gnovel Chapter 91 Rewarding Meritorious Service
Chapter 91 Rewarding Meritorious Service
Jinan Prefecture, Lu Prefecture.
The late autumn sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the study's floor tiles.
Lu Yan sat behind his desk, holding a letter in his hand, reading it over and over again three times.
The letter was delivered overnight from Linqing by Liu Cheng's close follower, Liu Fu. The sealing wax on the envelope was not yet completely dry and carried the smell of pine resin.
The letter was short, only a few lines long. But every word felt like a red-hot iron, burning his palms.
"The matter in Shandong is settled. Lu Yan has been appointed Prefect of Jinan Prefecture, a rank of eighth grade. Eunuch Wei himself said, 'I know him.' You should consider the weight of those words. Quickly inform Lu Yan to focus on his work and not disappoint his expectations."
Lu Yan brought the letter closer to the candlelight.
The flames licked the paper, and the writing twisted and shrank in the firelight, eventually turning into ashes that fell into the copper basin.
This kind of letter cannot be kept.
He stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.
Autumn winds swept in, carrying the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms and the scent of distant cooking smoke. The old locust tree in the courtyard had shed half its leaves, carpeting the ground in gold. Two servants were sweeping, their bamboo brooms rustling across the stone slabs.
Rank 8.
The Prefectural Clerk of Jinan Prefecture.
He was a minor official in charge of documents and archives. In the officialdom, he wouldn't even make a ripple. The county magistrate didn't need to bow to him, the prefect could stand up without getting up, and the provincial governor probably wouldn't even remember his name.
But this is an official position.
From then on, he was no longer a commoner who had passed the imperial examinations, but an official appointed by the imperial court.
When they went out, they had servants to clear the way; when they did business, they had the support of the government; when they met ordinary people, they could put on airs; and when they met merchants, they could display their official power.
more importantly--
"Eunuch Wei himself said, 'I know him.'"
This statement carries a weight a hundred times greater than the official hat of a rank eight.
In the Tianqi reign, being "known" to Wei Zhongxian meant you had entered his inner circle. People within this circle had connections to help them get promoted and make money, and someone to bail them out when they ran into trouble. Outside the circle, even if you were a top scholar, you were nothing more than fish on a chopping board.
Lu Yan took a deep breath and suppressed his surging emotions.
"Fan Fu."
"Master."
Fan Fu's voice came from outside the door, as swift as ever. Over the years, following Lu Yan, he had developed the habit of being on call at any time. Regardless of day or night, as long as Lu Yan called, he would appear within three steps.
"Go and summon Zhao Changying, Zhao Tie, and Hu Jingshui."
"yes."
The footsteps faded into the distance.
Lu Yan turned around, his gaze falling on an inkstone on the desk.
The inkstone is a Duan inkstone, from an old pit, entirely black, and as warm and smooth as jade. He bought it the year he passed the imperial examination; it cost five taels of silver, which he felt was a luxury at the time.
Five taels of silver.
On the day he traveled through time, he only had thirty taels of silver in his pocket.
four years ago.
From thirty taels to more than twenty thousand taels, from a penniless and impoverished student to a high-ranking official of the eighth rank.
In these four years, he rose to power by stepping on the corpses of the Fan family, made his fortune by drinking the blood wine of Sarhu, and reaped the credit from the corpse mountain of the White Lotus Sect.
Every step is like walking on a knife's edge.
There is no turning back at any step.
……
About half an hour later, the core team had all arrived.
Zhao Changying arrived first, striding into the study. He plopped down in a chair, his eyes wide with fury: "Master, what is it?"
Zhao Tie arrived second. He had just come from the workshop, his sleeves still covered in iron filings, and his hands bearing several fresh burn marks. He didn't speak, but silently found a seat in the corner.
Hu Jingshui arrived last. He had rushed back from Linqing, covered in dust and mud from his boots. But he was in high spirits, and greeted everyone with a bow as soon as he entered: "Master, why did you call me back so urgently? Is something important?"
Lu Yan looked around at everyone, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"This is indeed a major event."
He took a document from the drawer of his desk, unfolded it, and placed it on the table.
"The official appointment from the Ministry of Personnel arrived today."
Everyone crowded around to take a look.
The document bore the official seal of the Ministry of Personnel, its bright red ink striking. It read:
"...Lu Yan, a scholar from Jinan, has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion. He is hereby appointed as the Prefectural Administrator of Jinan Prefecture, a position of the eighth rank. He shall assume office immediately without delay. This is the imperial decree."
The study was quiet for a moment.
Then Zhao Changying was the first to react, abruptly standing up and slamming his fist into his palm: "Boss! It's done!"
Hu Jingshui's eyes reddened slightly, and her voice trembled a little: "Boss... Congratulations, Boss!"
Zhao Tie didn't speak, but the wrinkles on his dark, old face smoothed out, revealing a rare smile. He stood up and bowed deeply to Lu Yan.
"Young master, I've followed you for four years. Today... it's all worth it."
Looking at them, Lu Yan felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
These were the people he trusted most in this era.
Zhao Changying, his cousin, has been with him since the first day he transmigrated, enduring beatings, injuries, and even killings.
Zhao Tie, an old blacksmith in his fifties and a former subordinate of his grandfather, gave up a peaceful life to come and adventure with a young upstart like him.
Hu Jingshui, a bankrupt Huizhou merchant, was picked up by him from a pile of refugees and has been devoted to him ever since.
Also absent were Shen Qing and Fan Fu...
These people have staked their lives on him.
He couldn't let them down.
"Sit down, everyone."
Lu Yan waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to take their seats.
"You've got the official position, but this is just the beginning. I'll tell you everything you need to do next."
Everyone sat upright, their expressions solemn.
"A prefect of the eighth rank is, to put it bluntly, just a minor clerk in charge of documents. In officialdom, he's nothing."
Lu Yan's tone was indifferent, as if he were talking about someone else's business.
"But this position has one advantage—it allows access to official correspondence within the government office. Who reported a disaster, who owed taxes, which county magistrate was colluding with which local gentry, which road was plagued by bandits… We used to have to spend money to find out these things, but now we can see them just by sitting in the government office."
Hu Jingshui's eyes lit up: "Does the boss mean to use this position as an informant?"
"It's not just about eyes and ears."
Lu Yan held up one finger.
"First, information. The official documents of the Bureau of Records are the intelligence database of Jinan Prefecture. What we need to do is sift out the useful information and turn it into money, connections, and opportunities."
He raised his second finger.
"Secondly, connections. Now that I'm an official appointed by the imperial court, I'm colleagues with officials throughout the government. It's only natural for colleagues to visit each other, have meals and drinks together. If you cultivate these relationships well, things will be much easier to get things done in the future."
The third finger is held upright.
"Third, a springboard. The eighth rank isn't the end, it's the beginning. To climb higher, I need even greater achievements. I don't know where the next opportunity will be. But I do know that opportunity only favors the prepared."
He lowered his hand and his gaze swept across everyone's face.
"Therefore, everyone has a task from now on."
"Long Tassel—"
"Yes." Zhao Changying straightened her back.
"The guard unit will continue to expand, with a target of 150 men. Select from refugees and defeated soldiers; quality over quantity. Also, local militia training must be intensified; practice more during the off-season."
"clear."
Uncle Zhao—
"I'm listening, old man," Zhao Tie replied in a muffled voice.
"The firearms workshop cannot stop. The yield rate of flintlock muskets must continue to improve, and monthly output must increase. Also, those four breech-loading cannons must be well maintained; don't let them rust."
"Don't worry, the old man will treat them like his own sons."
Shopkeeper Hu—
"Please speak, sir."
"Continue to expand our business network. Acquire as much farmland and shop as possible after the war. Also, maintain the businesses in Linqing and Dezhou; we cannot slacken our efforts just because I've become an official. Money is our lifeblood; we cannot afford to lose it even for a day."
"Don't worry, boss, I understand."
Lu Yan nodded, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
"What about Shen Qing?" Lu Yan asked again.
"Shen Qing is integrating the intelligence network," Hu Jingshui said in a low voice. "He has people in Jinan, Yanzhou, Linqing, and Dezhou. He can get information from all sides—officialdom, business, and the underworld. We owe a lot to his informants in the Yuncheng incident; otherwise, how would we have been able to find that water gate?"
"From now on, we'll leave the intelligence work entirely to him." Lu Yan nodded. "Fan Fu should focus on internal affairs and logistics; he shouldn't interfere with intelligence matters anymore."
"clear."
"If anyone thinks I've done something wrong, feel free to point it out. I, Lu Yan, am not someone who won't listen to advice."
The study was quiet for a moment.
Zhao Changying grinned: "Boss, why are you saying all this? We follow you not because you became an official, but because you are Lu Yan. Even if you remain a commoner for life, I, Zhao Changying, will still follow you."
Zhao Tie said in a muffled voice, "Whatever the young master says, goes. This old man just focuses on forging iron."
Hu Jingshui cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "I will never forget your kindness and support, sir. Wherever you point, I will follow."
Lu Yan looked at them and smiled.
"Okay. It's settled then."
He stood up and walked to the window.
The autumn sun was shining brightly, casting golden rays into the courtyard and stretching the old locust tree's shadow long and thin.
"Tomorrow, I will go to the yamen to take up my new post."
His voice was calm, but there was a light in his eyes.
"Starting tomorrow, things will be different for us."
Outside the window, a gust of wind blew by, and the leaves of the old locust tree fell down in a flurry, tumbling in the sunlight like pieces of broken gold.
In the autumn of the second year of the Tianqi reign, Lu Yan donned the official robes of a rank eight.
A light blue round-necked robe, a black gauze hat, and black boots.
Standing before the bronze mirror, he looked at the young face reflected in it and was momentarily lost in thought.
Four years ago, the reflection in this mirror was of a sallow-faced, emaciated boy with fearful eyes.
Four years later, the person in the mirror had a calm gaze, a resolute face, wore a brand-new official robe, and stood ramrod straight.
"A rank of eighth grade."
He said to himself in the mirror.
"This is just the beginning."