A Pawn's Passage

With Chen Jianchou running into trouble, Ke Qingqing had to shoulder the burden. After all, as Qi Xuansu’s former secretary, she was already familiar with many aspects of the work.

Thus, Ke Qingqing was effectively serving two bosses at once, attending to both Zhang Yuelu and Qi Xuansu. Fortunately, Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu were not far apart in Thanglong Prefecture, so she could still manage.

Qi Xuansu’s behind-the-scenes maneuvers never ceased, yet on the surface, there was nothing out of the ordinary. He continued to handle various affairs as usual, focusing primarily on the restructuring of the Nanyang United Trading Company. This was no small matter. It required coordination on all fronts and allowed no room for others to seize upon any weak links. It was a true test of Qi Xuansu’s ability to keep everything balanced.

Strictly speaking, managing commerce well and earning money for the Daoist Order was indeed Qi Xuansu’s duty as the Chief Deputy Mansion Master. Investigating cases was the responsibility of the Second Deputy Mansion Master.

Qi Xuansu’s composure undoubtedly dispelled some of the tension and played a role in stabilizing morale.

That day, Qi Xuansu convened and presided over another meeting. The agenda included hearing a joint report from the local branches of Shibo Hall and Duzhi Hall regarding the rectification of the Nanyang United Trading Company, among other matters.

The Chief Superintendent of the Shibo Hall’s local branch had once been severely suppressed by Lin Tianhe, so he had almost no real authority and was little more than a decorative ornament. This time, however, Lin Tianhe’s downfall became his fortune. He successfully rose in rank and now effectively served as Acting Branch Manager of Shibo Hall. Riding high on success, he was deeply grateful to Qi Xuansu and openly expressed his loyalty, working with great enthusiasm and providing Qi Xuansu with considerable assistance.

The meeting ran late. By the time Ke Qingqing entered Qi Xuansu’s office, most of the superintendents had already dispersed, leaving only the Chief Superintendents of the Ziwei Hall and Fengxian Hall branches.

There was still lingering smoke in the room, and many cups of unfinished tea remained on the table.

Ke Qingqing opened the window to let the tobacco smoke drift away, then busied herself with pouring out the leftover tea from the cups.

Qi Xuansu said to Ke Qingqing, “Superintendent Ke, if there’s nothing urgent on Second Deputy Zhang’s side, please have someone prepare some late-night refreshments later.”

Ke Qingqing responded and left with the collected teacups. She then brewed fresh tea and brought it back into Qi Xuansu’s office.

Qi Xuansu’s office had a suite of rooms. The innermost was a quiet chamber that also served as his living quarters, followed by a study, a reception room, and a small meeting hall. The outermost area was reserved for secretaries. At this moment, Qi Xuansu and the two Chief Superintendents had already left the meeting hall and entered the inner study. Qi Xuansu sat behind his desk, with two chairs placed opposite him, occupied by the two Chief Superintendents.

Ke Qingqing served tea to the three of them. Qi Xuansu leaned back against the chair, unmoving, while the two superintendents reached out to steady their teacups and gave slight nods in thanks.

Qi Xuansu asked, “Do you know about the matter concerning Chen Jianchou?”

The two Chief Superintendents exchanged a glance. The Fengxian Hall’s Chief Superintendent answered cautiously, “We’ve heard something about it.”

Qi Xuansu said, “After all, he’s my secretary. I asked some fellow Daoists from Beichen Hall. Neither Deputy Hall Master Dan Jin nor Deputy Hall Master Yong Yan issued any orders. The headquarters of Beichen Hall was completely unaware of it too.”

The Fengxian Hall’s Chief Superintendent hurriedly said, “Then it would seem that the Beichen Hall’s local branch acted on its own initiative.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “The local branch of the Beichen Hall has independent authority to handle cases, so they will have the authority to investigate Chen Jianchou as well. It’s not wrong for them to act on their own initiative since it is within their power to do so. By the way, I hear the Chief Superintendent of the Beichen Hall local branch is a female Daoist. She’s quite decisive, huh?”

Ke Qingqing interjected, “Yes. Her name is Wu Burong. She’s very forceful and quite famous in Poluo. Among the eighth-generation disciples, she’s relatively young.”

Since the Daoist Order’s revitalization, aside from the first-generation disciples led by the Holy Xuan and some special cases among the second generation, the Daoist Order thereafter counted generations in spans of 24 years. As a result, age gaps within the same generation could be quite large.

Qi Xuansu and his peers were among the later ranks of the eighth generation, while people like Bai Yingqiong were among the earlier ones, with an age difference of 20 years. By the same logic, the tail end of the seventh generation and the front ranks of the eighth generation might differ by only one or two years.

“In what way is she forceful?” Qi Xuansu asked.

The Ziwei Hall’s Chief Superintendent explained. “Wu Burong was promoted as the Chief Superintendent because she had single-handedly solved a witchcraft case in the Yu Kingdom. She has a very distinctive style. At times, she’s not entirely rational and somewhat emotional.”

Qi Xuansu interrupted, “What do you mean by emotional?”

The Ziwei Hall’s Chief Superintendent showed a troubled expression, seemingly unsure how to explain because he could not gauge Qi Xuansu’s intent.

Ke Qingqing explained on his behalf. “She’s rather impulsive and tends to act based on her emotions. She needs others to provide her with some emotional validation. I’ve heard her subordinates are quite good at humoring her. She’s not even 40 yet, so her prospects are quite promising. But with how hard she pushes herself at work, it’s difficult to balance private matters. Given her personality, I’ve heard her relationship with her Daoist companion isn’t great. Her emotional tendencies probably stem from that.”

Qi Xuansu summarized, “So, she wants others to flatter and coax her and act according to her preferences.”

Ke Qingqing nodded. “That’s a fair judgment.”

Qi Xuansu said, “That’s not the right attitude for getting things done. Shifting one’s personal stress onto subordinates is a bad practice. Of course, I should first criticize myself, since I vented my anger on Deputy Mansion Master Wang over some personal matters. I hear Deputy Mansion Master Wang is still ill? Perhaps I ought to pay him a visit.”

The two Chief Superintendents lowered their gazes. Neither dared say a word.

Ke Qingqing added, “It was Deputy Mansion Master Wang who started hurling insults first. You can hardly be blamed, Chief Deputy Qi.”

“All right, let’s put my own matter aside for now and continue talking about this Daoist Wu.” Qi Xuansu returned to the topic. “You mentioned earlier that Daoist Wu is still in her thirties. That really is quite impressive.”

Ke Qingqing muttered, “If she’s really that capable, then how did Poluo end up in such chaos? When the Westerners were inciting unrest, she didn’t show up. When Ancient Immortals were plotting their descent, she didn’t show up either. But when it comes to dealing with her own people, she’s quite adept.”

The Chief Superintendent of Fengxian Hall was sharp and had already grasped part of the meaning. He interjected at just the right moment, “Exactly. She’s an expert at internal strife. When all of one’s energy is spent investigating and scrutinizing one’s own people, one is bound to be inept at external threats. After all, there’s no time left to investigate outsiders.”

Ke Qingqing said, “You’re absolutely right, Chief Superintendent Zhou. Some people are experts at fighting internal battles but hopeless at external ones. They really ought to be investigated carefully. Who knows if they have ulterior motives by encouraging infighting?”

There were some things Qi Xuansu could not say outright. He could only convey an attitude vaguely and let those below him grasp it themselves. This could be seen as a form of self-protection. Silence was often the safer choice, as there was no way to retract words that had been said.

A secretary, however, had far fewer such concerns. When necessary, they could afford to be a bit more loose-tongued on behalf of their superiors, serving as the mouthpiece.

The Chief Superintendent of Ziwei Hall had spent many years navigating officialdom, so he grasped the subtlety instantly. He could not help but sigh inwardly. No wonder Chief Deputy Qi had risen so swiftly at such a young age. Having backing and connections was one reason. Chief Deputy Qi also had enough capability and achievements. However, the crucial point was that he was born for this work. Chief Deputy Qi was a newcomer to the arena of power, yet he was able to master it without instruction. Such methods were likely beyond even the Daoist Order’s Three Prodigies.

Many of these principles had taken him decades to gradually comprehend.

The Chief Superintendent of the Fengxian Hall was no less shrewd than his Ziwei Hall counterpart. He knew how to read between the lines, so he immediately stated his position. “Superintendent Ke, you’re right. It’s time to investigate. The Westerners have stirred up trouble, and the cult demons have caused chaos in the region, yet the local branch of the Beichen Hall did not respond. I’d say there’s a strong suspicion of dereliction of duty.”

Qi Xuansu said calmly, “You two can handle these matters. Do what needs to be done by following the regulations and statutes. I need to focus my energy on restructuring the shareholders’ meeting of the Nanyang United Trading Company.”

The Chief Superintendent of Fengxian Hall nodded in acknowledgment. He had been dealing with criminal and disciplinary matters for 20 years and naturally knew the regulations inside out. He would not leave anything ambiguous for others to seize.

Ke Qingqing withdrew and had someone prepare the late-night refreshments.

Both Chief Superintendents understood that this was an invitation to dine together. Although a late-night snack was not particularly formal, it was undoubtedly a signal that they were being treated as insiders.

Soon, the refreshments were served. It was just a simple bowl of noodle soup, nothing remarkable. But neither of them was there for the noodles. What truly mattered was the meaning behind the noodles.

As Qi Xuansu ate his noodles, he said, “If I remember correctly, the matter concerning Chen Jianchou has already been reported to the headquarters of Ziwei Hall.”

The Chief Superintendent of Ziwei Hall hurriedly put down his chopsticks and said, “Yes. Since it involved the divine descent of two Ancient Immortals, it was directly classified as a top-tier Heaven merit. The Ziwei Hall Master even personally praised him. It’s just a pity that he isn’t a formally ordained Daoist priest, so many promotions and rewards cannot be implemented for now.”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Yes, it will have to wait until after the major examination. But speaking of the examination, no one can guarantee that Chen Jianchou will definitely pass. If he doesn’t, and the matter is left unresolved indefinitely, that wouldn’t be good in the long run.”

The Ziwei Hall’s Chief Superintendent said, “I’ve thought about that as well. I was wondering whether we could first grant him a Daoist Priest Kindred status.”

Qi Xuansu said, “That’s a good suggestion. Chen Jianchou’s case hasn’t been formally concluded yet, has it? According to Daoist law, is he qualified to be granted Daoist Priest Kindred status?”

The Chief Superintendent of Fengxian Hall nodded. “Yes. According to Daoist law, he does indeed qualify.”

Qi Xuansu gestured lightly with his chopsticks. “Since he has this qualification, we can’t allow others to say that our rewards and punishments are unclear. Otherwise, who would still be willing to work hard for the Daoist Order in the future?”

The Ziwei Hall’s Chief Superintendent said solemnly, “I will immediately send a letter to the headquarters of Ziwei Hall in Jade Capital and request that Chen Jianchou be granted fourth-rank Daoist Priest Kindred status.”

Qi Xuansu smiled. “I’ll also speak with my colleagues in Ziwei Hall and ask them to expedite the matter.”

The Ziwei Hall’s Chief Superintendent smiled back ingratiatingly. “Chief Deputy Qi, Ziwei Hall is your home ground, so we’re family.”