Ink Burns

Chapter 100: The Ghost Envoy of Fengdu

It is normal for people to go back to their hometowns during the Chinese New Year.

The Great Wei Dynasty has a one-month Spring Festival holiday. Every year, the seal is sealed on one of the 19th, 20th, or 21st day of the twelfth lunar month, and the opening seal is opened on one of the 19th, 30th, or 21st day of the first lunar month. It is called "Officials seal the twelfth lunar month and do not open until the first lunar month." During the one-month period, except for the main officials at the provincial, state, and county levels, all other officials can take leave and can leave their residence to return home for the New Year, or they can close their doors and recuperate.

Xue Changfeng was promoted to the rank of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, holding the title of the third highest official of the first rank. Although he held a high position, he had little power, so he could return home. The Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince was the teacher of the crown prince. Now there was not even a crown prince in the court, so who could he teach?

Therefore, after the seal was sealed on the 19th day of the twelfth lunar month of this year, Xue Changfeng did not want to act alone, so he kept in line with the leaders of the six ministries and stayed in the capital until the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month, then set off to return to his hometown, Zhenjiang Prefecture.

His wife, Mrs. Zhu, stepped forward and returned home early to take care of things.

The Xue family has been a clean family for a hundred years, specializing in the study of law. The third edition of the Great Wei Law, which was published forty years ago, was written by the old man in the family. Now that the old man has passed away, several uncles have retired one after another. Only three people in his generation have become officials. The next generation...
Forget it, let’s not mention it to the next generation.

Xue Changfeng doesn't drink tea at night: since there is not much future in the official career, men always like to delve into some strange fields.

Xue Changfeng now likes to tinker with various medicinal foods to make soaks in water. In the past two days, he has returned to his hometown to adapt to the local climate and soil. He has soaked dried yam, water chestnuts, poria cocos, coix seeds and other foods that can regulate the stomach and intestines and serve as both medicine and food.

Xue Changfeng took a sip, and waited for the maids to clear away the leftovers before he picked up what his wife Zhu had just said: "I remember Liu Hezhou. He worked as a fourth-rank prefect for his entire life, but he didn't make any achievements. He retired less than two years ago, so how come he passed away?"

Zhu tried to cut the thread with silver scissors, but couldn't cut it, so she ran to Xue Changfeng and asked him for help.

"What else can I do? When people get old, it's not surprising that they will die any day."

Xue Changfeng cut the thread and burned the end of the thread over the candle flame. He handed it back and said, "The Liu family is a good family. Two generations have served as officials. If he can marry a girl from the Liu family, it will be a blessing for that evildoer."

Zhu was very skilled at threading the needle. She used the silver thimble on her index finger to push the needle through the thick fur insole. It was a strange story that the wife of the Third Duke sewed the soles herself and put them there.

"Please don't mention it. I asked people to search in Jinling Prefecture, Zhenjiang Prefecture, Songjiang Prefecture, and Jiaxing Prefecture. Mrs. Qiu in Jinling Prefecture said she was nice to him but secretly made trouble and sent an uneducated girl to see him. I don't know whether she looked down on Dalang or our Xue family." Zhu shook her head repeatedly.

The matter of Jinling Prefecture sending a female killer to deal with the matter must be reported to "Qingfeng" and also reported to the family!
This is horrifying to think about.

What if the female killer suddenly attacks and puts her life in danger? What should she do?
In short, Jinling Prefecture cannot have an easy time!
Xue Changfeng smiled and said, "It's just that I am the teacher of the deposed prince, and I have to stay in power for my whole life before I dare to bully you. Don't be angry, things will change over time, there is still a long time to go, just wait and see."

Zhu had a smile on her face, her hands were sewing with skillful movements and a gentle look.

Xue Changfeng leaned forward and held Zhu's hand: "I am so lucky that you, my lady, have never left me and have stayed with me through the whole year and three winters."

Zhu smiled and sneered: "If you were an old man, I would treat all the senior officials in the capital's cabinet and six ministries as rotten and about to be buried in the ground!"

With a smile on her face, she sighed, "When Dalang gets married and Chen'er starts to walk the right path, you can just be your old man. Whether you fish, make clay sculptures, or indulge in calligraphy and painting, or drink and smoke, do you think I will care?"

The naturally hanging door curtain was pulled open, and the howling north wind rushed into the warm and fragrant room like boiling water in a deflated teapot, screaming.

The tranquility and warmth in the room came to an abrupt end because of the visitor. Xue Xiao lifted the door curtain abruptly. He was too tall, so he could only lower his head slightly to avoid the door frame.

Looking at him this way, he was seen glancing sideways with his eyes downcast, looking very disdainful and arrogant.

Xue Changfeng was so angry that he put the teacup in his hand down heavily on the wooden table, and narrowed his eyes unconsciously: "Master Censor, you usually don't knock on the door when handling cases? Don't you inform them?"

Xue Xiao lowered the door curtain with one hand, his expression unchanged: "I am the Emperor inspecting cases in the Censorate, and the Grand Protector has been in the imperial court for a long time, don't you know this common sense?"

Xue Changfeng snorted coldly: "I have always been upright and honest, how could I have anything to do with your Censorate?"

"Whether the hundreds of court officials are upright or not, when they are promoted or transferred, it is not up to them to decide, but it is up to the Censorate to make the final decision—" Xue Xiao's face showed a trace of sarcasm: "Master Taibao has not been promoted or transferred for many years, so there is no need for the Censorate to issue a letter of rank."

Nowadays, all officials who are promoted or transferred are required to obtain a letter of character from the Censorate proving that they are "honest in words and deeds". After the letter is stamped and sent to the Ministry of Personnel, the promotion and transfer process is considered complete.

This is the rule that the new emperor established after he ascended the throne, against all odds.

Xue Changfeng sneered, "In the former Zhao Dynasty, eunuchs were in power, hawks and dogs were rampant, the East Factory had spies all over the court, the Jinyiwei wore flying fish uniforms, which was the highest honor, and the court officials could be scholars in the morning and killed in the evening. Now, you, Master Xue Xiao, have inherited the style of Qi Kefeng, the commander of the Jinyiwei in the Zhao Dynasty."

Dongchang and Jinyiwei are not good words!
Qi Kefeng can be said to have been infamous for a hundred years. He treated scholars and officials with cruel punishments, excluded dissidents from the court and promoted his cronies, and was willing to be the tyrant's eyes and ears. History books are biographies of later scholars, and the upright people wrote him in a way that made him look extremely ugly.

Comparing Qi Kefeng to Xue Xiao, one could almost point his finger at him and scold him: "He abuses his power and seeks profit by taking advantage of his position!"

The one I want to scold is you, this good dog!
It has brought shame to all scholars in the world!

It has brought shame to the Jiangnan literati!
It has brought shame to the Xue family!
Xue Xiao bowed his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Taibao. I will strive to be the best and become the best among the officials."

His hand dropped naturally, and he heard a "click" sound, like the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath.

"But, I wonder if the Grand Protector compares me to Qi Kefeng, then who is the Emperor Zhengyuan sitting on the throne compared to? Zhu Youjian who believed in slander? Or Emperor Qinzong of Song who offered his wife and daughter to him?"

Xue Xiao put one hand behind his back, with a cold sword shadow: "During the spring festival, it is the time for the Censorate to observe customs and examine the gains and losses of officials. I don't mind writing a letter to the Grand Protector about his words and deeds and sending a pigeon back to the capital."

There were flashes of swords and sabers between the father and the son, and they were always trying to kill each other.

Xue Changfeng slammed the table and said, "Rebellious son! Not satisfied with sending your mentor to prison, you are also trying to frame and slander your biological father!"

Xue Changfeng pointed at Xue Xiao and said loudly: "Master Li Zhen said that day that you are 'the ghost messenger of Fengdu, you are cut off from human beings by heaven, your six clans are broken, and you are unfraternal and unrighteous'. It was absolutely correct!"

　Today is a bit short.

　　(End of this chapter)