Wang Yang was "overjoyed." He immediately rose and said excitedly, "Clan Uncle, your kindness in giving me a new lease on life is as lofty as the mountains and deep as the sea. Please accept my bow!"
Wang Tai hastily caught Wang Yang and held him up. "We're all family. Why stand on such ceremony?! Having such a worthy talent emerge from our family is the Wang clan's good fortune. What credit can your Clan Uncle claim? I don't deserve a bow from you, my worthy nephew! However..."
Wang Tai changed tack. "This matter isn't particularly difficult, but your Clan Uncle can't manage it alone. I need someone's help. To tell you the truth, when I discovered the problem with your household registration, I was afraid that any delay in remedying it might lead to a grave disaster, so I immediately began arranging your registration. I discussed your circumstances at length with a friend from our clan, and he greatly admires you too. But he insists that you first perform some meritorious service. He says that since you haven't earned a scrap of merit yet, neither admitting you into the clan nor amending the genealogy would convince everyone. Only after you've earned merit can your registration proceed naturally. I tried every possible argument to persuade him to register you first and leave everything else for later, but he absolutely refused to budge. Ah! Good things never come without their trials, do they?!"
Wang Yang's "eyes lit up," and he looked determined to "win merit and build a career." "Tell me, Clan Uncle! Whatever you need me to do, I'll give it my all!"
"Oh! It's really nothing difficult. Aren't you highly favored by the Prince of Badong? What my friend means is that after each meeting with the Prince of