During the previous dynasty, the bureaus of the six ministries were built on either side of the Imperial Palace’s gate to facilitate their work. But nobody could have guessed that a ferocious prince would suddenly coerce that Emperor to abdicate and wipe out all of the six bureaus. The Emperor was taught a bitter lesson by this incident and scattered up the bureaus.

At present, the official bureau of the Ministry of Rites was built on the other side of the south wall of the Palace, and their immediate neighbor was the Imperial Hanlin Academy, which was even poorer than them.

The most well-built bureau was that of the Ministry of Revenue. Just the guardian lions placed at the entrance were more impressive than any other. Even so, every time at the court, the Minister of the Revenue would bewail of its poverty; truly shameless.

It was getting colder and colder, so the officials of the Ministry of Rites sat surrounding the brazier, their hands trembling as they handled the official matters.

“It’s so foggy and cold. His Highness Chen Wang shouldn’t be coming today.”

“I don’t think anyone from Chen Wang’s residence came to inform of his absence.”

The hand warmer that his daughter specially gave him before leaving the house this morning was placed on Ming JingZhou’s legs. Hearing the conversation between his coworkers, his hand shook while writing a note at the base of the page.

“Lord Ming, do you know anything?”

Ming JingZhou looked up and glanced at the speaker before saying with a smile: “Lord Wang must be jesting. Lord Minister is still unaware so as his subordinate, Ming-mou1 is naturally even more unaware.”

The person who asked the question laughed inexplicably. Who didn’t know how and why Ming JingZhou got his noble title?

According to the old practice, only the father of the Empress was eligible to be conferred an additional title just because he was the in-law of the Emperor. Chen Wang was not even the Crown Prince, so the Emperor bestowing a title upon his future father-in-law was almost displaying his partiality out in the open.

“The lords are here quite early.” Chen Wang walked into the room, took off his cloak, and handed it to his chief attendant: “Ben Wang seems to have heard the lords bringing him up. What is it?”

“Greetings, Your Highness.” All the officials in the ministry stood up simultaneously to bend and bow toward Chen Wang.

“The lords need not be so polite.” Chen Wang walked up to Ming JingZhou and lifted his arm: “Ben Wang still has some things that he doesn’t know… Please teach me, Lord.”

“Your Highness is being too polite.” Ming JingZhou looked at the gorgeously dressed Chen Wang, turned around and picked up the already-marked document from the table: “If Your Highness has nothing to do at the moment, you can take these and learn everything by heart. Weichen believes that with Your Highness’ intelligence and wisdom, you will be able to memorize the content in no time.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Lord Ming.” Chen Wang took the document and turned to walk towards the study specially prepared for him by the Ministry of Rites.

“Lord Ming, what did you ask His Highness Chen Wang to memorize?” After Chen Wang left, an official who was familiar with him asked loudly.

“Imperial examination questions of ten years, the list of the top scorers, the list of the countries which sent envoys over almost twenty years and the valuable gifts they sent.” Ming JingZhou said with a smile: “The affairs of the Ministry of Rites are tedious and complicated. His Highness should start from the most basic stage in order to understand everything well. Although things in the world are constantly changing, the layout remains the same. As long as one’s knowledge is clear in the beginning, everything will become much simpler in the future.”

Other officials: “……”

Was Ming JingZhou really Chen Wang’s future father-in-law and not his arch-enemy?

The Imperial Court had publicly announced the previous year’s questions and the list of top scorers. Apart from wasting time, what was the use of memorizing those?

No wonder he had been going through those documents that had been accumulating dust over so many years since early morning. He was actually waiting for Chen Wang.

Worthy of being a member of the Ming family that would prefer to be exiled to borderland than be willing to surrender.

Later when Chen Wang returned to his residence from the Ministry of Rites, he glanced at the document and the painting tube on the table. He leaned lazily on the soft couch and said to the eunuch standing nearby, “Fu Gui, take out the painting.”

Fu Gui carefully opened the lid of the tube, took out the painting and untied the string on the scroll before unrolling it.

Just a glance was enough to make Chen Wang stare at it with wide eyes. He unconsciously straightened his body, and beckoned to Fu Gui: “Bring it closer.”

“Your Highness, is there something wrong with this painting?” Fu Gui stretched his head, trying to find out what was painted on it.

“Close your eyes.” Chen Wang stood up and took the painting into his hands: “Go out first. Ben Wang wants to appreciate the painting alone.”

Fu Gui closed his eyes: “Your Highness, this one will go and steep some hot tea for you.”

“Go.” Putting the painting on the table, Chen Wang frowned.

This painting… what was painted in this?

Where was the koi ah?

Where was the lotus ah?

He picked up the scroll. After looking upside, reverse and sideways, he could barely recognize a lump of ink in the middle, which was very possibly a chubby carp.

Recalling the little guniang’s bright red nose tip and glistening eyes, Chen Wang sighed and put away the painting: “Servants, get me the painting box.”

When a servant brought the painting box, he put the painting into the box and locked it.

“Ming guniang… has unsurpassed painting skills. Ben Wang is extremely fond of it.” Chen Wang put away the keys: “The other people in the mansion are not allowed to touch this without permission.”

“Yes.” The attendants looked at the small wooden box with reverence, wondering how breathtaking the future Wangfei’s painting skills were, to be regarded so highly by His Highness.

After putting away the scroll, Chen Wang recalled the document he had forgotten for a long time. Leaning back on the soft couch again, he opened it.

Topics of ten years of Imperial examinations and a list of the top scorers?

Chen Wang casually flipped through two pages, hardly surprised by Ming JingZhou’s perfunctory attitude. After skimming through the document, as he was about to toss it aside, he noticed the small characters at the corner.

A gist of the policy advise submitted to His Majesty by the top-ranked jinshis2.

Li En, Zhou Rui, Ming JingHai, Ming ZengSheng, Zhao BoShen, Sun Yong, Lin ZhongLing, Chen ZhiXing…

The names of most of the major officials of the Imperial Court were on the list.

While reading Ming JingZhou’s comments and interpretations of their writings in the Imperial examination from back then, Chen Wang’s hand holding the document became tighter and tighter. He didn’t even notice when the sky outside the window had turned dark.

“Your Highness.” Fu Gui lit the candles inside the room. Noticing the prince’s serious expression, he asked apprehensively, “It’s late, you have not dined yet.”

“I see.” Chen Wang looked at the lit candle on the candlestick: “Set the meal.”

At the dinner table, JiuZhu scooped a bowl of soup for Ming JingZhou: “Father, please drink this soup.”

The warm soup exuded a faint medicinal smell; something that Ming JingZhou disliked the most.

However, it was scooped by his daughter. No matter how unpleasant it was, he would grit his teeth and drink it.

Seeing Ming JingZhou obediently drink the soup, Shen-shi revealed a satisfied smile: “It’s getting colder these days. So I had some new lined jackets made for you. Those are warm and light, and you can easily wear them under the official robes. Remember to put it on when you leave tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry, Wife. The Ministry of Rites has received a lot of wood charcoal recently, I won’t be frozen.” Since His Highness Chen Wang appeared, not only was the amount of charcoal supplied to the Ministry of Rites more abundant than before but the tea leaves and the food ingredients to be used in the public kitchen were also chosen more carefully.

“Oh, that’s right. Today afternoon, MingYue Palace sent people to invite JiuZhu to the Palace to accompany Guifei niangniang.” Shen-shi added two more ladles of soup to Ming JingZhou’s bowl: “I agreed.”

With great bitterness, Ming JingZhou raised the bowl and drained it in one gulp: “I heard that Su Guifei likes jade. Have JiuZhu take the exquisite jade carving placed in the warehouse to niangniang when she departs. Such a good thing should never be left behind to accumulate dust in the warehouse.”

Shen-shi glanced at her daughter, smiled and nodded slightly: “Alright.”

JiuZhu looked at the two of them. Obviously, she had listened to their conversation without missing a word, so why did she still feel that their smiles were inscrutable? Could this be the wisdom of the elders?

“Your Highness, after Chen Wang arrived at the Ministry of Rites, the officials were polite yet distant. No one dared to get close to him.”

“What was Ming JingZhou’s attitude?” In the candlelight, Qi Wang’s handsome face seemed to be completely expressionless.

“He gave Chen Wang a copy of all the previous Imperial examination questions and a list containing the names of jinshis, wanting Chen Wang to memorize it. His manner was awfully perfunctory; he was indifferent to Chen Wang, even having the idea of deliberately making things difficult for him.” The adviser continued: “I think that this move indicates how Ming JingZhou treats his daughter as nothing but a sacrifice. How, regardless of her treatment in Chen Wang’s residence, she will be fully ignored by him once she is married off in the future.”

“Is that so?” Qi Wang turned over the scripture in his hand: “If this is indeed the case, why is Su Guifei still trying to win over Ming JiuZhu?”

“Su Guifei has always doted on Chen Wang, so she must have thought that all parents in the world would treat their children the same way.” The adviser’s expression became sarcastic, “His Majesty has already bestowed a noble title upon Ming JingZhou. As long as he does not want to earn himself the reputation of selling his daughter for glory and flattering a wicked consort, it is impossible for him to assist Chen Wang.”

“Is he not afraid of angering Father Emperor?” Qi Wang closed the book of scriptures, got up to pick a scissor, and cut off a portion of the wick.

“Your Highness probably forgot that sixteen years ago, the three brothers of the Ming family were exiled to the borderland for His Majesty’s sake. They suffered a lot at that time.” The adviser explained: “His Majesty is benevolent, even if he feels dissatisfied with Ming JingZhou for this matter, he will not punish him too severely at all.”

“So, even if Ming family doesn’t support Chen Wang, they will merely sacrifice a daughter.” The adviser smiled: “But what they will receive in return, is an endlessly good reputation.”

Qi Wang thought of the naive and smiling young girl of the Ming family. He put down the scissors, his eyelids drooping slightly: “En.”

What a pity.

“Niangniang.” JiuZhu looked at the large pile of scriptures on the table: “Are you fond of copying the scriptures?”

“Ming guniang, these were not copied by niangniang.” XiangJuan entered with tea: “The other niangniangs of the Palace felt grateful for the grace of Heaven, so they wanted to copy the scriptures every day.”

JiuZhu was astounded; the niangniangs surely revered the Heavens.

“If you hadn’t come to the Palace, they would have continued doing it today too.”

“Thanking the Heavens is the most important matter. How can chennu dare to disturb the niangniangs?” JiuZhu urged Su Guifei: “Niangniang, let them continue to copy, chennu will stay here to keep you company.”

“Since JiuZhu said so, do what she wants.” Su Guifei was beaming: “Our family’s JiuZhu is truly sensible and considerate. Blame Ben Gong for not being thoughtful enough.”

“Niangniang is not to be blamed.” JiuZhu shook her head promptly: “It’s chennu who’s unfortunate.”

“How can you be unfortunate?” Su Guifei brushed JiuZhu’s forehead: “You just happened to be here. I’ll take you to see the niangniangs while they are copying the scriptures.”

“Would it disturb them?”

“All their attention is on copying. How would they be disturbed by external factors?” Su Guifei raised her brows: “Unless they are not sincere.”

In JingXin3 Hall, the Imperial concubines, who were copying the scriptures, heard footsteps and voices coming from beyond the window.

“Guifei niangniang.” JiuZhu lowered her voice: “The niangniangs are copying so earnestly.”

Su Guifei chuckled: “Probably because they are sincere?”

“Did they light three incense sticks before setting off for making the copies?” JiuZhu reminded in a low voice, “What if the Heavens can’t hear their sincerity?”

“JiuZhu’s reminder makes sense.” Su Guifei sighed: “Servants, bring Ben Gong’s best incense sticks. Let the other niangniangs wash their hands and light the incense sticks before copying the scriptures from the start. In this way, the Heavens will definitely feel their sincerity.”

JiuZhu cupped her face and looked at Su Guifei with her eyes shining brightly.

Niangniang is so kindhearted and considerate. In order to let the Heavens hear the sincerity of the other niangniangs, she even gave them the best incense she has.

The Imperial concubines who were in the middle of copying the scriptures: “……”

Can the two women standing outside be any more inhuman?

Mou [某] – I struggled a little while translating this because this character is used for humbling oneself when speaking to others. MJZ says ‘明某’ which roughly equates to ‘this Ming’ but it sounds weird in English T^T

Jinshi [进士] – The term ‘jinshi’ was used for a scholar who had passed the Imperial examination.

JingXin [静心] – It means meditation.