Zhao Wen left home in the first month, and now it's already March. He misses his family and worries about them, feeling very anxious. Right after the spring exams, he planned to pack up and return home. However, his grandfather, who wanted him to succeed, sent a letter along with more than two thousand taels of silver. The letter said: "If you pass the exam, that's great; if not, quickly buy your way into office and become an official in the capital." The letter also stated: "This was Wang Xiangshen's idea; we managed to gather this much money from various sources. I hope you can be a good official in the capital, so your family won't be bullied. Please don't spend money recklessly!"
Zhao Wen received the letter and couldn't directly refuse, so he asked Quan, the clerk, to inquire about how to purchase an official position. Quan, who'd previously scorned Zhao Wen, was suddenly all smiles when he learned of Zhao's wealth. Zhao Wen asked him to handle the matter, and Quan was delighted. He showered Zhao Wen with lavish hospitality, including meals, theatre outings, and introductions to someone well-versed in bureaucratic procedures. They claimed a close brotherhood and connections within the ministry, promising a smooth process. Zhao Wen believed them, visited them daily in proper attire, and invited them to meals. Later, he asked them to help him buy his way into office. The over two thousand taels of silver weren't enough, and he owed them five hundred taels. Zhao Wen wrote an IOU, set a date, and wrote a letter home asking for more money to repay the debt. Then he found fellow villagers to stamp and sign, went to the yamen, and it took over a month to complete.
From then on, Zhao, formerly a minor official (Xiaolian), became Zhao Zhongshu, and He Gen continued his service in the capital as well.
Qian Dianshi stayed in the capital for a few months, got lucky, and met a well-connected clerk who helped him have the charges against him reduced. He then spent money to return to his post and pulled some strings to become a candidate in the department. Within two months, he was selected as the county magistrate of Shangrao, Jiangxi. Hearing that the posting wasn't a bad one, he felt very pleased. Later, after some inquiries, he found out that the person he had previously offended in Jiangnan was now the governor of Jiangxi. Talk about bad luck – he ran into his old nemesis. Feeling uneasy, he quickly went to find his sworn brother—the one who had previously swindled him—to discuss. His brother remarked, "It's simple, Xu Du, who lives next door to me, is from the same hometown as the governor. When the governor came to Beijing last year, Xu Du even invited him to dinner, and I accompanied them. They have a close relationship, and they even whispered to each other secretly at the time. I'm not sure about the specifics, but when the governor left, he had a servant send a gift of four taels of silver." Qian Dianshi said, "If they have such a good relationship, why only send four taels?" His brother blushed and replied, "I'm not sure about this; maybe they sent more separately, and we didn't see it. Otherwise, it's probably just the going rate for a fellow villager. Big shots gotta be careful not to show favoritism." Qian Dianshi said, "Forget about that, what about my situation?" His brother said, "Don't worry, I'll go next door in a while, spend a couple of hundred taels of silver, have Xu Du write a letter to help you get things sorted, and it will be done." Qian Dianshi asked, "Does it cost so much for a letter?" His brother said, "Don't worry, your brother's business is my business. What's a little money? My brother can still handle it." Qian Dianshi thanked him and left.
This guy, Hu Li, nicknamed "Fox Spirit," was a smooth operator. Sharp as a tack, he knew everyone and could charm his way into any situation. This time, at the request of his sworn brother, he went to the neighboring house that same evening, laid out his plan, promising fifty taels of silver once it was done, and asked for a letter. Old Man Xu said, "We're from the same village, but not exactly close. A letter from me might not even help." Hu Li replied, "Don't worry about that, just scribble something down. It's all about the silver." Old Man Xu thought to himself that he was flat broke – needed money for rice, wages, and his wife wanted to redeem some pawned stuff. This was a godsend. Thinking he could use this money for emergencies, he agreed with a smile and asked Hu Li, "You got the silver on you?" Hu Li replied, "Of course I did!" and then left. Old Man Xu personally escorted him to the door, said, "Thanks for your trouble," and instructed a few more times before going back inside.
The next morning, early in the morning, Old Man Xu had already written the letter, but by noon, Hu Li had not yet brought the silver. Old Man Xu was beside himself. "What if he's welched? Where is he?" His servants even offered him food, but he couldn't eat a bite. In fact, the previous evening, he had already told his wife and servants about this matter, and everyone knew that he had the silver to pay. As a result, his wife stopped demanding to redeem the pawned items, and the servants no longer urged him for their wages. But Hu Li never showed. Old Man Xu was going nuts. Finally, at two, a knock. It was Hu Li! Old Man Xu practically leaped for joy, ushering him in, ordering tea, his water pipe, and even getting the lamp lit for him.
Hu Li hadn't spoken yet, but Old Man Xu handed over the letter. Hu Li opened the letter, read it once, and while putting it back into the envelope, he muttered softly, "I really didn't expect this; things have actually changed!" When Old Man Xu heard this, he felt a chill down his spine, thinking this was bad news. His face changed suddenly, and he hurriedly asked, "What's wrong? Is it not going to work?" Hu Li slowly said, "He won't get away from me while I'm involved. However, he can't pay the full amount; there's no way." Old Man Xu asked, "Not a cent?" Hu Li replied, "Not completely nothing, only half. I'm really sorry, but that's all I could get." Old Man Xu asked, "How much is he willing to pay in the end?" Hu Li didn't say a word, took out a silver note from his boot, which read, "Pay twenty-five taels of silver to Jingping," with a "Siheng" seal below. Old Man Xu's eyes went wide with worry as he snatched the silver note. Hu Li said, "I fronted the twenty-five taels. You can use it for now, and pay me back later." Old Man Xu had no choice but to return the letter to Hu Li. Hu Li didn't smoke or drink tea; he took the letter and went to find Qian Dianshi, telling him that he had advanced him a hundred taels of silver. At first, the Xu family refused to write an IOU, but later did so out of respect for him. Qian Dianshi was incredibly relieved, packed his bags that night, and planned to leave for the provincial capital the day after tomorrow. When settling the accounts, he found that only his sworn brother Hu Li still had unsettled debts. Hu Li acted generous, but he was actually tight-fisted. Qian Dianshi wanted to settle with him but didn't know how to bring it up. Coincidentally, Qian Dianshi had a jade belt that was valuable and had mentioned wanting to sell it before. A devious plan formed in Hu Li's mind as he said there was a buyer who wanted to purchase it, thinking he could make a little extra profit. The next day, he pretended to be sick and wrote a letter for his assistant to deliver to Qian Dianshi, saying, "I've found a buyer for the belt, but they're not offering much. I'll send you the money once it's sold." Qian Dianshi had no choice but to settle the room and board fees himself, bid farewell to Zhao Wendi, and left on a mule cart, feeling a mix of gratitude and disappointment.
The trip went smoothly; after arriving in Tianjin, he switched to water transport, taking a series of boats, and reached Jiangxi's capital city in less than a month, where he found a place to stay. It turned out the magistrate was also a member of the protective agency. Qian Dianshi didn’t dare to deliver his visiting card rashly, so he waited until the registration day, following a large group into the second hall. He knelt under the eaves and knocked his head three times on the ground before the magistrate. The magistrate waved him off and went inside without a word. Qian Dianshi felt nervous, afraid the magistrate would ask about his past, and he wouldn’t know how to respond. Fortunately, the magistrate didn’t mind, and after passing this test, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, the position he applied for was currently being temporarily filled, not even three months in. The interim official had also pulled some strings, making it difficult for him to hold this position. Out of consideration for the recommender, the superior wanted him to stay for a full year and not be replaced midway. Qian Dianshi's position was officially vacant; even if it remained unfilled for a year or more, it didn’t matter. The superior thought this way, so he didn’t let him take office immediately.
But Qian Dianshi was eager to take office; he felt uncomfortable hanging around in the capital. Every day, he either schmoozed with officials or sought out friends, inquiring about news everywhere. He couldn’t climb up to those high-ranking officials, but he desperately kissed up to anyone in the government offices who could speak to his superior, dressing to the nines for his daily visits. Later, someone told him that Huang, the deputy magistrate who ran the supply and business bureaus, was the most favored person in the guardian's office. Whatever he handled, the guardian hung on his every word. In the recent disaster relief case, he was tipped for promotion by the Shanxi Governor's Office, although the official documents from the ministry hadn’t arrived yet; he would soon be promoted, soon to be appointed as a circuit intendant (a high-ranking official). The circuit intendant is ranked equally with the magistrate and his deputy. So even though he was still a deputy magistrate now, he didn’t give a damn about the magistrate and his deputy; some matters he directly rejected. The magistrate and deputy magistrate bent over backward for him because he was highly regarded by the guardian and was about to be promoted.
Forget about it. Besides, Qian Dianshi found out about this route and was determined to suck up to Huang Daren. He played it smart. Instead of directly meeting Huang Daren, he first had someone introduce him and met a guy named Dai Sheng who worked for Huang. They became sworn brothers, exchanged gifts, and their relationship became extremely good. Gradually, Qian Dianshi finally dropped the hint that he was hoping for a promotion, saying, "I have nothing to do in the provincial capital and would like to ask for a promotion." Dai Sheng said, "Don't worry, this is easy, I'll take care of it." Qian Dianshi was over the moon and hurriedly said, "Alright, I'll go visit early tomorrow morning." Dai Sheng said, "Don't rush, he's swamped in the mornings; you'll have better luck tonight." Qian Dianshi said, "Okay, thank you. If you can help me with a word, have Huang Daren promote me, give me a job, and ensure that my family doesn't go hungry, that would be huge!" After saying this, he took his leave. Dai Sheng said, "Hey, we're brothers, no need to be so formal. See ya tomorrow night!"
After Qian Dianshi left, Qi Qiao called Dai Sheng in and asked him a few questions. It turned out that today Prefect Huang discovered that a member of the Bureau of Revenue had embezzled several hundred taels of silver and had already been dismissed and investigated. Prefect Huang thought to himself that these substitute officials were all destitute and mostly unreliable, so he mentioned this to Dai Sheng. Qian Dianshi got lucky; Dai Sheng directly recommended him, saying that a newly appointed county finance official named Qian was sharp, competent, and seasoned, "He previously held a formal position and has now been selected by the ministry, though he hasn't officially taken up his post yet because someone else is temporarily filling the role. If this experienced person is appointed, he will definitely be diligent and responsible, and there will be no problems." Prefect Huang said, "I have not met this person." Dai Sheng replied, "He often visits me. I have been too busy recently with your affairs, so I haven't had time to meet him and report to you." Prefect Huang said, "Very well. Let him come see me tomorrow night." Dai Sheng nodded readily and lingered a moment before leaving.
The next day, despite the sun still being high, Qian Dianshi waited until dark before he dressed neatly and hurried over. When he arrived at Governor Huang's mansion, he saw two sedan chairs parked at the door. He hurried nervously to Dai Sheng's room and sat down. Dai Sheng told him about the boasting he did for him last night, saying, "That opening in the revenue department must be filled, and I pulled some strings to get it for you. When you meet later, there will definitely be good news." Anxious, Qian Dianshi asked, "When did the governor get back?" Dai Sheng said, "I got to the office at seven, back by nine. Then I had a case to deal with, returned to the office at twelve for lunch, and dealt with official business. I’d barely lit up a cigarette when some members of the bureau came to visit, and they’re still meeting now. Grab some dinner here. Wait till he’s done with his visitors and in a better mood before you go see him." Qian Dianshi had no choice but to wait. After a while, he heard someone shout, "Showing the guys out." He saw two members leave first, with Huang sending them off. When they reached the second gate, the two members stopped, and Huang exchanged a few polite words with them before going in by himself. The two members each got into their sedan chairs and left.
Huang entered the second gate and asked the steward, "Has the sedan chair shop been urged?" A steward replied, "People have been sent to urge them three times." Huang said, "Today at the yamen, the guard said that the documents from the ministry will arrive in the next few days. If the sedan chair is not ready, how can I go to the yamen? Damn it! If I don't say it, you still won't go urge them!" The stewards just stood there, mum. After Huang finished speaking, he also went inside.
After it got dark, Qian Dianshi had dinner at Dai Sheng's house. Dai Sheng took the calling card in to report, then came out to lead him to a small hall on the west side of the main hall. Qian Dianshi sat there alone, in silence, for half an hour before hearing footsteps. Before entering the small hall, he coughed. Then a servant opened the door curtain, and Prefect Huang came in. He was dressed in casual clothes, with a chubby face, smoking until his face turned blue, a black beard, and eyes rolling upwards. Qian Dianshi quickly knelt down, prostrating himself three times, then got up to greet him and presented his resume from his sleeve. Prefect Huang took the resume and asked Qian Dianshi to sit down. Qian Dianshi only dared to sit on the edge of his seat, leaning slightly to one side to listen to Prefect Huang's questions. Prefect Huang flipped through the resume, casually put it down, and asked, "When did you arrive?" Qian Dianshi hurriedly said, "I arrived last month." Prefect Huang said, "That position in Rao County is quite desirable, isn't it?" Qian Dianshi replied, "I'm grateful for your support, sir! But I still can't take up the position for the time being." At this point, Prefect Huang called out, "Come." A servant came in with a hookah to fill it with tobacco. Prefect Huang just smoked, without saying a word. Qian Dianshi couldn't wait any longer, stood up to bid farewell again, saying, "My mother is old, and my family is poor. Although I have been selected, I have not officially taken up the position yet. Please, sir, I beg you to help me." Prefect Huang said, "I'm swamped with requests. Even if I had a hundred more positions to fill, I couldn't handle it." Qian Dianshi dared not speak anymore. Seeing Prefect Huang pick up the teacup, the butler called out, "See the guest out," so he had to take his leave. Prefect Huang escorted him to the second gate, then went back inside.
Qian Dianshi came out and returned to Dai Sheng's room, changing his clothes with a worried expression without saying a word. Dai Sheng understood his thoughts and said, "Mate! You know how it is in the government. How can you be given a position just by meeting him? You have to make several trips. Didn't I say that as long as I'm here, I will definitely help with our brotherly matters? Is this really such a big deal? Don't take this the wrong way." Qian Dianshi said, "Brother, I understand this principle. However, when I asked him just now, his attitude was not very good. Next time I come, he may not even see me." Dai Sheng said, "Don't worry, I'm here! Look, he's busy all day and there are many people asking for his help. At your level, without some inside help, you'd be waiting three years to see him!" Qian Dianshi said, "I know. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't even get to see him. With you stepping in, what do I have to worry about? Thank you, I'll rely on you in the future!" He said goodbye and went home. Later, he went a few more times, sometimes able to see Magistrate Huang, sometimes not.
As soon as Qian Dianshi entered the room, Dai Sheng was coming down from upstairs, smiling and saying, "Mate, how will you thank me for this? Let me tell you first, then I'll tell you how to thank me." Qian Dianshi sensed there was something behind these words and thought, "Dai Er Ye's always been straight up; he wouldn't take a cent. This doesn't sound like him." Dai Sheng's assistant next to him laughed and said, "Mr. Qian's pretty sharp!" Dai Sheng said, "Alright, alright, let's get down to business." Qian Dianshi followed Dai Sheng into the suite, and the two whispered for a while, nobody knew what they were saying. In the end, Qian Dianshi said, "I owe you big time, mate. No need to split hairs, eh?" After saying that, he happily left. Whether he got the job or not, that's a story for another time.
Huang was having dinner at home that night when suddenly someone delivered a letter. The letter announced his promotion. According to custom, a celebration was called for. Dai Sheng, leading a group of family members in red hats, went to congratulate Huang. After kowtowing, Dai Sheng said, "The new green sedan chair just arrived today. The family checked the almanac, and tomorrow is an auspicious day, so you can ride the new sedan chair to the yamen." Huang nodded and asked, "Is the price settled?" Dai Sheng replied, "We'll trade in the old blue sedan chair." Huang asked, "Is the old sedan chair gone yet?" Dai Sheng said, "They can take the old one away after you've used the new one tomorrow." Huang did not say anything, and Dai Sheng left. Then officials from the prefecture, county, and other departments came to offer their congratulations. Huang was especially courteous to the prefectural officials, but everyone followed proper etiquette.
Morning came, and the next morning, Huang took his new green sedan chair to the yamen to give thanks, then got back to work. The other magistrates stood and bowed, calling him "Your Excellency." Huang tried to decline, but then came invitations from the provincial and prefectural governments, asking him to the Department of Roads. The magistrates stood up again to see him off. Upon arriving at the Department of Roads, all the officials congratulated him. He returned their greetings one by one, following the previous etiquette. The officials said, "We're colleagues now, no need for all this formality." Everyone offered him a seat, and Huang finally sat in the position of honor. Remember, he's a Dao Tai now, so call him Dao Tai Huang.
Huang Daotai returned from the yamen and then went to visit his former superiors with a letter. He first visited the Provincial Governor, then the Assistant Provincial Governor, the Grain Commissioner, the Salt Commissioner, and the heads of various departments, as well as the candidate officials in the province. In front of him was a red umbrella, four soldiers from the camp, and a horse ridden by an official in a fifth-rank hat with a blue feather. Two camp officials in uniform carried a sedan chair. There was also a servant carrying an official document case, running with sweat on his forehead. Two horses followed behind, with the second master riding and also wearing a coat. Huang Daotai, sporting oversized shades and a long-stemmed pipe, sat back in his green felt sedan chair. The four sedan bearers hustled him around, while the sedan official kept lighting his cigarettes. It was not until 3:30 in the afternoon that he finally returned home. He was craving a smoke, yawning continuously, and lay down without even taking off his clothes, smoking twenty-four pouches of tobacco in one go. The people following him were already starving. Then a stream of candidate officials arrived to offer their congratulations, each vying for a moment of his time.
Two days later, Daisheng wanted to please his boss, so he came in and said, "Boss, you've gotten a promotion, and the day after tomorrow is Madam's birthday. The family is chipping in for a little celebration – a small token of our loyalty." Huang Daotai replied, "Why do you need to spend money?" Daisheng said, "Money is nothing! With your promotion and Madam's birthday, the family is willing to give everything." Huang Daotai cautioned, "Don't let the people from those departments know; they will have opinions, and the camp will have opinions too." Daisheng insisted, "Boss's big event should be lively." Huang Daotai didn't say anything further, and Daisheng left. As a result, this matter spread, and people from the camp and the supply bureau also came to give gifts, sending theater tickets and wine. Huang Daotai remarked, "As I expected, Daisheng has caused trouble." Daisheng replied, "Let them know." So, it was decided: family celebration day one, the camp on day two, and the supply bureau on day three.
On the first night of his 60th birthday celebration, Huang Daotai said to Dai Sheng, "This birthday celebration, with all the singing and drinking, is just a waste of money, with no practical benefits at all." Dai Sheng was about to respond when a telegram suddenly arrived, reading, "A telegram from Nanjing regarding Mr. Huang." Huang Daotai knew it was important, so he quickly opened it and found it was all in code. Not understanding foreign languages, he hurriedly called the accountant and pulled out a codebook to decipher it. The first eight characters were "Nanchang Delivery Bureau Huang Daotai," and he was eager to see the rest of the content. However, he made a mistake while looking it up and couldn't get it right. Anxious, Huang Daotai said, "Forget it, leave that word blank; just check the rest!" The accountant then interpreted three characters: "Military Uniform Case." Upon hearing this, Huang Daotai's heart raced, and he stared wide-eyed as the accountant continued to translate. The accountant then revealed six characters: "The marshal is investigating; they're proposing to expose the case and take action." Huang Daotai felt as if he had been struck by lightning and sat down in shock. The accountant continued searching and said, "There's more!" Huang Daotai asked urgently, "What else?" The accountant continued, "Zhu Shou and Wang Lingjun are proposed for dismissal, and you are proposed for demotion to Assistant Magistrate. Act quickly." Below was also a character "荃." Huang Daotai finally understood that this telegram was from his relative, surnamed Wang and named Zhongquan, who was in charge of the Two Rivers Prefecture, informing him in advance. He said, "What on earth is going on?" The accountant replied, "The telegram says your relative has informed you ahead of time, and the memorial has not been submitted yet. Sir, you must think of a solution quickly; perhaps you can still salvage the situation." Huang Daotai said, "Leave me alone! I'm a mess right now. Let me get my head straight before I can think."
After a while, just as he was about to speak, Constable Hu barged into the courtyard, no knock, no announcement, and just plonked himself down. His arrival, all bluster and no subtlety, sent everyone else scurrying. Hu looked around to make sure there was no one else before saying, "The constable sent me to tell you something." Huang Daotai was in a panic and didn't know how to respond, so he just looked at him. Hu continued, "The constable got a wire from Nanjing, saying that the military uniform case from that year also implicated you. Crikey! Never thought I'd see the day! The constable asked me to advise you not to take it to heart too much. Give it a couple of months, let things blow over, and we'll sort something out." Huang Daotai was extremely anxious and couldn't say a word. Later, hearing that the constable had conveyed his goodwill, he felt a huge relief. He said, "Please thank the constable on my behalf. I'm under investigation, so it's not a good time for me to be seen out and about during the day. I will personally come to thank you tomorrow night." Hu left, and Huang Daotai saw him out. Alone in the small living room, he was a right mess, pacing, sprawling on the sofa, then spinning on the floor, unable to settle. After about four hours, his wife sent the housekeeper several times to ask him to rest, but seeing his condition, no one dared to speak up. Later, worried sick he'd have a breakdown, his wife came out to persuade him for a long time, and he finally went back to his room to rest, but without much enthusiasm.
It was the wife's birthday the next day, but because of what happened, nobody was in the mood. The wife asked Dai Sheng to come and discuss, wanting to send the opera troupe away. Dai Sheng saw that the master had an accident; who would be willing to spend this pointless expense? So he said, "Everyone knows the master isn't feeling well. Since the wife said so, let's make it up to her later." After saying that, he went out and told the troupe leader, "Pack it up!" The troupe leader said, "Look, sir! It wasn't easy to get this troupe for you; let 'em play for another couple of days before sending them back." Dai Sheng replied, "No way! If you don't leave, do you want a beating?" The troupe leader got chewed out a few times, also heard about the master's situation, knowing the gig was up, so he packed up and left, tail between his legs. Dai Sheng then notified the local constabulary and the barracks; everyone received the news, saving a bundle.
In the afternoon, Huang Daotai got up, washed, and had lunch without saying a word. After finishing the meal, it was already dark outside. Dai Sheng came in to report: "The arrangements are complete outside; please instruct us—should we go to the yamen after dinner, or go now?" Huang Daotai said, "After dinner." It turned out that Mrs. Huang was a refined lady. When she heard that her husband was going to be demoted, she said to Dai Sheng, "Now that the master is going out, he can't ride in the green palanquin anymore. Our old blue palanquin was taken away by the palanquin shop. Can you borrow one from someone you know?" Dai Sheng said, "Things are not definite yet; it's just a telegram, nothing's set in stone. In my opinion, the master should go as usual today, and it's not too late to change after the official notice comes. Besides, borrowing a palanquin from someone else would be embarrassing." Mrs. Huang said, "In my opinion, this is probably true. It's not good to be whispered about when riding in a green palanquin to the yamen. It's better to change it. After all, it will be changed sooner or later. When the master is not at home, we can take out the blue palanquin curtains given by others and cover it up; it's very easy." She then asked the other wife and the young lady to open the box, find three blue palanquin curtains, and hand them to Dai Sheng. Dai Sheng returned to the gatehouse and said, "Poor Master Huang! It took so much effort to prepare a green palanquin, but he hasn't even ridden it five times, and now he can't ride it anymore. Mrs. Huang said it's easy to cover it with blue palanquin curtains, but does anyone know anything about palanquins? I can't do it. Fortunately, the master is confused. Let's let him have one more ride tonight. Instruct the guards to call the palanquin shop people early tomorrow morning to change the curtains." Whether Mr. Huang will still ride in the green palanquin to the yamen, find out next time!
