Chapter 634
Xu Shu
The wind was biting cold.
Chen Ji's words still echoed in everyone's ears: "Why doesn't Lord Xu join the cabinet? Is it because he doesn't like it?"
Xu Chuanxi was a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination) in the eighteenth year of the Jia Ning era. He then went to the capital to take the metropolitan examination, but failed. He then entered the Imperial Academy to await a vacancy.
He served as a candidate for the Imperial Academy for three years. When his term was up, the Xu family of Jinling donated 18,000 taels of silver for him. He returned to the south and started as a county magistrate, eventually working his way up to the position of prefect of Jinling.
Being promoted to Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is already an unexpected joy.
As for joining the cabinet, that was something Xu Chuanxi wouldn't even dare to dream of.
He clasped his hands on his official robe and leather belt, slightly raised his chin, and glanced at Chen Ji with his nostrils: "Is this the Zhang family's newly recruited son-in-law? It is said that he failed to curry favor with the Qi family and was publicly rejected by them. Someone else's unwanted thing, only you treat him like a treasure and even bring him back to the Zhang family... The Xu family is not a place for you, get out."
Zhang Xia was about to speak in rebuttal when Chen Ji grabbed her wrist.
Chen Ji looked at Xu Chuanxi and said slowly, "I didn't expect Lord Xu to have such a strong sense of territory. He's quite adept at guarding the house. When no one's around, he should be able to walk on four legs, right?"
Xu Chuanyin of the Xu family at Tiger Hill angrily rebuked, "You ignorant brat, how dare you insult an official of the imperial court as a dog? What is your punishment?"
Chen Ji turned to look at him, and asked in surprise, "Who is this...?"
Zhang Xia whispered, "Xu Chuanyin."
Chen Ji then asked, "What official position?"
Zhang Xia shook his head: "He resigned from his post and returned to his hometown in the twenty-second year of Jia Ning's reign."
Chen Ji gave an "oh" and smiled at Zhang Xia, saying with a sigh, "Strange, how can someone have such great official prestige but not hold any official position at all?"
Xu Chuanyin's expression froze.
Xu Chuanxi narrowed his eyes: "All you do is spout nonsense? You corrupt eunuchs who bring disaster to the country, how dare you stay in my Xu family?"
Chen Ji suppressed his smile and lowered his eyes: "Lord Xu, the last person to speak to me like this was Qi Xianzhun."
Xu Chuanxi's breathing suddenly stopped.
Before he could catch his breath, Chen Ji continued, "And Yang Zhong, Yuan Wang, Qi Zhong..."
Xu Chuanxi gripped his leather belt tightly with both hands and remained silent.
Chen Ji said in a calm tone, "Lord Xu has just returned to the capital and may have missed some things, but he can consult Lord Yang Zhan when he has time. He has been in the capital all along."
The Xu family members stood in front of Dumeizhai, all looking at Chen Ji behind Madam Zhang. The man had his head down and was thin. He was not particularly noticeable, but his aura was imposing.
His movements are like those of a sick tiger, and his stance like that of a sleeping eagle.
It's neither a real illness nor a real sleep; it's just gathering strength, ready to strike.
Yang Zhan looked at Chen Ji, whose qilin-embroidered robe had long been taken back by the imperial court, yet it seemed as if he was still wearing it.
The official's authority still lingers.
Chen Ji looked up at Xu Chuanxi: "My father-in-law is a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, and my mother-in-law is a second-rank imperial consort, equivalent to a third-rank official in the capital. You bunch of men are attacking me to my face, bullying me with your numbers... Xia, according to the laws of Da Ning, how should this be dealt with?"
Zhang Xia calmly said, "According to the laws of Da Ning, insulting an imperial consort of the third rank or above is considered the same as insulting a duke or marquis, which is extremely disrespectful. Anyone who insults a duke, marquis, imperial son-in-law, earl, or civil official of the third rank or above in the two capitals will be punished and displayed in a heavy cangue weighing 100 jin for 30 days."
Suddenly, silence fell over the Dumei Studio.
Madam Zhang's hands, tucked under her cloak, felt the warmth of the bronze hand warmer. She turned to look at Chen Ji and Zhang Xia, who were exchanging pleasantries, as if she wanted to get to know them all over again.
In the past, when people mentioned Chen Ji's downfall of the Qi family in front of the palace and Zhang Xia's storming of the White Tiger Hall, she felt as if she were listening to a storybook. Now, she could finally connect the people in the storybook with the people in front of her.
At this moment, Xu Chuanxi said with a half-smile, "Such arrogance! I almost thought His Majesty hadn't yet stripped you of your title. You've committed a grave mistake and show no remorse, instead taking pride in it..."
A voice came from outside the Dumei Studio: "Why is it so lively today?"
Chen Ji turned around and saw Zhang Zhuo approaching hand in hand with a man around thirty years old, followed by Zhang Zheng. The man was drunk, with traces of rouge on his face and collar.
Zhang Xia whispered to Chen Ji, "This is my uncle, Xu Shu."
Chen Ji asked curiously, "Shouldn't you call him 'little uncle'?"
Zhang Xia said in a low voice, "He doesn't consider himself a member of the Xu family."
As the two approached, Madam Zhang glared at Zhang Zhuo's face: "Didn't you go to Changping to oversee the granary?" Zhang Zhuo evaded the question and chuckled: "We'll talk about it when we get home, we'll talk about it when we get home... As for Chen Ji, I said in Luocheng that with him around, A Xia wouldn't suffer any losses."
Madam Zhang didn't respond, but said indifferently, "Xia, send someone to call Liu's old tailor later. It's almost New Year's, and you two should have some new clothes made. Wearing the same faded clothes all day long, outsiders will really think he's my Zhang family's son-in-law, and they'll say that my Zhang family is bullying and mean-spirited."
Zhang Xia was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and agreed, "Okay."
As they spoke, Xu Shu approached Zhang Xia, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, and said, "Oh, isn't this my eldest niece? I was completely drunk at Miss Yanxiu's place when you got married yesterday, so I accidentally missed her..."
He rummaged in his sleeve and pulled out a gold hairpin, which he crookedly stuck into Zhang Xia's head: "Is this Miss Yanxiu... or Miss Yanxiu or Miss Mei'er again? Anyway, someone gave it to me, so I'll give it to you as a congratulatory gift. By the way, could you cover my divination class at the Imperial Academy for a while longer? That damn Imperial Academy keeps bothering me, making it hard to even enjoy my drinks."
"Fine," Zhang Xia said helplessly, pulling the hairpin out of her hair.
Just as she was about to return it to Xu Shu, she saw that Xu Shu had already come up to Chen Ji and was looking him up and down. The two were face to face, so close that the smell of alcohol from Xu Shu's breath could be felt on Chen Ji's face.
Xu Shu sized up Chen Ji, and Chen Ji was also sizing up Xu Shu.
This person is extremely handsome, yet he has feminine features; he could easily be cast as a leading lady in a female role.
Despite being a member of the Buddhist order, he was dressed like a noble young master, wearing a corrugated black gauze hat, a sky-blue robe, and a fine jade pendant tied at his waist.
Xu Shu, drunk, said, "So you are Chen Ji? You'd better treat my niece well, or I can send you to the Life-Snatching Platform and steal ten years of your lifespan."
Chen Ji raised an eyebrow.
The Robbery Platform?
What kind of official route is this?
Not far away, Xu Chuanxi frowned and looked at Xu Shu: "Getting so drunk so early in the morning, what kind of behavior is this?"
Xu Shu swayed unsteadily and looked over impatiently: "What are you yelling about? I'm drunk and dreaming. Officials are much higher than you. Show me some respect."
……
……
At this moment, the curtain of Dumeizhai was lifted from the inside, and a middle-aged scholar looked out. Seeing Zhang Zhuo in his red official robe, he greeted him, "Lord Zhang, the Grand Secretary has been waiting for you for a while. Please come in."
Xu Chuanxi asked, "Why did you call him in alone?"
The middle-aged scholar glanced at Xu Chuanxi: "If the Grand Secretary wants to inquire about the state of the court, he will naturally have to see Lord Zhang first. Once you enter the Grand Secretariat, the Grand Secretary will summon the two of you to go in together."
Xu Chuanxi's face darkened.
Zhang Zhuo looked at Xu Shu: "Go in and meet with the Grand Secretary?"
Xu Shu quickly waved his hand, his drunkenness subsiding somewhat: "You go by yourself. Anyway, he doesn't want to see me, and I don't want to see him either. Don't let seeing me bring back painful memories for him, and he might die."
Zhang Zhuo frowned and asked, "How much longer, Grand Secretary?"
Xu Shu thought for a moment: "Three months to live."
Zhang Zhuo glanced around at the dozens of Xu family members in front of Dumeizhai and asked in a low voice, "Only three months left? Is there any way to delay it a little longer?"
“It’s been dragged on long enough. If the monks at Yuanjue Temple find out what I’ve done, they’ll come knocking on my door again,” Xu Shu said, looking at the curtain. “Staying here in the mortal world because of greed for power is like living through a year in a day. Why not be free sooner?”
Zhang Zhuo said no more, stepped inside, and patted Chen Ji on the shoulder as he passed by.
The people in the courtyard dispersed in twos and threes. Some went towards the covered walkway, while others stood in the corner talking in hushed tones, occasionally glancing towards Chen Ji.
Xu Shu swayed as he looked at Chen Ji: "I heard you can hold your liquor pretty well?"
Chen Ji smiled and said, "It's alright."
Xu Shu patted him on the shoulder: "Have a drink with me sometime... I heard you used to be the owner of Plum Blossom Ferry? Are you familiar with that Liu merchant? You can introduce me. If she sees me, she'll definitely give me a gold hairpin too."
Madam Zhang said angrily, "How can you lead your nephew-in-law to the Eight Great Hutongs? If you do, then don't ever come to the Zhang family's door again."
Xu Shu shrank his neck and said, "I know, I know."
He looked at Chen Ji, raised his hand to rub his temples: "I've given A Xia a gift, so I can't forget you. What should I give you..."
However, at that moment, the curtain was lifted again.
Zhang Zhuo looked at Xu Shu: "Come in, the Grand Secretary wants to see you."
Xu Shu stiffened slightly, then turned and walked towards Dumeizhai. (End of Chapter)