Chapter Twenty-Seven: Seventh Rank

At today's morning assembly, the main topic was the examination to be held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in Jiangnan. The Great Zhou dynasty had been established for ten years, and the fall of the previous dynasty was greatly linked to the corruption and ineptitude of its officials. Learning from past mistakes, this dynasty took great care in the selection of officials, making the upcoming examinations a top priority this year. Following the lessons learned from the previous era, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Academy collectively submitted a petition requesting that this year's examinations implement a system of anonymity and transcription. The anonymity referred to sealing the candidates' names and origins on their answer sheets, while the transcription aimed to prevent examiners from cheating based on candidates' handwriting.

The Emperor Chongde was very pleased with these innovations: "The former Minister of Rites, Wang Xingnian, is quite advanced in age, and I have granted his request to retire and return home. The former Deputy Minister of Rites, Gu Qing, has served loyally for many years and is one of my trusted advisors; he deserves a promotion. I hereby appoint Gu Qing as the new Minister of Rites. I hope you will take great care with the affairs of this examination in Jiangnan."

The newly appointed Minister Gu stood up in the assembly to express his gratitude for the emperor's favor.

Chongde Emperor scanned the court officials, and since Gu Qing was now the Minister of Rites, there was naturally a vacancy for the position of Deputy Minister. The Ministry of Rites oversaw the national examinations and was the most important among the six ministries. This year being a year of examinations, the emperor had already considered candidates for the Deputy Minister role.

"I appoint Scholar Sun Jiuwang as the Deputy Minister of Rites and Supervisor of the Jiangnan Examinations. You shall depart tomorrow for Jiangnan."

Scholar Sun, who was already aware of this change in position, expressed his gratitude with composure. Although the rank was lower, the job was a practical one, making it a demotion in name only. The role of Supervisor of the Jiangnan Examinations was a position of real power but also a hot potato. However, Sun's sister was a favored concubine in the palace, connected to the emperor, which served as a safeguard for him. At the very least, it would help him manage the local power brokers in Jiangnan, and his own qualifications as a scholar were evident as well.

The morning assembly had lasted over half an hour, and outside the hall, Qin Muchuan had been kneeling for a similar duration. The bright sun hung overhead, and beads of perspiration trickled down his face, creating damp circles on the ground.

Casting a glance at Zhou Tianyou, he noted that the young nobleman's complexion was far from good. Seeing that no one was paying attention, Qin Muchuan lowered his voice, "Brother Zhou, can your body withstand this heat? If you can’t bear it, it would be best to return home and rest!"

Zhou Tianyou stared straight ahead, ignoring him.

Qin Muchuan continued, "I can see you’re unsteady on your feet; wouldn’t it be disrespectful if you fainted here? Why put yourself through this? Your health is fragile; it’s better to recuperate at home. I’ve heard you’re yet to marry; that's unfortunate. If you fall ill, it won't reflect well when the matchmakers come calling."

Buzzing like a mosquito, Zhou Tianyou found Qin Muchuan's incessant chatter unbearable. He couldn’t understand how Gu Qiulan could even tolerate him—what did he have beyond that face? The fact that such a woman had once admired him felt like a disgrace, comparing him to a frivolous wastrel like Qin Muchuan.

With a smile, Qin Muchuan said, "If you haven't found a suitable woman yet, how about I help you make a connection? Rest assured, there are still kind-hearted women in this world who will take care of you and help you recover."

Zhou Tianyou's forehead twitched with irritation; despite his best efforts to remain calm, he finally snapped, "Thank you for your kind intentions, but unfortunately, the one I like is already married." He shot a glance at Qin Muchuan, "I wonder if you would be willing to help me with that."

How dare he say that! Qin Muchuan's forehead twitched as well. "Oh? So Brother Zhou has his sights set on someone from my household? I wonder which maid that might be? Although the Duke's residence treats its servants well, it would still be quite an elevation for you."

Zhou Tianyou remained unfazed, "If she has the beauty of a respected lady, even a maid would be cherished."

Qin Muchuan was taken aback. How audacious of him! Just as he was about to retort, the guards surrounding them coughed discreetly, reminding him they were still in the palace, forcing him to swallow his words.

Zhou Tianyou scoffed disdainfully—what good was a pretty face without substance?

Suddenly, a summons echoed through the hall for all examination candidates to report to a side hall to await the emperor's presence. Qin Muchuan noticed Zhou Tianyou stumble as he got up, and his mood lifted; his back pain and leg fatigue seemed to vanish instantly!

The young nobles summoned to the palace were to be assigned positions, most of which were nominal. Although Zhou Tianyou was exceptionally talented, his frail health led the Emperor Chongde to decide against overburdening him. Thus, he assigned Zhou Tianyou a role at the Imperial Academy to assist with writings—a position that was prestigious yet not overly taxing, ensuring he wouldn’t be wasted.

Zhou Tianyou expressed his gratitude; this outcome was in line with his expectations.

Then came: "I appoint Qin Muchuan as the seventh-rank chief scribe of the Imperial Academy; you shall start tomorrow."

What?!!!

Qin Muchuan incredulously listened to his assignment—he would be in the same department as Zhou Tianyou! Was the emperor playing a joke on him?! And he was only a seventh-rank minor official, while Zhou Tianyou had a rank of fourth!

Duke Qin saw his son standing there like a fool, and anger surged within him—what was he doing just standing there? Express your gratitude!

Perhaps the Duke's commanding presence was too overwhelming, as Qin Muchuan finally managed to say, "I... thank Your Majesty for your favor."

Emperor Chongde nodded in satisfaction and added, "The Jiangnan examinations will be overseen by the Ministry of Rites, but the Imperial Academy must assist as well. Qin Muchuan, since you are now the chief scribe, prepare your belongings tomorrow and head to Jiangnan to carry out your duties."

Hearing this, Qin Muchuan had yet to react when Duke Qin could no longer hold his composure, exclaiming, "Your Majesty, my son is dull-witted and though he has loyalty to you, his talents are lacking. The examinations are of utmost importance, and he truly cannot bear such a significant responsibility."

To his surprise, Emperor Chongde waved his hand, laughing, "Young people should be given more opportunities to gain experience. Besides, there will be other officials present during this trip to Jiangnan; if he encounters difficulties, he can learn from his seniors."

Realizing the emperor's determination, Duke Qin understood that the decree was final. What his father-in-law had said last night was indeed true. Although the position of chief scribe was merely seventh-rank, it was a genuine role of authority, routinely assisting the head of the academy with various documents and ancient texts.

For the Jiangnan examinations, the emperor had sent Sun Jiuwang to oversee, with Qin Muchuan assisting. Everyone knew that Qin Muchuan was close friends with Sun Jiuwang's son, Sun Ruosi, and Sun Jiuwang would certainly take care of this nephew of his. It appeared that the emperor was genuinely promoting Qin Muchuan. But why would he favor such a notorious wastrel? Surely Duke Qin's influence was immense!

Qin Muchuan had no inkling of any of this and returned home still immersed in his sorrow over being a seventh-rank official while Zhou Tianyou was a fourth-rank. They would now be colleagues in the Imperial Academy—Your Majesty, did you really consider the implications for the Academy?

"My husband, why do you look so distressed?" Gu Qiulan asked with concern as he returned home, noticing his sullen expression. Suddenly leaning forward, she found herself enveloped in Qin Muchuan's embrace. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around him—such warmth from the beautiful woman was hard to resist.

Wait, wait, wait??

Qin Muchuan suddenly lifted her up and spun her around, and Gu Qiulan stared at him in astonishment—what was happening?

"You are mine!! No one can take you away!" Qin Muchuan shouted.

Although he didn’t know what had come over him, Gu Qiulan felt that if she didn’t reciprocate now, she wouldn’t be a qualified wife after all those years of training in the arts of intimacy!

"My husband—" Gu Qiulan's feet touched the ground, but she quickly clung tightly to his waist, pressing herself against him.

"Cough! Young Master, Young Madam..." Steward Zhao quietly looked down, "The Duke is still waiting in the Xuesong Hall."

The surrounding maids and servants all turned crimson, and Qin Muchuan suddenly realized he stood at the entrance of Mingyue Pavilion, having just publicly flirted with his wife...