Pipa brought over ink, brushes, paper, and an inkstone, all placed neatly on a lacquered purple-gold tray. Kneeling in front of Wang Chao, she held the tray at eyebrow level.
Wang Chao panicked, stepping back nervously. “This is absolutely improper! Miss, you are the young master’s close servant; how could you kneel to me? Please, get up!”
He instinctively reached out to help Pipa up but hesitated halfway, remembering that she was a first-class maid while he was a mere fourth-class servant. The stark difference in their statuses made him freeze, his hand hovering awkwardly in midair.
Wang Cang Hai reminded him, “I told you to calculate the taxes.”
Wang Chao pressed his lips tightly together. His face, pale as paper, was comically at odds with his cheeks, swollen and red from his earlier self-punishment. Despite his disheveled appearance, his gaze sharpened with focus as he picked up the brush and began calculating the taxes on the white paper.
Watching from the side, Wan San was suddenly reminded of an anecdote from history. During the height of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong summoned the poet Li Bai to court and, to demonstrate his appreciation for talent, ordered his eunuch, Gao Lishi, to kneel and remove Li Bai’s boots.
Recalling this story, Wan San couldn’t resist leaning closer to Wang Cang Hai and whispering, “First you punish him, then you grant him a favor. You’re quite skilled at winning loyalty. So, did this kid catch your eye? Planning to give him a big role?”
Wang Cang Hai retorted, “No one would mistake you for a mute if you kept quiet.”
Wang Chao finished his calculations quickly. Pipa took the paper from him and presented it to Wang Cang Hai.
The answers were correct, the handwriting neat, and the paper spotless.
Wang Cang Hai declared, “Wang Chao, from today onward, you will be in charge of this place.”
Wang Chao stared at him in bewilderment.
“This morning, I received an imperial decree granting me the authority to rename this former desert to Xi Sha County, effective the first day of next month,” Wang Cang Hai explained. “The court will not assign officials here. His Majesty has authorized me to appoint someone to manage it.
“You will start as a sixth-rank officer under the Office of Works. Get familiar with reforestation, sand control, city building, and settling the population. I’ll allocate three thousand silver-armored soldiers under your command. In three months, I’ll request another decree to promote you to a fourth-rank prefect of Xi Sha County.”
Wang Chao was stunned, standing like a wooden statue. He heard every word Wang Cang Hai said, but somehow, the meaning eluded him entirely.
Wan San interrupted, “Office of Works? Wang Cang Hai, aren’t you the Minister of War and Assistant Minister of Revenue? Since when do you handle civil engineering?”
Wang Cang Hai replied, “I received the emperor’s decree this morning, appointing me as Minister of Works as well. By this afternoon, the news will be announced nationwide in the gazette.”
He then walked up to Wang Chao, looked him directly in the eye, and asked, “I’m entrusting Xi Sha County to you. Can you manage it properly?”
Wang Chao slowly returned to his senses, his unfocused eyes regaining clarity. “I’ll do my best, Young Master… please trust me.”
Wang Cang Hai was dissatisfied with this response. His tone turned stern. “Either you can, or you can’t. What does ‘I’ll do my best’ mean? If you don’t want the job, go back to the Wang family and continue tending horses and delivering messages.”
“I can!” Wang Chao’s voice grew firm. “I can manage Xi Sha County. Please believe in me.”
Satisfied, Wang Cang Hai turned to Xia Xia. “Go fetch my work log summary.”
Xia Xia moved swiftly, returning moments later with a thick stack of bound notes from the adjacent study.
Wang Cang Hai handed the book to Wang Chao and said, “Stay in the Cool Pavilion and have your meals here. This afternoon, read through my notes and familiarize yourself with the tasks ahead. If you have any questions, you can ask me when I return tonight—I’ll give you half an hour.”
“Where are you going?” Wang Chao and Wan San asked in unison.
Wang Cang Hai turned to Wan San and said, “Weren’t you here to hold me accountable for something? Let’s find a better place to listen to music and have some wine. I’ll treat you to a welcoming banquet.”
Wan San’s face lit up with a grin. “That’s the first thing you’ve said all day that I actually like!”
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