Xue Baochai smiled faintly. "My elder brother holds a post in the Imperial City Department. When I was little, I often went there to play with him. Over time, I became familiar with the people there, so joining the Imperial City Department came naturally."
Song Qingshu gave her a noncommittal glance. "If Miss Xue does not wish to answer, then do not. Why make up lies to brush me off?"
"Since you are such a lofty Prince, would I dare not answer when you ask me something?" Xue Baochai rolled her eyes, looking rather cute. Then she let out a faint sigh. "In truth, our Xue family has only enjoyed prosperity in recent years. In earlier times, our family's primary identity was that of imperial merchants."
Song Qingshu nodded, recalling that Madam Ruan had also been an imperial merchant. The Ruan family and the Xue family had fought quite fiercely several years ago.
"I presume Your Highness also understands the state of Great Song. No matter how much money our family earned, it was difficult to change our lowly status as merchants." Xue Baochai's tone carried a hint of sorrow and self-mockery. "Everyone in the family has worked hard to change that, but how could it be easy for a merchant family to enter officialdom? We spent countless resources making arrangements, and obtaining vacant positions like those in the Imperial City Department was already quite good. How could we afford to be picky?"
Song Qingshu knew she was speaking the truth. Every time the successful candidates from the two examination lists were announced, a great many of them waited bitterly in the capital for substantive posts to open up. Great Song had many officials, but few substantive vacancies arose each year, and every one of them was fiercely contested. Local