Northern Dynasties

Chapter 1369: God's Will
Among the hundreds of departments of the imperial dynasty, the Bureau of Astronomy was not a very important one. Its main duties were to observe astronomy and verify the calendar. It was an important task, but also a leisurely one.

The two Grand Historians of the Grand Historian Bureau were Wei Ding and Zhang Zixin from Qinghe. The main task of the Grand Historian Bureau was to verify the calendar and issue it to the new dynasty to assist in agricultural production, and Zhang Zixin was in charge of this.

As for Wei Ding, he was ordered to go to Luoyang to repair the stone scriptures transported back from Yecheng. After that, he had been in a state of leisure. Every day, he would go to the office to assist in the calendar verification, or sort out and archive some astronomical books. If you want to do something, there will be endless things to do. If you don't want to do it, you can just do it casually.

Because he did not need to attend court meetings, and Wei Ding's family lived outside the city, he had to wait for the city gates to open before entering the city to go to work every day. He would not arrive at the imperial government office until noon.

Since he was the chief officer of the department and was a relatively kind person, no one said anything even though he was late every day. After all, the Tai Shi Bureau was an idle department, and as long as he was not particularly unlucky and made no major mistakes, he could just muddle through the day.

But when he arrived at the government office today, Wei Ding found that the way people looked at him was obviously different. He couldn't tell what kind of emotion it was, but for him who quite enjoyed his current life and status as an official, it was probably not a good thing.

Sure enough, when he arrived at the government office, his subordinate, Liu Zhuo, the Grand Historian, came up to him and said, "Wei Ling, early this morning, an official from the Ministry of Personnel came into the office and told you to hurry to the provincial capital to wait for orders."

"What is it?"

Wei Ding couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart when he heard this. As one of the three ministries in the imperial city, the Menxia Province was responsible for issuing imperial orders, managing official duties, and all punishments and rewards came from here. Whenever he was summoned, he was either happy or sad.

Wei Ding thought seriously that he really had no achievements to show for himself during this period. If he could be praised and rewarded by the Ministry of Personnel, then the only thing left might be punishment. Could it be that his bad habit of being late and leaving early had finally been impeached by the censor and questioned by the Ministry of Personnel?

The subordinates were proud and arrogant, and were already unhappy that they could not see the emperor. Naturally, they would not tell others the content of the order. They just left a message asking Wei Ding to report to the Ministry of Personnel as soon as he returned to the office, and then left.

Wei Ding could not get any useful information in the office, so he hurried to his room in the office to change into a new official robe and pay a visit to his superior. After changing his clothes, he took out the divination tools and told a fortune, but he did not get any clear instructions, so he could only go out and quickly go to the gate.

Compared to the deserted Taishi Bureau, the two most powerful places in the imperial city, Zhongshu and Menxia, ​​were much more lively. People came and went frequently in the two provinces, and the officials waiting in line to see the emperor stretched from the bureau to the long streets of the imperial city outside the province.

Wei Dingdu didn't know why he was here, so he could only register at the gate of the Ministry of Personnel, and then go back to the end of the line to queue up. He saw that there were at least a hundred people in front of him, and looked up at the sky, thinking that he might not be able to make it in time for lunch.

But when he thought about the uncertain outcome of his trip and whether he could make it to lunch, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. But then again, the working meals in the various offices in the imperial city were rich in flavors and dishes, even better than the food standards at Wei Ding's home, which was one of his motivations to go to the office every day.

As his thoughts were flowing, he suddenly saw the Yao Cha brothers coming towards Menxia Province from another direction, so he raised his hand and greeted them. At the same time, he had an idea that his being summoned by Menxia Province this time might be related to what he had said to Yao Cha before?

The Yaocha brothers went home very late last night after meeting the emperor, and early in the morning they came to the imperial city to deal with matters such as registering for the selection office and waiting for the certificate of official appointment. Because Wei Ding was at home outside the city, they had no time to meet him, and they did not dare to disclose the conversation in the palace. Seeing Wei Ding here, they did not say much, but just nodded to Wei Ding, indicating that they would talk later, and then went to the gate of the Ministry of Personnel to register.

Because of the care of the Supreme, the two brothers were given special treatment and did not need to wait in line at the door. They were led in directly at the door. After a while, Yao Cha came out with a certificate in his hand and a happy face. Seeing that Wei Ding was still in the line, he strode up.

"Yao Lang looks happy, as if his wish has come true?"

Seeing him like this, Wei Ding also asked with a smile.

Yao Cha nodded after hearing this, and then he leaned close to Wei Ding and whispered, "I have been appointed as the new governor of Wuxing, and will be leaving within a month. Thank you for your guidance, Lord Wei!"

After hearing this, Wei Ding could not help but feel envious, and sighed that it was easy to be an official when someone was in the court. At the same time, he felt a little relieved. If he was also summoned for this matter, and Yao Cha got what he wanted, it was obvious that the Supreme also approved of this approach, so he should not be annoyed with him, but he didn't know what arrangements would be made.

The two men talked for a while, and not long after, Yao Zui also left the province. The two men agreed with Wei Ding to have a banquet at his residence the next day, and then they said goodbye and left.

Wei Ding, who did not have the qualifications to handle special matters, continued to queue up in front of the provincial government. At noon, a batch of urgent matters suddenly came in, and all other matters that were not urgent had to be postponed. So Wei Ding was afraid that he would not be able to catch up with dinner, let alone lunch.

It was not until the evening that Wei Ding was finally summoned, and the one who received him was Liu Guangde, the Imperial Court Minister.

Liu Guangde was from Jiangling, and could be said to be from the same Jingxiang region as Wei Ding. As early as during the Hou Jing Rebellion, he went north to join the current supreme ruler who was still in Jingzhou, north of Mianyang. He could be said to be one of the first southerners to follow and serve him. Now he has become the adjutant of the Menxia Province, second only to the Menxia Shizhong, and he has the potential to become a prime minister in the future.

Comparing the two, Wei Ding is much worse. Although they are both officials in the court, Wei Ding has to queue for most of the day before he can see Liu Guangde. This is the most true portrayal of the disparity in their circumstances now.

Liu Guangde was not too arrogant. When he saw Wei Dingxing coming in, he motioned for him to take a seat first. Then he said, "The office is busy with affairs. I am sorry to have waited for you. I invited you to come to my office today because I have something to tell you. Please come to my office to listen to my instructions after the morning court tomorrow. I will give you my official certificate at that time."

As he was talking, he asked his staff to pass him a note with his latest appointment written on it. The appointment of officials below the sixth rank was handled by the Ministry of Personnel. Because there were too many related personnel changes, they were accumulated and collectively appointed after the court meeting on the first day of the lunar month.

Wei Ding originally held the position of Grand Historian, and was the head of a department below the fifth rank. Although his position was not important, it was free. However, he was directly demoted to the seventh rank. Naturally, this made him unhappy and even uneasy. Could it be that the Supreme was annoyed with him for talking too much about issues that he shouldn't have talked about, so he demoted him like this?

He was still feeling uneasy, but then he heard Liu Guangde say, "In addition to this order, there is another letter sent to the Secretariat, which also requires Wei Hou to go and listen. But looking at the weather today, I am afraid I will not be able to make it in time, so I'd better go to the Ministry tomorrow morning to wait for the hearing." It took Wei Ding most of the day to queue up in the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Secretariat was even busier than the Ministry of Personnel. Even now in the evening, the flow of people gathered in front of the gate did not decrease at all. Although Wei Ding was full of doubts and uneasiness, he could only say goodbye and leave.

He did not leave early this time. Even if he left the imperial city, he would not be able to return home before curfew. In addition, he had to attend lectures in two provinces tomorrow morning. He could not be late like today, so he stayed in the office for one night.

Although the imperial city is large, news spreads quickly. When Wei Ding returned to the office, many of his subordinates already knew that he had gone to the Ministry of Personnel to accept a new appointment today and would no longer serve as the Grand Historian.

However, his subordinates did not immediately look down upon him because of his resignation. Some even left him some food. Although the food was cold, Wei Ding still felt warm in his heart when he ate it. However, when he thought about how his fate would change tomorrow morning, the food in his mouth suddenly tasted like chewing wax.

He tossed and turned all night like this, and the next day was a grand court session, so the imperial city became bustling before dawn.

In view of the experience of queuing in the Imperial City yesterday, and the fact that he was no longer the head of the Imperial History Bureau, Wei Ding got up early today, washed up, and hurried to the gate of the Secretariat to wait. Because the Ministry of Personnel granted officials in the afternoon, he came to the Secretariat first, hoping to get his turn in the morning.

Although it was not yet dawn, many officials had gathered outside the gates of the two provinces. The people outside were naturally waiting to be summoned to do business, while the officials from the two provinces inside the gate were preparing to attend the court meeting under the leadership of their respective chiefs.

Soon, the sound of police drums rang out in the province, and after hearing the sound, the officials outside the door showed envy on their faces. Whenever the prime minister went in or out, there would be police drums to clear the streets and keep people away. This was a courtesy enjoyed only by the prime minister, and naturally made the officials envious.

Wei Ding outside the door was naturally no exception. Although he understood some principles of seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster, as well as yin and yang of fate, he had no strategy to rise to a high position. Now he was just lining up in front of the door like a minion, and hurriedly avoided to the left side of the road at the sound of alarm drums, watching the Minister of the Secretariat in purple robes lead a group of officials from the Secretariat to leave the office and go straight to the Qianyuan Hall of the Taiji Palace in the north to attend today's court ceremony.

The imperial city is such a place with strict hierarchy. Different government offices have different scenes, and different levels have different treatments. Even the most indifferent person to fame and fortune, when he is in such a clear-cut environment, he will probably can't help but want to strive for the top and show off in front of others.

The court meeting usually did not discuss any specific matters, so it went on quickly. Today's court meeting mainly announced three things. The first was that the Duke of Liang and the Minister of the Court Xiao Zhao would lead an envoy to Huainan Qin County to invite Chen Chang, the Lord of Chen, to the court. The second was that the Jiangdong expeditionary forces would gradually return home and end the war in Jiangdong. The third was the date of the selection and appointment of candidates this autumn and the personnel who would preside over it.

This series of major events naturally had nothing to do with the lower-level officials. After the court session was adjourned, the provincial officials returned to their respective offices one after another to handle official business. Only then did Wei Ding and other minions who had been queuing in front of the door for a long time start to move again and begin to line up to enter.

This time Wei Ding did not have to wait too long. It was his turn after the first three or five people. And the person who met him was Lu Rou, one of the chief officials of the Secretariat.

Seeing Wei Ding coming in to greet him, Lu Rou stood up from the table, looked him up and down, and then smiled and said, "I have heard a lot about Mr. Wei's talent and reputation. Today I see that he is indeed extraordinary. No wonder the Supreme has appointed you to the East Palace. I invite you to come and tell you about this matter in person. The Supreme has ordered Wei Ding to be appointed as the Prince's Secretary!"

"Your Majesty, your Majesty respectfully accepts your order..."

Wei Ding was greatly surprised when he heard this. He had been thinking about it all night last night and had never expected that today would be the case. It was not until Lu Rou finished speaking and the official from the Secretariat began to read the imperial edict that he hurriedly bowed down to express his gratitude, but he was still confused.

The official posts of the Eastern Palace were supposed to be granted by the Prince's Chamberlain, but since there was no prince now, the Prince's Chamberlain certainly did not exist. In addition to being the Minister of the Central Secretariat, Lu Rou also held the honorary title of the Prince's Guardian, so Wei Ding's appointment came to him.

Seeing Wei Ding's stunned and surprised expression, Lu Rou couldn't help but laugh and said, "I've heard that Mr. Wei is quite good at fortune-telling. Could it be that he didn't foresee what happened today?"

Wei Ding felt a little embarrassed after hearing this, and then he recalled his mood changes from yesterday to now, and couldn't help but sighed: "The will of heaven is high and unpredictable. Mu En lost his composure and made Mr. Lu laugh."

When he left the Secretariat, the haze in Wei Ding's heart disappeared, and the mood of worrying about gains and losses yesterday certainly disappeared. Although he, the Prince's Secretary, has not yet been organized and settled, and is only a nominal position, this appointment undoubtedly implies that the Supreme is very satisfied with his views after knowing them, so he gave him the position of the East Palace, and has already been training him as a future team for the Prince.

But he was still a little puzzled. Since the Supreme Emperor appreciated and valued him, why didn't he put him in a noble position like the Imperial College to build up his reputation as an assistant to the Crown Prince? Why did he grant him the position of the Eastern Palace while making him actually responsible for the management of the palace gardens, which was a lowly position?
With this doubt in mind, he received instruction in the Ministry of Personnel and then transferred to the Sinong Temple to take up his post. Pei Kuan, the Minister of Sinong, treated him relatively kindly and arranged for his subordinates to assist him in handling the formalities of joining the office.

However, when he arrived at the Jingyuan Supervisor's office to report, his experience was not so good. The Jingyuan Supervisor was named Wu Jingyi. When he saw Wei Ding's official report, he immediately frowned and said, "Another southerner. Even though he has the Jingzhao Wei family's rank, he can't hide his raccoon smell!"

The North and the South have been divided for many years, and they have despised each other for many years. Although they have now merged, some rifts are difficult to repair. In particular, many middle and lower class people in Guanzhong are somewhat resistant and contemptuous of the Southern Dynasty people who have poured into Guanzhong. Obviously, Wu Jingyi belongs to this group.

After hearing this, Wei Ding said sternly, "Wu Jian, please be careful with your words! I have a clear family lineage. I fled to Xiangyang during the Hu Wang Di Rebellion, and now I am returning to my country to serve the country. I am definitely not pretending to be someone else! Besides, the Holy Lord has unified the world now. No matter whether you are from the north or the south, as long as you are loyal to me, who dares to criticize me?"

"Whether you are loyal or not, I have my own measure in my heart! I followed the master to build the business, and you still don't know where to fish and catch crabs! Now that you have entered this place, you must obey my orders. If you are negligent, no matter what family you are from, you will be punished!"

Wu Jingyi snorted again, and immediately searched on the desk, then threw a file to Wei Ding and said, "You don't need to care about the prison affairs. The supervision of the construction of Nanyuan is urgent, and you have full authority to handle it!"

Although he was a little unhappy with the chief officer, it did not affect Wei Ding's mood. He took the file and left, returning to his own hall to understand the affairs. When he opened the file about the site selection and framework drawings of Nanyuan, he finally understood why the Supreme asked him to serve as the so-called Nanyuan Envoy.

Seeing the clear markings on the blueprints of the gardens and villas around Qujiang that needed to be requisitioned, including Wei Ding's own home, he couldn't help but look embarrassed. Although the imperial court's requisition order stated that reasonable compensation would be given during the requisition process, no matter how reasonable it was, there had to be a scale, and now this scale was in Wei Ding's hands.

Wei Ding sat at the table with an uncertain expression, unable to make up his mind. Suddenly, he heard the warning drum of the prime minister's departure. He immediately made up his mind and said fiercely, "Tear it down, tear it down completely! The Supreme Lord used me to build this garden, thinking that it was for the future crown prince to gather talents, so it must be grand, not shabby! With such a generous use, how can I be stingy with a villa and treat me badly!"