Joy of Life: The Mei Family's Son Grows Up

Chapter 35 You are thinking too much
Xin Qiwu paused, took a sip of wine, and continued, "Let's talk about you. Your main official position is the Secretary of the Honglu Temple, the Acting Junior Secretary, which you can understand as an honorary junior secretary. You receive this title and salary, but your power is still the power of the Secretary of the Honglu Temple. Of course, your power is greater than that of the Secretary of the Honglu Temple without an honorary title. In our entire Honglu Temple, except for me, you are the highest official. Do you understand what I mean?"

Mei Chengan nodded.

"Lord Xin explained it clearly. I understand it completely."

"Hahaha, that's nothing. If you have anything else you want to know, just ask. Of course, let's not delay eating and drinking. Let's eat, quickly."

Mei Cheng'an picked up a piece of Mu Xu pork with chopsticks and asked after eating.

"Then when is the right time for me to report to the Honglu Temple? Is it also within seven days after the imperial edict is issued?"

"That was my first time, and I needed to customize my official uniform and seal, so the preparation time was a bit long. When I get promoted again, I won't have as much time. Usually, I have to report to the new office the next day after the handover."

"The official uniform is ready-made, but what should I do with my official seal?"

"After the imperial edict is issued, the Ministry of Personnel will change your documents and re-carve your official seal. After it is engraved, it will be sent to the government office. By the way, the previous official seal will be retrieved and destroyed."

"I see. What this means is that an imperial decree will be issued tomorrow and I will report to the Honglu Temple the day after tomorrow."

"correct."

"I actually have a small question."

"Haha, Master Xiaomei is really interesting."

"Master Xin, look, I am the Minister of the Honglu Temple, fifth rank, and the Shaoqing, fourth rank. So what rank am I? Should I count it according to my honorary position or my actual position?"

"Let me tell you this. Except when you are actually doing something, you are a fifth-rank. At all other times, you are a fourth-rank. Even an honorary fourth-rank is still a fourth-rank."

"Ah, now I understand what you said. If I beat up the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple, it wouldn't be considered beating my superior."

Xin Qiwu spat out half of the wine he had drunk before it even entered his throat.

Fortunately, Mei Cheng'an reacted quickly and dodged it, otherwise he would have been sprayed in the face.

"What did you just say???" His voice broke.

Mei Cheng'an returned to his seat and sat down again.

"Oh, Lord Xin, don't get excited. I'm just giving an example. I think there should be nothing wrong with what I said."

"Well...ah...well...that's the way it's said. Technically you are on the same level as him, but beating up a colleague is absolutely not allowed."

"I know, I know. I'm just giving you an example. I have no grudge against the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple. Why would I beat him for no reason?"

Xin Qiwu breathed a sigh of relief.

"You scared me to death. I just introduced you. If you beat up your colleagues, I would be an accomplice."

"Don't worry, if something goes wrong, I won't implicate you."

"That's still a long way off... huh? What's going to happen? What could possibly happen? You're not really planning to... This is absolutely not allowed."

"Oh, I'm just teasing you. I'm a scholar after all. How could I do something so humiliating? Sir Xin, can you please give me some trust?"

Xin Qiwu thought about it and it seemed to be true. He smiled again and said, "Master Xiaomei, you are so mean. You just scared me. I was really scared by you just now."

Mei Chengan quickly poured a cup for Xin Qiwu.

"It's my fault. After all, you will be my superior from now on. I wanted to liven up the atmosphere, but I didn't expect to mess it up. Sir Xin, please have a drink to calm down."

Xin Qiwu took the wine glass and took a sip.

"I'm telling you, it's just me. I'm naturally brave. If it were someone else, they would have been scared to death. How could they be as calm as I am?"

"Master Xin is right. My little joke is just like playing house in front of Master Xin. It's nothing."

"That's for sure. Let me tell you, everyone in our Honglu Temple, no matter how many people there are, is a person who can remain calm even when faced with a huge disaster. We have seen all kinds of big scenes."

Mei Chengan took the initiative to refill Xin Qiwu's cup.

"Master Xin is right. I will not hide it from you. At that time, you, Minister Guo, Junior Secretary of the Imperial Academy, and Imperial College Master were standing together. Your temperament was the most distinctive. At first glance, I could only see you, and I was unconsciously attracted to you."

"Hahaha, right? About this matter of temperament, let me tell you about it. Back then, when I wasn't married yet, there was a matchmaker... Later... Then... You see, temperament is sometimes innate, but sometimes it can be cultivated. After staying in our Honglu Temple for a long time, my temperament has slowly improved."

Have another glass of wine.

"Tell me more about your negotiations with foreign envoys back then."

"Hahaha, okay, then I'll introduce you to our glorious achievements. By the way..."

.........

When the two came out of Yishiju, the lights were already on. Xin Qiwu was drunk like a puddle and was being supported by his servants.

His servants were also puzzled. Although their master loved to drink, he always drank in moderation. This was the first time he was so drunk as today. The official who drank with the master did not show any sign of drunkenness at all, which was new.

He asked his servants to take good care of Xin Qiwu, and after sending him home safely, Mei Cheng'an also got on the carriage.

The meal cost a total of fourteen taels and three cents of silver, which was really not cheap.

Most of the money was spent on alcohol. The two of them drank a total of eight pots of wine, each pot containing one liter of beer, which was equivalent to sixteen bottles of craft beer.

When Mei Cheng'an returned to the Mei Mansion, Mei Zhili had not yet rested and said he was waiting for him in the study.

After Mei Cheng'an got rid of the smell of alcohol and asked Qingniao to confirm that it was gone, he went to the study alone, opened the door, and stuck his head inside.

"Dad, are you looking for me?"

Mei Zhili glanced at him and was relieved to see that he looked clear-headed and didn't seem to be in trouble.

"It's okay. I just heard that you left the palace very late today and didn't go home for dinner. Instead, you went out to drink with others. I can't put my mind at ease. From your appearance, it seems that nothing is wrong. Go back and rest."

Mei Zhili's concern for him was so subtle and silent that Mei Cheng'an smiled.

"Got it. I'm going back. By the way, Dad, I want to tell you that I got a promotion." After saying that, he retracted his head and planned to go back to the courtyard. "Come back!"

Mei Chengan stuck his head in again.

"Stand up properly, what do you look like?"

Mei Chengan walked in obediently.

"Tell me, what's going on."

Mei Cheng'an succinctly recounted the events of the past few days in this way.

"Last time you took the boy's exam, you passed the seventh rank. This time you took the exam again, and you passed the fifth rank directly."

"Um... Actually, I am a fourth-rank official. Honorary fourth-rank official is also a fourth-rank official. These are the exact words of Lord Xin Qiwu, the Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple."

Mei Zhili glared and said, "That was just polite talk. Don't really think of yourself as a fourth-rank official when you are out in public."

Mei Cheng'an smiled awkwardly. He actually had this idea.

"You get promoted every time you take an exam. At this rate, I'm afraid you'll soon surpass me, your father."

"That's impossible. This is an unexpected situation. If I'm guessing correctly, there must be someone secretly helping."

After hearing what Mei Cheng'an said, Mei Zhili also became serious.

"Close the door."

Mei Chengan did as he was told.

"Do you know who it is?"

"There is a suspect."

"who!"

"Chen Pingping."

"who???"

"Chen Pingping, President of the Supervisory Council."

"You don't need to tell me this. Why should he help you?"

Mei Chengan spread his hands.

"I don't know either. I'm just doubting it."

Mei Zhili had a look of surprise and doubt. Chen Pingping's name had long been known to everyone in the entire Qing Kingdom. He was someone who could stop children from crying at night. How could such a big shot be involved with his rebellious son?

"Have you met Chen Pingping before?"

"I've seen him a few times."

"Have you spoken?"

"Said."

"He admires you?"

Mei Cheng'an thought carefully and realized that he had met Chen Pingping three times in total. Once was in 1964 when Wang Qinian got married, once was in 1966 when he was called to the Supervisory Council to inquire about the matter of the Tanzhou base, and the last time was at the morning court a few days ago.

During our three conversations, there was curiosity, temptation, and threats. Oh yes, he even mocked me for being a low-ranking official. I really didn't feel that I admired him.

So he answered honestly.

"I didn't feel it."

"Then why do you suspect that he helped you?"

"because…"

He suspected Chen Pingping naturally because the connections between the Honglu Temple, the diplomatic envoys, Northern Qi, Sean, and Fan Xian were too strong. Moreover, he chatted with him after the court was dismissed that day and asked him many strange questions. Then the next day, His Majesty suddenly started preparing for the assessment, followed by promotion.

If not Chen Pingping, who should I suspect?

He didn't think that Chen Pingping was conspiring with His Majesty, because it was very simple. When His Majesty chatted with him, he always stabbed Chen Pingping in the back from time to time and acted. It seemed more like Chen Pingping was planning something secretly without His Majesty's knowledge.

I just don't know what means he used to make His Majesty want to evaluate him, and how he was sure that he could be transferred to the Honglu Temple if he passed the evaluation. Although all this has not been figured out yet, it is a foregone conclusion that Chen Pingping is causing trouble.

However, he couldn't tell Mei Zhili the reason why he suspected Chen Pingping, so he could only think of a way to fool him.

"Because, after the court was dismissed that day, I was delayed by something, and he came out relatively late, so we ran into each other. On the way out of the palace, we chatted about all sorts of things, and he even praised me for my profound knowledge. As a result, this assessment took place within two days, so I wondered if he had said something to His Majesty."

Mei Zhili frowned.

"Is that why?"

"Ah, that's why."

"If that's the case, then it's nothing. There's no need to think about why he helped you. Maybe this was just an accident."

Mei Chengan thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, it's a bit far-fetched to suspect him based on this. Maybe I'm just overthinking."

"You, Chen Pingping is very scheming and he is also the president of the Supervisory Council. He has a very bad reputation. Try to have less contact with him in the future."

"understood."

(End of this chapter)