Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 122 The author of "Journey to the West" has arrived?
Yan Shifan, upon hearing this, was somewhat unconvinced and covered his face in protest:
"At worst, we can move our whole family to Datong with my father, away from the capital, which is a place of trouble. Besides, my father still has many students and former officials. Are we afraid of them?"

"you!"

Ouyang Duanshu was so angry that she trembled all over. Only now did she realize how much she had spoiled her only son.

Even now, this rebellious son remains as arrogant and unscrupulous as ever.

Even if the Yan family hadn't fallen today, they would have fallen into his hands sooner or later!

"enough!"

Yan Song, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.
"You think Datong is such a desolate and cold place, ravaged by war?"

"I will go alone. You two stay in the capital and guard our Yan family's residence and property. Don't let anyone see that we have no relatives or friends in the capital and use this as an excuse to embezzle it!"

"Husband, how can this be?"

Ouyang Duanshu felt a surge of anxiety, and tears welled up in her eyes instantly. She had never been separated from Yan Song in her entire life.

Besides, Yan Song is now over sixty years old. How could she feel at ease letting him go to that remote place alone?

"Madam, alas..."

Yan Song pulled Ouyang Duanshu into his arms, his eyes slightly reddening, and sighed softly as he spoke to Yan Shifan beside him.

"Qing'er, you go out first. I want to have a heart-to-heart talk with your mother."

"Yes……"

Yan Shifan wanted to say something more, but seeing the situation, he could only agree and leave.

Thus, only the couple remained in the room.

Yan Song's gaze grew increasingly sharp and resolute, as if he had become a different person. He looked at Ouyang Duanshu with an extremely serious expression and said:
"Madam, do you see? This is the fine son we've raised all these years."

"Because he was born with only one eye, we have spoiled and indulged him even more since he was a child in order to make up for it. Now we have raised him to forget his sense of awe and to lose his sense of vigilance. He does not know that there are mountains beyond mountains and skies beyond skies."

"After this incident, I have finally figured it out."

“If we truly care about him, hope he lives a long life, and expect the Yan family to survive his downfall, then we probably have no choice but to discipline him.”

Ouyang Duanshu nodded, sobbing.

“What you say is absolutely right, my husband. I have been reflecting on myself for a long time since the day you were imprisoned.”

"But now Qing'er is almost thirty. As the saying goes, 'It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.' Although he is filial to us, he is no longer afraid of us. How can we discipline him now?"

"A hundred words from a person are useless; a single act of teaching will truly touch one's heart!"

Yan Song gritted his teeth and said fiercely,

"If once isn't enough, then we'll try again and again, even for several years."

"Therefore, I have thought it over carefully. This time, I must go to Datong to take up my post alone, leaving Qing'er in the capital to experience the warmth and coldness of human relationships until he regains his sense of awe and rebuilds his vigilance."

"We're doing this for his own good, and even more so for the future of the Yan family."

"During this period, please make sure that you, my wife, also grit your teeth and endure it. No matter how much he suffers, you must not feel any pity, otherwise all your efforts may be in vain."

"As for the humiliation the Yan family has suffered since then, Madam need not worry too much. I have promised Lu Bing a large sum of money to take care of them privately, which can ensure that the Yan family will at least not be destroyed before I return from Datong..."

Ouyang Duanshu wiped away her tears and obediently nodded again, but then suddenly realized something halfway through her sentence:
"I understand... but what did you mean by 'returning from Datong', my husband?"

"I suspect that although His Majesty has demoted me this time, he does not regard me as a discarded pawn. Perhaps I am a special piece that His Majesty has placed on the chessboard."

Yan Song's gaze grew increasingly sharp, and he lowered his voice as he spoke.
"When I promised Lu Bing a large sum of money, wasn't it also a test?"

"Since Lu Bing dared to accept my money and agree to my request, it proves that my guess was correct."

"Therefore, as long as I make good use of this 'miracle talent' after I arrive in Datong and get things done in the Emperor's favor, I will definitely be able to make a comeback in the future!"

Datong.

How could Yan Song not know what Datong was?
How could they not know how difficult it was to be the magistrate of a county like Datong, which was located near the capital?
Three lifetimes of misfortune, a county magistrate attached to the city;
Having committed evil deeds in three lifetimes, he was sent to the provincial capital.
"His evil deeds are beyond measure, yet he remains a concubine in the capital." These words, circulating in official circles, are a true reflection of his predicament.

The term "attached county" simply means a county seat within the jurisdiction that houses a higher-level government office.

With the county magistrate and his superiors working in the same city, all the achievements belong to the superiors, and the county magistrate is always blamed for any mistakes. If he wants to make any progress, he has to be mindful of his superiors' opinions.

Of all the county magistrates in the Ming Dynasty, the one who had the most difficult job was undoubtedly the magistrate of Datong.

It was even more difficult than being the magistrate of Daxing and Wanping counties, which were located near the capital. It was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Because within Datong County, there were not only the offices of the prefect, governor, and general, but also the residence of the real imperial relatives, the Prince of Dai!

The prefect of Datong, the governor of Datong, the general of Datong, the prince of Dai... With so many powerful figures weighing on his head, it was like carrying huge, black pots on his back. At any moment, a pot could fall from the sky while he was sitting at home, and he wouldn't even know how he died.

However, there is another saying: "Fortune favors the bold."

Having served as an official for many years, Yan Song had long understood a principle:
"The higher the reward, the higher the barrier to entry, just like the difficulty of passing the imperial examination."

Therefore, looking at it from another perspective, wasn't this a chance for him to turn his life around? Otherwise, the emperor could have simply confiscated his property and exiled him instead of arranging for him to be the magistrate of Datong County to torment him.
In addition, it is also the most important point.

Now that the Ming Dynasty has accepted Anda's unconditional surrender, it is a crucial time to open up trade. Datong must be of paramount importance in the Emperor's eyes.

Then, the governor of Datong, Long Dayou, was detained and brought back to the capital for misuse of border troops.

Zhou Shangwen, the general of Datong, had been attacked by him during the Futao court discussion and was also in the capital reporting on his duties.

Now that only the prefect and the Prince of Dai remain in Datong, an unprecedented power vacuum has emerged, which gives him room to maneuver!

The Emperor had previously symbolically punished Yan Maoqing by severing his salary for three years and demoting him by three ranks, but secretly appointed him as a fifth-rank Fengyi Dafu and granted his wife the title of fifth-rank Gaoming Furen.

This is enough to prove that Yan Maoqing truly succeeded in communicating with Anda and won the Emperor's favor.

It's probably not just that; there must be something even more important than subduing Anda, something the Emperor urgently needs someone to do, which might be related to opening up trade routes.

This is why Guo Xun, the Duke of Yi, was once again appointed by the Emperor as the Inspector of Shanxi and sent to Datong.

The Emperor's arrangement was probably due to concerns about Guo Xun's limited abilities, so he devised a plan and ordered Guo Xun to go to Datong to assist him...

If he can't even understand these things and can't grasp the Emperor's true intentions, then how did he gain the Emperor's favor and become the Minister of Rites, the position most valued by the Emperor?
……

Skipping class is always such a relaxing and enjoyable time.

Even now, no one has come to notify Yan Maoqing to take the monthly examinations held by the Hanlin Academy.

Because it was completely unnecessary, the imperial examination was merely an evaluation criterion used when officials were selected after the three-year course at the academy.

The best outcome for those who were selected after completing their studies at the Hanlin Academy was to remain there as editors or become censors in the Six Ministries.

Those were just seventh-rank officials. Yan Maoqing, a fifth-rank official with the same rank as the highest leader of the Hanlin Academy, the Hanlin Academician, had no need to care about such evaluations.

However, today, the Yan residence still welcomed an official from the Hanlin Academy and a special guest.

This Hanlin Academy official was none other than Shen Kun, the unfortunate top scholar who had previously had a somewhat unpleasant falling out with Yan Maoqing.

Another special guest commanded even greater respect from Yan Maoqing.

This man, named Wu Cheng'en, was actually Shen Kun's brother-in-law.

In the tenth year of the Jiajing reign, he and Shen Kun took the provincial examination together. As a result, Shen Kun passed and became a Juren, but he failed.

Now, Shen Kun has become the new top scorer in the imperial examination.

Wu Cheng'en had just failed the provincial examination for the fourth time and was already a poor, down-on-his-luck old scholar.

However, Yan Maoqing knew that the classic novel "Journey to the West," one of the Four Great Classical Novels of later generations, was written by him!

This made it impossible for Yan Maoqing not to feel a deep sense of respect.

(End of this chapter)