Li Qingxian sighed inwardly.
Back in the Academy, Dai Tiee was one of the top students.
His parents were farmers, and his tuition was scraped together by his uncles and aunts. They were all hoping he would be the one to leap the Dragon Gate for the family.
He wasn’t smooth and socially adept like Du Qizhen, who came from a merchant family, nor was he skilled at reading people like Lou Yushan, who was from a family of officials. As a result, he came across as a loner.
Aside from his poor social skills, his academics and character were both impeccable.
Li Qingxian gazed at Dai Tiee, lost in thought as the events of the past few days flashed through his mind.
After a moment, an idea formed in Li Qingxian’s mind, and he walked downstairs.
He hadn’t taken more than a few steps when Dai Tiee stood up and turned. The two came face-to-face.
Dai Tiee froze for a second, his expression stiffening. "You’re also here to relieve yourself?"
Li Qingxian smiled. "At our Night Guard Office, we either say ’using the latrine’ or ’taking a leak.’ No one says ’relieve yourself.’"
"Right. Different places, different rules," Dai Tiee said.
"That principle isn’t wrong in itself, but it’s been misinterpreted by ignorant scholars. When scholars speak of ’fathers acting as fathers, sons as sons, lords as lords, and ministers as ministers,’ they’re talking about different rules for different roles. Why is it that now that you’ve gone from the Academy to a Government Office, you suddenly don’t like it?" Li Qingxian asked with a smile.
Dai Tiee was taken aback.
"There’s knowledge to be found outside of books, too. Besides, these things are taught in books; we just haven’t learned them properly," Li Qingxian said.
Dai Tiee’s expression turned serious. "You’re right! The Saint said, ’If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation.’ Yet I’ve been using what I learned in the past as a ruler to measure everything in the world. I’ve been truly pedantic."
"How is your family? I heard your mother wasn’t in good health." Li Qingxian’s gaze swept over the patch on Dai Tiee’s sleeve cuff. The stitching was coarse and messy.
"My mother passed away last year." Dai Tiee’s eyes dimmed.
"My condolences. Come on, let’s talk in the pavilion," Li Qingxian said.
Dai Tiee hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly.
Night enveloped the courtyard, and a cool breeze blew away the effects of the alcohol. The two sat in the pavilion, reminiscing about their past and chatting about the last few years.
From the bits and pieces of conversation, Li Qingxian got the general picture.
Dai Tiee’s family had fallen on even harder times. His relatives could no longer afford to support his studies, so he had to work while he studied.
He wanted to work in a Government Office and had sent his card to many, but to no avail.
With his status as a Tenth Grade, it wouldn’t be difficult to find a position with a Trading House or a wealthy family. But a single misstep could be very detrimental to his future growth.
"What did Young Master Lou say?" Li Qingxian asked.
A faint blush crept across Dai Tiee’s face. He sighed. "Last year, he asked me to work for him, but I refused. Now, he won’t recommend me."
Only then did Li Qingxian understand.
Lou Yushan hadn’t been highly regarded in the past. After growing up and getting a taste of the sweetness of power and resources, he wanted Dai Tiee to be his subordinate to make up for his past regrets.
Dai Tiee was a bona fide scholar and had reached the Tenth Grade; there was no way he would be an errand boy for Lou Yushan.
"I only knew you weren’t very sociable in the past. I never heard that you had offended Lou Yushan," Li Qingxian said.
Dai Tiee said, "It wasn’t really offending him. We just couldn’t stand each other. He couldn’t stand a commoner like me stealing his thunder, and I couldn’t stand him wasting his great family background and not cherishing it. Actually, you could probably tell, neither of us held any real malice toward the other. We were both just trying to one-up each other..."
Dai Tiee shook his head and changed the subject. "You’re different from him. Mr. Gangfeng sacrificed his family for the country; you’ve had it much harder than people like Lou Yushan. But let’s not talk about that. How are things for you at the Night Guard?"
Li Qingxian chatted for a bit, then steered the conversation. "My father has a friend named Zhu Zimo who works at the Imperial Censorate. The other day, we were talking, and he mentioned they’re looking for a few capable people. He said that a few recent hires, while incredibly smooth and socially adept, are a bit lacking when it comes to getting things done. I happen to have his name card on me."
Dai Tiee’s eyes widened as he stared at Li Qingxian.
Li Qingxian just smiled and glanced at the lanterns on the third floor of the Drunken Country Inn.
After a long moment, Dai Tiee gritted his teeth and cupped his hands. "If Brother Li is willing to help with a recommendation, I, Dai Tiee, will be eternally grateful and never forget it!"
Li Qingxian smiled and gently pushed down Dai Tiee’s hands. "We were classmates for many years. It’s only right to help out when one of us is in trouble. No need to be so dramatic."
Dai Tiee jutted out his chin. "We were never that close, yet you’re willing to recommend me. How is such a great favor not serious?"
Li Qingxian said, "Don’t thank me yet. He just needs people, and he’ll give you a few days’ trial out of respect for me. Whether you ultimately stay or not will depend on your own abilities. You should understand what kind of place the Imperial Censorate is."
"I understand. The Imperial Censorate is the place I want to go to most," Dai Tiee said.
"In that case, I’ll write a letter. You can take it with his name card to pay him a visit."
With a flick of his left hand, Li Qingxian laid out a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone on the stone table in the pavilion.
A look of utter astonishment covered Dai Tiee’s face. He stared at Li Qingxian’s bracelet, his lips trembling, unable to speak.
Li Qingxian picked up the brush and slowly finished writing the letter. With a wave of his right hand, a surge of Magical Power washed over it, and the ink dried instantly.
Dai Tiee’s eyes were wide. This Magical Power was far more potent than his own Tenth-Grade Literary Qi.
"You..."
Li Qingxian placed the letter in an envelope along with the name card. "Pick a day and take this card and letter to the Imperial Censorate."
Dai Tiee was dazed for a long moment before he reacted. He stood up, took the letter of recommendation and name card with both hands, and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
"Senior Brother Qingxian, I, Dai Tiee, will never forget this kindness and support as long as I live." Dai Tiee’s eyes grew red. He was, after all, still a youth not yet fully grown. In the end, he couldn’t hold it in and turned his head away, wiping his face with his sleeve.
Li Qingxian patted his shoulder. "We’ve both been through hardships. In the future, we should help each other out at court."
Dai Tiee nodded vigorously. "After rushing about for the past few months, I’ve come to understand how the world works!"
"It’s the same for both of us. After learning the words in the books, we must understand the ways of the world."
Dai Tiee nodded emphatically.
The two chatted for a while longer, exchanged addresses, and then parted ways.
After taking a leak, Li Qingxian returned to the Mingxuan Room. Not long after, he left with the others, took a carriage back to the Night Guard Office, and went to bed.
When he woke up, Li Qingxian found Room A9 empty. A yellow wooden paperweight held down a note from Han Anbo on the table.
Written in neat, fly-head-sized small script, the note said that Han Anbo had gone to deal with matters concerning the Art Troupe, and Yur Ping had gone home to see his parents and would be back in the evening. If there was an emergency, Li Qingxian could find Han Anbo at Huang’s Tea House on Yar Street.
GURGLE...
His stomach rumbled. Li Qingxian got dressed in his Senior Ninth Grade everyday uniform and headed for Chunfeng Inn, but a Guard told him that Zhou Chunfeng had left early.
He glanced at the table; there were no snacks.
Li Qingxian shook his head, left the Night Guard Office, and walked onto Xile Street, which he hadn’t visited in days.
The cries of street vendors filled his ears, the aroma of food filled his nose, and his eyes took in the bustling scene.
Li Qingxian had just reached the Ninth Grade and was still growing. He bought fried cakes, rice noodle rolls, and Teochew dumplings along the way, devouring them in a few bites with great enjoyment.
After finishing a bowl of fried liver, he walked a few steps, and the grimy "Zhangg’s" shop sign came into view.
Li Qingxian smiled faintly and strode over.
’Captain Zheng only treated me to lamb offal soup, not willing to spring for the lamb meat soup. I’ll buy some to try myself.’
After a few steps, he saw that Zhangg’s Lamb Soup was packed with people, with six or seven customers crowded around each table.
One table was an exception, with only one person sitting there.
The man wore a multicolored Brocade Robe over a brown base. The White Horse Wave Treading patch on his chest wasn’t stitched with gold thread, indicating a Junior Tenth-Grade Military Officer. He had an ordinary face, and his left foot was propped up on the stool, his knee raised high.