Qing Yao

Chapter 433 Rules? I am the rules!

Your expression definitely looks unnatural!

Because Zhao An didn't have a yearbook at all.

Apart from a "graduation certificate" representing his status as a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), Zhao An had nothing else.

Just like when he spent money to ask Principal Jiang of the rural primary school to do something for him, Principal Jiang did do it, but the diploma he gave him was not even on file in the county!

It has a passbook, but no stub!
How do I withdraw this money?
According to the proper procedure, each graduate of the same cohort of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examination) received a classmate directory, which included not only the names, hometowns, contact information, and rankings of their undergraduate classmates, but also the contact information of the chief examiner and the examiner who graded the papers.

It's like a small dictionary.

Unfortunately, all the other students had this little dictionary, but Zhao An didn't!
What's the problem?
It must have come from the Ministry of Rites, which is in charge of the education system!

Let's go back to the year before last, the fifty-fifth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign. At that time, the Manchu Minister of Rites was Chang Qing, and the Han Minister of Rites was Ji the Fat.

Chang Qing had always held military positions, serving as a general in Hangzhou and Fuzhou. He also helped Fukang'an quell the Tiandihui uprising in Taiwan. At over seventy years old, his appointment as Minister of Rites was essentially a stepping-off before retiring to the second line.

As expected, Changqing retired at the end of last year, and was succeeded by Jiaqing's father-in-law, Gongala.

Therefore, Chang Qing only nominally held the position of Minister of Rites, while the actual person in charge of the Ministry of Rites was Ji Yun, the Minister of Rites of the Han Dynasty.

Following this line of reasoning, it is natural to conclude that the reason why Zhao An's yearbook was not distributed could not have been due to the negligence of the Ministry of Rites staff, but rather because of some kind of hint, or that someone did it deliberately.

The focus instantly shifted to Fatty Ji.

It cannot be ruled out that Fatty Ji withheld Zhao An's classmate contact list for some purpose.

It could be out of sheer disgust, or perhaps the belief that the old master's special bestowal of the title of Tongjinshi had damaged the ecosystem of the imperial examination system, or it could be for some political motive.

From a practical point of view, no matter how high Zhao Anguan's official rank was, without the directory of graduates who had passed the imperial examinations, his position would be illegitimate and he would be inherently inferior in the officialdom.

Because when others ask him, he simply can't give a coherent answer.

It's equivalent to insulting or exposing someone's shortcomings.

To put it bluntly, Zhao An wasn't even an auditor; he was just a correspondence student.

If you don't know the principal, the dean of students, or the homeroom teacher, and you don't even know who your classmates are, how can you say you're a graduate of the imperial examination?
The most direct side effect is that Zhao An is unable to accurately find out who his undergraduate classmates are, which companies they work for now, and what their current positions are.

If one day you were to have a dispute with an official and end up in a physical fight, and it turns out that you were classmates, it would undoubtedly become a laughing stock in the officialdom.

The unspoken rule in officialdom is that those who pass the imperial examination in the same year should not only not fight each other, but should also support each other and stick together to fight against external forces!
Otherwise, the same year would lose all meaning.

This applies to both the master and the tutor.

Throughout history, officials who were selected as Jinshi by their mentors or tutors and dared to submit memorials impeaching their mentors or tutors were considered outcasts in the officialdom, regardless of their motives. They were destined for limited prospects and would be ostracized by the officialdom.

Simply put, respecting teachers and valuing the Way is a Confucian teaching that has been passed down for thousands of years.

So the problem now is that Wang's starting point is very good. He intends to promote Zhao, the classmate who was promoted the fastest among them, to be the first in the same cohort, so that he can rightfully become the leader of the cohort of Jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examination) and lead the Gengxu Enke Jinshi to advance bravely in the officialdom. In this way, the classmates who follow behind can benefit from the glory.

However, Wang, unaware of the actual situation, flattered Zhao An precisely at his biggest weakness as an official.

How to do?
If he agrees, he won't be able to provide his classmates' contact list for the exchange; if he doesn't agree, the fact that his classmate is so enthusiastic and that so many people are watching clearly conflicts with his carefully cultivated persona of being "united, friendly, and rich and naive."

In just a dozen or so breaths, the group of Beijingers realized something was wrong, and the once noisy lobby immediately fell silent.

Dozens of curious eyes were focused on the contact list belonging to Wang in Zhao An's hand.

Lord Zhao, what is this?
Do you look down on your elder brother Wang Wannian?

"."

Wang Wannian, one of the parties involved, gradually stiffened his expectant smile. His intuition told him that he might have done something he shouldn't have, but he didn't know exactly what he did wrong. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Misunderstanding, misunderstanding!
On Zhao An's side, his brain was also working at lightning speed; his CPU was practically burning out.

Then we came to the conclusion that we must satisfy Wang no matter what, and we must not leave the impression that Zhao Youlu looks down on his classmates and is not worth getting close to.

The saying goes, "If there's a problem, solve it; if there isn't, create one and solve it!"
In a flash, the tense expression on Zhao An's face melted away like spring snow, and then a brighter smile appeared on his face. It was as if the pause just now was a recollection of the hardships of ten years of hard study, the torment of the imperial examination, and the myriad emotions of passing the exam with flying colors.

Amidst laughter, Zhao An opened Wang's contact list, quickly scanning the top three names and locking onto Wang Wannian's name. He then gently tapped the list, looked up at the anxious Wang, and said softly, "Brother Wang's request is my pleasure, but to be honest, I was ordered to travel to the capital for an audience with His Majesty this time, and my journey was so rushed that I was unable to bring the list of classmates with me. Please forgive me!"

What he said was quite sincere, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Upon hearing this, Wang suddenly understood; so that was the reason. A huge weight was lifted from his heart, and he quickly said, "I see. It was my oversight."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao An raised his hand to interrupt him, looking at him with a smile and saying, "Although we cannot exchange our teeth records, I would like to write a few words for you, brother."

oh?!

Wang was deeply moved. What an honor it was that the first undergraduate classmate was willing to write an inscription in his contact list!

After saying that he was more than happy to accept the offer, Zhao An did not delay. He waved to Qian Wen, the head of the examination hall, to bring him a pen and ink. In front of everyone, he wrote a line of small characters on the blank inside the cover of Wang's dental record: "Brother Wannian, you are a pillar of the nation."

The inscription reads: "Written by Zhao Youlu, a fellow examinee of the Gengxu year, at the Anhui Examination Hall."

simple.

Zhao An originally intended to write "Wan Nian is a good cadre", but then he thought that the word "cadre" was a borrowed word from later generations, and it would be too advanced to use it now, so he changed it to "the pillar of the country".

The pillars of the nation?

These four words are the highest praise, and using them on a lowly seventh-rank official is an understatement, but the effect is very obvious.

Upon seeing the inscription, Wang was immediately stunned. His hands trembled as he took the address book from Zhao An as if it were a precious treasure. His voice choked with emotion: "Thank you so much for your kindness, sir. This inscription is more precious than a thousand pieces of gold to me!"

Isn't it worth more than a thousand pieces of gold?

The effect is fantastic.

The members of the Hedong faction in the capital would certainly give Zhao An face, and promoting a minor official of the seventh rank would not be a matter of mere words.

Therefore, all the officials around were extremely envious when they saw this!

Flattery erupted again, praising Lord Zhao for his loyalty and righteousness, and for the grand scale of his calligraphy. The delicate atmosphere in the hall was instantly dispelled, replaced by profound admiration for Zhao An's loyalty and magnanimity.

Zhao An, on the other hand, had a thought: the word "fellow villager".

The term "xiangdang" refers to a group of people from the same hometown. Commoners have xiangdang, and officials also have xiangdang.

Doing business requires the help of fellow villagers, making progress also requires fellow villagers, and how can a rebellion be separated from fellow villagers?

Aren't the officials from Jiangsu and Anhui provinces in Beijing just ready-made fellow townsmen?

The officials from the two provinces in the main hall were not all the officials from those two provinces in Beijing. If they all came, there would be at least two or three hundred people, since Jiangsu and Anhui are major provinces for the imperial examinations.

If you add in the local officials, how many would that be?
If all the officials from the two provinces were brought together to jointly honor Zhao An as "Chairman", how much power would be unleashed?

Thinking of this, Zhao An became even more determined to firmly grasp the resources of his fellow townsmen. "Today, outstanding individuals from Jiangsu and Anhui provinces have gathered here to reminisce about their hometown ties, and I am delighted! It is rare for my colleagues to show such kindness, and I would like to make a request. What do you all think?"

As the one being flattered, Zhao An's "unsolicited request" immediately received a warm response from the flatterers.

Therefore, Zhao An made his "unsolicited request," which was to establish a fellowship association for officials from Liangjiang in Beijing, with the Anhui Examination Hall as the base, to hold regular meetings, exchange ideas, hone their knowledge, and jointly plan for development!
The expenses for the gathering were borne entirely by the Anhui Provincial Treasury.

In short, from now on, the Anhui Examination Hall will be the home of officials from Jiangsu, Anhui and even Jiangxi provinces!

As long as you come, Lord Zhao will cover all your food, drinks, entertainment, and even whoring.

All you need to do is eat well, drink well, and have fun.

what is this?
This is warmth!
Massage!
In short, Lord Zhao opened his wallet, allowing everyone to open their hearts and reminisce about the warmth of home.

The room erupted in cheers!

This idiom perfectly describes the state of mind of the officials present at the time.

Almost without any surprises, the Liangjiang Friendship Association in Beijing was established, and although it was not officially registered, it was a substantial step forward.

Time flew by and it was already the eighth day of the first lunar month. Zhao An still hadn't received any notice to go to the palace to see the old master, nor had he received any notice to return to Anhui.

These past few days I've been busy socializing with officials from Jiangsu and Anhui provinces in Beijing at the examination hall. During this time, several officials from Jiangxi province who had heard the news also came.

Zhao An's policy was to encourage and welcome all who came.

Anyone from the two rivers and three provinces, regardless of whether they were high-ranking officials or just errand boys, could eat and drink for free at the Anhui examination hall, and even take things for free.

Zhao An privately instructed Qian Wen, the person in charge, that any official from the two provinces of Liangjiang who came to the examination hall in difficulty would be given one hundred taels of silver directly by the examination hall, and the provincial treasury would report the total amount to the treasury later.

If time allowed, Zhao An would definitely get some souvenirs.

Sometimes, winning over high-ranking officials is not as effective as winning over lower-ranking officials.

Some junior officials working in important departments play a far greater role than senior officials.

On the eighth day, Zhao An planned to visit the Great Wall. It would be a pity not to see the Great Wall when he came to the capital. However, the Imperial Household Department sent someone to inform him to go to the Accounting Department under the Imperial Household Department to handle the "Biding" matter.

The so-called "Biding" refers to the annual verification of the status of bondservants under the Imperial Household Department. After the verification is completed, one can receive the old master's New Year's rewards.

Those who usually participated in the "Biding" were staff members of the Imperial Household Department in Beijing. Those working in other places would simply be given a form to fill out, and there were basically no rewards or anything like that during festivals.

After all, the bondservant staff of the Imperial Household Department working in other places were mostly officials, and their income was much higher than that of the bondservant staff working in the capital. They didn't care about the old master's small holiday rewards.

Although Zhao An was a second-rank official and acting governor of Anhui, his household registration had been transferred to the Imperial Household Department. Now that he was in the capital, the Imperial Household Department would definitely notify him to participate in the "comparison ceremony".

The Grand Minister of the Imperial Household Department was Heshen, which was a super-powerful government office. Since Zhao An was indeed under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department, he changed his clothes and went to the Imperial Household Department office located inside the Xihua Gate.

When passing through Xihua Gate, he chatted with Alebao and others on duty. When Alebao heard that Lord Zhao was going to the accountant Sibiding, he specially sent a blue-feathered guard to lead Zhao An there.

Upon arriving at the Accounting Department and revealing his identity, Zhao An was immediately granted VIP access by Uya, the official in charge of the Bordered Yellow Banner's bondservants this year.

The process went very smoothly—verifying names, banner affiliations, lieutenant affiliations, current official positions, confirming no increase or decrease in the population, and changing occupations from "idle" to "outer official".

This "idle" does not refer to unemployed vagrants, but rather to a general term for those below the seventh rank.

Zhao An truthfully reported everything, but although it was the standard procedure, he was still unhappy because his son Zhao Ning and daughter Yi Yi had both been registered as bondservants.

He is truly a slave to one person, and a slave for generations to come.

After the "biding" was completed, Wuya handed Zhao An a newly made nanmu waist tag, which was engraved with his name, banner rank, captain number and the words "Boatman of the Bordered Yellow Banner of the Imperial Household Department" in both Manchu and Chinese. This was his proof of entry and exit from the palace and verification of his identity.

However, they can only enter the imperial city, not the palace.

Next, Zhao An was given a symbolic New Year's gift, which, as was customary, consisted of one shi of rice, two bolts of silk, and ten jin of official cotton.

The small quantity, however, is a testament to the Emperor's boundless grace. It not only represents the Old Master's favor to his servants, but also shows that the Imperial Household Department, his "mother's home," has not forgotten Zhao An, a relative working far away.

"Lord Zhao, all the formalities are complete. I can send someone directly to your residence to deliver these gifts bestowed upon you by the higher authorities."

As Wuya was speaking, a familiar voice came from outside the door: "Oh, isn't this Lord Zhao? What, a high-ranking official of the second rank, do you still remember that you are a bondservant who has to come here to check in and have your identity verified?"

Before he finished speaking, an official dressed in the robes of a fourth-rank official strolled in. It was Quan De, the Zuo Ling of the Imperial Household Department, who had originally wanted to use Zhao An to bring down Akdang'a, the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai.

Upon hearing Quan De's sarcastic remarks, Wu Ya quickly stood up: "Lord Quan..."

"This is none of your business."

Quan De waved his hand, his eyes fixed on Zhao An: "Lord Zhao, how have you been? I heard you've been making a name for yourself in Anhui, even Grand Secretary He is looking up to you, and the Emperor is also taking notice of you. I'm afraid you've long since stopped paying attention to us from the Imperial Household Department, haven't you?"

Zhao An remained calm and said indifferently, "Lord Quan is joking. How could I dare to disregard the Imperial Household Department?"

"In that case, let's proceed according to the regulations of the Imperial Household Department."

Quan De plopped down on the stool and said to Wu Ya, "Tell Lord Zhao what the rules are in our Imperial Household Department?"

What rules?
All bondservants in the public sector, regardless of their rank, must pay their respects with great ceremony when they meet the banner commander.

It was the same as when a minister from the Eight Banners met his banner lord.

Quan De was originally the sixth Zuo Ling of Gongzhong, but in September of last year, for some reason, he was reassigned as the seventeenth Zuo Ling. This seventeenth Zuo Ling is the same Zuo Ling that Zhao An is in.

Unlike the meritorious and old Zuo Ling, hereditary Zuo Ling, and mutually managed Zuo Ling, the Gongzhong Zuo Ling was directly appointed by the emperor.

He was the most lackey of lackeys, and the most trusted confidant of confidants.

Or rather, he was a lackey.

Manchus have their own rules, and servants have their own rules. It's perfectly acceptable for Quan De to have Zhao An perform a grand salute according to the rules.

If word gets out, no one will think that Quan De did anything wrong. No matter how high Zhao An's official rank is now, or how much the old master favors him, he still has to follow the proper rules.

At most, people might think that Quan De is a bit old-fashioned and inflexible.

Uya looked troubled but couldn't say anything. Rules are rules. She just didn't understand why the commander was so determined to make things difficult for this big shot who was already "famous" in the capital.

Zhao An's gaze narrowed slightly, and after a moment of silence, he lifted the corner of his robe and, following proper etiquette, performed a full kneeling bow to Quan De.

"Humph!"

Just as a smug look appeared on Quan De's lips, Zhao An suddenly stood up and, before Quan De could react, delivered a heavy punch to his face!
With a muffled thud, Quan De instantly tumbled from his chair to the ground, seeing stars before his eyes.

A mouthful of blood mixed with a dislodged front tooth sprayed onto the ground.

Zhao An stood proudly in the hall, looking at the astonished Quan De and said coldly, "The kneeling I did earlier was not to kneel to you, my servant, but to kneel to the rules of the inner court and to kneel to the laws of my Great Qing!"
"That punch I just gave you was to teach you a lesson for your audacity and arrogance! How dare you, a mere lieutenant, make me, a high-ranking official, kneel? Who gave you the guts to place yourself above the Emperor!"

(End of this chapter)