"stop."
Just as Huang Yu reached the door, Lu Shenyun thought for a moment and then called him back.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't go," he said calmly. "Let's talk about it in a couple of days."
She just got promoted today, so let's not let something unpleasant spoil her mood.
The next day, Qingchen was on duty early in the morning when she saw a carriage parked outside. She asked and learned that Lin Xiaojin had sent the carriage to pick her up.
The coachman said, "Master said that you, Lord Shen, are now a fourth-rank official, and it is inappropriate for you to continue walking. After all, you and Master are relatives, and if others see this, they will speak ill of Master."
Qingchen then realized that her official rank was higher than Lin Xiaojin's. She originally didn't want to accept Lin Xiaojin's offer, but after thinking about it, she agreed anyway.
In this world, some people pursue profit, while others pursue fame. Regardless of their motivation, anyone who does so at the expense of others' reputation or interests inevitably appears somewhat selfish. If she were to refuse Lin Xiaojin's offer and preserve her own reputation, it would put Lin Xiaojin in a difficult position.
After thinking for a moment, Qingchen said as he got into the carriage, "How about this, I'll walk from now on. You can come over if the weather is bad, like rain or snow."
The driver quickly replied, "Yes, yes."
The carriage quickly arrived at the Daming Gate. Shen Qingchen was a fourth-rank official, and by all accounts, she should have gone directly to the Chengtian Gate to attend the morning court session at this time.
However, Zhu Rui had always been negligent in his duties. Since ascending the throne, he rarely attended court, only occasionally sending members of the cabinet to the Qianqing Palace for discussions. Therefore, the officials' morning court sessions were skipped. Qingchen returned to the Hanlin Academy first.
The Hanlin Academy was located next to the Six Ministries, and at this time, as everyone was taking their shifts, there were many officials coming and going.
It was still early, and most of the people on duty were middle and lower-ranking officials wearing blue robes. Qingchen, in his scarlet robe, stood out in the crowd.
Along the way, the officials took the initiative to greet her first, calling her "Lord Shen" repeatedly.
Qingchen carried the books and greeted them along the way. She was a little unaccustomed to this change in status and just kept her head down as she walked toward the Hanlin Academy.
The weather is nice today. The morning sunlight is soft, and the morning breeze carries the fragrance of plum blossoms.
Qingchen had no idea that most of the officials she passed by were thinking of her.
A gentle and refined man, so slender in stature, yet possessing extraordinary intelligence. In his early twenties, he not only graduated early from the Hanlin Academy but also solved two major problems for the court, becoming a favorite of the emperor and the future emperor. So learned and talented, yet so diligent and hardworking, it's no wonder he rose to the rank of Junior Chamberlain, a fourth-rank official, despite having no background. Truly enviable, yet without any right to be jealous.
She now holds five positions; could it be that she will be assigned to all six departments in the future?
In fact, rumors about Qingchen had been circulating for over a month since her initial promotion. Now, with her promotion to the fourth-rank position of Junior Chamberlain, the rumors have only intensified. Younger officials, especially those of similar age and experience, are particularly keen to analyze her intelligence and performance, even projecting themselves into her shoes and experiencing the exhilarating feeling of winning through intelligence and achieving rapid advancement.
Before Qingchen entered the Hanlin Academy, two men approached her and greeted her. Qingchen returned the greeting and went straight into the academy, while the two men began to discuss among themselves as they walked. One of them had just returned to the capital and was now filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"So that was Lord Shen Qingchen? Unbelievable, he's so young and has such a handsome appearance."
"Keep your voice down," the other person said. "What, you just got back from Hubei, and you already know her?"
"How could I not know? I heard about this sir a month ago. This morning I ran into someone from the Ministry of Personnel at the gate, who said he'd been promoted again." The man said excitedly, "We all knew about his horse racing strategy a few days ago, and we were all full of admiration. He actually came up with such a brilliant strategy of riding blind, turning a desperate situation into a victory against that foreign land. Just hearing about it is exhilarating!"
"You probably don't know, but I heard that when he took office at the Ministry of Revenue, he even stumped the people there with the account books. There were two account books, both so thick, and he was supposed to distinguish the correct ones on the spot. Guess what? He only asked one question, and he immediately figured it out."
"Really? I've never heard of this before. I only heard that when he first arrived at the Eastern Palace, His Highness the Crown Prince ordered him to kneel as soon as he opened his mouth. Who knew that he could make His Highness retract his order with just a poem and a handful of snow?" The man clicked his tongue twice. "I didn't even know there was such a thing as account books... Tell me, how can he be so quick-witted?"
"Not only is he quick-witted, but he is also diligent. I heard from people in the Hanlin Academy that he was the most diligent when he was a junior compiler, and now that he has been promoted, he is still the last to leave."
"I heard that he doesn't like anything except politics? He doesn't do cockfighting or horse racing, nor does he drink or compose poems, and he never goes to places of romance and pleasure?"
"good."
"In that case... his life must have been rather dull. It's true that you can't have everything."
...
After returning to the Hanlin Academy and resting for a while, Qingchen arranged some official business and then went to the Ministry of Rites to report for duty.
The clerk who received her said, "When the news of the lord's promotion came yesterday, the Minister and the Vice Minister happened to be together. Lord Song said that you are his student and that you should go directly to see him today."
Qingchen nodded and followed him to Song Yue's official residence.
He was alone in the room, standing in front of the bookshelf looking at a book, his back to the door, his figure appearing tall and upright.
"Your humble servant Shen Qingchen greets Your Excellency the Minister."
Song Yue turned around, still radiant and handsome, with an unparalleled jade-like face. "You've come." A faint smile played on his lips.
"My lord, I am the newly appointed Director of the Bureau of Guest Affairs, and I have come to report for duty..."
The person before her was dressed in a scarlet robe, with delicate features. Compared to when she wore a blue robe, she had lost some of her youthful naiveté and gained more elegance, still as gentle and dignified as ever.
Song Yue nodded. "I know. Have a seat."
After she sat down, he looked at her and asked, "I haven't seen Lord Shen for several days."
Qingchen blinked slightly, "The affairs of the Eastern Palace and the Hanlin Academy are complicated, it is my fault for not coming to request an audience with Lord Song..."
A lot has happened these past few days: she got a promotion, her second uncle was tortured, and there was Xu Silin, Xu Yan's blood-stained pattern at the door... Only the feeling of being with him is still the same as before, calm and composed, like a gentle breeze, as if the fleeting time in the midst of famine and chaos has slowed down.
"Lord Shen, please allow me to say something unrelated to official business."
The moment she looked at him, Song Yue said, "I missed you."
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