Today, exciting news broke in the homes of high-ranking officials in Kaifeng, those holding positions of the third rank and above. The eunuchs in the imperial palace personally conveyed the emperor's order, ordering a young member of their family to accompany their elders to the palace for the morning court session.
The news quickly spread among the families of these ministers, especially the younger generation, who were all extremely excited after hearing it.
For them, it is a great honor and privilege to be able to accompany their father to court, whether to accept the test of His Majesty or to assist in handling some affairs.
They knew that such an opportunity was rare, that they could demonstrate their talents and abilities directly before the emperor. If they could gain his favor on such an occasion, or even obtain a position, it would undoubtedly be a huge leap forward for their personal future, and they would gain countless benefits.
Moreover, there was already a precedent among young people of the same age: after a business trip to Shu State, Wen Hejun was granted the official title of fifth-rank cavalry general by His Majesty.
Although this position was not prominent in the vast imperial system, and even paled in comparison to their father's official position, it was much better than for young people like them who had not yet obtained an official position.
You have to know that they are still commoners and the chance of obtaining any official position is out of reach.
Therefore, the younger generations of the third-rank ministers were eager for such opportunities and were unwilling to give up easily. They knew that the only way to prove their strength was through fighting. Only by defeating their brothers in the family could they win the qualification to participate in the court meeting.
Everyone knows that His Majesty attaches great importance to holding court meetings. Unless there is a major event, His Majesty may not hold a court meeting for several months. Every time His Majesty holds a morning court meeting, he almost always announces some important decisions or news.
Therefore, when His Majesty asked them to attend such a crucial morning court session, they saw a golden opportunity to obtain official positions. Even if such an opportunity came from their parents or the most senior ancestor in the family, they might choose to disobey because it concerned their personal future and destiny.
Thus, within the residences of these third-rank ministers, a winner-takes-all competition quietly unfolded. In this fierce contest, each minister's family, witnessed by their elders, emerged one after another as exceptionally powerful individuals. These exceptional individuals would accompany their fathers or grandfathers to the Imperial Palace's Haotian Hall the following day to attend the morning court and meet His Majesty.
The next day, a group of young people with bruises on their faces followed their elders with a little nervousness and excitement, waiting to enter the palace.
When the time came, the palace guards let them in, and they finally stepped into the Haotian Hall of the palace. Their hearts were filled with infinite longing for the future, but also with anxiety and uneasiness about the unknown.
These young faces were entering this magnificent palace for the first time, their eyes full of longing, hoping to win a place for themselves in the court, secure an official position, and start their own official career, so that they could make a difference in the future and contribute to the country.
Chu Fan entered the Haotian Palace at nine o'clock on time. As for why nine o'clock, it was because when he was on Blue Star, he had always dreamed of having a stable job from nine to five. Therefore, he felt that it was completely reasonable for him to arrive at nine o'clock during the court session.
When Chu Fan stepped into the Haotian Palace and saw the bruised faces of the second-generation officials, he couldn't help but feel happy. It was obvious that these second-generation officials were forced to come here by their parents, and they definitely didn't want to attend the court meeting.
Chu Fan sat on the throne and accepted the greetings and homages from all the officials. He then announced, "I've summoned you here today for one thing: the development of the border requires the participation of young people like you. Children of officials of the third rank and above can set a good example for the people."
Since the establishment of the Royal Government Affairs Office, the routine of almost every morning court session has become very fixed: His Majesty would raise issues that needed to be addressed, and then we, the ministers, would be responsible for implementing and handling them. Therefore, on such occasions, it was rare for a minister to ask for something, which seemed redundant.
Upon hearing about the border crossing, all the second-generation officials who had arrived at Haotian Palace trembled with excitement. The border region was undoubtedly the best place to gain military merit. They secretly rejoiced, believing that their decision to come here was the right one. Otherwise, such an opportunity would have been snatched away by their brothers, leaving them with nothing but envy and regret.
Chu Fan noticed that the trembling officials seemed quite satisfied, so he continued, "General Mu Yunfeng has successfully recaptured the cities occupied by the Xiongnu. Now these cities are in urgent need of officials to govern them. I hope that you, the officials, will go to these cities and govern them well, ensuring that they will not be easily conquered by the Xiongnu as before."
Mu Yunfeng bravely recaptured the cities that were wantonly invaded by the Xiongnu, and in the process he successfully captured the general of the Qian Kingdom. This feat quickly became a legend in Kaifeng City.
The court ministers were surprised that His Majesty actually decided to let the second generation of officials in Kaifeng manage these newly recovered cities, which was very different from the usual practice.
When Chu Fan announced that he would send the sons of officials to serve in the newly recovered cities, Chu Anping of the Royal Government Affairs Office was very dissatisfied. Since the establishment of the Royal Government Affairs Office, many young people in the royal family have also been eager to obtain an official position to prove their ability and value.
Chu Anping knew that now was the time to give these young people a chance to showcase their talents, and he was determined to secure these valuable positions for them.
Chu Anping stood up and faced Chu Fan. He said respectfully, "Your Majesty, there are actually quite a few talented and capable young men among our royal family. They can also be sent to the border to serve the country and contribute their strength to our territory."
Chu Fan looked at Chu Anping standing up with a deep gaze, his heart filled with doubts. The borderland was a harsh environment with a freezing cold climate. He really didn't understand why Chu Anping was fighting for such an opportunity for the younger generation of the royal family. After all, wouldn't it be nice to just lie back and relax?
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