Chapter Twenty-Five

Ministry of War, Main Hall.

The morning light had just begun to pierce through the glazed tiles of the Imperial City, and a streak of golden sunlight slipped quietly into the main hall of the Ministry of War.

Gu Yusheng, dressed in his scarlet official robes with a silver belt cinched at his waist, sat upright at his desk. His table was piled high with documents—secret dispatches from the frontier, memorials regarding the reassignment of military officers across the provinces, and even a copy of the imperial decree ordering the General of the Southern Garrison to transfer to the position of Commander-in-Chief of Jingnan. As the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of War, his duty was to assist the Minister with daily affairs. However, the position of Minister was currently vacant, and the newly appointed Vice Minister, Wang Wuliang, was acting in his stead.

Gu Yusheng knew exactly what kind of man Vice Minister Wang was, so he proceeded with the utmost caution. He picked up a memorial and studied it meticulously. Though these documents were tedious and dry, he maintained a high level of focus and prudence, providing precise comments and notations before categorizing them and sending them to Wang's desk. Gu Yusheng knew that these papers could involve the safety of the imperial court or the lives of soldiers, and he dared not be careless. Yet, after these documents were delivered, he had no way of knowing if Vice Minister Wang actually read them, or if he bothered to present the necessary reports to the Emperor. In recent times, Gu Yusheng had not once heard the current Emperor discuss any matters related to the Ministry of War during the morning audiences.

At midday, Gu Yusheng brought the reviewed and categorized documents to the Vice Minister. Wang was busy entertaining guests—important ones, it was said—and would not come out. A groom named Zhang stood guard at the door, alongside two assistant directors waiting to be summoned.

One was a recently transferred judge from Nanye Prefecture in the Southern Province, a man named Shi with a tiger-like mouth and rat-like eyes. Gu Yusheng had just received him in the main hall. The other was Yang Wenhua, an assistant director from the Bureau of Provisions. A descendant of a founding hero of the dynasty and a middle-aged general himself, he stood in the hall with a build as sturdy and upright as a great pine tree. His face was resolute, and his brow carried an air of natural authority. He was the first true friend Gu Yusheng had made at the Ministry, and the two shared a deep mutual respect.

Yang Wenhua had been doing excellent work in the Bureau of Provisions, but for some reason, the Emperor had suddenly ordered him transferred to the Ministry of Works. His rank remained the same—a sixth-rank official—neither promoted nor demoted. Gu Yusheng felt a heavy sense of gloom at the departure of his only friend in the Ministry.

Seeing Gu Yusheng approach with a stack of document bags, Assistant Director Shi hurried over with exaggerated hospitality. Gu Yusheng sensed the performance—seventy percent sycophancy and thirty percent flattery. The groom, Zhang, pushed open the door and entered the inner hall.

Yang Wenhua nodded silently to Gu Yusheng. Gu Yusheng understood the meaning in his eyes: "Brother, you must be cautious from now on. You are not fighting this battle alone. Even though I, Yang Wenhua, am moving to the Ministry of Works, I am still an official of the court. No matter where we are, we will always be brothers."

Gu Yusheng nodded back in silent understanding.

The groom, Zhang, emerged and said that Vice Minister Wang wanted to see Gu Yusheng. He turned to Yang Wenhua and added, "Master Yang, Vice Minister Wang is very busy and has no time to see you; there is no need to bid him farewell. He only has one thing to tell you: as we are all servants of the Emperor, he hopes you will work diligently at the Ministry of Works and not fail the Emperor’s great grace." According to court protocol, officials were supposed to bid farewell to the Minister when transferred. Gu Yusheng signaled for Yang Wenhua to wait for him.

Gu Yusheng entered the main office of the Ministry—Vice Minister Wang’s sanctum. The groom placed the documents on the desk and retreated. The important "guest" was still sitting in the reception area, watching Gu Yusheng out of the corner of his eye. Gu Yusheng glanced back and felt certain the man was not from the capital; he looked like an official, yet not quite.

Gu Yusheng adjusted his robes, knelt, and bowed. "In accordance with your orders, I, Gu Yusheng, have reviewed and categorized this month’s correspondence. I submit them now for your instructions."

Vice Minister Wang Wuliang, appearing to have just finished a pressing task, walked over and said, "Brother Yusheng, we are colleagues in the same Ministry; we see each other every day. No need for such formalities. Please, rise."

"Thank you, Excellency," Gu Yusheng replied as he stood.

Wang invited him to sit and ordered tea. "Brother Yusheng, you are a 'Double Scholar' of both civil and military arts. You are a pillar of the future, with a boundless career ahead of you!" He returned to his desk, sat down, and gulped his tea, spitting the leaves onto the floor afterward.

Gu Yusheng quickly replied, "Excellency, you are too kind! I am but a novice, young and inexperienced. It is a great honor to serve under you! You are a high-ranking official of the court and a close relative of Prime Minister Qin—your position is secure, and entering the Cabinet is only a matter of time. As your subordinate, I hope for your continued guidance!"

The "guest" continued to stare at Gu Yusheng.

Wang picked up one of the files, glanced at it twice, and tossed it back on the table. "You can rest assured, Brother Yusheng! Guidance is a certainty."

Gu Yusheng glanced at the "important guest" on the bench, who was pretending to rest with his eyes closed. He said to Wang, "In that case, I thank you in advance! Excellency, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave." He began to back away.

Wang hurried from his desk, calling out, "Brother Yusheng, don't be in such a rush! I have one more important matter to discuss with you."

Gu Yusheng stopped. "What are your instructions, Excellency?"

Wang gestured toward the guest. "Brother Yusheng, this is a distant cousin of mine. He is a man of immense wealth, with herds of cattle and sheep numbering in the thousands! He has a daughter—my niece—who is a peerless beauty of sixteen, looking for a husband in the capital. I have scouted for a long time, and you are the best candidate." The guest looked up at Gu Yusheng, nodding with a greasy smile.

Gu Yusheng replied quickly, "You have chosen the wrong person, Excellency!"

"And why is that?" Wang asked.

"You may not know, but I already have a wife at home, married with all the proper rites."

Wang scoffed, "It is perfectly normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. I have two wives and five concubines myself. My niece is willing to marry you as a secondary wife."

The guest added, "Being a concubine is also acceptable."

Gu Yusheng had learned from Prime Minister Lu that Wang Wuliang was a difficult character; one had to deal with him using wit, not direct confrontation.

Gu Yusheng put on a joyful expression. "Excellency, is your niece truly a peerless beauty? I am a man who would rather taste one bite of a fresh peach than a whole basket of rotten apricots!"

Wang said happily, "My niece has visited my estate, and even I was left drooling! If it weren't for her father insisting she marry you, you wouldn't have had this chance, Brother Yusheng!"

Gu Yusheng laughed. "A fair maiden is a gentleman's desire. You and I are both men of passion, so it is no wonder you were impressed! But I am puzzled—why would Prime Minister Qin insist on her marrying me?"

Wang replied, "Because Brother Yusheng is younger than I, and a 'Double Scholar' with a bright future!"

Gu Yusheng said, "I am deeply grateful for the Prime Minister's kindness! However, Excellency, this is a difficult matter to handle."

"What could be difficult about it?"

Gu Yusheng put on an expression of deep embarrassment. "You see, according to the rules of the Gu family, a man must obtain the approval of his first wife before taking a secondary wife or concubine."

Wang said, "A wife should listen to her husband. That shouldn't be hard!"

Gu Yusheng stammered, "You don't understand, Excellency. My wife is a tigress—vicious and ruthless. At home, I fear her nine times out of ten. If she found out about this, she might not kill me, but the next time we shared a bed, I'm certain my manhood would be three inches shorter!"

The guest interjected, "If that’s the case, wouldn’t my daughter be a widow in all but name for the rest of her life? Better she not marry into such a house!"

Wang asked dismissively, "Brother Yusheng, are you trying to scare me? If what you say is true, wouldn't your wife be living as a widow as well? Doesn't she understand that?"

Gu Yusheng replied pitifully, "I know her! She is a shrew! She would rather live as a widow forever than let me touch another woman!"

The guest could no longer sit still. He told Wang, "Brother Wuliang, I do not want to marry my precious daughter into such a family. Please tell your cousin-in-law, Prime Minister Qin, that he need not trouble himself with the marriage of my daughter, Gester!" With that, he shoved the door open and left without a word of farewell.

Wang Wuliang panicked. He glared at Gu Yusheng and chased after him, shouting, "Master Gester... please, consider me! My household has no tigress..."

This Gester was not a Southerner.

Gu Yusheng retreated from the hall. Yang Wenhua asked, "What happened inside?"

Gu Yusheng smiled helplessly. "Prime Minister Qin tried to kill two birds with one stone, using a beauty trap to win me over, but Wang Wuliang ruined it."

Yang Wenhua asked, "Who was that man who left in such a rage?"

"Wang Wuliang called him Master Gester. By the name, he’s clearly not a Southerner; he must be a Tatar."

Yang Wenhua’s expression turned somber. He whispered to Gu Yusheng, "It seems Prime Minister Qin is not only a spy for the Northern Jin, but is also colluding with the Tatars! Brother Yusheng, if they continue this, not only will the hope of reunification be dashed, but the Southern Han state itself is in danger."

Gu Yusheng nodded in agreement.

He walked Yang Wenhua to the gate of the Ministry. They stopped there, as Gu Yusheng could not leave the premises before his shift ended.