jdhmnovel Chapter 417 The Old Fox and the Little Fox 1
Chapter 417 The Old Fox and the Little Fox 1
Chapter 417 The Old Fox and the Little Fox 1
The highest level an actor can reach is to not act, but to express emotions from the heart.
The highest level of undercover work is to be completely genuine and not even realize you're an undercover agent.
Sincerity is a sure-fire weapon, and authenticity is the best disguise.
Since his conversation with his grandfather, Jiang Xiaoqi has remained exactly the same as before.
He continued to follow the routine, going back and forth between the Hanlin Academy and his home.
He, along with Xiao Ming and Liu Peng, still gathered in his office every day at noon for lunch.
The topics they discussed were never sensitive, and they never even asked how many people would be attending the small banquet at Liu's residence in a few days, or who exactly they would be.
Xiao Ming didn't ask, so it's normal that Jiang Xiaoqi didn't ask either.
Moreover, his great-uncle Jiang Changqing had already told his grand-nephew about the Liu family banquet. After all, Jiang Changqing had attended a small banquet at the Liu family mansion once and naturally understood the intricacies of the event.
The small banquet at the Liu family is not the most important thing right now. What is important is to investigate whether there are any officials in the Hanlin Academy who are secretly betting on the princes.
Besides Xiao Ming and Liu Peng, the only other person I was somewhat familiar with in the Hanlin Academy was Jiang Xiaoqi, an old Hanlin scholar in charge of data registration at the archives.
Jiang Xiaoqi knew a little about this person. He came from a poor family and had been working in the Hanlin Academy for almost thirty years, but he was still only a sixth-rank official.
Jiang Xiaoqi didn't know if this person felt resentful or not, but he knew that this person was short of money.
The fact that this old man collected the silk ribbons used for packaging books and sold them shows that he was already on par with the cleaning ladies who sold cardboard boxes in later generations.
Many cleaning ladies in later generations sell cardboard boxes simply out of environmental protection, hobby, or because they can't stand waste.
Many cleaning ladies even drive BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes to and from get off work, and their meager wages are simply not enough to cover their gas and parking costs.
However, these cleaning ladies who drive BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, and Audis still collect bottles and cardboard boxes. It has nothing to do with money; it's a professional commitment and a cultural tradition.
Yes, it is like that.
After lunch and a short nap, Jiang Xiaoqi strolled over to the archives with a few snacks in hand.
His action went unnoticed by anyone, after all, he was a regular at the archive.
During my months at the Hanlin Academy, I would make seven or eight trips to the archives every month.
Of course, he wasn't just there to digest his food.
The historical materials he is currently responsible for restoring are extremely scarce, as they are from a dynasty even earlier than the previous one. Therefore, he frequently visits archives to dig out fragments of information from that dynasty from the dust.
The task of compiling the history books of the previous dynasty is in the hands of a few old scholars. It is said that these old gentlemen have been working on it for more than ten years, and they have completed about one-tenth of it so far.
Is it really that difficult to compile the history books of the previous dynasty? Actually, not necessarily.
The difficulty in compiling the history books of previous dynasties lies not in the lack of historical materials, nor in the difficulty of verification.
The difficulty in compiling the history of the previous dynasty lies in the fact that it was overthrown by the current dynasty.
To compile the history of the previous dynasty, one would inevitably have to involve the current dynasty, and to involve the current dynasty, one would inevitably have to involve the founding emperor, the current emperor Zhao Yong.
It's true that Emperor Zhao Yong wouldn't mind revising the history books of the previous dynasty if he had overthrown a corrupt and incompetent one.
However, the difficulty lies in compiling the book based on historical facts. After all, whose rise to power is entirely "glorious and righteous"?
To overthrow the old dynasty and establish a new one, having soldiers, money, and food is not enough; one also needs the means.
This method can be aboveboard or shady.
Throughout five thousand years of history, how many uprisings that overthrew old dynasties were based entirely on the moral high ground and were without any moral flaws?
It should be noted that before the Great Zhou emperor established the new dynasty, he personally led troops. Massacres of cities were not uncommon, but they did happen.
The previous dynasty was only two hundred years old. If we really wanted to compile a history book, it would take at most three or four years to finish it.
But after a discussion, the old scholars decided that they couldn't repair it so quickly; it would be better to proceed slowly.
Ideally, one should work on it until retirement, then hand over this hot potato to the next generation.
So the history books of the previous dynasty took more than ten years to compile, and no one rushed them, right? So don't panic, don't panic~
The Hanlin Academy lacks many things, but it has no shortage of intelligent people, since most of them are top-ranked graduates.
Who wasn't once a top scholar, second-place scholar, or third-place scholar?
In short, a candidate who has passed the imperial examination at the same level cannot get in here unless they are extremely lucky.
Therefore, the Hanlin Academy, a seemingly insignificant government office, actually harbored quite a few shrewd and cunning old foxes.
They may not be good at being officials, but their survival skills are top-notch.
When Jiang Xiaoqi arrived at the archives with the snacks, Lord Chen, who was in charge of the place, was dozing off.
Jiang Xiaoqi was used to it. Well, these adults were all laid-back and complacent. As long as I didn't want to improve myself or get promoted, I was the most powerful person in the Hanlin Academy!
After all, over the years, no one has ever been dismissed from office for being sleepy or dozing off; superiors and colleagues have always turned a blind eye.
After all, such colleagues are also very reassuring; when there are opportunities for promotion, they won't become enemies or competitors.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!" After three soft knocks on the door, the old man indeed slowly woke up.
Before his eyes reacted, his nose did. Old Master Chen sniffed, as if to confirm the smell, before slowly opening his eyes.
"Haha, Lord Jiang, it really is you. What delicious food did you bring today?"
Without any hesitation, Old Master Chen accepted the small, exquisite food box, quickly opened the lid, and the aroma of flowers and honey immediately wafted out.
"Oh ho ho~ it's flower cakes and honey cupcakes, haha, they're all my favorites, Lord Jiang has gone to great lengths again~"
"I'm glad you like it, Lord Chen. It's the same as always. Please enjoy your meal, I'll find something for myself."
Jiang Xiaoqi had always acted this way, so Old Master Chen didn't think much of it. He was quite fond of this generous Jiang Xiuzhuan.
So as long as they didn't rummage through the archives too much, or cook or light a fire in the archives, Old Master Chen would let them do as they pleased, and he was happy to have some peace and quiet.
After all, Jiang Xiuzhuan's familiarity with the various materials in the archives should be no less than that of the person in charge, since he had a photographic memory.
The archives can be borrowed or viewed on-site. Next to the rows of bookshelves are tables, chairs, and writing implements for people to use.
This is very similar to a library in later times, and also to Chiang Kai-shek's own study.
However, Jiang Xiaoqi's purpose in coming this time was not what it seemed. He only rummaged through the items for a few moments before sitting down opposite Old Master Chen's desk.
He naturally picked up a teacup and teapot and poured himself some tea, acting as if he were at home.
Old Master Chen was naturally used to it. After eating so many snacks, it was only right to offer some tea.