Mo Sang – CH 148

Chapter 148. Do Not Fight Over Petty Matters

Pan Dingjiang sent the servant to check on things at Shunfeng Shop, then turned and went back as soon as he left Donghua Gate.

Pan Dingjiang slapped his forehead at the challenge letter and the simple gambling instructions the servant brought back.

Was the Boss trying to put his Second Sister-in-law and wife, the Pan family, into the fire? This was something the Pan family could not afford!

Pan Dingjiang, carrying the two large red papers, headed straight for his father.

Halfway there, Pan Dingjiang suddenly stopped and turned towards the palace gate.

With the Boss’s connections, if these two documents were delivered at Donghua Gate, they would have already been distributed throughout the city. Those who should know, and those who should not know, should all know.

Going to his father again was pointless; he should hurry and report to the Emperor.

A challenge to the Hanlin Academy—this was no small matter.

Gu Jin was discussing matters with several ministers, including Privy Councilor Pang.

A young eunuch quietly approached Qing-Feng and whispered an announcement. Qing-Feng, seizing the opportunity, glanced at Gu Jin. Gu Jin met Qing-Feng’s gaze, and Qing-Feng quickly bowed and smiled, saying, “Hanlin Academician Pan requests an audience. He seems quite anxious, saying it’s about Shunfeng.”

“Hmm, bring him in,” Gu Jin ordered.

Pan Dingjiang kowtowed and rose, first presenting the challenge letter and betting odds with both hands. “Your Majesty, I urgently requested an audience because of this challenge letter. My brother, Pan Dingbang, said it was written by Lady Li, the leader of Shunfeng.”

Qing-Feng stepped forward, took the two large red papers, and presented them to Gu Jin.

Gu Jin first picked up the challenge letter, quickly skimming through it before handing it to Minister Wu. Then he looked at the betting odds, carefully examining them. His eyebrows rose, and he smiled as he handed it to Minister Wu.

“What is the cause?” Gu Jin asked, looking at Pan Dingjiang.

“Your Majesty: Ten days ago, the Evening News published an article about rhyme schemes in poetry, specifically the use of borrowed rhymes and non-rhyming words. Hanlin scholar Qiao Bo felt one example was incorrect and should be interpreted according to the poet’s native dialect. He spent 180 coins to buy 120 characters to claim it was wrong.

The following day, the Evening News refuted Qiao Bo’s claim. Qiao Bo disagreed, and a debate ensued.”

Pan Dingjiang kept his explanation brief and concise; this matter was best left unsaid.

“The Evening News is discussing poetry and literature,” Gu Jin said, a hint of doubt in his voice.

“Yes, the Boss Li changed it after returning from Hefei,” Pan Dingjiang replied, sensing the Emperor’s unease and feigning ignorance.

“Who wrote the article? Boss Li’s scholarship seems rather limited. For whom was this challenge issued?” Gu Jin continued.

“My wife, Lady Qian, wrote several pieces; my Second Sister-in-law, Lady Zhong, wrote one; Lady Shi of Privy Council Pang’s household wrote two; Lady Yan, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Fu family, wrote one; Lady Guan of Prime Minister Wu’s household wrote three; Lady Wei, Fourth’s wife wrote one; and there are probably others in other households as well.

The one who debated with Hanlin Qiao was my Second Sister-in-law, Lady Zhong,” Pan Dingjiang said, his hands clasped at his sides.

Privy Councilor Pang’s and Prime Minister Wu’s eyes widened. A group of women under the grape trellis? They had women from their household, too? They had not known about this at all!

“There are four essays in the Wu family residence,” Gu Jin said with admiration. “I’ve long heard that the Wu family is truly a family of scholars; indeed, it lives up to its reputation.” Gu Jin smiled at Prime Minister Wu, then looked at Privy Councilor Pang. “I heard you learned your studies and writing from your wife; is that true?”

“Yes,” Privy Councilor Pang replied without any embarrassment. “As Your Majesty knows, my grandfather was a porter and illiterate. My father followed my grandfather in his campaigns from a young age, and although he had a tutor, he only learned to read.

When my father was arranging a marriage, my grandfather felt it should be between equals. My mother was excellent at housework and farming, virtuous and understanding, but illiterate.

When I was seven or eight years old, I learned to till the land and plant vegetables with my mother, but I still could not read a single character.

My grandfather and father went on campaigns and did not return for four or five years.

When my grandfather returned, he saw that I was illiterate, while other children my age had already read four or five books and could compose couplets.”

“My father told me that my grandfather sighed deeply and said, ‘The mother of my child must be learned!’

Since my time, my family has always prioritized education when choosing a wife; this was a family rule established by my grandfather.”

“Your grandfather was naturally intelligent; I often heard the late Emperor speak of him,” Gu Jin said with a smile and a sigh, then continued, “Regarding the postal service to the army, Boss Li was originally only willing to subsidize half of the postage sent to the army. As for the letters the soldiers wrote home, the postage for those letters had to be paid by the court.

We are really not well-off, so I discussed with Boss Li the possibility of reciprocity.

It seems,” Gu Jin pointed to the two red papers that had been handed back to him, “Boss Li is really trying to squeeze money out of everyone.

Both Prime Minister Wu and Prime Minister Pan have women involved in this matter. To avoid any appearance of impropriety, I would like to ask Prime Minister Du to put in some effort and offer some guidance to the Hanlin Academy.” Gu Jin looked at Prime Minister Du and smiled.

“Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured.” Prime Minister Du hurriedly bowed in agreement.

……………………

Pan Dingjiang took his leave, pondering as he walked. After a short distance, he went straight out of the Donghua Gate and headed home.

He needed to hurry back and clearly convey the Emperor’s intentions.

At the Pan residence, Third Madam, Lady Qian, had gone out for a while but could not find Li Sangrou. Not long after returning home, challenges and betting odds appeared outside, filling the streets.

When Pan Dingjiang returned home, his mother, Old Lady Jiang, along with his Second Sister-in-law and wife, and Seventh Madam, Lady Tian, ​​were sitting in a circle, looking worried, facing two large red papers on the table.

“Why are you back so soon?” Old Lady Jiang’s heart leaped when she saw Pan Dingjiang enter.

As the saying goes, misfortunes never came singly…

“It’s because of this matter.” Pan Dingjiang pointed to the two large red papers on the table.

“The Emperor knows?” Second Madam, Lady Zhong, blurted out.

“Little Seventh did not dare go home, did he? He came to me. I spoke to the Emperor. Such a big matter, how could I not tell him?” Pan Dingjiang rushed back, his legs weak with exhaustion. He took two steps forward and sat down next to Old Lady Jiang.

Lady Qian quickly poured him a cup of tea.

“The Emperor is discussing important matters with several ministers. I told the young eunuch it was about Shunfeng, and the Emperor immediately summoned me.”

Pan Dingjiang downed his tea in one gulp, lowering his voice, and recounted what the Emperor had said after he met him.

“…The Emperor’s meaning is clear: he wants to give the Boss a push.

As for us, you all discuss it. If there’s anything you are unsure about, have Little Seventh go to the Boss.

I will be going now. I have a lot to do. If it gets too late tonight, I will not be back to sleep,” Pan Dingjiang said, standing up and bowing to Old Lady Jiang to take his leave.

“It’s all Little Seventh’s fault!” Old Lady Jiang slammed her hand on the table. “Look what he’s done to you two!”

“It’s not Little Seventh’s fault. Even if he had not said anything, the Boss would have found out eventually, just a little later. According to Third Brother, the Boss is indeed short of money; Shunfeng Express postage is not cheap,” Lady Zhong said with a laugh.

“There are millions of soldiers! This war is not just going to last a year or two. How many letters must there be? The Boss is subsidizing all of this; it’s no small sum,” Lady Qian said, clicking her tongue after a quick calculation.

“Consider it as if we’ve done our part for the country,” Lady Tian said, most enthusiastic about the matter, even though her education was far from sufficient.

“His Majesty’s intention is for the Boss to earn as much as possible. With Prime Minister Du’s guidance, the Hanlin Academy will definitely accept the challenge.

However, it will likely drag on for a few days. They will probably spread rumors that the Hanlin Academy is unworthy of attention, stalling for the money before finally issuing a challenge.”

Lady Zhong looked from Old Lady Jiang to Lady Qian. “The Boss will definitely open more betting pools later, at least one large one, probably the biggest one.

We need to discuss what we should do.”

“Then we need to ask the Boss whether she’s betting on us to win or on the Hanlin Academy,” Lady Tian asked enthusiastically.

“We can only make more money by betting on us to win.

All the talented scholars in the world are in the Hanlin Academy. In terms of talent, how can anyone compare to the Hanlin Academy? Everyone will definitely think the Hanlin Academy will win.” Lady Qian frowned. She was not afraid of one or two Hanlin scholars, but to say she would win against the entire Hanlin Academy would be too arrogant.

“The Emperor appointed Prime Minister Du to oversee the Hanlin Academy, but he did not appoint anyone to oversee us. This leaves us an opening.

In this comparison, at least in terms of how it’s compared, we definitely have the final say. That’s our opportunity.” Old Lady Jiang pointed out the direction.

“Temporary arts, textual analysis—none of that will do!” Lady Zhong was the first to object. “Those people in the Hanlin Academy have spent half their lives, most of their lives, on these kinds of textual analysis and textual interpretation. We cannot compare.”

Lady Qian nodded repeatedly. “I think so too. We have to pick their weak points.”

“Poetry and rhyme will not do either. There’s no definitive answer to these things. What you think is good, I think is bad. Good and bad are both valid answers.” Lady Zhong frowned, her fingers tapping rapidly on the table.

“Compete in recitation?” Lady Tian’s brows furrowed as well.

Lady Qian could not help but glance at her.

Lady Zhong’s rapidly tapping fingers paused, then a smile blossomed. “It’s not about reciting texts; it’s about erudition! It’s about who’s read the most books! That Hanlin Academician Qiao, is he not known as a walking encyclopedia? Perfect, let’s have a competition and see who the real encyclopedia is!”

“That’s a great idea!” Old Lady Jiang laughed too. “These talented scholars who rose through the ranks through examinations all had to be single-minded. Even the second and third sons, considered talented, only dared to bury themselves in the classics back then.

We do not need to take those exams; if we are talking about reading widely, we are at least no less capable than they are.”

“If we are going to compete in that, we need to invite someone out,” Lady Qian laughed. “That eldest daughter of the Fu family, the one who married into the Zhou family and became the eldest grandson’s wife.”

“That girl is so quiet,” Old Lady Jiang said, surprised.

“She’s incredibly talented. I’ve known her third aunt since childhood, and her aunt has always praised her, saying she has a photographic memory and reads everything. I’ve tested her a few times, and she’s truly erudite.

However, she’s reserved and intelligent; once she senses someone testing her, she will not say a word.”

“The Zhou family’s matriarch and madam both dote on her. That girl is indeed quiet and unassuming. If you had not mentioned it, I would not have known she was so learned,” added Lady Zhong.

“I am afraid we will not be able to get her to come out,” Lady Qian said, frowning as she looked at Old Lady Jiang.

“I will go see Old Lady Cao,” Old Lady Jiang said confidently. “Old Lady Cao is not afraid of trouble. Besides,” she paused, “their eldest master’s term will end this autumn.

Last autumn, Old Lady Cao spoke to me several times, wanting her eldest son to return to Jianle City. Now that war has broken out, I wonder what his plans are.”

“Their eldest master’s next term has not been decided yet? Autumn is not far off,” Third Madam, Lady Qian, exclaimed in surprise.

“Sigh, in their household, Minister Zhou does not treat their family like his own, nor his own son like his own son. Sigh. It’s because of this that her eldest son is very ambitious, wholeheartedly wanting to make his mother proud.

Sigh, these families… let’s not talk about that.

Have someone go to the Zhou residence first, and tell Old Lady Cao that I will go see her tomorrow and speak with her,” Old Lady Jiang instructed Second Madam, Lady Zhong.

“Lady Fu and that Young Lady Shen from the Marquis of Yongping’s mansion are very close,” Lady Tian Qi suddenly remarked.

“It’s alright; Young Lady Shen is a good girl, very sensible. Alas, she’s burdened by her father and brothers,” Old Lady Jiang sighed.

“The other day, Seventh Master shed tears for a long time looking at a gold hairpin, saying that seeing the hairpin reminded him of a golden-haired man,” Lady Tian sighed.

“Alas, it’s all in the past. Do not bring up those things again,” Old Lady Jiang instructed.

……………………

After discussing their good deeds, Minister Wu and the others came out of Xuanyou Gate. Minister Du caught up with Minister Pan, walking alongside him, and said with a smile, “I’ve read several of those scholarly essays under the grape trellis; their skill is remarkable. I did not expect they were all written by women from the inner chambers.”

“Women from the inner chambers are not to be underestimated. Speaking of which, the boss is also considered a woman from the inner chambers,” Minister Pan remarked with some emotion.

“The boss cannot be judged by ordinary standards. My third son’s wife is also quite learned. If it’s not too much trouble, I will have her come to your residence to learn a thing or two,” Prime Minister Du added with a smile.

“What trouble? My wife mentioned the other day that we are short-handed,” Prime Minister Pan said with a low chuckle.

“That’s perfect. Let her go and serve the Old Madam,” Prime Minister Du laughed heartily.

The two chatted and laughed, walking a short distance along the main east-west street, when the Imperial Academy’s Chancellor, Huang, approached them.

“I was just thinking about how to find him,” Prime Minister Du said with a smile upon seeing Chancellor Huang.

“Then I will step aside,” Prime Minister Pan replied with a smile, turning the corner.

Prime Minister Du stopped and looked at Chancellor Huang. Chancellor Huang hurriedly ran forward and greeted him, “Prime Minister Du.”

“It looks like you. It really is you.” Prime Minister Du looked at Chancellor Huang, a slight smile on his face, but his brows were furrowed. “Now that the war has begun, everyone is extremely busy. How are things on your end?”

“Fine, fine.” Chancellor Huang’s heart skipped a beat at Prime Minister Du’s furrowed brow and the word “extremely busy.”

“The students of the Imperial Academy must be supervised to ensure they study diligently. This is also contributing to the country. At this time, it’s not advisable for them to be too playful,” Prime Minister Du continued.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Chancellor Huang’s heart pounded even higher. Too playful… that “too…”

“How are things at the Hanlin Academy?” Prime Minister Du asked again.

“Fine.” Chancellor Huang did not emphasize his answer too much.

He could not control how the Hanlin scholars were doing.

“That’s good. At this time, you must think more about how to serve the country and absolutely avoid petty squabbles and arguments, and, even more so, avoid causing any trouble. You must be careful,” Prime Minister Du continued, giving further instructions.

“Yes, yes, do not worry, Minister,” Grand Secretary Huang replied repeatedly.

In the short time it took to exchange a few words, they reached the intersection leading to the Secretariat. Prime Minister Du nodded to Chancellor Huang to indicate they had arrived and then turned the corner.

Chancellor Huang watched Prime Minister Du turn the corner. After walking about ten steps, he slowly squeezed the two large red papers in his sleeve pocket, letting out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had not produced this petty challenge the moment they met.

Chancellor Huang breathed another sigh of relief and turned to walk back.

If the Evening News inquired about this challenge, he would have them take it back.

These days were different from usual; the Hanlin Academy did not have time for petty squabbles about whether or not to fight.

If the Evening News did not inquire, he would ignore it.

In any case, petty squabbles were unacceptable!