Chapter 123
Hanlin Academy
Just as he was about to finish his shift, Wen Shi put down his pen. Unexpectedly, the Grand Secretary suddenly came over, looking at him with a big smile.
"His Majesty has already read the court minutes you compiled and organized before the New Year. He is very happy and will come to the palace with me."
The Grand Secretary smiled and turned to leave after speaking. Wen Shi did not refuse and followed him in his official robes. When they reached the door, the two boarded the Grand Secretary's carriage.
"You are so young, yet you are able to remain calm and composed, which is truly rare. You will definitely have a bright future."
"Thank you for the compliment, sir."
Wen Shi didn't talk much, but he was indeed very reliable. He was so meticulous that when he checked the books he compiled later, there wasn't a single mistake. It's likely that he checked them several times in private.
Compared to some perfunctory officials, Wen Shi was really good in this respect, not causing trouble for his superior. Some people went too far, even though it affected their own future, but ultimately, he was the one managing the Hanlin Academy.
If everyone were like Wen Shi, he would have so much less to worry about.
His positive impression of Wen Shi was largely due to this.
The records compiled by Wen Shi were all the words spoken by the emperor in court over the past year, including the words of some ministers. Wen Shi was responsible for compiling and organizing them.
Such tasks are often thankless and exhausting. Even emperors have fickle moods, and many people are unwilling to do them.
Wen Shi had little experience and had only recently become an editor. Last year, this job fell directly on his shoulders.
Fortunately, he was very serious and did not complain about the hardship or fatigue. He focused on compiling the materials, as these were all meant to be preserved. After he finished compiling them, he sent them to the emperor for his review. If the emperor felt there was anything wrong with them, he would make revisions.
The book was sent before the New Year, but the emperor only saw it today, which took a lot of time. Compared with the important affairs of state, this was naturally put on the back burner.
But the result was obviously good. After the court session ended today, the emperor specifically summoned him and asked him to bring Wen Shi with him when he was about to finish his shift.
Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, the Grand Secretary also relaxed a lot, which was not a bad thing.
This was Wen Shi's third time entering the palace. The first time was for the imperial examination, the second time was for his first meeting with the emperor, and this was his second time meeting the emperor. Upon arriving at the palace, he immediately straightened his back but did not look around aimlessly, appearing very proper.
On the way to the Imperial Study, the Grand Secretary suddenly said, "The General Affairs Office is about to close, and a new batch will be coming next year. After they finish their exams this year, come and help me grade the papers."
Wen Shi did not refuse. Some of the people here were ranked higher than him at the time, but he took the first step, so the final ranking was definitely not determined by him.
"I will definitely go; it would be my honor."
The Grand Secretary nodded but did not speak.
"Eunuch Zhou, please inform him."
The Grand Eunuch by the Emperor's side was someone you definitely couldn't offend. The Grand Secretary, who was always very serious in front of his subordinates, was all smiles when he got to him. Before long, he led Wen Shi inside.
After bowing, the two looked at the emperor. Several stacks of memorials were placed on the dragon table, and in front of the emperor was the book compiled by Wen Shixin. There was also a large and thick record book next to him.
When he attended court, his conversations with the officials were all recorded in this book, down to the smallest detail. Every year, it would become a thick volume, and each year the person who compiled it was different, but everyone relied on this record book as their basis. Wen Shi was no exception.
This booklet will not be preserved; it can be burned directly once the emperor has given his permission.
This record book usually documents the disputes that occur from the beginning of January to the last day of December when the court is in session. Wen Shi didn't have much time to compile it, and he only finished it on the last day of the year.
When he was compiling the book, he simplified and streamlined it, recording all the important matters first, and glossing over the unimportant ones, without omitting anything or adding any unnecessary words.
The final book was only half the thickness of this record book, and he was certain that he had written everything that needed to be written.
He spent two months completing the task before the end of the year, and the Grand Secretary finally verified it.
He personally felt that Wen Shi's excellence compared to previous officials lay in his good handwriting, which was a highlight.
Secondly, it does not contain a lot of flattering or false information. It records the good things the emperor did, and it does not delete all the bad things either, so it is fair and all things are recorded.
The emperor's heart is said to be as unfathomable as the bottom of the sea. Having served as an official for many years, the Grand Secretary was not stupid. The emperor's mood was unpredictable, but generally speaking, he was capable of facing his own mistakes.
"I have already read last year's court minutes. Wen Qing, you have compiled them very well. They are detailed and without any errors or omissions. You are truly young and promising. It is my good fortune to have you."
The emperor sat at the head of the table, his expression dignified. After a long while, he uttered these words.
There has never been a shortage of sycophantic ministers, and many have smuggled their own agendas into the inner circle. Some have even thought themselves clever and made all sorts of haphazard modifications, leaving only the good ones.
Official history is one part, but there are also unofficial histories recorded by the people.
Emperor Jingyuan hoped to be praised by future generations, but if the discrepancy between official and unofficial histories is too great, then all that will remain for posterity is more speculation and questions.
He cannot hide from the eyes and ears of everyone in the world. Besides, he is not incompetent. Of the ten decrees he issues, at least eight are good.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. It is what I should do."
The emperor wore a faint smile; his imposing presence was evident even without anger, and these words were indeed a compliment.
"You're not bad either. Wen Qing's maturity in handling things is also thanks to your daily guidance."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Grand Secretary immediately bowed and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Zhou Ping, give them some rewards later."
"I have already read this book and there are no problems with it. Have several copies made and keep them all. We will deal with this later."
"yes."
The emperor leaned back on his dragon throne, his gaze falling once more on Wen Shi. Remembering the ancient books that had been sent earlier, his eyes then drifted to the bookshelf not far away.
"Those who have made contributions should be rewarded, and those who have made mistakes should be punished. My dear minister, you are down-to-earth, capable, and responsible. You may all leave now. I still need to read your memorials."
This trip was not in vain after all; in fact, the rewards were even greater than before. When the two left the palace, they each had eight hundred taels of silver in their pockets.
The rewards were the same and would not be withheld. The Grand Secretary took the opportunity to slip Zhou Ping a few taels of silver, and Wen Shi did not forget to do the same.
Zhou Ping naturally accepted it with a smile; this was all part of his way of dealing with people.
Emperor Jingyuan has met many court officials over the years, and Wen Shi is not the first, nor will he be the last. He is still young, and his current attitude is commendable.
But it's hard to say what will happen in the future; he's still young.
While it's one thing for the emperor to praise and reward someone, it's certainly not the case that Wen Shi would be promoted directly because of this.
This was his duty, and he did a good job, so he deserved a reward, but it didn't go that far.
If the compilations of previous years did not meet his expectations, he would have the Grand Secretary revise them. There was no need to hide it from others; it was just a matter of going back and forth. In this respect, the emperor was very magnanimous; what it was, it was.
Some people always harbor wishful thinking, believing themselves to be clever, unaware that the way a subject should conduct himself differs depending on the emperor.
Back when Wen Shi was still studying in the prefectural city, Mr. Huang gave them many examples of ministers and emperors, showing that the rules of survival for a subject under a wise ruler and a foolish ruler are very different.
Undeniably, Wen Shi learned a lot from him. Playing clever tricks is the most unnecessary thing to do, and it might even backfire, especially when the emperor is not incompetent.
Upon returning to the Hanlin Academy, Wen Shi didn't go inside; there weren't many people there at this hour. After bidding farewell to the Grand Secretary, he went to the school first.
Master Xu told him that the child should go back with his second uncle, and he wasn't worried at all, heading straight home.
After dropping off Wen Leqian, Wen Erge didn't leave. He insisted on waiting for Wen Shi to return, and the group sat and rested in the courtyard.
The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and I didn't finish the mung bean soup I cooked this morning. Now I can finish it all at once.
The small courtyard where Wen Shi was currently living was nothing to be envious of, and it was even inferior to the village where they lived.
Wen Shi pushed open the door and entered. He wasn't surprised to see a group of people; the mule cart was outside.
"Third brother."
"Thank you for your hard work, Second Brother."
"Let's go."
Seeing Wen Shi dressed in official robes and looking neat and tidy, Wen Erge, who wasn't scheming, was genuinely happy. The whole family had benefited from their third brother's good fortune.
After watching his second brother and nephews leave, Wen Shi asked his son to recite a poem. After checking it, he brewed himself a pot of tea and headed to his study.
The child didn't bother him and rested and played inside the house.
Wen Shi took out the silver coins from his pocket and spread them out on the table one by one. He thought that when Yingxiang came back and saw them, she would definitely be very happy.
Indeed, with summer fast approaching, the weather is getting hotter and hotter. Even in the evening, Yingxiang was sweating profusely on her way back.
When she checked in early in the morning, she didn't hesitate to choose an iced soda. It's a pity she can't make it herself, otherwise she would definitely make a fortune.
When the family of three was eating, Wen Shi didn't hide anything from his wife.
Yingxiang smiled after hearing this, she couldn't be happier.
Late at night, she counted the money and put it into the box where the two of them usually kept their money. This time there was quite a lot more, and she wanted to save it carefully.
She runs two shops and earns more than before. Although it's hard work, it's worth it.
Wen Shi was pleasantly surprised. Thinking of his salary this year, Yingxiang said, "Husband, keep all of this year's salary."
"If you go to the palace, you must not be stingy. You should bribe the people around the emperor if you can. It will definitely not do you any harm."
"I know, don't worry, you don't need that much, one hundred taels will be enough."
This reward was nothing to the emperor, who didn't even ask directly. Zhou Ping had served the emperor for many years and understood his intentions.
When he says this, it usually means that the reward is based on the official's rank. If he specifically instructs that antiques or calligraphy should be given as a reward, then we should listen to him.
If you hold a high position, you can have tens of thousands of taels of silver; if you don't hold a high position, you can only have a few hundred taels.
Yingxiang knew in her heart that this was inseparable from Wenshi's efforts. If the two of them had continued to have such a smooth life, they might have been able to buy a house a few years earlier.
This is her biggest wish right now; renting a place is never really comfortable.
"I'll leave the money here. Take what you need if it's not enough, but you have to let me know in advance."
Wen Shi chuckled and nodded. He really didn't have high demands for life. As long as he had food and drink, that was enough. He had survived such difficult times before, so he wouldn't squander money now that he had it.
There's another thing he needs to do as soon as possible: buy the land. He's already got the money, and he doesn't plan to hold onto it without buying it. He's afraid his family will overthink things if he waits too long.
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