115 Chapter 115

◎Ever-changing◎

The promulgation of the new policy caused an uproar in many parties.

But Xie Mingzhuo held great power, and many important officials in the court were promoted by her, so no one in the world dared to interfere.

In the spring of the sixth year of Xihe, the Ministry of Rites presided over the joint examination.

This imperial examination was the second spring examination held during the reign of Emperor Xihe. It was very different from the first one. The most talked about thing was that there were several female champions in this examination!

Among them, Xiang Jinghui, the top scholar in Fujian, was the most famous, followed by Meng Fan, the daughter of Meng Jijiu, who once entered the palace to be a companion to Princess Rong'an.

There was another top scorer in the imperial examination in Nanzhili, named Fan Yuan, who was the granddaughter of the former Minister of Rites Fan Wenxin. Fan Wenxin retired and returned to his hometown a few years ago. Who would have thought that his granddaughter would make such a big splash in the imperial examination.

These three female champions became the hotly discussed candidates for this year's imperial examination, while the champions from other provinces were all forgotten by the crowd.

There were even bookmakers who set up betting games to see what rank these three would get in the imperial examination.

As a "celebrity", Xiang Jinghui naturally has the highest support rate. Meng Fan was once the study partner of Emperor Xihe, and many people bet on her. Fan Yuan is not well-known and ranks the lowest.

The other candidates were naturally resentful that the three women stole the limelight. Some candidates who had "competed on the same stage" with the three were convinced, but candidates from other provinces just felt that they were trying to attract attention.

Xiang Jinghui has been experienced for many years, so even if he hears some dirty words, he will not take it to heart.

She took Yan Tai and her daughter with her as they strolled through the streets near the inn. The streets were filled with people dressed in colorful clothes. Every time before and after the imperial examinations, the literary atmosphere in the capital would become even more intense.

The five-year-old daughter struggled to get out of her father's arms.

Yan Tai was helpless and doting. He bent down and put her on the ground, staring at her dumpling-like back without blinking, and followed her step by step.

The child walked unsteadily, his height not even reaching the thigh of a passerby. He was wobbling and almost fell down several times, but he still stubbornly walked forward.

When they reached the corner, there was a sudden "thump" sound and they accidentally bumped into another little ball, and they both fell on their butts.

Xiang Jinghui and Yan Tai felt a tightness in their hearts and rushed forward to check, each picking up one.

Fortunately, neither child cried.

"Little guy, why are you alone? Where are your family members?" Xiang Jinghui brushed the dust off the strange child's clothes and asked gently.

The child put his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Uncle is behind me."

She was quite cute, with a pair of big, bright eyes that occasionally flashed a hint of cunning, and there was always a sense of familiarity between her eyebrows that made Xiang Jinghui feel a sense of familiarity.

The sound of hurried footsteps suddenly arrived, and a large hand lifted the child by the collar. She remained calm and even said, "Second uncle, you're so slow."

"You little bastard!" Xie Mingshuo was so angry that he slapped his hands a few times. It didn't hurt even through the layers of clothes, and he couldn't bear to use too much force.

The child didn't cry or make a fuss, but raised his hands calmly: "Hold me."

Xie Mingshuo had no choice but to lift her up, hold her to his chest, and pinch her cheeks: "Just rely on me to spoil you."

If he hadn't been unable to resist the little girl's pleading, he would not have taken her out of the palace.

The little hand tugged at his collar, then pointed to the other little ball and said, "Sister."

Xie Mingshuo then remembered that there were outsiders around. He looked up at the two adults and one child and was stunned.

He was the one who wrote the story of Xiang Jinghui himself, so he certainly knew what Xiang Jinghui looked like. However, Xiang Jinghui probably only recognized Tiezhu and not him.

He pretended not to know and nodded politely: "Thank you both for your care."

"My dear, you are too polite," Xiang Jinghui felt a strange fondness for the two children in front of him, and said with a smile, "It was my child who was not paying attention when walking and bumped into the little guy. We should apologize."

Yan Tai couldn't help but remind him: "You still have to be careful when looking after children."

Although the country is peaceful and the people are prosperous now, kidnappers still exist. Even if children don't encounter kidnappers, they can easily get hurt if they stumble and fall.

Xie Mingshuo nodded repeatedly: "I understand."

The two sides separated.

Soon after, the results of the imperial examination were announced.

Xiang Jinghui ranked first, Meng Fan ranked second, and Fan Yuan ranked fourth.

Not only the person who set up the gambling game was dissatisfied, but the other male candidates were also dissatisfied. It was not until the chief examiner sent someone to post the essays of the top four candidates that everyone stopped protesting.

In the face of strength, no matter how much you refuse to obey, it is useless.

After the joint examination comes the palace examination. Anyone who passes the joint examination can become a Jinshi unless there are unexpected events. The only difference is whether they are in the first, second or third class.

On the day of the palace examination, a group of tribute students lined up to enter the palace and go to the Fengtian Hall.

His Majesty the Emperor has not yet arrived in the palace. Only after they have finished answering the test questions and have been ranked will the Emperor call out the top scorer in the palace.

Most of the tribute students were taking the examination in the palace for the first time. Some were so nervous that their pens trembled and stains appeared on their papers. They could not help but sigh and feel annoyed. Although their places in the imperial examination would not be cancelled, their ranking would be lower.

There are also people who remain calm and composed, their ideas flow freely and naturally, and they perform exceptionally well, and maybe they can even move up in the rankings.

Xiang Jinghui served as an official for several years and was once a fifth-rank Sichuan supervisor. She had experienced many ups and downs and traveled for several years. For her, the policy essays for the palace examination were easy to come by.

Meng Fan had been studying with the princess for many years and had gained a lot of knowledge from the former princess. With the guidance of the former Prime Minister Chang, the test questions were not difficult for her.

Fan Yuan is the granddaughter of Fan Wenxin. She has a calm personality. Although it is her first time entering the palace, she is able to remain calm and focused on the test questions, writing as if possessed by a god.

There were other tribute students who performed well, but they were still a few points behind these three.

After the exam, the test papers were copied and sent to the examiner. Three test papers stood out and received the most praise. However, the final ranking still had to be decided by Your Majesty.

The examination papers were sealed and presented to the emperor.

Xie Mingzhuo was still holding a memorial in his hand, with a ball leaning on his arm. Ball tried his best to open his eyes wide to see what was written in the memorial, but he became more and more sleepy, and soon began to snore.

A man approached the imperial table, grasped Tuanzi's armpits with his big hands, and picked him up easily. The little Tuanzi opened his eyes a little and muttered, "Daddy."

Then I leaned on his shoulder and fell asleep peacefully.

Lin Fan smiled gently and said, "I'll take her to rest."

"Okay." Xie Mingzhuo watched the father and daughter leave, the tenderness in his eyes had not yet faded, when officials from various departments entered the hall holding the answer sheets.

The answer sheet was sealed and only the essay was exposed, waiting for the emperor to select the top rank.

After reading it, Xie Mingzhuo did not hesitate to be polite with everyone and directly pointed out the top three winners according to their standards and preferences.

After selection, the volume opens.

The ministers were slightly startled and looked up at the emperor. Seeing that her face was calm, they restrained their expressions.

The time has come, and the emperor personally went to the Fengtian Hall to summon a group of Jinshi.

Some were young and strong, while others were old and weak. Most of them had never seen the current Majesty and only knew that she was a woman.

But the imperial power was above everything else. No matter how much they looked down on women in normal times, they did not dare to be disrespectful in public and all of them lowered their heads and looked submissive.

In addition to Xiang Jinghui, Meng Fan and Fan Yuan, there are two other women among the Jinshi. Although they are not as famous as the first three and are only ranked in the top three, the fact that they can be among the Jinshi is enough to show that they are talented and intelligent.

Xie Mingzhuo sat upright in the hall, looking down at the talented people below. The golden sunlight shone into the hall, and the excitement and expectation in their eyes were clearly visible.

After asking some routine questions, she ranked the students first in class.

Xiang Jinghui was the top scorer in the imperial examination and was awarded the title of Jinshi. He was appointed as a sixth-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy.

Meng Fan was ranked second in the imperial examination and was awarded the title of Jinshi, and was appointed as a seventh-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy.

Fan Yuan was ranked third in the imperial examination and was awarded the title of Jinshi, and was appointed as a seventh-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy.

As soon as the news came out, there was an uproar in the court and the market.

This is the first time in history that all the top-ranking Jinshi are women!

No matter how many people in the world criticize and scold them for this, the three of them have proved themselves with their strength.

At the Qionglin Banquet, many Jinshi pointed their "spearheads" at the three people, but all ended in failure.

When it comes to governing the country, he is not as good as Xiang Jinghui, who has been an official for several years and traveled for many years; when it comes to future development, he is not as good as Meng Fan, who has been his study companion for many years and has been deeply influenced by Xie Mingzhuo; even when it comes to reciting poems and composing essays, Fan Yuan crushes him.

The male Jinshi scholars were as frosty as eggplants, and they all faced the reality. Whether in terms of ability or the emperor's favor, they were far inferior to these three, so they could only bury their heads in drinking.

Xie Mingzhuo only sat for a short while before leaving the Qionglin Banquet.

A moment later, a little girl who was three heads tall walked in with a swagger, followed by several palace maids.

She raised her little head, her big eyes scanning the whole room, finally landing on Xiang Jinghui's face. With her hands behind her back, she walked up to her with dignity and said crisply, "I remember you."

Xiang Jinghui was stunned. Isn't this the little girl who was knocked to the ground by her daughter on the street a few days ago?

She was wearing...

Everyone in the audience immediately knelt down and saluted.

Xiang Jinghui also bent his knees, and after being surprised, he was full of respect, but a pair of small hands held up his sleeves.

"The Queen Mother said that you are all pillars of our Great Qi. No need for formalities. Please stand up."

Everyone thanked her and stood up, their eyes involuntarily falling on the little girl.

This girl is the Emperor's only daughter. She was appointed Crown Prince at her first birthday. Now she is only three years old, but judging by her words and deeds, she already has much of her mother's style.

As for her father, everyone inside and outside the court speculated that it was the imperially appointed constable Lin Fan, but the emperor had never appointed a queen and had never announced her to the public, so everyone could only speculate in private.

After the Qionglin Banquet, peace returned to the court.

Soon, the northern Dada invaded the border again, but was still stopped outside the pass by Qi State's fully upgraded defense system, resulting in heavy casualties.

Over the years, Bataan has never given up on moving south, but each attempt ended in a disastrous defeat.

After the Left General Nag came to Qiguo, he repeatedly advised him to give up the idea of ​​going south. After many times, Badan demoted him in anger.

The war faction of the Dada tribe ushered in spring.

But years of setbacks have made Dada a laughing stock on the grassland, and Badan became so depressed that he fell seriously ill.

During his illness, he kept dreaming that he led his troops to break through the blockade of Qi State's border, attacked the capital, cut off the emperor's head, and became a wise and prosperous ruler who unified the country.

After waking up, I found that nothing had changed, and disappointment and pain suddenly filled my chest.

Under the stimulation, he made an impulsive decision.

Before he recovered from his illness, he summoned the tribal soldiers and personally led the cavalry to attack the border town of Qi State.

The Qi army was no longer the remnant of the past. They only sent out a few battalions of elite soldiers, but they were unstoppable and crushed the enemy soldiers who had invaded the border under their feet.

Badan was accidentally hit in the chest by a stray bullet and died before he could return to the royal court.

Before he died, he stared at the direction of the capital of Qi State, and scenes from many years ago emerged in his mind.

Princess Rong'an once shot a tiger to death and said to it, "Only death can make a disobedient beast submit completely."

He had been dismissive of this back then, but he had not expected that after she came to power, Dada's troops would never set foot on the territory of Qi again. For the rest of his life, he lived under her shadow.

I can't let it go until I die.

When the news of Badan's death reached the capital, Xie Mingzhuo just glanced at it and put it out of his mind.

The grassland tribes are no longer a strong enemy of the Qi State. What she should do most is to improve internal affairs and people's livelihood, vigorously develop science and technology, and consolidate the industrial foundation.

After Badan's death, his sons split Dada into several tribes in competition for the throne. The situation on the grassland became more chaotic than before, and the fighting between tribes became more serious.

In contrast, the Qi State continued to prosper and had long become the most powerful country on this land.

In the spring of the tenth year of Xihe, Qi State completely abolished the system of monogamy and polygamy and only allowed monogamy.

With the rapid development of industry, the proportion of female workers is increasing. Most women are no longer dependent on men, both economically and spiritually, and they have more choices.

At this time, the first railway track in Qi State was officially opened to traffic, and newspapers across the country published this exciting news.

For a time, the whole country was jubilant.

【Author’s words】

Happy New Year!