The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

Wu Chengsi is 42 years old this year. He is the Empress Dowager's nephew and inherited the title of Duke of Zhou.

In other words, he was the legal heir of the lineage of the Empress Dowager's grandfather, Wu Shihuo.

At the beginning of the year, the princes surnamed Li were transferred to the imperial genealogy. According to rumors, after the Empress Dowager became emperor, she would depose her own sons from their imperial lineage and let the Wu family inherit the throne.

In other words, Wu Chengsi was the top candidate for crown prince.

That is, the future emperor.

No wonder this mere servant was so arrogant; although he used the word "please," his tone was almost like summoning someone.

Cui Jing and Lu Yuan realized it was Wu Chengsi who had invited them, so they stepped aside, not daring to utter a sound.

Prime Minister, Duke of Zhou, or Crown Prince candidate—no matter which title they held, ordinary scholars could not aspire to such positions.

However, Lu Jun politely declined, saying, "I will be attending the Fengge ceremony tomorrow, and I will naturally pay my respects to you, sir."

According to the system, after the results of the imperial examinations were announced, all the successful candidates were required to pay a visit to the prime minister, a process known as "passing through the hall."

Wu Chengsi was one of the prime ministers, so naturally they would meet.

The servant was greatly surprised, and after a moment of stunned silence, his voice suddenly became more forceful: "Listen carefully, this is a private banquet hosted by the Duke of Zhou!"

He had just referred to himself as the Left Chancellor of Wenchang, but now he changed his address to Duke of Zhou, which was a reminder to Lu Jun that his master's surname was Wu.

The explicit mention of a "private banquet" highlights its difference from the routine court session, implying a desire to win over and recruit the guests.

In his view, being recruited by his master was a great honor for anyone, let alone a young scholar!

Lu Jun bowed slightly and said, "Your Excellency is a pillar of the state. I must follow the rules and introduce myself to show my respect."

I declined again.

The servant's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and after a long while, he coldly raised his sleeve: "You don't know what's good for you. Just you wait!"

In his experience, the person invited would be overjoyed and would immediately present a visiting card. Those who were good at social etiquette would also secretly slip him some money or valuables so that he would say a few nice words to them when he returned the favor.

The young man before me is truly aloof and unyielding... Even the gods wouldn't allow such an arrogant person to exist!

Without another word, he turned and strode away, his horse's hooves suddenly rising and disappearing around the street corner.

Lu Jun smiled faintly and stepped through the door.

You cannot worship at Wu Chengsi's dock.

Those who achieve great things need to be shrewd and calculating, but he rushed too far ahead in his attempt to change dynasties.

Not only did he repeatedly propose establishing seven ancestral temples for the Wu clan and forging prophecies, he also repeatedly instigated the Empress Dowager to execute members of the Li clan and loyal ministers.

You can do this dirty work, but don't do it yourself. You should at least bribe a few black gloves.

He was afraid that the Empress Dowager wouldn't see his loyalty, so he took matters into his own hands, making sure even the old ladies washing vegetables on the street knew about it.

Moreover, this man, despite his high position and great power, was extremely obsequious. Whenever he saw Xue Huaiyi, he would call himself a servant, and he would also take the initiative to hold the reins and lead the horse for the Zhang brothers later on.

He lacked the talent to govern a country; his secrets to success, aside from his birth, amounted to three things—

persist in,

shameless,

Insist on being shameless.

However, Lu Jun refused to pay homage to him not because he was shameless, but because he was too opposed to the Li family and loyal ministers.

If I were to attend his banquet, it would be tantamount to choosing sides, and before I even got an official position, I would immediately become the mortal enemy of many people.

Cui Jing and Lu Yuan exchanged a glance and followed Lu Jun at a distance, remaining silent.

Upon entering the dormitory, they suddenly bowed deeply at the same time: "Brother Chu Yu, you are upright and unyielding, please accept my bow!"

The two men had open and honest eyes, and their voices were crisp and clear. They possessed a composed and dignified demeanor and were very sincere.

Lu Jun was very curious and asked with a smile, "Eh, why...didn't you always think highly of the Wu family?"

Cui Jing declared proudly, "To favor the Wu family is to be pragmatic, and to disdain certain people is to uphold integrity. If the world truly falls into that person's hands, I would rather live in seclusion for the rest of my life!"

Lu Yuan echoed, "The Lu family of Fanyang has a long-standing tradition of integrity; they would rather be dogs in a poor village than guests of corrupt officials!"

Seeing their classmate gaining momentum, the two tried to curry favor with him for several days, but they always had their own ulterior motives.

I'm afraid my brother is suffering, but I'm also afraid he's driving a Land Rover.

Only then did he truly admire them from the bottom of his heart, bowing his head in admiration for their noble lineage and offering heartfelt praise.

Lu Jun blinked: "If I'm ever framed by the Duke of Zhou, can I implicate you?"

Cui Jing: "..."

Lu Yuan: "..."

Well, I have a monthly exam tomorrow, and I haven't actually managed to get a date with the courtesan. Tonight we're at the academy, so I'll head out now!

Knowing that she had offended Wu Chengsi, Lu Jun did not want to continue to freeload at her classmates' dinner parties before she could establish a firm foothold in the situation.

Although these two had many ulterior motives, they weren't exactly bad people, and their words and actions still reflected the aloofness of disciples from aristocratic families.

We've been eating at their place for two days, so we should take care of them.

The next day, Lu Jun arrived at the capital as agreed, and the forty-six candidates, guided by Shen Quanqi, entered the Taichu Palace.

The Taichu Palace had a front court and a rear palace, with the city wall to the north of the Mingtang serving as the dividing line. The east and west courtyards to the south were the offices of the inner court officials.

The West Courtyard extends northward along Guangzheng Gate and Jingyun Gate. The long street is wide and straight, unlike the rammed earth of Tianjie Street, it is paved with bluestone. Each stone is about ten feet long, and the coolness underfoot makes one feel refreshed and invigorated.

Each hall within the courtyard follows a set pattern, with eaves, arches, pillars, and platforms constructed according to the rank of the officials, resulting in a staggered arrangement of varying heights.

To the right front, the Mingtang (bright hall) soars into the clouds, its blue glazed tiles covering the sky like a heavenly canopy, and its pyramidal roof radiates dazzling light.

Each department in the courtyard was guarded by government soldiers. The guards stood with halberds in hand, their armor gleaming, exuding a dignified and imposing aura.

Upon reaching Mingfu Gate, Shen Quanqi stopped.

The Phoenix Pavilion is on your right.

Inside the vermilion gate, the flying eaves and multi-story buildings peek out from the top of the wall, exuding a profound aura.

Originally, the Prime Minister's office was located in the Luantai Palace, also known as the Secretariat. However, after Pei Yan became Prime Minister, it was moved to the Fengge Palace.

Therefore, this place was the most powerful place in the entire Tang Dynasty, apart from the Empress Dowager's imperial carriage.

"Brother Chu Yu, you debated with all the ministers yesterday, remaining dignified and fearless. We were all saved by you."

Zhang Shuo and a dozen or so of his classmates crowded around Lu Jun, whispering and laughing as Shen Quanqi wasn't paying attention.

According to regulations, the court hearing was led by the top scholar, and everyone was somewhat intimidated in front of the prime minister.

Yesterday, Lu Jun faced the siege without flinching, and afterwards he was personally summoned by the Empress Dowager. His classmates admired him greatly and unanimously regarded him as the leader of this year's examination.

A few people glanced over coldly and stood far away from the circle, seemingly unconvinced.

You guys were just having a verbal battle with the ministers... Lu Jun imagined a scene and quickly erased it from her memory.

He laughed and said, "It's all just following the script; it's just a matter of announcing your name. You can just go in."

The court proceedings are scripted.

The clerk of the Phoenix Pavilion first collected the visiting cards, and then, after the Prime Minister arrived at the Capital Hall from the Hall of State Affairs, led a group of people inside to announce his arrival.

"Shen, an assistant director of the Ministry of Personnel, who was a successful candidate in the imperial examination, came to see the Prime Minister."

Xing Wenwei, Wu Youning, Su Liangsi, Wu Chengsi, Cen Changqian, and Fan Libing took their seats in turn and nodded slightly.

The candidates lined up in two rows. Lu Jun, who was in the center of the front row, stepped forward and gave a speech: "On the 28th day of the second month of the first year of Zaichu, the Examination and Recruitment Office released the results. We are fortunate to have achieved fame and to have been able to be trained by you, sir. We are filled with gratitude and trepidation."

The script was prepared in advance by the directors and clerks of Hunan TV.

This step is routine and does not require the prime minister to express his opinion; the candidates simply wait for their names to be announced in turn.

The so-called "public announcement" means that everyone from the top scholar down announces their name and ancestral home, and if they are only stating their surname, they also state their ancestral origin.

After Lu Jun finished her speech, she bowed and returned to the queue. After a short wait, she began to speak according to procedure:

"The top scholar of this imperial examination is Lu Jun, courtesy name Chuyu, from the Lu family of Wu Commandery..."

The words had barely left his lips when a cold, icy voice drifted from ahead:

"The Lu family of Wu County? Do you have any family records?"

"If I remember correctly, the Lu family was designated as having eight branches, but none of them were descendants of Lu Shiheng."

"Claiming to be from a prestigious family to elevate one's status is not necessarily a crime, but forging genealogical records to participate in the imperial examinations is tantamount to deceiving the emperor!"

The one speaking was Wu Chengsi.