For many civil officials—even Grand Confucians and Grandmasters—becoming the Crown Prince's teacher was an opportunity that came only by chance, something countless others struggled desperately to obtain and failed to attain.
The Crown Prince did not possess much power, and few outside officials even dared befriend him, lest they incur the Emperor's suspicion. Yet the qualification to teach the Crown Prince was anything but ordinary.
For one thing, the Crown Prince was the heir apparent. Once the heir apparent ascended the throne, he would become Emperor, and his teacher would become the Imperial Tutor. That was not merely an honorific; it truly involved many tangible benefits.
First, for officials and court ministers, the Emperor's teacher would undoubtedly enjoy the Emperor's trust. Their chances of becoming an important minister in the future were great, and it was equivalent to gaining an extra talisman to protect themselves.
Second, Grand Confucians and Grandmasters might not value the status of court ministers, and might not even wish to become officials, preferring only to devote themselves to scholarship. Yet they would not necessarily refuse the position of Crown Prince's teacher, because its benefits were plain to see—they could more easily make the future Emperor acknowledge their own doctrines.
Many among these Grand Confucians and Grandmasters came from academies and study halls. Since they could unite their thoughts with an Order, they naturally had to possess a path of their own. This meant they needed to spread their teachings and ensure their inheritance never ended. Some Grand Confucians and Grandmasters with lofty ambitions even wished for what they had learned to spread throughout the world, for all people to follow it, and thereby perfect the Human Path. Yet such ideals were not easy to carry out. Often, they could only exert influence slowly, one step at