The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

The first day after the results of the palace examination were announced.

Before dawn, the gates of the Hanlin Academy were already open.

This government office, located in the southeast corner of the imperial city, is usually one of the quietest places in the capital.

Apart from the occasional Grand Secretary of the Cabinet coming to review the classics, most of the time the Hanlin scholars were engrossed in writing and collating documents on their own.

But today is different; the entry of newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) into the Hanlin Academy is a grand event that occurs every three years.

The Hanlin Academy swept and cleaned the courtyard, replaced the plaques, prepared tea and fruit, and even polished the brass rings at the main gate until they shone.

Just after dawn, Yao Guangxiao was the first to step into the gate of the Hanlin Academy.

He changed out of the blue robe he wore during the palace examination and put on the official robes of a sixth-rank compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a scarlet robe with a silver belt around his waist and a cloud and goose badge on his chest.

The official robes suited him remarkably well, as if he were born to stand there.

The head of the academy, Cui Hanlin, was waiting in the main hall. When Yao Guangxiao entered, he looked him up and down and nodded slightly.

He took out a seal and waist token of the Hanlin Academy compiler from his sleeve and presented them with both hands, placing high hopes on the newly appointed top scholar and instructing him to perform his duties diligently and not fail the emperor's grace.

Yao Guangxiao accepted it with both hands, bowed respectfully, and showed no arrogance of a young man who had achieved success.

He showed no fear of entering officialdom for the first time, and simply replied calmly, "I will follow the instructions of the headmaster," before being led to a private duty room in the east wing of the Hanlin Academy.

He pushed open the door, and there was a bookshelf, a desk, a chair, and an oil lamp. The writing implements and a stack of classics waiting to be proofread were already placed on the desk.

He walked to the window and opened it. Outside the window was a small courtyard, where several new bamboo swayed in the spring breeze.

He stood for a moment, a faint smile appearing on his lips, then sat down at the desk, opened the first book, and officially began his first day at the Hanlin Academy.

Wang Anshi arrived a quarter of an hour later than Yao Guangxiao.

His seventh-rank official robes were blue, with a heron badge on his chest and a black horn belt around his waist.

The newly appointed scholars who entered the Hanlin Academy with him gathered in twos and threes in the courtyard to chat. Some were catching up with fellow townsmen, some were reminiscing about their seniority, and some were inquiring about which duty room they had been assigned to.

Wang Anshi did not join any group, but stood quietly under the corridor until the deputy of the head of the academy came to lead him to his duty room.

His duty room was smaller than Yao Guangxiao's; it was a shared room for two people, and his roommate was another newly appointed scholar who had passed the imperial examination.

After entering, Wang Anshi respectfully bowed to his colleagues.

Then he sat down at his desk, took out a well-worn copy of the "Great Zhou Code" from his book box, and opened to the first page.

Su Shi was the last of the three to arrive.

It wasn't because he was lazy, but because he was stopped by a group of fellow new graduates on his way here.

After the results were announced, his policy essays, along with those of Yao Guangxiao and Wang Anshi, were copied countless times among the candidates.

His literary reputation has far exceeded the circle of this year's Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

Several of his classmates wouldn't let him go, insisting that he compose a poem on the spot to celebrate his entry into the Hanlin Academy.

Unable to refuse, Su Shi stood on the steps at the entrance of the Hanlin Academy and casually recited a seven-character quatrain.

After finishing his recitation, he ignored the cheers behind him and strode into the gate of the Hanlin Academy.

His assigned duty room was next to Wang Anshi's, also a shared room for two people.

He pushed open the door, greeted his roommate, then sat down at his desk and took out an oil paper package from his pocket.

Inside were four meat buns that Li Xiulian had given him this morning, still warm.

Meanwhile, in the office of Pei Du, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a secret conversation was taking place.

Pei Du sat behind his desk, with a memorial that had just been delivered that morning in front of him.

The Ministry of Revenue's Director of the Grain Transport Department was impeached for embezzling grain and silver.

As he finished turning the last page and picked up his pen to write his comments at the end of the memorial, there was a knock on the door.

The man who entered was Chen Qi, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief. He was fifty-six years old, tall and thin, with a goatee, and was his capable deputy.

He was also one of the core figures among the upright civil officials who were affiliated with Pei Du.

Chen Qi went to the Golden Hall early this morning to observe the ceremony and witnessed the entire process of Yao Guangxiao and the other two being granted official positions.

He sat opposite Pei Du, holding a pot of freshly brewed Longjing tea, and recounted everything he had seen and heard at the Hanlin Academy that morning.

Yao Guangxiao's expression remained calm.

Wang Anshi was so reserved that he would respond to any conversation with his colleagues in a stiff and formal manner.

Su Shi was the most uninhibited; he made half a dozen friends as soon as he entered the door.

He commented that Su Shi was born to be a renowned scholar.

Wang Anshi was probably stubborn and difficult to get along with.

As for Yao Guangxiao, he said he couldn't see through him.

Pei Du put down his pen, looked up, picked up the teacup Chen Qi handed him, and took a sip.

He thought of Wang Youan, a famous minister who revived the Qianlong Emperor, who also came from a humble background, was taciturn, and was also unfathomable.

When Wang Youan was in charge of the land reclamation in Northwest China, he did not form cliques, factions, or engage in personal favors.

All the officials in the court said he was aloof and difficult to get along with, but the northwest defense line of the Great Qian Dynasty was entirely supported by him.

He told Chen Qi that Yao Guangxiao should stay at the Hanlin Academy for a full month.

Then he invited him to the Censorate for a meeting, wanting to see if this young man really resembled Wang Youan.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Grand Tutor's residence.

Kong Yan was sitting behind his desk, with three copies of policy essays spread out in front of him.

It is the original text of the policy essays written by Yao Guangxiao, Wang Anshi, and Su Shi in the palace examination.

These copies were made by the Ministry of Rites after reviewing the papers and kept in the archives. Kong Yan had them brought over early this morning.

He read each of the three policy proposals three times, then leaned back in his chair and remained silent for a long time.

His gaze fell upon Yao Guangxiao's policy proposal.

This policy essay is written too calmly.

It's not the kind of feigned maturity and composure, but the kind of composure that only someone who has truly weathered storms and witnessed rise and fall could write.

The quotes cited are not from sages, but from historical facts of the rise and fall of dynasties.

Moreover, these historical facts are not generalities, but are precise down to specific years, specific data, and the causes and consequences of specific battles.

This doesn't seem like something a traveling scholar could write.

He picked up his pen and wrote a line of text next to each of the three policy essays.

He wrote "too cold and austere" next to Yao Guangxiao's policy essay.

He wrote "Too sharp-tongued" next to Wang Anshi's policy essay.

He wrote "Emotion prevails over reason" next to Su Shi's policy essay.

After finishing writing, he felt it wasn't enough, so he added four more words next to Yao Guangxiao's name: "This person is suspicious."

The word "suspicious" does not mean that he has a problem.

Rather, it refers to his background, his knowledge, and his temperament, all of which are quite different from those of an ordinary traveling scholar.

Kong Yan put down his pen, closed the copy of the policy essay, and instructed his servant to invite Vice Minister Pei to his residence for a discussion.

The old servant accepted the order and left. Kong Yan leaned back in his chair and looked out the window at the few clumps of bamboo in the courtyard.

Of the three hundred candidates selected through the imperial examinations, he was most interested in these three.

Since Pei Du has approved the strategies of these three men, we might as well ask him what he thinks.