Three days later, the horseback parade through the streets commenced.

In the faint light of dawn, officials from the Ministry of Rites delivered the bright red official robes and golden flowers.

The red was so glaring it felt somewhat unreal.

Su Ming and Xu Qing, along with all the new jinshi, gathered before the palace gates.

The Top Scorer, the Second Place Scorer, and that handsome yet slightly somber-looking Third Place Scorer, Wei Zi'ang, stood at the very front of the procession. They wore black gauze caps and red robes, the golden flowers on their chests gleaming brilliantly in the morning light like stars in the sky, attracting countless envious gazes.

Su Ming's position was at the forefront of the Second Class group.

He could clearly see the backs of the three men ahead and could also feel the countless gazes of jealousy or curiosity from behind, pricking his back like needles.

Xu Qing stood not far behind him, excitedly adjusting his own robes, his cheeks flushed red with excitement.

"The auspicious hour has arrived! Begin—!"

With the ceremonial officer's loud cry, bells and drums sounded in unison, and grand music swelled.

Instantly, the solemn ceremonial music filled the sky.

The prepared horses, already adorned with red silk and colorful decorations, pawed the ground restlessly.

The Top Scorer took a deep breath and was the first to mount his horse, followed closely by the Second Place and Third Place Scorers, with the Second Class jinshi following in order.

The horses' hooves first trod upon the specially laid red felt carpet on the official road, then landed on the hard bluestone slabs of Chang'an Street, producing crisp, rhythmic clopping sounds.

These sounds were instantly drowned out by the roaring cheers and discussions from the crowds lining both sides of the street.

Both sides of the street were already packed with people; commoners had poured in from everywhere, vying for a glimpse of the new Son of Heaven's disciples.

"Look! That's the Top Scorer! So imposing and dignified!"

"The Third Place Scorer is so handsome!"

The crowd surged like boiling water, people jostling and squeezing, craning their necks. Children rode on their fathers' shoulders, young girls covered their mouths with their hands, their eyes following those red figures.

Scented pouches, handkerchiefs, even fresh flower petals rained down like colorful drops from the windows of taverns and the balconies of teahouses on both sides, landing on the jinshi's shoulders and before the horses, diffusing a rich, heavy fragrance.

Xu Qing finally loosened up a bit, clumsily yet sincerely imitating those ahead by cupping his hands in salute to the crowd, a pure and dazzling smile on his face.

At this moment, the loneliness of his ten years of diligent study, his family's poverty, all his efforts seemed to be compensated.

Su Ming sat upright on his horse, wearing a perfectly appropriate smile tinged with a bit of restraint and joy.

After the parade ended, the procession headed directly to the royal garden—Qionglin Garden.

The Qionglin Banquet, a feast bestowed by the Son of Heaven, was the supreme honor for the new jinshi.

The royal garden was filled with pavilions, towers, carved beams, painted rafters, and exotic flowers and rare plants vying in splendor. The very air was permeated with an aura of luxury and majesty.

The new jinshi were guided by ceremonial officers to their seats according to their rankings.

The top three of the First Class were arranged in the area closest to the imperial throne, sharing space with imperial relatives, nobles, and important ministers of the Grand Secretariat.

Su Ming's seat was in the front row of the Second Class area.

This position was delicate. He could clearly see the casual conversation and laughter of the great figures ahead and also see their appreciative glances toward the top three.

As for Xu Qing, he was placed in a more rearward area of the Second Class, separated by over a dozen tables, a distant view.

An invisible chasm had already formed.

"His Majesty arrives—!"

Following the palace eunuch's long, drawn-out announcement, everyone rose and knelt in obeisance.

The Great Xing Emperor, surrounded by a host of eunuchs and palace maids, slowly walked toward the imperial throne.

Su Ming, kneeling on the ground, caught a glimpse of a bright yellow dragon robe passing before his eyes from the corner of his vision.

"Long live Your Majesty! Long live, long live, long live!"

After the mountain-shaking cries of "long live," the Emperor took his seat, his voice majestic and even.

"All ministers may rise and be seated."

Everyone's gaze was fixed upon the imperial throne.

The Emperor's voice was majestic and resonant. After offering a few words of praise and encouragement, the ceremony of bestowing wine and rewards began.

The Top Scorer, the Second Place Scorer, and the Third Place Scorer, Wei Zi'ang, stepped forward and knelt before the Emperor.

The Emperor personally bestowed imperial wine upon the three of them. He specially granted the Top Scorer golden flowers, a black gauze cap, and court robes, and bestowed silver flowers and treasure notes upon the Second and Third Place Scorers.

Such extraordinary honor caused countless jinshi below to reveal looks of envy in their eyes.

Su Ming noticed that the Third Place Scorer, Wei Zi'ang, wore a faint, barely perceptible, restrained smile at the corner of his mouth the entire time he received the reward and gave thanks. His eyes were calm yet carried a trace of unconcealable arrogance, as if all this was only natural and expected.

The banquet began.

The sound of string and wind instruments rose, and palace maids, like butterflies flitting through flowers, served one exquisite, peerless dish after another in a flowing stream.

Jade plates bearing rare delicacies, fine wines of the finest quality—each was a top-tier enjoyment from the mortal world.

At Su Ming's table, including himself, sat four fellow graduates of the same year.

They exchanged names and hometowns; all were among the top ranks of the Second Class and were likely to serve as officials in the same yamen in the future.

The atmosphere was superficially harmonious but inwardly carried a hint of cautious probing and comparison.

The few were quite restrained, sampling the delicacies before them—unseen delicacies in their entire lives—with refined manners.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere gradually warmed, entering the segment where the new jinshi toasted the princes and important ministers.

Led by the Top Scorer, accompanied by the Second and Third Place Scorers, they began toasting the princes, important ministers, and fellow graduates present.

This was customary, and also the first opportunity for the new jinshi to make contact with the big shots of the court.

When the Top Scorer led the two to Grand Secretary Zhang, the elderly man with white hair and beard merely nodded faintly and casually took a sip of wine.

But when they reached Yongchang Marquis, that burly, resolute-looking middle-aged noble laughed heartily, personally stood up, and patted Third Place Scorer Wei Zi'ang on the shoulder.

"Excellent! Zi'ang, you haven't brought shame to your father! Tonight's wine is truly enjoyable!"

A trace of genuine respect finally appeared on Wei Zi'ang's restrained smile.

"Thank you for your praise, Marquis. Zi'ang is unworthy."

This scene caused countless people around them to change their expressions.

Soon, those three dazzling figures reached the Second Class area.

They toasted table by table, speaking standard, polite words.

Finally, it was Su Ming's table's turn.

The Top Scorer was a steady-looking man in his forties, whose words were flawless.

The Top Scorer raised his wine cup and said clearly to the few at the table, "Fellow graduates, today we have ascended the Dragon Gate together. I hope we will unite our efforts in the future to repay the Emperor's grace."

After speaking, he drank it all in one go.

Su Ming and his tablemates hurriedly stood up to return the toast.

When it was Wei Zi'ang's turn, his gaze lingered on Su Ming's face for a brief moment.

That look wasn't curiosity, nor scrutiny, but a kind of aloof, slightly probing indifference.

As if examining a piece of furniture that, for some reason, had been placed here and was slightly in the way.

He raised his wine cup, a formulaic, distant smile on his face, and addressed Su Ming, as well as the others at the table, with a standard polite phrase.

"Congratulations to you all. In the future, serving in the same court, I ask for your guidance."

After saying this, he followed the Top Scorer to the next table.

From beginning to end, he didn't spare Su Ming another glance.

In his eyes, Su Ming was perhaps just a name, a symbol, a poor student from a humble background who had gotten lucky.

"Good, very good." Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "Being ignored is our first protective talisman. The more arrogant this Third Place Scorer is, the safer we are."

Su Ming sat down, picked up his wine cup, and drank the slightly cool imperial wine in one gulp.

The wine was mellow, but carried a hint of spiciness as it went down his throat.

After the toasting segment by the top three ended, the banquet atmosphere became more lively.

"This Third Place Scorer Wei is indeed the grandnephew of Duke Wei. His bearing truly has the innate nobility of aristocracy," a fellow graduate named Qian Bin at the neighboring table remarked sourly.

Su Ming remembered him: eleventh place in the Second Class, just behind himself.

This person seemed to have some criticism toward Su Ming, this "dark horse," and had been subtly observing him since they sat down.

"Brother Su," Qian Bin suddenly turned his focus toward Su Ming, saying with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "you really hit the jackpot this time. I heard Chief Examiner Minister Wang particularly favors balanced and peaceful essays. Your policy discussion essay must have perfectly hit the mark."

These words sounded like praise but actually implied that Su Ming had achieved his high ranking by taking advantage of an opportunity and catering to the examiner's preferences.

The other two fellow graduates at the table immediately stopped their chopsticks and looked over with keen interest.

Lin Yu sneered in Su Ming's mind.

Here it comes, the classic sour grapes segment. Disciple, ignore him. Let him perform a solo act.

Su Ming, however, just smiled faintly.

"Brother Qian flatters me. This student's essay merely rehashed old ideas. I was merely fortunate enough to catch the eye of a few esteemed officials. I truly dare not call it 'luck.'"

His reply was modest and proper, leaving no room for fault.

Su Ming's identity as this "dark horse" had clearly piqued the interest of many mid-to-low-ranking officials.

Officials wearing sixth or seventh-rank official robes continuously approached, holding wine cups.

"This gentleman must be Su Ming, the fellow graduate from Qingshi County! I've long heard of you!"

"Fellow Graduate Su, so young yet already placed in the top ten of the Second Class! Truly a talented youth! May I ask which great Confucian scholar you studied under?"

"Fellow Graduate Su, the Southern Metropolitan Region produces outstanding people. My hometown is also in the Southern Metropolitan Region. Come, come, let's have a drink!"

Su Ming immediately slipped into the role of the "lucky one."

He stood up, acting flattered and wearing a somewhat simple, awkward expression, returning the courtesies one by one.

"I dare not accept such praise, I dare not. This student was merely fortunate."

"My teacher is a rural tutor. His name is not worth mentioning and is not worthy of note."

"So we are fellow townsmen! My apologies for not recognizing you sooner. This student toasts you, sir."

His replies were watertight yet utterly mediocre.

His speech was steady, his demeanor measured, but in his words, one couldn't hear any astonishing insights or see any sharp edge.

After several rounds, the eyes of those officials who had initially held strong interest in him gradually changed.

From initial curiosity to a hint of disappointment.

"This young man seems... a bit too steady."

"Steady? I think he's dull. Asked about his views on policy discussions, he couldn't articulate anything substantial, only saying 'all relying on the Sage's teachings.' Such a person achieving a high rank truly got lucky."

"Hmm, lacks sharpness. Probably won't achieve great things. A pity, a pity."

These whispered discussions reached Su Ming's ears word for word.

His heart was as still as an ancient well, even stirring with a trace of the desired indifference.

In the innermost circle of seats at the banquet, the few true giants—including Yongchang Marquis—from beginning to end, never cast a single glance of attention toward Su Ming's direction.

Their lively conversation and laughter, their exchange of interests, had nothing to do with this poor student from a humble background who had suddenly leaped to a high position.

In their eyes, a Second Class tenth-place graduate with no roots or foundation, whether "lucky" or not, had not yet entered the chessboard they needed to bother paying attention to.

His heart was completely calm.

This was precisely the effect he desired.

......

The clamor and superficial glamour of the Qionglin Banquet rapidly receded from the capital's life like a retreating tide.

What remained was the anxious waiting of the new jinshi and the undercurrents of power allocation.

These past few days, the atmosphere at the Penglai Inn became particularly delicate.

Xu Qing was visibly growing restless. He went out early and returned late every day, rushing about among various fellow graduates, trying to pick up any rumors regarding the Ministry of Personnel's official appointments.

"Brother Su, have you heard? The Ministry of Personnel has already started drafting the list!" As soon as he returned to the inn, he rushed into Su Ming's room, lowered his voice, his expression both excited and nervous.

"The Ministry of Revenue has an opening this year! I heard it's a lucrative post!"

"The Ministry of Justice is too perilous, better not go there."

"The Ministry of Works has plenty of lucrative opportunities, but no future..."

He analyzed the news he had gathered one by one, as if solving the most complex arithmetic problem, his face filled with longing and unease for the future.

Su Ming just quietly poured him a cup of hot tea and listened.

"Master, is the Hanlin Academy... really that perilous?" Late at night, in the stillness, Su Ming asked in his heart.

"Dangerous? Disciple, that word is too gentle." Lin Yu's voice sounded in his mind, carrying a hint of serious schadenfreude. "That place shouldn't be called the Hanlin Academy; it should be called the 'Reserve Grand Secretariat' or the 'Prime Minister Preparatory Class.' Do you think a class full of future imperial confidants and Grand Secretariat Grand Secretaries could be a benign place?"

Lin Yu's soul body phantom paced within the ring space.

"Every single person inside likely stands with a powerful family, a giant of the court behind them. Inside, you're not competing with fellow graduates in scholarship; you're fighting against the accumulation of several generations and a complex web of connections. What do you, a poor kid from the countryside, have to fight with?"

Su Ming was silent.

"So, our best destination is being an assistant instructor at the Imperial College, or managing rituals at the Ministry of Rites. At worst, going to the Imperial Observatory to watch the stars is fine too. In short, the less attention, the more leisurely, the better!" Lin Yu concluded decisively.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, a carriage bearing the insignia of the Ministry of Personnel stopped at the entrance of the Penglai Inn.

The entire inn instantly fell silent.

All the scholars staying at the inn craned their necks, their gazes burning as they stared at that carriage.

A stern-faced Ministry of Personnel official in seventh-rank official robes, holding two scrolls of yellow-shafted documents, walked directly up to the second floor under a host of envious and jealous gazes.

He first knocked on Xu Qing's door.

"By order of the Ministry of Personnel, announcing to new jinshi Xu Qing: appointed as an observation jinshi of the Ministry of Revenue. Report to the yamen immediately for registration, commence duty in three days."

Xu Qing stood dumbfounded at the doorway, as if struck by a bolt from the blue.

He froze for a full three breaths. Then, immense ecstasy overwhelmed him. He was at a loss, bowed deeply to the Ministry of Personnel official, his voice trembling violently with excitement.

"This student... receives the order! Thank... thank the court for its heavenly grace!"

The official just nodded faintly, his expression unchanged, then turned and walked toward Su Ming's room next door.

This slightly cooled Xu Qing's joy. He watched Su Ming's door nervously, his palms sweaty.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Su Ming opened the door. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

The Ministry of Personnel official examined him with a scrutinizing look—this "lucky one" who had been discussed by many after the Qionglin Banquet.

He cleared his throat and, in a tone clearer and more formulaic than before, announced loudly:

"By order of the Ministry of Personnel, announcing to new Second Class tenth-place jinshi Su Ming: appointed as Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, rank 7b. Proceed immediately to the Hanlin Academy to receive official robes and tally. Commence duty in three days."

As his words fell.

The entire hallway fell into dead silence.

Hanlin Academy!

Compiler!

This was the prestigious position all literati dreamed of, the golden staircase leading to the center of power!

"Brother... Brother Su..." Xu Qing's lips trembled, too excited to utter a complete sentence. "Hanlin Academy... you entered the Hanlin Academy!"

Su Ming's mind buzzed.

It's over.

Lin Yu's wail almost burst out of the ring: "Damn it! What we feared has come! Those old foxes are really pushing us into the fire! This official robe is made of iron, and it's electrified! Whoever wants to wear it can wear it!"

Yet, Su Ming's face had to conjure up the perfect blend of pleasant surprise and trepidation.

He bowed deeply to the Ministry of Personnel official, imitating Xu Qing's manner, his voice carrying a slight tremor of a young man achieving success. "This student... receives the order. Thank you for the heavenly grace, thank you, sir."

The official, observing his reaction, a flicker of imperceptible amusement flashed in his eyes.

He handed the document to Su Ming and added in a flat tone, "The Hanlin Academy is a prestigious and noble place, and also the place with the strictest rules. Compiler Su is young. You should watch more, listen more, speak less, make fewer mistakes. In the past, Lord Zhou Wenhai also started as a compiler."

He deliberately mentioned Zhou Wenhai.

This sentence was like a needle, gently pricking Su Ming's heart.

It was a reminder, and also a warning.

"Yes, this student will remember your instruction." Su Ming bowed again.