A Pawn's Passage

At the Tianxin Daoist Palace in the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, Zhang Jucheng led the various Deputy Mansion Masters in welcoming the newly appointed Second Deputy Mansion Master.

After Li Tianlan’s downfall, the position of Second Deputy of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion had remained vacant. According to the old convention, someone from the Taiping Sect should fill the vacancy. The person did not necessarily have to be a Li, so long as he belonged to the Taiping Sect.

A candidate had originally been settled upon, with only the formal appointment remaining. However, complications arose afterward, and the matter dragged on until now. It was not because the Quanzhen Sect or Zhengyi Sect had any objections, but because disagreements had emerged within the Taiping Sect itself. Quite a few people had their eyes on the position, making the competition fierce.

The Daoist Order had four major financial pillars, corresponding to four Daoist Mansions—Poluo, Lingnan, Jiangnan, and Qizhou. The wealth of the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion was renowned throughout the realm. Serving as Deputy Mansion Master here carried considerable risk. Zhang Juquan, Li Tianlan, and Fang Linhou served as precedents. However, the post was simply too lucrative to resist. Faced with such worldly riches and temptations, many people could hardly keep themselves from making a move.

After a round of competition and internal strife, a candidate was finally chosen—Shen Mingjing.

At long last, it was someone who was not from the Li family. Shen Mingjing was a younger clansman of Shen Mingxin, the Second Deputy of Beichen Hall. Unlike the perpetually tense members of the Li family, he had not come here intending to contend with Zhang Jucheng.

He would have to be out of his mind to do so. If a Deputy Mansion Master wanted to contend with the Mansion Master, the prerequisite was for the Chief Deputy and Second Deputy join forces to counterbalance the Mansion Master. Now that Lei Xiaohuan stood on Zhang Jucheng’s side, challenging Zhang Jucheng would simply be courting death.

Thus, his strategy was to lay low and know his place.

Zhang Jucheng was very satisfied with Shen Mingjing’s attitude and offered a few words of encouragement. “Second Deputy Shen, I hope you can sweep away the filth and corruption left behind by Li Tianlan over all these years and restore clear skies and righteous order to Jiangnan.”

Shen Mingjing lowered his head slightly. “I will certainly do my utmost.”

“No need to be so restrained.” Zhang Jucheng gestured for Shen Mingjing to sit before continuing. “I have recently been reading the Records of Emperor Shizong from the previous dynasty. Emperor Shizong was wise in his early years but became muddled in his later years. Still, for someone who entered the line of succession from a collateral branch and managed to secure the throne at such a young age, he certainly possessed considerable ability. He could by no means be described as mediocre. Emperor Shizong was a cultivator of the Dao, and his favorite was the ‘Poems Seeking the Dao.’

Cultivate the body till it takes the form of a crane;

Beneath a thousand pines rest two scrolls of scripture.

I came to inquire about the Dao, yet there was nothing more to say;

Clouds rest in the blue sky, while water rests in the vase.

“Deputy Mansion Master Shen, do you know the meaning of that final line, ‘clouds rest in the blue sky, while water rests in the vase’?”

Shen Mingjing’s thoughts raced before he answered, “I believe it means that all things under Heaven have their own respective functions and should each fulfill their proper duty. Just as clouds belong in the blue sky and water belongs in the vase, only when each remains in its proper place can one follow the principles of heaven and the ways of man.”

Zhang Jucheng tilted his head slightly and exchanged a glance with Lei Xiaohuan, though he continued speaking to Shen Mingjing. “Second Deputy Shen is indeed well-learned. Then you must surely know that the Primordial Daoist Ancestor once said this.

When a government is simple and unobtrusive, the people are honest and content.

When a government is sharp and scrutinizing, the people become cunning and deficient.

Misfortune is where fortune rests; fortune is where misfortune lurks.

Who knows where the boundary lies? For there is no fixed standard for right.

The upright can turn into the deviant, and the good can turn evil.

Mankind’s confusion has endured for a very long time!

Shen Mingjing replied respectfully, “Those words come from Chapter 58 of The Book of the Way and Its Virtue, written by the Primordial Daoist Ancestor. Broadly speaking, they mean that good and evil, upright and wicked, have no immutable standard. What is upright may transform into what is deviant, and what is good may transform into what is harmful. People have remained confused about this principle of opposites transforming into one another for a very long time.”

Zhang Jucheng clapped his hands. “Well interpreted! It is not only the common people who are confused. Even an Omniscient Sage like myself find it quite perplexing. Some of our fellow Daoists spend every day whitewashing problems and putting on an act. When nothing has gone wrong, they all appear virtuous and upright. Yet in the blink of an eye, once they are struck down and fall from power, they turn out to be wicked and corrupt. They have one face in public and another behind closed doors. How could anyone not be confused?”

Zhang Jucheng paused briefly before continuing, “Ultimately, when they hold a position, they fail to perform their duties. Once they no longer hold that position, they insist on meddling in its affairs. Is that what it means for clouds to be in the blue sky and water in the vase? Can that be called harmony between cloud and water?”

Shen Mingjing had never expected Zhang Jucheng to do something like this.

He had only just taken office, so naturally, the first order of business should have been getting acquainted with his colleagues, rather than discussing anything important. After all, a newly appointed Second Deputy who could not even recognize all his colleagues was hardly in a position to get any real work done. Yet judging from Zhang Jucheng’s manner, he felt as if they were about to hold an impromptu Daoist Mansion Council.

Shen Mingjing instinctively looked toward the others.

None of the deputy mansion masters present voiced any objection. In fact, they all echoed Zhang Jucheng’s words. “This is disharmony between cloud and water.”

Shen Mingjing immediately understood. After Li Tianlan’s downfall, the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion had become Zhang Jucheng’s domain, where he called the shots completely.

As one of the Daoist Mansion’s three main pillars, Chief Deputy Lei Xiaohuan had no desire to counterbalance Zhang Jucheng, nor was she capable of doing so.

Within the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion, Zhang Jucheng could accomplish whatever he set his mind to. Conversely, if there was something he did not want done, no one else could get it done either. Very few people below Zhang Jucheng opposed him. If anyone did, they would have to be prepared to resign from office.

This was the very picture of a strong and domineering Mansion Master.

Simply put, those who followed him prospered, while those who opposed him perished.

In truth, it was not just Zhang Jucheng. Most of the Daoist Order’s great figures were much the same, including Sage Donghua and Sage Qingwei, and even Qi Xuansu and Li Changge.

After all, this was a tradition passed down through the same lineage. When masters taught their disciples, could they really be expected to produce anything different?

There was always a difference between theory and reality.

This only reinforced Shen Mingjing’s resolve to lower his posture and know his place.

Thus, Shen Mingjing raised no objections whatsoever.

Zhang Jucheng continued, “Some of our fellow Daoists already hold quite high ranks. They began in local Daoist Mansions and were later promoted to Deputy Hall Master. I hear they are due for yet another promotion soon, either to Chief Deputy Mansion Master or Chief Deputy Hall Master. A truly boundless future lies ahead.

“But from what I understand, a fellow Daoist pays no attention whatsoever to his actual duties, such as deploying troops and arranging formations, training and managing forces, or handling provisions and logistics. He is a complete layman in all of them. Yet he seems to know every young lady and madam of the prominent families. He can even call some female superintendents by their childhood nicknames. When I went to the Golden Tower for a council meeting, I even made a suggestion that someone like this could be assigned to the Female Daoist Association of Mutual Aid. He could serve as the chief and put his talent for helping others to good use.”

The moment these words were spoken, the air abruptly turned cold.

Everyone present knew the ins and outs of the matter, so they knew exactly whom Zhang Jucheng was talking about. It was none other than the womanizer Li Minghuang.

What they had not expected was that Zhang Jucheng would dare to expose his own daughter’s sore spot. Of course, Zhang Jucheng also poked at the Li family’s sore spot, which was even more disgraceful than the Zhang family’s.

Precisely because the matter involved both the Zhang and Li families, hardly anyone dared bring it up casually. Offending both families at once would be courting death.

Only someone like Zhang Jucheng could afford to have no such reservations.

Shen Mingjing’s expression grew somewhat stiff. He could neither bring himself to laugh nor find anything to say.

Of course, he also knew who Zhang Jucheng was referring to. He more or less understood Zhang Jucheng’s intentions as well. But as a member of the Taiping Sect, it would be inappropriate for him to join in the criticism. Yet standing alone here, he truly lacked the courage to voice any opposition.

After all, Li Tianlan’s fate was a cautionary example. It was better to be a turtle hiding in its shell than a dead one.

Zhang Jucheng cast Shen Mingjing a meaningful glance.

Even if Shen Mingjing remained silent, there were naturally others willing to speak.

One of the Deputy Mansion Masters said, “Mansion Master, now that you have brought this up, I’ve just remembered something as well. This Deputy Hall Master is quite a frequent visitor to Jiangnan. Every time he comes, he brings a woman along for boating, admiring lanterns, and other activities. More importantly, it is a different woman every time. Each of these women has her own charms. Isn’t that remarkable?”

Lei Xiaohuan said, “A Deputy Tiangang Hall Master bears the tremendous responsibility of safeguarding the Daoist Order. Yet instead of attending to his proper duties, he spends his days sightseeing and amusing himself while showing such all-encompassing ‘concern’ for his female subordinates. Mansion Master, if your proposal receives serious consideration from the Golden Tower Council and they elect him as Chief of the Female Daoist Association of Mutual Aid, then as a member of the association myself, I will gladly cast my vote for him. We should make the best possible use of his talents.”

Zhang Jucheng laughed. “It seems I have not misunderstood this fellow Daoist in the slightest. I have also heard that he climbed all the way to his present position entirely by finding himself a powerful adoptive father and relying on connections through women. How much attention could he possibly have left for his actual duties if he devotes all his thoughts to his adoptive father and women?”

This was practically cursing Li Minghuang behind his back.

“Second Deputy Shen!” Zhang Jucheng suddenly called out.

Shen Mingjing was startled and hurriedly responded, “Yes, Mansion Master.”

Zhang Jucheng said, “There is something I need to tell you. Li Tianlan’s Daoist companion, Gu Ying, has been detained at the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion all this time. Shortly before you arrived, Gu Ying suddenly reported that Li Minghuang, the Deputy Tiangang Hall Master, had forced himself upon her. We have already communicated with Tiangang Hall regarding the matter. Sage Cihang has stated that the matter will be thoroughly investigated and that there will absolutely be no attempt to shield anyone.

“As it happens, Ziwei Hall has recently been conducting a comprehensive assessment and interview with Deputy Hall Master Li regarding an adjustment to his position. Ziwei Hall has also heard about this matter and has asked our Daoist Mansion to send Gu Ying to Jade Capital. They intend to personally investigate the situation and ascertain the facts.

“You had not yet taken office at the time, so Chief Deputy Lei was responsible for handling the matter. Now that the people from Ziwei Hall have arrived and you have formally assumed your post, you should complete the necessary procedures as soon as possible so Ziwei Hall can take her into their custody.”

“Uh... I...” Shen Mingjing seemed to have a thousand things he wanted to say, yet his tongue seemed tied. In the end, he managed to squeeze out a single bewildered sound. “Huh?”

Zhang Jucheng’s expression darkened. “What is it? Do you object, Second Deputy Shen? Should we convene a Daoist Mansion Council to discuss the matter?”

Shen Mingjing glanced at the expressions of the Deputy Mansion Masters around him and immediately knew what the outcome of such a council would be. So he said helplessly, “I have no objections.”

A smile returned to Zhang Jucheng’s face. “Very good. Then hurry up and get it done. We can finally put this matter to rest.”

Zhang Jucheng instructed, “Oh, right. Please invite our fellow Daoist from Ziwei Hall in here.”

Before long, Qi Xuansu walked in.

Shen Mingjing’s eyes widened. “Sage Qi...? Aren’t you supposed to be in Nanyang?”

Qi Xuansu chuckled. “Is it a problem if I can cross vast distances in the blink of an eye?”