Chapter 264: Attendant of the Yellow Gate
Jiang Changtian wore an azure robe today.
He looked elegant and refined.
Following the official who was guiding him, he twisted and turned through so many corners—it felt like they had circled around several times—before arriving in front of a large hall.
Many people were already waiting at the entrance.
The official went inside to report.
He waited outside for a while longer.
The wind blew until his nose was a little red.
Only then was he called inside.
At the same time, someone came out.
There were also people waiting behind him.
Prime Minister Lu seemed genuinely quite busy.
He could be considered to have cut the line.
Many of the people waiting behind him looked at him with hostile eyes.
Jiang Changtian found it quite interesting.
This person, whom everyone called a great corrupt official, a great treacherous minister, “Lu Three-Corpse,” and “Lu Five-Ghost,” actually gave people the impression of being very diligent, as if he were truly getting things done.
After Jiang Changtian entered, he discovered that the room was very busy.
There were several desks, with several people hunched over, processing documents.
And there was another room inside.
Prime Minister Lu was in there.
He was leaning on a soft couch, his large belly protruding, holding a cup of tea in his hand.
Seeing Jiang Changtian enter, he smiled quite kindly and said, “Forgive me. I have been working for too long, and my neck is stiff and hard to turn. It is not that I am intentionally ignoring you, but rather that this neck can only look forward. There are people in the court who say I am arrogant; that is likely the reason.”
Jiang Changtian put on a look of being flattered and nodded repeatedly.
Prime Minister Lu looked at the person before him—the person the Emperor had personally specified. He did not like this kind of variable, but he still had to do what the Emperor had instructed.
He could only pull the person before him to give him a warning.
Seeing this person’s appearance, it was indeed just as the Emperor had said; he always felt he looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him before.
He did not feel any affinity; on the contrary, he felt a bit of disgust. To grow up looking like this—he looked like a sycophant.
Moreover, it was the Emperor who personally gave the instruction; the Emperor remembered him.
Prime Minister Lu gave him a few warnings, and seeing his clueless expression, he closed his eyes for a moment.
Coming from the Rebels, from the countryside, he probably just relied on this face to catch the Emperor’s eye.
“I was once a colleague of your Father, yet I did not expect that in the blink of an eye, you would be this big.” Prime Minister Lu mentioned the late Grand Tutor Jiang again.
In official circles, these words were not meant to be friendly; rather, they meant: “I am from the same generation as your Father, so you had better behave yourself.”
Jiang Changtian nodded obediently.
He looked like he was not good with words.
He looked exactly like a good-looking fool.
In his heart, he thought that Prime Minister Lu calling him over wouldn’t just be to warn him.
Sure enough, when Prime Minister Lu finally gave him the appointment, he saw the official title and understood that going to see the Emperor with his in-law yesterday had indeed been useful.
“Attendant of the Yellow Gate, Fourth Rank, Prime, subordinate to the Secretariat, close attendant to the Son of Heaven, with a salary of six hundred shi of grain.”
Returning home, Mianmian curiously looked at Father’s appointment letter.
Father has been promoted by one rank just like that?
“Brother, what kind of official is an Attendant of the Yellow Gate?” Mianmian asked curiously.
Zi Congheng, the walking encyclopedia, explained, “An Attendant of the Yellow Gate belongs to the close attendants of the Son of Heaven. They are external officials who can enter and exit the Forbidden Palace relatively freely, though they must leave when the gates are locked. Their main work is to handle and convey official business between the Emperor and the Chief Secretariat.”
Jiang Mianmian sorted it out. Does this mean he is a secretary in the Emperor’s secretariat? A Fourth Rank official should be at least at the bureau or department level. In the capital, although the rank isn’t considered incredibly impressive, being close to the Emperor should make it quite impressive.
Father’s salary is six hundred shi, which should be his annual salary.
Shi is a unit, meaning roughly 120 jin.
Here, it should be settled in grain.
Mianmian did a quick calculation. For example, using rice, one jin of rice is about 3 yuan.
3 yuan * 120 jin * 600 shi = 216,000 yuan.
Father’s annual salary is about 200,000 yuan.
The monthly salary is about 18,000 yuan.
A monthly salary of 18,000, a bureau-level cadre, in the capital—it seems if he doesn’t make some extra money, it wouldn’t be enough to support such a big family.
Raising horses, keeping servants, maintaining guards, maintaining the residence, and social obligations.
Seeing Mianmian counting money on her fingers there, Zi Congheng felt speechless and looked up at the sky.
No one actually lives off their official salary. The salary is generally used for when you make a mistake, and the Emperor says to dock your salary for a few years or months.
Mianmian returned the appointment letter to Father and said, “Father, let’s find a way to make some money. Do not be corrupt. Your job is very risky; it is said that accompanying the Emperor is like accompanying a tiger. It is quite difficult.”
Jiang Changtian looked at his little daughter’s serious expression and couldn’t help but smile, “Okay, I will listen to you. You think about it carefully at home—what we can do in the capital and how we can make money.”
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