DIHBSG chapter 35

The first snowfall lasted an entire day and night. The whole city was blanketed in silver, and the red palace walls and glazed roof tiles seemed to have been draped in fox-fur cloaks overnight.

An auspicious snowfall heralded a bountiful year. It was a good omen.

Outside the imperial study, Song Jian was patrolling the palace courtyard. According to the duty roster, he was supposed to be standing guard inside the study, but Song Jian had very enthusiastically taken over the difficult task of patrolling outside.

Every time he made a round, he’d scoop up a handful of snow. Then he’d make another round and scoop up another handful, until both his hands were red from the cold.

Seeing this, Gong Defu could not help but laugh. “Lord Song, be careful not to freeze yourself. This old servant will have Xiao Wuzi bring you a hand warmer.”

Busy playing with the snow, Song Jian waved a hand without even looking up. “No need, no need.”

“Oh! Right! If Xiao Wuzi has time, help me find a carrot too!”

Xiao Wuzi answered, “Got it, Lord Song!”

After saying that, Song Jian stuck his butt out again and started rolling snowballs on the ground.

At this moment, inside the imperial study, several pillar ministers had just been granted seats and were discussing state affairs with the Emperor.

There were not many officials entering the palace today because the roads outside were buried under thick snow and difficult to travel. The Emperor had decreed a two-day suspension of court, exempted all formal ceremonies, and ordered that there was no need to enter the palace unless there was official business.

Tang Lai sniffled from the cold and held up a register as he reported on the year-end official evaluations. As the official in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, this was something he had to deal with every year.

Among the officials there were naturally those who passed and those who failed. Several particularly conspicuous good-for-nothings had been circled in the register, with large crosses marked beneath their names in vermilion ink.

After reading it, Xiao Yinghuai said, “Have these few people report to me in person after some time.”

Tang Lai sniffed again. “Snff…”

“This subject obeys the decree.”

Xiao Yinghuai looked over the register a few more times before casually tossing it aside.

There were plenty of officials in court who neither distinguished themselves nor committed faults. Naturally, they could not all be executed one by one, especially in the current Great Yan.

The Qin Xiaoyuan case had been like drawing firewood from beneath the cauldron. Although the method had struck directly at the root of the problem, it had also truly damaged Great Yan’s vitality. Now the court was in urgent need of capable people. For officials like those on the register, it was enough to turn a blind eye for now and scare them with a few words.

He then asked Xu Xian about the autumn examination and next year’s spring examination.¹The Spring Examination (春闱, chūnwéi), also known as the Metropolitan Examination (会试, huì试), was the second major stage of the imperial civil service examination system. It was held in the capital every three years after the Provincial Examination (乡试).

Xu Xian cupped his hands and began speaking.

Before Xiao Yinghuai ascended the throne, Great Yan’s imperial court had been in chaos for many years. Qin Xiaoyuan’s faction had dominated the court, turning official administration into something like a cesspit and blocking the path of the imperial examinations for many scholars from humble families.

Scholars prized their integrity. After becoming disheartened, many of them never entered official service again. How to gather talented people from across the realm had become a problem that left Great Yan completely at a loss.

By the time the doors of the imperial study opened again, it was already nearly noon. The ministers all bowed and took their leave.

Song Jian had just finished putting eyes and a nose on the snowman—two lumps of coal and a carrot.

Holding a tree branch in his hand, he stood up.

Tang Lai, Xu Xian, and the other officials happened to walk over. Song Jian obediently greeted them, “Off work already, my lords.”

Tang Lai nodded and added with concern, “The weather is cold. Lord Song, be careful not to catch a chill.”

After inserting the tree branch, Song Jian showed him the hand warmer tucked inside his robe. “Not cold. Eunuch Defu gave it to me.”

Tang Lai seemed somewhat surprised by such favor. Turning his head, he saw Xu Xian wearing an expression of understanding and vaguely seemed to realize something as well.

Before leaving, he said, “Lord Song, no need to see us off. Hurry back to attend His Majesty.”

Song Jian cupped his fists. “Take care on the road, my lords.”

Once it became quiet again, Song Jian started walking back. Before he had taken two steps, the man inside the imperial study came out with a cloak fastened around himself.

Gong Defu followed behind him. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, where are you going?”

Xiao Yinghuai said, “Don’t follow me. Do your own work.”

Gong Defu came to an abrupt stop.

Song Jian trotted over to greet him. “Hehe~”

Xiao Yinghuai glanced at him. “What are you grinning foolishly about?”

As if presenting a treasure, Song Jian pointed toward the snowman in the corner by the wall. “Look, Your Majesty!”

Xiao Yinghuai had noticed it the moment he came out. His voice was calm. “You made a snowman while standing guard?”

Song Jian said, “I didn’t make it while standing guard! I made it myself! Made it! Completely handmade!”

Xiao Yinghuai had seen people argue their way out of trouble before, but he’d never seen anyone so enthusiastically incriminate himself.

“Abandoning your post. Return to the Tiancha Division and receive thirty lashes.”

Song Jian: “…”

So powerless.

Xiao Yinghuai walked forward and casually said, “Lord Song seems quite dissatisfied with My decree.”

How would Song Jian dare? Lowering his head, he said, “This subordinate is not.”

Not? Yet his face had practically fallen to his stomach.

Xiao Yinghuai stared at the fluffy top of the young man’s head.

“…Even if the snowman was made as a gift for Your Majesty, I still have to receive the lashes?”

That fluffy head suddenly produced such a sentence.

Xiao Yinghuai: “?”

Song Jian muttered quietly as he begged for mercy. More accurately, it could hardly be called begging for mercy, just a few murmured words. “Your Majesty, this subordinate knows he was wrong. I won’t dare do it again next time. Please spare this subordinate. Please.”

Xiao Yinghuai had always known the person before him admitted his mistakes very quickly. Either he would kneel and loudly cry injustice, or hug Xiao Yinghuai’s leg and cry. But like this now…

This was hardly begging for mercy. It was clearly relying on having something to fall back on.

Xiao Yinghuai saw through it but did not expose it.

“The rules of the Tiancha Division apply equally to everyone. Why does Lord Song think he alone can receive special leniency beyond the law?”

Following step by step behind him, Song Jian could not understand why Xiao Yinghuai was suddenly acting like this.

After thinking it over for quite a while, he came to the conclusion that Xiao Yinghuai must have had an unpleasant time working in the imperial study just now, so he was taking it out on him, an innocent passerby!

Song Jian was someone who knew how to bend when needed. Of course he would not argue with his superior.

Tilting his head, he fiddled with his fingers. “This subordinate never thought he could receive special leniency beyond the law. This subordinate only thinks that Your Majesty is a wise ruler with the world in your heart. How could Your Majesty bother arguing with this subordinate over something like this?”

Xiao Yinghuai: “…”

Song Jian blinked rapidly.

“Your Majesty?”

“Your Majesty?”

“Your Majesty!”

Xiao Yinghuai thought, How can this mouth have so many things to say?

“The death penalty may be spared, but living punishment cannot be escaped.”

Song Jian’s eyes widened, “Your Majesty, I…”

Bonk!

The man raised two fingers and flicked him on the forehead.

Song Jian: “?”

Xiao Yinghuai said, “Let that be a lesson.”

Song Jian blinked.

Oh.

Seeing that the man had already walked away, Song Jian hurried after him. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Then can this subordinate still build snowmen?!”

“Build as many as you like.”

“Hehe.”

So while the iron was hot, Song Jian built many more that afternoon. The area around the imperial study ended up occupied by snowmen—one small snowman every three steps, one big one every five.

The young eunuchs sweeping the snow found themselves in a difficult position and went to ask Gong Defu.

Gong Defu also found himself in a difficult position, and later went to ask Xiao Yinghuai.

“Your Majesty, these snowmen…”

Without even raising his head, Xiao Yinghuai said, “Leave them.”

Gong Defu quickly answered, “Yes~”

At this time, Xiao Yinghuai had not yet realized the seriousness of the matter. It was only after finishing his state affairs and getting up that he stepped outside and saw a row of little snowmen beside the windows of the imperial study.

Each was only palm-sized, every one with eyes, lined up in a long row like roly-polies.

Looking again, there were some on the left as well.

There were also quite a few placed along the three- or four-step staircase.

Xiao Yinghuai had nowhere to step.

“…”

Heh.

The next day, Song Jian was sent out of the palace to work because he had been too idle.

Apparently there were several muddleheaded officials who were not doing their jobs properly—in other words, slackers. They hadn’t met their year-end KPIs, so Song Jian and Tang Lai were to pay them a visit, give them a warning, and scare them a little.

After receiving the assignment, he added a warm fur collar inside his clothes and strolled out of the palace.

These slacker officials were not exactly new to office. They had all served as officials for over ten years without ever making a splash. They had not caused much trouble, but they had no political achievements to speak of either. In short, they collected the court’s salary without doing any work.

Song Jian followed Tang Lai to their first stop, the Zhao residence.

According to the plan he and Tang Lai had made, he did not need to go inside. He only had to stand at the entrance holding his saber and strike a pose.

Song Jian stood at the gates of the Zhao residence with his arms folded, staring solemnly at the people in the outer courtyard.

Tang Lai: “￥%%……@%……”

Lord Zhao looked terrified.

Tang Lai gestured animatedly.

Lord Zhao: “!!!”

Tang Lai pointed this way and that.

Lord Zhao burst into tears.

Tang Lai pointed at Song Jian. “(blah blah blah…)”

Song Jian had no idea what was going on, but he still kept a stern face and drew his saber!

Shua!

Lord Zhao dropped to his knees with a thud. “This official knows he was wrong! This official will never dare again!”

Tang Lai nodded in satisfaction. Before leaving, he patted his shoulder. “Old Zhao, when one holds office, one must fulfill one’s duties. I’ve told you this privately many times, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you’ve caught His Majesty’s attention. Even someone from the Tiancha Division has come. You know better than anyone what kind of work the people of the Tiancha Division do.”

Lord Zhao trembled all over. “Many thanks for Lord Tang’s guidance!”

Tang Lai turned and left.

After leaving the Zhao residence, the two slapped palms.

Then they repeated the same method at three or four more residences. Song Jian stood outside each gate repeatedly drawing his saber with a “shua”.

He had no idea exactly what Tang Lai said to them, but in any case, those slacker officials all looked as though they had seen a ghost when they saw him.

After coming out of the last official’s residence, Song Jian stretched lazily.

Walking with Tang Lai along the snow-covered road, he asked, “Lord Tang, what exactly did you tell them?”

Tang Lai stroked his beard with a mysterious expression. “Naturally, I spoke of certain taboos of official circles.”

Song Jian turned to look at him. “What taboos?”

Tang Lai said, “Lord Song, you really are muddled. Other than Qin Xiaoyuan, what other taboo is there left from the previous court?”

Song Jian feigned confusion. “My head hurts… My head hurts. I’ve forgotten a few things.”

As they spoke, they passed a residence. Tang Lai pointed at it. “The home of Minister Cao of the Ministry of Justice. Qin Xiaoyuan’s biggest lackey back then. His entire household was executed. Not a single member of his clan survived.”

Song Jian felt a chill run down his back and shuddered.

After walking for who knew how long, a magnificent residence appeared before Song Jian. Looking at the dull plaque, he could barely make out the two characters on it: Qin Residence.

Such a grand building stood deserted before its gates. Even the stone lions guarding the entrance had quite a few vegetable leaves thrown onto their heads.

Tang Lai’s paused only briefly before quickly walking past, sighing softly. “It was a heavy snowfall like this in the fourth year of Chengqian…”

Song Jian could not help turning back for another look. Suddenly he remembered what Xiao Yinghuai had said to him during the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet.

He had said that two years ago, it was Lord Song himself who had led the men to confiscate the Qin Residence.

Song Jian had none of the original owner’s memories and knew nothing about what had happened in the fourth year of Chengqian.

He blinked, then quickly caught up with Tang Lai.

Anyway, it was all in the past.

…

Song Jian successfully completed the mission of scaring the slacker officials and happily returned to the palace. Then he heard some news from Gong Defu.

It was almost time for the winter hunt.

The hunting grounds had been set up on the eastern outskirts outside the capital.

When Song Jian had just returned from Fuhui Temple, Xiao Yongning had already mentioned it, saying Xiao Da had also hurried back from Jiangnan for the winter hunt.

Yan Lili had also said before that every year’s winter hunt meant making lots of meat hot pot!

Song Jian raised both hands high and enthusiastically responded to the event. “I want to join! I want to join! I’m signing up! I’m signing up!”

Gong Defu smiled. “Lord Song, don’t worry. In previous years, during the winter hunt, you always stayed by His Majesty’s side as his personal attendant. You certainly won’t be left out.”

Song Jian’s cheeks flushed red with excitement.

He knew absolutely nothing about the winter hunt.

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  The Spring Examination (春闱, chūnwéi), also known as the Metropolitan Examination (会试, huì试), was the second major stage of the imperial civil service examination system. It was held in the capital every three years after the Provincial Examination (乡试).