Chapter Thirty-Three: Loyalty in the Storm (Part Two)

The Nine-Rank System divides people’s origins into nine distinct classes.

These are: Superior of the Superior, Upper Middle, Superior of the Lower, Middle Upper, Middle Middle, Middle of the Lower, Lower Upper, Lower Middle, and Inferior of the Inferior.

Yet in essence, these categories fall into just two kinds: the upper ranks and the lower ranks. The first rank is the most esteemed, but as none can attain it, it is but an empty title; the second rank is the highest realistically achievable. In the early Jin dynasty, those of the third rank were still considered of high status, but as time passed, they too became baseborn, counted among the lower ranks.

Since the reign of Emperor Kaihuang, the Nine-Rank System has gradually faded, yet in most people's hearts, it still holds immense importance.

A good birth can see one soar to great heights; a poor one spells a lifetime of hardship.

Household slaves and maidservants fall into the lowest of the low—the ninth, or most inferior, class.

For Zheng Yanqing to achieve an upper rank is clearly unlikely; yet, if fortune allows, he might bribe the ranking official and win a Middle-Lower (sixth class) or even Middle-Middle (fifth class) origin. Such a status would be a hundred times better than that of a ninth-class slave. At least then, he could be called a humble scholar, and secure a place within the ranks of the learned.

Fifth-class origin it is, then.

Zheng Yanqing grinned, but the smile tugged at the wounds on his face, forcing a grimace of pain.

After all, he was still just a child.

Zheng Shian could not help but smile as well, pulling Yanqing into his arms.

The night breeze was gentle and warm.

Zheng Weishan, riding upon his horse, heard the laughter from within the oilcloth carriage and sighed softly: “To remain open-hearted in adversity—this is the true spirit of a man of character… The eldest son has neither the magnanimity to accept talent nor the wisdom to recognize it. He has let a worthy man slip through his fingers, twice over!”

————————————————————————————————

Zheng Renji stared at Yan Shigu in astonishment, utterly baffled.

“Brother, has something serious happened?”

Yan Shigu drew a deep breath, a bitter smile flitting across his face, and carefully spread a sheet of paper on the desk.

“See for yourself, and you’ll understand.”

Puzzled, Zheng Renji sat down and brightened the lamp.

“In the past, Wang Yishao practiced calligraphy for fifteen years, focusing on the ‘eight principles of Yong.’ By mastering these eight strokes, one could write anything.

I have studied the art of the brush, and sensed that the eight principles derive from clerical script. Passed down from Cui Ziyu, through Li Zhong and Wang Hou, to this day—they encapsulate the essence of calligraphy, ancient and modern…”

His voice grew faint, until suddenly he gave a cry, lifting his head in shock. “This is the ‘Ode to the Goose’ style, the very same!”

Yan Shigu nodded gently.

————————————————————————————————

“Brother, have you found the Master Goose?”

“I have!”

“Where is he? Where? Tell me, quickly—”

Overjoyed, Zheng Renji leaped up, gripping Yan Shigu’s writing hand so tightly his voice trembled. Having lost the family’s ancestral Tangni Jade Belt, he was bound to face the thunderous wrath of the elder Zheng. Now that he had found Master Goose, he could also fulfill an errand for Yang Su. When the time came, with Yang Su interceding on his behalf, things might look up.

The Master Goose, whom he had sought so long and hard, was finally to be revealed!

Yet Yan Shigu showed no hint of joy, only saying softly, “He just left.”

“Just left?” Zheng Renji was taken aback. “You mean, he was just here in my residence?”

Yan Shigu nodded. “Or rather, until just now, he was always here, in your household… Yan Zhou, blind as a bat, did not recognize a prodigy even as he stood before him. Brother, you are in deep trouble this time, deep trouble indeed!”

Zheng Renji was utterly confounded.

A prodigy—just left?

A sudden chill swept over him. “Brother, do you mean to say that Master Goose is… Zheng Yanqing?”

Yan Shigu sat at the desk, gazing at the bold, silvery brushstrokes on the page, and said nothing.

The truth was, his discovery that Zheng Yanqing was Master Goose was quite by chance.

Yan Shigu had ordered the papers seized from Zheng Yanqing’s home to be sent to his study—though the manuscripts were intercepted by Zheng Weishan. Returning to his chamber, restless and unable to sleep, Yan Shigu idly took up the basket of books delivered by the servants.

Most of what he found were Zheng Yanqing’s daily calligraphy exercises. Though unremarkable in themselves, among his peers, Zheng Yanqing’s clerical script was outstanding. Yan Shigu, impressed, could only nod, feeling all the more regretful at the boy’s fate.

If only the child had been well born—then, even if he could not become a great official, he could still become a famous scholar, much like Xu Shiji. As he sifted through the miscellaneous papers, he suddenly found a sheet filled with writing.

At first, Yan Shigu paid attention only to the content.

He could not help but nod again: for a boy to write such prose—remarkable indeed!

But as he read on, his expression changed.

Yanqing’s preface was chiefly in clerical script, but as he grew more inspired, his brushwork shifted—seamlessly—from clerical script to Yan style regular script. The transition was so natural, so fluid, not a trace of awkwardness to be seen.

————————————————————————————————

What sort of man was Yan Shigu?

A master of calligraphy himself, though not as famed as Ouyang Xun or Zhiyong, he was no less accomplished among his peers. When the Yan style first emerged, he too had studied and admired it. Genuine or false, he could tell at a glance—and the latter half of this essay bore the unmistakable hand of the same person who had penned the "Ode to the Goose" at the Yan Shi tavern.

Even a fool could deduce the truth: Master Goose was none other than Zheng Yanqing.

Reflecting further, Zheng Yanqing was indeed unlike other children. He knew the Three Kingdoms—though he twisted their stories beyond recognition—but if he did not understand them, how could he invent “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”? If he was Master Goose, then his bet with Yan Shigu made perfect sense. Even his recent behavior, including the open rebuke of Zheng Renji, was now all explained.

A child with such talent and extraordinary pride at such a young age was not unusual. To invent “The Lone Rider’s Thousand Mile Journey,” to craft the image of the peerless loyal Guan Yunzhang—such feats spoke to a fierce and unyielding spirit. A man like this would never suffer injustice in silence. Had he, Yan Shigu, been in the boy’s place, there would have been blood spilled between him and Zheng Renji.

Ancient men valued integrity; scholars, all the more so.

Upon realizing Zheng Yanqing’s true identity, Yan Shigu immediately thought of the consequences.

He looked at the dumbstruck Zheng Renji and spoke softly, “Brother, if Zheng Yanqing truly is Master Goose, you are in grave danger.”

“How so?”

“Though Master Goose’s real identity has yet to be widely known, his fame is already spread far and wide—even the Sage in Chang’an has heard of him. You… Your wife’s treatment of a prodigy today—if word gets out, what face will you have as a registrar of Luoyang? How will you answer to the world’s reproach?”

“Ah!”

“Moreover, Master Goose is favored by the Duke of Yue. How could he tolerate such conduct? Perhaps, you think, Zheng Yanqing is but a houseborn slave, and the duke will not hold you to account. True, he may not do so openly—but can you be sure he will not harbor a grudge in secret? And once the Duke of Yue is displeased with you, your future is finished… Besides, I have heard that Zheng Yanqing is close to the Zhang clan of Wu County. Can you be sure that other great families will not censure you for this? In time, even your standing in Anyuan Hall may be imperiled.”

Zheng Renji’s face turned deathly pale as he stared blankly at Yan Shigu.

After a long silence, he forced a laugh and swallowed, saying, “Brother, you exaggerate. Besides, there’s no proof yet that Zheng Yanqing is Master Goose.”

————————————————————————

The first update for tomorrow is delivered ahead of time. Please recommend and bookmark.