Qing Yao

Chapter 471 Supporting Lord Zhao's Work

The truth has come out: Taiping didn't get lucky, nor did his ancestral graves emit any auspicious smoke; he simply chose to take a shortcut.

A mere three thousand taels of silver was exchanged for a "first-class shrimp"—a position that every member of the Eight Banners dreamed of but could not buy with money.

This deal is fucking worth it!

Fan, the military officer, must be kicking himself now. He thought he was clever and assumed that Zhao, the deputy commander, was just trying to make money in his new post. So, like everyone else, he symbolically paid 180 taels of silver. He never expected that such a huge fortune was hidden behind this bribe.

Blame it?

It can only be blamed on his lack of attention when reading newspapers in his office, for not noticing that two years ago, a low-ranking official in Yangzhou had become the main subject of propaganda in the official Qing Dynasty newspapers for a long period of time.

The person being promoted is named Zhao Youlu.

It's not a very pleasant-sounding name, but the person is definitely blessed.

Now, he is the second-in-command in the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner Governor's Office.

We should thoroughly investigate how Deputy Commander Zhao rose to power; how could we let the benefits of being a top-tier shrimp slip away so easily?

After leaning against the wall for at least an hour, Fan Canling finally sighed, got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and began to ponder the whole matter carefully.

To become a first-class bodyguard, one's background and lineage were paramount; it was virtually impossible to be selected unless one was a son of a Manchu or Mongol noble from the Upper Three Banners.

The skill of being born into the right family is something that money can't buy.

Occasionally, members of the Han Banner Army would be selected, but only those who had made great contributions and crawled out of piles of corpses would be chosen.

Although Taiping was born into the Upper Three Banners, he had no military achievements and his lineage was very ordinary. He was neither a scholar nor a warrior. Such an ordinary person would not have been selected to be awarded the "First-Class Shrimp" even if he had received 30,000 taels of silver, let alone 3,000 taels. But good things just happened to happen to Taiping.

What does it mean?
With Fan Canling's wisdom, a little thought would have been enough to realize that Taiping was a "horse bone" deliberately set up by He Zhongtang and Zhao Fudutong, in order to get more people to learn from Taiping.

Given this, a new hope welled up in Fan Canling's heart. He had already missed out on "top-grade shrimp," which was a rare commodity and could not be wholesaled on a large scale.

But what about the other benefits?
Zhao, the deputy commander, has already been appointed as the governor of Anhui by the emperor. His time in the capital will certainly not be long. If I can gain Zhao's approval through my outstanding performance and then put in a good word for him with He Zhongtang, is it possible for me, the fifth commander, to be promoted to the first commander and become the actual person in charge of the commander's office? Or even be able to step out of the small circle of the Eight Banners and show myself on a broader stage?
In terms of background, qualifications, and knowledge, Commander Fan is more than qualified.

All that's missing is an opportunity.

It must be said that the miracles that happened to Taiping were so enviable that even Fan Canling, who was usually indifferent to fame and fortune, developed a competitive spirit.

This is an opportunity we can't afford to miss again.

After taking a deep breath, Fan Canling's eyes regained their resolve.

He figured out how to mend the situation after the fact.

Before he could even return to the governor's office, he was surrounded by two of his own men, one named Lu Xi and the other Ding Erdeng.

Both of them came to ask the commander how that kid Taiping had gotten so lucky.

No one would be willing to watch an incredible stroke of luck fall into the lap of someone they normally look down upon.

"About this matter,"

Having already made his plans, Commander Fan deliberately looked around and gestured for his two subordinate captains to follow him into the alley to talk.

Seeing that the commander seemed to know the reason, Lu Xi, who was impatient, spoke up first as soon as they entered the alley: "Sir, you have to tell us the truth. What kind of magic did that kid Taiping use? It can't be that his ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke, can it?"

Ding Erden chimed in, "That's right, sir. Don't we know what Taiping is really capable of? There's definitely something fishy going on here!"

Seeing the two anxious and indignant officers under his command, Commander Fan coughed lightly and deliberately shook his head, feigning regret: "You two didn't seize the opportunity yourselves, yet now you're envious of others' peace and tranquility. Whose fault is that?" "Sir, what opportunity?"

Lu Xi and Ding Erden looked puzzled.

"Now that things have come to this, let me tell you the truth. Taiping didn't just get lucky or have his ancestors' graves blessed. He saw through the mystery behind the fine for the crime."

After saying that, Commander Fan chuckled softly like a wise man, "Actually, I saw through this mystery a long time ago, but as you all know, I have never liked fame and fortune, so I won't get involved in this show-off thing. Unexpectedly, it has brought peace and tranquility."

The two officers were completely bewildered.

Having laid the groundwork to this extent, Commander Fan no longer held back, stating frankly that Taiping had only ended up in this "first-class shrimp" fate because he had paid three thousand taels of silver as punishment.

Three thousand taels?!

What surprised Lu Xi and Ding Erden was not the three thousand taels, but the "top-quality shrimp" that the three thousand taels brought.

If a first-class guard could be bought for three thousand taels of silver, they would sell their pots and pans to buy one.

The problem is, I can't buy it.

"You think that's just a simple fine? You're sorely mistaken! That's not a fine; it's a pledge of allegiance to Lord He, a stepping stone, a touchstone to demonstrate your loyalty to His Excellency!"

Commander Fan looked at you with exasperation, "Why did Lord Zhao make you pay your fines and write self-criticisms? Wasn't it to show you your attitude and sincerity? If you could understand this, how could things be peaceful?"

"Oh I see!"

Lu Xi stamped his feet in regret, "Sir, is it too late for us to return it now?"

"In time my ass!"

Ding Erden spat on the ground. "Taiping has already received the benefits. What's the point of us going to hand them over now?"

"No, it works!"

Commander Fan chuckled, “Times have changed. When Taiping paid three thousand taels, you refused to pay, making him the first to try something new. Naturally, the reward he received was the highest. If you pay now, you will still receive benefits. However, now that the window has been opened, if you want to follow Taiping's example and pay three thousand taels, you probably won't even make a ripple.”

Ding Erden frowned upon hearing this: "In your opinion, how much should we pay?"

Commander Fan pretended to ponder for a moment, then said, "If you're going to pay, then pay a large sum! A sum big enough to make Lord Zhao look at you with new respect. I think you should each pay ten thousand taels!"

"Ten thousand taels!"

Both Lu Xi and Ding Erdeng were shocked by the amount that Commander Fan mentioned. Lu Xi's family had been wealthy for generations, and his brothers and sisters could scrape together the money. But Ding Erdeng's family was probably going to have to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates.

"Don't think it's not worth it. Let me tell you, even if you lose the 'top-class shrimp,' do you think you'll miss out on other lucrative positions and promotions? If Lord Zhao really cares about you, he'll just have a word with Grand Secretary He to send you out to work. Those are real positions like deputy general and commander-in-chief! At that time, don't even mention 10,000 taels, you'll probably get tens of thousands of taels back."

"Yes, that makes sense!"

Lu Xi and Ding Erden were so excited by the beautiful scenery described by the commander that their breaths became rapid.

"The opportunity is right in front of you. If you seize it, you'll rise to the top! If you don't, you'll only be able to watch others shine in the officialdom. If you're one step behind, you'll be slow and hesitant at every step. I won't say anything more. You can weigh the options yourselves."

After saying this, Commander Fan straightened his official robes, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked out of the alley. He wasn't thinking about whether Lu Xi and Ding Erden would be badly tricked, but rather how to tell Deputy Commander Zhao that he also wanted to join the ministry at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way.

And they are trying their best to perform.

(End of this chapter)