Chapter 66 Changing an account, taking a young wife, and diving into the sea

The Thousand-Step Corridor.

Xie Fang, the steward of the Mu household, walked slightly behind and to the right of Gu Zhengchen, expressing his gratitude with a warm smile, "Had it not been for the delay caused by instructing Young Master Mu Chun, Mr. Gu would have already secured his official credentials."

Gu Zhengchen did not mind at all, saying placidly, "Young Master Mu Chun is bright and eager to learn; he will surely achieve greatness in the future. As for the matter of the official credentials, there is no need to rush. I am merely troubled that Steward Xie had to make this trip in person."

Xie Fang hurriedly replied, "I dare not call it trouble; these are all things we ought to do. Ahead is the Ministry of Personnel."

Having walked only a short distance, Gu Zhengchen caught sight of the imposing grand gate of the Ministry of Personnel. The two characters for "Personnel" inscribed on the plaque above were written in sweeping, large golden strokes, carrying a considerable air of authority.

The gates stood wide open, with two soldiers stationed on either side.

Inside, apart from officials clad in formal robes and caps bustling to and from, there were also a number of scholars much like Gu Zhengchen.

At the entrance, several individuals were craning their necks and peering about with suspicious demeanors.

"What is this?"

Gu Zhengchen asked with some perplexity.

Xie Fang glanced over and explained, "These are all wealthy men from the capital, specializing in issuing capital loans."

"Capital loans, I see."

Gu Zhengchen sighed softly.

The so-called capital loans were, in truth, nothing more than usurious loans. Because they originated in the capital, they were known as capital loans.

This group of people specifically targeted officials about to take up posts in distant regions. When the esteemed officials found themselves short of cash and penniless, these lenders would provide the funds, to be repaid upon arrival at their destination. The reason Zhu Yuanzhang distributed travel allowances to officials was precisely to prevent them from contracting capital loans.

The problem, however, was that what Old Zhu provided was merely a travel allowance—as the name implied, funds solely for expenses along the road. As for the money needed to purchase furniture, hire a few servants, take on a few concubines, and live in comfort and luxury, Old Zhu had provided not a single coin...

Now they borrowed money, intending to repay the debt later with their official salaries.

Ah, but he had forgotten—the salaries granted by Old Zhu were exceedingly meager. With capital loans rolling over at compound interest, repayment became impossible. But no matter! As local officials, the avenues for lining one's pockets were numerous; forget a capital loan, even a national debt could be repaid in time...

Xie Fang stepped forward and lowered his voice, "Once one becomes an official, there are two major matters that must be attended to right at the outset..."

Gu Zhengchen frowned. "Which two major matters?"

Xie Fang coughed lightly, winked at Gu Zhengchen, and said, "Adopt a literary pseudonym, and take a concubine."

Gu Zhengchen's eyes widened. *This—this counts as well?*

As for adopting a literary pseudonym, the people of the Ming dynasty were indeed adept at it, bordering at times on fanaticism.

Take Tang Yin, also known as Tang Bohu, for instance. His alternate names included the Recluse of the Six-Like Cottage, Master of the Peach Blossom Hermitage, Scholar Tang of Lu State, and the Chan-Escaping Immortal Official...

Old Tang was still a distant shadow, however, so let us consider someone closer at hand—Song Lian, the current Preceptor to the Heir Apparent, who used the styles Dragon Gate Master and Profoundly True, Escaped Old Man. Or Fang Xiaoru, who would arrive in the capital four years hence, whose styles were Master of Gou City and Master of Orthodox Learning...

Presumably, this trend possessed such a powerful contagion that by the middle and late Ming dynasty, even certain servants began putting on airs. For example, Yan Song's servant Yongnian styled himself Crane Slope, while Zhang Juzheng's servant You Qi styled himself Chu Bin—though how that name was supposed to sound anything other than a funeral procession remained a mystery...

Gu Zhengchen had never given a thought to adopting a literary pseudonym. As for taking a concubine, that prospect was even more sorrowful; when one barely possessed enough for oneself, how could one afford a concubine...

He shot a fierce glare at Xie Fang; this fellow was learning all the wrong habits.

Xie Fang chuckled, guiding Gu Zhengchen across the high threshold of the Ministry of Personnel as he introduced, "In June of the fifth year of Hongwu, the Emperor established the functions of the Six Ministries. The Ministry of Personnel governs the selection laws, enfeoffments, honors, and performance evaluations of officials throughout the realm, and possesses three subordinate bureaus. The first is named the Bureau of Appointments, which handles matters of civil selection; the second is named the Bureau of Merits, which manages official systems; and the third is named the Bureau of Evaluations, which oversees performance reviews."

Gu Zhengchen looked into the main courtyard of the Ministry of Personnel. Administrative offices lined both the eastern and western corridors, with long plaques hanging beside their doors indicating the specific bureau within.

"Are we heading to the Bureau of Appointments?"

Gu Zhengchen asked.

Xie Fang shook his head and pointed toward the Bureau of Merits in the eastern corridor. "Mr. Gu is taking up a local post and processing his official credentials, which does not fall under the civil selection process. You should go to the Bureau of Merits, which oversees civil ranks, monthly stipends, promotion qualifications, official grades, institutional regulations, and personnel records known as *tiehuang*."

Gu Zhengchen understood and walked along the bluestone-paved path toward the Bureau of Merits.

The Bureau of Merits was staffed by one Director, one Assistant Director, one Chief Clerk, two Senior Scribes, and four Junior Scribes.

On this particular day, very few people were processing official credentials. Principal Clerk Shi Shi was chatting idly with Sub-Clerk Wang Chang. Seeing someone approach, Wang Chang remained seated and asked, "Are you here to process official credentials?"

Gu Zhengchen stepped forward and bowed. "Precisely."

Wang Chang waved a hand. "Produce the appointment document and the official tally tally."

Gu Zhengchen drew the appointment document and the tally from his bosom and handed them over to Wang Chang.

Wang Chang unfolded them, scanned them, and stood up to return the bow. "Teng County, Magistrate Gu Zhengchen, is it not? Forgive my lack of courtesy."

Gu Zhengchen returned the courtesy.

Wang Chang led Gu Zhengchen to another desk, where they seated themselves opposite one another. Pulling out a sheet of yellow paper and picking up a brush, Wang Chang introduced himself and said with a solemn expression, "Magistrate Gu, I need to enter your background into the *tiehuang* registry. I must ask you to truthfully answer regarding your name, age, ancestral origin, and official career..."

The *tiehuang* system, also known as pasted-yellows or pressed-yellows, was a document-correction system first created during the Tang dynasty.

The original *tiehuang* was roughly equivalent to modern correction tape or sticky notes. After all, antiquity possessed no rubber erasers, and scribbling messy corrections lacked propriety; if an error was made, one simply wrote a new slip of yellow paper and pasted it directly over the mistake.

Yet, with the passage of time, by the early Ming dynasty this practice had evolved into a formal administrative document system.

Because the personnel promotions of officials were relatively frequent—promotions required a pasted slip, demotions required a pasted slip, and lateral transfers likewise required a pasted slip—*tiehuang* records frequently appeared within civil and military archives.

In later days, flipping through an archive to check the year, month, promotion, demotion, or subsequent transfers allowed one to see everything at a glance.

Wang Chang and Gu Zhengchen engaged in a series of questions and answers, and the drafting of the yellow slip was swiftly concluded. Wang Chang pasted the slip into the registry volume and took it away to seek the Director's countersignature and seal.

After perusing the document, Shi Shi cast his gaze upon Gu Zhengchen, asked a few questions, and nodded. "I must ask Magistrate Gu to wait a moment. Once the Director applies his seal, your official credentials will be issued."

"Many thanks."

Gu Zhengchen breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Fang laughed from the side, "It won't be long before Mr. Gu becomes a true Magistrate Gu. When the credentials are drawn up shortly, they will specify the date of arrival at your post and provide a notice of instructions for taking office. Mr. Gu might do well to set the arrival date with a bit of leeway, so you may linger in the capital for a few more days."

Gu Zhengchen asked with a lighthearted tone, "Can this arrival date actually be chosen by me?"

Xie Fang looked left and right. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Gu does not realize this, but although the imperial court clearly stipulates deadlines for taking up posts, there are still quite a few officials who linger in Jinling for a month or two. Just think—borrowing funds, procuring attire, taking wives and buying concubines, which of these does not require time? Of course, according to the regulations, one ought to set out for one's post within half a month after receiving the official credentials."

Gu Zhengchen looked at Xie Fang and said with a measure of solemnity, "Steward Xie, you are asking me to violate the laws and statutes of the imperial court. Would you dare to speak thus before Military Commissioner Mu?"

A jolt ran through Xie Fang's heart, and he hastily stammered, "I only meant..."

"No matter; Steward Xie had good intentions for my sake. After all, some laws are not excessively rigorous." Gu Zhengchen cut off Xie Fang's words and smiled placidly. "Sooner or later I must take up my post. To go a day earlier is to understand the sentiments of the people a day earlier."

Time ticked away bit by bit.

Gu Zhengchen felt a twinge of doubt. Surely it shouldn't take this long just to stamp a seal and collect an official instruction manual for taking office? Could the Director be engaging in passive resistance?

After waiting for nearly half an hour, Gu Zhengchen walked over to Wang Chang and inquired, "Sub-Clerk Wang, when might the official credentials be ready?"

"Eh?"

Wang Chang had assumed Gu Zhengchen and his companion had already departed, and was surprised to find them still lingering. Puzzled, he said, "That is strange. The Director is in his office; why has it not been completed yet? I shall go and inquire."

Before long, Wang Chang returned, looking at Gu Zhengchen with an uncertain expression. Without explaining the reason, he merely sighed, "Director Zhao is entertaining a guest. Please wait a moment longer for news."

Gu Zhengchen frowned. *Entertaining a guest—what guest could possibly require this much time?*

Not long after, two figures emerged from the room belonging to the Director. One was tall and the other short, both of them thin. What was peculiar, however, was that the tall official clearly held only the seventh rank, whereas the shorter companion wore the formal robes of a third-rank official. Yet this third-rank official was bowing and scraping before the taller man with a flattering demeanor.

"A supervisory censor, perhaps?"

Gu Zhengchen narrowed his eyes, locking gazes with the playful, mocking look of the seventh-rank official.

After a brief exchange of glances, the seventh-rank official turned and departed with a cheerful laugh.

In this capital city, a seventh-rank official capable of inspiring fear and obsequiousness in a third-rank official could only belong to the Censorate as a Supervisory Censor!

Do not be deceived into thinking these men held merely the seventh rank; their power was formidable indeed.

The Censorate specialized in impeaching officials across all offices, clarifying injustices, inspecting various circuits, and serving as the eyes, ears, and moral compass of the Son of Heaven.

Whenever high ministers turned crafty or wicked, or petty men formed cliques and wrought tyranny and disorder in government, they impeached them.

Whenever officials proved corrupt, greedy, debased, or undermined administrative discipline, they impeached them.

Whenever academic doctrines lacked orthodoxy, or memorials submitted to the throne altered the established constitution in hopes of advancement, they impeached them...

In short, Supervisory Censors were a group of officials whose sole profession was impeachment. They struck you when you had done wrong, and they went looking for flaws to strike you when you had done nothing wrong. The terms "scolding officials" and "editorial officials" referred precisely to them.

It was no wonder a third-rank official lowered his head; even a Minister, upon encountering a Supervisory Censor, would likely have to tread with extreme caution. Should one accidentally be impeached for failing to remove one's official robes while sleeping, or failing to use silver utensils while eating, or wearing one's court cap askew or garments crooked during an audience, the light consequence was a severe reprimand, and the heavy consequence was demotion...

"It seems to me I haven't provoked any Supervisory Censors, have I?"

Gu Zhengchen felt somewhat perplexed. Since arriving in the capital, he had made no enemies; at most, back in the Eastern Palace, he had caused a few of the Crown Prince's attendants and academicians to experience a sense of disappointment, which hardly amounted to an offense.

Moreover, with Zhu Biao holding the fort, these people could not possibly be so brainless as to escalate matters to the Supervisory Censors just to bide their time for revenge.

"You must be Magistrate Gu? I am Principal Clerk Meng Ren."

Director Meng Ren walked over, his small eyes flashing with sharp light and a playful smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Gu Zhengchen bowed.

Meng Ren cast his gaze toward Principal Clerk Shi Shi standing at his side.

Shi Shi understood. He stepped forward and handed a document volume and a set of official credentials to Gu Zhengchen. "These are Magistrate Gu's credentials for taking up your post and your notice of instructions. Furthermore, the arrival deadline has been endorsed here. Calculating the distance and deducting the time spent in Jinling, Magistrate Gu ought to arrive at your post by the sixteenth day of the eleventh month."

"The sixteenth day of the eleventh month?"

Gu Zhengchen was utterly astonished.

No matter how one calculated the distance from Jinling to Jurong, it was no more than a hundred odd *li*, a journey easily accomplished in two steady days.

Today was the sixteenth day of the eighth month. To arrive by the sixteenth day of the eleventh month gave him a full three months. Wasn't this allotted idle time far too generous?

That wasn't right. This did not conform to Old Zhu's administrative style. As a notorious workaholic, how could he possibly allow officials three whole months to reach a post that could be reached in a few days?

Gu Zhengchen calmed himself, opened the appointment credentials, and his gaze suddenly froze. Written starkly within was:

*Appointed Gu Zhengchen as Magistrate of Yangjiang County, Zhaoqing Prefecture, Guangdong Province.*

"Good grief, I'm being sent across the sea..."

Gu Zhengchen felt a chill run through him. What had happened to the agreed-upon post as Magistrate of Jurong County in Yingtian Prefecture? How on earth had he flown all the way to Yangjiang in Guangdong...