The Left Prime Minister was a man who valued talent, and it was difficult to determine a salary without official rank.
Thanks to his reasoned arguments, Lin Xiangzhi's rank was not finalized, but he was able to receive half the salary of the former Minister of Revenue.
All the scholars who entered the palace for the imperial examinations attended the Qionglin Banquet hosted by the Emperor.
In a corner of the banquet hall, Lin Xiangzhi rolled up his sleeves and began to feast.
The scholars who knew each other were congratulating one another. Zhen Jingxiu and Su Jin left their seats to greet the people they knew before returning to their seats.
There were several empty plates in front of Lin Xiangzhi.
"No, Xiangzhi, it's rare for everyone to gather like this today, why don't you have a drink with us?" Zhen Jingxiu sat down next to Lin Xiangzhi, holding a wine glass.
Lin Xiangzhi picked up his teacup and gulped down two mouthfuls.
"I don't know many people, but the imperial kitchen made some good food today, so you should all eat more."
Su Jin sat down opposite him and looked at the grease on Lin Xiangzhi's lips, saying, "Brother Lin, the position of Minister of Revenue is very coveted. You are only temporarily in charge now, but there will be a day when you will be in charge rightfully."
"What do you mean?" Lin Xiangzhi put down his chopsticks and picked up a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.
Zhen Jingxiu picked up the thread: "Brother Su means you shouldn't be sad. I just went to greet the other classmates, and they haven't been assigned any positions yet. The Left Prime Minister told them to go back and wait for further notice."
"What's there to be sad about? Who said I'm sad?"
"you……"
Zhen Jingxiu and Su Jin stared blankly at the empty plate in front of Prime Minister Lin.
Lin Xiangzhi suddenly realized, "You've misunderstood. I'm already very satisfied with passing the imperial examination and getting a government post."
He looked at the delicious food in the distance and said, "You're overthinking it. I'm really hungry. This is the first meal I've had today."
After he finished speaking, he let out a burp.
Of course he wouldn't tell the truth; while he ate, he cursed that scheming man eight hundred times in his mind.
As a result, I lost focus and unknowingly ate too much.
Lin Xiangzhi patted his stomach and stood up: "You two eat and drink well. I'm going to see someone. The Ministry of Rites has arranged a horse parade through the streets tomorrow. I will definitely go and support you two virtuous brothers tomorrow."
When the people from the Ministry of Rites came to inform them, the two of them went to other seats.
Zhen Jingxiu nodded. "We just received the news in another hall. See you tomorrow, Brother Lin."
Su Jin raised her wine glass. "See you tomorrow."
"Congratulations, Young Master Lin!"
Congratulations, Brother Lin!
Just as Lin Xiangzhi was about to leave, a group of people appeared out of nowhere and congratulated him.
He quickly cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Brothers, I am ashamed to say that I do not know what brings me such joy."
"Brother Lin is too modest. You will be our future God of Wealth."
When Zhen Jingxiu looked up, he saw that in addition to his familiar classmates, there were also many unfamiliar scholars gathered around.
He and Su Jin quickly got up to accompany Lin Xiangzhi as they introduced themselves to everyone and exchanged congratulations.
Only after everyone had left did Zhen Jingxiu pat Lin Xiangzhi on the shoulder and say jokingly, "Brother Lin, do you feel the prestige of being the acting Minister?"
"Don't be so presumptuous. When I'm freeloading off you guys, you're not allowed to call me stingy."
Su Jin suppressed a laugh and teased, "Brother Lin, stop pretending. Everyone knows your uncle is the richest man in Yannan. He doesn't need that salary."
Lin Xiangzhi said in a serious tone, "Renting a courtyard in the capital is too expensive, no way, it's too much of a loss. I need to find a place to stay, even if it's temporary."
He is still living in the Imperial Academy. His uncle's men have not yet arrived in the capital, so he cannot stay in the Imperial Academy indefinitely.
Watching Lin Xiangzhi leave like a whirlwind, Su Jin asked Zhen Jingxiu, "Who is he going to ask for something from?"
"Who else could it be? Of course it's His Majesty. His position is special; he can't possibly arrange a residence for himself, can he?"
The Ministry of Revenue was responsible for allocating residences to officials, and Wanling Kingdom had always only allocated residences to ministers of the third rank or above.
Zhen Jingxiu lived in the capital, so he didn't care about such issues.
Su Jin coughed lightly and said, "Even if the salary isn't much, renting a small courtyard will do."
He was thinking to himself that if Lin Xiangzhi had nowhere to go, he would rent a two-courtyard house with him, which would save money and give him company.
Although his older sister told him to stay without worry, he couldn't really stay there forever.
When Lin Xiangzhi arrived at the Imperial Study, the air inside was still filled with the faint scent of ink.
After exchanging greetings, Xiao Jingzhao dismissed the servants in the room and pointed to the desk opposite him, saying, "Sit down and have a cup of tea."
"Did Your Majesty know that I was coming?" Prime Minister Lin adapted very well and quickly corrected his identity as a subject.
He walked over and saw two cups of tea on the desk.
“We’re like brothers. I haven’t even had a chance to congratulate you on successfully securing the position of Minister of Revenue.” Xiao Jingzhao said, picking up a thick booklet and pushing it towards him.
Without a second thought, Lin Xiangzhi leaned back, as if something Xiao Jingzhao had pushed at him was about to explode.
"Your Majesty, there's no need for congratulations. I haven't officially taken over yet. I just finished the palace examination today. I can't be used like an ox. Please have mercy and let me rest a bit."
Then she pouted, looking aggrieved, "I still don't know how to write this letter to announce the good news."
Lin Xiangzhi has now developed a conditioned reflex: when he sees Xiao Jingzhao pushing books in front of him in the imperial study, he feels that he is being asked to do chores again.
Xiao Jingzhao raised an eyebrow slightly: "What, you want to live in the Imperial Academy forever? That won't do."
"If you really don't want to live outside, there are plenty of empty palaces in the harem. Why don't you pick one?" Xiao Jingzhao's tone was full of teasing.
"Your Majesty means that I should choose the house!" Prime Minister Lin stared wide-eyed in disbelief, suppressing his urge to retort.
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