Chapter 802: Big and Small Pearls Falling on a Jade Plate (Part 2)

Since the end of the Yonghui era, the various government offices, including the Three Departments and Six Ministries of Liyang, have undergone significant personnel changes. Old officials like Grand Secretary Zhang Julu, Minister of War Gu Jiantang, and the Song family's old master have either died or left the central government in the capital. Meanwhile, a group led by Chancellor Qi Yanglong has risen to high positions in the imperial court. This group includes seasoned capital officials such as Chen Wang, Left Supervising Secretary of the Department of the Palace Gate, as well as younger scholars with less experience like Li Jifu, Wu Congxian, and Gao Tingshu, who gained prominence in the imperial examinations of the first year of Xiangfu. Furthermore, Tang Tieshuang and Xu Gong were appointed to vice-ministerial positions after serving in local government. Among the existing cabinet ministers, there have also been major changes. Almost all Yonghui-era dignitaries, including Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun, have changed their official positions. Yuan Guo, Han Lin, and Wang Xionggui were all reassigned to provincial posts, becoming de facto regional governors.

Among them, Huan Wen was an anomaly. As an elder statesman who had served three emperors, "Old Man Tan Tan" remained securely in his position at the Department of the Palace Gate, regardless of how other officials in the court shuffled positions. Although rumors circulated that the old man was unwell and would vacate his position for either Zhao Youling, the second-in-command of the Chancellery, or Yin Maochun, the Minister of Personnel, to the civil and military officials in Tai'an City, who had witnessed many political storms, as long as the Emperor had not issued a clear decree, Old Man Tan Tan remained a powerful grand councilor with immense influence over the entire court. Moreover, even if Huan Wen were to retire, as one of the few remaining meritorious elders and a literary leader of the Liyang Dynasty, he would still be consulted on Liyang's affairs. He was, after all, praised by the late emperor as a "national treasure." It was no wonder there was a good-natured jest in Tai'an City that "Huan's residence never has a cold stove" (implying constant visitors and influence).

As autumn approached this year, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Household Department to meticulously craft over forty inkstones engraved with "Xiangfu Imperial Use" to bestow upon his important ministers. Those who received one treasured it, but only Huan Wen was given three. Even Qi Yanglong, Yan Jiexu, and Chen Wang only received two each. Furthermore, not only did Huan Wen receive this honor, but he was also gifted an old ginseng root, considered the finest among many tributes from Liaodong, and a jar of Chunling wine. This immediately dispelled all private discussions speculating that Old Man Tan Tan might not survive the second year of Xiangfu.

After the residences of Zhang (Julu) and Gu (Jiantang) became things of the past, with the rise of the Chancellery and Department of the Palace Gate, the relocation of the Hanlin Academy, and the establishment of six Imperial Libraries which dispersed a large number of important civil officials, the Zhao family's compound, once bustling with government offices, no longer enjoyed the early glory of having "all imperial officials gathered here."

On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, the Emperor specially opened the Golden Autumn Garden, the largest and most scenic of the four imperial gardens, to host a grand banquet for his ministers. Before the banquet, the eager young Emperor established a new Liyang custom for welcoming autumn. He had Song Tanglu, the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, bring in a potted phoenix tree that had been cultivated for this purpose. When the appointed time arrived, he temporarily appointed Chen Wang to act as a Grand Scribe, who loudly proclaimed, "Autumn has arrived!" The Emperor then personally plucked a phoenix tree leaf, symbolizing the monarch reporting the arrival of autumn to Heaven on behalf of the populace. In this unprecedented impromptu elegant ceremony, Chen Wang, as Liyang's first "Autumn-Welcoming Announcer," was undoubtedly the most prominent figure. Empress Yan Dongwu stood with her younger brother, Yan Chiji. The captivating woman, who served as a mother figure to the nation, softly told her newly prominent Hanlin Academy brother after witnessing this scene, "You must strive to become next year's announcer of autumn."

Yan Chiji, who disliked being in the spotlight, replied with a headache, "Sister, what's there to compete for in such a matter? Besides, I can't win it. With Junior Protector Chen's excellence already demonstrated, next year it will probably only be Assistant Minister of Rites Jin Lanting, or our Hanlin Academy's new Chief Academician who can take on this role. Otherwise, Song Keli and Fan Changhou would also have a more legitimate claim than I."

Yan Dongwu glanced at the civil and military officials, each with different expressions. Elders like Qi Yanglong and Huan Wen, being of advanced age and already holding the highest positions, had no need to enhance their reputations with such an event. Therefore, they approached the matter with a detached mindset, not wishing to compete with younger officials. Powerful ministers of a slightly younger generation, such as Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun, were somewhat different. While they also had no need or suitability to compete, their gaze towards the much younger Chen Wang still held a hint of envy. As for young officials like Gao Tingshu and Wu Congxian, who had just begun to make a name for themselves in the Liyang court, their eyes burned with eagerness. Jin Lanting, who had enjoyed great official success in Tai'an City in recent years, appeared calm and composed, seemingly already considering the role of next year's autumn announcer as his for the taking.

The now dignified Yan Dongwu looked straight ahead, not engaging in whispered conversations with her beloved brother. With a calm expression, she said, "Your brother-in-law needs you to compete for it. He won't tell you directly, but if you show this ambition, he will certainly be very pleased."

Yan Chiji sighed helplessly, "Alright, then I'll do my best."

Yan Dongwu watched her father, Yan Jiexu, Grand Academician of the Dongyuan Pavilion, who was laughing and chatting happily with other court elders like Wen Shouren, Grand Academician of the Wuying Hall, out of the corner of her eye. She changed to an unquestionable tone, "Our father has already paved the way for you. The six Grand Academicians of the Halls and Pavilions, plus the newly established six Imperial Library Academicians, these twelve will be the highest-ranking and most esteemed cabinet ministers in our dynasty. You are still young, and your qualifications are insufficient. We don't hope for two Grand Academicians of Halls and Pavilions from our Yan family, but for you to become an Imperial Library Academician in ten to twenty years is not difficult. Moreover, a Grand Academician of a Hall or Pavilion is an honorary title, similar to a Grand Pillar of the State, and is not revoked when an official retires from court. And if nothing unexpected happens, father will be able to be promoted from Pavilion to Hall in a few years, while an Imperial Library Academician is a substantial official post. At that time, our Yan family will have 'two Grand Academicians from one family' – father representing the prestige and you the substance. Father and son will complement each other, ensuring at least three generations of the Yan family's prosperity for a hundred years."

Yan Chiji timidly asked, "Sister, we are, after all, imperial relatives by marriage. Shouldn't we avoid suspicion...?"

Yan Dongwu turned her head expressionlessly, but her eyes clearly held a hint of anger. She immediately interrupted her brother, lowering her voice, "Can you really not see the undercurrents in the court right now?! If even you, your brother-in-law's own brother-in-law, don't help him, are we supposed to place our hopes on those civil officials who are becoming increasingly adept at playing politics?"

Yan Chiji hesitated, then finally lowered his head in acknowledgment of his mistake.

The Emperor walked over to the siblings from a distance. Seeing Yan Chiji's discomfort, he chuckled and teased, "What's wrong, brother-in-law? Has your sister lectured you again? Every time Grand Academician Yan sees me, he occasionally mentions you, his son, and always beams with pride. But your sister, she lectures you every time she sees you! It makes even me want to speak up for you. Never mind, never mind. Since your sister isn't close to you, I'm very close to you, my brother-in-law. From now on, if you feel wronged by your sister, just come and complain to me, and we'll drink together to cheer up."

Yan Dongwu softly chuckled and asked, "I wonder what troubles His Majesty has that need cheering up?"

The young Emperor, caught off guard, was speechless, which greatly amused Yan Chiji, who was observing from the sidelines. Emperor Zhao Zhuan pointed at his gloating brother-in-law, "Ungrateful fellow! I accidentally drew fire upon myself trying to help you, young man."

If an ordinary subject heard the words "ungrateful" from the Emperor's mouth, they would probably be terrified. Whether Yan Chiji was too slow-witted or for some other reason, he showed no apprehension at all, merely offering a slightly apologetic smile.

Although the young Emperor outwardly scoffed, deep down, he found his brother-in-law's "presumption due to favor" not only unannoying but quite comforting.

Only true family could be so informal.

Emperors throughout history might refer to themselves as "the lonely one," but which emperor truly enjoyed being alone?

Yan Dongwu suddenly whispered, "Your Majesty, the matter of selecting palace maids truly cannot be delayed any longer."

Zhao Zhuan quickly blustered and then made an excuse about needing to discuss military and state affairs with the Chancellor.

After the banquet, the Emperor allowed his ministers to explore the Golden Autumn Garden at their leisure, so the civil and military officials dispersed in small groups. What appeared casual, actually involved many subtle considerations. For example, the two leading figures of the court, Qi Yanglong and Huan Wen, walked side-by-side with no one accompanying them. Zhao Youling, who had resigned as Minister of Personnel but was now in the Chancellery, pulled along five or six high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Personnel. The current Minister of Personnel, Yin Maochun, was chatting happily with a group of Hanlin Academy officials with impressive resumes. Several newly appointed Imperial Library Academicians with less stable foundations naturally walked together. The six ministers of the Department of State Affairs, leaderless after the death of "Blue Eyes," each had their own factions and did not gather together. The imperial nobles of the Zhao clan, however, tended to stick together. Assistant Minister of War Tang Tieshuang accompanied two great generals of the same generation as his patron Gu Jiantang; one was Grand General Zhao Kui, who had been out of public affairs for many years, and the other was Yang Shenxing, who had been quite dejected these past two years. Ironically, Minister of War Lu Baijie walked with young officials who, like him, hailed from Jiangnan. Meanwhile, several core figures of the Green Party, who had seemed to drift apart in recent years – Assistant Minister of Personnel Wen Taiyi and the recently recalled former Qingzhou General Hong Lingxu, among others – had only two years prior adopted a stance of never associating again, yet today they were reunited, seemingly having buried the hatchet and reconciled. This inevitably led to speculation: Was the Green Party making a comeback? As for the powerful aristocratic families from the northern Liangliao region, led by the Peng and Liu families, their representatives in Tai'an City also tacitly stayed together.

Qi Yanglong and Huan Wen, these two elderly men, actually walked quite quickly with large strides, gradually moving further away from the main group of officials behind them. The two elders walked directly to a famous scenic spot in the Golden Autumn Garden: Chunshan Mountain, constructed from nearly a hundred Chunshan Lake rocks. Although Chunshan Lake rocks had long been favored and praised by renowned Jiangnan scholars, their true rise to prominence and widespread recognition among both court and commoners was a phenomenon of the past five years. Piece by piece, these huge rocks were continuously retrieved from the lakebed, adorning opulent courtyards, and last year, they "flew" into the imperial household, forming a mountain overnight in the Golden Autumn Garden and gaining fame across the land. Chunshan Lake rocks were prized for their "slender, porous, and wrinkled" qualities. High-grade Chunshan Lake rocks, with their intricate undulations and natural charm, were even said to be worth "an ounce of gold per jin of stone."

Huan Wen did not climb the mountain but stood dozens of paces away from Chunshan Mountain. He gazed at the low mountain, which was said to have mist swirling around it on cloudy days, the sound of rain on overcast days, and the sound of conch shells in strong winds. Chancellor Qi Yanglong, seeing that Old Man Tan Tan had no intention of climbing, smiled and remained standing with him. The current atmosphere in the Liyang court was extremely relaxed. Compared to the period of confrontation between Zhang Julu and Gu Jiantang, when these two stern civil and military leaders held sway, officials were constantly on edge, fearing to make mistakes. Now that the amiable Qi Yanglong and Huan Wen were in charge, everyone felt much more relaxed. Furthermore, they happened to be serving a young Emperor, Zhao Zhuan, who had just ascended the throne and had not yet accumulated profound authority. Therefore, older officials in Tai'an City who had close personal ties with their juniors enjoyed joking, "You new officials of Xiangfu have truly encountered good times compared to us old ministers of Yonghui!"

Old Man Tan Tan, who had drunk quite a bit at the banquet, let out a burp. Turning to Qi Yanglong, he asked with a smile, "Chancellor, do you know the origin of my nickname, 'Old Man Tan Tan'?"

Qi Yanglong smiled and shook his head.

Huan Wen laughed heartily, "Originally, I wasn't called Old Man Tan Tan. Some fellow gave me the nickname 'Wine Gourd.' If something angered him, he'd even call me a good-for-nothing drunkard. The name 'Old Man Tan Tan' came much later. Once, I was on duty in the Forbidden City with that fellow, and I couldn't control myself, so I secretly drank some wine. It just so happened that the late emperor, who was reviewing documents all night, caught me red-handed. I was drunk and spoke without inhibition, telling the late emperor that as long as I had wine in my belly, I felt at ease. But if His Majesty ever forbade me from drinking, I would be full of complaints. The late emperor was amused. He immediately ordered Han Shengxuan, the chief eunuch at the time, to bring several jars of wine. That time, a fellow who had never touched alcohol surprisingly had a drink, and his face turned as red as a monkey's bottom. In my drunken state, I joked that he shouldn't be called 'Blue Eyes' anymore, but 'Red Face' instead. He retorted, 'Watch your mouth, and be a good Old Man Tan Tan.' I suppose from then on, I became Old Man Tan Tan. Perhaps many officials think this nickname means that in Liyang's officialdom, no matter how turbulent the court is, I'm like a tumbler that sways along but never falls down."

Qi Yanglong sighed with emotion, "Old Man Tan Tan, whether as a person or an official, you have never had a troubled conscience, nor have you ever been disheartened by your duties. I am not as at ease as Old Man Tan Tan."

Huan Wen rolled his eyes, "Chancellor, that's far too much flattery. If someone else said it, I might even think they were insulting me."

Qi Yanglong smiled without speaking.

He was in charge of the Chancellery, which had been in decline for many years in the Liyang Dynasty. Decades ago, under the old Zhao clan of Liyang, which was based in the north and plagued by warring regional lords, titles such as Chancellor, Left and Right Vice Chancellors, and Palace Attendant were bestowed by the Zhao clan upon powerful regional military governors and influential martial officials who controlled court affairs, as a sign of honor. These were merely honorary titles, much like the later Grand Pillar of the State and Supreme Pillar of the State. However, times had changed. The Chancellery, which had lost significant power, once again became a truly important central government body. Qi Yanglong, leveraging this shift, became another Grand Secretary of the court, following Zhang Julu, and some powers that had long been transferred to the Hanlin Academy reverted to the Chancellery. But Qi Yanglong knew perfectly well that he, summoned by the late emperor to "put out fires" as Chancellor, was essentially a transitional prime minister. After helping Yin Maochun, Zhao Youling, and others rise to power, he would withdraw completely. Huan Wen, however, was different. Both the late emperor and the current emperor regarded Old Man Tan Tan, who had a close personal relationship with Zhang Julu, as a trustworthy imperial tutor. Regarding the widely circulated rumor of Huan Wen's resignation to make way for others, Qi Yanglong knew best: it wasn't that the young emperor harbored apprehension or suspicion towards Huan Wen; it was clearly Huan Wen's own desire to retire, which led to the popular tale of Huan Wen uniquely receiving three imperial inkstones.

Huan Wen softly said, "Young people should be busy; being busy can suppress flightiness. Old people should be at leisure; only then can they enjoy their remaining years."

Qi Yanglong shook his head and said gravely, "At this time, anyone in the court can be at leisure, except Old Man Tan Tan. Guangling Road, Beiliang Road, Liangliao Road – all are restless. The court desperately needs Old Man Tan Tan to help make decisions. Many times, for many matters, even if Old Man Tan Tan doesn't speak, as long as you are sitting there, even if you are dozing, the morale of the court will not be unsettled. Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure—that describes Old Man Tan Tan."

Huan Wen continued to gaze at the small mountain for a while, then slowly turned his head and chuckled, "In terms of age and generation, Chancellor, you belong to the same generation as my honored teacher..."

Qi Yanglong quickly waved his hand, saying, "Don't bring that up. It's well-known that your honored teacher and I didn't get along back then. We never resolved our disagreements on the fundamental conflict between Confucianism and Legalism throughout our lives. After I entered the capital, I was already very fortunate that Old Man Tan Tan didn't make things difficult for the Imperial Academy and the Chancellery."

Huan Wen no longer used the respectful but slightly distant address "Chancellor." With a sincere tone, he said, "Although Master Qi's political views differed from my honored teacher's, my teacher greatly admired your scholarship back then. In Huan Wen's view, the common saying that it's better to live as a commoner in reclusion than for one's official attire to hinder affairs is actually hypocritical rhetoric, either from those who have served long enough or those who failed to become officials. It's far inferior to your approach, Master, where a commoner's attire signifies scholarship, and official robes signify aiding the world."

Qi Yanglong smiled, "Oh, Old Man Tan Tan, it's fine for us two old men to flatter each other here. The problem is, no one else is listening, so how can it become a 'beautiful tale' or leave a mark in history?"

At this point, Qi Yanglong said with a hint of sarcasm, "I remember reading history in my youth; when I first read about certain people and events, I would feel my blood surge or be deeply moved. Later, I realized that it was all for the sake of fame and reputation, truly despicable."

Huan Wen laughed heartily, "Master, that's an excellent insight. I had the same feeling when I was young."

Qi Yanglong sighed inexplicably, "The writers of the past... and the readers of the future."

Huan Wen also sighed, then suddenly asked, "Master, have you never met Xu Fengnian?"

Qi Yanglong nodded, "The King of Beiliang did visit Shangyin Academy once, but unfortunately, we didn't meet."

Huan Wen chuckled, "My honored teacher and the old King of Beiliang had many shouting matches in court. Although I, as his student, only met that young regional king twice, the experience was truly something not to be spoken of to outsiders."

Qi Yanglong retorted, "What's there to show off about that?"

Huan Wen smiled widely and heartily, making no effort to hide his mischievous intent.

Huan Wen then asked, "Master Qi, do you know the two things I've most enjoyed doing since becoming an official in the capital?"

Qi Yanglong replied, "I'd be glad to hear them."

Old Man Tan Tan squinted, first raising his left arm and shaking his sleeve, then extending his right hand, with his index and middle fingers together, lightly tapping the air. "Every day at court, watching the civil and military officials come and go, a dazzling and endless sight. Listening to their jade pendants clinking against each other, a crisp and pleasing sound. I can watch and listen to it endlessly."

Qi Yanglong chuckled, "I never noticed that before, but I'll pay attention from now on."

Huan Wen raised his head, not looking at the mountain, but at the sky above. "Heaven and Earth are a great jade platter, and large and small pearls fall into it, shattering with a crackle, all broken, all dead."

Qi Yanglong closed his eyes, tilting his head slightly, as if listening intently. He murmured, "Yes, that brightest pearl between heaven and earth in the northwest is finally about to shatter. You and I, and those yellow- and purple-robed dignitaries behind us, are all the culprits."

Huan Wen chuckled, "We scholars who have fallen short of our classical teachings."

Qi Yanglong, still with his eyes closed, softly chuckled, "So, true scholars don't read books after all."