Chapter 77: Luring the Snake into the House
Upon hearing this, Du Min felt uneasy. If he hadn't misunderstood, it seemed that Yin Mingfu's memorial had gone wrong.
"My lord, has Magistrate Yin changed his mind?" he asked shamelessly.
"You're asking me?" Master Chen feigned surprise. "I don't even know whether Magistrate Yin is tall or short, how would I know what he's thinking?"
Du Min understood that he was deliberately misunderstanding him, so he braced himself and asked, "Did you hear something at the Ministry of Personnel?"
"Who gives you the right to ask me this? And why should I tell you?" Master Chen picked up the teacup on the table and threw it at him. He slammed his hand on the table angrily. "Du Min, isn't it too much of a right for you to ask me for something? Where do you get your confidence? What favor have I taken from you, or have I ever wronged you? We were complete strangers four years ago, yet I recommended you to the prefectural school, instructed Dr. Xu to tutor you in poetry and prose, cleaned up the mess you made, brought you to Chang'an, and even introduced you to the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. What did you give me in return? I didn't ask you for anything, did I? You're still wary of me, and while you're wary of me, you still want to use me to gather information. Who do you think you are? How dare you? How can you be so shameless?"
Du Min lay prostrate on the ground, staring at the shattered porcelain, his body trembling with rage. He wanted to expose the hypocrite's true colors, but he knew that if he spoke, he would completely offend Master Chen. He could only endure it, gritting his teeth and remaining silent, trying his best to calm the surging anger within him. Finally, he had to look at that hypocritical and hateful face and force himself to say, "Please forgive me, sir. Du Min forgot his place; I was the one who pushed my luck."
"Get out!" Master Chen shouted angrily.
Du Min stood up and asked earnestly, "Sir, what can I do for you?"
Master Chen waved his hand, signaling him to get out quickly.
Du Min ignored him and asked again, "In other words, if I refuse Yin Mingfu's invitation, what can I do for you by staying by your side?"
Master Chen scoffed, "What do you think you can do for me? And what do I need you to do?"
"I'll go back and think about it carefully. If I figure it out, I'll come back to answer you." Du Min said, then opened the door and went out, covered in brown tea.
Chen Shanhou glanced at him cautiously from outside. He was a newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), yet he was still being treated like a dog and scolded in front of Chen Yuanwai.
Ignoring the gazes of his servants, Du Min straightened his back and walked out of the Chen residence.
Leaving the Chen residence, Du Min quickly ran out of Chongren Lane. He found a secluded alley and slipped inside. No one was watching him anymore. He no longer suppressed his emotions; his calm features became distorted. He hunched over, clutching his face, and gasped for breath.
"You bastard!" He kicked the wall hard, his leg hitting the wall with a painful thud. He completely broke down and started kicking the earthen wall in front of him like a madman. Even after falling to the ground, he kept kicking.
"Where did this lunatic come from? Get the hell out of here!" The homeowner ran out. "If you kick me again, I'll chop off your leg."
"Come on, come on, cut me! Kill me!" Du Min shouted.
"Wait here, I'll go report to the authorities."
Du Min suddenly snapped out of his daze, scrambled to his feet, and ran off down the other side of the alley without looking back.
Stepping out of the alley, Du Min looked around and still didn't know where he was. Since he didn't want to go back anyway, he decided to wander around in this unfamiliar place.
*
As evening fell, Du Li saw that the sky was covered with dark clouds and it looked like it was about to rain. He went outside to look out of the neighborhood, but Du Min still hadn't returned.
"The third brother hasn't returned yet?" Meng Qing also came out. "That shouldn't be the case. Curfew will be in an hour, and the weather will change this afternoon. The third brother probably won't stay at the Chen residence for dinner."
"I'm going to the Chen residence," Du Li said.
Meng Qing felt uneasy. She glanced at him and said, "Then hurry up. If you really can't get back before curfew, find Steward Chen and ask him to arrange for you to stay at the Chen residence for the night."
Du Li nodded, went back into the house to get his rain gear, and hurried out of Anyifang.
When Meng Qing got home, she locked the door from the inside and called Wang Zhou to come and eat first.
Just as the mother and son put down their bowls, large raindrops began to fall in a pattering thud, and the sky quickly darkened, turning the outside world pitch black.
Wangzhou was a little scared. "Mother, where's my father?"
"He went to see your third uncle." Meng Qing felt a pang of panic, but maintained a calm expression on her face and said, "Eat quickly, and after you finish eating, Mom will go see your painting."
Wang Zhou nodded, "I drew geese and flowers."
Meng Qing nodded, looking worriedly out the door. It was so dark; she shouldn't have let Du Li go out. She wondered if he would turn back halfway.
The goose tied in the corner suddenly squawked loudly. Meng Qing immediately went out of the kitchen and peeked at the door. The next moment, she heard Du Li's voice.
She opened the door in the rain and found that only Du Li was outside.
"It got dark too quickly, I was worried about you, so I turned back halfway." Du Li closed the door and asked, "Hasn't the third brother come back yet?"
"No."
"Let's wait a little longer, they might stay at the Chen residence." Du Li sighed with concern.
That was the only way. Meng Qing went back to the kitchen with him.
After dinner, while Du Li was washing the dishes, the goose cawed again. He immediately ran out of the kitchen and called out loudly through the rain, "Is the third brother back?"
"It's me, open the door." Du Min stood outside the door like a water ghost.
Meng Qing and Wang Zhou walked out of the bedroom. The mother and son stood under the eaves, watching a dark figure stumble and slide into the yard. She asked, "Has something happened?"
Du Min was stunned. His strong will collapsed instantly, and the little strength he had left quickly dissipated. He let himself collapse to the ground and lay in the mud, crying loudly.
"Second sister-in-law, it's all over..." Du Min said, crying.
Meng Qing's heart skipped a beat, and she was speechless for a moment.
Du Li tried to pull Du Min up, saying, "Get up first."
Du Min waved his hand. He had been soaked in the rain all the way. It was a chilly spring day, and he was shivering with cold, but he still insisted on lying in the mud so that he would be more comfortable.
"Your Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) status has been revoked?" Meng Qing finally found his voice.
"No, it's the issue with the appointment of officials that's causing trouble. Master Chen is interfering, and I should have to resign from the selection process." Du Min said weakly, "Second sister-in-law, I'm so sorry. You've planned so much for me, but I'm powerless to grant your wish. I'm so sorry, I have no face to see you."
Meng Qing was struck dumb. She took a few deep breaths and said, "Get up first. At least you still have the status of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). As long as we're alive, we can always find another way."
"Third Uncle, get up quickly!" Wang Zhou called out. "Get up quickly!"
Du Li bent down to pull him up, "Get up. Your official career is not going well. If you make yourself sick, you will suffer and lose money."
Du Min waved his hand, "Don't touch me, I'm dirty."
"I got soaked in the rain with you, and I'm soaked too." Du Li handed him a hand. "Get up quickly."
Du Min lay on the ground and cried a few more times. After being kicked, he reached out and grabbed the hand that was offered to him.
When Du Li touched his hand, it was as cold as a dead person's hand. He immediately sensed something was wrong; Du Min was sure to get sick tomorrow.
"You two go back to your room, I'll take him to take a hot bath," Du Li said to Meng Qing.
Meng Qing rummaged through the remaining charcoal and lit a charcoal brazier so the two brothers could roast their hair later.
An hour later, Du Li and Du Min came out of the kitchen and went into Du Min's bedroom. Meng Qing followed them in.
Wang Zhou still forced himself to stay awake. After Meng Qing left, he climbed out of bed, put on his shoes, and followed her to the next room.
"Why are you here too?" Meng Qing asked. "Weren't you asleep?"
"He's not asleep." Wang Zhou looked towards the bed. "Is Third Uncle still crying?"
“Look, Wangzhou is worried about you.” Du Li picked up Wangzhou and tucked him into Du Min’s bed. “Keep your third uncle warm, he’s freezing to death.”
Du Min hugged Wang Zhou; the child was warm, like a furnace.
“Let me tell you, he told me everything while he was taking a bath,” Du Li said. “Master Chen claimed that he was also trying to find a way for Du Min to be appointed to an official position as soon as possible, but Du Min had found a way and a new job but kept it from him, making him lose face in front of his colleagues and accusing Du Min of being opportunistic.”
“He said that playing both sides would not end well, and in the end he told me to come back and wait, to see if the connections with Prefect Yin were reliable,” Du Min continued. “The fact that he said that means he has already ruined this connection.”
Meng Qing nodded, "It's pretty much true."
A moment of silence fell over the room.
"Just because he thinks you're adept at navigating social situations, he's trying to sabotage you?" Meng Qing broke the silence. "Is he really trying to find a way to get you an official position as soon as possible?"
“Impossible,” Du Min denied outright. “Just like he said, he neither accepted any benefits from me nor owed me anything. Why would he go to such lengths to do me such a favor?”
"What's in it for him?" Du Li pondered. "He wanted to stop you from becoming a county magistrate in Luoyang, but he didn't ruin your status as a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). Even if you wait another three years, you can still become a county magistrate in another county. He delayed you for three years just to vent his anger?"
“I tested him, and he still wants me to do things for him,” Du Min said sarcastically. “When he kept emphasizing that I received his favors without any reward, I realized that he was not satisfied with the benefits he had gained from us. I asked him what I could do for him, and he told me to think for myself what I could do for him.”
"He wants a promotion, a promotion by stepping on paper effigies of the deceased." Meng Qing immediately understood. "That's why you said you felt sorry for me, isn't it?"
Du Min lowered his head and fell silent.
"It's a pity that Prefect Yin has already returned to Luoyang. If he were still in Chang'an, perhaps we would still have hope of not being controlled by Master Chen." Meng Qing sighed, and asked without much hope, "Do you have any other ideas?"
“Let’s all go back to Wu County. You two can continue working at the paper horse shop. I’ll go to the private school to take up a teaching position and wait for the Ministry of Personnel to appoint me to an official post,” Du Min said.
Meng Qing shook his head. "The imperial court has new Jinshi every year, so there is never a shortage of people to take up positions. And with Master Chen blocking the way, how long are you going to wait? If you wait seven or eight years, and then they send you to some remote place to be a county magistrate, then you're really finished."
Du Min was unwilling to accept this. He cursed loudly, breathing heavily, "He deserves to die! He ruined my career path, and he still wants me to help him get promoted? He's dreaming!"
Meng Qing didn't want to say anything more. "Let's wait and see. There will be a result from Yin Mingfu's side eventually."
All three knew that the outcome was hopeless, but none of them were willing to give up.
Du Li touched his hair and dried it almost completely. He stood up and said, "It's late, let's go to sleep."
He carried Wangzhou back and said to Meng Qing, "I'll sleep next door tonight. Lao San will definitely get a fever tonight."
“Okay, take good care of him. He’s strong-willed and definitely won’t let this go. It’s good for him to get sick and vent his anger,” Meng Qing said.
Du Li felt a pang of sadness and bent down to hug her. "Don't overthink it. We won't be bullied forever."
"Don't worry about me. I've been idle for half a year. These mundane days are really boring. Life is only interesting when there are challenges." Meng Qing pushed him away. "Go take care of your third son. I'm going to sleep."
Du Li went next door and saw that Du Min had already lain down. He touched his hair to see if it was dry, and his fingers touched his forehead, which was frighteningly hot. He quickly took out the medicine for typhoid fever and went to the kitchen to brew it. The stove was burning, and he came back in to dry the troublesome boy's hair.
Du Min took the medicine, but his high fever persisted all night. Du Li stayed by his side, sometimes sleeping and sometimes waking up, all night. As soon as it was light, he immediately carried Du Min out to see a doctor.
Du Min's anger had been burning for half a month, and he would get a fever every night. He had been taking medicine every day for the past two weeks. Du Li tried to persuade him and scold him, but could only watch helplessly as he grew thinner and thinner day by day.
*
That day, there was a knock on the door. It was a servant of Prefect Yin who had stayed in Chang'an. He informed the servant, "Scholar Du, the Ministry of Personnel rejected my master's memorial, saying that it did not meet the procedures for granting official positions. I will be going to Luoyang to give you a reply in a few days, and I came to tell you today."
“Du Min is expected to remain in office for three years. During this time, could he go to Luoyang to work and learn under Prefect Yin? He doesn’t need an official position or a salary,” Meng Qing said.
"Well... I need to go back and ask my master. Should I write to you then? Is it okay to write the address here?" the servant asked.
"Forget it, we might not stay in Chang'an any longer." Du Min rejected Meng Qing's suggestion. He handed a letter to a servant, "Please pass this on to Prefect Yin. Du Min thanks him for his appreciation and hopes to work under Prefect Yin's command if the opportunity arises in the future."
The servant took the letter, then looked at him a few more times, saying, "Take care."
Du Min smiled and thanked him, then saw the servant out.
The servant took a few steps, then stopped and said, “Scholar Du, after my father passed the imperial examination, he didn’t want to wait for the regular selection process. Instead, he found an opportunity to participate in the special examination and became a disciple of the emperor, directly skipping the regular selection process and obtaining an official position. You can also keep an eye on this matter. In which year will the emperor hold the special examination? You can take the exam.”
Du Min wanted to ask what the imperial examination system was, but he swallowed the words. After thanking them, he escorted the servants out of Anyifang.
"Have you made a decision?" Meng Qing asked directly when she saw Du Min return, as she was waiting outside the courtyard.
“Yes, I plan to stay in Chang’an. I’m going to ask Master Chen for a job that doesn’t require a salary or official position.” Du Min nodded calmly. “I know nothing about officialdom, so I’m not suitable to take up a post immediately.”
Meng Qing looked at him as if he were a monster, and she reminded him, "Don't get yourself into this mess."
Du Min smiled and said, "No, what would you do if something happened to me?"
"Alright," Meng Qing sighed. "Don't agree to any of Master Chen's conditions on my behalf. I don't owe him anything. If he needs something from me, he has to come to me and give me something in return."
Du Min nodded, "I'll have my second brother go to the ferry crossing more often these next couple of days to see if there are any boats going back to Wu County."
Meng Qing immediately understood his meaning, and she immediately instructed Du Li to take action.
*
Three days later, Du Min, looking emaciated, knocked on the door of the Chen residence. The gatekeeper, on the orders of Master Chen, refused to let him in, but he abandoned all pride and calmly stood guard outside the gate. He stood guard from sunrise to sunset, waiting for Master Chen to return from his shift.
Master Chen was startled when he saw his appearance. If Du Min had looked like this a month ago, he would never have been chosen as the third-ranked scholar.
“My lord, I know what I can do for you,” Du Min said calmly.
Master Chen glanced at him and said, "Come in and talk."
"Speak," he said, leading the man into the outer study.
“What Magistrate Yin wants me to do, I can do in Chang’an as well. I want to serve you and do my best for you.” Du Min stared straight at Master Chen and said, “If I can help you get promoted, I will repay the kindness of you in promoting me.”
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