Prime Minister

Chapter 58 058 [Things Are Different Now]

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month is Little New Year.

Renshoufang in the eastern part of the city, the residence of the Marquis of Zhenyuan.

Qin Wanli once served as the Governor-General of Xuanda. More than ten years ago, he annihilated tens of thousands of Tartars in a fierce battle, which made him famous throughout the world and made him a pillar of the noble group of the Great Yan. Now he is the number one person after Xie Jing, the Duke of Wei.

He is now in charge of the Fifth Army Battalion, one of the three major battalions of the Beijing Army, and is the most powerful figure in the army.

The emperor praised his loyalty and bravery and specially ordered the Ministry of Works to build this magnificent and grand mansion. However, Qin Wanli was usually busy with military affairs, and unless he had to attend the grand court ceremonies or be summoned by the emperor, he spent most of his time in the military camp outside the city.

Qin Wanli had three sons. His eldest and second sons were already married and were now serving in the military. Only his youngest son, Qin Zhang, who was only seventeen years old, was spoiled by his grandmother. In addition, the old lady was worried about the dangers in the military and wanted to leave a bloodline for the Qin family. So Qin Zhang lived in the Marquis's mansion and enjoyed the wealth and honor that his father had worked hard for.

This young master Qin was unruly and arrogant, spending his days cockfighting, dog racing, and idleness. If he hadn't only associated with a group of military families and generally didn't bully the gentry and common people, he certainly wouldn't have escaped the impeachment by the Censorate.

In the flower hall of the west wing of the Marquis's mansion, Qin Zhang idly fiddled with the dominoes on the table.

Judging from his appearance, this playboy has a similar demeanor to Qin Wanli. He is tall and slender like a young leopard, with broad shoulders, a straight nose, and sword-like eyebrows. If he were to wear armor, he would have a certain heroic air about him.

However, due to neglecting training and indulging in pleasure, his waist became loose and his face turned pale, wasting the excellent foundation inherited from Qin Wanli.

There was also a young man in the hall named Cao Xuan. His father, Cao Zongheng, the Earl of Weiyuan, was the General Commander of Jizhou and a general personally promoted by Qin Wanli.

Based on this relationship, Cao Xuan always regarded himself as Qin Zhang's follower. Although he was five or six years older than Qin Zhang, he was still willing to be subservient to him.

"Third Young Master, isn't this a bit boring?"

Cao Xuan naturally understood Qin Zhang's temperament. Normally, this gentleman would not stay obediently in the mansion. It was only because he had recently lost a source of income and was in a bad mood, so he had no interest in going out and having fun.

Qin Zhang glanced at him sideways: "You already know, why are you asking?"

Cao Xuan chuckled, thought for a moment, and said, "There really hasn't been much fun in the capital lately, but I heard yesterday that someone booked the entire Zhanxue Pavilion today, and a group of people are having a great time there."

"Zhanxue Pavilion?"

Qin Zhang frowned and said irritably, "Spit it out if you have something to say."

"Third Young Master, guess who these people are who have such refined tastes?"

Cao Xuan's face showed a mocking expression, and he said leisurely, "A bunch of ignorant and poor scholars. I wonder if the silver in their pockets is enough to settle accounts. It would be interesting if they had to write IOUs to Zhanxue Pavilion later."

Upon hearing the words "Hanlin," Qin Zhang's face immediately turned cold, and anger gradually rose within him: "Explain clearly, who exactly is it?"

Seeing that the time was right, Cao Xuan frankly said, "I heard that it was the group of people who passed the imperial examination more than two years ago, led by the top scholar Gao Tingbi, the second-place scholar Cui Yanqing, and the third-place scholar Xue Huai."

Upon hearing that last name, Qin Zhang abruptly stood up.

Cao Xuan asked, feigning surprise, "Third Young Master, what's wrong?"

"Come here, prepare your horses!"

Qin Zhang roared outside, then turned to Cao Xuan. Without explaining further, he coldly said, "Go and inform those guys one by one to come and meet me immediately. Today, I'm going to take them out for some fun."

Cao Xuan felt relieved and quickly stood up, saying, "Okay, I'll go right away."

……

Zhanxue Pavilion is closed to visitors today.

As a long-established entertainment venue in the capital, Zhanxue Pavilion generally does not do such things. After all, those who can afford to spend money here are all from high-ranking families, and it is not appropriate to offend other distinguished guests for a little money.

The reason they made concessions this time was that, as the year-end approached, most people were busy with ancestral worship and other matters, and even those playboy sons of wealthy families had changed their usual ways, making Zhanxue Pavilion's business noticeably quieter.

Secondly, this group of guests should not be underestimated. Although the highest-ranking official among them is only a sixth-rank official, the owner behind Zhanxue Pavilion is well aware that the future of these young officials should not be underestimated.

They were all Jinshi graduates in the same year, and now they serve in the Hanlin Academy, the Ministry of Rites, and the Imperial Academy respectively. These are all prestigious positions with rapid promotions, and most of them have various connections with important officials in the court.

Needless to say, Xue Huai, the current third-place scholar, is currently very popular. It is said that Gao Tingbi, the top scholar, is related to a certain Grand Secretary in a roundabout way. Although Cui Yanqing, the second-place scholar, is sitting on the sidelines, the Cui family behind him is a large clan with a history of over a hundred years. Chen Guanyue, the first-place scholar, is the nephew of Chen Bojun, the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy.

These are just a few examples, too numerous to list.

Therefore, Zhanxue Pavilion readily accepted Gao Tingbi's deposit, cleared out the day before the Lunar New Year in advance, appeased the several distinguished guests who originally planned to come today, and then did its best to prepare the banquet.

At three quarters past Chen hour, guests began to arrive one after another. Gao Tingbi, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy and the initiator of today's gathering, was naturally the first to arrive. He stood in the main hall with two familiar junior compilers to welcome the fellow graduates who arrived one after another.

Gao Tingbi was skilled at social interaction and would not neglect any of his classmates, so the hall gradually became lively.

The room fell silent for a moment when Xue Huai appeared.

Xue Huai arrived neither too early nor too late. He wouldn't arrive early to steal Gao Tingbi's thunder, nor would he deliberately make a grand entrance to show off his specialness. But even though he had considered this detail, he still became the focus of everyone's attention as soon as he appeared.

If in the past two years, many people were watching Xue Huai make a fool of himself, then after the Ministry of Works corruption case was concluded, they became more wary of Xue Huai, and also somewhat envious.

Even the top scholar Gao Tingbi was still waiting for his qualifications to be tested, but Xue Huai suddenly emerged as a dark horse, taking the lead over everyone before the three-year period was over, and even receiving personal praise from the emperor.

They were all Jinshi graduates from the same cohort, and Xue Huai had previously encountered setbacks everywhere, but now he had become the most promising person in the Gengchen cohort. How could they remain calm and composed?

Facing the countless complex gazes before him, Xue Huai smiled calmly and bowed respectfully, saying, "Xue Huai greets all my fellow students."

His attitude was clear: today we would not discuss official positions or ranks, but only reminisce about our friendship as classmates.

Gao Tingbi was the first to react, and stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Brother Jingche, I haven't seen you attend many banquets in the past two years. I certainly can't let you leave easily today. I have to make sure you drink a few jugs of wine."

Several second-class graduates immediately made jokes.

Xue Huai's expression remained unchanged, but he found it amusing. The top scholar was trying to sow discord from the moment they met, implying to everyone that Xue Huai was extremely unsociable.
He was clearly still viewing Xue Huai with outdated perspectives, thinking that if he made a few sarcastic remarks, Xue Huai would publicly turn his back on him.

Compared to the original owner's straightforwardness, Xue Huai's skin is definitely thicker. Since Gao Tingbi took the initiative to offer an opportunity, how could he ignore it?

Looking around the hall, Xue Huai said sincerely but tactfully, "Thank you for your advice, Brother Kuangshi. I have been so focused on those matters these past two years that I haven't kept in touch with my fellow students. This is a great oversight. When the banquet begins, I will first punish myself with three cups of wine as an apology. I hope my fellow students will be understanding."

Upon hearing this, Gao Tingbi's smile froze slightly before returning to normal.

The others looked slightly surprised.

From the moment the imperial edict was announced, Xue Huai's aloofness and pride were evident. He preferred to be alone, especially disliked banquets and social gatherings in officialdom, and would not get too close to others.

Although there were rumors circulating in the capital that Xue Huai's personality had changed considerably after his drowning accident, most of the people in the hall were skeptical. It wasn't until they saw Xue Huai's unusual demeanor and heard him say "apology" that they realized the once aloof Xue Tanhua had finally come down from his pedestal and was no longer looking at them with cold eyes.

The group wasn't exactly flattered, but as newcomers to officialdom, they hadn't yet entered the stage of meticulous calculation and scheming. Moreover, most of them had no conflict of interest with Xue Huai, so they didn't mind befriending him at the moment.

“You flatter me, Xue Shidu. We are fortunate to be classmates, and we will help each other in the future. There is no need to be too formal with formalities, let alone apologize.”

Chen Guanyue, the chief examiner, stepped forward and continued, "Besides, who among us doesn't know what has kept you so busy these past two years? We already feel guilty for not being able to help you, so how could we possibly have any complaints against you?"

He initially became a probationary official through the imperial examination, and later, based on his outstanding performance, he was the first to be transferred to the Ministry of Rites as the head of the Department of Ceremonies, with a rank of sixth grade, only one grade lower than Gao Tingbi and Xue Huai, and even higher than Cui Yanqing, the second-ranked official.

He was a very shrewd and charming person who was well-liked in the Ministry of Rites, making him the complete opposite of Xue Huai from the previous two years.

With Chen Guanyue taking the lead, some young officials who wanted to befriend Xue Huai echoed his sentiments.

"Brother Jingche's memorial is written with every word as firm as gold and stone, and reading it is like a gentle breeze. This is the true style of the scholar-official!"

"Xue Shidu treats people with sincerity and acts with impartiality. Such a mindset is a model for us all."

"I had long heard that the third-ranked scholar was the most talented among the three scholars, but today I realize that what is even more precious is his upright and honorable character!"

"When Brother Jingche wields his brush in the Hanlin Academy, even the Grand Academician praises it for its 'unique style'!"

In an instant, praise poured in.

Fortunately, Xue Huai was calm and composed enough not to be blinded by these compliments. He humbly replied, "I am unworthy of such praise from my fellow students."

The atmosphere immediately became even more enthusiastic.

Amidst the crowd, Gao Tingbi wore a smile, but felt somewhat suppressed inside.

He originally thought that as long as he provoked Xue Huai a little, he would definitely have a falling out with his classmates today and spread the news. Although he could not shake Xue Huai's foundation immediately, he could not even handle his relationship with his classmates. What future did such a person have?

The problem is... Looking at the scene of Xue Huai and everyone else enjoying themselves, Gao Tingbi sighed inwardly.

Why is this so different from his expectations?

(End of this chapter)