TTTQF Chapter 139

What Does It Have to Do with Him?

“Che’er, have you made up your mind?” Feng Jianshan looks at Pei Che, his gaze filled with affection.

His grandson is exceptionally talented. Though he ranks eleventh in the imperial exams, Feng Jianshan has read his essay—it is not only beautifully written but also meaningful, far more substantial than the general essays. If military officials graded it instead of civil officials, his rank would surely be higher.

“Grandfather, I’m certain. I’ve decided to go out and gain experience, so there’s no need for Uncle to arrange a position for me,” Pei Che says. His uncle works in the Ministry of Personnel, and securing a position in the capital would be effortless. However, that would leave him vulnerable to accusations of favoritism, and Pei Che does not want his virtuous grandfather to be tarnished with charges of abusing power for personal gain.

“Then, have you decided where to go?” Feng Jianshan asks.

Although the Great Liang is currently prosperous, many impoverished areas remain unchanged. When young officials like Pei Che first receive their appointments, they often aim to relieve the people’s suffering and choose to serve in impoverished areas. Of course, this is also closely tied to the fact that it's easier to achieve political success in impoverished regions.

However, impoverished areas stay poor for many reasons, and enthusiasm alone isn’t enough to bring improvement. While some achieve results and get promoted, more often, it is a futile effort, with officials wasting years, or even their entire careers, buried there.

“Cangzhou,” Pei Che replies without a hint of hesitation, clearly having decided on this location long ago.

“Cangzhou?” Feng Jianshan repeats. Cangzhou is about six hundred miles from the capital—not far in distance, reachable by carriage within ten days. 

However, while not far from the capital, Cangzhou is known for its poverty. Surrounded on three sides by mountains with impassable roads, merchants rarely venture there for business. The only road out is frequently blocked by landslides from the mountains, making travel difficult, and few people come here.

“Cangzhou is isolated. You’d be better off going to Qingzhou. Though also poor, it’s well-connected, and achieving results wouldn’t be as difficult,” Feng Jianshan suggests.

Since the exam results are announced, he thoroughly researches potential locations requiring officials and compiles a list of ideal assignments for Pei Che. But it seems Pei Che has already made up his mind, and the place he wants to go is still Cangzhou.

“Grandfather, my mind is set. There’s no need to worry. I’ll take good care of myself and Ah Miao and the others,” Pei Che says.

Feng Jianshan looks into his determined eyes. Seeing that he can’t dissuade him, he finally concedes.

"Why didn't that kid Jiang Miao come with you today?"

Pei Che smiles. "Ah Miao went to the fields to plant vegetables with the aunts in the back mountain of the Imperial College today." In truth, it is mostly the ladies who are enthusiastic; Jiang Miao hardly tends to the vegetables after planting them. But for the women, working the fields is a way to pass the time and enjoy the joy of a harvest—what’s not to love?

“I think he’s afraid of losing and didn’t dare come,” Feng Jianshan mutters, his mustache twitching. He still harbors a grudge about Jiang Miao refusing to come and play chess with him.

... 

Old Master Feng has been curious about Jiang Miao even before he and Che’er got married, asking Che’er to bring him over for a visit. But to his surprise, the young man declines, saying he is busy with official matters, so Feng Jianshan doesn’t press the issue.

After the two married, Feng Jianshan finally met the young man when they visited relatives to thank them for their wedding gifts. To his annoyance, the boy is all flattery, saying he has long held a deep respect for him, has heard many tales of his deeds, knows about his imperial sword used to punish corrupt officials, and has even regarded him as a role model.

Since becoming an official, the old master has never heard such direct praise, leaving him a bit flustered. And it isn’t just him—Che’er’s younger brother, Xiao Shitou, has eyes sparkling as he stares at Feng Jianshan, practically embodying the phrase “Justice Incarnate” and radiating admiration, making it hard for the old master not to feel a bit pleased.

Despite his attempts to resist their sweet talk, he ultimately gave in, placing one arm around Mu’er and the other around Xiao Shitou, sharing stories of his travels while he forgot all about scolding Jiang Miao.

After they leave, the butler comes over to ask if the gifts Pei Che and his family brought should be stored in the treasury. The old master recalls that Jiang Miao mentioned a chess set he brought specifically for him, so he instructs the butler to put the other gifts in storage and bring him the chess set.

However, when the chess set arrives, it isn’t the traditional black-and-white Go stones but a set of red and black circular pieces, with opposing “King” and “General” tokens carved into the wood. The board, a folding one, displays interlocking grid lines, unlike a Go board.

This piques the old master’s interest, though new things aren’t always easy to figure out by trial and error. Watching the old master fiddle with the board with a furrowed brow, the butler suddenly smacks his forehead and hurries out.

The old master ignores the butler’s odd behavior and continues to study the chessboard. Before long, the butler returns, carrying a thin booklet in his hands.

“Master, this is a booklet that Young Madam gave me. He said it’s the instruction manual for the chessboard.” The butler doesn’t understand what an instruction manual is, thinks it unnecessary, and sets it aside. Now, thinking it over, he realizes it might be useful after all.

“Let me see it.” The old master takes the booklet and starts flipping through it. A quarter of an hour passes as he reads through the thin pages, which include both illustrations and explanations, far longer than one would expect.

Curious, the butler leans over to take a peek and sees that it contains some sort of instructions like, “The horse moves in an L-shape, the elephant moves diagonally, the rook travels straight, and the cannon jumps.” Just as he becomes engrossed in reading, the old master suddenly hands him the booklet and eagerly turns his attention back to the chessboard with great interest.

Thanks to the guide, what had seemed baffling before now becomes clear. After arranging the pieces, the old master begins contemplating strategies.

At first, he plays against himself, but gradually, he yearns for an opponent and teaches the butler how to play. Unfortunately, the butler is a terrible player, checkmated after just a few moves, leaving the old master with no sense of accomplishment. He thinks of looking for others to play with, but everyone else plays Go.

He finally understands what it feels like to be ahead of his time. Dejected, he returns home, only to hear the news that Pei Che and Jiang Miao have come to visit, which immediately brightens his mood.

Pei Che and Jiang Miao have been playing chess for a while, so they find it easy to face a new player. Jiang Miao is even more cunning, often setting traps, and the old master suffers heavy losses. Although he appears unfazed, he secretly grows competitive. Once they leave, he recruits household members and insists on training them, building up his skills and cultivating worthy opponents.

With such dedication, the results are impressive: within three months, he is on par with Jiang Miao. After that, he goes on to achieve several crushing victories, finally avenging his previous shame.

This leaves Jiang Miao feeling a bit defeated, realizing that some people’s minds simply work differently. Thankfully, he can still occasionally beat Pei Che; otherwise, as the one who introduces chess to Daliang, he would feel entirely stripped of dignity.

Pei Che simply smiles and says nothing. For the sake of family harmony, losing at chess is totally fine.

…

The court has recently begun assigning officials. As usual, the top three in the imperial exams are inducted into the Hanlin Academy, while the rest are assigned positions based on their skills. Some remain in the capital, but most are sent to posts outside the capital.

Of course, assignments outside the capital vary in distance and prosperity, and locations are chosen based on rankings from the imperial exams, with the top scorers choosing first. When it is Pei Che’s turn, he notes the choices of those before him—some choose wealthy areas, others impoverished, each with their own ambitions. Without hesitation, he chooses Cangzhou and soon receives his appointment letter from the Ministry of Personnel.

Others aren't as quick, but with Pei Che being the nephew of Uncle Feng, who holds real power in the Ministry of Personnel, wouldn’t it be like causing a scene in the Dragon King's Temple to embarrass him?

With his official papers in hand, Pei Che returns briefly to the Duke's Residence first. He comes to the door of his grandmother's courtyard and knocks. After a long while, Granny Gao opens the door. Upon seeing Pei Che, she can’t help but sigh.

“Young Master, the lady instructs that no one should open the door for you. Why put yourself through this?”

“Is Grandmother still upset?” Pei Che feels a pang of sadness.

Seeing the disappointment on his handsome face, Granny Gao softens, her heart turning tender like cotton.

“Young Master,” she says gently, “the lady won’t calm down anytime soon. You know she hopes you’d stay in Liangjing—even if that means giving up an official career.”

Pei Che shakes his head. “I’ve studied hard all these years because I want to see the world one day. My parents lived freely, traveling almost all of Da Liang without restrictions. I might not be able to travel as widely, but I refuse to remain confined here in Liangjing.” This has always been his dream.

“But, Granny Gao, I promise I’ll be back in no more than three years. Please look after Grandmother for me. If there’s any news, send word, and I’ll return immediately.” He’s been keeping an eye on her health; the physician says that ever since she took that thousand-year-old ginseng, her body has become much stronger, so he feels confident about leaving.

“Rest assured, I’ll take good care of the lady. But you must take enough people with you on this journey. Chan Yi and Wen Jing are thorough in their duties—you must bring them with you.” Her eyes betray some worry; this trip is far away from home, and if something happens, it will be too late to rescue them.

“Don’t worry, Granny Gao. I’ll be fine. I’ll also look after Ah Miao, Mu’er, and Xiao Shitou,” he assures her.

Granny Gao nods, about to remind him of a few more things when she hears the lady calling her name from within. She reluctantly excuses herself and heads back inside.

Seeing this, Pei Che has no choice but to leave. He has anticipated his grandmother’s displeasure, knowing she has always disliked him going far away.

Pei Che still feels a bit down when he returns to the Imperial Academy. After a busy day, Jiang Miao comes back and notices his mood right away.

"Has Cangzhou been chosen by someone else?" Jiang Miao guesses that might be the reason.

Pei Che’s expression freezes for a moment, but then he shakes his head. “No, it’s already secured.”

“Then what’s got you down?” Jiang Miao cuts straight to the point, not bothering to beat around the bush.

Pei Che sighs. “I’m not unhappy… Well, maybe a little. I just returned to the Duke's Mansion, but Grandmother still doesn’t want to see me.”

Jiang Miao thinks, Could she really be happy? It's just like having enough scores to get into a top-tier school yet being preoccupied with that "Great Dream" and even going against the family's plans.

If it were anyone else, Jiang Miao would think they were just putting on airs. But with Pei Che, somehow, it feels perfectly normal.

“Hey, give it some time. She’ll definitely soften. If she doesn’t see you now, she’ll surely want to see you before you leave Liangjing,” Jiang Miao consoles him.

“Really?” Pei Che sounds hopeful, wanting reassurance.

“Of course! Elderly people are soft-hearted. You’ll be gone for months, at least, before coming back—how could she not miss you?” Jiang Miao says this with complete confidence, as if he knows Pei Che’s grandmother best.

Pei Che seems comforted, probably feeling that Jiang Miao’s words hit the mark.

As for Jiang Miao, he isn’t worried about being right or wrong; it’ll be future Jiang Miao’s problem, nothing to concern him right now.

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