Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

"The name is hanging high on the golden list, and it is clear that I have plucked a branch of spring." It is the day when the results of the spring examination are announced again. The capital city is decorated with lights and lanterns everywhere, and the new scholars are parading in the streets on horseback, what a magnificent sight.

At the city gate, an inconspicuous half-worn carriage covered with green felt slowly drove into the city. Suddenly, a corner of the curtain was lifted by a white, chubby little hand, and then a fluffy little girl's head popped out, looking around at the street scenery, with a pair of round almond eyes full of curiosity.

When the carriage reached Qingque Street, it ran into a procession of horsemen, and the driver quickly reined in the horse and moved aside. Looking at the magnificent procession, the girl's eyes sparkled with a strange light, and she couldn't help but exclaimed, "How magnificent! Mother, come and see."

A chuckle was heard from inside the car, and then the other corner of the curtain was lifted up, and a soft and beautiful face came close to the girl's head. The two looked 70% similar, especially the pair of identical almond eyes. Even the dullest person could see the relationship between the two.

Lin Xi looked at the number one scholar who was walking at the front of the team. He was wearing a bright red round-necked robe, a black gauze hat with a golden flower on his head, and riding a horse with a golden saddle and a red mane. He was surrounded by people in front and behind, with flags and drums leading the way. What an impressive person he was.

"Mother, is this the legendary number one scholar?" the little girl said excitedly, wishing she could cheer with the girls upstairs who were waving handkerchiefs and throwing sachets.

Lin Xi stroked the little girl's hair and spoke softly, "These are the newly-appointed scholars riding horses in the parade. They will go to the White Gate Tower to write poems later. In the evening, the sage will also give a cherry banquet. It is a grand gathering for scholars all over the world that takes place every three years."

"Wow! Daddy was also a Jinshi. Was he so glorious back then?" the little girl exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course. Your father was not only a Jinshi, but also the first place in the first class. He was the one riding the horse and walking in front."

"Wow! Really?" The little girl exclaimed again. She couldn't connect her father, who was always covered in mud, tall, thin and a little dark, with the number one scholar riding a tall horse in front of her, looking so majestic.

Seeing the disbelief on the little girl's face, Lin Xi didn't explain too much. She patted her head again and said with a hint of teasing in her voice, "If you don't believe me, go back and ask your father. Although he can't ride a horse in the streets again, you can still eat these cherries again. Ask him to hold a cherry banquet for you when you go back."

The little girl's attention was immediately diverted and she became excited. She no longer questioned her father's status as the top scholar, and instead asked her mother about the details of the cherry banquet. Lin Xi patiently told her one by one. While the mother and daughter were talking, the carriage wobbled into Taohe Street.

Taohe Street is located in the east of the capital. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that the east is noble and the west is humble, the south is rich and the north is chaotic. Therefore, most officials above the fourth rank in the capital live here. In February, Du Xingzhi was summoned back to the capital from Yuzhou by the current emperor, and was appointed as the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He was also granted a two-story house, which is located here.

The champion who was sent to the local prefectures and counties in the past was not only personally summoned back to the capital by the sage, but also promoted from a mere fifth-rank prefect to a third-rank assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, which made many people jealous. However, those memorials that tactfully advised the emperor to be cautious were also thrown aside by the sage, just like the memorials that advised the sage not to let down the champion's talent.

Ever since the Regent handed over his military power two years ago, the Left Prime Minister's faction had been demoted or exiled by the Emperor. No one in the court dared to regard the present saint as the child emperor who was still living under the protection of the Emperor's uncle.

The sage's prestige has grown in the past two years. Therefore, although the ministers had some complaints about Du Xingzhi's extraordinary promotion, none of them was so short-sighted as to dare to refute the sage's decision.

After the imperial examination, the Minister of Personnel took Du Xingzhi to present the results of the candidates to the emperor. The emperor read the papers and selected two candidates who impressed him deeply to join the Imperial Academy, and let the Ministry of Personnel make the arrangements for the rest. After the approval, the Minister of Personnel left the Chengping Hall with the papers, but the emperor kept Du Xingzhi, saying that he wanted to play a few rounds of hand-to-hand games with him.

"The last time I played chess with the number one scholar was six years ago. Do you still remember the bold words I said back then?" Emperor Pingchang looked at Du Xingzhi who was sitting opposite him. Although he had become darker and thinner due to the wind and sun from his work in flood control, his calm and composed temperament was still the same as before. He couldn't help but show a bit of admiration on his face.

Du Xingzhi would naturally not forget the conversation in Chengping Hall six years ago. He knew that although he had tactfully rejected the solicitation of the left prime minister at the Cherry Banquet and secretly expressed his position of keeping out of trouble to the regent, the struggle between the two factions was intensifying and they had long been incompatible.

He was a poor man with no power or influence, but he was particularly favored by the emperor in the palace examination. If he did not join either side, he would eventually end up as "those who are not of my race must have different hearts" and be sacrificed in the struggle between the two factions.

He also knew why the emperor admired him so much. Emperor Pyeongchang was an ambitious monarch. Taking back power from the regent had never been his ultimate goal. His highest ambition was to emulate or even surpass Emperor Gaozu, to make the four seas submit and to ensure peace and prosperity.

Therefore, after the Cherry Banquet that year, he took the initiative to find the emperor and expressed his willingness to be a sharp sword in the emperor's hand and clear the way for his political blueprint.

"Now the two parties in the court are fighting, and I can't bear to see my army broken. You should go to the local area to hone your skills for a few years." The emperor finally said this, and with one move, he decided the outcome of the game.

That's why Du Xingzhi had six years of experience in flood control in Yuzhou.

Now that the two parties have collapsed, it is time for the sword to show its edge. Facing the gaze of Emperor Pingchang, Du Xingzhi slowly placed a move and then replied: "I dare not forget the heroic words of the past and the trust of the saints."

Emperor Pingchang also placed a black piece. The black pieces on the chessboard were already surrounded. The white pieces seemed to be struggling under the fierce attack of the black pieces, and were in a dilemma. "Then I will wait and see what Du Qing will do."

"I will not fail in your mission."

Du Xingzhi's expression remained unchanged, he gently placed a piece, and stood up to leave. Emperor Pingchang waved his hand to let him leave, and then looked at the chessboard, only to find that the white piece, which was about to lose, had fought its way out of the encirclement of the black pieces because of the last piece Du Xingzhi placed. The situation on the chessboard was suddenly reversed, and the black pieces were powerless to recover.

Emperor Pingchang suddenly burst into a hearty laugh, which startled the palace servant who was about to enter the palace so much that he trembled and almost dropped the tray in his hand.

"Your Majesty, what makes you so happy? Tell me so that I can be happy for you too." The palace attendant always knew how to read people's expressions. Seeing that Emperor Pingchang was so happy, he also put on a smile and stepped forward to join in the fun.

"The sword I forged in the past has finally been unsealed today. How can I not be happy?" Emperor Pingchang clapped his hands and laughed.

Although the palace attendant had never heard that Emperor Pingchang had obtained any magical weapons recently, he would not spoil the emperor's joy. He just picked up some auspicious words to say to Emperor Pingchang, which made the emperor reward him with many good things.

"The Biography of Du Xingzhi" in the History of Qing Dynasty said: In the 22nd year of Zhaoming, Xingzhi was promoted to the position of Shangshu.

In the 29th year of Zhaoming, the saint established the Wenhua Pavilion, took charge of the affairs of the six ministries, and granted the title of Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Pavilion.

In the 34th year of Zhaoming, he was conferred the title of First-Rank Duke and given the name Cheng, and his wife, Lin, was promoted to First-Rank Lady.

……

In the sixty-fifth year of Zhaoming, Xingzhi passed away. The emperor was deeply saddened and cried, saying, "I have lost Xingzhi, as if my halberd is about to be broken. How sad!" He then suspended court for three days, granted him the clothes of a prince, and posthumously named him Wen Zhong.