023 Filial City
"Know him? Naturally." Qi Shan wasn't surprised by the Vice Minister's reaction, still smiling gently. "But it's a pity, it was just a fleeting encounter. I doubt Master Tian would remember. Eight years ago, during the special examination of Xin Nation, Master Tian happened to serve as the chief examiner."
Eight years ago?
Chief examiner?
These two hints triggered recognition in the Vice Minister. He started to remember.
He had some impression. The so-called "special examination" was an additional trial outside the normal talent selection activities, and the chief examiner was in charge. Scholars could use this opportunity to enter officialdom.
There were three parts to the assessment: family background, moral character and ability, and most importantly, literary talent.
The first two determined the minimum threshold for officialdom, while the last one determined the ceiling of one's career.
The Vice Minister had a good memory. He remembered the scholars selected at that time, but couldn't recall Qi Shan among them. Was Qi Shan one of the unsuccessful candidates?
As this speculation emerged in his mind, the Vice Minister's face revealed a hint of discomfort—he, as the chief examiner, had overlooked such a big fish, which was truly his negligence.
But then he thought, now that Xin Nation no longer existed, and many former officials of Xin Nation had been targeted and poisoned by Zheng Qiao's purge.
In just a few months, countless innocent lives had been lost. It was fortunate that Qi Shan hadn't entered officialdom.
He patted his son's arm lightly, and his son understood, helping him to stand up. The father and son bowed respectfully to Qi Shan.
"May I ask for the benefactor's name?" Qi Shan returned the courtesy.
"Surname Qi, given name Shan, courtesy name Yuanliang," he replied.
The Vice Minister murmured to himself, "Qi Yuanliang... Qi?" Qi Shan's surname was rare, and he vaguely remembered a young scholar named "Qi Shan" on the roster. At that time, he was only sixteen, the youngest among the scholars.
However—
The Vice Minister lowered his eyelids, his gaze subtly shifting to the literary insignia on Qi Shan's waist. If his memory served him right, that scholar seemed to have—
Before he could retrieve that memory, Qi Shan preempted him, speaking up.
"It's a sixth-grade, lower-ranking."
The Vice Minister pursed his lips in silence. As more clues emerged, he gradually recalled some long-forgotten details.
At this moment, his son, with his straightforward temperament, interjected, "A sixth-grade, lower-ranking literary talent? Why wasn't he recruited?"
Although a sixth-grade, lower-ranking literary talent was considered mediocre, it shouldn't have been impossible for Qi Shan to obtain a minor official position. In the last few years before Xin Nation's demise, there was a shortage of talent everywhere, and the standards were not high. It was impossible not to recruit Qi Shan.
The Vice Minister remained silent, giving his son a warning glance. The son, intimidated, fell silent immediately.
Only after his son quieted down did he inquire of Qi Shan, "Did the benefactor offend someone at that time?"
Qi Shan, being passed over and unable to obtain a minor official position, was certainly not solely due to his literary talent being insufficient.
"Yes, I did offend someone," Qi Shan admitted candidly, with a slight crescent-shaped smile. "Father, who was it that framed the benefactor?" his son asked, straightforward as always. Hearing that Qi Shan missed out on an official career due to someone's malice, he was immediately filled with indignation. But instead of answering, the Vice Minister subtly pinched his son's arm.
"Father—"
"Silence!" the Vice Minister gave him a stern look.
His son fell silent. Only then did the Vice Minister ask Qi Shan for confirmation. "Did someone plot against the benefactor back then?"
Qi Shan, having been brushed aside and unable to secure a government position, naturally wasn't due to his lack of literary talent alone.
"Yes, indeed," Qi Shan replied, his eyes still curved in a crescent shape, accepting it matter-of-factly. "Father, who was it that framed the benefactor?" his son asked, his voice tinged with anger. Upon hearing that Qi Shan was obstructed by someone's malice from obtaining an official position, he immediately became furious. But instead of answering, the Vice Minister subtly pinched his son's arm.
"Father—"
"Silence!" the Vice Minister shot him a sideways glance.
His son fell silent.
"That person didn't exactly frame me; it's just that he got hold of my secret. Being rejected was better than being coerced after joining the bureaucracy," Qi Shan said, nonchalant, as if discussing an unrelated matter.
"A secret?" The Vice Minister, who knew part of the truth, fell silent.
"A fabricated background."
The Vice Minister, who knew part of the truth, fell silent.
A "fabricated background" was nothing compared to a genuine leverage. However, with Xin Nation gone, the "leverage" from that time was insignificant. Moreover, Qi Shan had saved their lives, along with those of several relatives and friends. There was no need to expose his weaknesses.
Qi Shan inquired, "Does Master Tian know where he is now?"
The Vice Minister, lost in thought, replied, "In Filial City..."
"Filial City?"
"He is now the Prefect of Sibao County, and his prefecture is in Filial City. The Geng army is pressing the border; he colludes with Zheng Qiao in secret, acting in concert to capture several key fortresses of Xin Nation... If not for this, he could have held out for at least five more months, perhaps even waiting for a turnaround..."
"Repeated treachery is nothing surprising," Qi Shan remarked.
"Is the benefactor asking about his whereabouts to seek revenge?"
At this moment, Shen Xiaolang's voice, laced with menace, rolled into their ears. "While I'm bravely fighting the enemy, you're here chatting and reminiscing?"
Shen Tang, drenched in blood, came over with the Motherly Sword to dispose of the corpses—eliminating evidence to prevent further complications. She clenched her fist upon witnessing the scene.
She felt that the one who needed education from the Motherly Sword wasn't the "filial sons" waiting in line for reincarnation, but Qi Yuanliang, who always lingered on the edge.
Seeing Shen Tang return, Qi Shan's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise—he knew Shen Tang could handle those ten or so soldiers, but he didn't expect her to move so swiftly even without the assistance of her command over language.
"Naturally, I trust Miss Shen's abilities. Those rabble weren't your match anyway." Faced with the accusation, he brushed it off, showing no sincerity, his gaze shifting past Shen Tang to the space behind her. "Are they all dead?"
She scoffed, "All dead."
To eradicate all possibilities of future trouble.
Shen Tang flicked her wrist, flinging the blood from the sword onto the grass, leaving behind tiny red marks.
"What about those poisoned?"
"As a kind-hearted person like me, naturally, I wouldn't let them continue to suffer from the poison's torment—slit throats, stab hearts."
To ensure they were beyond death.
Qi Shan and Shen Tang conversed, while Qi Shan also kept an eye on the rescued prisoners. As the Vice Minister and head of the Imperial Censorate, he had frequent dealings with the Gong family, a prominent household in Xin Nation. If Shen Xiaolang were indeed "Gong Cheng," he should have recognized her.
However, the Vice Minister did not react to Shen Tang's face as one would expect when seeing a familiar acquaintance. Instead, there was a hint of curiosity and surprise.
A young man adorned with a literary insignia, yet fighting with a fierceness surpassing even the most valiant warriors, was indeed worth curious observation.
Qi Shan pondered inwardly. Was Shen Tang not "Gong Cheng" after all?
At his furrowed brow, Shen Tang sensed something amiss in his mind, restraining the urge to roll her eyes—she knew Qi Shan's earlier "I understand" was just empty words.
With this time wasted on idle speculation, it would be better to assist her in burying the corpses.
Little did she know—
Qi Shan promptly declined.
His reason was rather feeble.
"I am timid and cannot bear the sight of blood-stained corpses."
Shen Tang: "..."
She could only roll up her sleeves and do the work herself. Qi Shan couldn't be relied upon, and those prisoners, who had already lost half their lives and were now dependent on her bread, plums, and rock candy for survival, couldn't rely on him either. While working, Qi Shan leaned against a tree trunk, seeking shade, and asked her from under the tree canopy.