Top Scholar

Chapter 330 Resignation
In Chengdu, the provincial capital, on the south side of the city, on the front street of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office, stood the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office.

The newly appointed Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Sichuan, Yang Bin, sat blankly in the courtroom. His subordinates took turns reporting on the case, but he wouldn't listen to a single word…

The main problem is that I can't understand it.

At first, he spoke his mind quite frankly, but his Han officials told him with a half-smile, "Your Excellency, you are unaware of the situation; it's not that simple."

His self-esteem would be severely damaged, and he would feel that he was being looked down upon by the Han people again...

As time went on, Yang Bin simply shut up and accepted whatever they said.

To be honest, he regretted spending money to buy this official position...

Last year, he assisted the government troops in suppressing the rebellion and made meritorious contributions, but the Pacification Commissioner was already the top of the Tusi (chieftain) hierarchy, and according to custom, he could only be promoted to a nominal position such as a general.

But the military supervisor at the time, Eunuch Wei, who was in charge of the Sichuan garrison, told him that as long as he paid a tribute of 20,000 taels of silver, he could help him become the Sichuan Provincial Governor.

The temptation was simply too great for Yang Bin to resist. Firstly, the Provincial Administration Commissioner, a second-rank official, was a proper regional governor. Although there was a Provincial Governor above him, the Vice Minister's duties were mainly focused on supervising officials and military affairs, while civil administration was still the responsibility of the Provincial Administration Commissioner.

Secondly, the provincial treasurer is in charge of the province's finances. If he doesn't embezzle or take bribes, he can easily make 20,000 taels of silver a year. Even if he only serves one term, he'll still make a fortune.

Thirdly, for a Tusi (chieftain) to become the governor of a province was an unprecedented feat since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. What a glorious achievement that was!

He was tired of being a pacification commissioner, so he readily agreed.

Believe it or not, Eunuch Wei really got his job after taking the money; he told him it was done within a few days. It's just that the higher-ups might have made a mistake, appointing him instead of the Provincial Treasurer as the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner…

Eunuch Wei also comforted him, saying that although the provincial governor and the provincial judge were of the second and third rank respectively, their ceremonies for court audiences and celebrations were exactly the same, so there was no difference between them.

Moreover, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner was in charge of criminal cases and impeachments in the province, correcting corrupt officials, suppressing tyranny, settling lawsuits, and redressing grievances. All officials in the province had to obediently accept the supervision, and his official power was much greater than that of the Provincial Administration Commissioner!
Yang Bin then asked, "And what about the profits?"

"With such great power, how could he not be rich?" Eunuch Wei said with a smile.

So Yang Bin agreed to take the position.

His family was so happy when he left; everyone was so proud of him, and it was definitely not an act…

This made Yang Bin feel that the money was well spent.

But after arriving in Chengdu and taking office, he discovered that things were not like that at all...

Firstly, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner did indeed have the responsibility of supervising officials throughout the province, but the imperial court later established the positions of Provincial Governor and Provincial Inspector specifically to handle this matter, so he had no say in the supervision aspect at all.

Secondly, the Provincial Surveillance Commission is a highly specialized government office. It is not enough to simply be familiar with the laws and regulations; one must also be well-versed in past precedents and cases, as well as Confucian etiquette, local customs, and even the moral standards of the literati. One cannot be lacking in any of these.

Moreover, the cases that required his personal trial were cases that had been passed up through layers of government from the county, prefecture, and county levels, making them incredibly difficult to adjudicate. How could a mere chieftain like him possibly understand them?
They didn't dare to conduct a reckless trial, because the governor and the imperial inspector were both watching him closely. All the Han officials regarded him, this outcast, as a thorn in their side, wishing they could get rid of him as soon as possible. They would find fault even with an egg; how could he dare to act recklessly?

So in order not to make mistakes, he could only remain silent and not express any opinions, acting as a puppet when in court and as a human stamp after leaving court.

They were incredibly cautious and timid.

Moreover, his superiors treated him with sarcasm, and although his subordinates were respectful to his face, they must have laughed at him behind his back.

Thinking back to his time as the Pacification Commissioner, how he had been all-powerful and arrogant in Bozhou, how exhilarating it was! He really wanted to find a way to undo his mistakes.

However, he will not resign voluntarily, because he has already handed over the position of Pacification Commissioner to his son...

It doesn't matter how much embarrassment I suffer outside, since the people of Bozhou don't know anyway.

If I were to slink back home after only a few days, I would lose face at home... Losing the respect of my clansmen, especially my son, would likely bring misfortune to my later years.

So even if he has to put on a brave face, he will persevere...

~~
Having endured another day of torment, Yang Bin dragged his heavy steps back to the back office.

"Phew, finally some peace and quiet..." He breathed a long sigh of relief and was about to ask his concubine to give him a massage to calm his emotions when he saw the letter on the table.

"Where did this come from?" Yang Bin asked. "Why wasn't it delivered to the signing room?"

“Master, this is a letter from Mr. Yangming.” The steward who came with him to take up his post said respectfully, “His official position is only that of a post station official. If we send it to the signing office, the Han officials will say that he does not know the rules.”

"Damn it, Han people are such bastards, they even have to follow the rules when they fart!" Yang Bin cursed as he took the letter, tore open the seal, and unfolded the letter to read it.

After reading the first paragraph, he unconsciously sat up straight; his expression became serious as he read the second paragraph; his face changed drastically after the third paragraph; and sweat beaded on his forehead after the fourth paragraph…

After reading the entire letter, he felt as if he had been pulled out of the water.

"What's wrong, sir?" the butler asked in surprise.

"Master Yangming's words are truly insightful and have awakened me from my dream!" Yang Bin finally came to his senses and paced barefoot around the hall, increasingly convinced that Wang Yangming's words made perfect sense.

“Master Yangming said that I can no longer serve as an official. My personal honor or disgrace is secondary; the key issue is that it will endanger the legacy passed down from our ancestors!” “…” Naturally, the steward dared not say anything more about such a major matter.

When Yang Bin reached the ninety-ninth lap, he finally made up his mind and said, "I've made up my mind, I'm going to resign and return to Bozhou!"

So he wrote his resignation overnight and sent it to the capital as quickly as possible.

The next day, he asked the Grand Chancellor for leave, saying that his old headache had flared up and he was unable to perform his duties, so he had to go home to recuperate...

The Grand Censor had long disliked him; no governor wants a chieftain as his prefect.

Now that he was asking to go, they were naturally more than happy to oblige and immediately granted Yang Bin sick leave, telling him to rest and recuperate without worrying about matters in the government office.

After receiving his leave approval, Yang Bin didn't waste a moment and took a boat downstream that afternoon, leaving Chengdu.

I never want to come back here again in my life...

~~
When the boat arrived in Luzhou, Yang Bin did not immediately return to Bozhou. Instead, he took a small boat to travel along the Chishui River to Bijie. After disembarking, he followed the post road to Longchang Post Station to visit Wang Yangming.

As Yang Bin walked along, he saw that all the post stations established by Lady Shexiang back then were dilapidated. He lamented how harsh the conditions were for Master Yangming…

Then he was stunned by the sight of Longchang Post Station—a brand-new and impressive three-courtyard house with blue bricks and tiles built against the mountain. Even more astonishingly, the sound of hundreds of people reading aloud could be heard from the post station!

This scene is quite common in inland areas, but it looks completely out of place in this wild wilderness.

Upon hearing of Yang Bin's visit, Wang Yangming personally went to the entrance of the post station to greet him, clasped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "Haha, Your Excellency is indeed wise and insightful!"

"Oh, I've come to thank you, sir." Yang Bin quickly returned the greeting and followed Wang Yangming into Longchang Post Station.

He asked curiously, "Was this place always this grand?"

"I'm not afraid to admit it, Your Excellency, but when I came here half a year ago, there was only a shack." Wang Yangming said calmly, "This was all built brick by brick by my disciples."

"Impressive..." Yang Bin was deeply shocked. What shocked him even more was that on the way to the backyard living room with Wang Yangming, he saw at least twenty scholars dressed in traditional Chinese robes.

"Master Yangming was truly a sage. Wherever he went, he could gather a crowd of wise men and create miracles." Yang Bin admired him sincerely and became even more respectful.

"You flatter me, Your Excellency. It is all thanks to my disciple; I, as the teacher, am merely reaping the benefits." Wang Shouren served him tea and asked with a smile:

"Your Excellency, is there something you wish to ask me?"

“Nothing can be hidden from you, sir,” Yang Bin said honestly. “First, I came to thank you for saving my Yang family; second, I came to ask for your advice. I am currently without official position or post, so what should I do next?”

"What you're worried about is that you've already passed the position of Pacification Commissioner to your son, and now you've resigned from your post as Provincial Surveillance Commissioner. How will you maintain your authority after you return?" Wang Yangming asked with a smile.

“Yes.” Yang Bin sighed, “Don’t laugh at me, sir, but my son is rather…unruly.”

“Then tame him.” Wang Yangming then said seriously, “I can also see that your son is not as righteous and family-oriented as you, my lord—do you know why I wrote that letter?”

"I don't know," Yang Bin shook his head.

“Because your son made a foolish mistake, he thought that you were invincible now that you had become the provincial inspector, and actually cut off the newly built Chishui River waterway—didn’t he know what this river was for?” Wang Yangming said sternly.

"To deter us in Bozhou," Yang Bin said with some difficulty.

"Knowing this, you still dare to go against the court. Is this an attempt to rebel?" Wang Yangming said in a deep voice, "Just as I said in my letter, the court is actually waiting for you to rebel. Once you rebel, they can cancel your hereditary titles and replace the native chieftains with appointed officials!"

“If it were a remote location, the imperial court might have to consider whether it was worthwhile, but you are Bozhou! It is rich in resources and prosperous, and it is located at the junction of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, and borders the important city of Chongqing! The imperial court will not hesitate for a moment!”

“Our Bozhou covers a thousand miles and has a population of one million. Its deep valleys and dangerous strongholds are impassable even for birds and monkeys. What can the imperial court do to us?” Yang Bin said in a low voice, somewhat unconvinced.

"Stop dreaming! I'll say it again, you are Bozhou! As long as the Ming Dynasty hasn't fallen, it will stop at nothing to quell the rebellion!" Wang Yangming sneered.
"In fact, rumors of Bozhou's disobedience to the imperial court have been circulating for a long time. The construction of the Chishui River was just a warning. If they do not restrain themselves, the Yang family's disaster will surely begin here!"

"You, sir, have served as a provincial judge; surely you wouldn't still be so arrogant and ignorant?" he said, offering a penetrating analysis.
"If we're talking about areas spanning thousands of miles, can Bozhou compare to Chengdu or Chongqing? And the Ming Dynasty had dozens of large prefectures like Chengdu and Chongqing!"

"To say that they have a million followers, can they compare to a commandery commander in the Central Plains? Although the Yang family has deep valleys and fortified villages, there are more than a dozen chieftains in and around Bozhou who also possess natural defenses like the Yang family!"

"The imperial court doesn't need to send troops at all. It only needs to issue a document to them, instructing them to each send their own troops to divide up the Yang family's land. I'm afraid if the order is given in the morning, the Yang family will be gone by evening!"

Yang Bin broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this, rose from his seat, knelt down, and said, "What you said, sir, has saved my life! Please don't blame me for my angry words just now."

"It's alright. Families with a thousand-year history always have some pride," Wang Yangming said with a calm smile. "But sometimes that pride can blind people. The Yang family occupies the best position, and no one dares to challenge it because of the court's appointment. If there were an opportunity, who wouldn't want to take their place?"

"Yes." Yang Bin nodded obediently and said, "I will go back and summon the elders to remove the wicked son from his position as chieftain and eliminate the trouble! From now on, I will definitely warn and restrain the clansmen to learn from Lady Shexiang and serve the court respectfully, so as not to give anyone an opportunity to take advantage of us!"

P.S. This is a post I'll edit later. Please vote with my monthly tickets!!!

(End of this chapter)