Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examination Ch. 152

Chapter 152

Upon watching a play, the Emperor summoned an inner attendant and ordered the promotion of the Colonel to the position of provisional Pacification Commissioner of the Northern Administrative Office. 

When Huai En conveyed the decree, Xie Ying was so astonished that he forgot to rise from his kneeling position. It was Huai En who personally helped him up, smiling kindly as he said, “His Majesty was moved by the new play presented by Commander Gao the other day. He inquired about the truth from Administrator Zhu and requested the case files sent to the Three Judicial Departments by Xie da-ren. Seeing your clear, just and efficient adjudication and willingness to serve, His Majesty was greatly pleased and thus decided to promote you. Hoping that as da-ren takes charge of judicial affairs, da-ren will continue to be diligent and virtuous in your duties, thereby living up to the Emperor’s great favor.”

Xie Ying promptly expressed his gratitude and also thanked Zhu da-ren. 

Zhu Ji laughed and said, “This old man merely reported the facts. Is it not because of your own merits? Otherwise, how would you have caught the Emperor’s eye?”

Huai En nodded and then addressed Zhu Ji, “The Emperor appreciates your diligent patrols. However, since Xie Ying has been appointed as provisional Pacification Commissioner, he will no longer be able to go out on patrols. Therefore, you should arrange for someone else to take over his duties. Keeping the capital clean and tidy pleases the Emperor and reflects well on everyone.”

Zhu Ji bowed and said, “Rest assured, gonggong. Our men are always mindful of the Emperor’s grace and are eager to work hard to share the Emperor’s worries and burdens.”

Known for his integrity and honestness, Huai En neither accepted money nor indulged in wine or food. He simply urged them to perform their duties faithfully before returning to the Imperial palace to make his reports.

As soon as he left, the Colonels of the Thirteen Battalions surrounded Xie Ying, eager to celebrate his promotion. 

A provisional Assistant Commissioner ah!

What kind of authority did the Jinyiwei’s Northern Administrative Office have? And what kind of authority did a regular Colonel have? If Assistant Commissioner Zhu were to be promoted one day, Xie Ying could naturally succeed him! Now in charge of judicial affairs, cases appointed by the Emperor all had to pass through Xie Ying’s eyes for review. If he could successfully handle a few major cases, could pave the way for further promotions, to Assistant Commissioner, and eventually a Chief Military Commissioner?

The Colonels who were previously his equals all congratulated Xie Ying on his promotion, and Zhu Ji gave him some advice, reminding him not to become arrogant and to continue diligently performing his duties.

Zhu Ji, the Chief Military Commissioner of the Northern Administrative Office, felt somewhat emotional—after all, the promotion of this provisional Pacification Commissioner meant that his own tenure was nearing its end. The Northern Administrative Office held the greatest power within the Jinyiwei, and having served as the Chief Military Assistant Commissioner many years, he felt a bit reluctant to let go.

However, thinking back to when the Eastern and Western Depots were still in power, the Jinyiwei were merely enforcers. After the Depots were abolished, the Jinyiwei were frequently criticized by memorials written by scholars and literati. Recalling this, he felt that there was not much to miss. Looking even further back, the Jinyiwei’s golden days were only during the reign of Emperor Daizong. Both the current emperor and the late Emperor Yingzong preferred using eunuchs, while the Crown Prince seemed to favor civil officials and looked down on the Jinyiwei.

The eunuchs basked in the glory, but when they fell out of favor, the Jinyiwei suffered their misfortunes alongside them. This generation of Jinyiwei simply was unlucky and could not catch up to the good times!

Not holding on to the position of Chief Military Assistant Commissioner was fine; eventually, when the Emperor decided to make Xie Ying an official, the current Pacification Commissioner Zhu Ji would likely be promoted as well. For now, he could still gain some credit from the achievements in the judicial matters Xie Ying handled—similar to how officials who supported Lord Bao¹ in solving cases were praised and promoted.

Feeling sentimental, Chief Military Assistant Commissioner Zhu also went over to congratulate Xie Ying, encouraging the youth to work closely with him in the future to solve the cases assigned and entrusted to them by the Emperor.

After the formalities were said, the real conversation began: “Who wrote that script of yours? We need to get a play written too. If it catches the Emperor’s eye, who knows what might happen?”

Surrounded by the crowd, Xie Ying remained composed and calmly analyzed, “The script is not anything special. What stands out is that it highlights the Jinyiwei solving a case, which brought honor to the Emperor. The Emperor found the play refreshing and appreciated his subordinates’ efficiency, hence the gracious decree. In my view, if you continue to patrol the capital and solve unusual cases, the people will praise you, and when the time comes, musicians and playwrights will write about your deeds on their own…”

Xie Ying lowered his voice, smiling, “Right now, Commander Gao is helping the Imperial Entertainment Bureau and the Bell and Drum Department with their plays. Even an ordinary script can become extraordinary with his touch, no? The Emperor favors him, and any play he presents will be watched by the Emperor and the niangniang. If you want to make an appearance in front of the Emperor, how difficult will it be?”

Yes, ah… Not only is Commander Gao himself favored, but his adoptive father, Gao taijian, is also highly favored, nearly rivaling Chief Eunuch Liang Fang in influence. As long as Commander Gao was willing to stage and present a play, there was no merit that could not reach the Emperor. 

Everyone was eager to approach Commander Gao, except for An Xian, the Colonel of the Central Division, who was on patrol today and clung to Xie Ying, asking him about the owner of the tea and snack stalls the Jinyiwei had used and how much he paid for the food and drink.

That’s right!

From now on, it wouldn’t just be the Front Division patrolling; all twelve divisions and offices—excluding the Elephant Office—would have to go out early and work late. They needed to find a reliable place to rest and eat first!

Since Xie Ying had prearranged plenty of food and drink from that vendor, it seemed the prices there were reasonable and the food was decent. The other Colonels surrounded him, asking about the stall owner’s address and how the accounts for the food and drink were managed.

Xie Ying replied, “I still have some money left with the stall owner, so you can go ahead and eat without worrying about the cost. However, when I was patrolling before, I did so on my own initiative and it was solely the business of my division, so I never requested funds from the Ministry of Revenue. Now that the emperor has commanded all twelve divisions to patrol, we should request some funds…”

No! No request! Cannot ask the Ministry of Revenue for money!

Who knew if the Emperor liked Xie Ying partly because the man did his work without asking for money? It’s just some tea and snacks. If Xie Ying could afford it, and so could the other divisions—after all, there were public accounts they could use, so it would not solely come out of their own pockets.

They were all striving to be just and upright officials, hoping to be remembered as exemplary figures and officials in a few years. They were unwilling to be seen asking the Imperial court for money. As long as Xie Ying helped them to sign a contract with the stall owner, everything would be fine.

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While the Northern Administrative Office celebrated the happy event with great enthusiasm, outside, among the common people, the play 《The Story of Wang Yao and the Pipa》 was already becoming popular.

Xie Ying had booked the venue until August 13th, after which the Fortune and Longevity Troupe would return to the theater to continue performing. While the venue was still reserved, large portraits of the main characters were already displayed at the theater. Wang Yao’s portrait depicted her in seductive makeup used to lure the black-clad thief, while Feng Yun’s portrait showed him playing a flute, his white robes fluttering as he stood on a rocky outcrop, mimicking the iconic look of Anita Mui in 《The Magic Crane》.

Since the lead actors needed to rest their voices, two novice performers, dressed in high-soled shoes and did their makeup as the main characters, sang love songs from a small stage set up by the roadside. 

Although Cui Xie had not personally gone to watch, hearing Shopkeeper Ji describe his visit to the Fortune and Longevity Troupe’s promotional performance, with a rosy, beaming face and enthusiastic torrent of words, he could imagine about 70-80% of what it looked like: two beautifully dressed youths, singing passionate, lingering songs like, “Half-disrobed, shy like a lotus, reluctant in the cool autumn; layers of rouge seep through…a flirtatious tale none can bear to miss…”

Whether viewed by men or women, these were the most popular and beloved images among male audiences in Ming society. Shopkeeper Ji reminisced, “The lyrics are somewhat risqué, not as refined as the script Young Master commissioned, and their singing can only be considered average. But the portraits printed by people are the real crowd-pleasers. There were even attempts to steal them! If it weren’t for the timely intervention of the Jinyiwei who happened to be talking to Manager Xue, someone might have made off with the portrait of Yao-niang!”

Fortunately, the Jinyiwei, like Xie Ying and his subordinates depicted in the play, otherwise, they might not catch the thief, but rather join in on such antics.

Hearing praise for Xie Ying made Cui Xie feel elated. He asked, “Did others witness this? What were they saying?”

Shopkeeper Ji laughed, “What else could they say? They were all talking about how the Jinyiwei, under the leadership of the righteous high-ranking Colonel Xie, they’ve tempered themselves, no longer bullying good citizens and only focus on catching thieves. I even heard people comparing him to the young General Yue of the Song Dynasty. The only regret is that he wears green; they say he’d be more dashing in white robes like the young general was known for.”

The eyes of the masses were indeed sharp!

Cui Xie felt a surge of satisfaction in his heart, pursed his lips and maintained a calm demeanor as he said, “Colonel Xie is truly such a person—chivalrous and brave, never harming good citizens. Our family has also benefited from his support in the past. Don’t pay any mind to those comments about his attire. After the Fortune and Longevity Troupe finishes this run, see if any other theater troupes are interested in learning the play. Give them the scripts and help them with props.”

Shopkeeper Ji raised his eyebrows, his eyes lighting up. “So, Young Master is not just writing this play to promote the Fortune and Longevity Troupe? That makes things easy, I almost couldn’t get back from that alley the other day, everyone was begging us to give them the script so they could learn to perform 《The Story of Wang Yao and the Pipa》.

It’s not about promoting the Fortune and Longevity Troupe, it was about promoting Colonel Xie.

Cui Xie smiled slightly. “Get the color-printed scripts ready at your shop, and anyone who wants one can buy it to learn from. Tell them the addresses of the craftsmen who made the props, too, so they can earn some money. We, as an official household, have no need to be taking the hard-earned coins from these performers and entertainers.”

Shopkeeper Ji, who was now making a small fortune every day, saw that the scripts could bring in even more profit. He wasn’t interested in small change anymore and happily agreed. “I’ve already printed two or three hundred copies of the script, just waiting for Young Master’s word to sell them.”

Cui Xie estimated the sales volume and demand and decided to wait a bit: “Let’s start selling the scripts once the Fortune and Longevity Troupe finishes their current run. After other troupes stage the plays and have also performed it once, I’ll print a collection of poems and essays.”

When it comes to the poetry collection, the writers will use pseudonyms, but the script’s release was less important. Just give it a bit more time. Once the entire city was abuzz with 《The Story of Wang Yao and the Pipa》 the literati will naturally write poems and critiques. 

At that point, the big names can publish a collection of reviews. Those who did not know them personally would not be able guess they were the authors, and the celebrity effect will spark a second and third wave of theatergoing enthusiasm.

At the Mid-Autumn Festival, 《The Story of Wang Yao and the Pipa》 premiered as scheduled and became an instant hit, almost overshadowing the original 《The Story of Zhao Wu and the Pipa》 and claiming the title of 《The Pipa Play》.

Everywhere in the capital, people were singing about ‘Yao-niang’ and talking about the Jinyiwei. Even the most upright scholars, who used to associate the Jinyiwei with evil deeds of arrogance and bullying the weak; instead they were now discussing how Colonel Xie, a Jinyiwei, led officers to capture the black-clad thief and arranged the marriage of Yao-niang.

For a while, the Jinyiwei became synonymous with bravery, righteousness, and dashing good looks.

Men and women in the streets were sneaking glances at the patrolling Jinyiwei. The officers no longer barked orders at people but instead tightened their belts, straightened their backs, and walked with renewed vigor, capturing the hearts of countless young women.

This trend was not only sweeping through the common folk. There was also Commander Gao who presented the play in the Imperial palace, and even Emperor Chenghua became enamored with 《The Story of Wang Yao and the Pipa》, promoting the crime-solving Colonel Xie to the position of provisional Assistant Commissioner.

The common folk’s praise for the Jinyiwei did not concern the Imperial censors, but the Emperor’s decision to promote an official based on a character in a play, how can they make a living if they did not submit  a few memorials?

Although the Jinyiwei was not typically subject to the same promotion processes as those recommended by the Six Ministries or the Imperial Court and the Emperor could pass on an Imperial edict in any way he desired, this time was different! Even though Xie Ying was capable, experienced, and had led the Jinyiwei to a new level of discipline and public service, no longer harassing the common people, they truly could not find anything wrong. But there was a problem. This time, the Emperor was promoting someone because of a play, not based on the usual criteria and qualifications, which was not in line with the Imperial court system!

This set a dangerous precedent of lucky promotions. What if others started writing plays to recommend themselves for promotion in the future?

This must be censured!

The Emperor simply did not even attend Court and would simply avoid meeting with the cabinet if he didn’t feel like it. Why would they care about how many memorials were submitted? Of course, if he wanted to watch a play, he indulged by watching them with his beloved concubines and young children, or spending time with Imperial Noble Consort Wan in her palace…dismissing any memorials except those presented by Senior Grand Representary Wan An. The rest of the petitions were selectively read, with little regard for their contents.

The three cabinet elders urged the Six Ministries and the Thirteen Imperial Censors to draft memorials daily, pressing them to discuss how to persuade the Emperor. Secondary Grand Secretary Liu Xu, who had lost favor day by day and a falling reputation after failing to submit a memorial with Wan An during Wang Zhi’s downfall, saw this as an opportunity to regain his standing and insisted firmly in a hard voice, “This is the time for us to submit a joint memorial from the Grand Secretaries, urging His Majesty to abandon these lascivious plays and return to the virtuous classics of the Imperial palace!”

Wan An, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, tried to calm him down. “Guzhi, your temperament remains as forthright as ever. But we, as Grand Secretaries, owe our positions and honors to His Majesty. How can we act like those minor officials who, caring only for their reputations, disregard the bond between ruler and minister and forcefully oppose the Emperor in what he desires?”

Liu Ji, the third Grand Secretary, remained indecisive to gloss things over on both ends and offered no useful suggestions.

Liu Xu, annoyed by Senior Grand Secretary Wan An’s seemingly calculating and ingratiating smile, felt disgusted and stood up and declared, “If Senior Grand Secretary da-ren refuses to submit a memorial, I will do it myself. We, the Grand Secretaries, are the Emperor’s foremost advisors. How can we merely flatter and fail to offer counsel when we see wrongdoing!”

He turned and stormed out, returning to his office to write his memorial. Wan An, left fuming at the slight and no face left, let his smile fade, revealing a hint of coldness as he remarked bluntly, “Just a self-serving opportunist, parading as a paragon of integrity… How could one claim to be ‘truly upright’ when refusing to impeach a criminal of the highest order simply due to personal disagreements with colleagues?”

Liu Ji, still in the room, was startled by Wan An’s unguarded words and glanced at him. 

Sensing Liu Ji’s gaze, Wan An lifted his weary, old eyelids and returned the look with a confident smile as if everything was under control, which belied the rumors of his incompetence as the ‘Eternal Grand Secretary’. Seeing this expression, Liu Ji felt a renewed vigor and cautiously asked, “Does the Senior Grand Secretary da-ren already have a foolproof plan to deal with Academician Dong Liu…?”

He gestured subtly, and Cabinet Elder Wan An nodded slightly before turning to gaze out the window—Was it really worth submitting a memorial just because the Emperor promoted someone due to a play? He would like to see what memorial Liu Xu submits when the Emperor decides to punish someone for playing such tricks! 

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Footnotes

1. Bao Zheng/Lord Bao: He was a Chinese politician during the reign of Emperor Renzong in China’s Song Dynasty. During his twenty-five years in civil service, Bao was known for his honesty and uprightness, with actions such as impeaching an uncle of Emperor Renzong’s favorite concubine and punishing powerful families. His appointment from 1057 to 1058 as the prefect of Song’s capital Kaifeng, where he initiated a number of changes to better hear the grievances of the people, made him a legendary figure. During his years in office, he gained the honorific title Justice Bao due to his ability to defend peasants and commoners against corruption or injustice. Bao Zheng is depicted as the incarnation of the Astral God of Civil Arts. He is honored as the cultural symbol of justice in Chinese society ↩︎

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TN: Have a good rest of your week everyone and enjoy the chapter! Apologies for not updating late, I’ve been super busy trying to wrap up finals week here, but I am almost done!

Update 12/23/24: I just updated it so that all my advance chapters for TMD are up on patreon (and will be continually updated)! Sorry for being so lazy with it and apologies for taking so long to do so. I had to organize a lot of my random documents after a long hiatus last year.

Announcement: We have set up a kofi and patreon account! If you would like to support us or get early access to advance chapters for Blood-Sucking Empress OR TMD, those options are available for you (in support us page)! I have just added a patreon tier for Transmigrating to the Ming Dynasty’s Imperial Examinations in which patreons can have access to a google document with ALL of my advanced translated chapters for the novel. Since I am a grad student, there should usually be at least 10 advance chapters in the document at a time, but depending on my schedules, there may be fewer or more. I’m currently extremely busy, but I have translated out some new chapters for you all! But, I will still post each week with the same schedule. Thanks!

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