Outside, fine snowflakes began to fall, delicate, light, and pure white. They landed on the upturned eaves, the gnarled branches of the magnolia tree, the solitary lotus-shaped stone lampstand, and the layers of blue brick steps, shimmering with a pale golden light under the sunlight.
After speaking with Song Yue, Qingchen took her gift and left the retreat first. As soon as she stepped out of the moon gate, she saw Gu Shaoheng talking to a little girl.
She was a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, wearing a peach-colored silk robe with intertwined floral patterns, revealing a bit of a light blue pleated skirt, and a bright red felt cloak draped over her back. Her almond-shaped eyes were wide open.
She had a free-spirited energy, and was very lively and agile. Qingchen felt that this temperament was very familiar. Who did she resemble? After thinking carefully, he remembered that she was Nezha, who made trouble in the sea in Journey to the West!
Gu Shaoheng looked exasperated. "My beautiful sister! Didn't I tell you that today is my coming-of-age ceremony? I'm an adult now, with so many things to do inside and outside the house. I'm very busy and don't have time to play with a child like you. There are so many girls in the garden now, many of whom you know well. Just pick one to play with and don't follow me anymore."
The little girl pouted slightly. "Cousin Shaoheng is my future husband, with whom I'm betrothed since childhood. If you don't play with me, who will? The girls in the garden only know how to put on airs and compete in poetry and painting, vying for the title of being both talented and beautiful, so that the gentlemen will mention their names more often when discussing elegance. I look down on these empty titles; they're really boring."
"What, what arranged marriage? It was just something said casually. Besides, how can a young lady like you keep talking about husband all the time? I have important business to attend to today, and I need to go and help my classmate. You listen to me and go play by yourself!"
So they were already betrothed since childhood. Shen Qingchen sized up the girl. Although she was a bit spoiled and willful, she was straightforward and quite adorable. Judging from her elegant attire and demeanor, she must have come from a respectable background. Looking at Gu Shaoheng's attitude towards her, although he seemed a little impatient, he didn't turn away. Instead, he said quite a bit, seemingly not annoyed with her, but just finding her too young and unsure how to handle her.
They're quite a pair of bickering lovers.
Qingchen originally intended to say goodbye to Gu Shaoheng, but seeing his state, she felt it was inconvenient to disturb him, so she shook her head and went up to the corridor by herself.
The gift in her hand was quite heavy, so she switched arms to hold it and looked down at it again.
It was an exquisite sandalwood box, with a delicate lotus pattern carved on the lid. The surface was smooth, gleaming with a fine luster, and emitting a faint fragrance.
Song Yue said that this box is for storing her official seals. She already has four official seals, and she will definitely have more in the future, so she can put them all in this box. Each one will witness her efforts and record her growth.
This box not only commemorated her first promotion but also had ample space to encourage her to gradually fill it with the future she envisioned. Receiving the gift, Qingchen was deeply moved; he had truly put a lot of thought into it.
Later, he took out a small gold lock and handed it to her, saying, "When you feel you've had enough, are tired, and want to leave the court, you can use this lock to lock the box."
The small gold lock is not the common square or rectangular shape, but rather a slightly rounded ruyi shape.
It is a love lock.
Legend has it that the Old Man Under the Moon has a treasure called the Love Lock, which signifies that two people in love will be bound together for eternity.
The snowflakes drifted down gently, quietly, without making one feel cold at all. A fragrance of plum blossoms filled the air.
Hanlin Academy.
After arriving at his room early in the morning, Shen Qingchen had his assigned servant bring him many scrolls.
This scribe was named Wu Yong, a ninth-rank official. He was mainly responsible for miscellaneous tasks in the Hanlin Academy, such as organizing classics and managing files. After being assigned to the compiler, he was essentially Qingchen's assistant.
They knew each other when Qingchen was still a junior scholar, and they often dined together at the Imperial Academy. This man especially loved the stir-fried mushrooms made by the Imperial Academy, while Qingchen was not particularly fond of mushrooms, so he would always pick out his own mushrooms for him to eat.
Wu Yong made three trips to retrieve all the items Qingchen needed from the registry office and placed them on the table. He was panting as he said, "Lord Shen, as you instructed, I have brought all the scrolls you requested."
Seeing him panting heavily, his fingers red from carrying the books, Qingchen felt a pang of pity. If she had known there was so much stuff, she would have helped him move it.
"Thank you for your hard work." Qingchen poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to him. "Have a sip of hot tea to warm yourself up."
Wu Yong shook his head, "It's not hard work, it's all what I should do. Although you have been in the Hanlin Academy for more than a year, you are still new to the job and not very familiar with the affairs of the academy. I will do my best to help you get familiar with it as soon as possible."
She smiled slightly and said, "Thank you."
Wu Yong patted the three stacks of scrolls on the table and said, “These are the revised Veritable Records, as well as the records compiled by the previous official. These are the drafts prepared by the Hanlin Academy in the past year, including various imperial edicts and decrees, as well as congratulatory messages for various ceremonies. And this last stack contains the records of the Hanlin Academy officials’ lectures to the Crown Prince since he was six years old, totaling twelve volumes, each covering half a year. These are all what you requested, sir. If you would like to see anything else, please instruct me to fetch it.”
“However…” Wu Yong hesitated for a moment, then said, “I know that you are a diligent learner, sir. You were the most hardworking when you were a junior official. Now that you have been promoted and are holding four positions, you already have a lot of books to read and will need to study them for some time. You must take it easy and not wear yourself out so soon after taking office.”
Qingchen glanced at the tall stack of scrolls and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Wu Yong bowed and said, "Then I will take my leave now. Please call me if you need anything, sir."
“Go ahead,” she said, then suddenly remembered something and called him back, “Oh, right, I need to look at these scrolls these next few days, so I might need you to fetch my lunch from the Imperial Household Department for me… If there are mushrooms, you can pick and eat them first.”
Wu Yong was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Yes, thank you, sir."
After he left, Qingchen began to look through the scrolls.
She was a compiler, whose main duties included compiling books, drafting some manuscripts, and preparing books related to Buddhist scriptures. These volumes could serve as her references and help her understand the specifics of her work.
Compiling books is a time-consuming, laborious, and somewhat tedious task. However, if done well, it can leave behind a wealth of historical materials for future generations to read and learn from, allowing them to understand the development of various sciences and literary styles. This is a very beneficial undertaking for the country and its people. Moreover, those who participate in the revision process often receive promotions and rewards, thus gaining great fame. It is considered a very important achievement for Hanlin officials, and those with this achievement are often preferred candidates for entry into the cabinet.
Qingchen knew from a very young age that the Ming Dynasty produced one of China's most famous ancient books, called the Yongle Encyclopedia. It was all-encompassing, covering both ancient and modern times, and contained seven or eight thousand books. Its contents included classics, history, philosophy, literature, astronomy, geography, yin and yang, medicine, divination, Buddhist scriptures, Taoist scriptures, Northern opera, Southern opera, vernacular stories, crafts, agriculture, and more. It was the world's largest encyclopedia, even surpassing the famous Encyclopædia Britannica.
After several wars, much of this book was lost, leaving only over eight hundred volumes, scattered around the world. Qingchen skimmed through it when he was in college, but because the content was so complex, there were still many parts he hadn't fully grasped.
At present, no one in the Ming Dynasty has proposed compiling this book. Emperor Zhu Rui has no interest in governing and has not even considered this matter. Apart from Shen Qingchen, no one knows that a monumental work is waiting to be written, compiled, and presented to the world.
As she flipped through these scrolls, she thought that if she had the chance, she might suggest to Zhu Rui that a wise ruler should leave something for the country and future generations during his reign. Just as it was her duty as an official of the Ming Dynasty to advise the emperor.
A useful book will benefit more people the earlier it was written. The Yongle Encyclopedia needs to be revised.
The candle flame flickered on the lamp, and with a "pop," a small flame burned out.
Qingchen snapped out of her thoughts, found a pair of scissors, and, tucking her sleeve in, trimmed the wick of the lamp.
As she put down the scissors, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the stack of records of Hanlin officials lecturing to the Crown Prince. She picked up the top volume and flipped through it.
The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and his education from a young age is all about important matters of the court. The Imperial Household Department, together with the Hanlin Academy, will tutor the Crown Prince, teaching him books such as the Book of Documents, the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Zizhi Tongjian, the Great Learning, and the Zhenguan Zhengyao. In addition, they will also cover important military and national affairs and the current state of the country, so that the Crown Prince will have a certain understanding of governance from an early age and gradually deepen his understanding.
Qingchen's position as a compiler also included serving as a consultant in the Left Spring Palace, primarily responsible for assisting the Crown Prince's studies and offering him appropriate advice—essentially acting as a part-time teacher. Therefore, it was essential for her to understand what the Crown Prince was learning so that she could better tailor her advice based on his progress and learning capacity.
However, there were simply too many scrolls; twelve were stacked on the table, and Qingchen couldn't even see the opposite wall at eye level. She was to report to the Imperial Household Department tomorrow, and it was clearly impossible for her to finish reading them all in one night; she could only read as many as she could.
Fortunately, she had been a teacher and had taught both Lin Yu and Xie Huiying, so she had some experience and insights in teaching. Moreover, Lin Yu was nine years old and the Crown Prince was twelve, both boys and close in age, so they should have some things in common.
As Qingchen flipped through the scrolls, she jotted down notes on things she thought she should pay attention to. Before she knew it, it was lunchtime.
Chen An lifted the curtain and peeked out to look for her. "I knew you were still here. You must have been busy since you first took office. But even if you're busy, you still need to eat. Lord Shen, let's have a meal together first."
Qingchen put down her pen and shook her head. "You go ahead, Chen An. I've already told Wu Yong to bring my lunch over. I won't go."
"I see." He thought for a moment, then went inside and sat down. "Then I won't go. I'll have him bring some over for me to eat with you. I have something I want to tell you."
Qingchen heated a cup for him, poured him a cup of tea, and smiled, "Lord Chen, please give me your guidance."
"In just two days, you've become more and more adept at your official duties," Chen An joked, taking a sip of tea. "You're speaking more concisely and acting more efficiently. It seems Lord Shen was born to be an official."
Qingchen glanced at him helplessly, patted the pile of scrolls on the table, and said, "Don't keep me in suspense. I still have a lot to read. I haven't prepared anything, and I'm afraid I'll embarrass the Hanlin Academy when I go to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices tomorrow."
Chen An put down his teacup and tapped the table with his fingers. "That's why I came. I'm afraid you'll embarrass yourself, so I'll tell you about the situation at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices first."
Qingchen smiled slightly upon hearing this, picked up the teapot with her slender fingers, and hurriedly poured tea for him, saying, "That's wonderful, thank you, Lord Chen."
"You're welcome. If you have any mushrooms in your lunchbox later, give them all to me."
"...I'm afraid that's impossible. I promised Wu Yong that I would let him take them all."
Chen An pursed his lips. "Alright, let's get down to business. Where should we begin..."
He thought for a moment and said, "Let's start with the person closest to the Crown Prince. His surname is Wang, and his name is Wang Lishun. He is the chief clerk of the Registrar's Office. Five years ago, when the side hall of Cining Palace caught fire, he carried the Crown Prince out of the fire. Since then, the Crown Prince has been very close to him, and he has been promoted from a ninth-rank censor to a seventh-rank registrar. This person is very petty and always afraid that someone will replace his position in front of the Crown Prince. He will use some underhanded tricks. You are a newcomer and so excellent. When you go there, you must be careful of this person and try not to have any friction with him. Little devils are hard to deal with."
A clerk surnamed Wang? Qingchen felt a strange sense of familiarity upon hearing this.
"By the way, because of the fire five years ago, he burned his hand when he saved the crown prince. So he has a scar on his hand, which makes him easy to recognize."
Upon hearing this, Qingchen blinked.
"What's wrong? Have you seen him before?"
Not only had she seen him, but that person had also stepped on her foot in Gu Shaoheng's mansion, and Xu Silin had even forced her to apologize to him...
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