These second-generation nobles were all dressed in fine silk and satin, but most of them drooped their heads, looking listless.

Yet some were beaming with joy, rushing to share good news with their families.

“Grandfather, I’ve really been assigned by His Majesty to the Embroidered Uniform Guard (Jinyiwei)!”

“Father, Mother, I’ve been placed in the Office of Treasures — I’ll be an Assistant Director there!”

“His Majesty appointed me as a Hanlin Academy scribe!”

The elders of these families were overjoyed.

As long as they could enter officialdom, they could gradually scheme their way into real positions of power.

Marquis Xuanping strutted proudly over to Li Suifeng: “My son has become a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. And what about Mu Yun? Where has he been assigned?”

Li Suifeng replied coolly, “That has nothing to do with you, Marquis.”

“How could it have nothing to do with me?” Marquis Xuanping gave a sly, malicious smile. “Don’t tell me he’s been sent off to a remote backwater like Jiaozhou or Yizhou as a local magistrate? Well, that’s not so bad — it’s a chance to gain some experience before returning to serve the court.”

“What? The heir of Marquis Xiangyang was sent to Jiaozhou?”

“Jiaozhou, that place has been a place of exile since ancient times. It’s so remote and desolate.”

“Thank goodness that didn’t happen to us!”

Jiaozhou, located at the southernmost border of Great Wei, was known as a sweltering, humid, miasma-filled land where no one wanted to serve as governor.

Everyone began casting sympathetic glances at the Marquis Xiangyang household.

Li Muyun raised his eyes. “Who said I was sent to Jiaozhou?”

The room instantly fell silent.

One of the others who had taken the en’en exam spoke up: “Li, you answered the examiners’ questions so smoothly. His Majesty was especially impressed and appointed you as a Section Chief in the Ministry of Revenue.”

“What!”

“The Ministry of Revenue? Section Chief? That’s a sixth-rank post!”

“And in a department with real power! A sixth-rank official with actual authority — how could that be possible?”

All those other appointments to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Office of Treasures, the Hanlin Academy — without exception, they were ceremonial posts or low-ranking clerical jobs.

But the Ministry of Revenue managed money, people, and households — it was arguably the most powerful ministry.

A sixth-rank Section Chief there was the highest-ranking position handed out in this round of en’en appointments.

Everyone’s expressions instantly changed.

“Li Muyun is just an empty-headed fool — why would the emperor favor him?”

“Must be because the Marquis Xiangyang household donated 100,000 taels of silver — His Majesty is showing favor because of the money.”

“If we’d known… well, forget it. Even if we’d known, our family couldn’t have come up with that kind of silver to pave the way.”

Marquis Xuanping sneered, “So all along you let me chatter, Marquis Xiangyang, just so you could slap me in the face like this.”

Li Suifeng was completely bewildered.

He had no idea how Muyun had suddenly landed such a good post.

Aside from donating 100,000 taels of silver, they hadn’t done anything else at all.

Li Muyun couldn’t hide the grin on his face.

Before going into the palace that morning, he’d been nervous as hell, with no confidence whatsoever.

But he never expected that the exam questions would be about the recent natural disaster in the northern territories: how to provide relief, how to comfort the victims, how to rebuild afterward… all topics he had just discussed in depth with Cheng Changyan the day before.

He had answered fluently, thoroughly impressing the examiners.

He’d been graded top-tier — only three candidates got that mark — and when the emperor personally re-examined the three of them, he spoke so eloquently that he caught the emperor’s eye.

He had never even dreamed that, relying on his own ability, he’d become a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue!

“Everyone, I still need to prepare for my new post, so I’ll take my leave now.”

Li Muyun cupped his hands and gave the assembled crowd a bow.

That manner of his nearly made everyone topple backward in fury.

The Marquis Xiangyang household was filled with joy.

They’d thought about holding a celebratory banquet, but when they learned that the court was assigning Li Muyun to the north to oversee disaster recovery, the banquet was canceled.

“The northern territories aren’t that far,” said the old marquis. “This assignment should only take three to five months. By next summer, when you return, your position as Section Chief will truly be secure. Work hard — the entire household’s reputation rests on you now.”

Li Muyun grinned widely. “So now you all realize this house still depends on me, huh? Before, you were teasing me every day.”

“Alright, alright, enough showing off!” Li Suifeng rolled his eyes. “You must have had an ancestor’s blessing — what a stroke of luck!”

“What luck! I’ve always had this talent!” Li Mu Yun retorted confidently.

But when he met Li Zhiyue’s smiling gaze, he felt a bit sheepish inside.

In truth, he owed it all to Cheng Changyan.

If Cheng Changyan hadn’t brought out his potential, he wouldn’t have dared speak up like that at court!

While the family was enjoying the lively atmosphere, a servant came to report: “Concubine Zhen and Miss Lu have arrived.”

The title made the Li family freeze for a moment.

It took a while for them to realize: Concubine Zhen was formerly Lady Lu, Madam Zhen; Miss Lu was Lu Jingxue.

Bai Ruzhu stood up. “Bring them to the side hall.”

Zhen Shi entered, dressed in luxurious silk with a head full of jeweled hairpins — a far cry from the widow she once was — and flanked by two maidservants.

“Marquise,” Madam Zhen Shi curtsied gracefully. “I heard the young marquis placed top in the en’en exams today, so I especially asked the main wife for permission to come offer my congratulations.”

Bai Ruzhu smiled faintly. “It’s just a low-ranking post — not worth a special trip.”

“There’s another matter, actually,” Madam Zhen Shi continued. “Good news: our Xue’er has caught the Fourth Prince’s eye. In a little while, she’ll be entering his household as a side consort.”

“Now that truly is joyful news,” Bai Ruzhu smiled. “Xue’er has grown up so fast — already getting married. How wonderful. Back when the late hero Lu entrusted Xue’er to our marquis household, of course we must do our part when she marries. The dowry was prepared long ago. Aunt Zhou?”

Aunt Zhou nodded and brought out a large chest from the inner room.

Madam Zhen Shi’s face lit up.

She had come precisely for this dowry.

She remembered Bai Ruzhu had once indeed said the household would prepare a dowry for Xue’er.

If there was something free to take, why not take it?

She reached out and opened the chest, finding a stack of silver notes — counting them, 1,000 taels — plus a land deed for several dozen acres outside the city, a set of pure gold jewelry, and some other ornaments.

Madam Zhen Shi’s smile slowly faded.

All of this added up to just a little over 2,000 taels.

For the side consort of the Fourth Prince, this was laughably small.

The marquis household could casually donate 100,000 taels to the court, yet they were only giving her daughter this meager amount?

How… how outrageous!

She forced out the words: “Marquise, is this all the dowry?”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Bai Ruzhu said. “I also prepared some silk. Good quality fabric is scarce on the market these days — you have to pay top price to get it. Perfect for making a wedding gown. Each bolt costs over a dozen taels.”

Aunt Zhou handed over several bolts of fabric.

Madam Zhen Shi still looked thoroughly disgruntled.

Bai Ruzhu tugged her lips into a polite smile.

The 3,000 or so taels’ worth of dowry had been prepared according to the standards for an official family’s legitimate daughter.

But Lu Jingxue was merely the daughter of a poor household. In such families, if a girl received 20 taels when she married, that was considered extravagant.

Who knew where Madam Zhen Shi got the nerve to look down on this dowry!