Chapter 78 A Woman's Success in the Imperial Examination

The meaning behind the man in brocade was obvious; he was targeting the only woman present that day—Tan Yuzhu.

It's human nature to love watching a spectacle, and these scholars and literati who usually pride themselves on being gentlemen and upright were all silent at the moment, instead turning their gazes to that pure white figure.

Even Zou Tiande, the son of the Prefect of Baxian County and the organizer of today's literary gathering, only took a sip of tea and did not speak up to defuse the situation.

However, no one was surprised.

As everyone knows, Zou Tiande and Jiang Hongfang, the man in brocade robes, are close friends, one being the son of a prefect and the other a playboy from a prominent family.

This was simply because the Jiang and Zou families they came from were two of the "Eight Worthies" of this Eight Worthies County.

The origin of this "Eight Worthies County" is that during the reign of Emperor Taizu, eight virtuous and capable people emerged from this place.

When Emperor Taizu established the dynasty, these eight talented men all contributed a great deal of effort. Later, as they grew older, the eight of them resigned from their official posts and returned to their hometown, where they built their own residence in the county town.

They spent their days traveling, enjoying nature, and practicing calligraphy and painting, creating many timeless works and a legendary tale.

Therefore, when Emperor Gaozong later passed through this place after ascending the throne, in order to commemorate their talent and achievements, he renamed the place "Baxian County" and personally wrote the name, also taking into account the flourishing literary atmosphere of the place.

Therefore, Baxian County became the most popular destination for literati in Lu, second only to Langya County.

Even today, this place has indeed produced many literary giants, so it can truly be called a city steeped in literary tradition.

Because the central government has always appointed officials based on their place of origin, the officials in Baxian County, from the prefect to the lowest-ranking clerk, are basically all from the local area.

The Eight Worthies family has consistently held high-ranking positions such as prefect and assistant prefect, and the current prefect is a member of the Zou family.

As the son of the prefect, Zou Tiande was indeed quite talented in literature, so he often held literary gatherings.

However, there had never been any women at the literary gatherings before.

Even though Tan Yuzhu was renowned for her talent, she had never been invited to any literary gatherings before. But today, Zou Tiande made an exception and invited her.

After everyone learned of this news, they naturally understood the reason behind it.

However, this is because the talented people of Baxian County are used to sticking together and have complicated ties with the four great families.

Few people registered for the imperial examination this time, and even those who did failed in the first or second round.

It's not that they lack talent; it's just that they failed the background check and their views differed from those of the talent Chu Jiubian was looking for, which is why they were rejected.

These talented scholars, who were usually proud of their learning, were surprised that they couldn't even pass such a simple test. Naturally, they were dissatisfied and had many complaints about the court. They even secretly wrote some articles to mock Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao for their poor judgment of people.

What made them even more uncomfortable was that only four people from the entire Baxian County passed the second round of the provincial examination.

Two of them were great Confucian scholars: Tan Yuzhu's father, Tan Ji, and Tan Ji's close friend, Yan Jinsheng.

The other one is Yan Rui, the youngest son of Yan Jinsheng.

These three, the first two need no introduction, were both renowned scholars in their respective regions, and everyone was completely convinced of their defeat.

Yan Rui, a teenager, passed the engineering subject exam because of his talent in forging. He was not in the same field as those who took the classical studies exam, so no one thought much of it.

It was only Tan Yuzhu, a mere woman, who had actually stepped forward.

She not only signed up for the Confucian classics assessment, but also passed the first two rounds and advanced to the third round!

This was like slapping the students hard across the face twice.

Moreover, the papers for this third round of examinations went directly to the emperor's ears and were personally reviewed by the Grand Tutor of Chu and the Prince of Ning.

Although people said that the two men had no vision, what scholar wouldn't want to become an official in the imperial court?

They spend their days attending these literary gatherings to make a name for themselves, hoping to have the opportunity to be recommended for officialdom through filial piety and integrity.

Therefore, seeing Tan Yuzhu, a woman, above them and getting the opportunities they couldn't, they naturally felt even more resentful.

She secretly hoped that she would not actually catch the eye of the higher-ups and end up at the Imperial Academy, thus gaining the opportunity to become an official.

Then their dignity was truly trampled underfoot by this woman.

The New Year holiday passed in this way, and another ten days or so went by.

The candidates who passed the imperial examination began to receive the news one after another, and they seemed even more anxious than Tan Yuzhu herself.

Yesterday, two students from the neighboring county received the news one after another. This morning, Yan Rui, who was participating in the engineering subject, also met the official who came to deliver the good news.

The official, leading a group of soldiers and clerks, arrived at the Yan family's door with gongs and drums, beaming with joy as he offered his congratulations and uttered a string of auspicious phrases such as "soaring to great heights."

That scene was so enviable that anyone who saw it would be green with envy.

At noon, the great scholar Yan Jinsheng and Tan Yuzhu's father Tan Ji also received good news from the officials.

Only fifteen candidates passed the subject of classical studies. One ranked eighth and the other ranked fifth, both of which were relatively high rankings.

Tan Ji, who lived in the same prefecture, received the news, but Tan Yuzhu did not.

Everyone naturally knew that Tan Yuzhu had definitely failed the exam.

Therefore, everyone knew that the literary gathering in the afternoon was meant to mock Tan Yuzhu, but everyone thought that she was probably crying at home and wouldn't come to the gathering.

Unexpectedly, the other party actually came, accompanied only by a maid. She didn't bring her father, nor even Yan Rui, who was always on good terms with her.

This gave everyone the opportunity to mock her.

Now, looking at the other person sitting upright at the table, slowly brewing tea, it seems that they don't care at all about failing the exam.

Seeing that she remained unmoved, Jiang Hong continued, "Speaking of which, it is the great scholars and men of our Eight Virtuous County who are truly talented. Otherwise, if the four of them had entered the imperial examination, three of them would not have passed."

“Young Master Jiang is right,” a scholar in a blue robe chimed in. “It seems that this third round of the imperial examination will be even more difficult, and it’s normal for a woman not to pass.”

"If you ask me, a woman should stay at home, take care of her husband and children. What kind of behavior is it to show her face in public?"

"What talk of being talented? You should just go home and embroider, and get married as soon as possible."

Everyone chimed in, praising Jiang Hongfang.

Sitting in the main seat, Zou Tiande had a handsome face, and his gaze was always gentle, like a spring breeze.

At this moment, he raised his eyes and looked at Tan Yuzhu, who was sitting at almost the end of the table. His smile was still gentle as he said, "Miss Tan, you've come to this literary gathering, why haven't you said a word?"

As soon as he opened his mouth, the entire room fell silent.

Jiang Hongfang teased, "Perhaps Miss Tan is shy in front of so many talented men."

"Oh dear." He clapped his hands exaggeratedly and said, "Miss Tan, have you met your Mr. Right and are so shy that you can't even speak properly?"

Upon hearing this, everyone chuckled softly.

"Miss Tan, could it be that you've taken a fancy to Brother Li?"

"My dear brother is a man of great talent and appearance; it is only right that she has taken a liking to him."

"Among us, the two young masters are naturally the most talented in literature. Miss Tan is such a beauty, she is a perfect match for the two young masters. That would be what you call a perfect couple."

The words “talent” and “appearance” were emphasized.

A soft laugh rang out, not loud, but it stopped everyone's teasing and a dozen pairs of eyes fell on the woman who had laughed.

Tan Yuzhu slowly brewed tea, her voice clear and her tone indifferent: "I thought this literary gathering was all about reciting poems and exchanging literary talents, but I didn't know that it was full of sycophants who talked about those vulgar things. It really disgraced the name of the literary gathering."

The blatant sarcasm made everyone feel as if they had been stepped on, and their faces all turned ugly.

The two young masters at the head of the table, however, did not seem to care. They were not the ones who fawned over the powerful; in fact, they were the ones who wielded that power.

"Miss Tan, you have quite the sharp tongue." Jiang Hongfang's lips curled up as his gaze blatantly swept over her.

He had previously sent a matchmaker to propose marriage to the Tan family, but Tan Ji had refused.

He thought he should first cultivate some feelings with Tan Yuzhu. This kind of young lady from a sheltered family is simple and naive, and is most easily deceived by sweet words and a little bit of so-called sincerity.

However, when he saw the other party at different banquets several times, the other party did not give him any face, which made him resentful.

No matter how indignant they were, the other side had Tan Ji behind them, as well as many other great Confucian scholars and a voice in the world.

So, for the sake of his reputation and to avoid having his legs broken by his father, he dared not actually do anything to Tan Yuzhu.

Now that he finally had a chance to suppress his opponent, he naturally gave it his all.

Even today's literary gathering was organized by him at the behest of Zou Tiande.

Tan Yuzhu finished serving the last cup of tea, her back straight, and without raising her head, said, "When our ancestor, the Eight Sages, was alive, he said, 'A gentleman is upright and self-reliant, open-minded and virtuous.' At that time, they probably didn't know that among their descendants—"

She finally raised her eyes, her gaze lightly sweeping over Jiang Hongfang and Zou Tiande, and smiled slightly, her beauty captivating.

"There must be two such petty people as you, who know they are neither talented nor virtuous and can only seek self-comfort by belittling women."

After he finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The expressions of the two young masters at the head of the table both darkened.

Jiang Hongfang was a spoiled brat who was used to doing whatever he wanted. This banquet was attended by scholars and literati who wanted to curry favor with the Jiang family, so he naturally had no scruples.

Therefore, after his temper flared up, he directly raised the teacup in his hand and threw it towards Tan Yuzhu.

But the maid who had been silently watching over her flicked her wrist, and a thin silver needle popped out from her fingertip.

With a "clink," the teacup turned and fell backwards, landing right at Jiang Hongfang's feet.

The porcelain was broken into pieces.

Before anyone could react, they suddenly heard the faint sound of gongs and drums coming from outside the mansion.

The voice sounded so familiar; they had heard it twice today.

As the sound grew louder, it became clear that the procession was getting closer to the mansion.

But among those at the banquet today, the only one who could have caused such a commotion was Tan Yuzhu.

Tan Yuzhu reached out her hand, and the maid gently helped her up.

"Gentlemen, I still need to prepare my travel gear to go to the capital to meet the Emperor," Tan Yuzhu said with a faint smile. "I won't keep you company with idle chatter."

She deliberately emphasized the words "little woman," as if slapping everyone's faces again.

Seeing her graceful figure disappear into the distance, Zou Tiande finally stood up, his face grim, and walked out of the mansion as well.

He needed to see it with his own eyes to believe that Tan Yuzhu had really passed the exam.

Jiang Hongfang also stood up abruptly, his face dark as he followed.

Impossible. The messengers from Baxian County who were supposed to deliver good news left early this morning. How could they possibly be here again?

It must be that Tan Yuzhu just randomly found someone to save face for her sake!

However, when they walked quickly to the outside of the mansion, they were only a short time later than Tan Yuzhu when they saw a procession that was even longer than the one that had brought good news that morning.

The leading official was not an ordinary clerk, but a third-rank military officer, Commandant He Yang, who was in charge of guarding the Eight Virtuous County.

This man was once a subordinate of the Qin family army. After the Qin family army was split up and distributed to various prefectures, he was assigned to Baxian Prefecture. He did not have close contact with other officials in the prefecture and could only be considered an ordinary colleague.

He was usually stern and rarely smiled, but today a kind smile appeared on his hard, old face.

Holding the imperial edict, he approached Tan Yuzhu and said loudly, "Congratulations, Scholar Tan! You ranked second in this imperial examination. His Majesty has specially ordered me to personally deliver this imperial edict and reward. I hope you will depart for the capital as soon as possible to participate in the final palace examination."

Tan Yuzhu thanked His Majesty and He Yang before respectfully accepting the imperial edict with both hands.

He Yang waved his hand, and a soldier carrying a small box walked up to Tan Yuzhu and said, "Sixty-five people passed the imperial examination this time. Those who are ranked below the top three will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver, and those who are ranked in the top three will be rewarded with fifty taels of gold!"

As he spoke, the constable opened the box, revealing dazzling gold ingots inside.

The onlookers all gasped in surprise.

"It really is gold!"

"Fifty taels of gold and this is all in such a small box? I thought it would take at least two large boxes."

"What do you know? The Tan family isn't short of money; this is an honor for them!"

Indeed, apart from these commoners, the family members, including Tan Yuzhu, were not short of money, and fifty taels of gold was not a large sum for them.

But their gazes toward Tan Yuzhu were almost dripping with blood.

This gold was personally bestowed by His Majesty and awarded to the top three scholars in the imperial examinations. Its significance is far greater than the gold's intrinsic value!

However, what made them even more envious was yet to come. He Yang then had someone bring out a plaque, and when the bright red silk on it was lifted, the four characters "及第登科" (meaning "passing the imperial examination") were revealed.

Below is Baili Hong's autograph and seal.

This was written by Baili Hong after Chu Jiubian had it done, and then he sent a messenger to find the local prefectural commander to do it.

The top three successful candidates in the imperial examinations were Lu Yao, Tan Yuzhu, and an agricultural science student named Zhang Er. The county magistrate in the county where these three lived had served under the Qin family army, so they were quite easy to command.

He Yang's good news arrived half a day later than the other officials because he wanted the craftsmen to carve the best plaque.

However, when the official sent the message to Tan Ji earlier, he revealed some information so that Tan Yuzhu would not have to wait in vain.

Tan Yuzhu knew that she had not only passed the imperial examination, but also achieved a high ranking. So when she received the invitation to the literary gathering, she estimated that the time was about right and gladly accepted the invitation. This was the moment she had been waiting for.

She had long disliked these hypocrites, and today was the perfect opportunity to strike them down.

He Yang didn't get along well with the local officials, and he knew that the two young men from the prefect's family and the Jiang family were no good. So when he learned that Tan Yuzhu was attending a literary gathering here, he knew that everyone was trying to embarrass the young girl, so he rushed over as fast as he could.

Seeing that those usually arrogant scholars all looked unhappy, He Yang and Tan Yuzhu felt a sense of satisfaction.

However, Tan Yuzhu didn't say anything sarcastic at this moment, as that would be too low-class. In the end, the pointing fingers and whispers of the surrounding people would be enough to make these people lose face.

Therefore, Tan Yuzhu invited He Yang to her residence to sit down and have a cup of tea, and also to deliver the plaque and gold there.

He Yang readily agreed, and the group left, making their usual banging and knocking.

Upon hearing the news, Tan Ji and the Yan family father and son were already waiting in front of the Tan family mansion, beaming with joy.

After dinner, they saw He Yang and the others off, but soon the prefect and the prefectural assistant arrived.

After exchanging pleasantries, the prefect even personally apologized to Tan Yuzhu, saying that his son was being disrespectful.

To reach the position of prefect, one must not be too stupid.

He knew that the situation had changed; the imperial power was now overwhelming, and he didn't know how things would develop in the future.

However, it's always beneficial to avoid offending any party.

Many people shared his thoughts, so in the following days, people from the Tan and Yan families came in droves, but they didn't see everyone.

All of this led to the news that the woman had passed the imperial examination and even came in second place in the metropolitan examination, which quickly spread throughout Da Ning.

Those women who didn't go for the consultation due to various concerns felt both regret and a strange excitement.

It's a pity that there will be no more imperial examinations, but it's exciting because if there were, they would not be easily given up on and would definitely sign up without hesitation, desperately seizing every opportunity to climb the social ladder.

And those women who took the exam but failed and then doubted whether they were being looked down upon because of their gender, now have their fighting spirit rekindled.

It's not that women are incapable; it's just that their abilities aren't yet sufficient to be chosen.

Therefore, they need to work harder and strive to do better next time, so that they can be like Tan Yuzhu, pass the imperial examination, and bring glory to their family.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Daning, in a remote village in the south.

From the clan chief to the village head, from the respected elders to the youngest children, everyone gathered in front of a courtyard in the village, craning their necks to see a family of seven or eight standing at the gate.

They were a group of ordinary people dressed in coarse linen clothes.

Even compared to the wealthier families in the village, this family was old and young, and the only two able-bodied men could barely keep their family from starving even if they worked themselves to the bone.

No one expected that such a family would one day be visited by the legendary Prefectural Commandant.

An old woman, her hands tucked into her sleeves and her neck shivering from the cold, twitched her tongue twice in amazement from behind the crowd, saying, "The Zhang family must be incredibly lucky; they actually passed that imperial examination."

“It’s the imperial examination.” A thin, dark-skinned boy beside him craned his neck to look at the people in the front yard and said, “My grandfather always said that Brother Zhang was good at farming, and now it seems that he really is. He’s going to the capital to become an official.”

"Oh my, I always said that Zhang Er looked like he would amount to something, and I was right."

"Forget it. Didn't you say Zhang Er was wasting money when he sold two acres of land to take the exams in the prefectural and county capitals?"

“Exactly. But look at this now, His Majesty directly rewarded us with fifty taels of gold! That's gold! That could buy so much land.”

The crowd grew louder and louder, until the village chief turned around and glared at them, at which point they finally quieted down.

Zhang Er held the imperial edict in his hands, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

The rest of the family members were less knowledgeable than him; their faces turned red and white, and they hid in the back, not daring to say a word.

Fortunately, the Prefectural Commandant knew he was an honest farmer and didn't care about formalities. He even kindly reminded him to thank His Majesty.

Zhang Er hurriedly led his family to kneel down and kowtow in the direction of the capital.

Upon seeing this, the villagers all knelt down.

The prefect found it somewhat amusing and quickly told them to get up.

The village chief, being more knowledgeable and worldly-wise than the others, took out a bulging purse from his sleeve and stuffed it into the hands of the prefect.

The prefect knew that these were their kind gestures, so he accepted them. He then turned around and had his men deliver another hundred taels of silver as a token of his appreciation.

Not long after he left, the prefect and the prefectural assistant arrived.

After that, various wealthy and influential families came, some with the intention of recruiting him, and some simply to make friends. But they were all very generous, and everyone saw all sorts of good things that they had never seen before being sent to Zhang Er's courtyard.

Zhang Er had previously received a tip from the prefectural commandant, and knew that there were some people whose requests he couldn't accept, but others' he could.

Therefore, after all this, he didn't offend anyone, but he still gained a lot of good things.

Zhang Er's family was also good at dealing with people; they would share any good things they had with their clansmen and villagers, so the whole village benefited from their influence and became much wealthier.

People finally began to vaguely sense the benefits of the "imperial examination".

This is truly a case of one person attaining enlightenment and even their chickens and dogs benefiting from it.

The idea of ​​"taking the imperial examination" had been unknowingly implanted in the hearts of the people.

The results were delivered in mid-January, and the final palace examination was scheduled for the first day of March.

Upon receiving the news, the candidates set off from all over the country to the capital to participate in the final palace examination.

Some of them, like Lu Yao, came from wealthy families and were escorted by their relatives and servants in carriages, making the journey relatively easy.

There were also people like Zhang Er who would pack their bags and set off, but because of the gold and silver sent by the imperial court and various places, they stayed at inns whenever possible along the way and did not suffer much hardship.

Meanwhile, news from all sides continued to pour into the capital.

Initially, it listed the names and hometowns of the successful candidates, followed by information on where they went, who they met, and what they experienced.

Whether it was Chu Jiubian's exceptional insight or the messenger's advice, the sixty-five people he selected were all incredibly obedient, keeping their heads down and hurrying along the way.

Nobody paid any attention to their recruitment by prestigious families or their daughters' marriages to wealthy men.

Hearing this, the princes in the capital, who should have left on the fifteenth of the first month, hesitated to depart.

To prevent Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao from using this as an excuse to accuse them of "plotting a rebellion," the princes, led by the Prince of Huguang and the Prince of Dongjiang, went to the palace together and requested to stay longer until after watching the palace examination.

The King of Southern Frontier and the King of the Western Frontier had no intention of doing anything, but they wanted to stay and witness the grand spectacle of the imperial examination.

As for Prince Anhuai, Baili Ming, he always kept a low profile, doing whatever others did, like a timid little quail.

Qin Xiao didn't care, but he felt that if these people stayed in the capital, they would definitely cause trouble, which might be a bit annoying.

Chu Jiubian, however, changed his mind and exchanged a glance with Qin Xiao with a smile.

Qin Xiao immediately understood that the other party wanted them to stay, but he didn't know why.

Baili Hong sat behind his desk. His understanding with his uncle and teacher had improved even further. He could tell what to say just by looking at their expressions.

So he spoke, using the same tone Chu Jiubian used to coax him: "Then you all should stay a little longer, but be good and don't cause any trouble."

The princes looked rather strange when a little child spoke to them in such a coaxing tone.

But as long as the goal is achieved, that's fine.

Whether or not the young emperor will behave himself and avoid trouble is not something that can be decided by a single word from him.

After they left, Chu Jiubian turned to Baili Hong and asked, "Your Majesty, guess why I wanted them to stay?"

Baili Hong frowned and thought carefully for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up. He said, "When the students come to the capital, even the princes are curious. There must be other people who are curious too. There will definitely be many different people coming to the capital. It will be very lively."

Chu Jiubian nodded: "That's right. So what?"

“My uncle once said that it’s easiest to fish in troubled waters.” Baili Hong’s eyes shone brightly. “We can take this opportunity to find out the relationships between these vassal kings and aristocratic families. If we find out who is cooperating with whom, we can find a way to sow discord between them.”

"Hmm," Chu Jiubian continued to encourage him, "Anything else?"

The child reached out and touched his chin, his little face quite serious.

Qin Xiao sat on the chair with his legs crossed, propping his chin up with one hand. He shifted his gaze from the child's face to Chu Jiubian opposite him.

Chu Jiubian glanced at him and said, "You should think about it too."

Qin Xiao laughed and said, "Okay, I'll think about it too."

"I've got it!" Baili Hong clapped his hands. "We can use someone else to do our dirty work."

A three-year-old child, or four after the New Year, was talking about "murder," but Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao didn't see anything wrong with it at all; in fact, they thought it was exactly how it should be.

Baili Hong said, "It's unclear who among these aristocratic families and vassal kings is cooperating with whom, but it's quite obvious who is at odds with whom. We can give one side a handle on the other, making them fight like the snipe and the clam, while we, the fisherman, reap the benefits."

The child had spoken so much in one breath that his mouth was dry, so he quickly picked up the warm water next to him and took a sip.

"Well said." Chu Jiubian raised his hand and clapped.

Baili Hong immediately clapped his little hands happily, his bright eyes curving slightly.

If an outsider were to observe, they would surely notice that the child's expression when he laughs bears a striking resemblance to Chu Jiubian.

Children have an instinct to imitate the people around them.

Just like small animals, children will become more and more like their owners, and children will also become more and more like the people they trust and love.

After asking Baili Hong, Chu Jiubian looked at Qin Xiao and raised his eyebrows, asking, "Have you thought it through?"

"His Majesty has already said almost everything I wanted to say," Qin Xiao said.

Baili Hong immediately puffed out his chest proudly.

See? He's almost as good as his uncle now.

Seeing that his chubby chin was practically pointing to the sky, Qin Xiao paused deliberately before changing the subject, saying, "However, there is one more thing we can do."

Baili Hong immediately stopped being arrogant and hurriedly asked in a childish voice, "Is there anything else, Uncle?"

"Now that the imperial examinations are over, we'll have people in our hands," Qin Xiao said. "It's time to put some pressure on those people."

Cleansing up the powerful families and feudal princes is necessary, but there must be a reason for it.

Therefore, they must pressure these people and make them lose their composure so that they can have an opportunity to take action and deal with them from the moral high ground.

Chu Jiubian stared at him intently, a faint smile curving his lips: "What does this have to do with keeping them in the capital?"

“Naturally, I’ll bring them some ‘good news’,” Qin Xiao said meaningfully.

Baili Hong looked around, scratched his face, and said, "Oh no, I don't understand."

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao both laughed.

The children didn't understand, but they laughed along foolishly.

Chu Jiubian's heart softened, and he said gently, "Does Your Majesty know about the Edict of Grace?"