Writing a birthday tribute for the supreme boss was a true ordeal for Zhao An. He admitted to being proficient at drafting documents and reports, but fawning was not his forte. However, judging by the Prefect’s posture, it was clear that he intended to put Zhao An to a live test, and it was the sort of test one could not refuse.
What to do? Whether he was a mule or a horse, he had to be led out for a trot.
With no other choice, Zhao An braced himself to answer. His scalp tingled, for it was truly difficult to write. During the Qing Dynasty, composing a memorial for the Emperor was an incredibly delicate matter. The formatting was maddeningly strict; there were rules for paper size and the positioning of characters. For instance, words like "Dynasty" or "State" had to be elevated by one space, and any mention of the Emperor had to be elevated by two. Furthermore, the vocabulary used in memorials during the Qianlong era had to be handled with extreme caution. One could not be "ignorant of the wind and letters," nor could one place the character for "Hu" before the character for "Qing," or it would not be flattery—it would be a swift invitation to the total eradication of one's entire household.
Chapter 38