Chapter 2, Lu Yifeng

In the best Gaopeng Inn in Kunming, Lu Yifeng, formerly known as Feng Xiang, stayed for two days. Gradually, the new Lu Yifeng began to shake off the lingering headaches caused by his fall and started to recall the memories left by the old Lu Yifeng. He mastered the various circumstances of the old Lu Yifeng's family and the behaviors and manners of this era, finally fully integrating into the role of Lu Yifeng. On September 12, the new Lu Yifeng, determined to first become the magistrate of Qujing, rode with Erlang and about twenty to thirty servants to the foot of Wuhua Mountain, where the Prince of Pingxi's residence was located. He prepared to follow the rules of the Western official selection process to first pay a visit to Wu Sangui, listen to his guidance, and then go to the capital to meet the emperor, who was being served by the Bannermen, before finally returning to Qujing, Yunnan, to officially take office.

"Young Master Feng, it's just dawn, is there really a need to be in such a hurry?" Erlang said while yawning, "If we go this early, we definitely won't be able to see Prince Pingxi. It's better to wait a bit, let's have breakfast first and then go."

Feng Xiang remained silent, only calculating in his heart. According to the original historical development, at this moment, the Qing Dynasty had not yet firmly established itself in the Central Plains. For the Han people, there was still a chance to expel the Tartars and restore China, and this was also the last opportunity. However, he currently had neither power nor influence, nor a strong backing or deep connections. If he wanted to make a name for himself during the upcoming Three Feudatories Rebellion in a few years, merely continuing on this path would not suffice. To stand out and lay a solid foundation for his future, he must seek wealth and honor through risk, taking a gamble to leave a deep impression on Wu Sangui. Even if he did not wish to ally with this old traitor, he at least needed to make a name for himself.

Dare I ask, General, is it always this difficult for us, the officials from the West, to pay our respects to the Prince of Pingxi?" Feng Xiang inquired curiously, "I have already come here five times, yet I have not been able to set foot on Wuhua Mountain even once. Is it the case that every official from the West faces such obstacles?

"Di Bao? Young Master Feng, don't you never look at this kind of thing? What did you buy it for?" Er Lang scratched his head and asked. Feng Xiang smiled and replied: "What for? Of course, to see what illness the Prince of Pingxi is suffering from."

Wuhua Mountain is located in the northern suburbs of Kunming. The buildings at the summit were originally the former palace of the Ming Dynasty's Yongli Emperor. After Wu Sangui was granted the title of prince in Yunnan, he took over without hesitation. After repairs and reconstruction, it became Wu Sangui's Prince of Pingxi's residence. The mountain forest is majestic, and the residence is splendid, making it truly a beautiful place to visit. However, it is unfortunate that it is not the 21st century, where one could simply spend a little money to buy a few tickets to visit Wuhua Mountain. Therefore, upon arriving at the foot of Wuhua Mountain, Feng Xiang could only dismount according to the rules and submit official documents to the Wu Sangui military general guarding the foot of the mountain, requesting an audience with Wu Sangui. However, it is unfortunate that it is not the 21st century, where one could simply spend a little money to buy a few tickets to visit Wuhua Mountain. Therefore, upon arriving at the foot of Wuhua Mountain, Feng Xiang could only dismount according to the rules and submit official documents to the Wu Sangui military general guarding the foot of the mountain, requesting an audience with Wu Sangui.

"Curing diseases? Young Master Feng, when did you learn to cure diseases?" Er Lang was taken aback. Feng Xiang chuckled and replied, "I just learned it last night. Although I am not completely confident, if I want to gain the favor and trust of the Prince of Pingxi, I have to take a gamble."

Having said that, the captain of the guard took his leave, while Feng Xiang remained in place, lost in thought with his eyes darting around. The house servant, Erlang, kindly suggested, "Young Master Feng, it is too hot. Since it is certain that we will not see the Prince today, it would be better to return and rest early, and come back another day to pay our respects to the Prince at Wuhua Mountain."

"The Prince of Pingxi is unavailable, you may return and come back another day to pay your respects." The messenger soldier couldn't even be bothered to glance at Feng Xiang, directly waving him away with impatience—there was no way around it. Not to mention that Feng Xiang was still just a nominal county magistrate without an official appointment, even if he had truly become the county magistrate of Qujing, he would not expect any favorable treatment here. After all, a county magistrate is merely a minor official of the seventh rank, akin to a sesame seed. Although Feng Xiang was not in a hurry to meet the infamous traitor Wu Sangui, in order to avoid unnecessary trips, Feng Xiang still humbly inquired, "May I ask, General, if the Prince of Pingxi has instructed when I should come to pay my respects?"

Having considered this, Feng Xiang gritted his teeth and suddenly tugged at Erlang's sleeve, whispering, "Erlang, I will take some people back to the Gaopeng Inn first. You take a few literate servants to Kunming City and buy a copy of the court's official gazettes from the past few months. If possible, it would be best to obtain a copy of all the official gazettes issued by the court nationwide this year."

"It's nothing, this time I will definitely be able to see the Prince of Pingxi," Feng Xiang said confidently. "Isn't the Prince of Pingxi ill? I am going today to treat his illness."

In history, ten taels of silver were not as worthless as depicted in novels, especially during the early Qing Dynasty. Ten taels of silver were generally sufficient for a middle-class family for a year. Considering the value of these ten taels, the captain of the guard at the Pingxi Wangfu replied truthfully: "It is not like that. The Pingxi Prince values talent and treats scholars with respect. Usually, when officials come to Wuhua Mountain to seek an audience, they can generally meet the prince on the same day, at most waiting a day or two. It is just that you have been quite unfortunate; recently, the prince has been extremely busy with official duties, his health has not been very good, and he has been somewhat irritable, unwilling to meet strangers, which is why you have had to make so many trips."

"The prince did not say, you can decide for yourself!" the messenger replied irritably. Feng Xiang was not foolish; he quickly had Er Lang take out two taels of silver and slip it into the messenger's hand. The messenger weighed it in his hand and then lowered his voice, saying, "The prince has not been feeling well these past few days and indeed did not specify when you should come to pay your respects. You may come tomorrow and try your luck." Feng Xiang, feeling helpless, could only agree in a low voice and left with Er Lang and the other servants, feeling disgruntled.

Indeed, Lu Yifeng, who had been pampered since childhood, truly listened to his father's words. After burying his father, he followed the last wishes and picked up his books, studying diligently in preparation for the imperial examinations. However, Lu Yifeng's talents were rather mediocre; it took him three years just to pass the preliminary examination, and he failed to become a scholar even after five attempts at the next level. Ultimately, he was fortunate enough to be selected by the examiners from the discarded papers due to a shortage of candidates, thus becoming a minor scholar. During this time, Lu Yifeng's mother unfortunately passed away, and his betrothed also died before their marriage, leaving him utterly alone. Despite the hardships, he was still better off than many, as the saying goes, a dead camel is still bigger than a horse. Thanks to his father's foresight in transferring and preserving gold and silver treasures, Lu Yifeng was financially quite comfortable. As he grew older and gained more experience, he gradually understood that becoming an official did not necessarily require following the traditional path of the imperial examinations. He realized that he was not suited for scholarly pursuits, so Lu Yifeng made a firm decision to leverage the connections left by his father. He delivered five thousand taels of silver to Wu Yingqi, the second son of the Prince of Pingxi, Wu Sangui, and finally secured a position as the county magistrate of Qujing in Yunnan, becoming a proud member of the hundreds of selected officials of his time.

Lu Yifeng, twenty-five years old, hails from Dali Prefecture in Yunnan. His family has been engaged in commerce for generations and, by the late Ming Dynasty, had essentially monopolized the jade and medicinal herb trade in Dali Prefecture. Their business once spread throughout the entire province of Yunnan, and they were immensely wealthy. However, after the Manchu forces entered the pass, the Lu family's business suffered a severe blow. Numerous shops were looted during the turmoil of war, leading to a drastic decline in their business. Although Lu Yifeng's deceased father had quickly seized the opportunity to transfer a significant portion of their assets, he was still unable to cope with the devastation of dozens of shops being plundered by marauding troops. Additionally, some assets that could not be relocated were extorted by local officials appointed by the Manchus. This caused Lu's father to fall ill from the stress, and he passed away in the seventeenth year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. Before his death, Lu's father left a prophecy for his only son, who was just sixteen at the time: "Do not engage in business; instead, pursue a career in government. Only by becoming an official can one enjoy a good life! Otherwise, no matter how large your business grows, in the end, you will only be a fat sheep for the officials to slaughter."

The heavens may bring unforeseen storms, and fortunes may change for people at any moment. When Lu Yifeng, accompanied by twenty to thirty attendants, arrived in Kunming from Dali Prefecture, he was filled with ambition and was preparing to pay his respects to Wu Sangui before taking office in Qujing County to exploit the local resources. However, at the city gate of Kunming, Lu Yifeng's horse was startled and bolted, causing him to fall and lose consciousness. When he awoke, he inexplicably transformed from Brother Lu into Little Brother Feng. The early Qing Dynasty official Lu Yifeng became the young discontented Feng Xiang of the twenty-first century.

It is still about the matter of the prince requesting to return the duties of the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. The captain of the guard squad, seeing that Feng Xiang was a selected official from the West, did not hold back and directly informed him: "In March of this year, the prince, due to health issues, submitted a request to the court to return the duties of the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, which was approved by the court. Later, several officials, including Governor Bian Sanyuan of Yunnan and Guizhou, and the commanders Zhang Guozhu of Yunnan and Li Benshen of Guizhou, jointly submitted a petition, requesting the court to continue to grant the prince the governance of Yunnan and Guizhou. As a result, the court did not approve it. A few days ago, the petition was sent back to Yunnan, and the officials became anxious, rushing to seek an audience with the prince to discuss how to persuade the emperor to retract the decree and allow the prince to continue governing Yunnan and Guizhou."

Under the scorching sun at the foot of the mountain, I waited for nearly an hour. Finally, a messenger descended from Wuhua Mountain and impatiently called out: "Is Lu Yifeng, the county magistrate of Qujing, Yunnan, here? Step forward!" Feng Xiang, who had been standing so long that his legs were nearly numb and was about to be baked under the sun, hurriedly stepped forward and replied: "General, I am Lu Yifeng."

In the following days, Feng Xiang, accompanied by Erlang and other servants, made several trips back and forth to Wuhua Mountain. Unfortunately, each time they were unable to meet the infamous traitor Wu Sangui. The response from the guards at the Pingxi Wangfu was consistently that Wu Sangui was unwell and could not receive an official like Feng Xiang. At the same time, Wu Sangui's second son, Wu Yingqi, also did not make an appearance, hiding every day in the Pingxi Wangfu, leaving one to wonder what he was up to. Given this situation, it was somewhat strange that Feng Xiang, who was not particularly eager to see Wu Sangui's vile face, ended up bribing a squad leader of the guards at the Pingxi Wangfu with a substantial sum of ten taels of silver to inquire further.

Having said that, the captain of the guard pointed towards the training ground at the foot of the mountain and said: "Do you see? Governor Bian Sanyuan of Yunnan-Guizhou and General Zhang Guozhu, the commander of Yunnan, have been coming to Wuhua Mountain every day before dawn to discuss important military matters with the prince. Their attendants and carriages have to wait here until dark. Just a few days ago, there were even more people; the Governor of Guizhou, Cao Shenji, and Commander Li Benshen also came, and they only left yesterday. The prince is so busy and not feeling well; does he have time to see you?"

The so-called "dibaos" are essentially ancient newspapers. This practice began during the Song Dynasty, where merchants specialized in copying and printing them for profit. Xiao Erlang, accompanied by his servants, found it quite easy to collect them, but gathering a complete set of dibaos from this year would require some time. Therefore, it was not until that evening that Xiao Erlang returned to the Gaopeng Inn with a thick stack of dibaos. Meanwhile, Feng Xiang had not even finished his dinner before he hurriedly took the stack of dibaos into his room to read by lamplight. Seeing Feng Xiang so focused, Erlang, who had grown up in the Lu family, couldn't help but sigh, "If Young Master Feng had applied himself like this earlier, he would not only have become a scholar but perhaps even passed the imperial examination for the jinshi degree long ago."

On the morning of the second day, while Erlang and the servants were still sleeping on the rented bunk beds, the door was suddenly kicked open. Erlang struggled to sit up and saw that Young Master Lu from his family rushed in with bloodshot eyes, shouting as he entered: "Everyone get up, pack your things and go to Wuhua Mountain, quickly."

Feng Xiang followed the direction pointed out by the captain of the guard and saw that indeed a large number of personal soldiers and attendants were gathered under the shade of the trees beside the training ground. Some were playing cards, some were drinking tea, and others were chatting, all appearing to be in a state of prolonged engagement. Feng Xiang, feeling greatly curious, could not help but ask the captain of the guard again: "General, I hope you don't mind my asking, what kind of political affairs has the prince been busy with lately? How much longer will he be occupied?"

"Has Wu Sangui gone mad?" Feng Xiang listened, feeling utterly confused, and thought to himself: "Isn't the old traitor Wu Sangui supposed to rebel in a few years? Why is he proactively submitting a request to hand over the administration of Yunnan and Guizhou? Without Yunnan and Guizhou as a stronghold, how can he possibly rebel?"

"Lord Lu, I must take my leave now." Seeing that Feng Xiang remained silent, the captain of the guard yawned and said, "The guards at Wuhua Mountain are due for a shift change. Lord Lu, please be patient; once the prince has finished this busy period, he will surely find time to meet with you. Rest assured, the prince's word is as good as gold; once he has stated that the position of magistrate of Qujing is yours, no one can take it away."