The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 248 - 127: Changing the Door Frame, Reactions from All Parties (Please Subscribe)

Chapter 248: Chapter 127: Changing the Door Frame, Reactions from All Parties (Please Subscribe)

Holding a banquet with a continuous flow of dishes to receive guests was just the beginning for Xu Qing as the Top Scorer. Even though he was impatient with these mundane affairs, he had to engage in various social gatherings and literary meetings in recent days, and had to compose more poetry for mutual recitation.

The only thing he was somewhat relieved about was that he didn’t have to participate in the Deer Cry Banquet after the provincial examination.

Because Shen Mo, the chief examiner, actually gave up the opportunity to gather students broadly and returned to the Capital to report back right after the announcement of the examination results.

It is known that every provincial examination is an opportunity for the Court’s prospective heavyweights to knit their factions.

Therefore, any provincial examination chief examiner places great importance on the Deer Cry Banquet after the announcements, making closer acquaintances with the new Scholars.

A Scholar of the land, even if they don’t pass the Scholar examination later, can still mix into the local officialdom.

With money and the right connections, many remote areas’ County Magistrates or County Governors are within the direct influence of a Scholar.

And the ceiling for a Scholar isn’t really that low; if given the chance, becoming a governor is also a possibility. Of course, such cases are extremely rare and unusual.

The reality is, in today’s Great Yu Dynasty, to smoothly advance in officialdom and sit in a significant position, one must be at least a Second Rank Scholar.

Like Mr. Wu, who is a Third Class Scholar, becoming an Imperial Censor and Zhili Magistrate in the early-mid stage of his official career is a rarity seen once in decades.

Because of this, Mr. Wu is now quite famous in officialdom. Everyone knows he has a background, and that he has... incredibly good luck.

Originally, the role of the Imperial Censor in South Zhili was a hot seat, and Mr. Wu managed to accomplish the tasks desired by the big shots above.

Open revenue checkpoints, crack down on the Salt Gang, eliminate bandits...

He handled each matter impeccably.

Pragmatic officials are always scarce in the country, and with the Court undergoing Reform, the Grand Secretary urgently needed capable and diligent officials as his followers. Therefore, not only did Mr. Wu catch the eye of Vice Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel, his native region, but he also was mentioned multiple times by the Grand Secretary in Yanyue Hall, considered someone the Grand Secretary keeps in mind.

Of course, setting aside others’ envy, objectively speaking, it can’t be said that all of Mr. Wu’s accomplishments are simply due to having a good student.

The ability to recognize and make use of talents is precisely the skill an official should possess.

So when the Grand Secretary assesses Mr. Wu as a capable and diligent official, it is indeed accurate.

Regarding Vice Minister Zhang Yan of the Ministry of Personnel, he actually had a past connection with Mr. Wu. Back in the days when they went to the Capital to take the examination together, Zhang Yan was framed, unable to pay his bill at a pleasure quarter, and it was Mr. Wu who covered the cost in the end.

As a result, Zhang Yan passed the Imperial Examination that time, while Mr. Wu did not.

From then on, Zhang Yan became a Capital Official, and Mr. Wu went back to prepare for the exams again.

Since Capital Officials have always been short of money, Zhang Yan has never repaid the debt. Later, when Mr. Wu passed as a Third Class Scholar, Zhang Yan gradually worked his way up to Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

So Mr. Wu’s rapid appointment as an official, as a Third Class Scholar, also had this relationship to thank.

Of course, it also cost a good amount of money.

But now, that’s just the way things are in the Great Yu Dynasty.

A government position in a flourishing place like South Zhili.

If you gave money, they would at most show you a way, but didn’t guarantee that the matter could be accomplished.

Thus, even for Mr. Wu to assume his post in Qingshui County, where the prefectural government is located, as a Third Class Scholar, was a remarkable feat.

And with the record of being the Zhili city County Magistrate, his further promotions would indeed be somewhat more convenient.

This was probably also Vice Minister Zhang’s way of compensating for all those years of unpaid debt.

However, Vice Minister Zhang himself didn’t expect his old friend to be so lucky.

Now, Mr. Wu stays in much closer correspondence with Zhang Yan than in previous years, their relationship has returned to the "brothers" level of the past. Except now, Zhang Yan is the "elder brother", even though he is younger than Mr. Wu in actual age.

Even with this, Mr. Wu couldn’t be happier.

After Mr. Wu took up his post in Jinyang Prefecture, he kept in regular correspondence with Xu Qing, revealing his relationship with Zhang Yan and some matters to Xu Qing in a casual and nuanced manner.

In fact, it was also Vice Minister Zhang who was quite optimistic about Xu Qing’s future, hinting that Wu wanted to lay a foundation with Xu Qing in advance.

As long as Xu Qing reached the Capital in the future, if he wished to pay his respects, he could certainly enter the door of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel through Mr. Wu’s connection.

After all, the Minister of Personnel is known in worldly society as the "Great Minister", very powerful. The more assertive ones could even challenge the Grand Secretary. And the Assistant Minister is referred to as the "Lesser Minister", with an official status that is self-evident.

Many Second Rank Scholars couldn’t wait to be tidying Zhang Yan’s courtyard daily.

In Xu Qing’s heart, he was inclined to go through Vice Minister Zhang’s connections.

How should it be put? Although his father-in-law, Academician Zhou, and Magistrate He had extensive connections and backgrounds, when it comes down to it, Master Wu was the true confidant among his own people.

Another point was very important.

Those senior predecessors all had strong opinions of their own.

Only Wu was truly compliant to Xu Qing.

He was more of a ’yes-man.’

In this world, to have such a ’Mr. Ming’ as Wu, how could one not treasure him?

In his opinion, Mr. Wu had only one flaw: the nickname "Young Phoenix" and the courtesy name "Gongming."

They were not very auspicious.

But now...

He knew, as a dashing young man who had become the Top Scorer, he was called "Top Scorer Young Master", unlike the old bag who, when he passed, could only be called "Top Scorer Sir."

The problem was, what the heck was "Jiangzuo Mr. Xu"?

Unwittingly, Xu Qing had picked up another nickname that suggested "untimely death" or "short life."

Now he was worried that if he passed the Scholar examinations later, and by chance ended up with a less fortunate title like "Third Place", it might also not sound very auspicious.

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