How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Chapter 144 Grand Rewards at the Hall of Merit

Zhuang Wenhua's eyes flashed: "I refuse to believe it. I absolutely refuse to believe that, given your situation, there's nothing that requires His Majesty's assistance—"

"Is Master Xuezheng so insistent?"

"For your sake, I should probably hold on a bit longer!"

"Then—then Your Majesty, please demote the Prince of Rulan to a commoner!" Zhou Wenju said.

Zhuang Wenhua was stunned, his eyes wide open.

"What? Is this request a bit excessive?"

"It's not just a little bit—" Zhuang Wenhua almost scratched his head, but forcibly held back.

"So, I have nothing to say, it's pointless to bring it up anyway!" Zhou Wenju said, "Master Xuezheng, please don't worry about it."

Zhuang Wenhua looked up at the sky: "You brat—I dare not force you anymore!"

The word "boy" even popped up.

It's clear that this old scholar was truly on the verge of a breakdown.

Damn it, once you bring it up, it makes people lose face.

How dare you ask His Majesty to demote a prince at the height of his power to a commoner? This Prince Rulan must have been possessed by a ghost; how could he have such a deep grudge against him?

Zhou Wenju smiled: "Sir, please have some tea, it's getting cold!"

Zhuang Wenhua picked up the teacup and twirled it a few times in his palm: "Sometimes, things in this world are like fishing in water. To know how deep the water is, you have to go out and take a few steps yourself, don't you think?"

"The words of Master Xuezheng are clear!" Zhou Wenju raised his cup.

"So, would you be willing to take a few steps into the sea?" Zhuang Wenhua looked into his eyes—

Zhou Wenju's teacup stopped at his lips.

Go into business, or enter officialdom!

If you really want to target the Prince of Rulan, you first need to enter the officialdom!

You haven't even entered officialdom, how can you know the depth of the water?

How can you catch a fish if you don't even know how deep the water is?

"Actually, this is not my intention, but His Majesty's!" Zhuang Wenhua said. "His Majesty wants to ask you if you are willing to serve as an official in the court?"

That's quite straightforward.

Zhou Wenju pondered for a long time: "I am not the kind of person who can sit in the government office, and I am not suitable for being an official in the government office. If I have to be given an official position, I would prefer to have an honorary title."

"There are countless people in the world who are qualified to be officials, but how many can become masters of literature and art?" Zhuang Wenhua said, "If an official position hinders your literary pursuits and causes them to fall into disuse, wouldn't that be contrary to your wishes? Not to mention His Majesty's disapproval, even I would not agree to it. Therefore, the official position His Majesty wishes to bestow upon you is neither an empty title nor a miscellaneous task, and will absolutely not affect your travels and your efforts to perfect your literary pursuits."

"He has the title of an official, but not the burdens of one. What reason do students have to refuse?" Zhou Wenju laughed.

"In that case, we'll return tomorrow!" Zhuang Wenhua smiled gently and stood up—

The next day.

Before the shuttle pierced through the clouds, the Spirit Clan Chief arrived, and behind him, the "Three Elders of Fengling" who once stood on the high platform smiled and bid him farewell.

Beneath their feet, the clouds and mist floated.

The sky was filled with bluebirds.

The roadside was adorned with brightly colored flowers.

The Spirit Race and the Great Yu Kingdom seem to have truly entered a honeymoon period.

Zhou Wenju maintained a smile throughout, his gaze lingering briefly on the clan leader's face before settling on something else.

There was a wooden house there.

The wooden house is like the most perfect green leaf, nestled among the beautiful mountains and rivers.

Beside the wooden house, the saint smiled at him.

That smiling face is gentle and pure.

Zhou Wenju waved his hand and smiled gently, then stepped onto the Thousand-Mile Cloud Shuttle.

The eight people went up to the deck together and bowed at the same time.

On the Spirit Clan's side, the clan leader also bowed slightly.

The wind rises, the clouds fly!

The shuttle, traversing ten thousand miles through the clouds, departed from the green mountains, swept over Dragon City, and beneath its feet once again stretched a vast and desolate northwestern land.

Zhou Wenju's gaze swept over the crowd on the deck.

A still image captured from behind.

This silhouette is that of Wu Tianliang, a master of painting.

He looked ten years older in just a few days.

Because he had lost his literary talent, and without it, he seemed to have lost his spirit and energy.

The shuttle travels thousands of miles —

Extremely fast.

Two hours later, Luoyang came rushing towards us.

The shuttle flew straight to the imperial city and landed in the air in front of a palace.

Today, colorful flags flutter in the air above this hall, and the three characters "Hall of Merit" on the huge golden plaque shine brightly.

The shuttle landed, and the palace doors swung open.

A eunuch shouted at the top of his lungs, "His Majesty decrees that all masters attending the Qingshan Literary Gathering are to enter the hall!"

The ceremonial guards on both sides trembled simultaneously.

separate.

A red carpet runs through the middle, leading directly to the Hall of Merit.

Zhuang Wenhua led his entourage into the hall, where a group of officials had gathered.

On the high platform, His Majesty rose with a smile.

"Your humble servant Zhuang Wenhua, leading the Qingshan Literary Association, pays homage to Your Majesty!" Zhuang Wenhua flicked his long robe and knelt down.

"Grandmasters, you have made great contributions on your expedition to foreign lands. There is no need for further formalities. Please rise!" His Majesty's voice was exceptionally loud.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Only after all the masters stood up did Zhou Wenju have a chance to see His Majesty.

His Majesty looked only in his fifties or sixties, with a ruddy complexion and excellent health. It was unclear whether this was his usual condition or if today's situation was special.

On the left, between the high-ranking official and His Majesty, there was also a person.

This man, about thirty years old, possessed an extraordinary bearing and was dressed in a light yellow robe.

He is none other than Crown Prince Yanqiu.

Today, he also had an incredibly friendly smile on his face.

His Majesty said, "The Green Mountain Literary Gathering is a matter of great importance to the fate of the Great Yu Kingdom. Our dynasty carefully selected seven top masters to participate and compete with Northern Yan in the literary arena. In this grand gathering, our side achieved a great victory! The people of Yan said that the literary tradition of our Great Yu Kingdom was in decline, but Great Yu has demonstrated its national prestige with a great victory! This is one of the joys of the Green Mountain Literary Gathering!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!" the assembled officials below shouted in unison.

His Majesty smiled and said, "The Qingshan Literary Gathering has been a resounding success! The ancient race, the Spirit Clan, has fulfilled its promise and entered into a marriage alliance with our dynasty. From now on, our dynasty and the Spirit Clan are allies and friends through marriage, making the northern border as impregnable as a rock! This is the second joyous occasion of the Qingshan Literary Gathering!"

"Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune, may Heaven protect the great empire!" the assembled officials below shouted in unison once more.

His Majesty waved his hand gently, silencing the cheers of the assembled officials: "Our dynasty governs with clear distinctions between rewards and punishments. These masters have rendered such great service; they deserve to be rewarded! Issue the decree!"

The attendant stepped forward and announced, "Present!"

"Announcing the imperial decree!"

With a gentle wave of his hand, the imperial edict opened—

"By the grace of the Emperor, the following decree is issued: The masters who participated in the Qingshan Literary Gathering have brought great honor to Qingshan, enhanced national prestige beyond its borders, and rendered outstanding service to the nation. They are hereby richly rewarded! Master Zhuang Wenhua, who led the gathering, is promoted to Grand Master of the Wenyuan Pavilion, a first-rank official; Xiang Bo, a fourth-rank professor at Luoyang Academy, is promoted to third-rank professor; Wang Jiangyi, a fourth-rank professor at Chishui Academy, is promoted to third-rank professor; Ding Yuchou, a fifth-rank professor at Qingyang Academy, is promoted to fourth-rank professor; Zhang Yi, a fifth-rank scholar at the Hanlin Academy, is promoted to fourth-rank scholar; Wu Tianliang, a sixth-rank scholar at the Wenyuan Pavilion, is granted permission to retire to his hometown, and is bestowed with the plaque 'A Family of Loyal Martyrs,' and his second son, Wu Qing, is honored as a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) through a special imperial examination."

Everyone in the hall was shocked.

Apart from Zhuang Wenhua, who was leading the team, everyone else in front of them had been promoted two ranks.

Only Wu Tianliang retired and returned to his hometown.

This is the difference.

The root cause is that Wu Tianliang sacrificed himself for the cause, and he no longer had any literary heart.

No longer suitable for officialdom.

However, His Majesty's compensation was also exceptionally generous.

He personally wrote "A Family of Loyal Martyrs"—how many people in the entire Great Yu Kingdom have such an honor?

If this is just an empty title, there is another real favor that makes everyone envious: his son is awarded the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

What does that mean?

This son failed the imperial examination, but His Majesty, in a show of leniency, directly granted him the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). A Jinshi is still a Jinshi and can also obtain the Wenxin (a literary talent).

This literary talent is not a gift bestowed by the rules following the imperial examinations.

This was a special application made by His Majesty and the Wenyuan Pavilion to the Temple.

On that day, Grand Secretary Li Lüyi proposed to apply for a literary heart from the temple for Zhou Wenju's sake. The officials in the Golden Hall were all stunned. In the end, the plan was thwarted by the combined efforts of the two vice ministers and the first-rank official.

This demonstrates just how difficult it was for the imperial court and the Wenyuan Pavilion to reach a consensus on applying for the Wenxin route outside the established scientific examination system.

But I still applied today —

Because His Majesty was also moved by Wu Tianliang's "sacrifice of his heart for the cause".

As for the Wenyuan Pavilion, needless to say, Wu Tianliang himself was a member of the Wenyuan Pavilion, so how could he possibly turn against his own people at this critical juncture? Naturally, he would go with the flow and give his own people the best explanation.

The imperial edict was read aloud, followed by the following words:

"Master Cui Wusheng, a master of music, bestowed upon his mother, Cui Xiu'e, the title of Fifth-Rank Imperial Lady!"

Cui Wusheng's eyes widened suddenly, almost unable to believe his ears.

Upon hearing the news of the Qingshan Literary Gathering, he traveled thousands of miles back to the capital to actively participate, with only one goal: to obtain the title of "Imperial Lady" for his mother.

It was only because of his mother's special circumstances that her birth in a brothel was the biggest stain on her life.

He needs this title to wash away his mother's stain.

But he didn't mention it!

Because of his integrity as a scholar!

If he wins the literary contest, he will certainly bring it up.

As for Aoyama Fumikazu, he fell into a coma during his crucial battle.

By the time he woke up, the literary gathering had already ended.

This victory had nothing to do with him; how could he receive a reward for doing nothing?

However, today's reward was exactly what His Majesty wanted most—

How did Your Majesty know that this was his wish?

He only mentioned his wish to one person, and that person was his friend Zhou Wenju!

His gaze fell on Zhou Wenju, who gently raised his hand and placed it on Cui Wusheng's. Cui Wusheng gently flipped his hand over and grasped it tightly.

The next sentence of the imperial edict arrived: "Zhou Wenju, the master of poetry, is hereby appointed as a fifth-rank official in the Imperial Secretariat, and his ancestral home, Plum Garden, is granted to him." The aforementioned individuals are each granted a liter of gold and pearls. This is the imperial decree!

Zhuang Wenhua and all the grandmasters knelt down in unison: "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

In an instant, all the courtiers were filled with envy.

The pressure of the Aoyama Literary Society is immense, but the rewards are also incredibly generous.

Whether they were officials with ranks or professors, they rose rapidly through the ranks, getting promoted two levels in a row.

Even commoners without official rank were directly granted the rank of fifth-grade official.

A fifth-rank official, though the lowest rank in the imperial court, should not be underestimated.

Even if one were to become the top scholar in the imperial examinations, their first official appointment would only be of the fifth rank.

Many people who passed the imperial examinations and entered officialdom for decades never reached the fifth rank.

Most importantly, he was assigned to the Dingchao Division as soon as he joined the company.

Dingchao Division is a division directly under His Majesty's jurisdiction.

His position as the Director of the Imperial Court was also quite special. What does "control" mean? It refers to the character "节" (jie).

The Dingchao Division is divided into nine departments based on the Confucian virtues of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and brotherly love." Each department has different responsibilities. The department with the word "chastity" is specifically responsible for inspecting the entire country and "regulating" the officialdom.

The two vice ministers, He Fang and Li Zhong, changed their expressions.

The worst-case scenario they had imagined has finally come to pass.

They couldn't stop Zhou Wenju's journey to the Qingshan Literary Society, but they brought the most terrifying consequences—

Zhou Wenju's remarkable feat at the Qingshan Literary Gathering had already spread to Luoyang. His extraordinary achievement of single-handedly suppressing two major forces was unique in His Majesty's eyes.

This special contribution was not mentioned today, simply to save face for others.

To avoid embarrassing the other grandmasters who lost the literary contest, His Majesty still prioritized the matter.

Zhou Wenju was appointed to an official position directly from scratch, starting as a fifth-rank official under the Dingchao Division. He was also given the responsibility of appointing a "Regulator" to oversee all officials in the country. Knowing his nature, he would definitely keep an eye on the two of them as soon as he took office.

Under normal circumstances, why would two third-rank officials care about a fifth-rank official?

However, they did not forget that when this kid was nothing, he had already tricked them into a sorry state.

What's even more deadly is that this kid is said to have fished out the Wenxin from the Heavenly Dao Sea, making him an absolute Wenxin Confucian master.

He gained widespread renown for his literary talent, becoming a highly respected scholar with an exceptionally high position. His exceptional abilities and the Emperor's deepest favor further enhanced his reputation.

Could it be that we're really going to fall into this kid's trap?

Suddenly, two seasoned officials, both high-ranking third-rank vice ministers, felt a sense of unease.

Next up is the banquet!

It was hardly a banquet; His Majesty certainly wouldn't actually be drinking and toasting with you at the table.

It's just a symbolic meaning.

His Majesty raised the golden cup, and eight men held up the golden cups in front of him, offering a cup of wine.

Music began to play in the Hall of Merit.

The bestowal of rewards is complete.

The officials congratulated Zhuang Wenhua. Although he had only been promoted one rank, this rank was the most difficult hurdle to overcome in the officialdom.

There are hundreds of officials of the second rank throughout the country.

But those above the second rank number only a few dozen.

His appointment as a first-rank official immediately placed him above all other ministers!

People will still seize the opportunity to flatter him.

A voice reached Zhou Wenju's ears, coming from the ranks of the second-rank officials: "Young man, not bad, truly not bad! Should I send a message to your father to make him happy?"

The messenger was naturally Lin Xiangdao, the Minister of Works.

As long as he is presentable, there is no need for him to be polite in front of Zhou Wenju.

The less polite you are, the closer you seem. And there's a reason for that: the girl who used to live in my house is my illegitimate daughter in private, but your girlfriend in public. Why should I be polite to you?

Zhou Wenju's voice echoed back: "Uncle, please don't upset my father. I'm an official now, starting four ranks higher than him. I'm worried he might spit blood on the county magistrate's seal—"

"Haha—" Lin Xiangdao laughed, "When are you coming to my residence?"

"Please wait a few days. I need to meet with some friends, and I also need to report to the Imperial Court."

"There's one more thing. You still need to go and see your ancestral home!" Lin Xiangdao's voice lost its initial lightness and carefree tone, becoming tinged with sadness: "The ancestral home, Plum Garden, which had been lost for many years, has finally returned to the Zhou family. Truly, fate is unpredictable!"

"Yes, I still remember the scene when my uncle and my father were drinking and reciting poetry in the left pavilion of the plum garden. Now, the left pavilion is probably overgrown with weeds."

"I'll send a few men over to help you tidy up."

"Thank you very much, Uncle!"

Zhou Wenju made a scholar's salute by pointing his finger to his chest.

He turned and left the Golden Hall.

In the instant he turned around, his gaze swept across the Crown Prince's face.

Although it was only for a moment, his keen eye for literature was so powerful that he captured every micro-expression on the Crown Prince's face.

The prince's smile was formulaic.

The crown prince's gaze was fixed on him.

That look in his eyes can only be described with a "heh heh".

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