The Wife is First

Ch83 - Old Friend

After the Qionglin banquet, the Ministry of Appointments began to allocate roles to the batch of successful candidates. Xiao Yuan was so busy running around that he didn’t have any free time until the middle of the third month.

Because of the small disturbance of the third rank candidate offering the flower, the court’s memorial to the emperor about selecting a crown prince stopped. Who knew what Emperor Hong Zheng was thinking. He had the Fourth Prince Jing Yu take charge of the Ministry of Justice, while all duties related to foreign countries and their tribute payments were given to Marquis Wen Yuan. Although these foreign people only came a few times a year, in any case, Mu Hanzhang now had a real set of responsibilities.

If the second grade and third grade successful candidates wanted good official positions, they had to pass another exam, but the first grade candidates directly received official posts.

“The second rank candidate went to the Imperial Hanlin Academy for editing, and third rank scholar Ma went to the Ministry of Rites.” Xiao Yuan sipped his tea; the work of the Ministry of Appointments had come to an end. Last year, there was a big inspection of the Ministry of Rites. This year, when he was transferred to the Ministry of Appointments, there were the results of the imperial examination. Work truly didn’t stop for a day. Looking at the two very leisurely people sitting across from him, Assistant Xiao suddenly felt that the heavens were unfair. 

“We have been fighting for more than half a year, so naturally, we should have a rest,” Jing Shao said self-righteously, as if he hadn’t seen the aggrieved expression in Xiao Yuan’s eyes.

“Where did the first rank go?” Zhou Jin came over with a plate of pancakes. Seeing Xiao Yuan’s fuming appearance, he asked the question with a smile.

“The Fourth Prince wanted him in the Ministry of Justice, but the man himself asked to just be a normal unaffiliated official posted outside the capital.” When the discussion turned to Qin Zhaoran, a strange expression appeared on Xiao Yuan’s face. Usually, the top candidates from the exams would be eager to stay in the capital, but this man was interesting, and actually requested the opposite.

Jing Shao sneered. The Rui Wang appreciated Ma Zhuo’s quick reaction at the Qionglin banquet, and because it just so happened that the Ministry of Rites needed someone who could talk really well, he had gone to request Emperor Hong Zheng to place the third rank scholar there. Jing Yu, that fool, went straight to the top scorer, as if afraid that no one would know what his intentions were.

“With the current situation, it’s better to be an official posted outside the capital than within,” Mu Hanzhang said slowly. Given Qin Zhaoran’s temperament, he probably didn’t want to participate in the fight between these princes. If the Fourth Prince went to try to rope him in, it would only push him further away.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

“Jing Yu has always liked to compete with his brothers since he was a child. When he was given an official name, he insisted on it including the word ‘jade’ ,” Jing Shao said disdainfully. Jing Yu always acted as if he were the eldest son of the empress, and deserved to be on the same level as Jing Chen.

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“Young master, is something the matter?” Steward Yun, who was going out to do business, saw the young man standing in a daze at the entrance. Seeing his refined appearance, he had to be a visitor, so Steward Yun asked the question.

Qin Zhaoran wanted to say that there was nothing, but after a pause, he couldn’t help asking, “I am Qin Zhaoran. I am an old friend of Marquis Wen Yuan. Dare I ask if the Marquis is here?”

“The Marquis and the Wang Ye went out together. They will only be back in the afternoon. If you are not in a hurry, you can wait inside,” Steward Yun said politely.

“No need.” Qin Zhaoran waved his hand, disappointed and a little frustrated. He glanced at the plaque on the door, then turned and left. 

When the two came back from Hui Wei Restaurant, Steward Yun told them of the visit from the first rank candidate. Jing Shao thought it over; since he was a classmate of his Wang Fei, and had just gotten top scores in the imperial exam, they should invite him over for a meal, so he had Steward Yun send an invitation to come to their palace tomorrow.

“He probably won’t come.” Mu Hanzhang took a look at the invitation card. That man was fundamentally an upright and honest scholar down to his bones; he had always disdained princes and nobility.

“He’s your classmate and relative, after all. Send the invitation; it’s his business whether he wants to come or not,” Jing Shao said casually.

The invitation was passed on to the new top scorer. Qin Zhaoran hesitated a few times, but finally decided not to go. 

The servant returned and said that the top scholar felt his status was too humble and didn’t want to make trouble for Wang Ye and the Marquis, but he had the servant pass on an inkstone to Mu Hanzhang.

“This man is pretty careful,” Jing Shao said to his Wang Fei after listening to the servant’s reply.

Mu Hanzhang frowned and looked at the inkstone in his hand. It was made of a type of inkstone from Qin Zhaoran’s hometown. It was rarely sold on the market because the ink it produced wasn’t the best quality. It always carried some impurities, and was brittle and difficult to grind. When Qin Zhaoran was a child, his family was poor and they couldn’t buy good inkstones, so he went to the river to find this kind of inkstone, and then found a random concave in a rock to grind it into ink. Because there were miscellaneous minerals in it, the words written in it would look a little indigo. At that time, Mu Hanzhang was curious and wanted to see this kind of inkstone. Unexpectedly, after so many years, Qin Zhaoran still remembered this.

“We’re currently at the heart of the battle for the throne. It’s also good that he doesn’t come.” Mu Hanzhang put the inkstone aside. “Brother requesting the third rank scholar is already attracting attention. We don’t want to get too close to other people.” 

Jing Shao nodded and had a servant send some gifts to Qin Zhaoran in return. Thinking that this was a good friend of his Wang Fei, he had Xiao Yuan make sure not to transfer him to a remote and desolate place, and to find a place rich with resources, where he could easily garner achievements.

Up until Qin Zhaoran left the capital for his post, Mu Hanzhang didn’t meet with him, and Jing Shao also forgot about him. That was because Jing Chen would be leaving for Jiangnan in the middle of the month, so these two husbands became busy.

When Jing Chen left, he gave some of his contacts to Mu Hanzhang and asked him to deal with some urgent matters in the capital. He also had the third rank scholar work under Mu Hanzhang, and told him not to be polite about using him.

“My brother trusts you more than he does me now,” Jing Shao cuddled his Wang Fei and said sourly. 

Mu Hanzhang wrote some notes on an official document with one hand and patted the big head resting on his shoulder with the other. “Whenever you see an official document, you run; brother has lost hope in you for a long time now.”

Since Mu Hanzhang was able to go to court, Jing Chen often asked him to take part in some affairs at the Rui Wang’s residence, and he gradually handed over part of the responsibilities to him. It seemed that all of the hopes which he had for his younger brother were now all placed on his younger brother’s wife, so after Jing Chen left the capital, Mu Hanzhang was quite busy.

Jing Shao reluctantly got up, groaning and muttering. Xiao Huang slipped in through a crack in the doorway and looked up from the bottom of the table. On the table was a plate of fresh mulberries, bright red and slightly purple, and perfectly ripe for eating.

“What’s up with that Ma Zhuo? I feel like he and brother seem like old friends.” Mu Hanzhang knocked away the fluffy paw reaching up for the plate with his brush. 

“Hm, I’m not too clear, but according to brother, it seems he is a member of the Zhuo family.” Jing Shao took a not very red mulberry and stuffed it into the little tiger’s mouth, immediately making it shake its head at the sourness. “In fact, Ma Zhuo’s surname is Zhuo, not Ma.”

Mu Hanzhang paused, put down his brush, and turned to look at him. Ma Zhuo actually used a pseudonym to take the exam for scholarly honor. There had to be some secret reason behind it.

“When something happened to the Zhuo family, I was still young. I’m not very clear on it, but I guess brother may still have had contact with them all these years. Otherwise, how was third rank scholar Ma able to forge a name for himself in the imperial examination?” Jing Shao said quietly. In his last life, he paid little attention to the things that went on at court, so he also wasn’t too clear about the people by Jing Chen’s side.

When Mu Hanzhang was young, Minister Zhuo Shangshu was convicted of a crime and his whole family was exiled to a remote place – it caused quite the stir. He had also heard his father mention it, and he nodded slightly. It was better to speak less about it. 

“That Ma Zhuo is truly a wonderful person. It has only been a few days but he is already familiar with everyone in the Ministry of Rites. Even those old senior officials are very amiable when they see him.” Mu Hanzhang picked up a mulberry to eat, but Jing Shao rushed over and sucked it into his mouth.

“These mulberries are sweet and tart. Let’s have someone send some to mother.” After eating the berry, Jing Shao also licked the long elegant fingers. He felt Mu Hanzhang’s fingertips tremble slightly, before he let go, satisfied.

“I’ve already had people send some over,” said Mu Hanzhang. He was helpless in the face of Jing Shao’s increasingly childish behavior. These mulberries were from trees he had planted himself in the palace. Now that Consort Qiu was pregnant, she was particularly fond of these sweet and tart things. “I’ve also had people send some to Rui Wang’s palace. I heard that sister-in-law hasn’t been well recently. Let’s go and visit her tomorrow.”

“En,” Jing Shao answered. Not long after that, he heard a servant report that Sir Ma from the Ministry of Rites was visiting.