In the Eastern Palace, Cai Yan’s expression is as temperamental as a sun shower. Nearby, Feng Duo says, “Your Highness, this is perfect. He’s the one choosing to throw his life away. Our plan will probably go a lot more smoothly than we expected.”
Cai Yan asks, “What’s the situation in Ye?”
“The locals are tough as nails. There are plenty of bandits gathered there, robbing and killing of caravans full of people happens often. He’s actually choosing not to bring a single soldier with him and rely only on Wu Du. He’s too brazen.“
Cai Yan ponders this for a long time, but he doesn’t say anything.
Soon, Feng Duo is speaking again. “With all the work they’ll have to do when they first get there, Wu Du will surely be too busy to remain at his side every moment. If he wants to sort out Ye, he’ll have to send out Wu Du — whether it’s to kill, or to train the troops, as long as Wu Du isn’t around, we can take that chance to kill him. When the time comes we can blame it on the local bandits, so it’ll have nothing to do with us.”
Cai Yan asks after a pause, “If he dies, will Ye be taken by the Mongols?”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. The way things are in the three cities of Hebei, even if he dies in the north nothing much is likely to change. Worst comes to worst, the government can simply send someone else.”
Cai Yan considers this for a while before saying finally, “Let’s make him sort things out first. I actually would like to see what he’s capable of.”
Comprehending his meaning, Feng Duo says, “Well then, let’s wait until the beginning of winter before sending the Shadow Guard. In that case, once he finishes what he’s going to do this autumn, we’ll kill him.”
Cai Yan sits there, lost in thought for a while before he says, “That will not do. We best kill him as soon as possible.”
Feng Duo pauses to think. “Then let’s just dispatch the Shadow Guard now.”
“Wait a bit.” Cai Yan heaves a sigh with a deep furrow between his brows, and he sounds exasperated. “Are you telling me that right now, out of the entire imperial court, there isn’t anyone we can use?”
Feng Duo doesn’t answer him. He merely waits quietly for Cai Yan to give him a command.
“Send the Shadow Guard. Then play it by ear. We probably won’t have a need for Wuluohou Mu.”
“We won’t have a need for him,” Feng Duo says. “Things are extremely dangerous in Ye. Refugees have formed gangs that occupy the mountains, calling the land their own, and Wu Du will not have time to attend to everything, so he definitely won’t be able to watch over Wang Shan. All we have to do is bribe a few people from the guardsmen in town and have them report his whereabouts at all times. Getting rid of Wang Shan will be extremely easy. If we can’t kill him in town, we just have to sell the information to the Mongolians and let them get rid of him for us.”
“No no no,” Cai Yan says. “We must never let him fall into Mongolian hands.”
Feng Duo can only reply, “Certainly.”
“Get it done.” In Cai Yan’s eyes, killing off Duan Ling is likely a cinch now. Right at the end, he remembers again. “Get rid of Wu Du as well. Make sure they’re both dead.”
Feng Duo bows, and retreats out of the room.
Cai Yan wonders why this is, but ever since he saw Duan Ling again, a strain of fear has grown out of his heart; it’s a fear that he’d long forgotten about. He must get rid of Duan Ling as quickly as he can — otherwise, given enough time, he’ll become more and more important and there’ll be no way to get rid of him anymore.
It’s late evening, second of the fifth night-watch, and the proprietor of the Best Noodles In the Realm is about to close shop. Duan Ling’s head is spinning; he’s thinking quietly to himself how fortunate it is that he came tonight to have this meeting with Huang Jian and the others — otherwise, he has too many details to overlook, and something is certain to go wrong.
“Then what do I do about the promotion of personnel?” Duan Ling asks.
“Leave that for your labour manager,” Huang Jian says. “Delegate whatever can be delegated. Otherwise, there’s only one of you, and you’re only human. There’s no way you can take care of it all.”
“Sure thing.” Duan Ling can now sense that discerning the talents and moral character of people is seriously a sophisticated science. If he keeps working the way he did in Tongguan, he may just work himself to death before he sorts Ye out.
Qin Xuguang adds, “You’ll need to treat them well. What you really want is to guarantee that these people are loyal to you. It’s like the saying goes: fish don’t live in water that’s too clear, friends don’t stay in a court that’s too well-checked. When it comes to stuff like embezzlement and bribery, as long as it does not shake the foundations, just turn a blind eye and let them go.”
Duan Ling knows that Qin Xuguang really isn’t worried about hiding things from him at all to say that outright — after all, in the future they’re going to be peers in court, and if Duan Ling chooses to keep that in mind and file a complaint against him someday, Qin Xuguang will have to deal with the consequences of his words. But since Duan Ling has told them about borrowing grain from Liao because he trusts them, Qin Xuguang has also gladly told him these things in return. This feeling of trust makes Duan Ling feel wonderful.
“They’re closing for the night,” Duan Ling says. “Let’s call it a day. Everyone, whether you’re moving to positions away from the capital in the future or joining Hanlin Academy, do come see me if you ever get the chance.”
Huang Jian says, “You’re bound to be back within a year. As long as everything moves in the right direction, there’s no way they’ll keep a talented man like yourself in Ye for life.”
They all laugh, and say goodbye to each other in turn, while making promises to keep in touch by post. Duan Ling has a hunch that he’s going to need to ask for help regarding many more things yet. To Huang Jian and the others, Duan Ling being sent off to Ye is a good thing. After all, they’re going to be at court. In the meantime, if he sees his career growing in Ye, they can look after each other — as long as they don’t end up becoming unprincipled in partisanship as they fall into different factions.
But when Duan Ling comes down the stairs, he finds Wu du and Zheng Yan sitting across from each other, having a drink.
“What are you doing here?” Duan Ling says.
“I probably won’t have time tomorrow, so I thought I’d come here to see you two off.”
Once Huang Jian and the others let Duan Ling’s group know they’re leaving, they’re gone, leaving behind Duan Ling, Wu Du, and Zheng Yan. Wu Du leads the horse with the reins, walking next to them, and Zheng Yan gives Benxiao a pat. He says to Wu Du, “I heard them saying that the Commandant of Hejian post will be handed down tomorrow.”
Wu Du nods and, lost in thought, doesn’t say anything. Zheng Yan gives Duan Ling a look then. “You volunteering today to go somewhere so far away was really way beyond my expectations.”
Duan Ling and Zheng Yan stand across from each other, and Duan Ling has an indistinct feeling that Zheng Yan has managed to guess something. Wu Du, however, certainly wouldn’t have told him the truth — even if he’s going to be told, it is up to Duan Ling to tell him.
“You don’t like the crown prince?” Zheng Yan asks.
“Lord Zheng,” Duan Ling says smilingly, “even if that’s true, do you think I’m going to tell you? Don’t you go setting traps for me now.”
Zheng Yan smiles as well; he knows Duan Ling has already declared a clear-cut position, and he narrows his eyes.
“I have a handwritten letter here for you.” Zheng Yan says to Duan Ling, “If you run into any trouble after your arrival in Ye, you can send a request for help along with this letter to Huaiyin for Marquess Yao. On account of me, he’ll come to help you.”
Duan Ling takes the letter from him. “Thanks.”
“His Majesty was the one who asked it of me,” Zheng Yan says. “It’s dangerous in the north. Make doubly sure to be careful.”
Zheng Yan swings his leg over the back of his horse, and he’s gone with a shake of the reins.
After Zheng Yan leaves, Duan Ling says to Wu Du, “Why did he ask about the Cai Dog all of a sudden?”
“On that night, he heard it too,” Wu Du says. “He’s already started to suspect the crown prince’s identity. Or I should say … he’s always suspected.”
It’s already the latter half of the night. The two of them pass through a quiet alleyway. Moonlight spills onto the ground, covering it in shimmering silver; the Fifth Month air is fresh and fine.
“We must see Chancellor Mu as well when we get back,” Wu Du says.
It’s giving Duan Ling a headache just thinking about it. It’s so rare for them to get a moment of peace that he wishes they’d never reach the end of the alleyway. With Wu Du’s hand in his, he walks slowly down the lane, as though they’re the only two people left in the world.
“What you said in the imperial study today … Was it true?” Wu Du says.
“What’s the truth?” Duan Ling can’t remember what he said anymore, and he ponders for a moment before remembering Xie You’s suspicions concerning Wu Du’s abilities. “Oh, yes it’s true.” He turns to stare at Wu Du. Wu Du is wearing an all-black martial artist’s robe, holding Benxiao’s reins.
“Sometimes, I think that … if you dress up in full armour,” Duan Ling laughs, saying, “you’d cut such a fine figure of a heroic general.”
Wu Du lowers his head and presses his lips over Duan Ling’s. As they pull apart, Wu Du looks into Duan Ling’s eyes solemnly with a worried expression on his face that he cannot seem to erase.
“This time,” Wu Du says, “you’ll have to kill. You’ll have to kill a lot of people. You’ll kill those who oppose you, and those who wish to harm you. If you want to lead troops you’ll have to kill those who break the law. You may even have to go so far as to kill the rich and take their money to give to the commoners.”
“I know,” Duan Ling says sadly.
“The streets may well run with blood. You’re a kind person by nature — I fear you may not be able to make these decisions.”
“That will not happen.” Duan Ling heaves a sigh. “I’ve seen too many people die.”
“I’ll kill for you. Don’t be afraid. But there’s something I must say to you beforehand — if someone ought to be killed, you mustn’t spare them. Otherwise, they’ll only bring you no end of trouble.”
“Of course.” Duan Ling nods. “I promise.”
Wu Du nods back, only then; Duan Ling thinks he’s suddenly just met another Wu Du, one not at all like the one he knows. He remembers that Wu Du can kill too. It’s just that when it’s unnecessary, he seldom makes the killing blow.
Maybe this time Wu Du is going to let loose and slaughter at will. Duan Ling feels a little uneasy, but this day will come soon. They’re heading to a place they’re entirely unfamiliar with, so to centralise power quickly, he must show an iron fist.
His mind is still dwelling on this when they get to the end of the alleyway. Outside, a steward is waiting for them. He says to Duan Ling, “Young Master Wang, the master is waiting for you inside the study. Please go see him as soon as possible.”
“How long has he been waiting?” Duan Ling asks.
“Nearly two hours now.”
It is getting close to midnight. Duan Ling and Wu Du hurry over, ready to attend their last meeting of the day.
There are two rolled-up certificates of appointment on the table, and two men sitting behind them. Though it is already late in the night, everyone still seems rather energetic, discussing details of the administration of Ye. When Duan Ling comes in, he apologises to Mu Kuangda for making him wait, but Mu Kuangda waves over this and tells him it is quite alright.
“Gone to have a conversation with your shixiong?” Mu Kuangda asks.
“I was.” Duan Ling knows that no matter what he’s doing, he couldn’t have hidden it from Mu Kuangda.
“You have more to learn when it comes to administration from Huang Jian yet.” Mu Kuangda introduces the men to Duan Ling, “This here is Master Lin.”
One of the men sitting behind the desk is named Lin Yunqi. He and Duan Ling exchange a courteous greeting. Mu Kuangday says, “Master Lin used to work for the Xichuan Salt and Iron Commissioner, Ren Bisheng, Lord Ren, in charge of the assessment of achievements. I’m sure he can be of help to you.”
Duan Ling hurriedly thanks Lin Yunqi, then Mu Kuangda introduces another man. This one is a military man. He salutes in Duan Ling’s direction. Mu Kuangda says, “His name is Wang Zheng, a Wang just like you. He was the late emperor’s Assistant Prefect of the Armed Forces, remained in Xichuan after the Northern Command’s disarmament, and came to Jiangzhou as the capital was relocated. Xie You recommended him to me, so I’m sure he’s a man of integrity.”
One is in charge of promotions, while the other is in charge of punishments; Duan Ling knows that Mu Kuangda’s people will definitely be working near him. Mu Kuangda will have the final say over whom he uses, and whom he punishes, otherwise he will not be reassured. He’s also worried that Duan Ling may cultivate his own connections in Ye and that when his influence has grown too much he’ll become impossible to control.
Duan Ling and the two exchange several lines of pleasantries before Mu Kuangda says to Lin and Wang, “It’s getting late so you two best get some rest. There’ll be plenty of time in the future to speak with the governor.”
And so Lin Yunqi and Wang Zheng withdraw for now, and Mu Kuangda continues, “Close the door, and let’s talk.”
Duan Ling smiles and gets up to close the door. And now the only people in the room are Mu Kuangda, Wu Du, and himself.
In the silence, Mu Kuangda begins, “You first, apprentice.”
Duan Ling feels rather apprehensive about this meeting — he knows that Mu Kuangda must have a lot of objections about his actions.
“I want to borrow grain from the Khitans.” Duan Ling relates his plans to Mu Kuangda.
After Mu Kuangda finishes listening, he says, “Fei Hongde is indeed at Yelü Zongzhen’s side just as you surmised. This plan is feasible.”
Duan Ling nods at this. Then, concerning those ideas that Huang Jian told him, as well as some he came up with on his own, he explains them in detail to Mu Kuangda, giving him a general overview.
At last, Mu Kuangda says, “There are no problems here. Your plans are very well thought out. Do you have anything else you can tell me?”
Duan Ling knows the question Mu Kuangda must ask — why did he volunteer to go to Ye?
“There is nothing else.” Duan Ling says.
“You’re the new Tertius Scholar.” As expected, Mu Kuangda says, “Why do you want to go to Ye? Why didn’t you first discuss it with me beforehand?”
Mu Kuangda is saying this slowly and calmly, but Duan Ling knows that if he slips up and says the wrong thing, it’ll raise Mu Kuangda’s guard. The truth is, Mu Kuangda is already having suspicions about him — after all, he hasn’t carefully deliberated in advance and did not consult with Mu Kuangda over such a huge decision.
“I was the one who asked Wang Shan to say that,” just then, Wu Du suddenly interjects.
“No,” Duan Ling says, “I was the one who thought of it.”
He signals for Wu Du not to take the blame, and says to Mu Kuangda, “I wanted … to spend more time with him.”
Mu Kuangda has envisaged many different answers from this apprentice of his, but he never thought that the final explanation he receives would turn out to be so simple.
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In the Eastern Palace, Cai Yan’s expression is as temperamental as a sun shower. Nearby, Feng Duo says, “Your Highness, this is perfect. He’s the one choosing to throw his life away. Our plan will probably go a lot more smoothly than we expected.”
Cai Yan asks, “What’s the situation in Ye?”
“The locals are tough as nails. There are plenty of bandits gathered there, robbing and killing of caravans full of people happens often. He’s actually choosing not to bring a single soldier with him and rely only on Wu Du. He’s too brazen.“
Cai Yan ponders this for a long time, but he doesn’t say anything.
Soon, Feng Duo is speaking again. “With all the work they’ll have to do when they first get there, Wu Du will surely be too busy to remain at his side every moment. If he wants to sort out Ye, he’ll have to send out Wu Du — whether it’s to kill, or to train the troops, as long as Wu Du isn’t around, we can take that chance to kill him. When the time comes we can blame it on the local bandits, so it’ll have nothing to do with us.”
Cai Yan asks after a pause, “If he dies, will Ye be taken by the Mongols?”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. The way things are in the three cities of Hebei, even if he dies in the north nothing much is likely to change. Worst comes to worst, the government can simply send someone else.”
Cai Yan considers this for a while before saying finally, “Let’s make him sort things out first. I actually would like to see what he’s capable of.”
Comprehending his meaning, Feng Duo says, “Well then, let’s wait until the beginning of winter before sending the Shadow Guard. In that case, once he finishes what he’s going to do this autumn, we’ll kill him.”
Cai Yan sits there, lost in thought for a while before he says, “That will not do. We best kill him as soon as possible.”
Feng Duo pauses to think. “Then let’s just dispatch the Shadow Guard now.”
“Wait a bit.” Cai Yan heaves a sigh with a deep furrow between his brows, and he sounds exasperated. “Are you telling me that right now, out of the entire imperial court, there isn’t anyone we can use?”
Feng Duo doesn’t answer him. He merely waits quietly for Cai Yan to give him a command.
“Send the Shadow Guard. Then play it by ear. We probably won’t have a need for Wuluohou Mu.”
“We won’t have a need for him,” Feng Duo says. “Things are extremely dangerous in Ye. Refugees have formed gangs that occupy the mountains, calling the land their own, and Wu Du will not have time to attend to everything, so he definitely won’t be able to watch over Wang Shan. All we have to do is bribe a few people from the guardsmen in town and have them report his whereabouts at all times. Getting rid of Wang Shan will be extremely easy. If we can’t kill him in town, we just have to sell the information to the Mongolians and let them get rid of him for us.”
“No no no,” Cai Yan says. “We must never let him fall into Mongolian hands.”
Feng Duo can only reply, “Certainly.”
“Get it done.” In Cai Yan’s eyes, killing off Duan Ling is likely a cinch now. Right at the end, he remembers again. “Get rid of Wu Du as well. Make sure they’re both dead.”
Feng Duo bows, and retreats out of the room.
Cai Yan wonders why this is, but ever since he saw Duan Ling again, a strain of fear has grown out of his heart; it’s a fear that he’d long forgotten about. He must get rid of Duan Ling as quickly as he can — otherwise, given enough time, he’ll become more and more important and there’ll be no way to get rid of him anymore.
It’s late evening, second of the fifth night-watch, and the proprietor of the Best Noodles In the Realm is about to close shop. Duan Ling’s head is spinning; he’s thinking quietly to himself how fortunate it is that he came tonight to have this meeting with Huang Jian and the others — otherwise, he has too many details to overlook, and something is certain to go wrong.
“Then what do I do about the promotion of personnel?” Duan Ling asks.
“Leave that for your labour manager,” Huang Jian says. “Delegate whatever can be delegated. Otherwise, there’s only one of you, and you’re only human. There’s no way you can take care of it all.”
“Sure thing.” Duan Ling can now sense that discerning the talents and moral character of people is seriously a sophisticated science. If he keeps working the way he did in Tongguan, he may just work himself to death before he sorts Ye out.
Qin Xuguang adds, “You’ll need to treat them well. What you really want is to guarantee that these people are loyal to you. It’s like the saying goes: fish don’t live in water that’s too clear, friends don’t stay in a court that’s too well-checked. When it comes to stuff like embezzlement and bribery, as long as it does not shake the foundations, just turn a blind eye and let them go.”
Duan Ling knows that Qin Xuguang really isn’t worried about hiding things from him at all to say that outright — after all, in the future they’re going to be peers in court, and if Duan Ling chooses to keep that in mind and file a complaint against him someday, Qin Xuguang will have to deal with the consequences of his words. But since Duan Ling has told them about borrowing grain from Liao because he trusts them, Qin Xuguang has also gladly told him these things in return. This feeling of trust makes Duan Ling feel wonderful.
“They’re closing for the night,” Duan Ling says. “Let’s call it a day. Everyone, whether you’re moving to positions away from the capital in the future or joining Hanlin Academy, do come see me if you ever get the chance.”
Huang Jian says, “You’re bound to be back within a year. As long as everything moves in the right direction, there’s no way they’ll keep a talented man like yourself in Ye for life.”
They all laugh, and say goodbye to each other in turn, while making promises to keep in touch by post. Duan Ling has a hunch that he’s going to need to ask for help regarding many more things yet. To Huang Jian and the others, Duan Ling being sent off to Ye is a good thing. After all, they’re going to be at court. In the meantime, if he sees his career growing in Ye, they can look after each other — as long as they don’t end up becoming unprincipled in partisanship as they fall into different factions.
But when Duan Ling comes down the stairs, he finds Wu du and Zheng Yan sitting across from each other, having a drink.
“What are you doing here?” Duan Ling says.
“I probably won’t have time tomorrow, so I thought I’d come here to see you two off.”
Once Huang Jian and the others let Duan Ling’s group know they’re leaving, they’re gone, leaving behind Duan Ling, Wu Du, and Zheng Yan. Wu Du leads the horse with the reins, walking next to them, and Zheng Yan gives Benxiao a pat. He says to Wu Du, “I heard them saying that the Commandant of Hejian post will be handed down tomorrow.”
Wu Du nods and, lost in thought, doesn’t say anything. Zheng Yan gives Duan Ling a look then. “You volunteering today to go somewhere so far away was really way beyond my expectations.”
Duan Ling and Zheng Yan stand across from each other, and Duan Ling has an indistinct feeling that Zheng Yan has managed to guess something. Wu Du, however, certainly wouldn’t have told him the truth — even if he’s going to be told, it is up to Duan Ling to tell him.
“You don’t like the crown prince?” Zheng Yan asks.
“Lord Zheng,” Duan Ling says smilingly, “even if that’s true, do you think I’m going to tell you? Don’t you go setting traps for me now.”
Zheng Yan smiles as well; he knows Duan Ling has already declared a clear-cut position, and he narrows his eyes.
“I have a handwritten letter here for you.” Zheng Yan says to Duan Ling, “If you run into any trouble after your arrival in Ye, you can send a request for help along with this letter to Huaiyin for Marquess Yao. On account of me, he’ll come to help you.”
Duan Ling takes the letter from him. “Thanks.”
“His Majesty was the one who asked it of me,” Zheng Yan says. “It’s dangerous in the north. Make doubly sure to be careful.”
Zheng Yan swings his leg over the back of his horse, and he’s gone with a shake of the reins.
After Zheng Yan leaves, Duan Ling says to Wu Du, “Why did he ask about the Cai Dog all of a sudden?”
“On that night, he heard it too,” Wu Du says. “He’s already started to suspect the crown prince’s identity. Or I should say … he’s always suspected.”
It’s already the latter half of the night. The two of them pass through a quiet alleyway. Moonlight spills onto the ground, covering it in shimmering silver; the Fifth Month air is fresh and fine.
“We must see Chancellor Mu as well when we get back,” Wu Du says.
It’s giving Duan Ling a headache just thinking about it. It’s so rare for them to get a moment of peace that he wishes they’d never reach the end of the alleyway. With Wu Du’s hand in his, he walks slowly down the lane, as though they’re the only two people left in the world.
“What you said in the imperial study today … Was it true?” Wu Du says.
“What’s the truth?” Duan Ling can’t remember what he said anymore, and he ponders for a moment before remembering Xie You’s suspicions concerning Wu Du’s abilities. “Oh, yes it’s true.” He turns to stare at Wu Du. Wu Du is wearing an all-black martial artist’s robe, holding Benxiao’s reins.
“Sometimes, I think that … if you dress up in full armour,” Duan Ling laughs, saying, “you’d cut such a fine figure of a heroic general.”
Wu Du lowers his head and presses his lips over Duan Ling’s. As they pull apart, Wu Du looks into Duan Ling’s eyes solemnly with a worried expression on his face that he cannot seem to erase.
“This time,” Wu Du says, “you’ll have to kill. You’ll have to kill a lot of people. You’ll kill those who oppose you, and those who wish to harm you. If you want to lead troops you’ll have to kill those who break the law. You may even have to go so far as to kill the rich and take their money to give to the commoners.”
“I know,” Duan Ling says sadly.
“The streets may well run with blood. You’re a kind person by nature — I fear you may not be able to make these decisions.”
“That will not happen.” Duan Ling heaves a sigh. “I’ve seen too many people die.”
“I’ll kill for you. Don’t be afraid. But there’s something I must say to you beforehand — if someone ought to be killed, you mustn’t spare them. Otherwise, they’ll only bring you no end of trouble.”
“Of course.” Duan Ling nods. “I promise.”
Wu Du nods back, only then; Duan Ling thinks he’s suddenly just met another Wu Du, one not at all like the one he knows. He remembers that Wu Du can kill too. It’s just that when it’s unnecessary, he seldom makes the killing blow.
Maybe this time Wu Du is going to let loose and slaughter at will. Duan Ling feels a little uneasy, but this day will come soon. They’re heading to a place they’re entirely unfamiliar with, so to centralise power quickly, he must show an iron fist.
His mind is still dwelling on this when they get to the end of the alleyway. Outside, a steward is waiting for them. He says to Duan Ling, “Young Master Wang, the master is waiting for you inside the study. Please go see him as soon as possible.”
“How long has he been waiting?” Duan Ling asks.
“Nearly two hours now.”
It is getting close to midnight. Duan Ling and Wu Du hurry over, ready to attend their last meeting of the day.
There are two rolled-up certificates of appointment on the table, and two men sitting behind them. Though it is already late in the night, everyone still seems rather energetic, discussing details of the administration of Ye. When Duan Ling comes in, he apologises to Mu Kuangda for making him wait, but Mu Kuangda waves over this and tells him it is quite alright.
“Gone to have a conversation with your shixiong?” Mu Kuangda asks.
“I was.” Duan Ling knows that no matter what he’s doing, he couldn’t have hidden it from Mu Kuangda.
“You have more to learn when it comes to administration from Huang Jian yet.” Mu Kuangda introduces the men to Duan Ling, “This here is Master Lin.”
One of the men sitting behind the desk is named Lin Yunqi. He and Duan Ling exchange a courteous greeting. Mu Kuangday says, “Master Lin used to work for the Xichuan Salt and Iron Commissioner, Ren Bisheng, Lord Ren, in charge of the assessment of achievements. I’m sure he can be of help to you.”
Duan Ling hurriedly thanks Lin Yunqi, then Mu Kuangda introduces another man. This one is a military man. He salutes in Duan Ling’s direction. Mu Kuangda says, “His name is Wang Zheng, a Wang just like you. He was the late emperor’s Assistant Prefect of the Armed Forces, remained in Xichuan after the Northern Command’s disarmament, and came to Jiangzhou as the capital was relocated. Xie You recommended him to me, so I’m sure he’s a man of integrity.”
One is in charge of promotions, while the other is in charge of punishments; Duan Ling knows that Mu Kuangda’s people will definitely be working near him. Mu Kuangda will have the final say over whom he uses, and whom he punishes, otherwise he will not be reassured. He’s also worried that Duan Ling may cultivate his own connections in Ye and that when his influence has grown too much he’ll become impossible to control.
Duan Ling and the two exchange several lines of pleasantries before Mu Kuangda says to Lin and Wang, “It’s getting late so you two best get some rest. There’ll be plenty of time in the future to speak with the governor.”
And so Lin Yunqi and Wang Zheng withdraw for now, and Mu Kuangda continues, “Close the door, and let’s talk.”
Duan Ling smiles and gets up to close the door. And now the only people in the room are Mu Kuangda, Wu Du, and himself.
In the silence, Mu Kuangda begins, “You first, apprentice.”
Duan Ling feels rather apprehensive about this meeting — he knows that Mu Kuangda must have a lot of objections about his actions.
“I want to borrow grain from the Khitans.” Duan Ling relates his plans to Mu Kuangda.
After Mu Kuangda finishes listening, he says, “Fei Hongde is indeed at Yelü Zongzhen’s side just as you surmised. This plan is feasible.”
Duan Ling nods at this. Then, concerning those ideas that Huang Jian told him, as well as some he came up with on his own, he explains them in detail to Mu Kuangda, giving him a general overview.
At last, Mu Kuangda says, “There are no problems here. Your plans are very well thought out. Do you have anything else you can tell me?”
Duan Ling knows the question Mu Kuangda must ask — why did he volunteer to go to Ye?
“There is nothing else.” Duan Ling says.
“You’re the new Tertius Scholar.” As expected, Mu Kuangda says, “Why do you want to go to Ye? Why didn’t you first discuss it with me beforehand?”
Mu Kuangda is saying this slowly and calmly, but Duan Ling knows that if he slips up and says the wrong thing, it’ll raise Mu Kuangda’s guard. The truth is, Mu Kuangda is already having suspicions about him — after all, he hasn’t carefully deliberated in advance and did not consult with Mu Kuangda over such a huge decision.
“I was the one who asked Wang Shan to say that,” just then, Wu Du suddenly interjects.
“No,” Duan Ling says, “I was the one who thought of it.”
He signals for Wu Du not to take the blame, and says to Mu Kuangda, “I wanted … to spend more time with him.”
Mu Kuangda has envisaged many different answers from this apprentice of his, but he never thought that the final explanation he receives would turn out to be so simple.
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