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Ch102 - Vying
It’d been nearly midnight by the time he went to sleep yesterday, and just past five in the morning when Duan Qin crawled out of bed. Without bothering to wipe his face or brush his hair, he walked straight to his desk, lit the lantern, and began writing.
This was a habit he’d acquired after coming to the Liang Estate. At night, he summarized and organized the work he’d done during the day; in the morning, he filled in any missing information and noted down everything he’d require for the day. Currently, the Liang Estate had too many miscellaneous tasks that needed doing, and was understaffed. Of course had to get into this habit so that he wouldn’t let anything important slip his mind.
While he furiously scrawled away, a servant woman pushed the door open and said in shock, “Registrar Duan, you’re up already?”
“Go prepare some refreshments,” Duan Qin ordered, bent over his desk all the while.
The servant woman was very efficient; in no time at all, she set a light breakfast on his desk and briskly started making the bed.
Having outlined a rough to-do list, Duan Qin grabbed a steamed pancake and ate as he checked over its contents. These were sweet red bean pancakes the lord had specially instructed the kitchen to prepare. Made by wrapping red bean paste inside a steamed pancake, it was delicious and filling, the perfect pre-breakfast snack.
He finished two pancakes just as he finished looking over his drafts. He drank his tea in one gulp, went over to the bronze basin the servant woman had prepared, meticulously cleaned his face and teeth, then sat down and let the servant woman comb his hair. His lord had assigned this servant woman to him to take care of his everyday needs. Truth be told, having a person around really did save him from having to spend any thought on extraneous affairs.
Once he was all tidied, he glanced at the water clock. It was a quarter to six already. Duan Qin left without delay.
Classes at the schoolhouse began every morning at six. Though there was much work in the estate, he hadn’t set this task aside. Whenever he was home, he would hold lectures in the schoolhouse for a full hour before going to the study and handling other affairs. After all, this was part of the Liang Estate’s grand plan to cultivate their own people. It couldn’t be taken lightly.
Striding out from the inner courtyard, he went towards the schoolhouse. Because the number of students had increased, the schoolhouse had been moved from inside the inner courtyard to the militia’s former barracks. The place was spacious, nearer to the farmsteads, far enough to not cause any disturbance to the people in the manor, and more suitable for holding classes.
The moment his foot was across the threshold, he heard a deep yell, “Greet the instructor!”
“Good morning, Instructor!” a crowd of people immediately bellowed.
Duan Qin lurched momentarily. Their greeting was as vigorous as if this was an army inspection. He’d be scared out of his wits, if he hadn’t already gotten used to these crude fellows’ volume.
“Good morning to you all.” Duan Qin walked onto the platform, sat at the desk, and scanned the room.
Two groups of people, separate as the Jing and Wei rivers, sat in the classroom. Half of them were the children who’d been learning maths from Zhou Kan, and the other half were from the militia. Aside from those who were learning cartography, there were another ten taking classes. That group was split in half. Only five were in attendance each day, while the others took charge of the militia’s training. Yi Yan, though, was rarely present. But when he was, classroom discipline was superb. Even all the daydreaming and woolgathering disappeared without a trace.
Looking at Yi Yan’s expressionless face, Duan Qin said, “Today, we’ll be studying the Thousand Character Text. We’ll start with recitation then. Commander Yi, would you please recite it for the class?”
Yi Yan frowned, but didn’t refuse. He picked up his book and began reading aloud. As expected, he was several times more knowledgeable than the whole room; he didn’t miss a word. The text was only a thousand words long, so his steady recitation was soon finished.
“Very good,” Duan Qin praised. “Recitation is the most basic skill. You’ll have to memorize the text and understand its meaning. Go to page three, and we’ll continue where we left off yesterday.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The books in the schoolhouse had been printed by the estate; everyone had a copy on hand. Without further delay, Duan Qin began lecturing. Though many of the students were adults, their learning was inferior to that of the children’s, so he didn’t delve too deeply, and aimed only to speak in a way that everyone could comprehend.
Dea fnfgsbcf gfrqbcvfv vloofgfcais ab fvemjalbc. Ktf mtlivgfc ktb’v ifjgcfv wjat kfgf atf wbra jaafcalnf. Ktflg atlgra obg xcbkifvuf kjr qijlcis nlrlyif. Ktf rbivlfgr vlv rilutais kbgrf, atbeut atfs kfgf vlilufca fcbeut ja ifjgclcu wjq-wjxlcu. Ktf boolmfgr, atbeut, kfgf yjgfis qjrrjyif. Dea atja kjr bcis ab yf fzqfmafv. Cr ojg jr tf xcfk, atfgf kfgf qifcas bo ufcfgjir bea atfgf ktb mbeivc’a gfjv j rlcuif kbgv, jcv atfrf wfc kfgf wfgfis ybbgr ktb’v bcis pera glrfc bea bo rijnf rajaer.
Yi Yan’s, attitude, though, was rather interesting. In front of others, his hostility towards him wasn’t so obvious. He was exceptionally earnest when he read, seeming to have an intelligent, studios manner. But every so often, when he looked at him, he didn’t see him as his colleague or teacher – rather, there was an interrogative scrutiny in his gaze. It was almost as if he wasn’t here to learn, but to monitor and surveil him. Duan Qin was truly bemused.
The hour slipped away quite quickly. Duan Qin closed his book and said, “When you go home today, make sure to memorize these two pages. I’ll be doing a spot check or two tomorrow.”
The students’ reactions were varied, though Yi Yan’s indifference was obvious. He nodded slightly to him, saluted, and left the building. Duan Qin hurriedly caught up with him, “Commander Yi, the outline for the military reforms that we decided on a couple of days ago is already complete. I was just going to review it with our lord. Do you have the time to come along?”
That way, it’d be faster than conversing separately. Sure enough, Yiyan stopped and said coolly, “I have time.”
His tone was far more standoffish than it had been in the classroom, but Duan Qin was unbothered, and headed for the main residence with him.
※
Seeing Duan Qin and Yi Yan arrive at the study together, Liang Feng smiled, “I presume there is a verdict on the military reforms?”
Nothing else could have brought the two of them here together.
“Yes. Please have a look at the drafts, my lord.” Duan Qin respectfully presented the documents he’d written up last night, which he’d arranged according to these last few days’ discussion. Once his lord approved it, the items on it could be perfected one by one.
Liang Feng received the papers and began reading. Shortly afterward, he nodded, “This section regarding the auxiliary forces is acceptable.”
Currently, all new recruits were considered auxiliary forces; but after this restructuring, the auxiliary forces would be split in two. One part was a reserve force consisting of new recruits. They join the ranks of the main forces if they obtained three severed heads. The requirement for joining the main forces had become much more stringent, to limit its numbers. The other part would become ancillary forces, responsible for providing logistics support; their training was easier than the reserve forces’. That way, they could levy fewer ordinary commoners when the armies were deployed. However, the ancillary force’s benefits were less than the reserve force’s. They were basically a paramilitary force.
Reading on, Liang Feng frowned, “Is it really necessary that the main forces must collect severed heads to earn promotions?”
“Taking count of severed heads is the surest way to measure military merit. Without it, there could be too much bias in the system,” Duan Qin answered.
But Yi Yan responded, “Achieving victory in battle is only possible when the leadership and rank and file are of one mind, pushing forward together. If everyone is concerned only for their own military merit, it would harm the troops’ morale.”
That was one of Liang Feng’s concerns. Not everyone could chop off enemy heads in battle. Oftentimes, soldiers had to provide cover for their comrades or assist them in combat. These soldiers’ contributions would be overlooked if severed heads were the only thing that counted as merit. And it would cause conflicts between officers trying to claim credit for themselves.
“Then count them by team or by platoon,” Duan Qin said. “The previous two times that military merit was awarded, it was for surpassing victory, in which the militia defeated an enemy that vastly outnumbered them. We’re only changing the metric from surpassing victory to a headcount.”
Yi Yan seemed to have more to say, but Liang Feng made a gesture, “The idea is workable; try working out a procedure first then. As for the subdivision of rewards for military merit, it is very satisfactory.”
Before, there were only three tiers of military merit. Advancement was based on accumulating military merits. It took twenty third-class merits to build up to first-class merit – didn’t that equate to twenty surpassing victories? Those conditions were too difficult; it was better to partition the merit tiers and offer more rewards. For example, at a certain rank, one could let their family become exempt from corvĂ©e; at a certain rank, one could send their children to school; at a certain rank, one could retire from the military after ten years, etc. At the same time, these military merits would become a prerequisite for promotion, ensuring that everyone would fight with all their strength.
“The military ranks can be finalized as well,” Liang Feng said, after flipping through a few more pages.
During deployment, an officer’s rank was distinguished by their uniform, but that would make them easy targets for the enemy. So, Liang Feng suggested that the uniforms for captains and below should be identical as possible, and that their ranks should be indicated by insignias worn on their person; it was enough that their people could recognize them. That way, if the soldiers’ team leader or corporal were killed in action, they could quickly find a superior officer and regroup.
At first, Liang Feng had planned to put the insignias on epaulets or something. But after realizing that wearing armor made them too difficult to see, he had the insignia placed on sleeve badges; like in the modern era, ranks were differentiated by how many bars were on the insignia. Even one who couldn’t count could tell how densely or sparsely the bars were packed together, making things much simpler.
Afterward, they went over many more miscellaneous items. However, Duan Qin realized that Yi Yan had a problem. Any time he made a suggestion, he’d immediately poke holes in it and pick out all its flaws. He was more perceptive than he’d imagined. Some of the objections he’d raised, even he wasn’t able to refute. It made the conversation efficient, but also displeasing. He couldn’t tell if the other was doing it on purpose.
Finally, when the dozen or so items, big and small, were all settled, Liang Feng set down the draft, “With this, the military system is more or less determined. Later, the other multitudinous affairs of the estate must be reassigned. If you know of anyone reliable, Siruo, you can recommend two to take up post at the Liang Estate.”
“I do indeed have two old friends whose talents are remarkable. Allow me to write to them,” Duan Qin replied.
“Excellent!” Liang Feng glanced at the water clock, “It’s noon already. How about the two of you stay to eat.”
“Thank you, my lord,” the two saluted.
Duan Qin quite liked the Liang Estate’s food, most of which was stir-fried, as opposed to steamed. The taste was delicious, and the texture was outstanding; it was extremely appetizing.  His lord wasn’t particular about anything, except for food – that, he spent a lot of thought on. Duan Qin was ecstatic every time he had the chance to take a meal with his lord.
Of course, it’d be so much better if there wasn’t a colleague glaring daggers at him now and then.
The meal passed in both delightful and nerve-wracking. After eating his fill and enjoying some tea, Duan Qin said, “If you don’t mind, my lord, care for a game of Go? I still can’t get the last round we played out of my mind
..”
Normally, Duan Qin was very self-disciplined, but he really loved to play Go. What was rare was that he found that his lord’s Go tactics didn’t match his appearance at all; expansive, perilous, and ingenious, there was a hint of unbridled wildness. Duan Qin, who’d spent years playing against those droll, vain nobles, could hardly let such a skilled good opponent pass. Thus, he would seek a match whenever the opportunity arose.
But before Liang Feng could even open his mouth, Yi Yan said icily, “Why don’t I play a match with you instead, Registrar Duan?”
Not having expected that Yi Yan would answer, Duan Qin blinked, “You play Go as well, Commander Yi?”
“I personally taught Boyuan how to play. Care to try, Siruo?” Liang Feng said, with great interest.
At that, Duan Qin became interested as well, “Then I’ll trouble you for a match.”
The two, one with white stones and the other black, took up their positions, and faced off. The moment they began, Duan Qin realized that Yi Yan’s Go tactics truly were similar to their lord’s. But there was none of their lord’s skillful arraying. Rather, it was like a tiger raging down a mountain, a dragon bursting from the sea. His explosive onslaught left him no leisure to idly place his stones. Duan Qin was soon dripping with sweat. It seemed less like he was playing chess and more like he was being beaten up.
In less than a quarter, the board had become a mess. Duan Qin had to throw in the towel, “Your skill in Go is impressive, Commander Yi. I admit that I am no match.”
Yi Yan’s face was expressionless as ever, “Hardly. If you wish to play, Registrar Duan, I can oblige you at any time.”
Duan Qin thought, he’d really have to say no thank you to that. He liked playing chess, not fighting. In the future, he’d rather play against his lord instead. After uttering an awkward agreement, Duan Qin rose and took his leave.
Yi Yan was about to leave as well, when Liang Feng called him, “Boyuan, do you dislike Registrar Duan?”
Liang Feng wasn’t blind, and Yi Yan’s behavior these last few days had been obvious enough. His Go tactics today had been so unreasonable, it was more like venting his anger than playing a game of Go.
Yi Yan instantly stilled, and after a while, said, “Registrar Duan is very learned, and he is able to share your burdens, my lord. What is there to dislike?”
Your face has the word “dislike” written all over it. Liang Feng, bemused, shook his head, “What vinegar are you drinking? Yes, he can share my burdens, but does that mean you can’t? Rest assured, there is no one who can replace you.”
Yi Yan didn’t know what he meant by drinking vinegar, but he understood the latter half of his words just fine. He’d heard these words from his lord before, but once a person who really could accompany his lord every day, talk about anything and everything with him, play Go with him – the only thing he didn’t do was sleep under the same covers as him – showed up, it Yi Yan found it unbearably suffocating. He had to train – he didn’t have much time at all to spend with his lord!
Seeing that Yi Yan was still wordless, Liang Feng turned, “LĂŒzhu, bring the Stratego board here.”
LĂŒzhu affirmed and went to fetch it. Liang Feng smiled at Yi Yan, “Perhaps there are many with whom I can play a game of Go. But there are very few with whom I can play Stratego. How about it? Play a round with me?”
There were some things he really couldn’t speak freely about. Duan Qin was alright, of course, and he trusted him deeply, but ultimately, he was an extraordinarily astute ancient, one who was intimately familiar with the principles of feudal society. Letting loose too much in front of him would inevitably arouse suspicion. However, Yi Yan was different. As a Jie, he too didn’t belong to this fully developed society; he too was a muddled outsider. That was why there was no one aside from Yi Yan who could let him be himself. That, was something that Liang Feng would never mention to anyone else. He didn’t mind letting Yi Yan know, though; because he knew how important his trust was to this young Jie.
As expected, Yi Yan’s mood changed at once, as if his entire being had been lit up. His lips were still silently pursed, but he was tellingly quick to toss the Go board aside.
Liang Feng couldn’t help laughing, “If you lose this time, you can’t be so disagreeable to Siruo anymore.”
“I definitely won’t lose!” Yi Yan instantly replied.
“You brat.” Liang Feng grinned wryly.
Without another word, the two laid out their formations. Wooden pieces clacked crisply on the board.
The author has something to say:
The vinegar-eating fable comes from Xuanling’s wife. Emperor Taizong of Tang wanted to give Fang Xuanling a concubine, but Mrs. Fang was jealous and didn’t allow it. Taizong told her to choose between drinking poisoned wine and letting her husband take a concubine. But after Mrs. Fang knocked back the poisoned wine, she realized that it was vinegar. Later, jealousy and eating vinegar became connected.