Yusui Chang'an

Chapter 1104 Cultivating Talents
After chatting and laughing for a while, Princess Yanling took Lin Jinyan and Lin Wanrong back to her own courtyard, closed the door and talked privately.

They talked about the complicated etiquette of marriage, about the large coral that Chu Chengyi brought back as a dowry when he left Beijing a few days ago, and about how Bai Yiran was the best mother-in-law in the world.

They talked about Feng Siyao's wedding yesterday and Lin Jinyan's visit to Feng Siyao to play chess this morning.

Talk about Lin Jinan's horse-riding parade, Mrs. Xu's disappearance, and Lin Jinyun's recovery.

Talking about the wedding of Prince Jin today, and the handkerchief that Zhou Yuexue was going to give to Gu Yichen many years ago...

The three of them sat together and chatted until lunch, still feeling unsatisfied.

Lin Jinan stayed with the Gu family for a while, analyzing where the court would let him serve, the emperor's intentions and ambitions behind announcing what Mobei had done to the world, the future situation of the Gu family, and the war that could break out again on the border at any time.

After leaving the General's Mansion, Lin Jinan leaned against the carriage with a heavy heart. After Lin Jinyan asked the reason, his smile faded a little:
"Ever since the Dingbei Army recovered the border and dealt a heavy blow to Mobei, and obtained the Xue family's treasure that was rich enough to rival a country, your majesty's words and deeds have revealed his intention to unify the world. This intention was not only seen by the officials in the court, but also by the other three countries. Otherwise, there would not be envoys from the three countries coming to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday banquet. Yeliang has not been at war with Tianchu in recent years, so why would they send the princess to marry for no reason? And agree to be the prince's concubine?"

Lin Jinan nodded sullenly: "Even if this princess is not favored, she is still a member of the Yeliang royal family. Yeliang is showing goodwill. If Tianchu attacks Yeliang without a legitimate reason, he may be blamed. Yeliang's plan can be used for both offense and defense. It is not only for the sake of making friends, but also a delaying tactic."

After talking about the situation, Lin Jinan talked about his future:
"I just talked with my grandpa and uncle. Their opinions coincide with those of my grandfather and father. They all think that I will not be given an official position related to the General's Mansion. It will most likely be in the Censorate, the Ministry of Rites, or the Imperial Household Department."

Lin Jinyan: "I heard that His Majesty is planning to set up a Hanlin Academy recently, aiming to recruit talents in literature, classics, divination, medicine, monks, painting, calligraphy, and chess. Although it is not an official office, it is directly under the jurisdiction of the emperor. The delay in my brother's appointment may be related to this matter."

Lin Jinan was surprised and said, "The Hanlin Academy that Your Majesty prepared just a few days after the assassination at Shanchuantan? Wasn't it said that it was only responsible for court etiquette, accompanying the emperor in lectures on scriptures and Taoism, ancient and modern times, and banquets for entertainment?"

Lin Jinyan: "Your Majesty wants to accomplish something big, and he started preparing for it right after the assassination. How could he just do it for fun?"

Lin Wanrong asked in confusion: "But don't the court already have these talents? The Imperial Observatory, the Imperial Palace, the Ministry of Rites, etc. each have their own responsibilities. Why do we need to set up a Hanlin Academy to mix these talents together?"

Seeing that Lin Wanrong began to care about the political situation, Lin Jinyan was naturally happy to see it happen. She lowered her voice and patiently explained to her:

"Although they each have their own duties, as Your Majesty has grown older, these people have already formed their own camps behind the scenes. Your Majesty wants to unify the country, so he naturally needs to cultivate loyal talents, so he established this Hanlin Academy to directly manage it and not let others interfere."

Lin Jinan thought for a moment, leaned forward and whispered:
"If that is the case, given His Majesty's vigilance against my grandfather and his men, I am afraid he will not sincerely trust me and may not allow me to enter the Imperial Academy."

Lin Jinyan's bright eyes were filled with a determined coldness:
"If he wants to unify the world, he must use the flesh and blood of the Dingbei Army to exchange for Mobei, the most difficult place to conquer. In order to appease his grandfather and uncle and the Dingbei Army, he will also show his trust and love for his brother."