Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 383 Translation Ended
At dusk, the setting sun blazed like fire. At a road junction in Mingshifang, southeast of the capital's inner city, Wang Zheng, a senior scholar, rode a mule and bowed to his last colleague.

Not long after, he knocked on the door of Wen Zhenmeng's house. After waiting for a moment, someone came to open it.

"Master Wang is back." The servant who was waiting here first saluted Wang Zheng, and then took the mule's reins from his hand.

"From tomorrow on, I won't be going to the Xiantai anymore, and you don't have to wait for me early in the morning with your mule." Wang Zheng took off the purse hanging from his waist and pulled out a bunch of copper coins strung together on a hemp rope and handed it to the servant. This was his daily wage from the Censorate. "You've worked hard these past few days. Use this to buy a pot of wine."

"How dare I? This is my duty." The servant said no with his mouth and hands, but his eyes kept glancing at the copper coins.

"Tsk." Wang Zheng lifted the rope and said in feigned anger, "Hurry and take it."

"Oh! Thank you very much, Master Wang, for your reward." The servant happily accepted the copper coin and weighed it. It was not light. He bowed repeatedly, his face almost broken with smile. "Master Wang, good luck. Master Wang, you will pass the exam."

For a scholar who could become a senior teacher at any time, the allowance from the Censorate was not high, only forty copper coins a day. But for a servant with room and board, this amount of money was quite a lot.

As Wang Zheng approached the hanging flower gate, before entering the second courtyard, he heard the sounds of chatter and laughter coming from the dining room. Instead of joining in, Wang Zheng went straight to the guest room. But he had barely sat down, before he could even pour himself a glass of water, when Wen Zhenmeng knocked on the door. "Liangfu, are you in there?" Wen Zhenmeng called out, knocking.

"Alas." Wang Zheng sighed slightly. These past few days, whenever he came back, Wen Zhenmeng would come to talk to him about the case. "I'm here."

Sure enough, as soon as Wang Zheng finished speaking, Wen Zhenmeng pushed open the door and walked into the guest room. As soon as he entered, Wen Zhenmeng couldn't wait to say, "Liangfu, come out for a drink." Wen Zhenmeng's tone seemed to be a little drunk.

Wang Zheng stood up, took off his hat, and placed it in the cabinet by the window. "Wenqi, you know, I've already eaten at Xiantai." Although the allowance from the Censorate was only forty copper coins a day, it provided lunch and dinner, which included meat, vegetables, and rice, making it quite a feast.

"It's okay to eat. Xiantai won't give us any wine." Wen Zhenmeng said with a smile, "Besides, we have guests at home today. I'll introduce you to them."

"Guests? Who are they?" Wang Zheng knew full well that Wen Zhenmeng, despite having failed the imperial examinations like himself, was a very proud man and did not easily receive visitors. Some time ago, a high-ranking eunuch had sent a visiting card, but he had simply turned it away.

"You'll know when you come." Seeing that Wang Zheng was still standing, Wen Zhenmeng simply took his arm and tried to pull him over.

"Okay, okay. I'll go by myself." Wang Zheng had no choice but to go with Wen Zhenmeng.

The two soon arrived at the dining room. Wang Zheng noticed that in addition to Wen Zhenmeng's two sons, Wen Bing and Wen Cheng, and Wen Zhenmeng's younger brother, Wen Zhenheng, there was also a middle-aged man with long eyebrows and phoenix eyes, who was elegant and handsome. Wang Zheng thought this person must be the guest Wen Zhenmeng had mentioned.

Seeing Wang Zheng, the guest stood up, followed by Wen Zhenheng and the brothers Wen Bing and Wen Cheng.

Wen Zhenmeng led Wang Zheng to the guest and introduced him: "This is Wang Zheng, Wang Liangfu, the master of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Western philosophy, who I just discussed with you." Wen Zhenmeng immediately praised Wang Zheng as a master of all four disciplines, making Wang Zheng feel a little embarrassed. Fortunately, Wen Zhenmeng didn't use the word "jing" (literally "spirit"), otherwise Wang Zheng would have suspected that this old drunkard had drunk too much.

"No, no, I'm just a miscellaneous student, I've only learned a few superficial things," Wang Zheng said, waving his hands in embarrassment, and giving Wen Zhenmeng a grumbling look. "How can you be called a 'master'?"

"I am Qian Qianyi, nice to meet you, Brother Liangfu." The guest smiled and bowed.

"So it's Master Qian." Wang Zheng felt like he'd seen that name before, but he couldn't quite place it, so he greeted him with common courtesy. "Excuse me, student." His facial features revealed that Wang Zheng was much older than Qian Qianyi, but Qian Qianyi wore official uniform and held official status, so Wang Zheng had no problem calling himself his student.

Qian Qianyi knew Wang Zheng was unfamiliar with him when he saw him like this. However, Qian Qianyi didn't take it as an offense and simply smiled and said, "Brother Wenqi's residence isn't some government office. Brother Liangfu, there's no need to be so reserved. Just call me and receive me."

Although Qian Qianyi was only a seventh-rank official, his literary reputation was already immense in Jiangnan, and many considered him a rising star in the literary world. Wen Zhenmeng had assumed Wang Zheng would be overjoyed to meet Qian Qianyi, and so he had kept it a secret. However, it now appeared that Qian Qianyi's literary fame hadn't yet reached Shaanxi. Wen Zhenmeng saw that Wang Zheng's expression, far from surprise, was one of confusion.

After the introductions, a silence descended. Wen Zhenmeng, feeling somewhat awkward, scratched the back of his head. He stepped between the two men and said, "Brother Liangfu, let me formally introduce you. This is Hua Qianyi, the top scorer in the Yingtian County Examination in the Bingwu year of the Wanli reign (1644), and the top scorer in the Gengxu year of the Wanli reign (1645). Qian accepts this."

The top five finishers in both the provincial and metropolitan examinations could be called "Jingkui." However, because the top two finishers in the provincial examinations were also known as "Jieyuan" and "Yayuan," respectively, and the top two finishers in the metropolitan examinations were also known as "Huaiyuan" and "Yayuan," "Jingkui" is often used to refer to the third, fourth, and fifth place finishers in both examinations. As for the palace examination, this exam did not test the Four Books and Five Classics, but only policy questions. Therefore, there was no "Five Classics Kui," only "Zhuangyuan," "Bangyan," and "Tanhua."

"Oh! It's Brother Shouzhi." Wang Zheng suddenly realized. He remembered where he had seen the three characters "Qian Qianyi". Wang Zheng had also been present at the Gengxu exam in the 38th year of the Wanli reign. Although he didn't make it to the palace exam, he stayed until the very end and read the list of successful candidates with mixed feelings. Wang Zheng's sudden realization made Wen Zhenmeng feel much more relieved. He patted his brother's shoulder and told him to sit somewhere else. Then, he guided Wang Zheng to sit in the seat vacated by Wen Zhenheng. As the seats were passed around, Wen Bing and Wen Cheng also silently demoted themselves to a lower position.

Wang Zheng offered a toast to Qian Qianyi and asked, "May I ask, Brother Shouzhi, what official position do you hold?" This was a pretext for conversation. Qian Qianyi was a top-ranking scholar, and upon passing the imperial examination, he would have been appointed a seventh-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy. Qian Qianyi was wearing the uniform of a seventh-rank official, clearly not having left the Hanlin Academy.

Unexpectedly, Qian Qianyi smiled bitterly and said, "I have been in retirement for twelve years. Last year, I was blessed by the grace of the emperor and was reinstated as an editor in the Hanlin Academy."

Although Qian Qianyi did well in the exam, his official career was not smooth.

In the 38th year of the Wanli reign, the 28-year-old Qian Qianyi passed the imperial examination again and was appointed an editor in the Hanlin Academy. However, just ten months after taking office, his father, Qian Shiyang, passed away, and Qian Qianyi returned to his hometown to observe mourning. According to custom, after three years of mourning, in the 41st year of the Wanli reign, Qian Qianyi was supposed to return to court and resume his original position.

This year, the cabinet was still headed by Ye Xianggao, the chief examiner who had selected Qian Qianyi. However, as a teacher at the time, Ye Xianggao had no mood to pay attention to his student's reinstatement. He was fully devoted to the "King of Fu", a major event related to the foundation of the country.

On February 17, the 42nd year of the Wanli reign, Prince of Fu, Zhu Changxun, left Beijing for his fiefdom. Ye Xianggao, exhausted both physically and mentally by the Wanli Emperor's torment, began submitting numerous petitions to resign. In August, after submitting ten such petitions, Ye Xianggao finally left office, refusing to interfere in government affairs. The cabinet entered the Fang Congzhe era.

To maintain his image as the leader of the Zhejiang Party, Fang Congzhe naturally wouldn't take the initiative to care about the reinstatement of Qian Qianyi, a good student of Gu Xiancheng, the founder of Donglin Academy. This would not only affect the stability of the court, but also might arouse the emperor's suspicion. After all, it was the emperor who had demoted Gu Xiancheng. Moreover, even if Fang Congzhe wanted to, it would be difficult to do so. After Prince Fu left Beijing and the Empress Dowager passed away, the Wanli Emperor completely entered his long "hibernation period". Even if there was a vacancy in the confidential office of the court, he didn't want to fill it, let alone spare the time to care about the reinstatement of a small Hanlin.

So, until last year, Ye Xianggao returned to the cabinet and took on a new role. He petitioned the emperor to recall the Hanlin officials who had returned home for mourning but had yet to return. The emperor approved the request, and Qian Qianyi, Zhuang Qixian, the second runner-up in the imperial examination in the 41st year of the Wanli reign, and several other reviewers were recalled to Beijing to resume their original posts.

Wang Zheng was stunned for a moment. He knew nothing of this complicated past, but judging by Qian Qianyi's dejected expression and the words "twelve years of seclusion," he could roughly guess the twists and turns. Coming to his senses, Wang Zheng immediately felt a surge of empathy for Qian Qianyi's unfulfilled ambitions. He didn't continue the conversation, but instead raised his glass again and changed the subject, "When will the compilation of the late emperor's records begin?"

Qian Qianyi blinked, his mood shifting. "As usual, the museum is already open, but because of the opening of the Enke this year, the progress has to be delayed."

The most significant characteristic of the Ming Dynasty's history office system compared to previous dynasties was its temporary nature. Its basic structure combined the Hanlin Academy, the imperial court's literary advisory body of the Tang and Song dynasties, with the National History Office, responsible for recording and compiling history. Historians were appointed by Hanlin Academy editors, compilers, and reviewers. When the need arose for historical compilation, these officials were transferred to form a temporary team to establish a history office. Once the work was completed, the office was disbanded.

Although compiling history was the job of the Hanlin Academy, and the History Institute could barely be considered a subordinate institution of the Hanlin Academy, the Cabinet and the Ministry of Rites would be highly involved during this period.

The cabinet's role in history compilation was primarily in personnel appointments. The Hanlin Academy and the Historiography Bureau had no personal authority. Principal officials, such as the Supervisor, the Chief, and the Vice-Chancellor, were appointed by imperial decree. While supervisors and historians below the Chief and Vice-Chancellor levels were sometimes appointed by imperial order, they were often nominated by the cabinet, who then approved them with the emperor's approval.

The Ministry of Rites' role in historical compilation was primarily reflected in procedures and ceremonials. The imperial edict to open the historical compilation center wasn't given to the Hanlin Academy or the Cabinet, but rather to the Ministry of Rites. The imperial edict typically stated that the current emperor ordered the Ministry of Rites to "follow ancestral traditions, circulate the collected facts to various government departments, and submit them to the Hanlin Academy for the compilation of 'The Veritable Records of a Certain Emperor.'" The Ministry also prepared the ceremonies leading up to the opening of the center, the most important of which was the opening banquet, a meal held in the Ministry's main lobby.

This meal is usually presided over by the Minister of Rites himself, but now the Minister of Rites is imprisoned in the Imperial Examination Hall. Zhou Jiamo, who is in charge of the printing affairs of the Ministry of Rites, does not want to take over Xu Guangqi's important work and is only responsible for some daily affairs.

Currently, the cabinet hasn't mentioned it, the court officials are reviewing the papers, and the emperor hasn't pressed them. So this important matter remains unresolved. However, both the Hanlin Academy and other government offices anticipate reopening their historical research after the Enke exams are over. By then, even if they don't mention it and the emperor doesn't ask, the Ministry of Rites will definitely step in and remind them.

As soon as Qian Qianyi mentioned the special examination, Wang Zheng's heart suddenly began to beat wildly. Although Wang Zheng had mentally prepared himself to report to the Ministry of Personnel if he failed the exam again, and had made many bold promises, he still couldn't help but feel nervous when the results were announced. Wang Zheng swallowed his saliva and nodded dryly, "I see."

Qian Qianyi seemed to notice Wang Zheng's embarrassment. He picked up his glass and toasted Wang Zheng back, then asked, half changing the subject, "I heard from Brother Wenqi that Brother Liangfu is currently working on the Shenyang case that the Xiantai is co-organizing?"

Because of the incident at the Imperial Examination Hall and the incessant discussion among the examinees, the case had now spread throughout the capital. Even the common people could imagine and tell grand stories about the case, using terms like "barbarians," "foreigners," "Liaodong," "war," "the Ministry of Rites," and "the imperial examination system." Various conspiracy theories began to emerge, but most were simply unfounded conjecture.

Qian Qianyi was also deeply interested in this case. He had come to visit Wen Zhenmeng at his rented apartment, initially intending to discuss poetry and prose, and perhaps even request two authentic calligraphy pieces to decorate his new apartment in Beijing. But when Qian Qianyi heard that Wen Zhenmeng's new friend, Wang Zheng, was assisting the Xiantai court in the bloody case in Shenyang, he immediately piqued his interest. After a series of questions and answers, the conversation veered into a seemingly unreversible direction.

Wang Zheng had expected Qian Qianyi to ask, but he hadn't expected him to lose his temper so quickly. He let out a silent smile, his attention shifting slightly from the special exam. "I can't really be considered a co-organizer. I just did the translation work I could, sentence by sentence, according to the rules, waiting for the results." Wang Zheng took a sip of his wine and added, "And the translation is finished for today."

"Oh?!" Qian Qianyi's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Has there been a conclusion to this case?"

Wang Zheng pondered for a moment. "I suppose so. Currently, all the unbound letters and articles have been cross-translated, but there are still several thousand untranslated books. These books were collected from Western countries by Western Confucian scholars before they came to our Celestial Empire. They should have nothing to do with this case. Therefore, the Grand Secretary-General has not planned to translate them as well."

(End of this chapter)