Chapter 30: Aspiring to High Office

"Qin Shiyue is quite renowned among the southern literati! It is said that she is a highly talented woman admired by countless scholars in the Jiangnan region. Furthermore, she wields significant influence within the Xilin Society; she has personally convened several large-scale literary gatherings. Many retired southern officials, and even some currently serving in the imperial court, are willing to grant her favors."

Ji Boda, a clerk from the吏房 (Personnel Bureau), reported.

An Xin thought to himself, isn't she just a socialite?

Since taking office, he had acted like a sponge, actively absorbing information about key events, figures, and factions in the history and bureaucracy of the Great Yan Dynasty, as well as details about the scholars from the fourteenth year of the Jing-shun reign. He had even sent Hu Changshan to Zizhou to investigate the background of the body's original owner. He was no longer the novice he had been when he first arrived in this world.

He was also aware of the Xilin Society; it was a gathering of the southern literati with extensive influence throughout the region. It served as both the southern extension of the Xilin Party and its reserve of talent.

After asking Ji Boda a few more detailed questions, An Xin waved his hand. "You may go."

Ji Boda bowed and took his leave.

An Xin leaned back in his chair, pulled out a fountain pen, unscrewed the cap, and wrote the words "Xilin Party" on a piece of paper.

This was a major faction in the imperial court's power struggle—a "new party" that, in the eyes of the world, was dedicated to reform. Though the struggle between the new and old parties currently seemed to have them at a disadvantage, they still held three seats in the Grand Secretariat.

"If Qin Shiyue truly possesses such influence within the Xilin Society, Huang Shurong’s attitude toward her makes perfect sense. Although I don't know why Qin Shiyue has come to Wuren County, if I can establish a connection with her, my future career path might be much smoother!"

An Xin had ambitions to be a high-ranking official. A county magistrate was fine, of course, but entering the imperial court and joining the Grand Secretariat would open up a much broader horizon. The higher his rank, the greater the scope of "fortune" he could absorb, and the higher his chances of achieving immortality.

"But what is Qin Shiyue’s purpose in coming to Wuren County?"

An Xin pondered her motives, hoping to latch onto this opportunity. While the Xilin Society’s influence reached Wuren County, it was not particularly deep; the county was commercially developed but had never been known for its literary atmosphere. Hosting a chamber of commerce meeting here would be normal, but a literary gathering would be absurd—Wuren County lacked the temperament for it.

While An Xin was busy maneuvering around Qin Shiyue, countless others in the county were trying to figure out his own preferences.

At the Peony Pavilion, in the Wu residence, Wu Damou sat in his study, flipping through ancient texts, sweat beading on his portly frame.

"Husband, I see you've been collecting quite a few old books lately. Are they gifts for the County Magistrate?" Mrs. Wu asked, entering with a bowl of chicken soup.

"Yes." Wu Damou nodded, continuing to scan the books. "That evening at the Bright Moon Pavilion, the Magistrate brought a book on Taoism with him. According to Master Su, it was an ancient text on cultivation, and the Magistrate couldn't put it down. How much liquid cash do we have in our accounts?"

"You should ask our daughter about that," Mrs. Wu replied. "It’s not good to keep her locked in the back courtyard all the time; she’s used to being free."

Wu Damou looked up, displeased. "It’s precisely because she’s used to being free that she was kidnapped by those bandits! And it’s because of that freedom that she took a fancy to some transient drifter with no future! If she gets to see that wanderer again, and the Su family finds out, the good match I’ve finally secured for her will fall apart."

"Sigh," Mrs. Wu couldn't help but sigh. "You are far too overbearing as a father."

She set down the chicken soup and walked toward the inner quarters. She soon reached Wu Lijun’s room.

"Madam," the two sturdy maidservants greeted her.

Inside, she found Wu Lijun sitting at her desk, reviewing an account book and making calculations on a piece of paper with a brush. Seeing this, a smile finally appeared on Mrs. Wu’s face. It seemed her daughter had moved on.

Little did she know, everything Wu Lijun was thinking and calculating was about how to establish a weaving workshop and a fabric store after marrying "Brother Zhang," and how to build a prosperous life together.

"These gold and red cords are so beautiful. My daughter truly has nimble hands," Mrs. Wu said, picking up several cords from the desk.

"Yes," Wu Lijun smiled, though in her heart, she was wondering if Brother Zhang had seen the cords she had asked Huan'er to hang on the locust tree in front of the Confucian Temple.

"Your father just asked me how much liquid cash we have available," Mrs. Wu relayed.

Wu Lijun replied casually, "We can immediately provide forty-four thousand taels, and fourteen thousand taels can be spared without affecting the operations of our workshops and stores this year." She knew these figures by heart.

Mrs. Wu said, "Your father intends to withdraw some to send as a gift to the new County Magistrate."

Hearing this, Wu Lijun frowned. "That money was earned through Father’s hard work. As his daughter, I have no right to question his spending, but if we keep sending money out, even a mountain of silver would eventually run dry."

"You don't understand the way things work. Your father only makes money by spending it. It's when he can't find a way to give money out that he truly worries." Mrs. Wu smiled and patted Wu Lijun’s head. "It’s getting dark. Huan'er, go light the lamps for the young miss."

"Coming, Madam." Huan'er quickly grabbed a flint and came over to light the lamps.

Meanwhile, at the Magistrate's office, in the back bedroom, An Xin was browsing through the ancient books on cultivation.

Many people were as desperate as Wu Damou to cater to his interests. Since the banquet at the Bright Moon Pavilion, rumors of the Magistrate's obsession with Taoism and his love for ancient cultivation texts had spread. Naturally, people had exhausted their efforts to procure them for him. In just a few days, over twenty antique books on cultivation had been delivered to him.

"It’s a pity the laptop and smartphone are out of power. If I could scan these books, I could use AI to help me quickly analyze which ones contain real substance."

An Xin had tried to turn on his laptop, but it failed. It had nine percent battery left the last time, but after these days of neglect, it was completely dead. The laptop contained a vast amount of data; although An Xin had copied some of what he deemed useful into his notebooks, it was only a tiny fraction of the computer's storage. Furthermore, the locally deployed AI was of vital importance to him. But in this environment, even if he could manufacture a crude battery, it was virtually impossible to charge the computer.

"Master." As An Xin was reading a copy of the *Taiyi Cantong Qi*, he heard Old Zhang’s voice from outside.

He closed the book, walked to the outer room, and opened the door. Old Zhang bowed immediately. "Master, the secretary to the previous Magistrate is here to see you."

"The secretary?" An Xin looked up at the sky, then at Old Zhang. "What is your relationship with him?"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang knelt down with a thud. "Master, Secretary Wan was the criminal justice secretary for the former Magistrate. He is a very kind man. In the past, when my mother was ill, he helped me find Physician Li from the Huichun Clinic."

"Get up." People are social animals, and one inevitably forms bonds while living in society. An Xin did not blame Old Zhang. "Tell him to go to the West Flower Hall."