Chapter 1826 – Doubts (Part 1)
Hearing the name “Xu Ke” from Cheng Jing’s mouth caused Wei Ci to pause, his expression revealing a hint of surprise.
“Senior brother, how…”
Wei Ci used a rare childhood term of endearment; Cheng Jing was older and had taken care of him during their younger days, when he still called him “Senior Brother.” However, as they grew older, their close brotherly bond turned into a gentlemanly relationship, so he started addressing him by his courtesy name.
Cheng Jing countered, “Do you find it hard to guess? Or do you want to know why I suspect the person you mentioned is ‘Xu Ke’? Zixiao, don’t you think among all the officials under Jiang Jun, only Xu Ke feels completely out of place? He’s even more exceptional than Qi Guanrang.”
Wei Ci fell silent for a moment after hearing this.
“Can you explain… what makes him so exceptional?”
Cheng Jing stood up to look around, confirming there were no outsiders before carefully sitting back down.
“Among the high-ranking officials under Jiang Jun, three have the lowest status—Zixiao, I don’t disdain them for their origins, but it’s an undeniable fact. They are Yang Si, Qi Guanrang, and Xu Ke. Among these three, Yang Si is the adopted son of my master and received his early education under his care, but his mother’s background as a courtesan is undisputed; as for Qi Guanrang, let’s not mention it—born from a northern barbarian horse bandit and a girl from the Dongqing border, he’s a mixed breed shunned by both races, just as shameful and often criticized for years.”
Cheng Jing was stating facts, which were also what Yang Si and Qi Guanrang resented being reminded of.
“… The third person, Xu Ke…” When mentioning Xu Ke, Cheng Jing paused. Compared to Yang Si and Qi Guanrang, Xu Ke’s presence was almost nonexistent, only occasionally attracting the outside world’s attention. “Xu Ke got on the wrong side of noble clans when he was young; despite his original intent to kill stemming from filial piety, it doesn’t conceal the fact that he was tattooed and exiled. Even though he was later released from servitude and restored to good status by Jiang Jun, that obvious tattoo mark on his face is impossible to hide. Anyone who has seen him knows all about his origins…”
After saying so much, Cheng Jing felt thirsty and poured himself a cup of tea to moisten his throat.
“In terms of social standing, these three are on par.”
Wei Ci remarked, “The Lord has always disregarded origins and titles, valuing only talent and virtue.”
Cheng Jing nodded in agreement. “Indeed, over the years, she has upheld this principle well, showing no signs of favoritism. However—the question arises: has Jiang Jun truly never showed favoritism over the years? Zixiao, be honest with yourself; if you were asked the same question, would you be able to answer? Has Jiang Jun ever favored anyone? For Xu Ke, she is probably the most biased.”
Wei Ci’s expression turned cold upon hearing this, his lips pressed together in silence.
Cheng Jing continued, “Xu Ke, Qi Guanrang, Yang Si—except for Yang Si, the other two have been familiar with Jiang Jun since her youth. Xu Ke was not only the first person to know Jiang Jun, but also her book boy in her younger days, entrusted with significant responsibilities as the steward. If Jiang Jun were just an ordinary noble child, Xu Ke being her steward and managing the household wouldn’t be unfair to him. But Jiang Jun is no ordinary noble; she rose from nothing to where she is now, almost on the brink of becoming the future emperor.”
Over the years, Cheng Jing had watched the winds of fate from the sidelines, observing both Jiang Pengji and her officials.
In observing, he discovered the anomaly that was Xu Ke.
In terms of friendship, no one could rival the bond he shared with Jiang Pengji from their youth.
In terms of capability, Xu Ke had managed the back affairs for Jiang Pengji for years, putting in the hard work.
But in terms of reputation, he was at the bottom among the high officials.
“Since Yang Si followed Jiang Jun, he rarely stayed behind during battles. Back when Jiang Jun was yet to gain prominence, she entrusted the critically important Hujun to Yang Si, commanding him to train the troops and handle all matters there. Afterward, she still delegated power to him, allowing him to interact with the Xu brothers. Afterward, Yang Si’s career flourished with numerous military achievements. Relying on these achievements, who would dare to belittle his origins in front of him? As for Qi Guanrang, his glorious battle achievements rival or surpass those of Yang Si. The battle in Zhong Zhao was indeed impressive, with both merits and Jiang Jun’s complete trust; does anyone still dare to speak ill of his origins before him?”
Cheng Jing’s words were not without reason.
If one observed closely, it was clear that Jiang Pengji treated her officials from humble beginnings extraordinarily well. This kindness wasn’t favoritism; rather, Jiang Pengji was the fairest ruler Cheng Jing had seen among all the lords—yet could that mean she had no biases? Certainly not. Her bias lay in the opportunities she provided these individuals to achieve merits, allowing them to let their abilities speak for themselves. Once they had accomplishments, no matter how extravagant their rewards, they were justified. With achievements came rewards, and thus their status and weight rose accordingly.
In contrast, officials of noble origins were slightly disadvantaged.
Of course, this could be hard to notice without careful observation.
Even if noticed, Yang Si and the others were still rising based on merit, not familial connections, leaving no room for complaints.
This principle applied to both civil officials and military generals.
Among the military generals, Li Yun, Fu Wang, Dian Yin, Nong Qin, Meng Hunyun… these individuals also hailed from humble backgrounds, yet they had ample opportunities to lead and unite armies; their strength was solid, hence it wasn’t difficult for them to accumulate military credits. Naturally, this was also related to the scarcity of military generals from noble backgrounds under Jiang Pengji. Even after later recruiting Yang Tao’s old subordinates, the subsequent battles were few, and taking credit couldn’t compare to these few individuals.
Everyone was like this; yet, unexpectedly, Xu Ke stood out as an exception.
So glaringly obvious, it was hard for Cheng Jing not to pay attention to him.
“Xu Ke and Jiang Jun met in their youth; not only did they share a master-servant bond but also a childhood friendship, logically, he should be the one closest to her favor.” Cheng Jing deliberately used the term “benevolence,” subtly acknowledging Jiang Pengji’s future ascent to power. “Yet, his status does not align with his reputation. Some might say he has lost her favor and trust, yet Jiang Jun entrusts nearly all rather significant matters to him, practically wagering her fortunes and life—who would dare say that’s not trust? But to say she completely trusts Xu Ke would be misleading… Despite Xu Ke being proficient in internal affairs, he doesn’t seem to have ever dipped his fingers into military command.”
If one were to be proficient, Wei Ci also excelled in internal affairs, yet he served in the army yearly, running to this battlefield or that one.
Balancing military command hasn’t hindered him from managing state affairs, practically executing them simultaneously.
Xu Ke, on the other hand…
Cheng Jing had subtly probed; while Xu Ke wasn’t clueless about military matters, if that were the case, how could he remember thousands of granary strongholds and the roads connecting them, making adjustments in the shortest time to ensure grain and supplies reached the front lines as swiftly as possible? Cheng Jing believed he wasn’t as skilled as Xu Ke in logistical coordination; he even envied Xu Ke’s abilities, which surpassed most others.
