Initially, Empress Liang Yu of the Yu Kingdom promulgated a new policy, opening up the civil service examination for female officials, regardless of their background, and selecting them based solely on their talent.

At that time, women of all social classes, regardless of wealth or status, could enter the court as officials based on their knowledge and abilities.

The news caused a nationwide uproar.

The first women's imperial examination has now begun.

At the entrance of the Qinghe County government office, crowds thronged, shoulder to shoulder, all craning their necks to stare at the newly posted red notice.

Amidst the crowd, a simple, unadorned blue-canopied carriage quietly pulled up beneath a teahouse not far away. A corner of the curtain was lifted, revealing two stunningly beautiful faces.

"Sister Shu, do you think there might be any problems with the first female official examination?" The woman who spoke was about twenty years old, with a pair of bright and mischievous almond eyes. She was wearing a light purple casual dress, which had no dragon or phoenix patterns, but the fabric shimmered in the sunlight.

This person is Liang Yu, the female emperor of the Yu Kingdom, who is traveling incognito.

Sitting next to her was Liang Shu, the Right Chancellor of the current dynasty.

Liang Shu wore a moon-white long dress, with a continuous mountain range pattern embroidered in silver thread on the hem, representing a miniature of Tianyu Divine Mountain.

Her eyes were gentle and her demeanor serene. So much experience had shed her former impetuousness, leaving only a clear understanding of the world.

Liang Shu picked up her teacup, gently blew on it, and said calmly, "Whether it's a mule or a horse, we'll have to put it to the test. Your Majesty needn't be impatient; we'll just have to wait and see."

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion suddenly broke out among the crowd below the list.

"How is that possible! The third sister of the Zhang family is so talented, how could she have failed the exam?"

"And what about Liu Xiucai's daughter? I've seen her essays; every word is precious. Why isn't she on the list?"

"Look, these are the top three: Qian Lan, Qian Mei, and Qian Ju..."

"Hmm, why does this name look so familiar?"

"Nonsense, isn't the county magistrate's wife's family surnamed Qian? These three are all his wife's nieces!"

The murmurs surged like a tide, and Liang Yu's brows furrowed slightly.

Liang Shu put down her teacup and looked at the three distraught women in the crowd.

The three women, Meng Xin, Liu Yan, and Zhang Tao, were all the most popular and talented women in this exam.

At that moment, they squeezed out of the crowd, their faces pale with disbelief.

Liu Yan's eyes welled up with tears, and she choked out, "How could this be? My essay was praised by the teacher as being of the highest caliber, how could I have failed?"

Zhang Tao's eyes also reddened, and she bit her lip tightly, remaining silent, but her heart was also filled with resentment and anger.

Only Meng Xin stared at the three glaring names on the list, then glanced at the tightly closed gates of the county government office, a sharp glint in her eyes.

She took a deep breath and grabbed the other two: "Come on, let's go and find out!"

"What are you asking? The list has already been posted, how can it be changed?" Liu Yan cried even harder.

"I won't give up until I ask!" The woman surnamed Meng was the most headstrong. She wiped her face and strode toward the side gate of the county government office.

The other two exchanged a glance, then stamped their feet and followed suit.

As soon as they rounded the side gate, they saw the three talented women listed on the list walking out, surrounded by a group of yamen runners and servants, their faces beaming with joy.

The three were dressed in fine silks and satins, their hair adorned with pearls and jade, their faces revealing undisguised smugness and contempt.

Meng Xin stepped forward, blocking their path, and asked loudly, "Ladies, may I ask what the questions were for your policy essays in this exam, and how you answered them?"

Qian Lan, who was in the lead, was taken aback, then looked at her as if she were a fool and sneered, "Who are you? Why should I tell you?"

She has started referring to herself as "this official".

"Exactly, the exams are over, why are you still asking these questions? Can't you handle losing?" Qian Mei crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

Meng Xin remained composed and looked directly at them: "I'm just curious, what kind of amazing article could outshine us students who have studied hard for over a decade?"

As soon as she said this, the crowd that hadn't dispersed gathered around again, pointing and whispering.

The three Qian sisters immediately lost their composure.

They never wrote any policy essays, nor did they even enter the examination hall; they merely submitted their names.

Pressed by Meng Xin, the youngest, Qian Ju, lost her composure and blurted out, "We...we didn't take the test! So what?"

This statement was like a drop of water falling into a hot oil pan; the crowd instantly erupted in chaos.

"What? You can get on the list without taking an exam?"

"This is way too dark!"

"Is there no law anymore?!"

Seeing that things were about to escalate, Qian Lan panicked, shoved Meng Xin aside, and shrieked, "What are you yelling about! We may not have passed the exam, but who told us we were so lucky! My uncle is the county magistrate here! You have no connections, no backing, so who can you blame? If you're so capable, go find an official as your father!"

These utterly shameless words made everyone gasp in anger.

Liu Yan and Zhang Tao were so angry they were trembling, pointing at them but unable to speak.

Meng Xin, enraged, laughed coldly: "What good fortune! What a joke! The Yu Kingdom holds the imperial examinations for talented people from all over the world, not to provide a path for shameless scoundrels like you to scheme and plot! Aren't you afraid of divine punishment from the Mountain Goddess for your actions?!"

"Mountain Goddess?" Qian Lan laughed as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "The Mountain Goddess is far away on Tianyu Mountain, busy with countless affairs of state. How could she have time to meddle in the trivial matters of our small county town! Go ahead and call her, see if the Mountain Goddess will come?"

Just then, a middle-aged fat man with a fierce face and wearing an official robe walked out, surrounded by a group of yamen runners.

Magistrate Qian Dehai of Qinghe County had a gloomy face. As soon as he arrived, he pointed at Meng Xin and the other two and shouted, "You audacious scoundrels! How dare you make a scene at the entrance of the yamen and offend the newly appointed female official! Guards, drag these three ignorant and arrogant bastards away, give them twenty lashes, and throw them out of the city!"

"Yes!" Several constables pounced on them like wolves.

"How dare you!" Meng Xin shouted angrily. "Officials protecting each other and engaging in favoritism and corruption are just as the law of heaven is clear. Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

"Retribution?" Qian Dehai sneered, his face full of disdain. "In Qinghe County, I am the law!"

The constables roughly grabbed the three women by the arms and tried to drag them out.

Liu Yan and Zhang Tao screamed in fright, while Meng Xin struggled desperately, her eyes filled with despair and resentment. The surrounding people were indignant, but dared not speak out.

At this critical moment, a clear and calm voice cut through the noisy crowd and reached everyone's ears.

"Wait a minute."

The noisy scene paused for a moment.

Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.

The crowd parted automatically to make way, and a woman in a moon-white dress walked slowly forward. Behind her followed a young girl in purple with a slightly angry expression.

Qian Dehai squinted, scrutinizing the suddenly appearing Liang Shu.

Seeing that she was dressed in extraordinary clothes and had an ethereal air, but her face was unfamiliar, he didn't pay her any mind, assuming she was just the daughter of some wealthy merchant from out of town who wanted to meddle in other people's business.

He flaunted his official authority, puffed out his belly, pointed at Liang Shu with his chin, and acted with exceptional arrogance:

"Who are you? Let me give you a piece of advice: some things are not for everyone to meddle in."

He paused, his tone full of threat.

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