Chapter 137
On the 12th day of the fourth month, at the hour of the Snake, inside the Fengtian Palace courtyard, civil and military officials stood in orderly lines on both sides of the stone steps leading up to the main hall, with the newly selected jinshi arrayed right behind them.
As ritual music began to play, The Emperor entered Fengtian Palace and ascended the imperial throne. After all officials and new jinshi had completed their kowtows and obeisances, the new jinshi were asked to wait outside the main hall, while all senior civil and military officials filed inside.
Once the Honglu Temple official finished reading out the imperial edict, Grand Secretary Shen stepped forward to announce the name of the top candidate from the first tier. Officials from the Honglu Temple, both inside the hall and out on the stone terrace, called out the name in booming, echoing voices that carried far and wide: "First place in the first tier, Hong Ji!"
The moment Hong Ji heard his own name, his mind went completely blank. He had never expected The Emperor to name him the top graduate, the zhuangyuan.
This was the first metropolitan examination held after The Emperor ascended the throne, and the entire court and commonfolk alike were watching closely, waiting for the new ruler to make a clear statement of his governing stance. Even though Hong Ji knew his policy essay aligned perfectly with the emperor’s intentions, he had never dared to hope he would land a spot in the top three, and his most optimistic expectation was only to earn the rank of chuanlu, the fourth overall graduate.
It was not until he was led through the streets under a canopy and to the accompaniment of drums and wind instruments, escorted by soldiers from the Five Cities Military Office, riding a tall, spirited steed draped in red silk ribbons, that Hong Ji still felt as if he was wandering in a dream, disconnected from reality.
The cheers and exclamations of the crowds lining the roads, the fresh flowers and embroidered handkerchiefs tossed playfully in his direction, none of these things could make Hong Ji feel like the moment was truly his. When his procession reached the Great Central Bridge, a soft, warm call drifted down from a teahouse on the street side: "Fen ge'er, look quickly, the one leading the procession is your father, your father has become the top graduate!"
The voice was not overly loud, but Hong Ji picked it out instantly from thousands of overlapping shouts, and it pulled him straight back to solid, tangible reality.
He lifted his head and looked up, and there he saw Cui Lanzhi holding Hong Fen, waving at him happily. Right beside her, female relatives from the Cui and Jiang clans, including Lady Jiang and Madam Gu, were all beaming with joy as they smiled down at him.
He was just wondering why he did not see his brothers-in-law among the group, when a bright, vivid red flower branch came flying straight at him. Hong Ji lifted his hand to block it at first, but then he heard Jiang Xian’s laughing voice: "This one was specially picked by Big Sister from the flower beds of her aunt’s estate, Big Cousin, you must not let it go to waste."
Hong Ji quickly adjusted his movement from blocking to catching, and managed to grab the flower branch just before it could fall to the ground. He tucked the beautiful poppy bloom into the lapel of his robe.
He had barely secured the first flower when one poppy after another came flying toward him, followed by the cheerful laughter of Cui Fu, Cui Jian and the others: "One single flower is not nearly enough, you should wear all of them to look your very best."
Hong Ji smiled as he caught each flower one by one, and did as they teased, splitting the poppy branches into two small bunches to tuck into the black gauze cap on his head.
"The top graduate is far more handsome than the third-place laureate."
"I wonder if he is already married?"
"There must be some girl waiting to bring him home to marry her."
… The whispers and murmurs from the crowd rose and fell, as light and lively as the chirping of swallows and warblers.
Hong Ji paid no attention to any of them. He turned his head and waved back at the teahouse, and Jiang Xian took the lead to call up to the window: "Big Sister, you should call out a greeting to your husband!"
Cui Lanzhi did not show a single trace of shyness. Holding Hong Fen in her arms, she stood by the window openly and generously, dressed in a begonia-red gown that made her look so bright and lovely, she was more beautiful than any of the poppies Hong Ji had tucked into his cap.
A murmur of regret rippled through the crowd right after: "The top graduate already has a wife and child."
"His wife is so stunningly pretty."
"Even if we went to their home to work as the lowest maids, we would not be good enough for them."
Someone from an official household spoke up for the rest to hear: "Do you know which family the top graduate is married into? That lady in the red dress is none other than the own elder sister of Her Majesty the Empress…"
Immediately a doubtful voice followed: "Wait a minute… so did His Majesty favor his own relative by giving him the top rank?"
Someone else quickly refuted that claim: "You are completely wrong. Right next to the official announcement list, the essays of the top twelve graduates are posted for all to read. The top graduate’s essay is undeniably the very best, no one can argue that."
Hearing those words, the whole family gathered on the teahouse terrace finally breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since they had gotten the news that Hong Ji had been named top graduate, the thing they feared most was that people would cast doubt on his achievement in that way.
The next day, Hong Ji attended the Qionglin Banquet for new graduates.
On the third day, he received the court-issued official robes, hat and belt, along with the special banknotes granted to all new jinshi.
On the fourth day, he lined up with all the other new jinshi inside Fengtian Palace. Ten years of painstaking study had all been leading up to this very moment: today, The Emperor would officially assign official positions to every one of the new graduates.
Since all these procedures were long-established precedents, everyone already knew roughly what to expect.
The top graduate would be appointed as a Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, a position of the sixth rank; the second and third place graduates would be appointed as Compilers of the Hanlin Academy at the seventh rank, a rule that had never changed for generations.
All the other graduates from the second and third tiers, who had not passed the special exam to become shu jishi, the selected scholars for further study, would first go to various government departments to observe and learn administrative work. After a three-month probation period, those who passed the assessment would be appointed to positions such as grand secretary, censor, department director, or messenger, all at the seventh rank, while graduates from the third tier would be sent out to local counties to serve as county magistrates or assistant prefects, positions of the seventh rank.
Sure enough, when the announcement was read that Hong Ji was appointed as Hanlin Academy Compiler, and the second and third place graduates as Hanlin Academy Compilers, everyone nodded, as that was exactly what they had expected. They soon stopped paying close attention to the rest of the announcements, as they assumed the rest would follow the usual routine.
But their eyes went wide and froze in place the next second.
What did it mean that Hong Ji was ordered to go to the West Pavilion to observe and learn administrative work alongside the assistant to the chief scholar? And that this year, the special examination for shu jishi was completely cancelled?
Then they heard that every single graduate from the second and third tiers would be sent to observe and learn in the various government departments, and official positions would only be assigned after their three-month assessment. If they had not been strictly forbidden from any unruly behavior in front of the imperial throne, all these new graduates would have burst into an uproar right then and there.
Every eye in the room turned to Hong Ji. No one had been this jealous when he was named top graduate, but now that he was allowed to enter the West Pavilion to observe government work, everyone was burning with envy. That kind of opportunity would let him leap ahead of all his peers by years!
The West Pavilion was where the emperor’s closest, most trusted personal advisors worked. For Hong Ji to be allowed to observe administrative affairs there meant he would be on the fast track to rapid, steady promotion before long.
Hong Ji stood where he was, feeling completely dazed, as if he could not tell where he was.
He had long hoped to stand out as soon as possible, so that he could build more support and leverage for Cui Lanyin, but he never imagined The Emperor would place him directly at the very center of core imperial affairs, right on the main table of power. It was so far from what he had planned. He had originally only hoped he could edge his way close to that table step by step.
After The Emperor left the palace hall, Grand Secretary Shen, who had just been appointed as the new Minister of Personnel, stepped forward and addressed the group: "By long-standing custom, new officials are granted three months of leave to return to their hometowns. But the imperial court is in urgent need of capable hands right now. If any of you choose not to go back home, you can return to the Ministry of Personnel to report for duty after a few days of rest."
For most scholars, decades of bitter study was all for the day they could return to their hometown in fine official robes, to show their success to their family and clansmen. But now that all their peers were starting their official training right away, if they took a long trip back home, they knew that even a few days away from their books and official work would make them fall behind others. Three whole months was enough time for a person to accomplish so much in the imperial court.
Just then, Academician Jiang walked over to Hong Ji and said, "I heard from Her Majesty that Compiler Hong plans to travel back to Wuxi. Will ten days be enough for the round trip? The West Pavilion is swamped with official duties right now, and we need Compiler Hong to come back as soon as possible to help out."
Hong Ji bowed respectfully and replied, "I only need four or five days in Wuxi. I will come back and report for duty at the West Pavilion immediately after I return."
Academician Jiang nodded in relief. "Good, then I will be waiting for you here."
A new wave of restlessness swept through all the other new graduates. Even Hong Ji found it a little confusing. He knew Cui Lanyin worked in the East Pavilion managing the Commercial Tax Supervisorate, but why did Academician Jiang speak as if he saw Cui Lanyin very often, almost every day?
If Hong Ji, who would soon have access to the West Pavilion, was this surprised, the other new graduates were even more determined not to waste any time. More than a dozen of them immediately stepped forward to say they would not take their hometown leave at all.
While the rest were still hesitating, Tan Shao walked up to Minister Shen and said, "I only need one day to rest and settle my affairs, then I can report for duty."
Minister Shen stroked his beard and smiled. "Excellent. Then you will be assigned to work at the Ministry of Personnel."
Yao Jing immediately spoke up next: "I will be able to report for duty the day after tomorrow."
Grand Secretary Shen nodded. "Come to the Ministry of Personnel at the 9 a.m. hour the day after tomorrow. The ministry will arrange all your positions in a unified session then."
At that point, almost all the remaining new graduates could no longer hold back. They stepped forward one after another to say they would come to the Ministry of Personnel to report for duty the day after tomorrow.
With Hong Ji having won the title of top graduate, and earning the exceptional opportunity to observe administrative work in the West Pavilion, the main branch of the Cui family once again became the focus of the entire capital’s attention.
It was at this moment that everyone finally realized that although the Cui family’s members who served in the imperial court did not occupy the most powerful top positions, every single one of them held a solid, stable post with real, substantial benefits. Unlike the Yao family, which had experienced dramatic rises and devastating falls, The Emperor had clearly put a great deal of careful thought into arranging for the long-term stability and prosperity of the Cui clan.
Court officials who had access to state memorials went without saying — the Empress, who held the power to review and approve these memorials, could no longer be categorized as an ordinary woman of the inner palace. If the Empress continued to consolidate her position so carefully, even if the Emperor took new concubines later, it would be nearly impossible for them to shake her standing.
Everyone had taken the opportunity of Hong Ji's success in the imperial examination to urge the Cui family to host a celebratory banquet, but the Cui family claimed that Hong Ji was about to return to Wuxi, and would have to start his policy observation in the West Pavilion immediately after he came back, so they could only pick a day when he had official leave later — no exact date was given at all.
When a family produced just a successful candidate in the imperial examination, they would hold lavish flowing banquets for several days. For someone like Hong Ji, who had not only topped the list as the new zhuangyuan (top graduate) but was also selected to observe policy work in the West Pavilion, no celebration could ever be too grand. Yet the Cui family had kept everything so low-key that many people assumed Hong Ji would feel wronged by this.
What no one knew, however, was that it was Hong Ji himself who had decided to handle things this way. Even fewer people realized that the eldest branch of the Cui family was now under Hong Ji's management. Cui Sheng and Cui Su only took charge of their official duties outside the home, and had long since left all domestic affairs aside, leaving everything entirely in Hong Ji's hands.
The two branches of the Cui family now centered around the eldest branch, with Cui Fang giving his unconditional support, and Cui Mian was no longer the same as he used to be. As a matter of fact, Hong Ji had the final say over both branches of the entire Cui family.
Early the next morning, Madam Hong arrived with Hong Xu and his whole family, planning to go back to Wuxi together with Hong Ji and Cui Lanzhi.
When she spotted Geng Dayou among the attendants by the carriage, Madam Hong, who had been whispering and pointing a moment earlier, immediately restrained herself. She pulled Hong Ji aside and asked, "Why is Geng Dayou coming with us? Has Her Majesty the Empress sent him home?"
Hong Ji replied casually, "Geng Dayou is still a trusted attendant by Her Majesty's side. Her Majesty was afraid that some people in Wuxi might slight me, so she specially arranged for Geng Dayou to follow along and look after things for me."
As the dignified new top graduate of the imperial examination, and also the Emperor's brother-in-law, apart from the elders of his own family, who would ever dare to slight him?
Madam Hong had a vague feeling that something was off. She had originally planned to ride in the same carriage as Cui Lanzhi, but after thinking it over, she went to find her own daughter-in-law and sat with her in the carriage at the back.
***
Hong Ji returned from Wuxi on April 21st, and started his policy observation work in the West Pavilion on the 22nd.
Counting the two days for the palace examination and the official appointment, Hong Ji had met the Emperor a total of six times, and two of those times the Emperor had visited the Cui family — so he had gotten closer to the Emperor than most other officials.
The Emperor he had met at the Cui family's home was nothing like the rumors circulating outside. Hong Ji had assumed that was just how the Emperor acted in private, so when he reported to the West Pavilion, he did not appear as nervous as other new officials who came for the first time.
The Emperor was as warm and friendly as he had been at the Cui residence. "Have all your family affairs been settled properly?"
"With the approval of the clan elders, I have successfully established a separate branch for my line," Hong Ji answered, then added, "Thanks to Her Majesty the Empress sending Geng Dayou along, otherwise the trip would have taken two more days."
"Our Empress handles matters more and more crisply and efficiently now," the Emperor said with a smile on his lips. "Liyan and the others all call you big brother now, don't they?"
"Yes, I see myself as the eldest son of the Cui family," Hong Ji replied.
"Excellent. With you at the helm, both I and Her Majesty the Empress can rest easy."
Up to this point, everything had gone exactly as Hong Ji had expected.
However, after the Emperor went to the inner sleeping quarters for his breakfast and came back, Hong Ji could barely recognize him. He watched the Emperor cross his legs on the Luohan couch, close his eyes and start meditating.
Hong Ji glanced at the court officials waiting in the west side hall for an audience with the Emperor, and whispered to Academician Jiang, "Isn't His Majesty going to receive them?"
Academician Jiang pulled him into the inner room, the space partitioned off for the three academicians to review state memorials, where a full set of desk and chair had also been arranged for Hong Ji. This room had open lattice doors leading to the Emperor's chamber, as well as a door opening directly to the front veranda, making it very convenient to move in and out.
Academician Jiang led him to the window. "Just watch for a while, and you'll understand."
Right after Academician Jiang finished speaking, Hong Ji saw Minister Shen walk out of the west side hall and head straight for the East Pavilion. Not long after, Grand Secretary Shen stepped out with brisk steps, looking as if he had just solved a long-standing, tricky problem — the wrinkles on his face had even smoothed out a little. He walked straight down the front veranda and left the Yan Hua Palace.
Before Hong Ji could process what had just happened, he saw another minister, Minister Gu, come out of the west side hall, who also walked into the East Pavilion.
Hong Ji was full of confusion. The chief officials of the Six Ministries were not going to the West Pavilion for an audience with the Emperor, but instead going to the East Pavilion to meet the Empress. What was most unbelievable was that after meeting the Empress, their business at Yan Hua Palace was done. What on earth was going on?
Academician Jiang called him over again, pointing to a stack of reviewed state memorials. "Take these to the East Pavilion for Her Majesty the Empress to inspect. You must write down every correction and instruction Her Majesty gives you in detail, and add those notes back to the memorials when you return."
Hong Ji was so shocked that he could barely contain his astonishment. How was it possible that not a single rumor about this had leaked to the outside world?
Here I am [let me see]
I was completely worn out yesterday, my whole mind was sluggish, but after a day of rest and adjustment, I'm feeling much better now [shy]
