One after another, officials entered the Disciplinary Hall. Soon, three of the four purple sandalwood master chairs were occupied.
Li Qingxian observed them covertly.
The first Master’s Chair was empty; the Left Commander was away and had not yet returned.
In the second Master’s Chair sat Right Commander Yang Xiangshu, nicknamed Yang Meizu. Tall, dark, and skinny, he had a listless expression and sat bolt upright from start to finish without saying a word.
In the third Master’s Chair sat Songg Yanxue, the Left Deputy Commander and Disciplinary Officer of the Demon Hunting Bureau. Dressed in the uniform of a Military Officer, she cut a heroic and dashing figure. Her large eyes were especially striking—dark, bright, and clear—and not even her icy expression could conceal the spirit within them.
In the fourth Master’s Chair was Yuu Xianhe, the Right Deputy Commander whom Li Qingxian had met before. He was a slightly plump, amiable old man.
Seeing this lineup, Li Qingxian understood that as the first Fate Master to come from the Night Guard, his significance was likely extraordinary.
"The Lord Guard Commander arrives!"
CLATTER...
All the officials rose to their feet and looked toward the main entrance.
Blinding sunlight bleached the ground white. A massive sedan chair appeared at the entrance.
It was larger than any ordinary sedan chair and slowly turned to enter.
The four bearers wore the uniforms of Seventh-Grade Military Officers—green robes embroidered with leopards. Each was powerfully built, with bulging muscles.
On top of the carrying poles rested a large, flat red platform.
Upon this red platform sat an enormous chair of refined iron, carved with ferocious beasts. Behind it rose an imperially bestowed, bright blue Canopy, like a great umbrella blocking the sun.
The chair was over two meters wide.
Yet despite its immense size, the chair was stuffed completely full by the man sitting in it.
Seated on the iron chair was a little giant, gently fanning himself with an oversized fan made of fragrant wood.
This little giant was like a triangular mountain of flesh piled onto the chair. His enormous belly cascaded in layers, covering his stout legs and draping down around his feet.
His massive head was completely bald and shined brightly.
When the man smiled, his eyes and mouth vanished completely, swallowed by the folds of his face to form three large creases.
One, two, three, four, five...
No fewer than five thick chins lay stacked upon his chest like a set of stairs.
Even just sitting, the little giant looked to be nearly a zhang tall.
’If this man’s oversized shorts were ever hung out to dry,’ Li Qingxian mused, ’no one would know what they were. They’d probably mistake them for a duvet cover.’
The pale, tender-skinned giant chuckled benevolently. "Sit, everyone, sit," he said.
Everyone remained standing as the sedan chair slowly entered the hall.
The little giant’s gaze swept over the officials, finally landing on Li Qingxian.
"Are you the newly promoted Fate Master, Li Qingxian?"
Li Qingxian bowed. "I am he. Greetings, Lord Guard Commander."
"Good. You show promise. A tiger father has no dog for a son."
"Your Lordship praises me too highly. This humble official is unknown and unremarkable, but my father did praise you before he passed," Li Qingxian said, habitually seizing the opportunity to curry favor.
"Oh? And how did Mr. Gangfeng praise me?" The creases on his face parted, revealing two curious eyes.
Li Qingxian’s heart skipped a beat. ’I was just offering a casual compliment, why are you asking for specifics? Everyone knows what you’re like, Cowardly King!’
Li Qingxian frantically racked his brain. ’The praise can’t be too plain, or it won’t sound like something Li Gangfeng would say. But it also has to fit the Guard Commander. It has to be positive, make him happy, and ideally, burnish his reputation. All officials love that sort of thing.’
Li Qingxian was about to go mad. ’Never again,’ he swore to himself, ’will I speak so recklessly in Li Gangfeng’s name.’
Everyone watched Li Qingxian in silence.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, inspiration struck Li Qingxian. He said, "My father was always prudent with his words in public, but at home, after a few drinks, he would speak his mind freely. He once praised the Lord Guard Commander with a couplet: ’The sea receives a hundred rivers; its tolerance is its greatness. A sheer cliff rises a thousand fathoms; its strength is its lack of desire.’"
Prince Songx’s eyes flew wide. He then began to chuckle, the layers of flesh on his body undulating rhythmically.
"A brilliant couplet," Right Deputy Commander Yuu Xianhe couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
Several Literature Cultivation Officials chimed in with praise, and one even took the pin from his topknot to jot the lines down.
"’The sea receives a hundred rivers’ refers to Prince Songx’s body, and ’its tolerance is its greatness’ refers to his heart. ’A sheer cliff rises a thousand fathoms’ describes his station, and ’its strength is its lack of desire’ describes his spirit! It fits him perfectly! Mr. Gangfeng is as discerning as Bole himself!"
"It is not merely a good fit; the couplet itself is exceptionally exquisite. Its imagery is majestic, its meaning profound. These are truly rare and beautiful lines."
"Both ’greatness from tolerance’ and ’strength from lack of desire’ are Words of the Saint. To form such a perfect couplet with them is a rare feat in this age!"
"These lines will surely be remembered for ages to come!"
As the officials showered him with praise, only Zhou Chunfeng gave Li Qingxian a suspicious look.
Prince Songx rubbed his bald head and laughed heartily. "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Chunfeng, go back and write down this couplet for me today. Hang it in my study. No, write two copies, and hang one at my gate... In fact, write several copies; I want to hang them in many places. To receive such praise from Mr. Gangfeng is truly the fortune of three lifetimes. His scholarship and Skill of Recognizing People are unparalleled in this age! Nephew Qingxian, if you have completed a Demon Hunt, come back tomorrow in a new uniform."
Li Qingxian replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, Prince Songx, this humble official has only just been promoted to the Tenth Grade and has not yet participated in a Demon Hunt."
Prince Songx smiled. "I see you are a man of fine appearance and profound learning, and a Fate Master to boot. It would be a real pity for you not to hold an Official Grade. Let’s not delay. Niece Yanxue, arrange for Qingxian to join the next Demon Hunt."
"Yes," Songg Yanxue replied.
The other officials looked at Li Qingxian, their faces filled with envy.
That couplet was the key that had just unlocked the door to the Guard Commander’s household.
The Cowardly King was known for being forbearing and unambitious; he cared little for fame, and no amount of praise usually pleased him this much. But that line—"its strength is its lack of desire"—was a stroke of genius that scratched an itch he didn’t know he had.
As for the position of Guard Commander, the Cowardly King had never wanted it in the first place. He only wanted an idle post where he could coast. But it was precisely this disposition that put Emperor Taining at ease, so the emperor had forced him to take the job, replacing the deceased Third Crown Prince.
Seeing how well his words were received, Li Qingxian breathed a sigh of relief. ’As for these ’Words of the Saint’ they mentioned,’ he thought, ’I haven’t a clue what they’re talking about.’
Amidst the murmurs of discussion and praise, the sedan chair was carried deeper into the hall, turned slowly, and set down upon the main dais.
"Sit, everyone, sit. This prince is very pleased today," the Cowardly King said.
Only then did the officials take their seats.
Wei Yong glanced at Ye Han again and noticed his strange expression. Wei Yong smiled faintly, his face quickly returning to a calm mask as he shot a look at Li Qingxian.
Li Qingxian sat in his chair with his head slightly bowed, the very picture of a well-behaved subordinate.
’I’ve unexpectedly stuck my neck out twice now, and that’s more than enough,’ he thought. ’If I do it again, I’m bound to get smacked down for it.’
And so, as if he had forgotten to bring his mouth with him, Li Qingxian used only his ears, listening to the discussions among the Middle-Grade Officials.
The main topic of this Disciplinary Assembly Hall meeting was the upcoming Demon Hunt. Once that matter was concluded, the Cowardly King closed his eyes to rest.
As the meeting drew to a close, Cao Ming, Director of the Divine Capital Bureau, rose. He first bowed to the Cowardly King, then said, "Since Li Qingxian has been promoted to Fate Master, should we, according to custom, grant him an auxiliary post or petition for a noble title on his behalf?"
Many people nodded lightly in agreement.
An auxiliary post came with a title and a salary, but no real power. It was a method used to win the loyalty of influential individuals who were not part of the Imperial Court.
A Green-Robed Seventh-Grade Official rose and said, "Lord Cao, if a Fate Master is not registered with the Astronomical Bureau and does not hail from the Great Fate Sect, then I’m afraid his status cannot be officially verified. We should wait. It will not be too late to grant him a title once there is proof. Furthermore, he is one of the Night Guard’s own and already holds an official post. Granting him an auxiliary post on top of that would be improper."