Chapter Seventy-One: Judge Dee's Noble Integrity and the Appraisal at Luoyang

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Flowers, flowers, flowers—Wishing everyone a joyful Qixi Festival! May all readers receive bouquets of blossoms, may you be happy on this special day, and may long life and the bright moon be yours.

"Your child greets her foster father," Di Hui and Di Hao stood together and bowed respectfully.

"We are family; there’s no need for such formalities," Di Renjie motioned for them to sit. His gaze fell upon the table where several books lay open, all concerning the rites—some were commentaries. After sitting, he said, "These books are important; you must read them."

"I understand, Father. The Crown Prince delights most in reading books on ritual," one replied.

"Then you are mistaken. This time, the Crown Prince fell gravely ill, and upon recovering, he experienced an awakening. I witnessed him myself reading the 'Gongyang Commentary' and books on military strategy. Otherwise, he would not have devised such a brilliant plan that astonished and earned the praise of General Liu and the others. Nevertheless, books on ritual are essential reading. But do not become obsessed. Your true strengths lie in music, painting, and the arts—this is another fine path. Do not abandon your talents for the sake of rote learning. When I return, I will teach you more about court etiquette."

"Yes, Father," the two answered in unison.

Di Renjie pondered and added, "There is more. Read more history. You cannot hope to emulate the Empress’s temperament, and you..." He stopped short of mentioning their birth, realizing it would be impolite, and continued, "But by taking history as a mirror, you may learn to protect yourselves."

The Crown Prince is a good man, but who knows what troubles may arise in the future. As for Di Hui and Di Hao, the throne of Empress is out of reach, even to become consorts is unlikely, yet with their beauty, it is certain they will be favored. This could be a blessing, but should they catch the eye of a ruthless master, it could spell disaster.

Even without an Empress as formidable as the current one, intrigue and schemes among the consorts and ladies of the palace are as fierce as those in court, if not more so. To study history and take its lessons to heart is to arm oneself with knowledge for survival.

"Thank you, Father," the two bowed again.

"No need," Di Renjie gently held them up. "We are bound by fate, and I hope you will achieve great things one day."

"By the way, we have fetched a brocade robe for you, Father. Please try it on and see if it fits," the two girls said, bringing out a long robe from the inner room. Di Renjie draped it over his shoulders; it fit perfectly. He smiled with satisfaction, feeling his efforts had not been in vain.

It had been no easy feat, bringing them home like a thief, always fearing that the mad Helan Minzhi would hear of it or that another would stir up further trouble, making himself a target. On returning home, his wife burst into tears at the sight. Taking concubines was one thing—she was still the legitimate wife—but bringing home two young beauties more lovely than flowers, what was she to do? It took the better part of a day to explain everything. Yet, even after, she was half believing, half doubting, watching the two girls with stern scrutiny, leaving Di Renjie and the two girls in an awkward situation.

And then, he had to keep the matter secret.

In the end, his second son, Di Jinghui, even begged him to betroth the two girls to him. This earned him a stern reprimand; even his son was not good enough for them. These girls—who knows, perhaps in the future, the prosperity of the Di family would rest on their shoulders.

It was nothing but a string of troubles.

"Very good, very good," Di Renjie praised them. "There is one more thing: after I leave, remember this well. You are both young and beautiful. In the capital, your beauty already causes a stir; though Bingzhou is a large place, it is no match for the capital. If you go out freely, you may invite trouble. I will not be in Bingzhou to protect you."

"We will keep your words in our hearts," they answered.

Di Renjie nodded in satisfaction. Their beauty was a blessing—one that would please the Crown Prince when they entered the Eastern Palace. But beauty could also be a source of calamity. By confining them at home, he was being harsh, but it was for their own good. The Yang family’s daughter failed to heed this, and look what became of her.

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Di Hui and Di Hao spoke again, "But Father, you will be traveling far and wide—please take care of yourself."

"Do not worry, there are many matters I have yet to accomplish," he said, his eyes flashing with ambition. The Crown Prince’s road to the throne was still long, fraught with endless troubles—troubles even the Crown Prince himself had yet to foresee.

But this only roused Di Renjie’s fighting spirit.

Indeed, now he would have the chance to prove his true worth.

...

"Recently, the Crown Prince has been spending much time with four individuals. The first is a law officer from Bingzhou, named Di Renjie."

"Oh, Bingzhou, that is a fine place," Empress Wu Zetian replied. She herself had grown up in Sichuan, which made later generations wonder if the land truly produced beauties in abundance—Wu Zetian herself, Yang Yuhuan, and Liu E, who would later be at Emperor Zhenzong’s side, among others. However, her father, Wu Shihuo, was from Bingzhou, so she could consider herself half a native.

"Hmph," Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi, snorted coldly.

It was not that he was displeased with his son’s new allies—Di Renjie was nothing, even Liu Rengui, who was always casting coquettish glances, did not anger him. Compared to his own cohort in the past—Zhangsun Wuji, Yu Zhining, and others—his son’s little circle was hardly worth looking at.

What angered him was that his son had not allowed him to step down from power this time, and it was probably due to the advice of these few men.

"Your Majesty, Bingzhou was the site of our ancestors’ rise," Wu Zetian smiled, then whispered into Li Zhi’s ear, "Besides, the people’s complaints are all aimed at me, not at Your Majesty."

"My Empress, you have suffered wrongs for this," Li Zhi said, caressing Wu Zetian’s hand. Then, turning to the eunuch, he commanded, "Continue."

"Yes, Sire. Di Renjie comes from a family of officials. His grandfather, Di Xiaoxu, served as Assistant Minister of the Left during the Zhenguan reign; his father, Di Zhixun, was Prefect of Kuizhou. Di Renjie entered officialdom through the Mingjing examination, thus entering public service legitimately."

"That is not bad," Wu Zetian remarked.

"Hmph!" Li Zhi grunted again.

The imperial examinations in the Tang dynasty admitted very few, but in the beginning, there were many categories: Mingjing, Jinshi, Junshi, Mingzi, Mingsuan, Three Histories, One History, Daoist selection, and even miscellaneous arts. Of these, Mingjing and Jinshi were most esteemed. The Mingjing had a higher pass rate, admitting one or two hundred candidates each time, about ten percent of those who applied. This was already difficult, as those who sat for the exams had already been selected from the Imperial Academy and the provinces. Thus, Wu Zetian’s assessment—"not bad"—was fair.

But compared to the Jinshi, it was minor. The Jinshi examination in the Tang was not like later times; places were extremely limited. The lowest number admitted during Li Zhi’s reign was three in the first year of Linde. Last year, fifty-four were admitted, but usually, it was only a dozen or so. In some years, the examination was suspended altogether. Hence the saying: "At thirty, a Mingjing is already old; at fifty, a Jinshi is still young." To pass the Mingjing at thirty was to be considered old; to pass the Jinshi at fifty, still young!

Of course, examinations were one thing, entering officialdom was another. Administrative skill, political cunning, personal connections, and learning—all were factors, and scholarship was only one. How many top-scorers ever became chancellors? Yet having the Jinshi degree still made a difference. That was why Xue Yuanchao once said, "I am not talented, yet have been excessively favored. But I have three lifelong regrets: not passing the Jinshi, not marrying a noblewoman of the five great clans, and not being able to compile the national history." He ranked his regret at not passing the Jinshi above not marrying a woman from the Cui, Lu, Zhao, Li, or Wang clans!

Thus, Li Zhi snorted again.

Because of this, Li Wei had once made a blunder. Having watched too much television, he asked, "When did Di Renjie become top-scorer in the Jinshi exam?"

Di Renjie...

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"Your Majesty, the Jinshi degree is rare and requires much luck. Failing to pass it does not mean one lacks talent," Wu Zetian was right. During her own rule, the number of Jinshi admitted increased. With the current pass rate, gathering together the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song, plus Du Fu and Li Bai—ten men in all—and letting them take the exam all their lives, it would be fortune if half succeeded.

Not only luck, but connections were needed. Without the right patrons, the examiners might not even look at your papers. That was why so many Tang scholars traveled, gathering at Qujiang Pond in Chang’an, where dozens discussed poetry and literature every day.

Wu Zetian continued, "Go on."

"Yes. Di Renjie later served as an assistant judge in Bianzhou. Because he was upright and just in his judgments, he was slandered by jealous colleagues. Fortunately, Lord Yan, then Inspector of Henan, discovered the truth, not only exonerating Di Renjie, but after speaking with him, praised him highly, calling him the 'pearl of Hequ, a treasure of the southeast.' On Yan’s recommendation, he became law officer in Bingzhou. This time, he was in charge of escorting grain to the capital, which is how he met the Crown Prince. But after returning to Bingzhou, he did something even more remarkable. His colleague Zheng Chongzhi was assigned a mission to a distant and dangerous land. Hearing that Zheng’s mother was old and ill, Di Renjie said, 'With his mother so unwell, how can he be sent away for thousands of miles?' He found the Chief Historian, Lin Renji, and volunteered to take Zheng’s place. When Lin Renji and Sima Li Xiaolian, who had long been rivals, heard of this, they were both shamed and said, 'Should we not feel ashamed ourselves?'"

"Oh, this man is worthy of being the Crown Prince’s confidant!" Li Zhi could not help but sit up straight.

Though displeased, he recognized that his son would one day inherit the empire, and this he could not deny.

"What of Wei Yuanzhong?"

"He is from Songzhou, very talented but proud and eccentric. Though ambitious, he has offended many, so he has not advanced over the years. Yet he is unconcerned. There is a story about him in the capital. When he was in the Eastern Capital, he bought a haunted house. As soon as he moved in, strange things occurred. One day, a maidservant saw an old gibbon helping cook and tend the fire. She was terrified and reported it, but Wei Yuanzhong calmly said, 'It seems the old gibbon pities my lack of help and lends a hand; this is a good thing.' On another occasion, reading in his study, he felt thirsty and called for tea, but no one came. His household dog ran out, found the servants, barked, and nipped at them until they followed it back. Wei Yuanzhong was delighted, saying, 'A truly filial dog, capable of helping me.' Once, while in his study, a group of mice lined up and saluted him. Wei Yuanzhong said, 'You must be hungry and asking me for food?' The mice nodded, so he brought out provisions and let them feast. At night, an owl would wail atop his roof. The family was afraid and wanted to shoot it with a slingshot, but Wei Yuanzhong stopped them, saying, 'Owls cannot see in the day and come out to find food at night. They too are living beings. How can we deny them life?' Not long after, the strange events at his house ceased."

Much of this tale was true, though rumor had made it more fantastical.

Li Zhi listened with great interest. When the story ended, he said, "This man has courage!"

He returned to himself, growing more intrigued. "And what of the other two?"

"These two are interesting as well. Yao Yuanchong’s father, Yao Yi, was Magistrate of Xiashi County and had dealings with Wei Yuanzhong. As a youth, Yao Yuanchong preferred martial pursuits and despised literature. His father repeatedly sent him to study in the capital and wrote to Wei Yuanzhong, but Yao Yuanchong would not listen. Later, when Yao Yi became Governor of Xizhou and died last year, Yao Yuanchong moved with his mother back to her family in Ruzhou. There, he idled with a group of local youths. But, like Zhou Chu, there was hope for him. The great scholar Zhang Jingzang, traveling through Guangcheng Lake, stayed at the Yao home and, upon meeting Yao Yuanchong, saw his spirit and intelligence, but found him lacking in learning. Zhang earnestly persuaded him and finally succeeded. From then on, Yao Yuanchong devoted himself to study. This year, carrying his late father’s letters, he came to the capital and found Wei Yuanzhong. Unexpectedly, he became the Crown Prince’s confidant as well."

"Oh, that is interesting. Tell me of the last one."

"Ximen Chong’s background is humble; his parents were tenant farmers. Yet, from childhood, he loved to study. His landlord admired him greatly and betrothed his daughter to Ximen Chong, but the mistress of the house disapproved. Angry, Ximen Chong left for the capital to seek fame, hoping to return and marry the girl openly. It was fate—had he not met Yao Yuanchong, even with talent, a tenant’s son would have had little chance to rise."

Li Zhi lowered his head and laughed, saying, "So these four are all quite remarkable. Issue a decree; summon them to the capital so I may see them."

He was genuinely interested, yet he wondered—was this not a way to test his son’s supporters?