Grand Secretary: "Did anyone pay attention to you today in the court when you spoke up about this matter?"
"Pri Minister, then let go to Central State for disaster relief. I can no longer stay in the Capital."
Grand Secretary: "Qiu Yuan, listen to , you can’t decide this matter. Just stay well in the Capital, don’t go anywhere. If sothing happens to you, how am I going to face Xu Gongming? This world can’t withstand any more turmoil."
After he finished speaking, he picked up his tea to see the guest out.
Feng Xifeng had no choice but to leave.
On the road, he ran into the official who today took the lead in proposing severe punishnt for the Kong Mansion and then turned the spearhead toward the rebellious commoners.
"Duan De, don’t you feel a bit troubled in your heart for condemning those commoners unjustly?" Feng Xifeng rebuked.
Duan De sneered: "Mr. Feng, if it weren’t for your son-in-law stirring up this matter, would these commoners suffer today? If anyone is to bla for their plight, it’s your son-in-law. If anyone is due for retribution, your family is first in line."
Feng Xifeng was at a loss for words for a mont.
Faced with Duan De’s twisted logic, he actually didn’t know how to refute.
"Mr. Feng, why take such words to heart?" Mr. Wu from the Inspection Bureau ca over and consoled him.
Indeed, as the proud father-in-law of his star pupil, Mr. Wu was a bit worried about him today. Hearing that he had gone to Yanyue Hall, Mr. Wu had deliberately co to find him and then witnessed this scene.
"Mr. Wu..." Feng Xifeng felt a rush of mixed emotions for a mont.
Mr. Wu laughed heartily: "This is not the place to talk."
He took Mr. Feng to the fireworks alley.
What Mr. Wu was most dissatisfied with about the Capital was exactly this, the prices were high, and the quality was just average, outright unable to find any goods with good cost-performance.
The challenges of residing in the Capital, this was clear.
The costs go up, and the services decline. Where is the justice in that!
He found two singers to accompany their drinking, and Mr. Wu said: "Today, if I don’t get Mr. Feng cheered up, I’m not paying."
He was the Right Assistant Imperial Censor of the Inspection Bureau; monitoring ethics was his duty, especially over these places of pleasure.
However, Mr. Wu was a man of scruple, always paying the going rate whenever he ca.
Sotis he even ca here to further his study of the languages from the Western Regions; he was very determined to progress.
Hearing his words, the madam of the establishnt next to him said with a smile: "We’d actually wish for Mr. Wu to co and inspect us every day, to offer us more guidance. Logically, we should be the ones compensating Mr. Wu."
Mr. Wu burst into laughter, "You old thing sure know how to talk."
Then, amidst the clinking of glasses and cups, Mr. Wu said to Mr. Feng: "Brother Qiu Yuan, don’t take Duan De’s words to heart. You’re conscientious; that’s why his words trouble you. Is there anything wrong with the people of Kong Mansion resisting? When oppressed, who wouldn’t want to fight back? Their only mistake was that their own knives weren’t sharp enough. The scholars and nobles have many people; their knives are sharp, so the Emperor and the Grand Secretary must compromise. It’s that simple. The one with the bigger fist is always right."
He saw it very clearly.
All this about defying the superiors and levels of propriety, it’s all predicated upon the strength of one’s knife.
Without a knife, who would talk about propriety and hierarchy with you?
The history books clearly state, the Emperor, those with strong armies will support.
Mr. Wu continued: "Now with border troubles, flood disasters, and the many obstacles to reform, all sorts of troubles co together, neither the Grand Secretary nor Your Majesty are going to recreate the universe, these matters, laying right before our eyes, there’s always a priority. You understand these principles even without saying them. You, you’re just too conscientious. We’re all officials, why cling to a conscience..."
A twitch appeared at the corner of Feng Xifeng’s mouth, thinking to himself: "Your logic is even more twisted than Duan De’s."
But what Old Wu said was indeed not wrong; it ultimately ca down to the issue of who holds the knife.
The Official Army cannot handle the enemy nor deal with the floods, and the Emperor and the Grand Secretary cannot possibly be enemies with the class of scholars and nobles, so naturally, they go against whoever is easiest to target.
Mr. Wu, with alcohol flush, continued: "In this world, in my view, there’s no right or wrong. If there is a mistake, it’s the fault of heaven and earth for insisting wolves eat sheep and sheep eat grass, the strong bully the weak, the weak bully the weaker. Just like how we constantly speak of all under heaven, but don’t the common people themselves bully weaker commoners? A family with more people bullies a family with fewer, a village with more people bullies a less populated village. Even as a father who holds power, I’m absolute at ho, emphasizing the hierarchy. If heaven and earth create us this way, what can we do differently?"
With the alcohol affecting him as well, Feng Xifeng couldn’t help but say: "Mr. Wu, I used to think you were unlearned, but I didn’t expect you to have such profound insights."
Mr. Wu’s face darkened imdiately, Old Feng, can you even speak properly?
Could a second-tier Scholar despise a third-tier Scholar?
I am your senior from the sa examination hall!
After speaking, Mr. Feng realized his faux pas and awkwardly smiled.
Wine and won, truly great distractions, helping one forget troubles.
After returning, as the alcohol effects wore off, Mr. Feng still earnestly wrote a letter to Xu Qing, informing him of the Court’s decision and the potential developnts to follow.
He didn’t offer any suggestions; he simply conveyed everything he knew to Xu Qing.
Through this ordeal, he truly realized he was still just a Scholar who had not been tested through real trials by fire.
Previously, Xu Qing had protected him too well.
He had never encountered any setbacks in South Zhili, truly believing that matters of the world could be resolved amidst laughter and jest, a clear case of overestimating his abilities.
He could not help but feel sad for his son-in-law; his journey had been anything but easy.
Then, Mr. Feng attended the court eting today.
Such small-scale etings, aside from the Six Departnt Inspectors, were only joined by the Court’s senior officials and the Inner Court’s Grand Eunuchs. Even Mr. Wu did not qualify.
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