Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 276 - 210: Undaunted by Fleeting Clouds Obscuring Vision_3

Chapter 276: Chapter 210: Undaunted by Fleeting Clouds Obscuring Vision_3

Even so, these officials were picky, only wanting to stay in the affluent and prosperous capital, with few willing to go to the poor and remote countryside and grassroots areas.

Even after receiving their appointments, they still dragged their feet.

They lobbied connections, gave gifts, searched for patronage, and found ways to stay in the capital, to enter the center of power, and then they quickly rose to the top by clinging to some figure of authority.

But Wang Wenchuan clearly did not want this.

The reason he stubbornly stayed at the grassroots level was not because he neglected his salary or future prospects but rather because he placed them further down on his list of priorities.

What concerned him more was what he ought to do as an official serving the people.

Twenty years passed in a flash among the fragments of memory.

But from these fragments, Chu Ge could clearly see that Wang Wenchuan had repaired water conservancy projects, reclaimed wasteland, managed flood disasters, fought against powerful local bullies, promoted students, and made fair legal judgments...

There was one thing that occupied a large space in these memories.

When Wang Wenchuan was the County Magistrate, spring and summer crops failed, leaving farmers in dire straits. Last year’s grain had run out, and this year’s new grain was not yet harvested. Various grain merchants and gentry were eager to seize this opportunity to drive up grain prices and fleece the farmers for all they could.

Therefore, Wang Wenchuan decided to lend grain from the government storehouses to the farmers so they could repay it after the autumn harvest and guaranteed that they would be charged only the lowest market interest rates.

This strategy was ultimately very successful; the farmers received emergency food, the government’s revenues increased, and the only ones dissatisfied were the landlords and local strongmen.

For Wang Wenchuan, their displeasure was clearly the best kind of accolade.

He accumulated his experience at the grassroots level bit by bit until one day, after completing his term as a county official and returning home to visit relatives, he passed through a famous mountain outside the city.

After crossing the wild grass and jumbled rocks at the foot of the mountain, Wang Wenchuan reached the summit. From this high vantage point, he saw the clouds and mists winding atop the mountain, with the beautiful rivers and mountains of the Qi Dynasty spreading below.

So, he composed a poem.

"Unafraid of the clouds that obscure the view because my place is at the highest peak."

Perhaps it was from this moment that he had made up his mind.

His time at the grassroots level had been long enough.

He was ready, and there wasn’t much time left.

He decided to leave the grassroots and ascend further.

Because to "be unafraid of the clouds that obscure the view," one must "have their place at the highest peak."

So, at the age of forty-two, Wang Wenchuan finally came to the capital and entered the power core of the Qi Dynasty that he had stubbornly refused to be part of before.

But the scenes in the memory fragments did not end there.

After arriving in the capital, he found its prosperity truly incomparable to the poverty-stricken countryside he had left behind.

Wang Wenchuan’s official rank rose steadily and, in a dynasty known for its generous salaries, he made enough money to live a very affluent life.

After work each day, his colleagues would laugh and head to the brothels and tile-roofed houses, reciting poetry in brothels or visiting the Imperial Music Bureau "to observe public sentiment," doing what was considered refined and elegant pursuits for scholars.

But Wang Wenchuan silently packed his worn luggage and, dragging his exhausted body, returned to his home to stay with his wife of humble means.

In this era, it was actually the norm to practice "one husband with one legal wife and multiple concubines." Frequenting brothels, drinking in flower lounges, and keeping mistresses were not only not shameful but quite normal. Those who did not engage in such activities would seem out of place, lacking the elegance of a scholar.

So, one day, Wang Wenchuan’s wife couldn’t bear it any longer. She had always felt unattractive and unworthy of Wang Wenchuan, so, using three years of her savings, she secretly bought him a concubine as a surprise for her husband.

This beautiful concubine was sold because her family had amassed a huge debt and had to sell her to repay it. Wang Wenchuan’s wife, seeing the woman’s pitiful situation and remarkable beauty, decided to buy her.

However, Wang Wenchuan sent the concubine back unscathed, and the several hundred taels of silver he didn’t want, considering it a way to repay her family’s debt and prevent her from being sold into servitude again.

In this matter, Wang Wenchuan showed his characteristic stubbornness, stubbornly practicing monogamy, indifferent to personal pleasure, unconcerned with material life, and leaving in his life only writing and official duties.

One day, he went to the Qingliang Temple to lecture.

In the Qingliang Temple, there were many students seeking knowledge.

As Wang Wenchuan walked, he encountered a young man he had never seen before. This young man cordially offered to pay for Wang Wenchuan’s hair to be washed.

Wang Wenchuan was somewhat taken aback, and the young man didn’t understand why he would react this way.

Because, in his eyes, Wang Wenchuan dressed simply, his clothes bleached from washing and patched, his hair looking as if it hadn’t been washed for a long time, and he seemed to be much poorer than himself.

So, the young scholar, though poor himself but eager to help, amicably suggested he treat him to a hair wash.

But the scholar did not expect that the middle-aged man who seemed even poorer than himself was the renowned Wang Wenchuan.

Their first meeting was indeed a bit awkward.

Later, Wang Wenchuan learned the young scholar’s name: Zhang Renxia.

The two developed a relationship that could be described as both teacher and friend. Wang Wenchuan, seeing the scholar’s diligent studying, was reminded of himself from years past and often gave him advice. Sometimes, they would discuss everything from scholarly texts to the state of the world.

Until one day, Zhang Renxia also passed the imperial examination and became an advanced scholar.

Wang Wenchuan told him, "From this moment on, you must remember that there are many people in this world who are poorer than you, and you must never forget your own name."

What is the essence of being a ’xia’ (hero)?

The spirit of a ’xia’ is, "a longsword and a cup of wine, the heart of a man."

The most important thing about the spirit of ’xia’ is to persist in one’s true heart, to be determined and move forward. As a scholar, you might not have a sword in hand, but you must always have the sword in your heart.

A true ’xia’ should right the wrongs they encounter, drawing their sword to help. And a true scholar should serve as an official to benefit the people of their domain.

At any time, one should not forget to plead on behalf of the people and to keep one’s conscience clear.

Later, Wang Wenchuan became an adviser involved in governance, determined to reform the law and revitalize the nation.

And Zhang Renxia was dispatched by him to Guangzhou State to take charge of the criminal justice of the region.

A national reform movement then began, starting with Ayun’s Case and unfolding with great vigor.

...

The fog in his vision quickly dissipated, and Chu Ge returned to the initial scene.

But this time, he had obviously succeeded.

Because in addition to the two original identity cards, a third card appeared, bearing the image of Wang Wenchuan.

His expression conveyed determination tinged with stubbornness, spirited, as if ready to make a significant mark on history.

Next to the card were also two lines of poetry.

"Unafraid of the clouds that obscure the view because my place is at the highest peak."

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