The sixth episode: Urgent Zhang Luo State official meets with Governor Shao Xun's deputy general surrendering to the capital

  But then Jiang Fu walked into the tent to listen for news, and the young master had no choice but to tell him: "Your money, Master said that not a single penny will be missing, but it will take a few more days to return it. Fortunately, your family members have also arrived, so even if you leave today, you won't be able to move. When you do leave, the money will naturally be returned to you." This young master was quite eloquent and didn't want to directly respond to Jiang Fu's question, in order to avoid being rude. However, his hesitant tone had already been seen through by Jiang Fu, who couldn't help but snort coldly after hearing him out, saying: "What kind of nonsense is this? You want me to leave without returning my money, this is a rare principle indeed! Let's not talk about anything else, let's go to the mansion and discuss this principle." The young master hastily tried to reassure him, saying: "Don't worry, you won't be shortchanged on your money!" Jiang Fu said: "If they dare to shortchange me, I'm not afraid!" And with that, he left.

  Originally, Jiang Fu and the draft gate of Guangxinfu were from the same hometown and were relatives, and they were extremely close. This draft gate was also the first red person of the governor, saying one is one, saying two is two. Jiang Fu came down from the account room and went straight to the government office, found his relative, and said that Lao Wang didn't return his money, he wanted to go to the government office to file a complaint first, asking his relative to pull him through. His relative listened and naturally patted his chest, taking full responsibility, making him extremely happy. On the same day, the draft gate returned to the government office and said that the county's Wang Daren was not good, how could he be so bad? Fortunately, this governor had been flattering him since Wang Mengmei took office, and in his heart, he still got along with him, saying: "This matter has come out, it doesn't look good on the surface, it's better not to let him file a complaint." He discussed it with Xingming Lao Fuzi. Xingming said: "Your Excellency's words are extremely reasonable. I will find him immediately and persuade him not to waste Your Excellency's kindness." The governor said: "That's very good." Xingming then asked his second master to take a name card to the county, inviting Wang Daren to come over in plain clothes for a discussion on official business. Not long after he left, Wang Mengmei indeed arrived. He walked into the study, made a bow, and sat down, chatting for a while. Xingming Lao Fuzi then brought up the governor's intention earlier, saying: "The governor said that we should get along well and not make a joke out of it. As long as Mengmei returns his money to him, other ungrounded matters cannot be tolerated." He then told Wang Mengmei what Jiang Fu wanted to accuse him of.

  Xingming: Official title, in charge of criminal judgment documents, called Xingming Shiyé.

  Wang Mengmei's face turned red as he listened to this, and he thought to himself that since Cai knew about it, there was no use hiding it from him. So he told Cai how despicable Jiang Fu was: "It's already been three days since anyone came to pay the grain tax. My brother is resentful in his heart, so even though we have money, we want to make him suffer for a couple of days before giving it to him. We didn't mean to cheat him out of his money." As for Jiang Fu saying he would report my brother, Cai said: "There are many ears and eyes in the city, and the county magistrate is extremely astute. Moreover, you have taken me as your guarantor, so even if I had done something wrong, could I hide it from the county magistrate? Not to mention that I wouldn't be able to deceive the county magistrate, but also you, sir." Cai said: "Who has the time to listen to these things? I'm just chatting idly. As long as older brother gives him the money a day earlier and gets rid of him a day earlier, everyone will be clear about it, and that's the end of it." Wang Mengmei's face turned red again, saying: "This Jiang Fu was originally introduced by a friend who said he was reliable. He came less than three days ago and took 3,000 yuan, asking me to lend it to him on his behalf. I didn't have any money to use at the time, but I wouldn't use their money even if I did." Cai said: "Yes." Wang Mengmei said: "I think they just wanted to make a bit of interest, so I kept him and lent the money to him on his behalf. It's true that I put it in the warehouse for him." Cai said: "Regardless of whether you're storing or lending, as long as you return the money to him, that's all."

  Wang Mengmei was stunned for a moment, then said: "Since you put it that way, brother will obey. Tomorrow, I'll transfer the 3,000 yuan to Old Master's account. Brother needs to check if there are any irregularities before letting him off." Wang Mengmei's words were just a way to wrap things up. Xingming also understood and said: "Very well, let's do it that way. If there are indeed irregularities, I'll report to the superior and deal with him severely." After finishing speaking, Wang Mengmei took his leave.

  The next day, he came to the government office and brought a 3,000 yuan bank draft due at the end of the month. Xingming accepted it and asked: "Did you issue any receipts to Jiang Fu before?" Wang Mengmei replied: "There was one receipt." Xingming said: "Today, I'll give you a receipt first, and tomorrow you can bring it back to exchange for the original receipt."

  This matter was thus settled with the government official mediating in between. Jiang Fu didn't dare ask for more, and Wang Mengmei avoided losing face. By the end of the year, Xingming took advantage of this matter to ask Wang Mengmei for a loan of 500 taels of silver to celebrate the new year. Wang Mengmei gave him 200 taels, and that's how the matter was settled. This is a later story and won't be discussed further.

  It's a long story, but to make it short, after San Hebao made peace with his brother, he started making money from selling and buying official positions in Jiujiang Prefecture. He himself earned several hundred taels of silver, and together with the money he had previously accumulated, he now had at least tens of thousands of taels of silver in his possession. At that time, Shanxi was experiencing a severe drought, and San Hebao took advantage of this opportunity to raise funds for disaster relief. He went around soliciting donations from officials, planning to make a profit by embezzling the funds. He already held a position as a provincial official, and he donated money to purchase another position as a prefectural governor. He also donated money to obtain a title with a flower pattern, which would bring him good fortune in his future career. As luck would have it, he drew the first lot in the lottery, and at that time, his brother Da Hebao had already returned to office. San Hebao immediately handed over the accounts and silver to his successor and set off for Beijing to await selection as a candidate for official appointment. The next month, the position of prefectural governor of Ju County in Shandong Province became vacant, and it was his turn to be selected for the post.

  Assistant to the Governor

  ② Drawing lots: drawing lots to decide on the appointment of officials from other provinces.

  However, there was a bitter point. He took out the money from his bag and entrusted someone to go through the back door, spending 2,000 taels of silver, and became a student of a high-ranking military official. On that day, he entered with his letter of introduction and a silver note. After waiting for half a day, the high-ranking official summoned him. He went in and kowtowed three times, but the official only returned half a bow, letting him sit down, and asked only two questions: "When did you come?" San Huabao replied, and then asked again: "When will you leave?" San Huabao said: "I'll be delayed for three or four days before leaving." After saying these two sentences, the high-ranking official immediately sent him off with tea, and himself walked away. San Huabao had no choice but to retreat, returning to his residence. The next day, the high-ranking official sent someone with a letter, saying it was to be delivered to the Governor of Shandong. San Huabao received it, and then someone came with eight taels of silver, and left after handing it over. Under the lamp, San Huabao had nothing to do, so he secretly opened the letter and took a look, only to see that the letter was just an eight-line poem, with fewer than twenty characters in total, the size of a walnut. San Huabao, who had been in official circles for a long time, knew that this was all there was to the high-ranking officials' eight-line poems. He still sealed it up properly.

  Two days later, he left the capital and rushed to Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong. He presented himself to the governor and handed over the letter from the military commander. The next day, he was summoned by the governor, who said: "The position in Juxian is difficult, I have already discussed it with the governor, but coincidentally, a vacancy occurred in Jiaozhou yesterday, so I will appoint you as the acting official first. Later, if there are other better positions, I will help you get them." San Hebao thanked him profusely and said: "I am unworthy and unlearned, now that foreigners have arrived in Jiaozhou, it is difficult to handle affairs, please instruct me often, sir." The governor replied: "Fortunately, I will be leaving the province soon for a grand inspection tour, first to the three eastern prefectures. It won't take more than a month before I arrive at Jiaozhou. At that time, we can discuss any matters face-to-face. You should hurry to your post." San Hebao assented several times and left. Before evening fell, the governor's office indeed posted the appointment notice. San Hebao was naturally delighted. The next morning, he hastened to the superior official's yamen to express his gratitude, some officials were available to meet with him, while others were not. On the second day, he paid another round of visits, and on the third day, he went to bid farewell at various government offices. San Hebao set off for his new post, and around that time, the governor also departed.

  Here is the translation:

  San He Bao arrived in Jiaozhou, busy with visiting temples, receiving seals, inspecting troops, auditing warehouses, reviewing the city walls, reviewing the guards, paying respects to colleagues and officials. He also had to settle accounts with his predecessor, which took him over twenty days to complete. Just as he finished, a message came from the county office that the Governor was coming from Laiyuan Prefecture. San He Bao received this news and, being new to officialdom, everything had to be set up from scratch. Now, with such an important task at hand, even if he had the money, how could he possibly prepare in just a few days? When he was about to leave the provincial capital, various shops selling foreign goods, southern goods, and silk fabrics all offered him credit because he was the current high-ranking official and one of the top three officials of the Jiangxi Salt Administration. No one doubted his creditworthiness, so they were willing to lend him goods without demanding cash upfront. As a result, he borrowed several thousand taels worth of goods. However, with such an urgent task at hand that required careful preparation, it was truly difficult. For a moment, he felt like an ant on a hot skillet, not knowing which way to turn. He immediately consulted with the officials in the yamen.

  Worshiping temples: Worshiping gods in temples, such as Confucius Temple and Guan Yu Temple.

  ② Roller: Rolling notice single.

  Here is the translation:

  Inside, there was a scholar named Ding Zijian from Jiyang County who was known for his filial piety. He had studied at the Shuyuan Academy in the provincial capital and had repeatedly excelled in the imperial examinations. Not only was he proficient in the eight-legged essay style, but he was also skilled in poetry, song lyrics, and calligraphy. His paintings were comparable to those of Wang Shimin, and his handwriting was similar to that of Zhao Mengfu. He had previously been a student of the governor, who had taken a liking to him. Now, due to Ding's mourning period at home, he had nothing to do and sought out his old teacher to ask for a recommendation for a position. Fortunately, his teacher had recently become the governor of Shandong Province and was highly respected throughout the province. As a result, he recommended Ding to San Hebao as a bookkeeper. One day, when San saw that the master of the house was worried about some official business, he asked him what was wrong. The master explained that he had been unable to come up with a solution, and San offered his advice: "I have an idea for how to handle this matter." San Hebao asked him to explain, and Ding said: "My teacher has a certain temperament, similar to that of Yan Wenjie and Li Jiandang. When he was the governor, I lived in his yamen for several days. Although he had a separate kitchen in his residence where food was prepared with great care, when guests came, he would only serve four dishes and two bowls, along with some tofu and vegetables. His wife, who is also my teacher's mother, always wore pearls and jade on her head and silk robes on her body. However, my teacher himself wore only a gray cotton robe and a blue cotton jacket with several patches, as well as an old hat that looked like it had been picked up from an antique stall. From the outside, he appeared to be very frugal. In reality, however, he was a man of great cunning and would always accept gifts from others. Although he would not ask for them himself, if someone gave him something, he would certainly treat them with favor. This is his good point. Now, when it comes to handling official business, if we can do so in a grand manner, that would be best. However, if we cannot, I think it would be better to show some humility and sincerity. In this way, we will not only save money but also gain a good reputation. What's more, he will appreciate our kindness and treat us with favor."

  San Hebao said, "No matter how we arrange this task, the system is related to it, and we must have a certain degree of propriety." Ding Zijian said, "This is easy. Now that it's already May and the weather is hot early this year, the decorations in the command post are too luxurious, which can be annoying. It would be better to make it simple. We can set up a few foreign-style rooms, just with tables, chairs, and curtains, and get rid of the rest of the decorations. Let's also prepare several hundred pots of flowers and fill the house and courtyard with them. For meals, we don't need to use traditional Chinese or Manchu dishes, but instead serve him Western food. He must be tired of eating roasted meats on his journey here, so it would be good for him to have some simple food for a couple of days. Besides, having these rooms will also make it convenient if foreign guests come to visit."

  San Hebao listened to Ding Zijian's words and thought they made sense. But then he hesitated and said, "Where can we find these foreign items?" Ding Zijian replied, "This is easy. I have a friend who is very close to the German military officer, so I'll ask him to lend us some things. We can borrow knives, forks, plates, and cups for serving Western food, as well as tables and decorations. If we don't have enough, we can ask him to help us borrow more."

  San Hebao said, "Are you going to ask someone to lend us their cook?" Ding Zijian replied, "For these few days, we'll just tell the foreigners not to light their stoves, and we'll prepare all the food here. We'll have our servants deliver it to them, and they'll be happy to save money." San Hebao said, "If that's how it is inside, then it's basically settled. But what about outside?" Ding Zijian replied, "Once we've arranged things inside, it will be easier to deal with the outside. However, which house should we use as the command post? Once we have a house, we can start making arrangements."

  San Hebao asked, "Which one do you think is good?" Some of the officials suggested borrowing the house of Sun's family outside the east gate, while others suggested borrowing the house of Wang's family inside the south gate. San Hebao listened to their suggestions but didn't like any of them - either the location wasn't suitable or the house was too small and cramped. Later, it was Gao Er, a veteran official who had seen many things, who spoke up and said, "These two places are both too far away. Why not just use the academy instead? The road is close by, and the house is spacious. From the main gate to the upper house, it's a straight path - isn't that better than Sun's or Wang's houses?" San Hebao listened to his words and repeatedly said they were good. Ding Zijian also quickly agreed.

  Here is the translation:

  San He Bao entrusted Shi Ye to help with the accounts and overall management, while he himself was busy with arrangements. Outside, the tent makers and painters were all summoned to the high gate to take care of things. Inside, Ding Shi Ye only managed borrowing items, arranging for cooks, and setting up rooms. Fortunately, there were many hands working quickly day and night without stopping, and after five or six days, everything was in order.

  Just then, a notice from the county arrived like snowflakes, saying that the Governor would arrive the day after tomorrow. San He Bao hastened to coordinate with the camp to go out and meet him.

  Now, the officer of the Jiaozhou Camp, Wang Bi Kui, was originally a deputy general and a martial arts champion. He was skilled in archery and marksmanship. However, he had the bad habits of the military camp, where soldiers were not trained regularly, and he also embezzled public funds for personal use. These problems were too numerous to mention.

  The only thing that worried them was the triennial inspection, which was a major concern for them. The anxiety they felt was even greater than that of scholars during their triennial exams. When the Governor arrived in March, this officer received a letter and had a knot in his stomach. Fortunately, there were still many days to go before the inspection, so he just transmitted the order to all the officers under him, from the middle army commander to the guards, battalion commanders, company commanders, and external delegates, telling them to gather their troops quickly to avoid chaos at the last minute.

  When these people received this order, they knew it was related to their own evaluation, so they did not dare to slack off. All the local officials and soldiers were busy preparing...

  The days passed quickly, and the soldiers were busy with their drills. The commander would often go to watch them train. It was a grand sight, with flags waving and drums beating. The soldiers had to master two skills: running and shouting. When the commander arrived, they would all kneel down and shout in unison. They would then run to the front and wait for further instructions. These drills were their secret techniques, and everyone had to practice them.

  As for the other skills like juggling spears and performing acrobatics, these were just extras that anyone could learn. The soldiers would perform these tricks during breaks, and it was a wonderful sight to behold. They called this "打对子" (da dui zi).

  The commander would watch these drills for a few days, but soon grew tired of them and sent his deputy to take his place. The deputy would then practice archery on his own, trying to hit the target with precision. If he missed, it would be a disaster for his career.

  Some of the older soldiers had switched from archery to shooting guns. They would shoot at targets, and if they hit them, it was a wonderful sight. These were busy days for both the civil and military officials, who barely had time to eat or sleep.

  Gesh: A military officer who serves as an attendant of a governor or provincial commander.

  One day, Sanhebao arrived and knew that Governor Fu had already reached the front station. He immediately went to meet him with Wang Xietai. After that, he rushed to the governor's office to report his arrival. Governor Fu summoned him in and exchanged a few pleasantries before dismissing him. Next, he went to the military affairs office to pay respects to General Hong's mansion. He also paid respects to some officials who had arrived with him, including a certain Wen'an old master and a patrol officer. These officials were all of the same rank as Sanhebao, so there was no need for formal introductions; they simply called out their names and went to pay their respects. After paying his respects, he waited until evening when Governor Fu had gone to sleep and Patrol Officer Lu had come down. Sanhebao had previously paid his respects to Lu in the provincial capital, so he asked him to put in a good word for him with Governor Fu. Now that they met again, Sanhebao was extremely courteous. He told Lu that he had just taken office and "everything is not yet in order, I rely on your help to take care of things." Lu promised to do his best, saying: "Don't worry about anything, brother, it's all on me. Even the officials close to Governor Fu know that we are good friends, so they won't dare make things difficult for us." Sanhebao was extremely grateful and thanked him profusely.

  The cook who came with the master said, "Our master is very easy to deal with. Your old man doesn't need to spend a lot of money, and we don't need to go to a lot of trouble. Just four dishes and two bowls will do. He'll even be delighted with just one dish of scallions stir-fried with shredded meat, one dish of scrambled eggs, one dish of mixed vegetables, and one bowl of egg drop soup. Add some sesame oil, and he'll be very pleased. For breakfast, just two pancakes and a bowl of congee will do. And for afternoon tea, just two buns are fine, and he won't complain at all."

  The governor's words were met with repeated thanks. They parted ways, and the governor returned to handle matters. Along the way, he ran into another official, Lu Xun, and received some instructions. The governor then entered his sedan chair and took a short rest. Around noon that day, the imperial carriage arrived outside the East Gate of the city, causing a commotion among the people, who all went to take a look. After waiting for a while, they saw the soldiers carrying large flags, knives, and guns, running with sweat dripping from their brows, forming a tight formation at the front. Behind them were the attendants of the imperial envoy, holding various flags, including the "Chongfeng" flag, the "Shuai" flag, official plaques, drums, cymbals, fans, command flags, and arrows. There were also executioners, clear-the-way flags, flying tiger flags, eighteen types of military equipment, horse paths, horse umbrellas, golden melon-shaped axes, sedan chairs, lanterns, personal guards, and patrolmen, all passing by in pairs. Only then did they see the governor sitting in an eight-man sedan chair, slowly approaching. The governor was wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses, stroking his beard with one hand, and fanning himself with a Chaozhou fan in the other. He looked majestic, surrounded by his attendants. Before long, three loud cannon shots were fired, signaling the arrival at the temporary palace. Music began to play from the drum towers on both sides. The governor's sedan chair was carried by the guards all the way to the entrance, where it stopped. All the officials, big and small, stood in attendance. The governor nodded slightly towards the crowd, then entered the palace, surrounded by his attendants. He summoned three officials, including Wang Xuetang, to discuss local affairs and ask about the situation with foreigners. He also told Wang Xuetang, "It's already four o'clock today; tomorrow morning, we'll go to the drill ground for inspection." Wang Xuetang replied in agreement.

  Deputy General

  Fu Yin said, "It's too luxurious!... He Da Ge, I didn't leave the province, and I asked someone to bring a message to you, telling you not to be too extravagant. How can it still be so troublesome?" It turned out that Fu Xian was currently in the reception hall, and San He Bao had prepared everything according to Chinese officialdom, all of which were embroidered with flowers. Therefore, Fu Yin thought it was too luxurious, but he didn't know that there were foreign-style rooms behind that he hadn't seen yet. San He Bao replied, "This is the reception hall, and a few foreign-style rooms have been prepared for you in the back. They are more suitable for summer, and there aren't many decorations inside."

  When the governor heard that it was a foreign-style room, he immediately told San Hebao: "You go in and sit down." At this point, Wang Xietai was dismissed, and San Hebao accompanied the governor into the room. Inside the courtyard, there were hundreds of pots of flowers arranged, and the governor praised them with a single word: "Good". When they arrived at the room, he looked around and said: "It's very refreshing!..." Then he asked San Hebao: "These foreign things must be expensive, right?" San Hebao didn't dare say that they were borrowed, so he just said: "They're not worth much money." Taking advantage of the opportunity, he added: "I know that Your Excellency likes cool and refreshing things in the summer, so I prepared some Western-style dishes." The governor heard about Western-style dishes and was taken aback for a moment. He said: "Western-style dishes are mostly beef and mutton, but my family has not eaten beef for seven generations. Just give me some ordinary Chinese food, that's fine. You don't have to go to so much trouble, I won't enjoy it as much." San Hebao said: "I've prepared both Western and Chinese dishes. Even if we make Western dishes without beef, they can still be made." The governor said: "Since there are Chinese dishes, I'll just eat those. Leave the Western dishes for later, when you invite foreign guests to dinner." When San Hebao heard this, he immediately gave a signal to the servant who was in charge of the kitchen, telling him to hurry up and prepare the food. After discussing some official business, San Hebao finally took his leave and went to pay his respects to the other officials in their quarters. Later, after the governor had finished dinner, the provincial officials came to bid farewell, and the police officer on duty said goodnight. San Hebao returned home, and the governor also retired for the night. Everything was prepared according to the instructions of Police Officer Lu, so the governor was very pleased.

  The night was spent in anxious vigil, and the three servants did not dare to close their eyes for a moment, fearing that they would miss the appointment. The next morning, it was said that the official had already risen, and the kitchen staff brought in the prepared porridge, pancakes, and snacks. At this time, the second drum had already been sounded in the camp. Then, all the officials came to present their memorials, and the patrol officer announced: "All are exempt from seeing him, and will meet again at the drill ground." As he spoke, the third drum was sounded. The official emerged and boarded his sedan chair, and all the officials of the city stood upright, waiting to see him off. This governor was very humble, and as he walked out, he bowed to them repeatedly, but they remained still and unresponsive. It wasn't until the governor had boarded his sedan chair and nodded to them from within that they all bowed in unison, sending off the imperial envoy and minister of war. The officials then rushed along the small path, eager to get ahead of the governor and welcome him. They ran non-stop, horse and man, until they reached the drill ground. There was a temporary rest hall prepared for them, where everyone entered to take a short break. Before long, three loud cannon shots were heard, signaling that the governor's entourage had arrived at the camp gate. At this point, Wang Youcai led the way, accompanied by his subordinates and soldiers, all wearing helmets and armor, carrying swords, and kneeling in welcome. Wang Youcai had a special official to announce his name, while the others, from the lowest ranks upwards, held their memorials and knelt on the ground, shouting loudly. After they finished shouting, the governor's attendants shouted "Rise!" and the soldiers responded with a loud "Yes!" The governor's sedan chair was then escorted into the drill hall, surrounded by his entourage.

  And the school grounds were originally outside the east gate, and the place was very spacious. On top of it is a high platform, several factory buildings, which are the martial arts hall, the eastern side is the commander's platform, and the western side is the horse path. Behind the martial arts hall, there are three more rooms for the imperial court to eat and rest. On both sides of the martial arts hall, there are several tents: on the east side, it is prepared for officials who are on duty to go in and sit down when they are tired, or to change clothes; on the west side, it is prepared for the camp service personnel to help watch the archery competition. The same is true of the public case.

  But let's talk about the martial arts performance at the governor's mansion. The governor arrived in a sedan chair and was greeted by officials of all ranks. After dismounting, he went to rest in the back. The head of the military affairs bureau, Mr. Hong, accompanied him inside and exchanged a few words. After drinking a bowl of tea, he ordered the performance to begin.

  Outside the camp gate, three loud cannon shots were fired, followed by the sound of drums and bugles. The governor took his seat, and then the officials from the city and the military, led by General Wang, came to pay their respects, bowing three times. The governor returned the bows.

  Next, a group of police officers went up to ask for instructions, and the governor nodded slightly. After paying their respects, they stood on both sides. General Wang, wearing his helmet and armor, carrying a sword and bow, took a flag from beside the martial arts hall and walked to the front of the governor's desk, kneeling on one knee and saying, "Please give your orders, sir."

  The governor ordered them to first demonstrate Western-style drills, then display their formations, followed by firing cannons, and finally show off their skills with rattan shields and other techniques. General Wang acknowledged the orders and walked up to the steps of the martial arts hall, handing the flag over to the military commander.

  The commander held the flag in his hand, facing south, and gave a signal, whereupon Western music began to play. From afar, one could see many troops armed with foreign rifles, marching in unison under the command of their instructor. The commander then knelt down on both knees and reported, "Sir, please watch the rifle drills." He stood up and stepped aside.

  Next came the demonstration of military formations: the long snake formation, the two-weapon formation, the three-talent formation, the four-sided ambush formation, and the five-route attack formation. In between these formations, there were also demonstrations of the long snake formation changing into a spiral shell formation, and the spiral shell formation changing into an eight-trigram formation.

  Suddenly, two armies clashed, engaging in fierce combat. Just as things were getting intense, several cannons were fired from behind the scenes, causing a deafening noise that sent all the soldiers back to their units.

  Under the wall opposite the martial arts hall, a large tent was set up with a flag bearing the words "Three Armies Commander" in large characters. Next came the demonstration of rattan shield techniques and other skills: flipping somersaults, climbing poles, and so on. After that, drums were beaten and military commands were blown, signaling all the troops to gather around the drill ground, marching from front to back in a circle, which was called "dismissal."

  Finally, the commander took the flag back up to General Wang, who knelt down and reported, "Please give your orders, sir." The governor then retired to have lunch, followed by all the officials.

  Tō no kata: Tō sei no tate.

  English Translation:

  Tō's crest: Tō-made shield.

  After lunch, the ceremony resumed, and after all the officials had taken their seats, they watched as each general took his turn shooting. This was a grand military ritual, and even though Wang Xietai was a high-ranking official of the second grade, he still had to wear his bow and arrow and wait on the sidelines. According to precedent, the governor would usually exempt him from shooting, and besides, he was a graduate of the Wu Ding Academy, personally selected by the emperor as one of his students. Even if he were released to serve as a lieutenant general, which was one rank lower than Wang Xietai, he would still be excused. However, the governor's temperament was humble and gentle, but when he saw Wang Xietai with a smug expression on his face, asking him about military matters in the camp, most of what he said was contradictory, so he felt extremely uncomfortable. When it was time to take roll call, the head patrol officer shouted "General Wang", and Wang Biquan responded from below, "Present!" On one hand, he held his bow, on the other hand, he looked up at the governor with his eyes, hoping that he would be excused from shooting and spare his face. But who knew that the governor wouldn't say a word? After waiting for more than a moment, everyone was stunned, and the governor still didn't respond. Wang Xietai's anger was not trivial! He had no choice but to pull out an arrow, put it on the bowstring, and without even taking aim, he shot off five arrows in a row, but none of them hit the target. After finishing shooting, as usual, he came up to kneel down and report his name. The governor saw that Wang Xietai had intentionally missed all his shots, knowing that he was looking down on him, and suddenly became enraged. When Wang Xietai came up to report his name, he scolded him severely, saying: "The military ritual for the past three years is a grand ceremony of the imperial court! Now, according to the edict from above, no one is allowed to show favoritism or partiality. You look down on me, which means you also look down on the imperial court! As the commander of a battalion, your archery skills are still so clumsy, what can be expected of other things? I have no choice but to follow precedent and report this to the emperor to maintain military discipline!" After finishing speaking, he ordered his hat to be removed and for him to wait for punishment. Wang Xietai had originally been angry because the governor was a graduate of the Wu Ding Academy and didn't give him face by exempting him from shooting, so he intentionally missed all five shots. Now that he saw the governor getting angry, he regretted it, but still knelt on the ground, refusing to get up. The governor ignored him and continued to call out the names of the other generals one by one to take their turns shooting. The governor also thought the target was too close, so he called a trusted patrol officer and two guards to re-measure the distance with a bow. Who knew that these patrol officers and guards had all taken bribes from them? No matter how seriously the governor measured it, the bow just lay on the ground.

  Enough idle talk. The targets are set up, and one by one they take turns shooting. In the western pavilion, there is also a military affairs office where Mr. Hong helps to supervise, so as not to delay the proceedings. Everyone sees that the governor is angry, so they all become cautious and do not dare to slack off. After the matter is finished, Wang Xietai still kneels without getting up. The governor retires from the hall after sitting for a short while, and orders him to get up and return to his camp. The crowd follows the usual protocol to send him off, no need to elaborate.

  Here is the translation:

  As soon as the governor returned to his headquarters, he summoned Hong, the head of the military affairs department, and said: "Since Wang Xietai's skills have become rusty and his soldiers are not well-trained, immediately remove him from office and temporarily appoint another general who came with me to take over. After returning to the province, I will submit a memorial to the emperor for approval." Hong agreed.

  Only Wang Xietai, wearing a hat without a top, his eyes red and swollen from crying, accompanied by three officials from the local government, came before Hong and begged him to intercede on his behalf. But he was scolded again by Hong, who said: "Why did you have to quarrel with him? Now it's too late for me to think of a way out. You temporarily hand over your duties, and I'll think of a solution when we return to the province." Wang Xietai had no choice but to leave.

  Later, after the governor returned to the province, Wang Xietai went again to beg Hong. Hong demanded 6,000 silver coins from him in exchange for not ruining his reputation. Poor Wang Xietai, as a military officer, where could he get that kind of money? He managed to scrape together 2,000 silver coins and sent them over, but Hong refused to accept them.

  The governor intended to impeach Wang Xietai and remove him from office, but Hong pretended to be a good person and interceded on his behalf, reducing the punishment to demotion by one rank. It should be known that generally speaking, those who are removed from office can be reinstated with just one recommendation, while those who are demoted must be promoted step by step.

  This is the evil deed done by Hong, but this is a later story. To know what other actions the governor took after inspecting the troops, please listen to the next episode.

  Du Si: A Qing dynasty Green Standard Army officer.

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