After reading the letter, Wei Tu was slightly surprised. Back when the four brothers stood against County Magistrate He, they had already decided not to join the Martial Luck Pavilion, despite facing significant pressure.
Now that they had already offended County Magistrate He, joining the Martial Luck Pavilion at this point would undoubtedly be unwise.
"Why would Fu Zhizhou specifically mention this? Could it be that…the elders of the Martial Luck Pavilion offered an incredibly high price?"
After considering it carefully, Wei Tu found this to be the most likely explanation.
Each year, martial scholars were considered the elite of a county, with promising futures ahead. If not for the Martial Luck Pavilion offering exceptionally high benefits, other martial scholars would not risk joining such an organization, knowing it was a thorn in the side of the government.
"To hesitate and waver is to court disaster. No matter how high the Martial Luck Pavilion's offer is, I will firmly refuse!"
Wei Tu made up his mind.
After contemplating for a moment, he tossed Fu Zhizhou's letter into the brazier, watching as the flames consumed it completely.
Wei Fei came to visit, and the two discussed matters in private for half a day.
First, they reaffirmed their stance on refusing the Martial Luck Pavilion's invitation. Then, they turned their attention to the "appointment credentials," deliberating on how to obtain information about their official postings.
It had already been seven or eight days since they had switched their registration to the military registry, yet they had still not received their official appointment from the county office.
This delay was unusual compared to previous years.
While discussing their next steps, Wei Fei noticed Wei Tu's financial struggles and suggested that he cover the cost of gifts this time. In return, once Wei Tu's salary as an officer was issued, he could treat him to a good meal to settle the matter.
Wei Tu did not argue and accepted Wei Fei's generosity with a simple word of thanks. With that settled, they headed to the west market to purchase suitable gifts.
They each bought three jin of mutton, two jin of pork, and several boxes of pastries before heading to Jian Liang's residence to pay him a visit.
Seeing the generous gifts, Jian Liang was quick to be forthcoming with the reason for the delay in their appointments.
"Brother Wei, as a second-class martial scholar, you should be appointed as an '押司' (Military Registrar) according to past customs. This is a miscellaneous office, a clerical role in the military, not ranked, but still considered a good position within the county garrison. You won't have to deal with the elements or face dangerous duties," Jian Liang explained.
"As for Brother Wei Fei, being a third-class martial scholar, while his post won't be as high, he should still receive an appointment as a '军使' (Military Adjutant), responsible for overseeing punishments and rewards within the military ranks."
"But now…" Jian Liang trailed off, shaking his head and pointing in the direction of the prefectural capital.
"Have you two perhaps offended someone important back in the prefectural city?" he asked in a lowered voice.
Government clerks were fixtures in the system, while officials came and went.
The Jian family had served as clerks for generations in Qingmu County. Though not a wealthy or noble family, they had deep-rooted connections, making them unafraid of distant prefectural officials.
Thus, Jian Liang was rather candid in his remarks.
"Offended someone?"
"We don't recall offending anyone."
Wei Tu and Wei Fei had already suspected that County Magistrate He might be deliberately delaying their appointments, so they had prepared their response in advance.
Feigning ignorance, they played dumb.
Seeing this, Jian Liang immediately understood their predicament and subtly pointed them toward a solution.
"The county's garrison troops are under the temporary command of County Captain Xu, and his wife is known to be extremely greedy for money. If you two visit the Xu residence and offer a gift to Housekeeper Liu, the appointment should be arranged without trouble."
"However, while the bribe will secure your appointment, it won't necessarily guarantee that you will receive the position of Military Registrar or Military Adjutant. That part remains uncertain."
Jian Liang's words were clear.
Upon hearing this, Wei Tu and Wei Fei immediately expressed their gratitude, and Wei Fei took out a silver ingot from his purse, discreetly slipping it into Jian Liang's hand.
"Many thanks, Brother Jian, for showing us the way."
Wei Fei bowed in gratitude.
Having someone inside the bureaucracy was always helpful.
Without Jian Liang's guidance, even if they had attempted to offer a bribe, they might not have known the right person to approach.
"We're all colleagues. Today, I help you two—tomorrow, you might help me."
Jian Liang chuckled as he returned the silver ingot to Wei Fei.
"I'll accept the gifts, but there's no need for the money."
Leaving Jian Liang's residence, Wei Tu and Wei Fei decided that there was no time to waste. Without delay, they went straight to a jewelry shop in the county town, carefully selecting an appropriate gift before heading to the Xu residence, where County Captain Xu lived.
After making arrangements with Housekeeper Liu at the Xu residence, they had him present their gifts to Xu's wife.
That very afternoon, the two of them received confirmation—Madam Xu had given her word that they should wait at home, as their official appointment documents would be issued soon.
The next day, while Wei Tu was practicing stance work in his courtyard, a county garrison soldier arrived, personally delivering his appointment certificate.
Opening the document, Wei Tu saw three large characters written across it: Dujunshi—Military Commandant.
His appointment had been lowered by one rank.
"This must be the county office's way of responding to the prefectural magistrate. They can't just outright ignore He Zhifu's influence…"
Wei Tu pondered the situation.
The rank of Military Commandant was typically granted to third-class martial scholars.
As a second-class martial scholar, he was originally entitled to the Military Registrar rank, which was slightly higher.
"The appointment itself isn't the real issue. The real suppression from He Zhifu isn't this—it's the blocking of future promotions."
Wei Tu let out a quiet sigh.
Martial scholars who passed the official exams and received their titles were highly valued in the local garrison forces. After being assigned as auxiliary officers, their promotion paths were generally stable and steady.
With ten years of experience, they had a good chance of advancing to a ninth-rank officer.
With twenty years of service, an eighth-rank title was possible.
But because of He Zhifu's interference, their entire careers could be stalled indefinitely. If no opportunities arose, they might remain at the lowest level of the county garrison until they retired, with no hope of moving up the ranks.
Even if He Zhifu was transferred to another position next year, the damage had already been done.
The administrative system was rigid—if you didn't take action, you wouldn't make mistakes.
And within Qingfeng Prefecture's bureaucratic structure, He Zhifu's former colleagues and allies still held key positions. Even if He himself lost influence after leaving, the remaining network of officials would still be enough to suppress martial scholars from humble backgrounds, preventing them from ever making real progress.
"But…I'm different."
"If I pass the next provincial martial exam and become a provincial martial graduate, the entire system in Qingfeng Prefecture won't be able to hold me down!"
A sharp light flashed through Wei Tu's eyes. He clenched his fist and, with a single palm strike, split a willow tree in the courtyard clean in half.
A provincial martial graduate's appointment was at a completely different level.
The top-ranked martial graduate was granted a seventh-rank military officer title, equal to a county magistrate.
Those ranking within the top twenty were assigned eighth-rank officer positions, similar to assistant magistrates.
If he could master internal energy and reach the Qi Perception Realm, then securing a place in the top twenty would not be out of reach.
"I'll endure for three years."
Wei Tu walked back into the house and had Xinghua carefully store his appointment certificate.
"Military Commandant…"
"Wei ge'er, you've finally made a name for yourself."
Xinghua looked at the document with joy, her expression far different from Wei Tu's.
She didn't understand all the political maneuvering behind martial appointments—she only saw that her husband had now officially become an officer.
"Yes, I've finally made it."
Looking at the bright smile on Xinghua's face, the frustration in Wei Tu's heart faded significantly. His mind quickly calmed down.
Yes, he had been suppressed by He Zhifu.
But compared to last year, his status and social class had already changed drastically. His life had undergone a complete transformation.
There was no need to dwell on these minor setbacks.
After all, he possessed the "Late Bloomer" destiny.
In a few years, he would rise again. Wasting time worrying over these small obstacles would only bring unnecessary frustration.