Chapter Sixty-Five: Flattery
Hosting banquets was never Wu Changlu’s strength, let alone attending a royal night feast held purely for socializing. Compared to sitting with a group of hypocritical, double-faced officials, he would much rather return home for a few bowls of aged wine and listen to that rascal Wu Ning’s wild boasting.
But there was no getting out of it; this time, Wusan Si was the host, and Prince Li Xian of Luling had extended the invitation personally—there was simply no refusing.
...
The so-called banquet for Fangzhou’s civil and military officials, in reality, only included a handful of people.
Grand Magistrate Sun Hongde counted as one, Wu Changlu, the regional military commander, counted as another. As for the likes of judicial officers, county constables, his deputies and aides—those people didn’t qualify.
Of course, aside from Sun Hongde and Wu Changlu, there were others: the county magistrates of Zhushan, Zhuxi, and Baokang, all under Fangzhou’s administration, were present.
Why did the top second and third officials of the prefecture not qualify, but the little county magistrates did? The reason was simple. No matter how much power the prefectural judges held, they were still “clerks,” not true officials.
It was as if the local people hired someone with their own money to handle affairs for them, paying an annual stipend as salary and expenses. Yamen runners, county constables, tax collectors at the city gates—all of these were locally appointed, held for life, and with almost no hope of advancement.
But being an official was different. Don’t look down on those three county magistrates, small as their rank—a mere ninth-grade position—yet they either passed the rigorous imperial exams or came from illustrious families that had produced prime ministers for generations. Their beginnings might be humble, but their prospects were bright.
So, while these three had the lowest rank in the room, their seats were closer to the host than even Wu Changlu’s, and higher than Wang Hongyi, the chief steward of the prince’s household.
Aside from Sun Hongde, Wusan Si and Wu Chengxi’s attention was focused on these three as well.
To this, Wu Changlu was quite content. The less attention on him, the better. He settled into a corner seat, eating and drinking in peace while quietly observing the gathering.
At the head of the hall, naturally, sat Prince Li Xian of Luling and his consort Lady Wei, whom Wu Changlu had seen many times.
On their left and right sat Wu Chengxi and Wusan Si.
In Wu Changlu’s eyes, these two brothers couldn’t be more unalike.
Wu Chengxi, in his thirties, gave off a cold, unapproachable aura.
Wusan Si was the opposite—affable and sociable, chatting easily with Sun Hongde and Wang Hongyi, familiar and good-humored.
“What a shame,” Wu Changlu thought, shaking his head. “Neither is any good.”
Ever since Wu Minzhi’s crimes were exposed ten years ago, leading to his disgrace and the stripping of the Wu family’s succession, Wu Chengxi had become the Wu clan’s leader.
Wusan Si, though less arrogant, was well known among the discerning as a smiling tiger—outwardly amiable, but ruthless behind closed doors. Over the years, countless members of the imperial Li clan had fallen by his hand.
...
What puzzled Wu Changlu tonight was the absence of Princess Taiping. This noblewoman had only made a brief appearance upon entering the city and hadn’t shown up since. It seemed unlikely she would appear tonight either.
Just as he was lost in thought, someone beside him called softly:
“Commander Wu?”
“Commander Wu!”
“Hmm?” Wu Changlu snapped out of his reverie to find the entire room looking at him.
“What’s... what’s the matter?”
The magistrate of Zhushan gave a wry smile. How could Wu Changlu dare to daydream at such a moment?
Kindly, he explained, “We were just discussing with Minister Wu your recruitment of soldiers from each county.”
“Ah...” Wu Changlu was startled—Minister Wu was Wusan Si.
He rose and saluted Wusan Si. “I was momentarily distracted. Please, Minister, forgive me!”
Normally, being ignored by a military officer would have angered Wusan Si, but Wu Changlu’s candid apology made him smile with interest. He looked Wu Changlu over, thinking, “Now this is an interesting man.”
Anyone else caught inattentive here would try to make up an excuse, but this one admitted it outright, without a hint of pretense.
Wusan Si laughed, “The magistrate of Zhushan says you came to his county to recruit soldiers, stayed half a month, but never even met with him. Is that true?”
The magistrate of Zhushan shook his head with a bitter smile. “It’s not that I didn’t see him—I tried to invite him for drinks, but he wouldn’t even acknowledge me.”
“Ah.”
Wu Changlu, embarrassed, replied, “Military affairs were pressing; I had no time for drinking. My apologies.”
“Hahaha!” Wusan Si laughed heartily. This military man was truly something. Half joking, half sincere, he said, “You are all colleagues in Fangzhou. Commander Wu, if you keep dealing with people like this, you’ll never make any friends.”
Before Wu Changlu could respond, the magistrate of Baokang interjected with a laugh, “Minister, you’re being too lenient. Not only did he ignore the magistrate of Zhushan, he wouldn’t see me either when he came to Baokang.”
...
Wu Changlu began to sweat. “What is wrong with these civil officials? Are they just bored and picking on me? Did I offend them?”
He didn’t know that this was, in fact, a premeditated exchange.
...
The atmosphere grew awkward. The magistrates of Zhushan and Baokang seemed intent on denouncing Wu Changlu. He couldn’t defend himself, but standing silent was just as bad, so he stood there, red-faced.
“Enough!” said the magistrate of Zhuxi. “If you keep this up, Minister Wu might believe you and dismiss Commander Wu. Wouldn’t you be sorry then?”
He bowed to Wusan Si. “Commander Wu is forthright and not much for socializing, but when it comes to work, he is second to none.”
He gave an example: “This summer, when bandits appeared at Blackhead Mountain in Zhuxi, I reported it to the prefecture the first day, and Commander Wu arrived with his men the next. Within three days, the bandits were suppressed and he himself was wounded in the process. Even then, he refused to stay for a meal and returned with his men that very night.”
“Oh?” Wusan Si asked in surprise. “Is that so?”
“It is,” confirmed the magistrate of Baokang. “The region of Jinghu is mountainous and forested, ideal for bandits. But only in Fangzhou do bandits rarely trouble the people, all thanks to Commander Wu’s capable defense.”
He turned to Wu Changlu. “We only joked because you seemed so alone and withdrawn. Please don’t take it seriously.”
Wu Changlu shot him a look, thinking, “You old fox! Nearly scared me to death.” Aloud, he could only say, “Not at all. You praise me too highly.”
At last, Sun Hongde spoke, looking at Wu Changlu.
“To be fair, Commander Wu’s abilities are praised throughout Fangzhou. With Ministers Wu and Wu visiting, even the common folk laud our local defenses.”
“But...” he shifted the tone, “Minister Wu is not wrong either. We colleagues in Fangzhou should interact and support each other more.”
...
Now, not only was Wu Changlu confused, but three others at the table were as well.
First was Wu Chengxi. He wasn’t as sociable as Wusan Si, but he remembered every word spoken at this table. When did civil officials in Fangzhou ever praise a military man so highly?
The second was Li Xian. He wondered when Wu Changlu became so sought after.
After all, Wusan Si had organized this banquet because the county magistrates here were all significant figures. Sun Hongde was a jinshi, selected and promoted by Wusan Si. The magistrate of Baokang had passed the Mingjing exam, also chosen by Wusan Si. The magistrate of Zhushan was surnamed Cui—clearly from the illustrious Cui clan of Qinghe. The magistrate of Zhuxi was from the influential Guanlong region.
Each of these four was remarkable, with ties to different political factions. For them to unite in praising a military officer was truly extraordinary.
...
The most bewildered of all was Wang Hongyi. He understood exactly why these four were acting in concert—it was because of him! In Fangzhou, Sun Hongde and his group most wanted to get rid of Wang Hongyi. He just hadn’t expected them to act so swiftly, trying to pull Wu Changlu to their side.
But judging by Wu Changlu’s reaction, he wasn’t part of their faction; this was clearly Sun Hongde trying to curry favor and draw Wu Changlu in.
That wouldn’t do!
Wang Hongyi calculated quickly: if Wu Changlu sided with Sun Hongde, and the three county magistrates joined them, he would be completely isolated.
That could not be allowed.
So...
Wang Hongyi made his move!
---
“Minister Wu, there’s something you may not know,” Wang Hongyi began.
“Commander Wu is not only skilled in military affairs, keeping Fangzhou safe, but his ability to manage his household is also extraordinary.”
“Oh?” Wusan Si was increasingly intrigued. “How so?”
Wang Hongyi continued, “Just five miles outside Fangzhou city, there is a hollow in the hills. That is Commander Wu’s ancestral home. The land is poor, the mountains many, and there are no special products—generations have lived in poverty.”
“But... Minister Wu, you’d never guess, that poor village is about to become the wealthiest in Fangzhou.”
“And why is that?” Wusan Si glanced playfully at Wu Changlu. “Could it be... Commander Wu is one of those military parasites, eating up the army’s resources for personal gain?”
“Not at all,” Wang Hongyi shook his head. “Commander Wu’s integrity as an official is something I’d stake my life on!”
“If you don’t believe me, Minister, go visit his home—he doesn’t even keep a single servant, have you ever seen a regional commander so frugal?”
“That truly is unusual...” Wusan Si was surprised. In the Tang dynasty, even commoners with a little extra money kept servants, let alone a prefectural commander.
“Officials like Commander Wu are rare these days.”
But he was still curious: “So how does that little hollow make money?”
Wang Hongyi smiled mysteriously. “Minister Wu, you’d never guess.”
“It really is hard to imagine.”
“They’ve opened several inns in the hollow.”
“Well, that is novel...” Wusan Si couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Can inns in a poor mountain village really turn a profit?”
“You don’t know, Minister Wu, these aren’t ordinary inns. I dare say, even in Luoyang itself, you’d be hard pressed to find an establishment as elegant as the Seeking Green Residence.”
...
Wusan Si was stunned for a long moment.
Such a bold claim!
“Well then, if I get the chance, I must go and see for myself.” He gave Wu Changlu a meaningful look. “To see what kind of household management skills Commander Wu possesses.”
Of course...
Before visiting Wu Changlu’s home, Wusan Si had other matters to attend to.
He needed to look into this Wu Changlu—a man who was supported by his own people, the Guanlong aristocrats, the great clans, and even Wang Hongyi, the Empress’s man—and see what made him so worthy.
Was he worth elevating?
...
What he found upon investigation was surprising.
Wu Changlu had once served under Pei Xingjian on campaign against Tibet. It was he who had captured four Tibetan kings alive!
He had been personally commended and rewarded by the late emperor, and summoned to the capital.
He was especially favored by the Empress’s brother-in-law, Helan Anshi, who had recommended him to the court multiple times.
More than ten years ago, he returned to Fangzhou to serve as military commander and had remained ever since.
It could be said that, had he not returned to Fangzhou, he would almost certainly have risen to become a great general of the realm.
In summary...
This was a man of real talent!
Within a month, an imperial edict arrived from the capital.
Wu Changlu, Commandant of the Fangzhou Zhechong Garrison, was promoted to Deputy Prefect of the Shannan Military Circuit, remaining in Fangzhou awaiting further assignment.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, Wu Ning counted on his fingers...
Well, that was a promotion of about ten ranks at once.
A most worthwhile bargain indeed!