The List

Not long after, Zhang Shun arrived.

Originally, he only came to the main courtyard to pay his respects to the old lady, and he would have avoided seeing the women, such as Lady Zhu and Zhao Ruxi. However, Zhao Ruxi's status was different from before; she was no longer an ordinary woman in Zhao Yuanxun's family, but a person in officialdom. Therefore, she stayed by the old lady's side and accompanied Zhao Yuanxun in receiving Zhang Shun.

Zhang Shun didn't come alone; he brought a young man with him.

Seeing this, Zhao Yuanxun's smile faded.

Zhang Shun greeted the old lady and said, "This is my nephew, Zhang Zhaode. My elder brother heard that I was coming to see Lord Zhang, so he asked me to bring him along to seek guidance from Scholar Zhuangyuan Zhao. Please forgive any inconvenience caused."

Seeing that Zhang Zhaode was a handsome young man, and noticing the unpleasant look on her son's face, the old lady guessed Zhang Shun's intentions to some extent.

Ever since Zhao Ruxi became a master painter, the Earl of Suiping's Residence has never been peaceful.

At that time, Zhao Yuanxun was still in the capital, so every now and then people would bring their own sons and nephews to visit the Earl of Suiping's Residence, and even express their desire to arrange a marriage. Some of them were female relatives who would come to visit, talking to the old lady and Lady Zhu about all sorts of things, with the aim of marrying Zhao Ruxi as their daughter-in-law or niece-in-law.

The old lady, Zhao Yuanxun, and Lady Zhu were initially quite interested, thinking that if there were good candidates, they could keep them as potential partners and arrange for Zhao Ruxi to meet them later. What if Miss Xi also took a liking to one?

Who knew that after looking around, they couldn't find anyone more outstanding than their own Miss Xi? Even some Tom, Dick, and Harry came to their door, without any self-awareness whatsoever.

Considering Zhao Ruxi's statement that she wasn't considering marriage, they simply gave up on the idea. They politely declined to meet with people they weren't very familiar with or who were of high status, not even wanting to see them.

Although the old lady's smile remained unchanged, the warmth in her eyes faded. She said, "Lord Zhang, you flatter me. You are a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). With your guidance, why would my nephew need to consult others in his studies?"

"Besides, my Miss Xi is just a young girl. Although she was fortunate enough to become the top scholar, she wouldn't dare to offer advice on literature to others. People have always looked down on women. If someone were to use the excuse of seeking advice on literature to ruin my Miss Xi's reputation and spread bad rumors, it would be a slap in the face to the Emperor. We can only be careful with our words and actions. Lord Zhang certainly wouldn't do that, and I suppose his words were just polite. But we still need to explain things clearly to avoid any misunderstandings."

"Haha, we were too hasty, we're really sorry." Zhang Shun chuckled dryly. "Zhuangyuan Zhao is a newly appointed Jinshi, more capable than anyone else. Everyone was thinking of asking her for advice, but we forgot that she's a woman."

He smiled at the old lady and said, "You are truly blessed to have such accomplished children and grandchildren."

"Haha, thanks to this prosperous and enlightened era, thanks to the Emperor!" The old lady also started laughing along with him.

Zhang Shun came today not only to maintain a closer relationship with the Zhao Family and, ideally, to promote his nephew, but also to inquire about Zhao Ruxi's post outside the region.

He did give Zhao Yuanxun a list back then. I wonder if that favor was ever actually repaid.

He said to Zhao Ruxi, "Now that Zhuangyuan Zhao, have achieved the highest rank, you must be staying in the Hanlin Academy, right?"

"No, I've requested a transfer to an external location," Zhao Ruxi said with a smile.

"Huh?" Zhang Shun feigned surprise, but immediately gave Zhao Ruxi a thumbs up. "Zhuangyuan Zhao is truly different from everyone else. He cares about the people and is willing to understand their hardships. He is a role model for us all."

"You flatter me Lord Zhang," Zhao Ruxi said with a smile.

"I wonder where Scholar Zhuangyuan Zhao has been assigned to his post?" Zhang Shun asked.

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhao Yuanxun, reminding Zhao Yuanxun of the list Zhang Shun had given him.

Zhao Yuanxun also looked at Zhao Ruxi.

He only received the good news that Zhao Ruxi had passed the imperial examination with top honors. As for the matter of Zhao Ruxi being appointed as an official, because time was of the essence and they soon arrived in Gusu, Lady Zhu did not send anyone else to inform Zhao Yuanxun.

The news of Zhao Ruxi's appointment to an outside post was spread by Lady Zhu's servant, who sent someone to inform him in advance and told him to go out of the city to meet the old lady. Zhang Shun was at the yamen at the time and also heard about it.

As for where Zhao Ruxi was transferred to, Zhao Yuanxun himself did not know.

However, he had already sent the list Zhang Shun gave him back to the capital through someone. He wondered how Zhao Ruxi's arrangements were going.

Zhao Ruxi said, "I am the Assistant Prefect of Nanyang Prefecture Nanyang Prefecture Linjiang Prefecture, Anzhou Province."

Zhang Shun and Zhao Yuanxun were both taken aback.

This place wasn't on the list Zhang Shun gave us.

Zhao Yuanxun grew anxious and asked, "I once sent back a list that included all of Lord Zhang's classmates or fellow students. He not only knows their character well, but this connection also means he can look after you. Nanyang Prefecture isn't on that list, is it?"

"Father, you're joking. Appointing officials is the Emperor's business; how can I go wherever I want? Besides, I'm the top scholar, Subordinate Sixth Rank official. There aren't many officials in the localities who are suitable for my rank. I can't immediately become the head of a region; I have to start as an assistant official. That means the assistant prefect is the most suitable for me."

As soon as Zhao Yuanxun spoke, he knew his words were inappropriate. Some things are fine to say privately, but saying them in front of Zhang Shun and his nephew was not. If word got out, people would say that the Zhao Family wanted to control the emperor, or that an imperial censor would impeach Wu Huaisi Wu Huaisi, bringing shame upon him.

"Yes, yes, Father, I'm just worried sick." Zhao Yuanxun said, shaking his head and smiling wryly, "You don't know, when I first heard you passed the imperial examination, I was worried that someone would bully you when you became a local official, and I completely lost my composure."

"Haha, Zhuangyuan Zhao, your father is just concerned about you," Zhang Shun laughed. "He was complaining to me with a worried look on his face, so I wrote down a list to comfort him. Don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously at all. As for the appointment of officials, naturally, wherever the Emperor sends them, and whoever he appoints, is whoever he appoints. We will naturally follow the court's arrangements."

He was a shrewd man. As soon as he heard Zhao Ruxi's tone, he quickly chimed in, distancing himself from everyone else and making his stance clear—he was in cahoots with the Zhao Family, and he was the one who provided the list. He would absolutely not reveal what Zhao Yuanxun had just said.

After saying this, he couldn't help but glance at his nephew.

From a single glimpse, one can discern the whole leopard. The moment Zhao Ruxi opened her mouth, he knew she was formidable, definitely not an ordinary young girl, and her political acumen surpassed even that of Zhao Yuanxun.

That makes sense; without that level of ability, one couldn't possibly become the top scholar. The provincial and metropolitan examinations were the fairest of all. While the palace examination did consider appearance, it was still based on the metropolitan examination. And the emperor would never allow an incompetent person to become the top scholar.

Compared to Zhao Zhiwei, his nephew was worlds apart.