Standing in front of a mirror, people moving left and right to help him dress.
This was the morning of every person who had even a shred of background in this world.
Except for this courtyard.
Yinyun tied his own robe and took the clean and perfectly fitting cap, putting it on his head.
On his desk were his three important materials – writing utensils together with paper, bamboo slips containing important information and his ceremonial wooden Hu tablet, a long piece of wood with various symbols of auspicious reign and supreme righteousness.
His eyes brightened, in his mind an abacus appearing, the symbol of the first stage of wisdom – the mental tool.
'Today, the goal of the ministry... if I move correctly, I will be able to gain an advantage, the advantage that will allow me to enter the inner circle of the ministry!' his thoughts intertwined as he refined his plans with the help of his tool.
"Heiluan, have you prepared the carriage?" he asked the scribe to his left.
"Master, steward Bailuan has prepared it and is waiting outside." A young man carrying a box said, walking forward and carefully putting all the materials into his box.
"Then let's go," Yinyun said, turning and walking out of the door his scribe opened hastily.
His courtyard was small and directly bordered a street, allowing him to enter the road to the royal court fast.
Above, the sun hadn't yet risen, it was still rather dark.
He entered the carriage prepared outside, sending his steward back into the house.
The carriage was ordered by the steward, it was the rental carriage he had arranged. There wasn't enough space in the courtyard to park a carriage, so it didn't make sense to purchase one.
As a ninth-rank official, Yinyun was rather poor. It was only with the support of his father, a far-away magistrate, that he was able to purchase a courtyard and enter the ministry of revenue, a ministry that thousands of people wished to enter.
Now that he was here, he wouldn't care about minor inconveniences. His talent had allowed him to reach this rank on his own, and today would be the first court session of his life!
He arrived near the court and left the carriage, walking to the gates by foot. His position didn't allow him to enter the court with the carriage, not that he would do so, with such a rented carriage that doesn't even have an emblem.
His robe carried the symbol of the ministry of revenue – a golden pixiu at the corners of his sleeves, equal to his rank. The guards saw this and allowed him entry.
He quickly followed the steps into the outer court, where he saw only a few people in the last places. Walking there, he stopped and turned to Heiluan, telling him to quickly walk into the inner court and prepare his items.
At this time, only servants could enter the court to prepare the items.
Before he did so, he took out his tablet, holding it in front of him and standing respectfully, his mind whirring, holding the tablet helped him calm down his trembling hand...
The other officials on the scene, seeing his meticulousness, hesitated in their approach and finally stopped.
They were mostly of the ministry of rites, so seeing someone arrive so early was a surprise, especially someone so inept in rituals even though he was a member of the ministry of rites, the most arrogant ministry!
Time passed as Yinyun remained in his position, not budging one bit. His mental power had been refined many times, so this bit of patience was nothing.
In his mind, he once again calculated all the numbers he had calculated yesterday after court – today he entered the court for the first time, so everything had to be meticulous!
Slowly, the sun started rising and people entered one after another.
The last bunch to enter the lower area wasn't the arrogant ministry of revenue, but the always busy ministry of households and the ministry of land!
Soon all ten ministries and two offices gathered and chatted quietly, only a few already preparing their tablet like Yinyun.
The present officials were those of the ninth to seventh rank.
After they all arrived, carriages started arriving, the first mid-rank officials ranging from sixth to fourth rank.
They all came with two or three servants who entered the court and prepared everything, even a single servant remaining by their side, a privilege they enjoyed.
Finally the high ranking officials came one by one in grand carriages with great symbols, their mere presence putting pressure on Yinyun's mind – the pressure of those with a higher mental power.
Their work had been prepared by the servants in the palace already, so they stood by with two people to their side, a scribe and an assistant, each assistant wearing the robe of a lower ranking official.
Just as everyone had arrived, the sun rose and a huge procession could be seen coming from afar –
The guards had started playing music and a guard at the front announced, "His majesty the Great Emperor of the Ying Dynasty, Emperor Huangyinghu has arrived!"
"Greetings to the Great Emperor! Blessings to the emperor! Long shall the great dynasty stand! Long live the eternal royal family!" the officials shouted one after another, raising the tablets in their hands – wood, silver and jade!
"Rise," the emperor, dressed in grand royal golden garment and wearing his golden dragon crown, commanded them to rise as he entered the court.
From afar, his pressure was immense, yet it wasn't the kingdom-like pressure of the ministers in front. Instead, it was as if this pressure carried the whole world on its shoulders, an extremely shocking scene.
One official after the other followed orderly into the court!
It was hundreds of people, even the lowest ninth-rank official was those picked from thousands, the best of the best scholars! If not for this, how could their number be the same as those sixth-rank officials?
Once inside, there were many seats, the ninth-rank scholars sitting in the far back.
They sat down close to each other with no servant in sight. Yinyun's desk was prepared, so everything was arranged extremely neat as he had told them to.
"I hereby open the 10.234th morning court of the Ying Dynasty!" the emperor loudly announced, his gaze sweeping over the countless officials in front of him, cold and indifferent, one of great majesty.