The Resolute Cannon Fodder Teaching In Ancient Time

31. Thirty-One Treasures ✨

Xu Zhen felt a surge of excitement at the palace maid's words, but it was already too late in the day for her to head over. She waited for Xu Qianchun to return and shared what the palace maid had taught her.

The next day, she went straight to work.

The palace maid, who had been teaching her the etiquette, came to escort her, guiding her along the long stone path through the palace and passing through the vermilion gates. As they approached the Ministry of Rites, they greeted several officials and clerks along the way, familiarizing themselves with their surroundings.

The office of the Ministry of Rites was located in the eastern palace near the Luoyang Gate, surrounded by various classical instruments. Inside, there were four spacious rooms, with the main room notably larger than the others, its golden tiles shimmering brilliantly.

The door to the main room was wide open, revealing a broad reception area where several men and women were already seated. The furniture was arranged in pairs, and those at the tables were dressed in round-collared robes, holding brushes and diligently copying text from bamboo slips.

As the palace maid entered, her footsteps echoed softly in the chamber.

The individuals inside looked up to see Xu Zhen and hastily put down their brushes, rushing to the door to bow in greeting.

Feeling unaccustomed to such attention, Xu Zhen waved her hand, signaling for them to rise and return to their tasks.

After bowing, they stepped back.

A young woman stepped forward, wearing a soft headscarf and a blue official's robe, looking quite elegant. She spoke to the palace maid, saying that she could leave, then turned to Xu Zhen and explained that since the Minister and Deputy Minister were away, she wanted to guide Xu Zhen through the procedures of the Ministry.

Xu Zhen sincerely expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you.”

The woman smiled but said nothing further, leading Xu Zhen to her position.

As the Assistant Minister, Xu Zhen's rank was just below that of the Minister and the Deputy Minister, and she sat in the second position on the left. The table was equipped with brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, while beneath the low table lay a stack of books.

“Since this is your first day, you only need to copy the texts for now,” the woman said.

Xu Zhen felt apprehensive about the task and quickly asked, “Is there any way I can avoid doing that?”

“What does the Assistant Minister intend to do if you don’t copy the texts?” the woman replied.

Xu Zhen inquired, “Is there anything else I can do?”

The woman thought for a moment and said, “Well, there is, but it seems the Assistant Minister might not be able to handle it.”

Xu Zhen, holding onto hope, asked, “What is it?”

The woman explained, “It involves managing the funerals of palace maids and evaluating the academic submissions from the schools.”

…That felt a bit too specialized.

Resigned to her situation, Xu Zhen began diligently copying the texts.