Chapter 30
Chapter 30
The moment Shen Yuan left, Liang Wanda began slacking off.
The rice porridge distributed to refugees grew steadily thinner. The yamen runners stopped clearing the ruins of collapsed houses and holed up in the county yamen to play cards and gamble. Payments owed to local shops also fell into arrears, provoking bitter complaints throughout Jiangdu County.
Xie Chengze began whispering into Liang Wanda’s ear.
“Prefect Liang, this prince hears that the relief work in the other counties is not going well…” Xie Chengze trailed off meaningfully.
Liang Wanda froze. Instinctively assuming the prince had come to hold him accountable, he hurriedly bent down and knelt to explain. “Your Highness, this humble official failed in his supervision. It is only that…”
“Ah!” Xie Chengze raised a hand to cut him off and helped him up with a face full of indulgent understanding.
“This prince understands you all too well.” Like a little cat that knew exactly how to manipulate humans, he leaned close to Liang Wanda’s ear and coaxed softly, “Those County Magistrates seemed perfectly capable in ordinary times, yet the moment they encountered a flood, they revealed their true mediocrity and incompetence. Prefect Liang can hardly be blamed for that, can you?”
Liang Wanda’s eyes brightened. Then he gave a light cough and assumed a solemn expression. “This humble official is deeply moved by Your Highness’s understanding. Those County Magistrates did indeed perform passably in ordinary times, but who could have imagined they would prove so incompetent in the face of a great disaster? This humble official is bitterly disappointed in them!”
“Ah! Does the present court not likewise have useless men who occupy official posts without accomplishing anything? If only every person standing in the Golden Throne Hall were an honest and upright official like Prefect Liang!” Xie Chengze praised him with all his might.
“This humble official is ashamed!” Liang Wanda hastily cupped his hands and spoke with all the polished eloquence of officialdom. “Should the court ever require it, this humble official would brave boiling water and fire and die ten thousand deaths without hesitation!”
“Truly?” Xie Chengze’s eyes lit up as if he had found a kindred spirit. He said with delight, “This prince also hopes Prefect Liang can serve at court and bring prosperity and benefit to the people of Jian’an! It is only that…”
Xie Chengze trailed off again and began sighing.
Liang Wanda’s ears perked up. “Hm?”
Why did it seem as if the Second Prince might be… trying to recruit him?
He was not entirely sure. Better probe a little.
Feigning reserve, Liang Wanda asked, “This humble official is slow-witted. I beg Your Highness to enlighten me.”
Xie Chengze sighed and explained at length, “Most civil and military officials at court come from aristocratic or official families. For an ordinary local official to enter the central court is harder than climbing to Heaven. Even among the few men of humble background specially promoted by His Majesty, most either secretly attached themselves to some powerful family or possessed extraordinary achievements that benefited the people. Only after gaining every advantage of timing, position, and support did they catch His Majesty’s eye…”
Xie Chengze glanced at the top of Liang Wanda’s head and said meaningfully, “A passing mention of your insignificant little achievement by the scholars during the spring imperial examination will probably not be enough to win Father’s favor.”
Liang Wanda grew excited as he listened. It seemed the Second Prince truly did mean to recruit him. Not only that, he intended to become Liang Wanda’s patron and manufacture the perfect timing, position, and support for him.
His manner became even more fawning and devout, and his heart pounded wildly. “Your Highness, please instruct me!”
“Prefect Liang, scholars from across the land are gathering in Yizhou. This is a magnificent opportunity bestowed by Heaven for you to change your destiny!” Xie Chengze took his arm with grave sincerity and led him outside. Raising a hand, he pointed toward the empty pie in the sky – no, toward the grand vision in the air – and intoned:
“Every day, Prefect Liang personally appears at the porridge stall and serves a bowl of hot porridge to Jiangdu’s starving refugees. A passing scholar is so moved that he lifts his brush and paints Prefect Liang’s good deed…”
“Prefect Liang encourages the scholars who have come in search of learning to join hands with the people. He opens portions of private gardens for planting short-season crops. The people and yamen runners dry the soil, while the scholars sow the grain seeds. Everyone works together in joyful harmony, full of vigor and hope…”
“Then, several days later, the satisfaction of seeing the crops sprout will lessen the people’s fear of hunger and increase their trust in Prefect Liang. The scholars will feel even more deeply because they took part themselves. If just a poem or two reaches the capital, won’t that bring far more benefit than exhausting themselves hauling stones?”
“Even if the wealthy gentry refuse to surrender their garden land, you are the Prefect. How could they dare disobey? With nothing more than a few words, you can earn heartfelt praise from countless scholars…” He wrapped an arm around Liang Wanda’s shoulders and said earnestly, “This prince happens to know several scholars who paint. As long as Prefect Liang makes an effort, those scholars will inevitably appear wherever Prefect Liang does, and their paintings will inevitably reach the capital someday.”
Finally, Xie Chengze brought his pitch to a gentle conclusion. “In the future, this prince will pave the way and build momentum for you in the capital, while the scholars shower you with sincere praise. Then this prince need only mention you to Father. You surely know how dearly Father dotes on this prince.”
“This prince could, of course, mention you directly. But then, once you entered the central court, others would inevitably envy you. Beset by enemies on all sides, you would find every step difficult. That is why this prince has gone to such painstaking lengths to use the scholars to build support for you, giving you a righteous cause and a proper name when you stand in the Golden Throne Hall, so every civil and military official will take the initiative to win you over!”
“Prefect Liang!” Xie Chengze heaved a long sigh like an old mother who had worried herself sick. Cradling Prefect Liang’s cheeks in both hands, he wore the exasperated look of someone lamenting another’s failure to live up to expectations. “Do you understand the pains this prince has taken for you?”
Liang Wanda, who had never been served pie in the sky like this, was completely stunned.
Compared to that lord’s empty promise that “if an opportunity arises, you will certainly be considered first,” Xie Chengze had practically slapped a piping-hot, freshly baked pie stuffed with filling straight into his face and told him: Do as I say, and I will promote you at once.
It smelled so damn good.
So good that Liang Wanda wanted to switch masters on the spot.
As the saying went, comparison was where the pain began. That lord only ever made him embezzle and extort, then took most of the silver away while claiming it was the necessary road to promotion. Xie Chengze, on the other hand, did not ask him for a single coin. He even knew how to use scholars to build momentum for him. Every word he had just spoken was ingenious. Liang Wanda could only marvel that such a method existed.
With the two set side by side, even a fool could see that Xie Chengze was the more reliable choice.
Liang Wanda felt as though he were finally a thousand-li steed who had met the master horseman capable of recognizing his worth. Heaven had granted him such a magnificent opportunity, and the turning point that could transform his destiny stood before him. He absolutely could not let it go!
“Your Highness!” Liang Wanda dropped heavily to both knees and knocked his head against the ground three times before Xie Chengze. “This humble official will not fail the trust placed in him! I will see to the matter at once!”
With that, he scrambled up and limped out of the prefectural yamen, forehead bruised red yet spirit ablaze. He shouted to the yamen runners, “Men! All of you, come with this official!”
Watching Liang Wanda’s departing back, Xie Chengze’s lips slowly curled. The curve grew wider and wider, nearly reaching his ears, until his entire face wore an exceptionally cunning and sinister grin.
Aha! He was so damn easy to fool!
Did the bastard truly think pies fell from Heaven for wicked men?
A piping-hot, freshly baked pie, was it? Careful it doesn’t burn you to death, you crusty old bastard!
Dumbass!