4 : The Eldest Son Of A Criminal Official Passed The Imperial Examination And Entered Officialdom

Chapter 4

In the Book of Changes, the phrase "Yuan, Heng, Li, Zhen" corresponds to the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

The new Emperor's reign title, Zhenyuan, differed from ordinary reign titles, which were usually chosen simply to proclaim auspiciousness or demonstrate imperial virtue.

The two characters "Zhenyuan (贞元)" subtly conveyed the idea of winter giving way to spring.

It was both elegant in meaning and rich in symbolism.

Such a remarkable reign title was exceedingly rare even throughout history.

More importantly, every member of the Zhuo family was astonished that even the new Emperor's reign title seemed to correspond perfectly with the omen of the Qian Hexagram.

It truly felt as though Heaven's will had been guiding everything all along.

Three days after the imperial edict announcing the new Emperor's accession reached Shuozhou, new decrees continued arriving one after another.

The first announced the categories and batches of prisoners who would receive the imperial amnesty, along with the cases to which it applied.

The Zhuo family's conviction in the Crown Prince Li's alleged treason case was listed first.

The new Emperor even issued a special instruction stating that the case had contained many unresolved doubts from the very beginning.

Now, however, there was no longer any evidence with which to reopen the investigation.

As for whether those who had already been executed should eventually be officially exonerated...

That matter would be postponed.

The immediate priority was to remove the hereditary criminal status imposed upon the families implicated in the case, release them from exile, and restore them to ordinary civilian registration.

Those pardoned through the general amnesty would neither return to the imperial capital nor be sent back to their original hometowns.

Instead, they would simply remain in Shuozhou and continue contributing to its development.

Zhuo Siheng couldn't understand it.

If a general amnesty had already been declared, why attach so many conditions?

If the Emperor already knew it had been a wrongful conviction, why be so indirect about it?

Even if he didn't punish the real culprits, shouldn't he at least restore everyone's official positions?

Wasn't a newly enthroned Emperor supposed to establish his authority by removing the previous regime's officials?

Wasn't this precisely the moment when an Emperor should act with the greatest decisiveness and power?

At least...

That's how television dramas always seemed to portray it.

He trusted and respected his parents without reservation.

So he voiced his doubts honestly.

Looking at the son who had asked such a question, Zhuo Yan and Song Liangyu both wore expressions of concern, almost as though they were looking at a clueless child.

As always, Song Liangyu was the gentler of the two.

Recovering first, she turned to her husband—who looked utterly speechless—and said,

"Ever since he was old enough to understand anything, this child has suffered alongside us here. He has never properly studied the classics or even met a ranked official. How could he compare to you? You grew up by Father's side, watching how he governed and handled official affairs, naturally learning the ways of the bureaucracy and the hidden workings of the imperial court. Now that we've been freed from the status of criminal officials and the child can take the imperial examinations, you'll have to teach him those deeper matters little by little."

"I've always known Siheng is exceptionally intelligent. The only reason he's so unfamiliar with worldly affairs is because of the hardships I've brought upon him... I can't blame him. I truly can't."

Ever since the general amnesty had been announced, Zhuo Yan had begun believing that his wife's illness might finally be cured and that his children's futures would once again be bright.

Nothing could discourage him anymore.

Smiling warmly, he explained to Zhuo Siheng,

"What you're describing are the stories about emperors and famous ministers that storytellers like to tell in the entertainment quarters. How could affairs of the imperial court ever be so straightforward?"

Zhuo Siheng had always been intensely curious.

Hearing this, he listened with complete concentration.

"The Crown Prince Li case implicated an enormous number of people. During the five years since our family's conviction, every vacant official position has already been filled by someone else. The property confiscated from our family has long since been transferred into the imperial treasury, and our former residences have mostly been bestowed upon others. If His Majesty were to summon us back to the capital and restore our former offices, where would those official posts come from? Which homes would he grant us? If he removed the current officeholders to make room for us, he'd only create fear and resentment throughout the court immediately after ascending the throne. Granting this general amnesty is already an act of tremendous grace. It is, in itself, the Emperor's way of expressing that he does not entirely approve of the late Emperor's actions. To go this far already shows that the new Emperor is likely a wise ruler. However, one must honor Heaven and respect one's ancestors—one cannot speak recklessly against them. Correcting past wrongs too aggressively can become another kind of excess."

Zhuo Yan gently patted his son's shoulder before continuing.

"Besides, all of us who were convicted because of the Crown Prince Li case once served under the deposed Crown Prince. Your grandfather was even his tutor. If the new Emperor were to heavily promote people like us, wouldn't he be personally reviving the old Crown Prince faction and reigniting conflict with the late Emperor's loyal ministers? Wouldn't he be throwing the court into chaos himself? More importantly, the late Emperor's dignity must still be preserved, and as the ruler who serves as the moral example for the entire realm, the new Emperor must also demonstrate perfect filial piety."

Zhuo Siheng understood the first part of his father's explanation.

The latter part still puzzled him somewhat.

So he asked,

"Father, but Uncle Zhu said the new Emperor isn't actually the late Emperor's son. He's the son of the deposed Crown Prince whom Grandfather once served. The late Emperor left no heirs and died without an imperial will. After discussing the matter, the Empress Dowager and the ministers brought the new Emperor out of prison and placed him on the throne. If that's the case, why would he spend so much effort considering the feelings of the man who killed his own father?"

Had they still been living in the imperial capital, Zhuo Yan would certainly have silenced his son immediately for speaking so carelessly.

But Shuozhou was far from the seat of imperial power.

Explaining these matters openly posed little danger.

Besides, it was a perfect opportunity to teach his son something about politics and the mindset of rulers.

After making certain that no one was outside the door or listening through the windows, Zhuo Yan lowered his voice.

"The new Emperor inherited the throne from the late Emperor—not from his own birth father. Even the imperial ancestral temple he must worship belongs to the late Emperor's lineage. The moment he ascends the throne, he cannot begin by slandering the very father whose spirit he is required to honor in the ancestral temple. Instead, he must display the utmost filial devotion. That is both the difficulty and the political wisdom required of an Emperor.

I've never met the new Emperor myself, so I don't know what kind of person he truly is. But since all the ministers chose him, he must possess generosity and virtue. Otherwise, why would the late Emperor's own officials deliberately place the son of their former enemy upon the throne? If the new Emperor truly is such a man, then he will naturally remember the great service those ministers rendered in helping him ascend the throne. Before his own position is secure, why would he offend both the court and the empire? After all... who can say whether another Yi Yin or Huo Guang might appear?"

Yi Yin and Huo Guang were two powerful ministers in history who had each deposed an emperor.

Zhuo Siheng had previously heard Zhuo Yan tell their stories.

With that explanation, every missing piece suddenly clicked into place.

His final doubts disappeared completely.

As his curiosity was thoroughly satisfied, Zhuo Siheng couldn't help feeling a little regretful.

If the province's liberal arts top scorer had been the one to transmigrate instead of him, they certainly wouldn't have asked such an embarrassingly naïve political question.

After all, they would have studied both history and politics in depth.

Armed with countless historical examples and political theory, they probably could have analyzed the situation correctly after only a moment's thought.

Perhaps they could even have offered a sharp critique of current affairs while they were at it.

Too bad he was the one who transmigrated.

If the Emperor's decree had been about the refractive index of prisms or the thermogravimetric curves of chemical compounds, he would have understood it instantly.

Sure enough, the road ahead was still long.

If he wanted to pass the imperial examinations, enter officialdom, change his life, reach greater heights, and experience a wider world...

He still had a great deal of work to do.

Just then, his father let out a long sigh and said slowly,

"Besides... even if we returned to the capital, our family no longer has a place there."

"Our family... really doesn't have a single relative left?" 

Huiheng, who had been quietly listening the whole time, finally spoke for the first time.

She was exceptionally perceptive.

The moment she heard her father's words, she immediately understood the bitterness hidden beneath his dejected expression.

Gently stroking the soft hair atop his second daughter's head, Zhuo Yan said,

"Our family originally belonged to the Zhuo Clan of Hanchuan in Xuanzhou. Our ancestry can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period. Throughout every dynasty, our descendants held official positions. Though not every generation became famous enough to be recorded in history like our ancestors, and we could never compare with those great aristocratic families whose entire clans produced high-ranking officials, we were still a prestigious scholarly family with generations of academic tradition.

Naturally, such a large clan had many branches. Back then, our uncles, cousins, and relatives from the other branches back home often kept in close contact with us."

"Father, I know what happened!" 

Ciheng suddenly exclaimed.

"After Great-grandfather was convicted and our family got into trouble, all our relatives disappeared, didn't they?"

She had been dozing off until the conversation turned toward the family.

Although she wasn't yet seven years old, her naturally forthright personality had already begun to show.

Having witnessed countless examples of human nature during their years in Shuozhou, she immediately guessed the reason and wore an openly disdainful expression.

Had they still been living in their former home, Zhuo Yan would certainly have sternly reminded his daughter not to expose her sharp opinions and emotions so openly.

But now...

The clear-eyed honesty of an innocent child had instead become a treasure forged by hardship.

Pulling his indignant youngest daughter into his arms, he said softly,

"You've all gradually grown older now. It's only right that you know something about our family's past.

Your eldest brother is calm and intelligent. Your second sister is clever and perceptive.

But Cier, your mother and I have always doted on you. You're straightforward and speak your mind.

Remember this—family matters may be discussed at home, but once you're outside, never speak too much."

Zhuo Ciheng nodded, only half understanding.

Seeing that his daughter had listened, Zhuo Yan continued,

"Actually... there's more.

To avoid implicating the rest of the clan... the Zhuo family has already... removed our branch from the family genealogy."

All three children were stunned.

Even Zhuo Siheng, who had transmigrated from another world, knew exactly what that meant.

In an ancient era where clan ties were held in such high regard, being removed from the ancestral genealogy was almost as devastating as the political disenfranchisement they had suffered as criminal exiles.

Yet after his initial shock, another thought crossed his mind.

If these were the kind of relatives they had... they could keep them.

During all the years their family had spent exiled in Shuozhou, only his mother's younger sister—his aunt—had ever managed to send them anything.

Most of the goods had been repeatedly skimmed off by countless intermediaries before finally reaching them, leaving very little behind.

Still, some old clothes and medicine for common illnesses had survived the journey.

Those supplies had rescued the family from many desperate situations.

To avoid causing trouble for her husband's family, his aunt had been extremely cautious.

She never enclosed letters or messages.

Instead, as their mother once pointed out to them, every old garment had a tiny embroidered duck sewn into its inner lining.

That little duck was their aunt's greeting.

Before the two sisters had reached adulthood, they had loved playing in the water together.

Their grandfather adored them.

Although he indulged their games, he also feared they might get hurt.

So he had a shallow pond with flowing water specially dug outside the sisters' courtyard solely for them to splash about in.

The sisters even had servants buy ducklings to raise there.

They chased the little ducks around and spent an incredibly happy childhood together.

The moment their mother saw those tiny embroidered ducks, she immediately understood her younger sister's concern and sisterly affection.

She cried for a very long time.

She only said that she was unworthy of being the elder sister.

She didn't even know whether her younger sister was living happily after marriage or whether she had children of her own.

Yet despite all that, it was still her younger sister who had gone to such lengths, spent so much money, and worried so deeply about them.

Truthfully, Zhuo Siheng understood the logic.

When a great clan sought to preserve itself, it had to sever dangerous ties without hesitation.

He understood that perfectly well.

But as someone who had been cast aside...

It was simply too difficult for him to sympathize with those who had done the cutting.

His aunt, however...

Once their family became successful again, they absolutely had to repay her kindness.

Seeing the children fall silent, Zhuo Yan and Song Liangyu also said nothing.

After gathering his thoughts, Zhuo Siheng suddenly felt a surge of bold confidence well up inside him.

Lifting his head proudly, he declared,

"Father, Mother, you don't need to be upset. If the clan doesn't want us anymore, then we'll establish a new family of our own!"

Those astonishing words struck everyone present like a clap of thunder.

Both Zhuo Yan and Song Liangyu stared at their son in utter disbelief.

"The Zhuo Clan of Hanchuan belongs to the past now. Heaven never leaves people without a way forward. For our family, this is a new beginning—a second life. So what if we abandon our former identity? We'll build a new household from scratch.

Since our household registration is now in Shuozhou, then from this day onward, we'll be the Zhuo Clan of Youbei.

I'll study diligently and work as hard as I can. I won't disappoint Father's and Mother's teachings or the fate Heaven has given me."

One day, when our whole family returns to the capital again, I want to see whether the Zhuo Clan of Youbei or the Zhuo Clan of Hanchuan will become the more distinguished family, whose name will endure through history, and who will wear the crimson and purple robes of high office and become the pillars of the nation!"

"Excellent! My son has great ambitions! Even I cannot compare!" Zhuo Yan exclaimed, nearly moved to tears.

"How could ordinary birds ever comprehend the lofty aspirations of a roc soaring ten thousand li? A true man should speak such bold words. Only then can he live up to his time in this world!"

Song Liangyu's expression changed from astonishment to relief, and finally to tearful emotion.

She kept wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.

But soon, she began coughing violently.

Her pale face flushed with the deep crimson of illness.

It looked as though someone were choking her, leaving her unable to breathe properly.

The whole family immediately sprang into action.

Someone fetched water.

Someone prepared medicine.

Someone hurried off to find a doctor.

In an instant, the warmth of the room was replaced once more by anxiety and worry.

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