
“Exactly.” Rong Xie’s voice was a little louder.
The Prime Minister chuckled twice and said, "That is truly a remarkable talent."
Upon hearing the high praise given to the management of the garden by the Grand Secretary Wang, the grass fell silent. The prospective retainers dared not laugh anymore, each shutting their mouths and looking up at the sky, continuing to maintain their arrogant and unruly posture, as if they were not the ones who had just laughed.
“Of course I’m happy to give you a chance to showcase your work. However, this garden is also my masterpiece, and I can’t just entrust it to someone else. You can understand my feelings, right?” Prime Minister Wang said with a smile. “I’m going to ask you a few questions. If you can answer them, then we can talk about whether or not there will be a performance.”
Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief: "May I ask, Your Excellency?"
In the following time, the chief minister asked about everything from the types of wood commonly used in Shengjing-style architecture and how to care for them, to the feng shui considerations and taboos to be avoided in garden layout, and how to plan and calculate the income and expenditure of accounts.
Although there was a focus, these questions covered various aspects of astronomy, geography, feng shui, folk customs, craftsmanship, and arithmetic. Even the doctors in the Imperial Academy probably did not have such a comprehensive and diverse knowledge system. It took quite a bit of time to ask them all.
He answered all the questions fluently.
At first, the manager was worried about attracting a competitor, but now he realized there was no need to worry. The other person's level was far superior to his own, and he could even go toe-to-toe with the erudite Prime Minister Wang. It was only natural that he, a mere manager, would be outdone.
The candidates were dumbfounded, their forced arrogance crumbling. Was this the kind of garden management work they knew, done by the lowest-ranking people? Why did it sound even more exciting than the imperial examination, with such a complex and detailed range of tests? How many books must one have read, how rich must one's memory and practical experience be to reach this level?
No wonder the chief minister said, "That is truly a remarkable talent!"
Only Bai Shuishanren, who introduced Rong Xie, seemed to have expected this. He stroked his goatee and smiled smugly. The talent he had discovered was finally known to others. This sense of accomplishment was similar to, or even better than, the feeling of his newly composed music being sung everywhere.
"Hmm, not bad." It was rare for the Chief Minister Wang to be satisfied with anything. "However, theory is one thing, and practice is another. Wang Yuandu, you shall assign tasks to Young Master Rong."
"Yes." The steward bowed respectfully to the curtain, then cupped his hands to Rong Xie and said humbly, "The affairs of the garden are complicated, please give me your guidance, Young Master Rong."
"I wouldn't dare. I'm new here, so please forgive me if I misunderstand anything," Rong Xie replied, returning the greeting to Steward Wang.
A huge weight was lifted off his shoulders; his interview seemed to have gone quite well. Although he hadn't become a retainer, perhaps he could finally do what he truly wanted to do.
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