Prime Minister.

Chapter 77, Chapter 076: [Outsider]

This spring rain has been continuous and lingering, adding to the melancholy in people's hearts.

Xue Huai's life, however, was peaceful and serene. Ever since he sent Xie Jingyun away with impure motives that day, no one had come to disturb him for no reason.

After that, he lived a secluded life, basically going back and forth between the Xue residence and the Hanlin Academy every day. Not to mention Jiang Li's Green Green Villa, he rarely even went to the Shen residence, let alone the various literary gatherings and elegant parties that invited him to participate in because of his poems about plum blossoms.

February 16th, less than half a month before the start of this year's spring imperial examination.

The imperial court announced the list of officials appointed for the spring imperial examinations, and Xue Huai's name appeared in the list of examiners.

Having received a notice the day before to attend a meeting at the Ministry of Rites, Xue Huai got up early today and rode a fine steed of exceptional quality—the very horse that Jiang Li had given him. Xue Huai had wanted to return it, but in the end, he couldn't resist Jiang Li's insistence and had to accept this divine steed named "Fuxiao".

Behind him were two men: on the left was the honest and dutiful servant Li Shun, and on the right was the somewhat reserved Jiang Sheng.

It was quite early, and there were few pedestrians on the street.

Although the spring rain had finally stopped, the early spring chill was still in the air. Xue Huai exhaled a puff of white mist, then reined in the horses to slow down, turned to look at Jiang Sheng, and smiled, "Brother Jiang, did you sleep well last night?"

Jiang Sheng is now considered his bodyguard, but Xue Huai will not really treat him as a servant. According to the usual way of speaking in the previous life, Jiang Sheng's personnel relationship is still with the princess's mansion, and he is only temporarily lending him the position.

Jiang Sheng gradually got used to Xue Huai's approachable nature. He cursed those who spread rumors more than once. Xue Huai was clearly a gentle and refined gentleman, but those people made him out to be a smug and arrogant playboy.

He said sincerely, "Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency. You have treated me very well, and all the arrangements have been perfect."

"That's good."

Xue Huai noticed that he was still a bit awkward, so he took the initiative to ask, "I'm curious about something. I wonder to what extent you martial artists can achieve this?"

Jiang Sheng didn't understand what he meant and looked at him with a slightly blank expression.

Xue Huai explained, "Since you are capable of serving as a guard in the princess's residence, your martial arts skills must be quite good. I wonder if you can scale walls and leap across rooftops? Or to put it more bluntly, how heavy a weapon can you wield? How far can you take a single stride?"

Jiang Sheng then understood. He suddenly felt that this noble Xue Hanlin was also a very interesting person. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Your Excellency, do not be misled by those stories. Although there are many martial artists in this world, no one has ever been able to fly or disappear into the ground. I have been practicing martial arts since I was six years old, for a full twenty years now. My most proficient weapon is this one-handed waist knife, which weighs a little over a pound. Adding any more weight would make it difficult to perform well. If it were a two-handed weapon, it could be heavier."

Xue Huai nodded; this was roughly in line with his own understanding.

Since he had nothing else to do, he continued, "Do you have a master or sect?"

"So there is."

Jiang Sheng smiled sheepishly and said uncertainly, "When I became his disciple, my master said he was a direct descendant of the Siming Fist of the Internal Martial Arts. I don't know if that's true or not. But he is indeed very skilled. I was able to be selected as a guard for the princess's villa thanks to my master's teachings back then."

The saying goes, "Having mastered both literary and martial arts, one can sell them to the emperor." For Jiang Sheng, being able to enter the Green Green Villa was the best fate he could hope for.

Xue Huai understood his thoughts very well; in fact, wasn't he the same way himself?
They all strive to live better lives, only differing in their approach to life.

He suppressed his thoughts and tentatively asked, "Do you think I have a talent for martial arts?"

Jiang Sheng hesitated for a moment, but finally said honestly, "Your Excellency, martial arts training is something that begins in childhood. You may be very talented, but it may be a bit too late to start now."

Xue Huai laughed and said, "I see."

He didn't feel it was a great pity, as he hadn't had high expectations to begin with.

He didn't suddenly have the wild idea of ​​becoming a master; it's just that this era is too turbulent, and it would be better if he could learn some means of self-protection.

Jiang Sheng thought Xue Huai was disappointed, so he comforted him, "Although you, my student, cannot become a master, you can still exercise diligently. At least you can strengthen your body and prolong your life. I have a set of boxing techniques passed down by my master. They are not very useful in sparring, but they are very good for your health and can help you avoid getting sick."

Xue Huai immediately thought of the Five Animal Frolics and the Eight Pieces of Brocade. Seeing Jiang Sheng's good intentions, he gladly accepted and thanked him.

The Ministry of Rites was located east of the Meridian Gate, directly opposite the Ministry of Personnel.

Upon arriving outside the government office, Xue Huai instructed Li Shun and Jiang Sheng to find a sheltered place to wait. He then stepped into the office and, guided by a clerk, proceeded to the Zhujing Hall.

Passing through the ceremonial gate and walking along the passageway, Xue Huai saw a warning stone standing by the roadside, inscribed with eight large characters: "Your salary and emoluments are the people's blood and sweat."

Further ahead is the Zhujing Hall, the core administrative hall of the Ministry of Rites. It has five bays, a single-eave hip roof, and blue brick flooring. The main hall is very spacious.

When Xue Huai entered, there were already seven or eight young officials gathered in the hall, including Gao Tingbi, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, who was also one of the eighteen examiners.

Logically speaking, Cui Yanqing, the second-place scholar in the Gengchen imperial examination, should have served as a fellow examiner. However, because of his well-known poem about plum blossoms, Cui Yanqing had become the object of ridicule. It is said that the day after the elegant gathering at Zhanxue Pavilion, he fell ill and refused to see any guests.

After the Hanlin Academy's term of office ended, he took leave for more than a month, citing illness.

Without a doubt, Cui Yanqing has become a laughing stock, and it's unknown how long it will take for him to recover from the humiliation Xue Huai brought him.

Upon seeing Xue Huai arrive, Gao Tingbi greeted him with a broad smile, and the others also extended their greetings. Xue Huai returned the greetings with neither arrogance nor servility.

As more and more officials arrived, the hall inevitably became noisy. At three-quarters past Chen hour, the chief examiner and the vice-chief examiner of this year's spring imperial examination entered the main hall side by side, and the atmosphere suddenly quieted down.

Xue Huai stood in the crowd, calmly observing the two important officials.

Walking on the right is Yue Zhongming, the newly appointed Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and Vice President of the Imperial Examinations. He has a square face, a broad forehead, high brow bones, and cold, authoritative eyes, giving him an imposing and stern appearance.

On the left, Grand Secretary Sun Yan stands in stark contrast to him. He has a full face, slightly drooping eyes that seem to be smiling but not smiling, and a short beard that adorns his rounded jaw, giving him a gentle and approachable appearance.

Today's meeting was simple: the chief examiner routinely summoned all the inner curtain officials and some outer curtain officials to emphasize the examination room rules and precautions, especially warning everyone against favoritism and cheating.

In the solemn atmosphere, Yue Zhongming spoke first, his voice loud and clear with an undeniable coldness.

"Fellow colleagues, the imperial examination of the year Guiwei is imminent. This is a grand ceremony for selecting virtuous and capable individuals for the country, which is related to the foundation of the nation, the reputation of scholars, and His Majesty's holy intention to select talented people! The Emperor has entrusted us with this important task, which is a sign of his trust in our morality, talent, and sense of responsibility!"

"The most important factor in this year's imperial examinations is 'rigor'!"

Yue Zhongming's tone suddenly became more serious, "Examination discipline is an inviolable law. Not a single detail can be overlooked. All colleagues must be conscientious in their duties, conduct thorough searches, maintain an impenetrable barrier between inside and outside the examination hall, and remain vigilant at all times during patrols to prevent any smuggling, passing, or proxy testing. Anyone suspected of wrongdoing must be investigated immediately; it is better to wrongly accuse than to let someone go unpunished!"

This was the first time Xue Huai had personally experienced the new vice minister's style of doing things.

The words of his mentor Shen Wang came to mind: although Yue Zhongming was a key member of the Ning Party, he was different from those who held positions without doing their jobs and had a strong hand.

Just then, Yue Zhongming's sharp gaze swept over the group of examiners, lingering for a moment on Xue Huai's face: "When grading the papers, you must uphold impartiality and study them carefully, without concealing strengths or covering up weaknesses. You must understand that the weight of your writings affects the future of these scholars, and you must not be swayed by personal feelings or tempted by private gain, thus avoiding any acts of favoritism or fraud. Grand Secretary Sun and I will rigorously examine the papers, and anyone found to be perfunctory, negligent in their praise or criticism, or whose actions are suspicious, will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law!"

Xue Huai remained calm, but he had a vague premonition that Yue Zhongming wanted to establish his authority in this year's imperial examination.

This seems understandable; the other party had just been promoted to Vice Minister of Rites and immediately received this important task, so he must have wanted to deliver a satisfactory report to the Emperor, but...

Xue Huai pondered to himself, "Does the Ning Party really intend to stay out of this year's imperial examination?"
As his thoughts raced, Yue Zhongming finished speaking in a clear voice: "We are walking on thin ice and standing on the edge of an abyss. Only with an iron fist and thunderous methods can we live up to His Majesty's grace and select true pillars of society for His Majesty. This is also the important task that the Grand Secretary has repeatedly entrusted to us. I hope you will think carefully and act prudently!"

"Your Majesty, take your orders."

Everyone agreed in unison, including Xue Huai.

Chief Examiner Sun Yan stepped forward with a smile. His smile seemed gentle, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He cupped his hands to the assembled officials and said slowly, "Minister Yue is absolutely right. There are no trivial matters in examinations, and discipline is fundamental, which goes without saying. We all receive the Emperor's bounty and should share his burdens. We must not give any opportunity to villains in the examination hall and fail to live up to His Majesty's grace."

Xue Huai looked at this high-ranking official, who had been demoted to the title of "clay sculpture Grand Secretary," and could clearly sense the respect he showed for Yue Zhongming in his words.

Although Yue Zhongming is a rising star in the court, he still has a long way to go before he can enter the cabinet. There are at least seven or eight senior officials ahead of him. Unless there are special circumstances, Yue Zhongming will have to wait another one or two decades to enter the cabinet.

Sun Yan had been a Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy for many years. Even though the real power of the cabinet was divided between Ning Hengzhi and Ouyang Hui, he still had the qualifications and confidence to look down on Yue Zhongming.

At least in this imperial examination, Sun Yan has absolute dominance. However, judging from the current situation, even if Sun Yan does not respect Yue Zhongming, the two are at least on equal footing.

Was this Grand Secretary Sun truly worn down by Ning Hengzhi and Ouyang Hui, or was he simply by nature gentle and unwilling to contend with others?
Xue Huai frowned slightly, feeling that something was amiss.

Sun Yan's subsequent remarks became increasingly mild, seemingly intended to counteract the influence of Yue Zhongming's ruthless demeanor on the crowd. He concluded by saying, "I am here by imperial decree to preside over the examinations. I only hope that all the students present can display their talents, and that all those present will fulfill their mission. Only through our concerted efforts and shared responsibility can this talent selection ceremony be successfully and thoroughly conducted. I rely on you all!"

After saying this, he bowed to the crowd.

Yue Zhongming, who was standing to one side, did not change his expression upon seeing this, but a chill ran through him.

"I will obey the Grand Secretary's order!"

Everyone bowed in unison.

Sun Yan smiled and nodded, then ordered the clerk to read out the schedule from now until the results of the imperial examinations were announced, as well as the important notes that the examiners must keep in mind.

Xue Huai listened quietly, silently savoring the words spoken by Yue Zhongming and Sun Yan.

On the surface, Yue Zhongming's attitude was clear and his stance firm, and he would never allow any cheating in this spring examination. Sun Yan, as the chief examiner, seemed somewhat ambiguous, especially his ambiguous statements, which left much to the imagination.

Having experienced two lifetimes of trials, Xue Huai is no longer so naive.

To see a person's true inner self, one should not listen to their words, but observe their actions.

Thinking of this, Xue Huai couldn't help but lower his head and give a self-deprecating smile.

Perhaps none of this concerns him. All he wants to do is fulfill his duties and wait for the imperial examination to end before requesting the emperor to release him to a post outside the capital.

Within two or three years, he will no longer concern himself with the disputes and controversies in the imperial court.

Be a spectator who knows when to advance and retreat, who observes the changing world from the sidelines, and who is always ready to enter the game and make a move.

(End of this chapter)