Chapter 46: Recommendation

Chapter 46: Recommendation

"Weather forecast for the seventeenth day of the second month, the eleventh year of Jiaqi: light to moderate rain is expected across the entire Chengdu Prefecture within the next six hours..."

"Localized areas may experience brief periods of heavy downpours and gusty winds. Residents are advised to take precautions against the potential adverse effects of this hazardous weather..."

On the giant outdoor screen hanging above the commercial plaza, a female anchor smiled warmly, dressed in a cyan straight-collared narrow-sleeved robe paired with a plain horse-face skirt, her demeanor elegant and refined.

Along the streets, squads of Tianfu Guards, armed with live ammunition, patrolled back and forth, their expressions cold and solemn, paying no mind to their garments being soaked by the drifting drizzle.

Suddenly, a resounding rush echoed from the vault of heaven as a sudden deluge poured down from the gathering clouds.

Pedestrians unfurled umbrellas laced with brilliant LED strips above their heads, while the passing traffic threw open their headlights, sending a sudden burst of iridescent, dazzling light cascading across the streets.

Had anyone looked down at this moment from a patrol airship suspended in the firmament, they would have seen a resplendent river of light flowing slowly across the earth.

The only jarring discrepancy was a single black 'reef' that had emerged amidst this luminous river.

Furthermore, whenever the current drifted past it, it would abruptly halt before rapidly parting to the left and right.

Li Jun stood beneath an unadorned black umbrella, watching the pedestrians who hurried past with looks of utter revulsion, a bitter smile involuntarily touching the corner of his mouth.

"Is my attire really that back-omened?"

"This is the Qingyang District, the very heart of Chengdu Prefecture, not some slum like the Ji'e District. Of course a man covered in holes and bloodstains brings bad luck,"

A languid voice drifted through the rain, sounding right beside Li Jun.

Li Jun's grip on the umbrella handle suddenly tightened. His eyes fixed straight ahead, he took a step forward, moving slowly with the flow of the crowd.

"Banner Commander, isn't meeting in such a public place a bit too reckless?"

Yu Kou's massive frame stood a mere arm's length beside Li Jun, beneath an umbrella so outrageously large it might have been more aptly called a courtyard parasol.

"The minor hermit hides in the wild, the middling hermit hides in the city; the most dangerous place is the safest."

Yu Kou smiled placidly, flicking a block-printed talisman dangling from the edge of his umbrella. "Besides, in the eyes of the passersby, there is absolutely nothing beside you right now."

Li Jun said cautiously, "Ordinary people might not see through it, but the people from Shudao Logistics Group might."

"Rest assured. Do you truly believe the spies Gu Yong sent to tail you can pierce my Daoist arts?"

Suppressing the urge to spit right in that conceited fat face, Li Jun caught the man in his peripheral vision, reached into the hidden pocket of his martial robe's lining, and drew out the Imperial Edict of Chongzhen, handing it over.

"This is what Gu Yong sent me to the Songpan Garrison to find—the Imperial Edict of Chongzhen."

Yu Kou took it, flipped through a few pages haphazardly, and tossed it back to Li Jun.

"Expending such monumental effort just to snatch a useless piece of junk; these scholars certainly know how to amuse themselves."

"Amuse themselves?" Li Jun's expression was blank with astonishment.

"Once our Jinyiwei regains power in the future, you can play the same game too."

Yu Kou turned his head to look at Li Jun, chuckling, "Tell the world you fancy a scrap of toilet paper, and then watch them crack each other's skulls open for it."

Li Jun's forward stride faltered for a fraction of a beat. He turned his head toward Yu Kou, his gaze complex and unreadable, as if fleeting fragments of memory were flashing within his eyes.

The crimson monk, the Vajra, bullets, flames, the crashing collapse of the brick pavilion, and himself, drenched in blood...

Li Jun raised a hand to scratch his eyebrow, replying with a laugh, "Then I shall certainly have to enjoy myself."

The rain rumbled. Though it was already mid-spring, the air of Chengdu Prefecture still carried a bone-chilling cold.

Li Jun fell silent for a moment before asking, "If this edict holds no value, why would Gu Yong risk offending those bald monks just to seize it?"

"It is worthless to us, but to those archaic, pedantic scholars, it is a fine collector's item. Gu Yong sought this edict merely to present it as a gift to those who might become the Gu family's patron examiners."

"Patron examiners? Is someone from the Gu family sitting for the imperial examinations?"

Searching his shallow memory of history, Li Jun vaguely recalled that 'Zuoshi' was the respectful title used by examinees for the chief imperial examiner.

Could Gu Yong intend to use the Imperial Edict of Chongzhen to bribe the examiners and take a shortcut through the civil service exams?

Yu Kou sneered. "They are born of elite clans, after all. Who among them could lower themselves to jostle with those miserable, impoverished students on the single-log bridge of the examinations? Recommendation is the path these aristocratic sons tread."

The Jinyiwei Banner Commander's brow was steeped in mockery as he scoffed:

"In two months, the imperial court will hold its triennial official recommendation. The intelligence I received states that the New Donglin Faction intends to restrict the quota for recommendations this year, yielding the surplus slots to Confucian scholars of humble birth to alleviate the escalating conflict between the noble and the base within the Confucian Order."

"Chengdu Prefecture has been allocated only a single slot for advancement. Thus, for the Gu and Wu families, whoever pleases the grand masters descending to inspect them will ensure their scion's political career sails on smooth waters."

Yu Kou's words were concise, yet they carried a faint, underlying scent of blood.

Li Jun raised an eyebrow. "It is merely a single slot for entry into officialdom. Is it truly that vital to an elite clan?"

"This concerns the ascension ritual of the Confucian Path's sequence. It is more than enough to make these self-proclaimed refined scholars roll up their sleeves and fight to the death."

At that moment, Li Jun suddenly recalled the crimson monk Mucuor in the Songpan Garrison, a few traces of perplexity flashing in his eyes.

"The Imperial Edict of Chongzhen is utterly useless to the Buddhists. They could easily have sold it to the Gu family for a premium. Why did they grasp it so tightly and refuse to let go?"

Yu Kou chuckled slyly. "Who says it is useless to them? There are monks who serve as officials too. The Black-Robed Chancellor, Yao Guangxiao, whose bones have long turned to dust, holds no small place in the hearts of those bald heads."

Yu Kou reached out and pointed at the yellow silk scroll in Li Jun's hand, his facial expression turning solemn.

"At best, this edict is merely an appetizer sent upward by the Gu family; the true grand gift is yet to come. In the coming days, friction between Tianfu Heavy Industries and Shudao Logistics will certainly not be scarce."

"The Bureau's intent is for you to investigate precisely where the Gu family's offerings are flowing, recording everything in thorough detail, without a single omission."

Li Jun nodded. "The higher-ups want leverage over the Gu family?"

The expression on Yu Kou's face turned grim and cold. "The higher-ups are waiting until the Wu family is on the verge of losing everything, to hand them this list."

Li Jun was taken aback. "Why?"

Yu Kou said softly, "When a man's eyes turn bloodshot from losing at the gambling table, if you hand him a blade at that exact moment, what do you think he will do?"

What would he do? Flip the table, cast off all pretense, and raise the blade to slaughter.

At this thought, Li Jun could not help but take a deep breath.

By now, the two had walked deep into the street, confronting a fork that diverged to the left and right.

Yu Kou and Li Jun exchanged a glance, parting ways with tacit understanding; Yu Kou shifted his corpulent frame and blended into the crowd, turning down the left fork.

Li Jun kept his eyes lowered as he proceeded to the right, finally halting before a cluster of antique structures steeped in traditional elegance.

Rockeries, lotus ponds, groves, and winding corridors—the interior boasted everything, a landscape garden resting quietly amidst the torrential downpour, appearing all the more serene.

The only festive touch was the string of fiery red lanterns hanging beneath the eaves of the front archway.

The lamplight flickered, illuminating a plaque of gold lettering against a black backdrop: Chengdu Prefecture Office of Music.