Chapter 895: Taming the Bird (1)
Mo Qingze’s achievement of becoming the Champion Scholar was a grand joy for the Mo family, as well as for the entire Mo clan and Liu Yang Village. The day after receiving the confirmed news, many villagers spontaneously set off a long string of firecrackers outside the Mo family’s doorstep in celebration.
This time, the Mo family did not host a banquet for guests. Instead, on an auspicious day selected for the event, under Clan Leader Mo Fang’s guidance, they opened the Mo family ancestral temple to report Mo Qingze’s accomplishment as Champion Scholar to their ancestors, praying for the ancestors’ blessings so that the Mo clan’s fortunes would rise henceforth, flourishing and thriving.
Two days hadn’t passed before Mo Qingze’s official appointment papers arrived. To everyone’s surprise, he was not placed directly into the Hanlin Academy like champion scholars of previous years, but was instead appointed as the Crown Prince’s Companion Lecturer, starting at the sixth rank level.
Although the rank was not high, incomparable to a regular sixth-rank Hanlin compiler, the opportunity to associate closely with the Crown Prince was, in reality, an exceptionally valuable position. Should he gain the Crown Prince’s trust, once the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the future would be immeasurably bright. Of course, this was predicated on the assurance of the Crown Prince’s status and his ultimate succession to the throne.
Chu Heng was of legitimate birth and backed by Emperor Huian, making his position securely established. After completely recovering his health, he grew even more unassailable. Mo Qingze’s appointment as the Prince’s Companion Lecturer was essentially like a pie falling from the sky.
Mo Yan could guess the Emperor Huian’s intention behind this decision—it was nothing more than valuing her own father’s reputation in the Scholar’s Forest, aiming to use her father to win over the Scholar’s Forest for Chu Heng’s benefit.
Naturally, Mo Qingze was also aware of this, so upon taking up his post, he not only used his intelligence and talents to continue raising his status and influence in the Scholar’s Forest, but, when tutoring the Crown Prince, he did so with utmost diligence. From time to time, he would bring the Crown Prince, disguised, mixing among the scholars to let the Crown Prince win over those lofty scholars with his personal charm.