NOVPUBZhao He said, "These are the top scholars from the last Imperial Examination, respectively the Music Department Top Scholar Liu Shang, the Shooting Top Scholar Wang Shao, and the Horse Riding Top Scholar Du Tong..."
The middle-aged man picked up the teacup he had put down, took a gentle sip, then continued, "The court isn’t letting him investigate cases anymore. He wants to obtain an official position through the Imperial Examination. Although it’s a good idea, even if he is Li Xuanjing’s son, can he really catch up with the other students in just a few years?"
Upon hearing that Li Nuo was reviewing the dossiers of these three individuals, the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief.
He probably figured out what he wanted to do.
Does he want them to share their experience in the Imperial Examination?
As long as he’s not examining those few officials’ files, he can do whatever he wants. There hasn’t been any disturbance for such a long time. The last incident seems to have been just a coincidence.
At that moment, Zhao He took a sip of tea and cautiously asked, "Lord, about that promotion you promised me last time..."
Those three were Advanced Scholars of the same year as him; they had all been promoted over the years, yet he was still stuck in the Ministry of Personnel overseeing the storeroom. He was really anxious...
The middle-aged man glanced at him and said coolly, "Look at you, so eager..."
... 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
Back at the Song Residence, Li Nuo walked into the courtyard, holding a piece of paper in his hand.
The paper had a line written on it:
Director of Music, Liu Shang.
This target was different from the usual.
In the past, those he targeted were either common folks or the children of officials and nobles.
Although these people came from illustrious families, they could be regarded as common people and the Chang’an County Government could handle them.
But Lord Liu was a genuine court official.
A Standard seventh-rank Director of Music.
For a Standard seventh-rank official, not even the Ministry of Justice, much less the Chang’an County Government, had the authority to judge him; they only had investigative powers.
This time, he had no choice but to seek help from his father.
Li Nuo called Housekeeper Wu, handed him the paper, and whispered a few instructions, then began to play a game of Gomoku with Mumu.
They had not played many rounds before Housekeeper Wu returned with an envelope for Li Nuo.
Li Nuo opened the envelope, thinking to himself that the Spiegel Bureau truly lived up to its name; the information they gathered was more detailed than the Ministry of Personnel’s dossiers.
Director of Music Liu Shang, 26 years old, became an Advanced Scholar in the year thirty of Zhisheng, and although his overall ranking wasn’t high, his excellence in music was exceptional. He was specially recruited by Taichang Si, and in less than four years, he was promoted from a Standard eighth-rank small music officer to a Standard seventh-rank Director of Music.
Before he passed the Imperial Examination, he came from a wealthy family in Jiangnan and after becoming an Advanced Scholar, he married the daughter of a noble from Chang’an.
The Music Bureau was responsible for ceremonial music performances, and its authority was not extensive. Matters such as reckless manslaughter or corruption and bending the law generally didn’t involve officials from the Music Bureau.
Liu Shang wasn’t lacking in money, thus had no reason to embezzle, and he performed his official duties well.
In the years he served as an official, his record was commendable without major faults, which was why he was promoted so quickly.
However, the Spiegel Bureau still dug up some issues.
Liu Shang and his wife did not have a harmonious marriage.
The noble’s daughter, already known for her flirtatious behavior with numerous men over a long period before her marriage, didn’t restrain herself even after marriage.
Although Liu Shang was dissatisfied, he did not dare to show it due to her family’s power.
After completely losing hope, he frequently sought solace in the pleasures offered by the brothel in Chang’an, seeking comfort in joy and entertainment.
The couple each lived their own lives.
Every family has their own troubles; Li Nuo made no judgment on this.
For young officials of lesser background, this was the price they paid for marrying into a wealthy noble family; reality often wasn’t as wonderful as one would imagine, with some noblewomen in Chang’an being even wilder than the men.
But Liu Shang was a court official, and the court forbade officials from fraternizing with prostitutes.
Although this law was not strictly enforced and the penalty was light, even the detail-oriented Imperial Censors neglected to address it, it still constituted a violation of the law.
If taken seriously, Pei Zhe would be detained for self-reflection every month.
Despite his sympathy for the Director of Music, for his own sake, Li Nuo could only impose this minor inconvenience on him.
In the evening, as they were going to sleep, his wife came back to the room.
Both tacitly avoided mentioning the incident from the day before.
Smelling the familiar scent next to him on the pillow, Li Nuo felt a great sense of comfort and was on the verge of falling asleep when he suddenly heard his wife’s voice.
Song Jiaren, with her eyes closed, suddenly asked, "Are you going to participate in the Imperial Examination?"
Li Nuo, half-asleep, hummed in affirmation.
Song Jiaren thought a bit and then said, "If you want to learn horse riding and shooting, I can teach you..."
Actually, for horse riding and shooting, Li Nuo had other candidates in mind.
Although the top scholars from the last Imperial Examination were no longer in Chang’an, with the new examination approaching, it was possible to find out who among the Four Great Academy in Chang’an was likely to be the top scholar in riding and shooting.
But since his wife was willing to teach him, the other candidates could wait.
Imagining the scene of them riding together and drawing a bow side by side, he suddenly didn’t feel sleepy anymore...
The next morning, after breakfast, Li Nuo and his wife went out together.
They had agreed yesterday that she would teach him riding skills today.
Riding skills were compulsory in the Imperial Examination, so there were numerous horse fields near Chang’an.
Most horse fields were located outside of Chang’an City as they needed significant space, and purchasing or leasing land involved a substantial expense.
The cost of land in Chang’an City was exorbitant, and opening a horse field in the city was not profitable enough to cover the rent and almost impossible to break even.
Li Nuo chose a horse field inside Chang’an City.
