Chapter 38 Long Legs Nowhere to Go "We also need to understand the ever-changing situations in various places, so we also need to arrange intelligence collection and feedback, and then organize and summarize all the intelligence, analyze it, and formulate corresponding diplomatic strategies in case of emergency. We also need to understand the military situation, the military strength of both our own and the enemy, especially those along the border, as well as the war dynamics. I need to know them at any time. Of course, all intelligence information is mainly provided by the Privy Council and the Supervisory Council. Although we have also made some arrangements and have our own channels, they are not as comprehensive as theirs. Also, if we go to war with anyone, for example, Northern Qi, our main opponent is Northern Qi. Unless we succeed in one battle, we will eventually have to enter the negotiation stage between the two sides. Then, in addition to the information mentioned above, we also need to know the specific information of the negotiators sent by the other party, such as the number of people, personal situation, preferences, work habits, conversation, and quirks. We need to know anything that can help the negotiations. The rest are the standards, procedures and etiquette for reception matters. There are corresponding regulations, which should be kept in mind in daily life. Nuo dance and ritual music also need to be practiced diligently at regular times and places, so as not to make a fool of yourself when they are needed. Of course, in recent years, things have been relatively stable, with few wars and not many foreign envoys. Our Honglu Temple is indeed a little dim and not well-known, but we must not underestimate ourselves. Our Honglu Temple is an extremely important department that can play a huge role at critical moments and make outstanding contributions to our Qing Kingdom." Wow, it’s even worth talking about. "Lord Xin's words have made my blood boil. I can't wait to pick up my sword and charge into Northern Qi right now." "That's not the case. Master Xiaomei, don't be impulsive. You still need to save this life for the future."
Mei Cheng'an is quick to accept good advice. "Then listen to Master Xin." Xin Qiwu spoke for a long time and felt very thirsty, so he took a few gulps of tea. "Master Xin, where is our office? It can't be here." "Of course not. This is our meeting hall. Our office is in the back. Come, I'll take you there." After the two of them stood up, Xin Qiwu took him to the back. Mei Chengan didn't realize at first that there was actually a door here because it was the same color as the surrounding window panes. Passing through this gate, there is another courtyard. In the middle is a road paved with stone slabs and pebbles, with rockery and flowing water on both sides. Directly in front is a separate two-story building with an open gate on the first floor. Walk to the end, climb three steps, cross the eaves of the corridor, and enter the gate. You can see a screen wall with intricate and ancient carvings in the middle, about seven or eight meters away from the gate. There is a low long table in front of the screen wall, and both sides are lined with bookshelves about one and a half meters high, which are filled with documents. At the end of each side there is a corner staircase leading to a separate platform. Mei Cheng'an originally thought that this building had two floors, but when he came in, he found that it was just a platform on each side. Looking from below, the area of the platform was no more than twenty square meters. Mei Chengan was a little confused about this layout. The Shaoqing sat below, and the two temple secretaries sat on the high place? Xin Qiwu pointed to the high platform on the right. “You’ll be working there.” It was just as he expected. "I'll sit on top, is it okay for you to sit on the bottom?" Xin Qiwu looked confused. "What's inappropriate about this? I was the one who built the two platforms. Your seat was in the front hall before. It was so troublesome to run back and forth to discuss things. Why don't we just sit together?" "Ah, that's fine. I was overthinking. So Wang Sicheng is on the high platform on the left." "Yes." "What about the others?" "Hey, he hid away. He was afraid that if he was here, I wouldn't be able to talk to you. If you disagree, it would be a bad situation."
"From this point of view, Wang Sicheng is quite careful." "Hahaha, I'm not familiar with you yet, so it's better to be careful. All right, I'll have someone call him back later. Let's not talk about him for now. Come on, I'll take you upstairs to have a look. I told you, I had someone clean it for you yesterday, and I also decorated it for you myself. See if you like it." Xin Qiwu pulled him up the stairs. When we arrived at the platform, it looked quite spacious, and the actual area felt larger than we had estimated. There was a one-meter-high guardrail on the left, and next to the guardrail were two storage racks of the same height, with six potted plants placed evenly spaced on them. I had no idea what kind of plums were in the pots, but they looked pretty green. A pile of documents were neatly placed below. The innermost side is still the screen wall, above which is a skylight that surrounds the entire hall. In front of it is a low long table and chairs, and under the table and chairs is a ten-centimeter-thick wooden board, which raises the whole structure a little. One meter away on both sides are two lotus-shaped candle holders that are all dark gold in color, with dozens of candles as thick as wrists placed on them. There is a square tripod placed in the middle near the office area. I thought it was an ice jar, but when I got closer I found that there was charcoal burning inside, and it was the smokeless kind. Today is only the 22nd day of the first lunar month, and it is a cold spring day. This charcoal tripod is quite thoughtful. "Look, look, I specially prepared a charcoal tripod for you. Warm it up. The charcoal inside is all good charcoal, without any smoke or dust. How is it?" "Not bad!" "Take a look at this row of potted plants. I moved them from my home myself. They are called...what are they called? Oh, yes, they are called green baskets. It sounds nice, right? They are so lush and green. They look good, don't they? Let me tell you, these green baskets are not only good-looking, but they are also easy to keep alive. You only need to water them every few days. Do you like them?" "like." "Look here again. Hahaha, you didn't expect that there is a pitching pot here. I have also prepared five arrows for you. Don't worry, the arrows are all wrapped and I guarantee they won't hurt you. When you are tired of handling official duties, you can relax by throwing the pot. You can put it...just put it on the shelf. Take it out when you want to play, and put it in the middle of the shelf when you don't want to play. Perfect, how do you think?" "I love it so much." "Haha, I guess you will like it. Come on, take a look at these two candle holders. They are beautiful, right? I specially picked them out in the warehouse. They are the best looking." "It looks nice. But, this hall has windows everywhere, so isn't it quite bright inside? Is it necessary to light so many candles on this candlestick?" "It's beautiful, and it can also keep you warm." "I see." "By the way, I have arranged a secretary for you. She is quite smart. Would you like to meet her first?" Secretary, what a familiar term. "What does a secretary do?" "Secretaries are there to help you with chores, take notes, and convey your orders. In short, you can think of them as your assistants. If you have any questions, just go to them." It turns out it really is that secretary. "Is the secretary a man or a woman?" Xin Qiwu's expression changed. "Of course he's a man." "I'm just asking casually, was it your secretary who served us tea in the meeting room earlier?" "Yeah, what's wrong?" "Nothing, I just feel like a ghost." "Oh, they are all like that, with sharp eyes and ears, following you from a distance. When you need them, they will appear, and when you don't need them, they will hide where you can't see them."
"You asked for it?" "Of course not. I asked him about it, and he said that was a requirement they set for themselves." "Where do they usually stay then?" "Once you've decided on the candidate, he will be at... Look, at the corner next to the shelf. If you leave this building, as long as you are still in the Honglu Temple, he will follow you from a distance unless you give any special instructions." "Aren't we in the building now? Why don't we see your secretary?" Xin Qiwu smiled mysteriously, pulled him to the guardrail, and snapped his fingers. The young man in blue clothes whom they had seen before stood up from a corner of the bookshelf and saluted towards them. Wow, the great one is hidden in the bookshelf. Xin Qiwu said to the secretary, "Go and call Xiao Hong." He turned around and explained to Mei Chengan. "Xiao Hong is the secretary I arranged for you. When he comes, take a look at him first. If you don't like him, we can change him." Mei Cheng'an smiled and said nothing. The two waited for a while, and two young servants in blue clothes walked into the building one after another. The stranger went upstairs by himself and stopped at the stairs. "Master Shaoqing, Master Si Cheng." Mei Cheng'an took a quick look at Xiao Hong. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, neither too old nor too young, with bright and gentle eyes, well-behaved, and pleasing to the eye. Xin Qiwu said, "Xiao Hong." "Your Excellency." "From now on, you will work under Master Xiaomei. You must be diligent and smart, okay?" "I will do my best to serve you, Lord Temple Secretary." Xin Qiwu nodded, turned around and said to Mei Chengan, "Okay, then you go ahead and do your work. I'll ask Wang Sicheng to compile the list of staff members under the Master of Ceremonies Office and send it to you with the specific details." "Then I'll trouble you, Master Shaoqing." "Tsk, Lord Xin sounds more friendly. Let's not address each other by our official titles. It sounds unfamiliar." "Master Xin is right." "Hahaha, let's go." After Xin Qiwu left. "Xiao Hong, right? I knew someone before whose last name was also Xiao. His name was Xiao Ming, which means bleak and desolate. Your name is Xiao...hiss~Xiao Hong?" Mei Cheng'an looked at Xiao Hong with burning eyes. What a coincidence! Before there was Xiao Ming, and now there is Xiao Hong. It seems that Xiao Gang will show up soon. Xiao Hong felt that the tone of the temple secretary's voice when he called his name was strange, and he wondered if it was an illusion.
"My Xiao is the Chinese zodiac sign, which is not the same as the Xiao Ming mentioned by adults, and I don't know him." "Oh, so this is Xiao, that's ok, I misunderstood, then, Xiaohong, go pack your things first, I don't have anything to do here for now, I'll call you if I need anything." "Yes." After Xiao Hong left, Mei Chengan returned to his workstation and sat down cross-legged. Speaking of which, in all these years in Kyoto, he has never seen high tables and high chairs, only low tables and low chairs, or he had to sit on his knees. When he was a child, he thought it was just right, but now that he has grown to meters, he feels a little uncomfortable. There is nowhere to put the long legs. (End of this chapter)