The impatient sought success; the patient sought stability.
Those who sought success might win once; those who sought stability would achieve complete success.
Not long after court adjourned, Wei Nisheng returned to the Ministry of Personnel Office. He had barely sat down, his tea still warm, when a shrill call came from outside:
"Vice Director Wei, His Highness the Crown Prince summons you!"
The eunuch Bao De stood outside the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Duty Room.
At those words, Wei Nisheng set down his brush, straightened his cap, and followed him into the Palace.
Inside the Hall of Literary Splendor, Crown Prince Jiang Heng stood before the Territorial Map, his cuffs slightly rolled up and his face beaming.
Seeing Wei Nisheng enter, he immediately strode over, excitement ringing in his voice:
"Zi'an! Did you see today's victory dispatch?"
"Zhou Quan charged into their formation alone, cut down three riders in succession, and wiped out all three thousand Tangut cavalrymen in Jingtai Valley!"
Jiang Heng pointed at the Territorial Map, jabbing his fingertip hard against it. "Zi'an, I believe the time has come!"
"I intend to memorialize Father. On the strength of this great victory, we should take an axe to the tangled business of military farmland and clear it all in one stroke!" Jiang Heng spoke faster and faster.
"Clear the fields, fill the ranks, stock the granaries!
Then, next spring, I shall request leave to conduct the sacrifices at the frontier myself and lead our armies west. This is the moment to reclaim Gansu!"
Only after pouring it all out in one breath did Jiang Heng look at Wei Nisheng, his eyes blazing as he waited for agreement.
Yet Wei Nisheng remained silent for a moment.
"Your Highness," he began, "I was considering a certain saying."
"Speak freely,