Mo Sang – CH 278

Chapter 278. Too High-Class

After receiving their promotions to Grand Scholars of the Yunlang Hall, Fourth Madam Wu née Wei, Fu Wan-niang, and two others sat down in a row behind and to the side of the high platform, separated from Chancellor Huang and his entourage by half a chair.

Governor Luo, dressed in brand-new official robes and looking spirited, stood in the center of the platform and loudly announced the name of the third-place winner.

A large group of scholars stood facing the platform—the previous top three winners. A stir ran through the crowd; some were envious, some regretful, some disappointed, and some relieved—each with their own complex emotions, all looking at a middle-aged scholar.

Under the complex gazes of the other scholars, the middle-aged scholar walked along the path cleared for him, ascended the ladder covered with a large red carpet, and reached the platform.

Two Hanlin scholars to Chancellor Huang’s right stood up, took a brocade ribbon and embroidered ball from a tray carried by a servant, and tied it, one in front and one behind, to the middle-aged scholar’s chest.

Beside him, Governor Luo recited the third-place essay with a resounding voice.

Two guards in brocade robes carried fifty silver ingots, totaling five hundred taels of silver, and placed them on the stage.

After Governor Luo finished reciting the essay, two servants, one on each side, took the already framed essay and hung it on a prepared notice board. The servants then carried it behind the third-place winner, followed by the five hundred taels of silver. Amidst celebratory gongs and drums, they descended the stage and were invited to sit.

The second-place winner followed the same procedure, but the amount of silver ingots carried was far greater.

The second-place winner was invited to sit next to the third-place winner. Governor Luo looked at the imperial envoy seated at the head of the table and bowed his head.

The imperial envoy rose and stood beside Governor Luo, gesturing to a tray brought by a royal guard. He smiled and said, “The first-place winner will be bestowed with two golden flowers by His Majesty.”

A collective gasp and sounds of surprise erupted from the platform, spreading outwards in a commotion.

Governor Luo smiled and handed the imperial envoy a large red envelope. The envoy took it, opened it, and loudly announced a name.

After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted into clamor.

Through the crowds near and far, heads bobbed up and down. No matter how far they stood, even those inside the city gate, everyone jumped up, eager to be the first to see what the winner, about to receive the imperial golden flowers and have their name inscribed on stone for posterity, looked like.

A young scholar in a white robe, no matter how hard he tried to suppress his joy, could not contain it. His steps were stiff, yet he seemed drunk, staggering towards the brocade carpet and steps. He had barely stepped onto the steps when he missed a step; had it not been for a quick-thinking servant who caught him, he would have fallen headfirst.

The two servants, both extremely clever, simply followed him, escorting him to the brocade platform before hurriedly retreating.

Governor Luo read aloud the first-place essay in an exceptionally loud voice. The imperial envoy picked up two golden flowers from the tray and placed them on the hat of the kneeling young scholar.

The Imperial Secretary Huang and the concurrent Education Commissioner Gao stood up, draped a red cloth over the first-place scholar, and carried up stacks of silver ingots, arranging them one by one until the small platform was completely filled. This vast expanse of shimmering silver fully demonstrated what was meant by overwhelming wealth.

Li Sangrou looked at the gold flower and then at the silver ingot, resting her chin on her hand, and sighed.

“In terms of prestige, the gold flower is still the best!”

After Governor Luo finished reading the article, someone took it and hung it high in front of the Tengwang Pavilion. The clanging and banging of the ingots immediately began, and the carving of the stone began.

Below the platform, the drum and gong team had already stepped forward and lined up. Specially selected young and handsome guards led the horses, inviting the top three to mount.

At the very front was the drum and gong team, followed by the valiant and handsome guards. Behind the three pairs of guards were the top three, adorned in red ribbons and colorful decorations, riding on horseback. Behind each of them were their articles and their silver ingots. Behind the third-place winner were the top three from previous Hundred-Day Evaluations, also on horseback, but without the red ribbons.

The deafening procession set off from the Tengwang Pavilion, entered the city gate, and proceeded along the pre-selected street, the drums and gongs resounding as they walked slowly and energetically, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

This perfect demonstration of the saying “There are golden houses in books” began at the Tengwang Pavilion, circled the city of Yuzhang, and then returned to the Zhuangyuan Tower, separated from the Tengwang Pavilion by the city wall, about a li away.

At noon, Governor Luo hosted a banquet at the Zhuangyuan Tower to welcome the imperial envoy, congratulate the Tengwang Pavilion on its new look, and celebrate the abundance of talented people in the Great Qi Dynasty.

Li Sangrou watched from the city tower as the procession, a symbol of both talent and wealth, slowly walked away until it was out of sight. She sighed contentedly and turned to walk downstairs.

“Oh, right,” Meng Yanqing said, slapping his forehead. “Governor Luo asked me to inquire about the banquet at noon. Should we go?”

“No.” Li Sangrou’s answer was straightforward: no. She then paused, looking at Meng Yanqing. “Or, why not go?”

“I am not going!” Meng Yanqing immediately shook his head. “When I was young, there were plenty of banquets like this. They were all social obligations. Looking at this person’s face, looking at that person’s face, if you did not see them one moment, you’d offend someone. I am not going!”

“This afternoon, they say that Chancellor Huang is giving a lecture, saying it is about the differences in interpretation of this or that classic,” Da Chang muttered.

“The differences in understanding the Xue Er chapter between the North and South,” Meng Yanqing filled in Da Chang’s words. “They are going to give lectures for a month straight. They say that Fourth Madam Wu née Wei and the others will all have to give a lecture. It is all about this kind of thing, the differences in scholarship between the North and South.

This was suggested by Governor Luo. That old fox, he’s incredibly shrewd.

He paid to have his lectures published in the Evening Post two or three months in advance.

With this explanation of the differences between North and South, how could any scholar or literati in Jiangnan not listen?!

He’s managed this so well; it seems Yuzhang City is about to become the center of learning in Jiangnan!”

Meng Yanqing clicked his tongue in admiration.

“Whether it will become the center of learning in Jiangnan is another matter, but he’s certainly made a fortune.

Look at this year; from inns to washbasins, every household in Yuzhang City has made a lot of money.” Li Sangrou descended the city wall and leisurely strolled along the streets still filled with excitement.

“I heard that several people have come from Changsha City, on the orders of their Tanzhou Commander Gao, to invite Boss Instructor Huang and Fourth Madam Wu née Wei to give lectures in Changsha for a few days.”

“Yesterday I went to Governor Luo’s place and overheard it at the second gate. Chancellor Huang said they came to Yuzhang on imperial orders. Once their business here is finished, they have to hurry back to report; they cannot afford to wander around,” Meng Yanqing said, laughing.

“Yes, Third Miss Qian also wrote a letter to Fourth Madam Wu née Wei, asking them to detour back to Ezhou,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“That’s quite a detour!” Dong Chao exclaimed.

“They cannot go anywhere. They are all here on imperial orders. Giving lectures here is also on imperial orders; they have to go back after they are done,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“It’s quite a lively affair,” Meng Yanqing remarked.

“When are Fourth Madam Wu née Wei and the others giving their lectures?” Li Sangrou asked after walking a short distance.

“I did not notice. I will ask later,” Meng Yanqing replied after a moment’s hesitation.

“No rush. Let’s find a place to eat first. What should we eat?” Li Sangrou looked around the street.

“From the first house we came to now, every single one is packed,” Da Chang muttered.

“Sigh, it is so lively!” Li Sangrou sighed deeply. “Never mind, let’s go home and eat.”

“We ordered over a dozen sheep last night, and they arrived this morning. They were just slaughtered,” Da Chang quickly added.

“Let’s stew the mutton when we get home, just ginger, scallions, and water. Make a nice dipping sauce,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“The Boss said she’s hungry; let’s go!” Dong Chao waved his hand.

………………………………

The next day, Nanny Zhang, along with Gong Xiaoyi’s family and Jia Wendao, clutching his iron chains and weeping, hired a large boat and set off for Yangzhou City.

Li Sangrou remained in Yuzhang City, attending lectures by Fu Wannian and Wei Jingming. She was about to take Da Chang, Meng Yanqing, and about twenty Old Yunmeng Guards to the Yangjiaping Shipyard when, the afternoon before their departure, Shunfeng Delivery Company delivered a box from Jianle City.

Li Sangrou opened the box, took out a scroll, and saw the characters “Guangshun.” Her eyebrows shot up. She then took out a sheet of fine Xuan paper from the bottom of the box, on which were a few lines of text, a brief explanation written by Qing-Feng:

“The scroll is in the Emperor’s own handwriting, congratulating the Boss on acquiring two new shipyards, bringing her wealth and joy.”

Li Sangrou looked at the characters “Guangshun” on the scroll, feeling quite depressed. After a while, she sighed, took the scroll, and went out to the back of the yamen.

In the back courtyard of the yamen, Fourth Madam Wu née Wei, Wei Jingming, and Fu Wannian were listening to Liu Rui’s trial lecture. Hearing that the Boss had arrived, they hurriedly rose to greet her.

Upon entering the room, Li Sangrou sat down, leaning back in her chair. She handed the scroll to Fourth Madam Wu née Wei, gesturing for her to look, and then took a sip of tea.

“This is the Emperor’s calligraphy!” Fourth Madam Wu née Wei exclaimed in surprise, unrolling the scroll and glancing at it.

“You recognize the Emperor’s handwriting?” Li Sangrou asked, then chuckled. Fourth Madam Wu née Wei was not her; she could not distinguish the quality of the calligraphy or the writing itself.

“It’s not the handwriting I recognize, but this small seal. This is the seal the Emperor frequently used when handling official business during his time in retirement. Almost everyone in the court knows this, but the Boss probably does not know this seal,” Fourth Madam Wu née Wei quickly explained with a smile.

“Sigh!” Li Sangrou sighed deeply, looking at Wei Jingming, then sighed again. “Those two characters of yours are useless now.”

“The Boss said that first, and I was just about to get them back,” Wei Jingming laughed.

With the Emperor’s calligraphy, naturally, she could not use the two characters “Guangshun” that she had written.

“This imperial calligraphy is extremely rare. The Emperor rarely writes for others; he’s never written for anyone,” Wei Jingming said with a smile, seeing Li Sangrou’s dejected expression.

“These characters…sigh!” Li Sangrou sighed again.

“The Emperor’s calligraphy is excellent, truly excellent,” Fu Wannian said, glancing at Li Sangrou.

“It’s not that it is bad; whether it is good or bad, who dares to say it is bad?” Li Sangrou sighed again. “It’s not that I think it is bad; whether it is good or bad, I cannot tell either.

I planned to nail those two characters to the anchor pile at the bow of the ship.”

“You know what anchor piles are, right? They are like sitting on someone’s backside; anyone can do whatever they want with them. Sister Ming’s handwriting is fine on them, but these two characters, can we put them up there so the boatmen can sit on them?”

Madam Wei let out a soft “uh,” looked at Li Sangrou, and spread her hands.

“Sigh!” Fu Wan-niang sighed, also spreading her hands.

Wei Jingming thought for a moment, then chuckled.

“Then what can we do?” Liu Rui asked worriedly.

“What can we do? We will just nail them wherever it is high up, on the mast,” Li Sangrou sighed again.

She had originally planned to nail them to the bow, to the anchor piles, to the mast—anywhere conspicuous—but now she had to pick and choose.

“That’s all we can do.” Fourth Madam Wu née Wei sighed halfway, then laughed.

“Thank you, farewell, see you at the end of the year,” Li Sangrou said, thanking Wei Jingming again, standing up, bidding farewell to everyone, picking up the scroll, and walking out dejectedly.

“These two characters were printed using the ‘clumsy’ style, which is not without its advantages. Thinking about it carefully, the advantages are quite numerous,” said Fourth Madam Wu née Wei, seeing Li Sangrou off a few steps, glancing at the scroll in her hand, and smiling in a low voice.

“I know, thank you.” Li Sangrou bowed slightly, thanked Fourth Madam Wu née Wei, and took her leave.

………………………………

The next day, Dong Chao, leading the remaining Old Yunmeng Guards, boarded several boats and headed ahead to Yangzhou.

Li Sangrou, with Da Chang, Meng Yanqing, and about twenty others, headed to Yangjiaping.

Before she prepared to take over the shipyard, she had already printed notices in the Evening Post recruiting various craftsmen and shipyard managers and distributed them from Shunfeng Delivery Station in Hongzhou and Tanzhou. She also posted numerous notices recruiting shipyard managers and craftsmen everywhere. By now, many people had already arrived in Yangjiaping and were waiting.

Of the original managers and accountants at Guangshun Shipyard, only a few were still usable.

With favorable winds and a smooth journey, the ship docked at Yangjiaping Wharf that very night. The next morning, Li Sangrou first inspected the shipyard managers, then led the recruited craftsmen to the shipyard to observe the craftsmen at each stage of the process.

After five days of selection, she chose two reasonably competent managers and about thirty craftsmen.

Of the original managers, about ten who refused to write down the amounts were taken to Jiangzhou City, their homes confiscated, and they were exiled thousands of li away.

Of the remaining thirty or so who wrote down the amounts on the spot, five underreported the amount of silver. Li Sangrou ordered her men to take back the silver they had received and dismiss them from the shipyard.

Of the remaining twenty or so, four returned all the silver they had received. Li Sangrou kept these four in their original positions.

The rest of the workers mostly waited passively for Li Sangrou to ask them for money, while a small portion voluntarily handed over half their money. Li Sangrou rewarded those who voluntarily returned their half with their returned money and dismissed them from the shipyard. Those who had been passively waiting were forced to return half their money and were similarly dismissed.

The two newly recruited managers were of mediocre ability. She needed to give them a more streamlined shipyard to keep it afloat until she found truly suitable managers.

After selecting the shipyard managers, she either appointed newly chosen craftsmen or promoted existing craftsmen to managerial positions for each process within the shipyard. Following this, Li Sangrou reformed many old shipyard rules and established new ones.

For example, apprentices were no longer chosen by the masters themselves; instead, the shipyard annually recruited young men of suitable age. Some processes, too physically demanding or otherwise inconvenient, were only suitable for men, but for those open to both genders, no gender restriction was applied. These apprentices were recruited and evaluated according to established rules, and the quality of the apprentices trained by the masters was also assessed.

Li Sangrou roughly established some rules, and after watching them operate for more than half a month, she left Yangjiaping and set off for Yangzhou.