Chapter 10: The Reality of Officialdom
第十章：官场的现实
After Zhou Jin and Fan Jin entered officialdom, they began to encounter the true face of the bureaucracy. They found that this place was not as clean and upright as they had imagined, but was filled with power struggles and corruption.
周进和范进入仕后，开始接触到官场的真实面貌。他们发现，这里并不像他们想象的那样清廉正直，而是充满了权谋和腐败。
Inside the imperial court, there were factional struggles, and various factions used unscrupulous means to fight for power. Officials attacked each other, even framing opponents, and this internal friction made state governance difficult.
朝廷内部存在着派系之争，各派势力为了争夺权力不择手段。官员们互相攻击，甚至陷害对方，这种内耗让国家治理变得困难。
The Hanlin Academy where Zhou Jin worked was also not peaceful. Here gathered the most talented scholars from the entire country, but there was also competition and jealousy among them. Zhou Jin tried to remain neutral and unwilling to be involved in these struggles.
周进所在的翰林院也并不清静。这里聚集了全国最有才华的读书人，但他们之间也存在着竞争和嫉妒。周进努力保持中立，不愿卷入这些争斗。
Fan Jin was responsible for financial affairs at the Ministry of Revenue. He found the accounts were chaotic and corruption was serious. Many officials took advantage of their positions to enrich themselves, damaging the country's interests.
范进在户部负责财政事务。他发现账目混乱，贪污现象严重。许多官员利用职务之便，中饱私囊，损害了国家的利益。
Facing these corrupt phenomena, Zhou Jin and Fan Jin felt disappointed and angry. They once believed that officials who passed the imperial examination should be morally noble, but reality awakened them.
面对这些腐败现象，周进和范进感到失望和愤怒。他们曾经相信，通过科举考试的官员都应该是道德高尚的，但现实却让他们清醒。
However, they also knew that they could not change the entire system alone. They could only do their best to be honest officials in their positions and do some practical things for the people.
然而，他们也知道，自己无法独自改变整个体制。他们只能尽自己最大的努力，在自己的职位上做一个清官，为百姓做一些实事。