Do you know that my grandfather was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

Chapter 42 The Prince's Companion?

When Haining arrived, she learned the purpose of her trip from her father.

However, Wang You had to bring it up himself; he couldn't just say it directly.

So after saying what his father had told him, they chatted for a while and then he said goodbye and left.

Before leaving, he told Wang You that he could continue to borrow books from the Hai family after he finished reading them.

Wang You smiled and agreed, then watched Hai Wenqing leave before returning to his residence.

Back in his study, Wang You rubbed his temples, considering whether or not he should become an apprentice.

"Ha, how foolish I was. I can gain immediate benefits by becoming an apprentice, but the downsides will be long-term."

Wang You pondered for a long time, then gave a self-deprecating smile.

It's not that he only cares about immediate interests, but rather that his age is a factor. Even if he passed the imperial examination as a child prodigy and became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), it would be impossible for him to hold a powerful official position.

He would most likely be assigned to a sinecure in some government office, doing some work such as collating classics and correcting articles.

It is true that his writing was appreciated by the emperor, but with the death of the young prince, the court will soon be embroiled in a dispute over the succession.

Will the emperor still remember him then?

In other words, he will most likely have to wait until around the time Zhao Zongquan succeeds to the throne before he can take up a local post.

At that time, he was a nobody and his voice carried little weight. Even if Hai Wenqing displeased Zhao Zongquan by opposing the posthumous conferment of titles on his biological father, it wouldn't implicate him.

After all, Sheng Changbai married Hai Wenqing's daughter, and his future didn't seem to be affected at all.

In other words, the disadvantages of becoming Hai Wenqing's apprentice are future, and there's no guarantee they won't arise.

The benefits of becoming an apprentice are immediately apparent.

The choice is self-evident.

However, Wang You was not in a hurry. He wrote a letter back to Shouzhou to inquire about his father's opinion.

Although my father wouldn't refuse, it would be polite to inform him.

…………

"Ziqian!" Ma Ping bowed respectfully.

"How boring. I've said it so many times, we don't need these formalities between us."

Despite his words, Wang You returned the greeting and said with a smile, "Get in the car."

After the two got into the carriage, the driver drove towards the palace.

Xiaoman and Shitou followed on either side of the carriage.

"Thank you for your trouble, Ziqian," Ma Ping said somewhat embarrassed.

After receiving the notification from the Ministry of Rites, Wang You sent Xiaoman to inquire whether Ma Ping had received the notification.

Upon learning that he had also received it, she arranged to pick him up on the day he entered the palace.

Last time, when he went to the palace to participate in the prodigy examination, he was short on time because of the tight schedule and Ma Ping's residence in the outer city.

"I told you not to be polite."

Wang You laughed and said, "Maybe we'll become colleagues someday."

"Then let's take Ziqian's good wishes as a sign," Ma Ping said with a smile.

You could tell he was a little excited, after all, becoming an official was indeed a very easy way for someone from a lowly background to achieve upward social mobility.

Take the Sheng family for example. Their ancestors are difficult to trace back to, but the earliest they can be traced back is to the beginning of the founding of the nation.

At that time, the ancestor of the Sheng family was just a beggar who didn't even have a surname.

At that time, the Song Dynasty had just been established. Hearing from others that a golden age was about to arrive, he took Sheng as his surname.

The ancestor of the Sheng family was also a capable man. He was given land by the imperial court, but he sold the land and started doing business.

After becoming wealthy, he placed great importance on his son's education, hiring renowned teachers to instruct his children.

Until the previous generation, that is, Sheng Hong's father, who passed the imperial examination with flying colors and became a third-ranked scholar.

Although the family declined due to the early death of the patriarch, Sheng Hong passed the imperial examination and led the family to prosperity once again.

Don't underestimate Sheng Hong just because he's only a sixth-rank official; there are far more officials above the sixth rank than those below.

From this point of view alone, the Sheng family is stronger than most families in the world.

All of this was due to studying and taking the imperial examinations.

Although the prodigy exam cannot be compared with the imperial examination, as long as one can be granted an official position, even if it is a nominal one, it is still an official position.

The two chatted idly along the way, and the carriage stopped on a street not far from the imperial city.

Wang You and Ma Ping got out of the carriage and walked towards the imperial city. After the eunuchs verified their identities, they were led into the palace.

Compared to the last time I entered the palace to participate in the imperial examination, this time it was not as strict.

It's not that we've become lax, but rather that the number of people has decreased.

When all those who passed the palace examination arrived, Wang You roughly counted only a dozen or so people.

Once everyone had arrived, the eunuch had them line up in two rows and led them to the Jiying Hall.

They had expected the rewards to be announced outside the main hall, but instead, the eunuchs led them directly into the hall.

However, everyone quickly realized what was happening and their expressions became somewhat excited.

There was only one possibility for them to enter the palace: the Emperor wanted to see them.

In fact, the purpose of sending them to the palace to receive their titles was precisely to prevent this situation.

The same applies to the imperial examinations. While others could only have their names called out outside the Donghua Gate, the top three scholars (状元, 榜眼, and 探花) could enter the palace to receive their titles, simply because the emperor would sometimes decide to meet them.

However, these situations were rare, as the emperor was extremely busy with his daily affairs.

The imperial examinations were held only once every three years, and even if one became the top scholar, it was nothing special in the eyes of the officials.

The crowd was so excited that they made some noises, which were quite clear in the empty hall.

The eunuch leading the way shouted, "Silence!"

In later films and television dramas, eunuchs were often depicted with high-pitched voices and a weak, delicate appearance.

This isn't actually wrong, but it depends on the situation.

If a palace eunuch entered the palace at a young age and was castrated due to incomplete development, this situation could indeed occur.

However, if the castration is performed when the person is almost an adult or after reaching adulthood, they are actually not much different from normal people.

The eunuch in front of them looked like he had entered the palace after reaching adulthood; his deep voice startled everyone.

However, everyone came to their senses and quickly stood up straight.

After waiting for about an incense stick's time, light footsteps came from the back hall.

A short while later, the Emperor emerged from the rear hall and arrived at the imperial platform.

"bye!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be well!"

"No need for formalities!"

The Emperor did not sit down, but looked around at everyone and said, "The court officials have repeatedly petitioned me to abolish the prodigy examination, because those who receive rewards in the prodigy examination become complacent because of the rewards and eventually become just ordinary people."

I do not wish to do anything that would force things to grow too quickly, and I hope that you will not become arrogant or complacent just because you have received rewards.

After waiting for a few moments, everyone bowed and said, "This humble subject will humbly follow Your Majesty's teachings and will certainly not fail Your Majesty's expectations."

The Ministry of Rites had long instructed that when meeting the Emperor, one should wait a few breaths before responding.

If the emperor pauses, speaking back would be interrupting him, which is a grave offense of disrespect.

"Among you, there are a few whose talents I greatly admire."

"The prince is still young. In a few years, when he enters school, we will need to select companions for him. If you can overcome your arrogance and impetuosity and study hard, you may still have opportunities in the future," the Emperor said.

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy.

Becoming a prince's study companion is not only an honor to bring glory to one's ancestors, but also greatly benefits one's future.

A new emperor brings a new court, so why did many emperors trust their eunuchs so much?

It's simply because they had little contact with their ministers before ascending the throne.

Limited contact makes trust impossible. With no one trustworthy, one will entrust tasks to trusted eunuchs.

"Proclaim the imperial decree."

After the emperor finished speaking, he turned around and left the imperial platform.

"This humble subject respectfully sees Your Majesty off!" the crowd shouted in unison.