The Lucky Farmgirl

Chapter 1715 - 1690: Filling in the Gaps

After finishing their meal, the two did not return to the Chongwen Pavilion. Instead, they placed their writing tools in a basket and, fighting off drowsiness, headed to the observation tower outside.

Others glanced at them briefly, walked around the courtyard twice, and then returned for a nap, too lazy to bother with them.

Humph, when they become officials, they will definitely propose an additional recommendation to the court: engaged couples should not be allowed to study or work in the same department.

Married couples shouldn’t either!

Bai Shan carried a pot of water and two cups, following Manbao upstairs. They found a spot on the tower and sat down, unable to resist yawning simultaneously.

There was no helping it; after a hearty meal during the slightly chill winter season, it was particularly easy to fall into drowsiness.

The two sat side by side at the table, blankly staring at the green mountains and palaces outside the pavilion, the cold wind blowing past yet failing to sweep away their sleepiness.

Bai Shan shook his head, finding it didn’t help much, and said, "Forget it, it’s hard to stay awake in this wind. Hand me the memorial and let’s chat."

Manbao woodenly took it out from her bosom and handed it to him, a stack of four or five pages.

As Bai Shan unfolded it, he remarked, "That’s quite a bit, are you planning to write a long memorial?"

Manbao yawned, a tear seeping from the corner of her eye, and said sleepily, "It’s almost done, maybe two more pages at most."

That’s quite a lot; most memorials are concise, unlike hers which goes on for so long.

As Bai Shan skimmed through it quickly, he casually asked, "What’s the subject this time?"

Soon enough, without waiting for Manbao to speak, he understood the reason because she stated it right at the beginning.

She informed the emperor that she had just finished compiling the list that morning and, before she could submit it, she was shocked to hear news of the Censorate’s impeachment of the Crown Prince and Director Xiao...

Bai Shan was skeptical, "Did you really compile the list before hearing the news? Didn’t you head to the front hall to check on your three disciples after reading with me this morning?"

He said, "I hadn’t even heard about the Censorate’s impeachment, did you hear it from those eunuchs and palace maids?"

Manbao glanced around before whispering, "Just switch the order around; as long as the essence doesn’t change, it’s fine. Otherwise, it makes me look petty, as if I only went to verify the list after hearing the news."

Bai Shan neither confirmed nor denied, as long as he knew what was going on.

Bai Shan finished reading quickly, and he was wide awake with no trace of drowsiness. Pressing down on the pages, he said, "You can’t write it like this."

Manbao tilted her head, "What’s wrong with my writing? Is it that my use of historical references is poor, or am I not scathing enough in my critique?"

"The references are well-used, and the critique is sharp enough, but you’ve targeted the wrong person." Bai Shan sized her up and asked, "Are you planning to take on the entire Censorate by yourself?"

He continued, "Don’t say I didn’t warn you, although Lord Tang’s ability to scold isn’t as formidable as Lord Wei’s, it’s not far off. Think about Senior Brother Tang’s infamous mouth."

Hearing this, Manbao paused and said, "I didn’t criticize Lord Tang."

Bai Shan pointed at the words on the page, "Lord Tang is the head of the Censorate. When you outright claim ’the censors serve personal interests, ignoring the welfare of the nation and people,’ you’re criticizing all the censors under him, which won’t sit well with Lord Tang. Even if he understands your point, he surely won’t let you critique like that without a confrontation."

Bai Shan shook his head, "Lord Tang has the entire Censorate behind him, not to mention there are officials who disapprove of the Crown Prince or are frustrated by their unsuccessful attempts to place people in the Imperial Hospital. How would you fare against them? It’s not to undermine your Imperial Hospital, but your physicians there are not known for their debate skills, and only you and Director Xiao can submit memorials."

Manbao then put on a serious face and said, "Who said I am submitting on behalf of the Imperial Hospital? I am submitting in my capacity as a compiler. I disapprove of their behavior of receiving salaries without working for the nation or its people and, worse, they undermine the country’s and His Majesty’s efforts while criticizing what little they are given by the state, it’s simply outrageous!"

Bai Shan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Manbao continued, stern-faced, "My superior is Lord Yang! Above him is Libationer Kong!"

Humph, when it comes to conflicts, who’s afraid of who? Not to mention, there are so many compilers in the Chongwen Pavilion, and Libationer Kong has the whole Imperial Academy in his hands.

We are all scholars; let’s face off then!

Bai Shan understood and chuckled, "Did you plan this earlier, or just come up with it now?"

"Of course, I just thought of it now." Manbao grabbed the papers he was holding down, realizing that if she were to write the memorial as a compiler, she’d have to change certain phrases to avoid being too obvious in her intentions.

With a sigh, Manbao said, "The Imperial Hospital is too small; it doesn’t even have a voice in government."

She’s forced to temporarily borrow influence from Yang Heshu and Libationer Kong; who knows if these two officials would be willing to assist her.

Meanwhile, Bai Shan took out the writing tools from the basket, saying, "Don’t worry, Libationer Kong always stands up for his own. If anyone dares to drag the Chongwen Pavilion into this, Libationer Kong will certainly back you up."

As he poured some water into the inkstone and started grinding ink, he chuckled, "But we shouldn’t wait for others to drag you into it. So, you’ll need to amend your memorial quite a bit. Fewer enemies are better than many. Criticize only those who actually proposed or supported the measures, don’t drag down the entire Censorate."

He added meaningfully, "Although Lord Tang leads the Censorate, not everyone there necessarily listens to him. During the Daming Palace officials’ brawl, when Wang Ji accused the Crown Prince, Lord Tang didn’t make an appearance."

Manbao immediately caught the implication and bit her pen thoughtfully, "Just one Wang Ji isn’t enough."

"Didn’t you hear four other officials’ names?"

"But that’s just hearsay," she looked around, lowering her voice to say, "Eunuch Wu told me, but there’s no solid proof, and I’m not sure if they followed Wang Ji in submitting the memorial."

Bai Shan, unconcerned, said, "What are you afraid of? Write it down. You’re not a censor, but your youth serves as an advantage. If you misunderstand, others won’t hold it against you. If they’re wronged, they can submit a statement to clear their names. In court, it’s different; if they file something in black and white, would people force them to admit to actions they didn’t take?"

Manbao found Bai Shan’s argument reasonable. Looking at him, she asked, "When did you become so crafty?"

At her words, Bai Shan raised his hand and tapped her head, chuckling, "We’ve been in the palace for quite some time now. I, unlike you, don’t just focus on compiling books and studying medicine daily. Besides attending classes, we also learn from the Assistant Lecturers and Doctors about conduct and governance. Understanding such tactics isn’t difficult after listening to how they report state affairs at the Office of Palace Affairs."