Chapter 51 Master He, I would be grateful for your guidance…

The East Market was exceptionally lively today. Students who had finished their exams put down their books and mingled in groups of three or five among the various taverns.

The private room on the west side of the second floor of Fengyang Tower faces the main street of the East Market. Next door is Mingyu Pavilion, and across the street in front is Shancaifang.

The Shan Cai Fang store rarely had its doors wide open. A sturdy-looking waiter with a plump, round face set up a table in front of the door, with a crisp curtain hanging behind him.

Three nameplates hung in a row above the curtain, and numbers were recorded in a row below. The table in front of the waiter was piled high with copper coins, and occasionally, among the small mountain of coins, there were also valuable items such as beads and jewelry. The surrounding area was bustling with noise, but no one took advantage of the situation to steal anything.

It wasn't that the people of Daliang were particularly well-mannered; it was just that a row of burly men stood on either side of the table, making people afraid to act recklessly.

This is the betting game that He Zheng mentioned.

Since the exams ended, the gambling has become increasingly popular. Even high-ranking servants who come out to buy groceries can't help but join in the fun and place a bet.

Yu Mingshu wanted to see whose name was on the name tag, but unfortunately, Daliang didn't have a telescope. She strained her eyes with her best eyesight, but could only vaguely make out the word "thank you."

Cui Hongli came upstairs to find her as soon as she finished checking the accounts, handed her a plate of melon seeds, and said, "Don't bother looking anymore. I just asked this morning, and the two people who are currently the most popular are Xie Huaijin, the third son of the Xie family, and Xiao Lai, the rumored protégé of Minister Xie."

Upon hearing the words "rumored protégé," Yu Mingshu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"You just finished your exams, so you don't know what He Erlang has done, do you? The stories he sells on the street practically portray the Xie family mansion as a den of debauchery where people party every night!"

As Cui Hongli spoke, she couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips, "When you came last time, Xiao Lai was still smugly gossiping about you. Now, rumors are raining down on him, and wherever he goes, people are giving him wicked smiles. He's finally learned his lesson."

Yu Mingshu remained silent and took a sip of tea.

How could she not know? She wrote the storybook.

"Whose name is on the third sign?" she asked, turning her gaze back to the window and pointing to the entrance of Shancaifang.

“It’s you,” Cui Hongli said.

Yu Mingshu was forced to recall He Zheng's foolish act of throwing away fifty strings of cash, and closed her eyes briefly. "I asked unnecessary questions."

Cui Hongli rested her right elbow on the table, propped her cheek up, and looked at her. "You came here today to come up with a new recipe for this summer's iced tea?"

Yu Mingshu keenly sensed the probing tone in her voice, probably because she was afraid that he would kill his old employer first after he got ashore.

She smiled helplessly and said, "If I come up with a new idea, I'll definitely offer it to the shopkeeper first."

Cui Hongli couldn't help but feel disappointed. She sighed and asked again, "So you just came to watch the fun today?"

"Just looking around, nothing in particular." After saying this, Yu Mingshu stared out the window for a good ten seconds before finally turning to meet the pair of phoenix eyes beside him. "Shopkeeper, you are very knowledgeable. I do have something I'd like to ask you."

"Speak."

"I want to learn to ride a horse, where can I find a teacher?"

Cui Hongli asked in surprise, "Why do you suddenly want to learn horseback riding?"

Yu Mingshu said, "It's always good to have more skills."

“Most people learn riding from those around them, like their fathers, brothers, or elders. It’s usually only wealthy and powerful families who hire people specifically to teach horsemanship,” Cui Hongli said thoughtfully, then raised an eyebrow. “If you want to hire someone to teach you riding, isn’t there someone ready-made for you?”

"who?"

"Who else could it be?"

The person in front of him suddenly smiled ambiguously, and a handsome face popped into Yu Mingshu's mind.

Is this appropriate?

“It couldn’t be more suitable,” Cui Hongli said. “We don’t know anything about the people we find from outside. It’s one thing if they can’t teach you properly, but the real problem is that they might not even be able to guarantee your safety. Rather than gambling your life on a stranger, you might as well trust him this time.”

Yu Mingshu listened and murmured, "But he has to agree first."

This worry is somewhat unnecessary.

The next morning, He Zheng led her to his villa at the foot of Lishan Mountain, pointed to a row of glossy, muscular horses in the stable, and waved his hand.

"You can choose which horse you want to ride."

The sight of so many BMWs was dazzling, but Yu Mingshu had no idea which one to choose; she couldn't even recognize all the Hyundai logos.

"Is there any particular reason for this?"

He Zheng lingered in front of the stable for a moment, then pointed to four of the horses and said, "These few are docile and suitable for you."

Yu Mingshu inexplicably gives off a feeling of cosplaying an emperor selecting candidates.

After hesitating for a while, she finally made up her mind and picked the most handsome black horse, "This is it."

After saying that, he smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute to He Zheng: "Master He, thank you for your guidance."

Hearing this address, He Zheng's ears burned, and his heart felt itchy as if it were being tickled by willow catkins.

He coughed lightly, straightened his back, and said, "This is a good name. We'll call you that from now on."

…

At the beginning of March, the examination paper marking process came to an end.

After the examiners reviewed all the answer sheets and the Secretariat reviewed them, the final list of twenty people who made the list was written into the memorial and presented to the emperor along with the original and copied answer sheets.

Emperor Fengle pressed the scrolls on the table, his calloused palms rubbing against the paper as he flipped through four or five essays. Then he raised his head and glanced at everyone in the hall.

"Your Highness, you participated in the examination and reviewed the candidates' answers. In your opinion, who among this year's successful candidates is the best?"

Liang Yuanjun stepped forward and said, "The candidates who can enter the provincial examination are all outstanding individuals, one in ten thousand. In my opinion, they are all pillars of the court, and there is no difference in their merits."

Emperor Fengle, annoyed by what he heard, turned to his ministers and said, "I've heard that Minister Xie has a protégé named Xiao Lai, who is said to be a once-in-a-century genius?"

Mentioning the name Xiao Lai, everyone involuntarily thought of a certain wonderful storybook, their expressions varied, and they struggled to suppress their laughter.

Xie Shichang solemnly replied, “These are all rumors. I have only met Xiao Lai twice, and it is by no means the teacher-student relationship that is rumored in the marketplace. Furthermore, this person’s writing is mediocre, ranking at the bottom among this year’s candidates. How can he be worthy of the title of genius?”

What a wonderful two-way connection.

Who in Chang'an didn't know? Before the storybooks circulated, Xiao Lai and Xie Shichang were inseparable, going in and out of the same place every day. People would even believe that he had taken over Xie Zhang's job and become the new steward of the Xie family.

Liang Yuanjun glanced at the man who seemed righteous and awe-inspiring.

Xie Shichang simply saw that the emperor was wary of the power of aristocratic families, so he deliberately supported these candidates who had passed the provincial examinations. In this way, fresh blood entered the court, and this fresh blood was connected to the Xie family's roots... In this inextricable entanglement, the aristocratic families, led by the Xie family, remained firmly in power, treating the court as a chessboard for their games.

Now that his plan has failed, he's only gotten himself into trouble, and he's quick to distance himself from the situation.

Emperor Fengle stared at Xie Shichang's respectful demeanor and said with a half-smile, "The mediocre Xiao Caizi you speak of, who ranks last among the top three in this year's imperial examinations. Minister Xie, are you criticizing Prime Minister Li for his poor judgment of character?"

Li Qinian, whose name was called, remained silent, as if it were none of his business, and tucked his sleeves in.

It was Chen Qu's idea to rank Xiao Lai in the top three. He knew that His Majesty intended to promote those from humble backgrounds but was also concerned about the reputation of aristocratic families. Therefore, he accurately selected Xiao Lai's answer from among thousands of answers from those from humble backgrounds.

He never expected that Xie Shichang would sever ties with Xiao Lai over a few harmless rumors. In the end, he not only failed to win the Emperor's favor but also incurred the wrath of the powerful families.

The court officials, unable to decipher the emperor's meaning, lowered their heads and stared at the brickwork, putting their feigned ignorance to the extreme.

Emperor Fengle looked around and instructed Yao Qingxi to return the memorial to Prime Minister Li, asking, "Why are the top three only nominated and not ranked?"

Li Qinian explained respectfully, “Regarding the order of the top three candidates in this imperial examination, I and several other examiners have debated repeatedly, but have not yet reached a conclusion. Therefore, I am presenting this to Your Majesty for your review and decision.”

"All of you here are learned scholars, and you were among the top three in the imperial examinations back then. If even you cannot distinguish between them, how can I possibly judge their merits?"

After asking, he unsurprisingly received a few words of praise for "Your Majesty's wisdom".

"Your Highness, take a look." The emperor pulled out the top three answer sheets and threw the questions at the crown prince.

Liang Yuanjun first glanced at the memorial forwarded by Li Qinian and saw three names that were irreconcilable: Xie Huaijin, Xiao Lai, and He Zheng.

Aristocratic families, humble families, and maternal relatives.

Li Qinian, that old fox, never expresses his opinion on anything, never takes sides, and always says "anything is fine" when asked. He has spent half his life practicing the doctrine of the mean, so it's no wonder that he can't distinguish between the three of them.

He quickly finished reading the three articles, then bowed and replied, "These three articles each have their merits, making it difficult to choose."

Emperor Fengle waved his hand in annoyance, "Stop with these perfunctory words. I'll just ask you, if you were to choose, who would be the top candidate?"

Liang Yuanjun hesitated for only a moment before saying, "Your subject follows the will of the people and recommends Xie Sanlang first."

Below the main hall, the assembled officials all looked toward Xie Shichang.

Xie Shichang was also taken aback. He thought the Crown Prince would support his maternal family and recommend He Zheng as the top candidate.

Emperor Fengle tapped the table lightly with his fingers and remained silent for a long time.

"I think Yu Mingshu's essay 'On the Cultivation of Talents' is novel in its arguments and remarkable in its writing."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Yu Mingshu, she's not even in the top three!

Li Qinian said in a deep voice: "Yu Mingshu's article does have some novel aspects. It mentions the reform of the imperial examination system and even the reform of education, which shows a long-term vision and is worthy of our deep consideration. However, perhaps due to the limited time in the examination room, this article still has some shortcomings."

"The Treatise on Cultivating Talents has flaws. Are the three people you recommended all perfect?"

Faced with the emperor's pressure, Li Qinian had no choice but to tell the truth: "Those three can only be described as having neither merit nor demerit."

Emperor Fengle's tone suddenly sharpened: "Seeking no merit but avoiding mistakes, is this the Doctrine of the Mean advocated by Prime Minister Li? You all hold important positions and receive salaries from the court, yet you turn a blind eye to the problems within the court! Is this the attitude a subject should have?"

The court officials were shocked upon hearing this, and lowered their heads even further.

"When I painstakingly promoted you from among millions of poor scholars, what was my aim? It was nothing more than to expect you to do practical things for the court. But what are you thinking? Doing things doesn't guarantee merit, and doing nothing means no fault. You might as well just muddle through the muddy waters. Prime Minister Li, am I wrong?"

Xie Shichang and Zhang Jingnian exchanged a silent glance. Among the poor scholars whom His Majesty had painstakingly promoted, they were the only ones not among them.

Li Qinian broke out in a cold sweat and knelt down tremblingly, saying, "Since I entered officialdom, I have worked diligently and conscientiously for the Great Liang, and I have never been perfunctory or perfunctory. I hope Your Majesty will see this clearly."

"If there was no intention to be perfunctory, why was this 'On Cultivating Talent' suppressed?"

The emperor relentlessly pursued Yu Mingshu's ranking, and everyone gradually realized that if Yu Mingshu didn't take Xiao Lai's place today, the matter wouldn't be resolved.

Liang Yuanjun glanced at Li Qinian, who was over fifty years old. There were already a few strands of gray hair on his forehead, and cold sweat dripped down his temples, all of which dripped onto his dark purple official robe.

He glanced at the emperor's face, helped Li Qinian up, and said, "The ranking of the Jinshi is not decided by Prime Minister Li alone. Since all the examiners agree with this list and the Secretariat has also approved it, it seems that Yu Mingshu's article is indeed inferior to Xiao Lai's. Father, please calm down and listen to what others have to say."

Li Qinian breathed a sigh of relief, but the others began to feel uneasy. The Crown Prince's words weren't meant to appease His Majesty; they were clearly intended to escalate the situation further!

Xiao Lai's article is far inferior to "On the Storage of Talent" in terms of both content and thought. The reason he was selected as one of the top three is entirely due to his background.

His Majesty needs someone to rival the powerful clans, but the powerful clans don't want to be trapped in the situation. Xiao Lai, who is above average in all aspects, was thus naturally chosen.

Zhang Jinghua said, "Xiao Lai's writing is indeed slightly inferior, but since the establishment of the imperial examination system, how could a woman have ever passed the Jinshi examination..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Shichang secretly kicked him with the tip of his shoe.

Zhang Jinghua belatedly realized that there really was one, and she was His Majesty's own elder sister, Princess Huailing.

Their Zhang family also had some unspeakable connections with the eldest princess.

Everyone could clearly sense that the emperor's expression had turned cold, as if a storm was brewing.

Li Qinian hurriedly said, "After careful consideration, I believe that Yu Mingshu's essay, as well as his sutra recitation, poems, and policy essays, are all of a higher standard than Xiao Lai's. Yu Mingshu should be among the top three, and it would be perfectly acceptable for him to be ranked first."

After a moment of silence in the hall, the person at the head of the table suddenly let out a long sigh.

His Majesty is satisfied.

The tension in the hearts of the courtiers was finally relieved.

A dark red figure approached the emperor closely from afar.

The young eunuch, inexperienced in many trials, was terrified when he heard the emperor's anger from outside. He had no choice but to come in and report, so frightened that he didn't even dare to lift his head.

"Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived. Please have a meal with the Crown Prince."

The emperor's brow relaxed, and warmth finally appeared in his eyes. "I understand. That's enough for today."

The courtiers, still shaken, withdrew from the palace and briefly met the Empress. At that moment, in their eyes, the Empress was no different from a deity who had saved people from dire straits; she truly deserved the title of Mother of the Nation.

After walking a distance, Zhang Jinghua tucked his sleeves into Xie Shichang's side and whispered, "What exactly did His Majesty mean by getting so angry today?"

Xie Shichang glanced at him and said, "What else could it mean? It's nothing more than that Lady Yu is adept at understanding the Emperor's mind and has revealed His Majesty's inner conflict."

Zhang Jinghua frowned. "Was that article aimed at us?"

Xie Shichang did not answer, but only smiled sarcastically and sighed, "Too much sharpness will inevitably backfire."

On the other side, Chen Qu slowed down and moved closer to Li Qinian. "Prime Minister Li, we have indeed made a huge mistake."

Seeing that Li Qinian did not answer, he lowered his voice and continued, "His Majesty's promotion of us is not to see us surrendering to the powerful families."

Li Qinian glanced at him. "It's you, not us."

Chen Qu paused, frowning as he watched Li Qinian walk away.

…

Inside the Taiji Hall, the Empress ordered palace maids to bring the food into the hall and serve it on the table.

"Whom is His Majesty arguing with this time?"

"It's not out of spite, it's out of heartache."

Emperor Fengle pulled out Yu Mingshu's masterpiece and slapped it in front of the Empress. "Look at this! Even a weak woman can see through this problem, yet they are completely oblivious. Or perhaps they are aware of it but deliberately turning a blind eye."

Upon hearing this, the Empress began to read the article before her with great attention, while the Crown Prince's voice rang in her ears at the same time.

"This article mentions that the previous dynasty established the imperial examination system to break the dilemma of 'no poor families in the upper ranks and no noble families in the lower ranks' in the selection of officials. However, the current imperial examination system, which seems to be standardized and fair, has actually failed to achieve the goal of selecting officials fairly."

"This year, twenty people passed the imperial examination, nineteen of whom were students of the Imperial Academy and only one was a candidate from Taozhou. Looking back at last year, twenty-two people passed, twenty of whom were from Chang'an. And looking further back, it's been almost the same every year. Just looking at these numbers is enough to explain the problem."

"In addition, there are a large number of hereditary official appointments in Daliang. Yu Mingshu argues in his article that the talents of ancestors cannot be passed down to their descendants through bloodline, so the sons of hereditary nobles should not be granted official positions. Yu believes that it is sufficient to reward nobles with honorary titles, and those who want to hold official positions must pass examinations and be elected. Only in this way can we select the virtuous and capable and not keep idle people."

Liang Yuanjun relayed almost all the key points emphasized in the article, making the original text in the Empress's hands seem somewhat superfluous.

The Empress put down the examination paper and said with a smile, "Judging from the quality of this article, it would be an injustice if Yu Mingshu were not the best."

The emperor and empress exchanged glances, and the emperor sighed helplessly, saying with regret, "If this person were a man, she would be a worthy minister to govern the world. It is a pity that she is ultimately a woman and cannot serve the court."

"Why not?" the crown prince suddenly asked.

"I know you've selected many female officials for the Eastern Palace," the Emperor said, rubbing his temples. "But Lady Yu, as a woman, will eventually marry. Do you really expect her to be a wife and mother while also offering advice on matters of state?"

The Empress stared at the Crown Prince's features, and asked thoughtfully, "How old is Lady Yu?"

The Emperor and the Crown Prince were both taken aback. Yao Qingxi replied, "Your Majesty, Lady Yu just turned eighteen last month."

Upon hearing this, the Empress smiled and said, "This is easy to handle; we should keep the benefits within the family."

Liang Yuanjun immediately replied, "Your subject also agrees to appoint Yu Mingshu to an official position in the Eastern Palace."

The Empress frowned and glanced at him lightly.

That's not what she meant.

Thinking that the newly appointed scholars would have to be assigned official positions after their rankings were determined, Emperor Fengle felt a dull pain on both sides of his head.

"This matter will be discussed later."

Seeing the emperor's displeasure, the empress moved the meat and vegetables closer to him and quietly changed the subject: "Consort Wei's pregnancy is progressing, and we don't know when she will give birth. These days, she is often irritable and takes her anger out on the palace maids and eunuchs. If Your Majesty has some free time, you should go to Qingquan Palace to see her."

The emperor seemed to have just remembered that there was a pregnant concubine in the harem. After hesitating for a long time, he said, "I've been so busy lately that I almost forgot about this... What did the imperial physician say?"

The Empress said, "The imperial physician said that Consort Wei is carrying twins. Most women carrying twins will give birth prematurely, and if she were to give birth at full term, I'm afraid her body would not be able to withstand it."

The emperor seemed lost in thought, remaining silent for a long time before finally saying, "I will go later."