Chapter 31: Bachelor of Arts (Seeking to Continue Reading)
As soon as I stepped into the inner hall, the first people I saw were Wang Ruofu and Old Madam Sheng.
Wang Ruofu was happily telling something. Old Lady Sheng was sitting in the main seat, talking to Sheng Hualan in a very kind manner.
The slightly younger Sheng Molan and Sheng Rulan were bickering with each other, while Sheng Minglan was watching quietly and was forced to interrupt from time to time.
Seeing Chu Hong coming, Sheng Molan asked curiously, "Hey? Brother-in-law, what is the daily life of a tutor like? Can you see the emperor often?"
Although Sheng Molan is young, she knows a lot and is somewhat envious of her sister's life.
Chu Hong glanced at Sheng Molan and laughed, "The Attendant Scholar is in charge of imperial edicts, historical records, and literary works. He examines the system, corrects the texts, and serves as an advisor to the emperor. On weekdays, he is actually quite relaxed. Most things are done by subordinates. My main job is to answer questions from the emperor and explain knowledge to him.
The difficulty of this position lies in the fact that it requires a wide range of knowledge. The emperor may ask a variety of questions, including poetry, historical materials, unofficial history, and policy questions. As for whether I can often see the emperor, it depends on whether the emperor wants to listen."
The envy in Sheng Molan's eyes became even stronger. That was an official who was busy with state affairs. Her father had worked hard for decades but could not see him privately, but her brother-in-law could see him often.
She didn't quite understand the value of the position of Attendant Scholar, but she knew the value of being able to meet officials from time to time. They were true ministers close to the emperor, and they were constantly honored and favored.
My future husband must either be someone favored by the emperor, or have a title and be rich and prosperous!
Sheng Changfeng was a little frightened in his heart. Unlike his sister, he did not only pay attention to the emperor's favor. Instead, he focused more on the difficulty of being a bachelor of imperial studies. The emperor asked about everything. Who could remember so many things? It was not like he had a photographic memory.
If you can't answer this, then you're screwed, right?
"The emperor's close minister, the noble Hanlin!"
Sheng Hong was quite emotional. The promotion path of the Hanlin Academy officials was centered around the emperor's close ministers. Those who were promoted quickly were really promoted quickly, while those who were slow might not even move up in position for decades.
Well, although the Hanlin scholars are noble, they are all experts at flattery.
"Does it mean that the officials of the Imperial Academy are different from those sent out to other places?"
Sheng Rulan looked curious, but in fact she was staring at Sheng Molan fiercely. That little bitch had asked questions, so she had to ask questions too and could not fall behind.
"To be precise, officials with Hanlin experience should be different from those without Hanlin experience."
Chu Hong smiled and said, "Compared to officials who are directly sent out, Hanlin officials usually revise books for three years before being sent out, and when they are sent out, they are guaranteed to be promoted one level at least.
Among the Jinshi of the same year, most of the second-class Jinshi served in the six ministries, waiting for others to give up their positions. Not to mention being promoted in three years, it was difficult for them to officially occupy an official position during this period of time. It was good for the third-class Jinshi to be sent out, but they would start from a small county official, and it might take decades for them to reach the starting point of being sent out as a Hanlin Jinshi. "
Sheng Rulan's little trick seemed to be well hidden, but Chu Hong had been in high-end games for a long time, so he could naturally see that Sheng Rulan's acting was poor.
However, Chu Hong didn't care. He didn't expect them to use what he said. He just wanted to listen for fun.
Sheng Hong picked up the teacup and said with interest: "Although the performance evaluation is conducted every three years, officials who are sent out still have to wait for their seniority. It is a great blessing to be able to change their position after six years.
Hanlin officials are guaranteed to be promoted after three years of editing books, and they have many high-ranking colleagues, which is something that ordinary officials sent out cannot compare to. "Speaking of this, Sheng Hong was a little emotional. He had the old Tai Shi Wang as his father-in-law, and his old mother from the Yongyi Marquis Mansion to teach him. He thought he was an honest official and handled things smoothly. He was always rated as excellent in the performance evaluation every three years, and was basically promoted every three years. He worked diligently for more than 20 years and was only a sixth-rank official.
Sheng Hong considered himself one of the officials who had a smooth career among those who were sent to other places.
Even so, he, a virtuous son-in-law who took the Hanlin path, got to the front in just two years, which shows how superior the Hanlin path is.
After all, no matter how good your political achievements are, it is useless if the emperor is far away and cannot see them.
"At the local level, if you have experience as an official in the Hanlin Academy, your promotion speed will be faster than that of ordinary officials sent out to other places."
Sheng Hong was in the mood to talk, and he said, "In our dynasty, no one can enter the cabinet and become a prime minister without experience in local government and as an official in the Imperial Academy.
Hanlin officials are destined to be sent out to accumulate experience in governing a region. This is not a restriction for Hanlin officials. On the contrary, it is extremely difficult for officials who are sent out without Hanlin experience to enter the cabinet.
Only Hanlin scholars can enter the cabinet and become prime ministers. Local officials without Hanlin experience have to find ways to enter the Hanlin Academy, but when it comes to considering entering the cabinet, only the position of the third-rank Hanlin Academy chief can accommodate them, and this position is likely to be occupied by someone."
"The Hanlin Academy is noble and well-known throughout the world. How can it be a false reputation?"
Old Madam Sheng clapped her hands with a smile, the reason why Hanlin was noble was not just because of the leisure time, the most important thing was the support of power.
The Hanlin Academy can often see the emperor and is a close minister to the emperor. Any advantages they have are not as important as those they receive from the emperor. The emperor favors the Hanlin, and other ways of promotion to enter the cabinet are naturally as difficult as climbing to the sky.
"Haha, actually being sent out to other places can be quite exciting. I, your brother-in-law, am now a fifth-rank official. If I were to be sent out to other places, I could be one of the chief officers of a province or a road. I could make a province tremble with just a stomp of my feet.
But if I were in Bianjing, I would have no real power and could only leisurely edit books and drink tea, which was far less prestigious than the local officials of the same level. "
When Chu Hong saw several people praising him so much, he immediately shook his head. Being a Hanlin official has its advantages, and being sent out for military service also has its advantages. It's just that Hanlin officials can experience more than other officials.
"What a bright future!"
Sheng Hong was quite emotional. There were only a few fifth-rank officials as young as this in the entire hundred-year history of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Chu Hong did not say anything, but looked at Sheng Changfeng and Sheng Changbai, "You two are at the best age to study, so don't think too much about these things now, study hard, and when you pass the imperial examination and Donghua calls your name, you can naturally choose to be sent out or serve as an official in the Imperial Academy."
"My dear son-in-law, please stop joking. Changbai and Changfeng were blessed by heaven to pass the imperial examination. They studied hard every night, so how could they be chosen?"
Sheng Hong looked at Sheng Changbai and Sheng Changfeng with a smile. He had high hopes for these two sons, especially Changbai, whom he regarded as the child of the family's revival.
Chu Hong smiled and said nothing more.
After a while, the servants brought the hot food to the table. Because there were no outsiders, there was no separate table for men and women. Nearly ten people were talking and laughing while toasting and eating. It was so joyful.
(End of this chapter)