Chapter 119 Isolated from the World

Jiang Yu harbored no resentment towards the emperor's actions. Everyone has their own thoughts and principles of conduct. Moreover, for the emperor, her entry into the court would bring many uncertainties, and it was perfectly normal for him to want to nip those uncertainties in the bud.

Moreover, the emperor was a man, a man in feudal society who received feudal education from the womb, and the idea that men's status should not be challenged by women was deeply ingrained.

She calmly bowed to the emperor, then sat down to watch the five learned scholars from the Ministry of Personnel carefully review her exam papers.

The Duke of Chu introduced her to almost all the famous figures in the capital. Even though it was the first time Jiang Yu had met these people who were reviewing the exam papers, she knew roughly about their lives.

On the surface, apart from Zheng Yutian, who was Tang Daru's student, the others had little to do with her. Therefore, from the perspective of evaluation, the exam was very fair.

However, only after investigation can we truly understand what's really going on inside.

At this moment, a young palace maid placed a plate of pastries beside her and whispered, "The Empress Dowager sent these to you."

Jiang Yu quickly thanked her in a low voice, and the palace maid bowed to her before leaving. Although her commotion was small, the imperial study was not very large and was very quiet, so everyone present could hear what the little palace maid said clearly.

Everyone looked at Jiang Yu, and then at the Duke of Chu. They confirmed once again that although the Duchess of Chu had passed away, her status with the Empress Dowager remained unchanged.

The Emperor, somewhat embarrassed, picked up his teacup and took a sip. He knew the Empress Dowager felt guilty about his harsh treatment of Jiang Yu, but Jiang Yu, being a woman, truly could not serve as an official. If the Empress Dowager felt she had wronged the Duke of Chu, she could always make amends later.

Even if Jiang Yu is intelligent and resourceful, her reputation will likely be poor after she divorces and returns home. Wouldn't it be better to arrange a good marriage for her instead of having her become an official in the court?

The emperor felt that his decision was very good, and he even racked his brains to think about who would be the most suitable husband for Jiang Yu.

Time passed slowly, and an hour later, the examination papers reviewed by the five judges were handed to the emperor. Jiang Yu received complex or appreciative looks from the five judges.

After reviewing Jiang Yu's exam paper and the assessment results, the emperor's expression was quite remarkable. There was surprise, astonishment, and also distress. He held the paper for a long time, then instructed Zhao Fuquan to show it to Tang Huai-ren, the prime minister, and the ministers of the Six Ministries.

After reading it, these people all looked at Jiang Yu with complicated expressions. At this moment, the most anxious were the Duke of Chu and the Marquis of Anyuan. Everyone else knew the result, but the two of them didn't.

At this moment, Tang Huai-ren spoke up, "The paper demonstrates profound knowledge, unique insights, and concise, clear, and elegant writing. It is the most pleasing exam paper I have ever seen."

He didn't hold back his praise for Jiang Yu because of his relationship with her; he felt that Jiang Yu's exam questions deserved such praise. The six ministers also nodded with complex expressions, and even the prime minister, after carefully reviewing Jiang Yu's exam paper, said it was very good.

"Haha..." The Duke of Chu couldn't help but laugh out loud. Realizing that he was in the imperial study, he quickly stood up and apologized to the emperor, "Your Majesty, I have lost my composure. Please punish me."

The emperor gave him a deep look, then glanced at Marquis Anyuan's barely suppressed smirk, and waved his hand, saying, "It's normal for you to be happy to have such an... outstanding granddaughter, my dear minister. Please sit down."

The emperor truly understood the Duke of Chu's feelings. If he had a son as outstanding as him, he would be overjoyed. Looking at Jiang Yu, he asked, "At what age did you begin your formal education?"

Jiang Yu stood up and respectfully replied, "I started my formal education at the age of three, but I was later abducted and forgot many things, but I haven't forgotten the characters I learned. When my adoptive parents saw that I could read, they sent me to school when I was six. I stopped studying and returned home at the age of thirteen."

However, my adoptive parents supported Qi Yuanhong's education, and since I love reading, I would take whatever books Qi Yuanhong was reading and read them too.

In other words, she studied the same things as this year's top scholar in the imperial examination. However, Qi Yuanhong had teachers to lecture him, while Jiang Yu only read books. It must be said that she was exceptionally intelligent.

The emperor looked down at the examination paper in his hand, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Tell me, how can we ensure long-term stability and peace in Dagan?"

This was equivalent to the imperial examination, except that Jiang Yu didn't need to write down the questions; she could simply answer them directly. However, this was a much more rigorous test because the time allotted for consideration was extremely short.

Moreover, this question is both easy and difficult to answer. It's easy because the question is very broad. It's difficult because it's not easy to give a truly outstanding answer. Which official in the court can't offer a few strategies for governing the country? But how many can truly excel at them?

The expressions of the Duke of Chu and the Marquis of Anyuan both turned serious again.

All eyes were on Jiang Yu. They wanted to know how this woman, who could answer such obscure and difficult questions so well, would answer the emperor's questions.

There stood a woman, fresh and elegant, lost in thought with her eyes downcast, like a rhododendron on a mountaintop—radiant yet serene, detached from the world.

At this moment, no one would have guessed that this woman had been divorced and that after the divorce, her ex-husband's family for three generations was barred from taking the imperial examinations.

"In my opinion, the most important thing for a country to achieve long-term peace and stability is a strong military..."

Jiang Yu's voice rang out, and her concise and clear language analyzed why a strong military force is necessary. As a result, the people present couldn't help but nod, while their expressions became even more complicated.

A woman's first thought for the long-term stability of a country is actually a strong military.

"Secondly, develop the agricultural economy..." Jiang Yu began to state her second point, concluding with the statement, "Only when the people are well-fed and clothed can riots be prevented and social stability achieved."

The emperor leaned back in his chair, watching her speak eloquently, reflecting on his ambitions when he first ascended the throne, weighing what he had done, what he hadn't done, what he had done well, and what he had done poorly.

Then Jiang Yu began to discuss the third point, saying, "The third is education. After the people are well-fed and clothed, they should be taught what they should and shouldn't do, and what actions would violate the law. They should also be taught what propriety, righteousness, sincerity, and trustworthiness are..."

The third point, to put it bluntly, is education plus brainwashing. The more sophisticated way to put it is to improve the quality of the people, make them know and abide by the law, understand etiquette, and at the same time establish social moral standards.

"fourth....."

"fifth....."

........

Jiang Yu did not simply transplant the modern approach to this place, but instead combined it with modern governance concepts to present a set of governance methods suitable for feudal society and for the current great undertaking.

By the time she finished speaking, half an hour had passed. Her mouth was parched, and she couldn't resist picking up the teacup on the table and taking a large gulp. The Duke of Chu and the Marquis of Anyuan felt a pang of sympathy, while the Emperor couldn't help but smile.

He had Zhao Fuquan serve Jiang Yu another cup of tea, then looked at the Prime Minister and asked, "What do you think, my dear minister?"