Chapter 92 A Tribute to My Former Self
Dr. Xu instructed the gatekeeper to open the gate of the prefectural school and welcome Du Min in, along with the old county magistrate, officials, and onlookers. Today, people could freely enter and exit the prefectural school.
The students of the prefectural school all came out of the school. Du Min looked over and found many new faces. Among the crowd were seven or eight students dressed in hemp clothing.
"Time flies. It feels like I just graduated from the prefectural school. My memories of my school days are still vivid, but my classmates have all changed," Du Min sighed.
“Three years have passed. Every year, the prefectural school sends students out and students come in.” Dr. Xu slowed his pace. He looked at the students watching by the roadside, beckoned eight students from commoner backgrounds over, and said, “When the news of your passing the imperial examination came, the gates of the prefectural school opened to students from commoner backgrounds. In the past three years, we have enrolled two or three outstanding students from farming families each year.”
Du Min looked at Dr. Xu, who smiled slightly and said, "From now on, you will be the gold standard of the prefectural school. Even students from commoner backgrounds have the ability to rise above their station. The imperial court has given you a way to change your background because it believes in your ability to soar to great heights."
Du Min was deeply moved. He bowed deeply and said, "Sir, you are very righteous. I will always remember your kindness."
"Your kindness is profound, and we will always remember your kindness." Eight students dressed in linen clothes bowed to Dr. Xu along with Du Min.
As Du Min straightened up, they also stood up and bowed to him again without prior arrangement. One of them said, "Thank you, senior brother, for paving the way for us."
"Thank you, senior, for paving the way for us," the eight students said in unison once again.
A surge of pride welled up in Du Min's heart. At this moment, all the humiliation he had hidden in every corner of the state academy vanished, and all the humiliation he had endured in the past turned into glory after today.
"My fellow students, you must work diligently and strive forward, never forgetting where you came from, and never letting Dr. Xu down." He reached out and helped the student in hemp clothing to his feet.
"Go down," Dr. Xu instructed, gesturing for Du Min to follow him to the official residence.
The teachers from the prefectural school exchanged glances and followed suit without prior arrangement.
Du Min knew that the old magistrate and the scholars were interested in his path to promotion, so he briefly mentioned, "If I had to say how I got this opportunity, I would be most grateful to my second sister-in-law. Three years ago, we went to Chang'an and made a name for ourselves there by offering paper-made funerary objects. Through the introduction of Military Advisor Chen, I passed the provincial examination with flying colors. Then, thanks to Military Advisor Chen, I served as an official in the Ministry of Rites for a year. When the Emperor performed the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, the Ministry of Rites used paper-made sacrificial offerings for the ceremony. After learning about paper-made funerary objects, the Emperor issued an edict to hold special examinations to recruit talents skilled in administration, law, Buddhism, and the funeral industry. I seized this opportunity and stood out in the special examination this May, winning the top prize in the 'Talent and Knowledge Combined with Understanding of the Essence and Application' category, becoming a disciple of the Emperor."
The room was quiet for a few moments. They all knew about paper effigies and funerary objects; they were no longer rare in Wu County. But this thing actually had such great power that it helped Du Min become a disciple of the emperor.
"This is your opportunity. Back then, you caught the eye of Master Chen with just a policy essay and a few paper effigies of funerary objects, which allowed you to enter the prefectural school," Dr. Xu said, then asked doubtfully, "Who is Military Advisor Chen? Is he Master Chen?"
Du Min sat up straight, surprised and puzzled. He looked around and said, "You all don't know? Lord Chen Mingzhang is no longer the Assistant Minister of Rites. He was transferred to Runzhou as the Registrar of the Household Department the year before last."
Dr. Xu was stunned. He looked at Du Min in disbelief and asked hesitantly, "If I remember correctly, the Registrar of Households is a seventh-rank official?"
“Yes, he’s a seventh-rank official, the same rank as a county magistrate.” The old county magistrate spoke up, then shook his head and said, “I didn’t know about this either. I haven’t seen Chen, the military officer, return in the past two years. Dr. Xu, you haven’t received any letters from him either? Runzhou is only two or three days’ journey from Wu County. Hasn’t he contacted you old friends?”
Dr. Xu immediately understood: Chen Mingzhang was too ashamed to return to his hometown after being demoted and had been concealing the news. He found it strange that Du Min, riding the wave of the paper effigies, rose rapidly to become the emperor's protégé and was even appointed by the emperor as the magistrate of Heqing County, so why was Chen Mingzhang demoted?
“Lord Chen has been demoted, and he is probably feeling depressed, which is why he is ashamed to contact his old friends.” Du Min pretended to understand. “I wrote to him, but I never got a reply, and I don’t know how he is doing. If I hadn’t been in such a rush to go back to my hometown, I would have liked to go to Runzhou to see him.”
"Why was he demoted? He was reinstated three years ago after completing his mourning period, and then he was demoted the year before last? Did something go wrong on his job?" the old magistrate asked.
Du Min nodded with a troubled expression, and said evasively, "I've been set up."
"Why were you framed?" the old magistrate pressed.
Dr. Xu cleared his throat and interrupted, saying, "It's noon, time for lunch. Gentlemen, would you mind moving to our place? I've had a simple meal prepared."
“Teacher, please don’t be embarrassed for me. I dare not call myself an adult in front of you. Please just call me Du Min. It makes me feel more comfortable,” Du Min said. “Let’s go. I haven’t had the taste of my hometown for three years. I really miss it.”
The old magistrate got up, and the three of them went out together.
After lunch, the old magistrate asked Du Min when he planned to return to his hometown. He arranged for officials to escort him and revealed that the county government planned to prepare a deer banquet for him, asking when he would be free.
Du Min thought for a moment and said, "I will be taking up my post in Heqing County in October. I won't be able to stay at home for long, at most five days before I have to leave. I'm going back to my hometown tomorrow. Is the banquet the day after tomorrow? I plan to leave after the banquet."
The old magistrate nodded. "I'll go back and prepare now. The county lieutenant is yours to manage; tell him to run errands like delivering messages."
Du Min was silent for a moment; he almost became a county constable who ran errands as well.
"Alright, thank you for your trouble, sir," he said.
The old magistrate didn't feel tired at all. Du Min not only passed the imperial examination but was also a student of the emperor. These were all his achievements.
Dr. Xu saw the old magistrate out, then quickly returned to the house and asked bluntly, "What happened to Lord Chen, and by whom, that led to his downfall?"
"The matter also concerns paper offerings. My second sister-in-law runs a free school in Chang'an, registered under the Ministry of Rites. When the school was making paper offerings for the Fengshan ceremony, Lord Chen, having listened to someone's slander, borrowed craftsmen from the Imperial Household Department and sent them to the school. He claimed that these were skilled royal craftsmen who could oversee the process for my second sister-in-law, preventing any royal taboos." Du Min sighed helplessly, saying, "Teacher, to this day I still can't understand what he was thinking. I tried to stop him on the spot, but he wouldn't listen and insisted on putting the craftsmen from the Imperial Household Department into the school. When the Vice Minister of Rites found out, he was furious and ordered him to send the craftsmen back. But it's easy to invite someone, but hard to send them away. This was a trap set by the Imperial Household Department. They wouldn't accept the borrowed craftsmen, and that's how they got involved and stole the credit from the Ministry of Rites."
Dr. Xu coughed a few times, then picked up his tea and took a couple of sips to soothe himself.
"Teacher, how did Lord Chen become so blinded by greed? I still can't understand it." Du Min probed his attitude towards Chen Mingzhang.
Dr. Xu waved his hand. He didn't know the situation at the time, nor could he judge Chen Mingzhang's motives. However, he knew Chen Mingzhang's character. He was good at scheming, but narrow-minded and not very clever. He probably schemed too much and ended up scheming against himself.
"I'm afraid greed has blinded him." Dr. Xu glanced at Du Min a few times, trying to gauge Du Min's attitude. Given Du Min's cunning, he probably already knew that Chen Mingzhang had used him. He picked up his teacup and strained the tea leaves, saying casually, "I also reminded him not to be so clever. There are no fools who survive in the cutthroat world of officialdom, but he wouldn't listen. He always thought that only he could manipulate people. Now he's suffered a great loss, and I guess he's learned his lesson."
Du Min smiled.
"Now that you've entered officialdom, you must be cautious in everything you do. Learn from his experience and don't be too clever for your own good," Dr. Xu warned. "In my more than forty years of life, I've come to the conclusion that anyone who shows you kindness for no reason must have something to gain from you."
"I will remember this." Du Min lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and said, "Luozhou is not too far from Wu County. If you encounter any difficulties in Wu County, you might as well write to me. The Minister of Rites values me highly, and I may be able to help you out of your troubles."
Dr. Xu was startled and became wary. Du Min had treated Chen Mingzhang with indifference, yet he was willing to make such a heavy promise in front of him? He jokingly probed, "Just to repay a teacher's kindness? You know perfectly well that my guidance was given by Lord Chen."
“Min can tell who is sincere and who is not.” Du Min stood up and said with a smile, “Teacher, I still have to visit Master Xie of Chongwen Academy, so I won’t disturb you any longer.”
Dr. Xu put aside his doubts and got up to see him off.
“I wonder if Mr. Qinglun is at home. I have received his instruction and I am thinking of going to pay my respects,” Du Min said.
“He’s gone traveling again. I’ll convey your message when he returns,” Dr. Xu said.
“Alright, please convey my message: when you visit Luoyang again, please make a stop in Heqing County and give me the opportunity to entertain you,” Du Min said.
Dr. Xu nodded.
Du Min asked him to stay, and he led the officials out of the prefectural school. Afterwards, he went to the market to buy the four gifts of tuition and then, with the officials clearing the way, headed to Chongwen Academy.
Master Xie had already received news that Du Min had been appointed to an official post and returned to his hometown, and he also knew that Du Min had gone to the prefectural school to express his gratitude to his teacher. He suspected that Du Min might come to visit him, but he was still not sure. The waiting for the past few hours had tormented him to the point of auditory hallucinations, and when the clear sound of the gong finally came, he was still somewhat dazed.
"Master Xie, what are you daydreaming about? Magistrate Du is here to visit you," the teacher in the academy called out.
Master Xie got up and walked out. He didn't care that he bumped into the door frame as he went out. When he received the tuition fee from Du Min, he excitedly took it and took Du Min's hand, saying, "Good, good, good, you really are promising."
Du Min smiled faintly. He glanced around discreetly and found quite a few familiar faces in Chongwen Academy. People he used to fawn over were now standing in the crowd, looking at him with envy and resentment. When he looked at them, they subconsciously lowered their heads to avoid his gaze.
A doctor from Chongwen Academy arrived and invited Du Min to give a lecture at the academy. Du Min thought for a moment and agreed, saying, "Let's do it today. I'll be leaving in a few days, so I'm afraid I won't have much time."
The academy immediately summoned the students back to the classroom.
Accompanied by Master Xie and other teachers, Du Min took a walk around Chongwen Academy and finally returned to the school. He looked at the seat he used to sit in, where a thin, ethereal figure seemed to be smiling at him.
Du Min's eyes burned with tears. He smiled softly back, and the self that had once groveled here vanished.
A figure appeared at the door. Du Min looked over and saw that it was Gu Wuxia. The two looked at each other in silence for a while before he said, "Brother Gu, please come in and find a place to sit."
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