Chapter 024: Going Alone

"Brother Wu, does this Guo Heng have some kind of powerful background?" Xue Rui asked, curiosity piqued.

"You've guessed right," Wu Hui replied. "Tell me, doesn't the surname Guo sound familiar to you?"

"Guo is a common surname, of course it's familiar," Xue Rui answered, not quite understanding the implication.

Wu Hui shook his head. "That's not what I mean. For people in our line of work, isn't the name Guo especially significant?"

"Significant?" Xue Rui paused, then his face showed surprise as he lowered his voice. "Could he be a descendant of Grand Historian Guo from the previous dynasty?"

Grand Historian Guo referred to Guo Shoujing, the renowned Yuan dynasty astronomer, calendar expert, hydraulic engineer, and mathematician. The achievements he created in his lifetime exerted vast influence on subsequent generations. Even the Great Unification Calendar currently used throughout the Ming Empire was adapted from the Time Granting Calendar devised by Guo Shoujing, a testament to his enduring impact.

"Exactly," Wu Hui confirmed with a nod. "By seniority, this fellow should be Guo Shoujing's great-grandson. The authorities may show no regard for anyone else, but they cannot ignore a descendant of Grand Historian Guo. Moreover, his father, Guo Gui, serves as the Fifth-Rank Astronomer at the Southern Imperial Observatory, and will likely be promoted soon. For this reason alone, no official would dare make things truly difficult for him."

"Blast it!" Xue Rui cursed inwardly. Only moments ago, he'd thought Peng Ying had randomly picked students with no background, but it turned out Peng Ying was far more cunning. Knowing full well that Guo Heng wouldn't show up, Peng Ying had deliberately assigned the two together, ensuring Xue Rui would have to handle matters alone at the Autumn Bureau.

As they neared their destination, Wu Hui turned back to remind him, "By the way, the people in Lord Gao's office might have some grievances against your father. You must be cautious, lest you give them an excuse to make things difficult for you."

"How did that happen?" Xue Rui's head throbbed. Why was his father at odds with Lord Gao's astronomy students now?

"Brother Xue, that's a story for another time. Let's go in first."

He wanted to ask more, but there was no time—Wu Hui and his companion were already at the Spring Bureau's office.

Left with no choice, Xue Rui continued on alone.

The Autumn Bureau was located in the fourth room to the west, the farthest from the archives. One had to walk around the covered corridor to reach it.

Arriving at the office, Xue Rui peeked inside.

The room was spacious, with more than a dozen desks. Behind each sat an astronomy student, left hand flicking abacus beads, right hand wielding a writing brush, busily scribbling on paper. A few others hurried back and forth, copying, checking, or recalculating the figures and notes, then carrying them into the inner chamber, presumably for Lord Gao's review.

Xue Rui knocked on the door and respectfully announced, "Student Xue Rui, reporting for duty. Could one of you kindly announce my arrival?"

The sound of abacus beads gradually ceased as the astronomy students looked up at Xue Rui. After a moment, a man in his thirties, one of those bustling about the room, approached and asked, "Are you the son of the former archivist Xue Yuanhao?"

"I am," Xue Rui replied, detecting a hint of hostility in the man's tone, but answering honestly nonetheless.

"Why are you alone? Wasn't there supposed to be another?" The man glanced outside, dissatisfaction evident.

"Two were assigned, but the other refused to come. So, I had to come by myself," Xue Rui explained helplessly.

"So be it. One is better than none. You can handle the work of two, I suppose," the man said indifferently, then turned to report inside.

Crash!

He had barely reached the doorway when several ledgers came flying out from the inner chamber, nearly hitting him in the face.

Before he could react, an angry voice thundered from within, "A pack of useless fools! What is this nonsense? Three people using the same method, and the results still don't agree. How am I supposed to use this?"

"Please, sir, calm your anger. We will have them recalculate immediately," another voice, meek and apologetic, replied.

A frail astronomy student emerged from the inner room, bent nearly double, looking thoroughly flustered.

The middle-aged man quickly stepped aside and whispered, "Brother Fu, what happened? Another error in the calculations?"

"Best not to ask," the frail student replied with a bitter smile, handing the ledgers back to two others to recalculate.

Xue Rui, listening from outside, understood the situation clearly. Lord Gao of the Autumn Bureau evidently had a terrible temper. He would have to tread very carefully to avoid a savage scolding.

The middle-aged astronomy student hesitated at the doorway, neither daring to go in nor out, clearly unwilling to brave Lord Gao's wrath. After a moment's indecision, just as he steeled himself to knock, Lord Gao's voice rang out from inside, "Someone come and refill my tea!"

Seizing the opportunity, the man hurried inside, refilled the tea, then cautiously asked, "Sir, student Xue Rui is here to report for duty and awaits your instructions outside."

"What took him so long? Even a turtle would have arrived by now!" Lord Gao snorted impatiently. "We are short-handed here. Fetching tea, delivering messages, locating books and records—let him handle these chores so you can all focus on your calculations. If you make another mistake and delay the calendar compilation, don't expect me to show any leniency!"

"Yes, sir," the astronomy student replied in relief, then quickly retreated from the inner chamber.

Having overheard most of the conversation, Xue Rui now realized he was here to handle errands so the astronomy students could work undisturbed.

"Come in," the man beckoned him. "Many of the students in this room have left the capital with the Chief Astronomer. Those of us who remain must compile the calendar and calculate astronomical data—our workload is immense. That's why the officials have assigned you here. This office is not like the archives, where discipline is lax. From now on, all the chores are your responsibility. Do your best, and don't slack off, or you'll answer to Lord Gao's cane!"

"But what about my studies?" Xue Rui asked, sensing from the man's tone that he was expected to stay here long-term, perhaps even full-time. If he never returned to the archives, how could he continue learning?

"What advanced knowledge is there left to learn in the archives?" the man sneered. "Anyone truly talented is assigned here to the Five Offices. If you have the time, observe and learn as you work. How much you can absorb depends on your own ability."

It was no wonder he looked down on the archives. Under Peng Ying's management, discipline there was all but nonexistent, and only a handful of diligent students still studied seriously—the rest treated the archives as a playground.

Xue Rui understood. The value lay in the Five Offices; if he wanted to learn, this was the place to be. Still, Peng Ying had deliberately paired him with Guo Heng, forcing him to shoulder all the menial work alone. Who knew if he'd have any time left for study?

But since he was here, he could only take things as they came. He cupped his hands and said, "In that case, could you introduce me to the others, so I won't risk being discourteous to my seniors?"