Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Inside the Hanlin Academy.

After showing the three men around the layout of the Hanlin Academy and informing them of their duties, Wu Wei bowed again and said, "My lords, I will take you to meet the officials in the academy so that you can get to know your colleagues and work together in the future."

Chen Chang'an clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Wu."

Wu Wei immediately replied, "It's no trouble at all, no trouble at all."

Although it was just a simple sentence, it greatly increased his goodwill towards this top scholar. He was only an eighth-rank Five Classics Doctor, and although he was not the lowest-ranking official in the Hanlin Academy, he was still at the bottom.

He had also received several top-ranking scholars in the imperial examinations, most of whom were arrogant and rarely thanked him, a minor official of the eighth rank.

He led Chen Chang'an and the other two out of the duty room and walked slowly along the central corridor, introducing the officials of the Hanlin Academy one by one.

Although Chen Chang'an and the other two were new to officialdom, they entered as top-ranking candidates in the imperial examinations and were already mid- to high-level officials upon entering the Hanlin Academy.

Those officials such as Hanlin Academy scribes, Hanlin Academy attendants, Five Classics Doctors, and Hanlin Academy reviewers all respectfully rose and bowed upon seeing them.

Further ahead lies the core area of ​​the Hanlin Academy, containing several elegant and spacious main offices, which served as the workplaces for senior officials within the academy.

When Chen Chang'an and his group entered, they found some people playing chess, practicing calligraphy, painting, and others leisurely enjoying tea and reading. They looked extremely relaxed.

Grand Secretary Zhou and Grand Secretary Lin were playing chess when Wu Wei entered the duty room and respectfully said, "Lord Zhou, Lord Lin, this humble official has brought three Hanlin scholars to pay their respects to you both..."

Chen Chang'an had already met these two Grand Secretaries at the Qionglin Banquet.

Grand Scholar Zhou stood up and said with a smile, "It's Chen Chang'an! You've finally arrived. It seems I won't have to worry about having no one to play chess with anymore..."

Scholar Lin scoffed at his words, mocking, "You lousy chess player, you should play against me first. You want to play chess with the top scholar? When the Yan people were challenging other schools, where were you?..."

"I admit I can't beat the top scholar, but I can beat you with my feet!"

"Stop talking big, let's win this round first!"

……

Wu Wei left the duty room with a helpless expression and said to the three men, "My lords, the duty room of the Grand Academician is just ahead. The Grand Academician is the head of the Hanlin Academy and was once the top scholar in the imperial examination of our Great Ning. Please don't be impolite later..."

All three nodded.

The official positions in the Hanlin Academy were quite special.

The Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy was a third-rank official, one of the eleven Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, who directly participated in the decision-making of important court affairs, holding a high position and wielding great power.

The Attendant Scholars, who are below the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, are of the fourth rank, but they have little real power and only have the opportunity to show their faces when they are challenged in the civil service examinations of other countries.

Therefore, their daily life in the government office consisted of playing chess, drinking tea, composing poems, and painting, which was extremely leisurely.

Following that were the Hanlin Compilers and Hanlin Editors.

These two official positions were reserved for the top three candidates in the imperial examinations. Although their official rank was not as high as that of a Reader-in-Waiting, their future prospects were much brighter.

Normally, they would be sent to other places within three years, and their experience in the Hanlin Academy was a stepping stone on their official career path.

The lower-ranking officials under the Hanlin Compiler class spent their days proofreading books, compiling history, and studying classics. The vast majority of them would not even reach the seventh rank in their official careers...

Arriving at the deepest and largest office building in the Hanlin Academy, Wu Wei first knocked on the door. Only after hearing a "come in" from inside did he lead the three of them inside.

Behind a long table in the yamen sat a middle-aged man with a calm and composed demeanor, dressed in a bright red official robe.

The middle-aged man had a square face and thick eyebrows, and his expression was authoritative without being angry. He was none other than Dou Wenhuan, the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy.

Wu Wei quickly bowed and said, "This humble official, Wu Wei, has brought three newly promoted Hanlin scholars to pay their respects to the Headmaster."

Chen Chang'an and the other two bowed in unison, saying, "Greetings, Headmaster."

Dou Wenhuan's gaze slowly swept over the three men, then he said in a deep voice, "I know that you all entered this place through your own abilities, fighting your way out from thousands of other students. However, this is the Hanlin Academy, a prestigious place for dedicated scholarly research. I don't care how illustrious you were in the past. Now that you've entered the Hanlin Academy, you should devote yourselves to historical research and scholarship, and abide by your duties. Otherwise, I will not be lenient in your future performance reviews..."

Chen Chang'an raised an eyebrow slightly. Although the words of the head scholar seemed to be addressed to three people, he could sense that the other party was mainly speaking to him.

This was his first meeting with the headmaster, and the other party's attitude didn't seem very friendly.

"Your humble servant will heed your teachings, sir!"

Zhang Huaiyu and Zhao Rui clasped their hands and bowed. Dou Wenhuan nodded slightly, gave a few simple words of advice on being diligent in performing their duties and humbly learning, and then waved for them to leave.

However, after the three of them turned around, he spoke again: "By the way, Editor Zhao, stay behind for a moment, I have something to tell you."

Zhao Rui remained inside the yamen, while Chen Chang'an and the other two came out.

Wu Wei clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute to the two men and said with a smile, "My lords, I have already explained the rules and regulations of the courtyard to you. Now, please make yourselves at home. I will take my leave now..."

Chen Chang'an glanced back and walked with Zhang Huaiyu to their duty room.

After everyone was seated, Zhang Huaiyu smirked and said coldly, "No matter how illustrious you were before, once you enter the Hanlin Academy, you must be dedicated to historical research and scholarship, and fulfill your duties. Otherwise, we will not be lenient with your resume during the evaluation process..."

He was clearly dissatisfied with the Grand Academician Dou Wenhuan, and complained with displeasure, "What's with the Grand Academician putting on airs here? When the Yan Kingdom bullied us and the court's dignity was humiliated, where was he? In the end, every time it was you, Brother Chen, who had to step up and give you a hard time..."

Clearly, he could also tell that the head scholar's words were directed at Chen Chang'an.

Chen Chang'an twirled an un-inked calligraphy brush in his hand. Zhang Huaiyu looked around and whispered, "Brother Chang'an, you'd better be careful of the Head Scholar in the Hanlin Academy. He's the Grand Tutor's student. You've had such a falling out with the Zhao family; I'm worried he might make things difficult for you..."

at this time.

Inside the Grand Secretary's office, Dou Wenhuan personally poured Zhao Rui a cup of tea and asked with a smile, "How have you been lately, Teacher?"

Zhao Rui smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, sir. My grandfather is in good health and often mentions you."

Dou Wenhuan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't feel constrained here. Just make yourself at home. If you have any problems or difficulties, come to me anytime."

Zhao Rui cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, sir."

After he finished speaking, he sighed softly again.

Dou Wenhuan asked, "Why do you sigh, my dear nephew?"

Zhao Rui sighed again and said slowly, "My aunt was stripped of her title a few days ago and has been devastated ever since. As you know, my grandfather has always doted on her and is very worried about her seeing her so depressed all the time. She has even been eating less these past two days..."

Upon hearing this, Dou Wenhuan narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deep voice, "I have heard Lord Zhao mention this matter. Some people are talented but lack virtue, violate etiquette and laws, and are also inconsistent with the style of our Hanlin Academy. Rest assured, I will make them suffer a bit..."