Chapter 29

At the entrance of the Zhou residence, there were two stone lions, and large red lanterns hung high, casting a red glow around the area.

The main gate was tightly locked. Fang Yun walked up to the door, grabbed the bronze ring, and knocked three times.

"Please wait a moment," a voice came from inside, and then the door opened, revealing a middle-aged man in his forties.

Fang Yun handed over the letter and said, "I am Fang Yun. This is a letter from County Magistrate Cai He to Chief Clerk Zhou. I should have come a few days ago, but I was delayed, so I am here today."

The gatekeeper, seeing that Fang Yun was wearing a student's uniform, immediately received the letter with both hands and said, "Please wait, I will deliver it to the master right away."

The gatekeeper was about to close the door but hesitated for a moment, did not close it, and instead hurriedly ran inside.

Fang Yun heard him mutter as he walked, "Fang Yun? It seems the master has mentioned him."

Not long after, a loud voice came from inside, "Fang Shuangjia has come? This official is infuriated!"

Fang Yun knew something was wrong. Why did this person seem so explosive? Could it be that this person and Cai He had a bad relationship, or something had changed?

Fang Yun pinched the thick manuscript in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and stood still.

Through the slightly open door, Fang Yun saw a middle-aged man in casual clothes walking over quickly.

Seeing Fang Yun, the man's expression changed, and he said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Fang Shuangjia, you have caused chaos in the imperial court. How can you be so calm?"

Fang Yun looked puzzled. The imperial court? The grand hall where the emperor summoned his ministers? The ministers were in chaos because of him? That can't be true, right?

Seeing Fang Yun's expression, the man laughed and said, "Don't just stand there, come inside and talk. You, ah!" He shook his head.

Fang Yun bowed and said, "Student Fang Yun greets Lord Zhou."

This real power sixth-rank official had no official airs, like an elder meeting a junior, patted Fang Yun's shoulder, and said with a smile, "Since Cai He has recommended you as a double-jia, we are family. Don't be so formal, come inside and talk."

Fang Yun knew that a real power sixth-rank official would never be so enthusiastic to someone he met for the first time. Something must have happened. He thanked him and said as they walked, "Lord Zhou, I have been busy these past few days and have not interacted with the outside world. What has happened?"

Lord Zhou smiled and said, "What else could it be? Of course, it's your poetry. After Cai He received your national-stabilizing poem, he immediately sent it to the Grand Secretary. The Grand Secretary was so impressed that he sent it to the Holy Academy and the Minister of Literature. However, he soon regretted it and thought he should have delayed sending it."

"Then the chaos began?"

"On the first day, everything was calm. But on the second day, during the morning court, something happened. The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy petitioned for your ennoblement, saying that you are not only the first double-jia student in Jingguo but also the first student to publish in the *Holy Way*. You are also the first student in the Ten Kingdoms to create poems that stabilize the state, and the first to have three poems published in the *Holy Way*. You are the only one who, as a student, has made a university scholar's literary spirit waver. Whether for Jingguo or the human race, you have made great contributions and should be ennobled as a County Baron of the Ninth Generation."

Fang Yun was surprised. In the Holy Yuan Continent, although ranks and titles are different, they have corresponding relationships. The lowest rank, a Gentleman of the Village, is equivalent to the ninth rank, and the highest, a Prince, is equivalent to the first rank. A County Baron is equivalent to the sixth rank, meaning that if he were ennobled as a County Baron, County Magistrate Cai would have to greet him as a superior.

If he could be ennobled as a County Baron, Fang Yun would not have to be so cautious in his actions, and his life would be much easier. He wouldn't have to rely on the Fang family to open a bookstore.

A County Baron of the Ninth Generation means that the title can be inherited by nine generations of descendants, making it extremely prestigious within a county.

"But things didn't go smoothly?" Fang Yun asked.

"Opposition came from the Left Chancellor's faction. Ennoblement requires recommendations from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel, and then the decision is made by the Cabinet and the emperor. However, the Ministry of Personnel is mostly under the Left Chancellor's control, and the Vice Minister of War is also his man, who is in charge of ennoblement matters. Therefore, if the Left Chancellor disagrees, no one can ennobled you unless the Empress Dowager overrules the opposition."

"Why is the Left Chancellor blocking me?" Fang Yun asked as they walked into the main hall and sat down on either side of a table.

Lord Zhou looked at Fang Yun and said, "The Left Chancellor himself would not appear. The Vice Minister of War, Hong, appeared on his behalf. His excuse is your poem *End of the Year*, saying that you wrote it before becoming a student, and at such a young age, you lack experience and should not comment on state affairs, as you will not be capable of great things in the future."

"Is there no one to counter this ridiculous reason?"

"Of course, there are. Some said that you only wrote half of the poem in the exam and completed it after obtaining a literary rank, showing that you know when to advance and retreat, and should be heavily promoted. But neither side could convince the other. Some praised your poetry, and the Left Chancellor's faction said that poetry is a minor art. Some said that you made an enemy university scholar's literary spirit waver, and they said there was no evidence. Some said that you should be heavily rewarded for having three poems published, and the Left Chancellor's faction said you are too young and should not be promoted too quickly, and that you should be tempered to understand serving the country in the future."

Fang Yun sneered and asked, "Have you heard any rumors? To me, the Left Chancellor has no reason to target me over a poem."

Lord Zhou pondered for a moment and said, "I'll be honest. The Left Chancellor would not target you just for a poem, but if you are the double-jia student recommended by County Magistrate Cai, who is a student of the Minister of Literature, and you have the potential to become a university scholar or a great scholar, then he has enough reason to target you. Moreover, you have a bad relationship with the prestigious Liu family? I heard from the capital that Liu Zhi seems to have many complaints about you, some of which are almost defamatory."

"What did he say?"

"He said you are lazy and rely on women for support, something along those lines. In short, your reputation in the capital is not good," Lord Zhou did not elaborate.

Fang Yun's face turned pale, and he said, "Does he think that just because he was born into a wealthy family, he can defame us from humble backgrounds?"

"Alas, there's nothing we can do. The Left Chancellor is powerful, and no one dares to offend the Liu family now. I suspect someone is deliberately saying bad things about you to the Left Chancellor, linking *End of the Year* to you. So the Left Chancellor does not personally speak against you, but his silence is equivalent to tacit approval of the attacks on you."

"What is the Empress Dowager's reaction?" Fang Yun asked.

"The Empress Dowager naturally wants to ennobled you, but now the Left Chancellor has the upper hand, and she cannot defy the majority. However, your contributions cannot be ignored, so both sides will negotiate a solution that both can accept."

Fang Yun said, "You have been in the bureaucracy for a long time. Can you guess the final outcome?"

"Alas, many people can guess. This is not the first time such a thing has happened."

"Please tell me," Fang Yun said.

"First, you will be granted some gold, silver, antiques, or silk. Second, your parents will be posthumously honored. Third, your contributions will be converted into literary merit, which will directly increase your rank once you pass the imperial examination and become an official. But as long as you are not an official, the literary merit is just a piece of paper."

Fang Yun asked, "Aren't the Left Chancellor and his faction afraid that I will become an official and rise quickly?"

Lord Zhou said, "Once you are ennobled, unless you commit a major crime like treason, the Left Chancellor cannot punish you. But if you are just a civil official, the Left Chancellor has countless ways to target you. Even if you become a fifth-rank official as soon as you pass the imperial examination, what can you do? The Ministry of Personnel is in the Left Chancellor's hands, and he can easily assign you to a cold department. And when will you become an imperial scholar? In ten years or twenty years?"

Fang Yun, who did not understand the political landscape of Jingguo, was enlightened by Lord Zhou and thoroughly understood the sinister intentions of the Left Chancellor's faction.

Fang Yun lowered his head and fell into deep thought. Even the Minister of Literature cannot match the Left Chancellor, let alone him. His literary rank is too low, so he can only endure for now. However, the Left Chancellor can only influence his official rank, not his literary rank, so there is no need to fear him. At most, he cannot become a civil official. Once his literary rank is higher, he can find a way to take revenge. Instead of remaining silent, he might as well use this opportunity to gain a good reputation and unite those who oppose the Left Chancellor.

After a while, Fang Yun looked up and said, "Can Lord Zhou write a memorial to express my loyalty to the emperor and the Empress Dowager?"

"Of course, I can," Lord Zhou looked at Fang Yun curiously.

Fang Yun said with righteous indignation, "As a citizen of Jingguo, I naturally understand the difficulties of the court. I voluntarily request that my contributions be converted into literary merit to avoid internal conflicts under the threat of the barbarians. I am deeply grateful to the officials who petitioned for my ennoblement, and if I have the opportunity, I will repay them. But I am even more grateful to those who opposed my ennoblement, as they truly act for the country and the human race. If I have the opportunity, I will repay them a hundredfold!"

Lord Zhou was secretly surprised. He did not expect a young student to speak with such force and decisiveness. He was impressed by his ability to make a strategic retreat and leave a good reputation, while also mocking the Left Chancellor's faction for internal strife at such a time.

"Is this wording too direct?" Lord Zhou naturally knew how Fang Yun would "repay" them a hundredfold.

"Can I say that I, Fang Yun, will reclaim my contributions at a speed they can't even dream of, and make them regret obstructing me?" Fang Yun said with a slight anger.

Lord Zhou sighed and said, "You are a young prodigy, and after such a great humiliation, you naturally want to retaliate. If you were silent, that would be strange. Let me write the memorial according to your original intention, but I will slightly adjust the wording. Of course, I won't undermine your spirit, as you have done nothing wrong."

Fang Yun took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Lord Zhou. By the way, since I have written so many good poems, will our state literary academy give me some rewards? How about a thousand taels of silver?"

Lord Zhou laughed and said, "You want double rewards?"

Fang Yun immediately said, "If the literary academy is in difficulty, I won't insist. I have recently written two novels and want to sell them to support my family, but publishing requires the approval of the literary academy, so I hope you can help me. Also, if you like, you could write a preface for my novels."

Lord Zhou thought halfway through that Fang Yun was indeed smart. He was clearly asking for the state literary academy to give him a reward first, and then asking for a favor, making it hard to refuse. When he heard about the preface, he was about to refuse but had a change of heart.

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