Chapter 67

Chapter 67

After the Enrong Banquet, the grand imperial examination finally came to a complete close.

When the Sheng Family learned that she had become the Zhuangyuan, and that she was the only person since the founding of Great Wei to achieve Lianzhong Liuyuan, they held half a month of open banquets outside the gates of the Sheng Mansion.

Because of Sheng Zhaoning’s meteoric rise, the Sheng Mansion’s threshold instantly became one of the most illustrious among the prominent families of Xuzhou.

Before Sheng Zhaoning entered the Capital City, the original plan had been for the whole family to move to the Capital once he passed as a Jinshi and remained there. But Sheng Yuanzhong held office in Xuzhou, and it would not be easy for him to relocate on short notice, so the matter could only be set aside for the time being.

What surprised Sheng Zhaoning, however, was that while the Sheng Family in faraway Xuzhou could not come, the place where she lived was about to be moved instead.

The imperial decree granting her a residence arrived three days before Sheng Zhaoning was to enter office.

After reading out the decree, the palace eunuch wore a polite smile.

“Lord Sheng, among the new Jinshi, you are the first to be granted a residence by His Majesty.”

This was a genuine honor, one that clearly showed how highly His Majesty regarded her.

Sheng Zhaoning had not expected the Emperor to bestow a residence on her. Such rewards were usually given only to members of the Cabinet or officials who had rendered meritorious service. For someone who had only just passed the examinations, it was indeed astonishing.

But since the honor had been granted, there was no reason to act coy and refuse it.

Sheng Zhaoning immediately knelt and kowtowed in thanks. “This humble subject, Sheng Zhaoning, deeply thanks His Majesty for his great grace.”

The eunuch handed the imperial decree to her. Sheng Zhaoning accepted it and rose.

“Lord Sheng is not from the Capital City, are you?” the eunuch suddenly asked.

Sheng Zhaoning did not understand why he was asking, but she still replied, “I am from Xuzhou.”

Only then did the eunuch nod thoughtfully.

So that was it.

What Sheng Zhaoning did not know was that this decree had not been brought up by the Emperor on his own initiative.

Rather, the Crown Prince had personally gone before the Emperor to request it.

Sheng Zhaoning was from Xuzhou, and the residence she had temporarily rented in the suburbs of the Capital City had been chosen so she could prepare for the examinations in peace. Now that the Palace Examination was over, that place seemed remote and isolated, and going to and from court in the future would be quite inconvenient.

The Crown Prince had likely considered this as well, which was why he had personally requested before the Emperor that a residence be bestowed upon Sheng Zhaoning.

But the eunuch would never say such a thing aloud.

No matter why the Emperor had granted the reward, in the end, it was still His Majesty’s favor. If Sheng Zhaoning was to give thanks, she could only thank the Emperor for his grace.

Otherwise, it would be overstepping.

—

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since the Enrong Banquet.

The new Jinshi were gradually assigned official posts. Not many remained in the Capital City. Of the three hundred, only a few dozen were kept in the capital, while the rest were essentially sent down to the various prefectures and counties.

The news that the Emperor had bestowed a residence caused no small stir at court. Before Sheng Zhaoning had even entered office, her name had already spread ahead of her.

Some court officials who were skilled at reading the winds saw the situation and began thinking of forming ties with her. There were also rumors calling her aloof, cold, and poor at socializing, but Sheng Zhaoning had no spare time to pay any of them mind.

The rewarded residence was located on West Street. The courtyard was not large, but it was refined, complete with gardens, corridors, pavilions, and waterside terraces. As she busied herself with moving, she also had to familiarize herself with her duties, leaving her overwhelmed with work.

Zhou Wei was so bored that he bought a few maidservants and servants to bring back, and the residence finally stopped feeling quite so deserted.

Her official robes were finished three days later.

It was also time for Sheng Zhaoning to enter office.

Great Wei held court assemblies on days ending in three, six, and nine. There were only nine morning court sessions each month. On days without court, officials had to report to their respective offices before the hour of Mao.

Sheng Zhaoning’s rank was not high enough to participate in court assemblies, so she only needed to arrive at the Hanlin Academy before the hour of Mao.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the Great Wei Palace.

The Hanlin Academy was housed within Wenyuan Pavilion, east of the Meridian Gate and south of Wenhua Hall. Sheng Zhaoning wore a blue official robe with wide sleeves embroidered with egrets and a black gauze hat. Tall and graceful, elegant in bearing, she looked every inch the refined, upright scholar-official.

The moment she entered the Hanlin Academy, she drew countless eyes.

The man waiting at the entrance to receive her looked her up and down. After a long pause, his throat bobbed before he asked, “May I ask if you are Lord Sheng, the Hanlin Academy Compiler?”

Sheng Zhaoning’s gaze settled on him. She inclined her head slightly. “I am.”

The man gave a smile. “I am Ji Ming, a Hanlin Academy Jiantao. I have come specifically to welcome Lord Sheng into the academy.”

Usually, whenever a newcomer arrived, the academy would assign someone to greet them, show them around, explain the layout, and introduce their colleagues.

Accompanying her were Wang Zhuo and Yu Hongzhi, who had entered through the imperial examinations in the same year.

Among the new graduates, only the three of them held official posts. The rest had been selected from the second and third classes of the Jinshi degree through a further court selection to become Shujishi. Though they too entered the Hanlin Academy, they held no rank and still had to study for three years in the subordinate Shuchang Hall. Only after passing the final assessment and leaving the hall could they be appointed to office.

Sheng Zhaoning followed behind Ji Ming as the three of them were first led to the office of Hanlin Academician Fang Chong.

The door stood open. Ji Ming stopped at the entrance and glanced inside. “Academician Fang, the newly appointed Hanlin Academy Compiler Sheng Zhaoning and the Compilers Wang Zhuo and Yu Hongzhi have arrived.”

The man inside was holding a volume of classics and histories, leafing through it. Hearing this, he set the book down and said, “Come in.”

Ji Ming stepped aside and ushered the three into the room.

Sheng Zhaoning crossed the threshold and looked up at the person seated behind the desk.

He was a very lean man, his cheeks slightly hollow, his face narrow and long. His skin was somewhat dark, and a ring of goatee framed his chin. He looked to be in his fifties, fitting perfectly with the image most people had of a scholar.

The three entered one after another and bowed to Fang Chong.

“This subordinate is Sheng Zhaoning.”

“This subordinate is Wang Zhuo.”

“This subordinate is Yu Hongzhi.”

“Greetings, Academician Fang.”

Fang Chong’s gaze swept over them in turn before he said, “No need for such ceremony, everyone.”

His eyes lingered on Sheng Zhaoning for a moment. He recalled how Tao Song had come to him not long ago and asked him to pay particular attention to this person’s character, ability, and learning. Fang Chong immediately understood that the Court of Judicial Review had already set its sights on her in advance.

The Hanlin Academy had always been a place that produced officials. Every important minister of the Cabinet and Six Ministries had undergone training at the Hanlin Academy, so personnel here changed the fastest as well.

Fang Chong had heard Sheng Zhaoning’s name long ago, so he was not surprised that Tao Song had come to request her from him.

In fact, it was not only Tao Song. The Six Ministries and the various bureaus and offices had all sent people to inquire about her. Sheng Zhaoning could be said to be the most closely watched Zhuangyuan in the history of Great Wei.

“The three of you are all learned scholars who passed as Jinshi. The current duties of the Hanlin Academy are divided into compiling and editing historical records, assisting in the establishment of institutions and regulations, lecturing on the classics and histories, and drafting imperial edicts and decrees.”

“Lord Sheng has been appointed a lower sixth-rank Hanlin Academy Compiler. Your primary responsibilities are compiling histories and books, and lecturing on the classics and histories.”

“Lord Wang and Lord Yu have both been appointed upper seventh-rank Compilers. You are likewise responsible for compiling the national history. In addition, you will oversee the collection and organization of literary and historical archives.”

Fang Chong explained each of their duties to them.

Although the Hanlin Academy’s ranks were not high, it was a place close to the center of power. Aside from compiling histories and editing books, the three of them would gradually come into contact with other assignments in the future, including assisting His Majesty in drafting decrees and edicts. It was very easy to win imperial favor here.

However, Sheng Zhaoning would not need to go through all that trouble.

“Starting tomorrow, Lord Sheng must go to Wenhua Hall to lecture the Fifteenth Prince on the classics.”