Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Jiang Xu bowed and said, "I have only done my duty as a parent to my family, and I do not deserve such praise."

"My dear minister, there's no need for such modesty." Qin Ji raised his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be so polite, and said with a smile, "I know that you have achieved outstanding results and worked diligently during your tenure as prefect. Minister Li strongly recommended you to me for the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

Jiang Xu, neither humble nor arrogant, bowed to Qin Ji and the Minister of Personnel respectively: "Thank you for Your Majesty's trust and the Minister's favor. I will do my best to fulfill my duties."

Qin Ji nodded slightly and looked at the Minister of Personnel: "Minister Jiang is new to the Ministry of Personnel and is not yet familiar with its affairs. Please take the trouble to help him get acquainted with the ministry."

His Majesty mentioned his strong recommendation of Jiang Xu and instructed him to give Jiang Xu more guidance. How could the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel not know His Majesty's intention?

This is to do him a favor, so that Jiang Xu can receive a token of gratitude for his help.

It is evident that His Majesty recognized his selfless act of abandoning Ding Huan, the junior official in the Ministry of Personnel whom he had personally promoted, and instead recommended Jiang Xu. His Majesty was also willing to remember his kindness and reward him accordingly.

The Minister of Personnel was deeply moved.

Your Majesty is not yet twenty years old, yet you are so worldly-wise, insightful about people's hearts, and adept at managing people.

To put it bluntly, he is far superior to the late emperor.

Before retiring from office, he had the opportunity to meet such an enlightened ruler, but unfortunately, his days were filled with hardship, and he was unable to give his all.

I don't know whether to say I have regrets or not.

He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old minister will work together with Lord Jiang to do a good job in the Ministry of Personnel."

Qin Ji nodded slightly, his fingers gently stroking the folding fan beside his desk, and casually asked, "How are the arrangements for the new Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) being made?"

The Minister of Personnel, being prepared, immediately replied: "I have selected more than fifty outstanding candidates from among the fellow graduates, and intend to send them to Ning'an first to fill vacancies in the province, prefecture, and various counties. The rest will continue to observe administration in their respective ministries, accumulate experience, and will be appointed to official positions and dispatched to various places after their term expires."

Suddenly remembering something, the Minister of Personnel mentioned, "One of the fellow graduates submitted a document to the Selection Office, volunteering to fill a vacancy in Zewu County, Binnan Province."

Binnan Province is located on the border of the Great Yin Dynasty. It has always been a humid and hot place with miasma. Zewu County is particularly famous for being remote, barren, and impoverished. The county has only a little over 300 households, so it can't pay much tax. Not only can it not gain any benefits, but it is also not valued by the imperial court and it is difficult to get a good evaluation.

Such impoverished counties have always been places that candidates for official appointments avoid like the plague. Many people pull strings to avoid being assigned by the Ministry of Personnel, and are often assigned to candidates who are ranked lower and have no connections. Unexpectedly, someone volunteered this time.

Qin Ji, intrigued, asked, "Who is it?"

The Minister of Personnel replied, "He is a young man from Huaiyin County, Lingnan Province, who ranked 367th in the palace examination. His name is Yan Mingli."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ji's expression darkened slightly, his emotions unreadable. After a moment, he simply commented, "That's quite rare."

He was merely a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), not particularly outstanding. Yet he possessed a spirit of fearlessness in the face of hardship and a willingness to go against the tide. The Minister of Personnel had already done his duty by mentioning him to His Majesty. As for whether His Majesty would remember him or use him in the future, that was up to his fate. The Minister of Personnel said no more.

Qin Ji tapped the imperial desk lightly, his voice revealing neither favor nor displeasure: "Then it's approved."

After saying that, his gaze fell on Jiang Xu's head again, and he casually mentioned, "I've heard that Minister Jiang is from the Jiang family of Qingyuan, a prestigious clan."

The Jiang family of Qingyuan is a prestigious family with a history spanning hundreds of years. Since Jiang Xu entered officialdom, he has been asked about it by countless people. It is not surprising that His Majesty asked him casually. Jiang Xu replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: "I come from a collateral branch and dare not claim to be a descendant of a prestigious family."

Qin Ji casually remarked, as if making small talk, "My dear minister, there's no need for such modesty. The Jiang family of Qingyuan is known for its upright character and has produced countless talented individuals, including numerous renowned ministers. Isn't that famous young scholar Jiang Jibai also a member of your Jiang family?"

Jiang Xu nodded: "My uncle is exceptionally talented, far surpassing my own abilities. I am merely older than him, and I am truly ashamed."

The teacher I personally selected is naturally the most outstanding; no one else can match him.

Qin Ji agreed with this statement and said with "regret," "It's a pity that the great scholar Jiang refused the court's offer of service."

After uttering a sigh, he looked at the Minister of Personnel and joked, "Even when Minister Li personally intervened last year, he couldn't persuade Mr. Jiang to come out of seclusion."

The Minister of Personnel immediately replied, "I am incompetent."

Qin Ji waved his hand: "You can't force a cow to drink water if it doesn't want to. This is not Li Qing's fault."

Jiang Xu, unaware of His Majesty's intention in bringing this up, pondered and said, "My uncle is a free spirit, his ambitions lie elsewhere. I am far inferior to him; I can only fulfill my duties diligently to live up to Your Majesty's trust."

This was a clever way of putting it. It explained why Jiang Jibai refused to serve in the government, showed that he hadn't rashly agreed to be a lobbyist, and demonstrated his willingness to do his best. There was not a single fault to be found in it.

Just then, Fulu sent a young eunuch to whisper in Qin Ji's ear what had just happened in the side hall.

He is upright, serious, and rarely smiles; he also seems to have strong principles in his dealings with others.

Qin Ji stared blankly at the man's icy face, having no expectation that he would conceal his identity.

Although Jiang Xu didn't know what the head eunuch had reported, he could feel the Emperor's scrutinizing gaze falling on him again: "Your Majesty?"

You are not allowed to attend Fang Yanqing's victory celebration banquet!

Qin Ji swallowed the command that was pounding wildly in his throat and said with a frustrated tone, "You're very kind, my dear minister."

Having said that, he withdrew his gaze: "My dear minister, you've just arrived in the capital; you haven't yet reported to the Ministry of Personnel, have you?"

Jiang Xu and the Minister of Personnel both understood that His Majesty meant to end the conversation, and they both stood up and bowed.

The Minister of Personnel said, "I will take Minister Jiang to the Ministry of Personnel to report on his duties and familiarize him with the affairs. If Your Majesty has nothing else to say, we will take our leave."

Qin Ji waved his hand listlessly.

After the two left the Qianzheng Hall, Qin Ji instructed the ingredients: "I want to see Yan Mingli. There's no need for a big fuss, just..."

Qin Ji pondered for a moment, then tapped the imperial desk lightly with his finger: "Let's do it outside the palace."

Qin Ji added, "Summon Bian Yushu as well."

...

The second update yesterday, boohoo~