Chapter 115 Being relegated to the sidelines is something you'll do sooner or later...
Anzi was led to a guest room in the outer courtyard to rest.
Xu Rong held the small seal in silence.
She hadn't expected to get involved with that prince, who was like a background character who never officially appeared but seemed to be everywhere, in this way.
For a moment, she didn't know what to do.
After all, watching the undercurrents of the Xiao family from across the river feels quite different from the sudden turn of the tide that washes over your ankles.
"Don't worry, Bai Quan shouldn't be in any immediate danger," Lin Xin said.
Xu Rong nodded. This was good news. Prince Qing wanted to use Bai Quan, and Bai Quan was sensitive, so he should be fine for a while. Therefore, he still had time to send the young servant back for help. However, judging from the fact that he dared not put a single important word on paper, the danger was indeed real.
"Don't tell anyone about this beforehand," she had her first idea.
Bai Quan did not inform Prince Qing of his connection with the Marquis of Ji'an's residence, which shows that in his judgment, it would be useless to tell him. The Marquis of Ji'an's residence's influence was not enough to intimidate a prince, and even with the addition of the newly powerful Marquis of Yongjing, it might not be enough—because Prince Qing was not only of high rank, but also somewhat insane.
Rushing to ask for help might backfire.
"Let's try to find out what the current situation is in Pingliang Prefecture," Lin Xin suggested.
Anzi and his group got into a fight with Prince Qing as soon as they entered Pingliang Prefecture. They didn't have time to familiarize themselves with the local area and set up their business, so his description of the scene was somewhat vague.
Xu Rong agreed: "Mm."
The only course of action now is to proceed step by step.
She used to avoid Prince Qing because she didn't want to cause trouble, but now that Bai Quan has repaid her with his loyalty, she can't abandon him in this dangerous place. Whether it works or not, she has to try her best.
Lin Xin went to find Lin Ding, and Xu Rong called Bai Fu over. Without hiding anything, she told her the whole story and comforted her. Bai Fu was initially very scared, but when she heard that Xu Rong had no intention of giving up on Bai Quan, she gradually calmed down: "Brother will come back safely. I believe in Grandma."
To be honest, Xu Rong wasn't that confident in himself.
This is unlike any crisis before; it has far-reaching consequences, and if not handled properly, it could lead to serious trouble.
When Lin Xin returned from the main courtyard, the news he brought made her realize that it was indeed a troublesome matter: "Father said that he had been in Annam for many years, and before that, his garrison was in the northern desert. He had never set foot in the northwest and did not know what it was like there."
The next few days were also unsuccessful. For example, the Duke of Yingguo had been to Shaanxi when he was young, but that was many years ago. At that time, Prince Qing had not yet gone to his fiefdom, so it was useless for him to know anything about it.
After several days of hard work, I achieved nothing.
Before he knew it, it was the first day of the fourth month. Lin Xin's appointment was announced. He had to go to the Ministry of Rites to collect his official document and then report to the Hanlin Academy.
The journey was smooth. When he received his official document, he met a fellow candidate who had passed the imperial examination. The two then traveled together on their way to the Hanlin Academy.
Lu Boming, the third-ranked scholar, is twenty-eight years old this year and can be considered a young talent. However, at his age, it is impossible for him to have never been married. However, his wife was in poor health and passed away two years ago. Lu Boming was focused on preparing for the imperial examination and did not remarry during those two years. When he finally passed the examination, it was as if it had been prepared for him. The Marquis of Changxing took a liking to him and wanted to take him as his son-in-law.
Both sides were satisfied and eager, so the marriage was quickly arranged. Lu Boming revealed that he had already written a letter back to his hometown, waiting only for his parents' approval—there was no reason why they wouldn't approve; it was just a formality, and the two sides would soon be formally engaged.
Lin Xin listened in silence.
He realized that Lü Boming was talking to him about these things because of his original family background in the Changxing Marquis's mansion. He seemed to genuinely believe that Marquis Xiao had protected Lin Ding's offspring and that the two sides had made peace. Therefore, he felt that he could get closer to him and become more familiar with him during their conversation.
But that's not the case.
He was at a loss for words, but fortunately, Lü Boming was about to marry a noblewoman and was in high spirits, so he didn't mind Lü's coldness and talked to him all the way to the Hanlin Academy, until he went into the government office to see Scholar Xia.
According to regulations, Lin Xin was appointed as a sixth-rank compiler and Lü Boming as a seventh-rank editor, both of whom were appointed directly to their official positions.
However, being a Hanlin scholar meant a life of high status, unlike other officials who had to attend to worldly affairs. The two new officials had little to do. After paying their respects to Scholar Xia, they simply observed various places in the courtyard and paid their respects to their senior.
Not only them, but many of the elders also idly read books and played chess under the trees and in the courtyard. Lin Xin and Lü Boming paid their respects to everyone and were standing watching the chess game when Lü Boming was summoned away by Xia Xueshi and a minor official.
Lu Boming dared not be careless. As he walked, he hurriedly asked the clerk, "What business does the scholar have with me?"
"Editor, please don't be alarmed. There is just a document that you would like to copy..."
The two walked along talking, when one of the scholars playing chess looked up and smiled at Lin Xin.
Lin Xin was puzzled and cupped his hands in greeting.
This scholar, who was over forty years old and had a kind face, beckoned to Lin Xin: "Come here, I'll give you this position."
Lin Xin cautiously replied, "This humble official's chess skills are not proficient."
The scholar opposite the kind-hearted scholar placed his piece and scoffed, "Ignore him, he's just making fun of you."
The kind-hearted scholar chuckled and said, "Hasn't the scholar's attitude already made clear? You're going to be sitting on this sideline sooner or later anyway, so you might as well get familiar with it beforehand."
Lin Xin: "..."
He then realized that Scholar Xia's decision to assign tasks to Lü Boming but not to him was a gesture of goodwill. However, once he understood this, he was not surprised. Scholar Xia had already given him the cold shoulder after the imperial examination, and this was simply a continuation of the same approach.
"Oh, the top scholar is quite composed."
"Are you going to continue this game or not?" The scholar opposite him tapped the table with a chess piece, urging him on. "The top scholar comes from a wealthy family and can endure ten or twenty years in this academy. Of course he can keep his composure. Instead of worrying about him, you should check your own wallet."
"No, no," He Shan Hanlin shook his head repeatedly. "If I touch it, I won't be in the mood to play chess anymore."
"I don't think you're in the mood right now," Hanlin retorted.
"A new generation has emerged, while we are still wasting our time here. How can we not feel regretful!" The kind-hearted scholar sighed. "After twenty years of hard study, I finally achieved this future. I thought my suffering was over, but who knew that being an official could be so difficult? If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred to be a landlord in Shaanxi!"
Upon hearing this, the scholar opposite him fell silent.
They play chess here, seemingly leisurely and elegant, but in the real world of officialdom, being associated with leisure means one's future prospects are very limited.
Everyone says that Hanlin scholars are noble and refined, but they are poor and refined, and their future is precious. But they still have to leave this academy and climb up. If they can't get out, their so-called future can't be realized, and then all that's left are the first two words: poor and refined.
"Poor scholar, poor scholar," this colloquialism isn't just for show.
The kind-hearted scholar waved his hand and said, "Alright, top scholar, go sit somewhere else, lest our frustrations affect you."
Lin Xin didn't leave. Seeing an empty stone bench nearby, he sat down and said, "Since the scholar had nothing else to do, he assigned it to a junior. I'll stay here and listen to the teachings of the two seniors. Are you from Shaanxi? May I ask which prefecture?"
He changed to a more intimate form of address, and the kind-hearted scholar, seeing that he was young and composed and did not hold a grudge for being ridiculed, was willing to talk to him. He smiled and said, "It's a poor place, Pingliang. I wonder if the top scholar has ever heard of it."
I've not only heard of it, it's like a dream come true.
Lin Xin calmly replied, "This junior knows, it is Prince Qing's fiefdom."
The sentence flowed naturally, and the scholar, without the slightest suspicion, nodded and said, "The top scholar is indeed from a family with a strong academic tradition; he thought of it immediately."
He then smiled and said, "Now that you've been granted the fiefdom of Prince Qing, you know what kind of place it is."
Hanlin across from him interrupted, "Old Yue, this is something you can just say offhand."
"I've fallen to this state, what do I have to fear?" Yue Hanlin said dismissively. "Do you think that if I'm careful with my words and actions, the Emperor will suddenly take a liking to me? At most, in three to five years, I'll retire. Pingliang may be poor, but it's still my homeland. People always have to return to their hometown eventually."
His eyes showed longing and bewilderment, and the scholar opposite him looked somber as he asked, "Are you leaving soon? How much land has your family acquired? Is it enough for you to become a landowner?"
"Two or three hundred acres should be enough for a family's needs," Yue Hanlin said listlessly. "But I just received a letter from home. My father is complaining that he hasn't seen a drop of rain since the Spring Equinox, and he doesn't know what the weather will be like this year."
Lin Xin focused his mind and asked, "Could there be a severe drought?"
Yue Hanlin was surprised: "You could tell from that? Oh right—" He patted his head, "You're Su Wen's junior disciple, one of his students, no wonder."
Unexpectedly, it was Lin Xin who turned out—he didn't know that Yue Hanlin knew Mr. Su. He stood up to greet him again.
Scholar Xie was merely a figurehead; Mr. Su was his true mentor. Acquaintance with a respected elder carries a different significance.
Yue Hanlin quickly waved his hand: "Sit down. Your husband and I are not from the same cohort, but we knew each other before." He smiled again, "You just arrived, and I was joking with you about this. Luckily you weren't angry. If you had, I wouldn't have been able to talk to Su Wen properly when I saw him the next day."
“Su Wen is lucky and has a good eye.” The scholar opposite him remained silent for a moment, then couldn’t help but chime in, “He retired gracefully back then and achieved great success. If you and I had that kind of ruthlessness, our circumstances would be different today.”
Yue Hanlin rubbed his forehead: "Don't mention it, don't mention it, it gives me a headache."
Lin Xin sat down again, still thinking about what had just been said, and asked, "Won't the people of Pingliang also suffer the disaster?"
Yue Hanlin nodded, somewhat puzzled: "Most likely. It's unavoidable that ordinary people depend on the weather for their livelihood."
"Is the imperial court aware of this matter? Has the senior submitted a memorial to the emperor?"
Yue Hanlin hesitated: "I'll submit a memorial? I'm not a local official in Pingliang—"
"Relying on the local officials in Pingliang is probably not going to work," Lin Xin said, pursing his lips.
To drive out-of-town merchants to the point of fighting each other, one can only imagine what kind of incompetent official he is.
Yue Hanlin didn't ask him where he got the information. This top scholar's background was different from theirs, so it was normal for him to have some connections. He just hesitated: "I can't really interfere. Besides, even if I submit a memorial, top scholar, you're new here and don't know. For people like me and Lao Meng who are stuck in obscurity, who knows how long it will take for the memorial to reach the Emperor's desk."
Lin Xin asked, "If you don't mind, senior, how about I go with you?"
Yue Hanlin: "..."
He finally nodded: "Perhaps we can give it a try."
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