Chapter 90: Director of the Department of Appointments, Marriage Proposal

The day of the Palace Examination finally arrived.

Early that morning, the atmosphere around the Imperial Capital became unusually solemn.

Unlike the Provincial Examination or the Imperial Examination, the Palace Examination did not require hundreds or thousands of candidates to gather in an examination hall.

There were only a hundred scholars who had already passed through the countless selections of the Great Qian Dynasty and emerged from among the best literary talents of their generation.

Among them were scholars from wealthy clans and humble families, those who had studied for decades and those who had only recently begun to show their brilliance, yet on this day, all of them would enter the Forbidden City.

The Emperor of Great Qian Dynasty would personally determine their final ranking.

Lu Shishui dressed carefully that morning.

His expression was solemn, and there was no excitement visible on his face, nor was there any nervousness.

After spending so many years preparing for this day, he had already experienced many failures and setbacks.

He had failed twice at the Provincial Examination, lost his wife, and spent years studying while carrying the weight of his failures.

Compared to all of those things, the Palace Examination was no longer something that could easily shake his heart.

Lu Yang stood beside Lu Hai and Aunt Lin in a teahouse outside the Forbidden City as they watched him prepare.

His father looked different today, not in the sense that his clothes were different, but the person wearing them had changed.

A decade ago, Lu Shishui was a young scholar who believed that passing an examination would change everything.

Now, he was a thirty year old Juren who had already endured enough hardship to understand that passing an examination was merely the beginning.

Lu Shishui exchanged a few words with Lu Yang and Lu Hai before he turned around to leave.

The three of them watched his figure gradually disappear into the distance.

The Forbidden City was not a place ordinary people could casually enter. Even scholars participating in the Palace Examination needed special permission.

Thus, Lu Yang and the others could only wait a few miles outside.

...

The Palace Examination lasted for an entire day, from morning until sunset.

Lu Yang waited patiently.

He had already lived for more than two hundred years across three lives, waiting for a single day was nothing.

Besides, there was something interesting about observing the people around him.

The Imperial Capital gathered countless people, and many of them were waiting outside just like them right now.

Officials, scholars, merchants, cultivators, members of noble families and aristocratic clans, everyone was waiting for the hundred scholars to emerge, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Some families had already prepared carriages, and some had sent servants to wait nearby.

There were even people discussing which scholar was most likely to become the top scholar.

Lu Yang listened silently, finding it quite amusing.

A single examination could change the fate of a person, but the examination itself was only one part of a larger process. What came afterward was far more important.

The final ranking, assigned position, people one met, people one offended, various connections, all of these things could determine how far a person could walk.

This was especially true in the Imperial Capital.

As the sun gradually descended towards the horizon, the gates finally opened.

A group of scholars slowly emerged from them.

There were a hundred of them, all wearing similar scholar robes, yet the three people walking at the front immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

They were two men and one woman.

Their appearances were dignified, their expressions composed, and their steps steady.

Even among the hundred scholars, they possessed an unmistakable presence.

They were presumably the top three scholars of the Palace Examination.

Lu Yang glanced at them and didn’t pay much attention. His gaze quickly moved further back.

Soon, he found Lu Shishui.

His father was walking around the middle of the crowd.

His expression was calm, with no obvious disappointment nor excessive excitement visible on his face.

It seemed that the final ranking wasn’t particularly high, but it wasn’t particularly low either.

Lu Hai also noticed him, "Yang’er, do you see your father? He’s there."

Lu Yang nodded, "I see him."

The three waited until Lu Shishui approached. Only then did they began walking home together.

Along the way, Lu Shishui remained silent from a while.

It wasn’t until they had walked some distance away from the Forbidden City that Lu Hai finally asked.

"How was it?"

Lu Shishui smiled, "Not bad."

"What rank?" Lu Hai asked again.

"Not particularly high, but it isn’t low either." Replied Lu Shishui.

Lu Hai nodded.

"That’s enough."

He wasn’t disappointed.

The Palace Examination was not the end. For most people, it was merely the beginning of their official career.

The final ranking determined prestige, but one’s future would ultimately depend on what one did afterwards.

Lu Shishui had passed the Imperial Examination on his first attempt and had already proven his ability.

As long as he didn’t make any serious mistakes, there would naturally be opportunities in the future.

"After the Grand Parade, you will probably have to wait for your official appointment," Lu Hai said.

Lu Shishui nodded, "Yes, I might have to wait for several months."

That was how the process normally worked.

The scholars would participate in the Grand Parade, and then the Imperial Court would gradually assign them their positions.

A newly appointed Jinshi not among the top three could become a County Magistrate, enter a department of the Imperial Court, or receive another position depending on their ranking, ability, and the needs of the dynasty.

Lu Shishui had already mentally prepared himself, only needing to wait.

Yet, neither Lu Hai nor Lu Shishui could have expected what would happen the very next day.

...

Early the next morning, a carriage stopped outside the Lu residence.

The carriage wasn’t particularly extravagant, but the insignia on it immediately caused Aunt Lin, who had arrived at the entrance to see who it was, to become nervous.

It belonged to the Ministry of Personnel.

Or, to be more accurate, the visitor was an envoy sent by the Director of the Department of Appointments.

When the message reached Lu Shishui, he was stunned.

For a moment, he even wondered if he had heard incorrectly.

"The Director of the Department of Appointments?"

"Yes, Young Master."

Aunt Lin respectfully replied.

"He said he has some matters he wishes to discuss with you."

Lu Shishui was dumbfounded.

Over the past month, countless people had visited him, but none of them possessed a position comparable to the Director of the Department of Appointments.

The four Directors of the various departments within the Ministry of Personnel were all Spirit Awakening Realm cultivators.

Their cultivation wasn’t the most frightening part, their authority was.

The Ministry of Personnel controlled appointments and transfers throughout Great Qian.

A single decision from one of its Directors could completely alter the future of an official.

Someone who offended such a person might suddenly find themselves transferred to a remote and barren county, remaining trapped there for decades or even until the end of their lifespan.

Even if they possessed ability, there might never again be an opportunity to return to the Imperial Capital.

Even worse, they might get transferred to Tiannan Province, where even living was hard for people tied to the Imperial Court, and Imperial authority was basically non-existent.

And among the various departments of the Ministry of Personnel, the Department of Appointments was especially important, as it was directly involved in determining where officials would be sent.

Lu Shishui did not dare to neglect such a person.

"Invite him in."

Not long afterward, the envoy entered.

The two exchanged greetings as they sat down.

The conversation lasted for nearly an hour.

No one outside knew what they discussed, but when the envoy finally left, there was a faint smile on his face.

Lu Shishui personally escorted him to the entrance.

Only after watching the carriage disappear did he return inside.

Lu Hai happened to arrive home from work shortly afterwards.

He immediately noticed the unusual expression on his son’s face.

"What happened?"

Lu Shishui looked at his father and explained.

"The Director of the Department of Appointments has invited me to his mansion tomorrow."

Lu Hai raised an eyebrow.

"Invited you? What did he say?"

Lu Shishui answered with a strange expression.

"Only that he wishes to discuss some important matters."

Lu Hai thought for a moment before smiling as he waved his hand.

"Then go, this may be a rare opportunity for you."

Lu Shishui nodded, "I intended to."

Lu Hai’s expression became somewhat serious.

"You are about to receive an official position. Establishing a connection with the Director of the Department of Appointments is naturally beneficial. Even if he doesn’t directly help you, having someone like that recognize you can make your future path considerably easier."

Lu Shishui wasn’t a fool and naturally knew how important this opportunity was.

"I’ll go tomorrow."

The conversation was overheard by Lu Yang, though he pretended not to hear anything.

He sat in his father’s study, quietly reading a book, his expression not changing in the slightest.

In reality, his sharp senses had already caught every word.

He was somewhat curious, why would someone at the level of the Director of the Department of Appointments suddenly invite his father?

Was it merely because Lu Shishui had passed the Imperial Examination?

Lu Yang didn’t think so.

Still, it had nothing to do with him.

As long as it didn’t involve his own cultivation or threaten his family, there was no reason for him to interfere.

To Lu Yang, these matters were merely interesting news, something to pass the time.

...

The following day passed quickly.

Lu Shishui left the Lu residence around noon and returned only after sunset.

The moment Lu Hai saw him, his expression changed slightly.

Although Lu Shishui’s face wasn’t ugly, it was very complicated.

In his eyes, there was confusion, surprise, and even trace of helplessness.

"What happened?"

Lu Hai immediately asked.

Lu Shishui didn’t answer at once.

He walked inside and sat down, drinking the steaming tea placed on the table directly from the teapot.

Lu Hai followed behind, sitting down opposite him.

After a moment, Lu Shishui finally let out a long sigh.

"The Director of the Department of Appointments... he wants me to marry his youngest daughter."