"This is your room!" Li Zhongxin led Gu Chengyu inside, and Gu Chengyu took a glance at the furnishings, noticing only a writing desk.

A small antique shelf held a few simple ornaments. Additionally, there was a bookshelf, which was quite well-stocked.

Upon seeing this room, Gu Chengyu felt fairly satisfied. Judging by the furnishings, it seemed like a personal office, similar to the study in his residence.

"Are you satisfied? If you dislike the layout, I can rearrange it for you." Li Zhongxin cautiously watched Gu Chengyu, as this man was favored by the Emperor, and he dared not offend him.

It’s like when the King Yan fights, the lesser devils suffer.

The fights between the superiors were their own matters; he, as a seventh-rank official, had no place to join in and only needed to do his job well.

"This room is quite tidy and well-arranged. Is it for me to work alone here?" Gu Chengyu’s gaze hovered over the desk, finding it clean and organized, seemingly wiped down.

"Yes, this is your personal office. I’m glad you’re satisfied. I arranged it myself. As for the clerks at Dali Temple, you’ll have to select them yourself. The previous one was taken to the Imperial Sacrificial Worship Temple because Lord Tao found him handy, so he took him along."

This room used to belong to Tao Junyan, but he was pushed out by this newcomer, so naturally, it was given to Gu Chengyu.

However, Mr. Gu, a new official, couldn’t possibly use items others had used, so Li Zhongxin fetched another set of furnishings from storage and rearranged the room slightly.

It was pitiful how he racked his brains to satisfy Gu Chengyu.

Gu Chengyu understood; Tao Junyan likely wouldn’t have a good impression of him. It would undoubtedly be awkward to encounter him in the future, since Gu Chengyu had taken his position, it was only normal for Tao Junyan to be displeased.

The clerk was someone who did errands or took notes for officials at Dali Temple.

There weren’t many officials at the Dali Temple, and these errands and trivial tasks certainly couldn’t all fall on the officials, so they would find some clerks to assist. These individuals held no official positions and most were scholars by background.

Connections were necessary; otherwise, one wouldn’t get an opportunity.

"I am very satisfied with this room. Thank you very much." Gu Chengyu could see that the arrangement was thoughtful, and the desk showed no signs of previous use.

There were no remnants of others’ items, slightly improving Gu Chengyu’s mood.

"Mr. Gu, currently five clerks at Dali Temple are available. If you’re interested, I can have them come over for you to consider?"

Li Zhongxin smiled warmly, appearing very respectful towards Gu Chengyu.

Gu Chengyu found him agreeable enough, and based on his enthusiasm, Gu Chengyu decided to give him a friendly face.

"Is this clerk one person?"

"Given your high rank, you may select two." Li Zhongxin quickly replied, eager to please.

Gu Chengyu raised an eyebrow, realizing these were the leftovers. How capable could they be? In truth, he could manage the paperwork alone but sometimes needed someone to run errands.

"Then please bring them over! By the way, when should our Dali Temple officials check in? Could it be that everyone is out on official duties?"

Gu Chengyu feigned confusion as he spoke.

It was already time to check in, and he, as a fourth-rank official, wasn’t a low position at Dali Temple. With no one coming to pay respects by now, he wondered if they truly disregarded him.

Li Zhongxin’s expression suddenly froze; was Mr. Gu truly unaware or pretending not to be?

Before Gu Chengyu returned to the capital from Jiangnan, Lord Kuang had shown his dislike for Gu Chengyu. Now the officials at Dali Temple knew of the discord between Lord Kuang and Mr. Gu, so who would dare curry favor with Mr. Gu?

"Sir, our Dali Temple is quite busy with cases; perhaps they’re too occupied..."

Gu Chengyu naturally understood Li Zhongxin’s unspoken words. Kuang Zhao Ying indeed showed no courtesy!

As Li Zhongxin felt slightly embarrassed, noise came from outside. Recognizing the clerks’ voices, he suddenly felt relieved.

"Mr. Gu, they’re here; would you like to meet them now?"

Gu Chengyu nodded, knowing he’d be at Dali Temple for two or three years, selecting a couple of clerks for errands was necessary.

Accompanying Li Zhongxin outside, Gu Chengyu saw five men in regular attire standing outside.

"We pay respects to Mr. Gu!" The five men greeted him, some looking anxious and uneasy, others appearing calm.

"Gentlemen, this is Mr. Gu, the new Junior Minister at Dali Temple. You’ve been called here because two of you will be selected to work for Mr. Gu, as was already mentioned to you."

All five unanimously agreed; they were the lowest-ranking clerks not only at Dali Temple but in all surrounding government offices.

Without an official rank, they performed errand and service tasks.

Serving here had many benefits: they dealt with officials, some of high rank, which offered networking opportunities.

Moreover, if an official favored them and wanted to keep them for long-term work, it was indeed their fortune.

Li Zhongxin began introducing them from the first, "This is Wang Zui, this is Yun Zemin, and these three are..." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

During Li Zhongxin’s introductions, Gu Chengyu keenly observed the five men’s expressions.

"Mr. Gu, look, these men are all clever. Only Wang Zui is a Scholar, whereas Wu Hui is without rank, and the others are all scholars."

Li Zhongxin briefly introduced their backgrounds, though there wasn’t much to say. In such a short time, it was impossible to clarify their origins and connections, and some things couldn’t be said openly.

"Who recommended each of you?" Gu Chengyu looked at them, suddenly asking a surprising question.

They all looked shocked, raising their heads to glance at Gu Chengyu before lowering them again.

Even Li Zhongxin was quite taken aback; Mr. Gu was so direct! Wasn’t he afraid of offending someone?

Knowing their patrons could anger certain officials by choosing or rejecting individuals.

Even when wanting to choose the one with stronger backing, offending other officials could draw criticism. Besides, those with powerful patrons might not be manageable.

Gu Chengyu noted all their facial expressions, and finally, one spoke up, "I was recommended by..."

Suddenly, Gu Chengyu waved his hand, pointing to the first two, interrupting the speaker, "No need to say more, I’ll choose these two!"

Gu Chengyu pointed at the two in the front; he didn’t truly want to know who backed these men.

This question alone allowed him to discern who had strong backing and who didn’t.

Earlier, the first person to speak had the hardest backing among them. The arrogant demeanor and proud tone made it glaringly obvious.

Additionally, this person was the only one without rank among them, showcasing just how strong the patronage was.