Hairpin Flower Test
As autumn deepens, several old sycamore trees in front of the yard begin to drop their leaves sporadically.
Ning Lingyi put down her red brush and rubbed the corners of her eyes, which were a little sore. There were faint footsteps outside the palace, and the eunuch whispered, "Your Majesty, Princess Lingyao requests an audience."
Ning Lingyi was a little surprised. Since Yan He passed away, Lingyao spent most of her time in the palace of Empress Dowager Ning Tai to accompany her mother, and rarely took the initiative to come to the front court to look for her.
"Let her in."
The curtain moved slightly, and Ning Lingyao walked in. She was wearing a plain lilac-colored palace dress and no makeup. Her figure was thinner than before, and there was a hint of calmness between her eyebrows.
"Sister." Ning Lingyao saluted.
"Get up and talk," Ning Lingyi said gently, "How is Mother these days? If you stay with her more often, she'll feel better."
Ning Lingyao nodded gently. "Mom is in good spirits, but she often stares out the window in a daze. I talk to her every day, and she occasionally smiles."
She thought for a moment, then looked up at Ning Lingyi, "Sister, I came here today to ask you for a favor."
"you say."
"I want to work with Master Su, not just for the sake of a title, but to actually do something like Zhou Yingxue and the women on the 50th floor."
Ning Lingyi was slightly startled, looking at her sister's face, a ripple in her heart.
She was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Yao'er, I understand your feelings. But mother is in such a state now, she can't live without someone by her side. I'm very worried about her, and I hope you can spend more time with her."
"I know mother needs company," Ning Lingyao said, not backing down. Instead, she took a step forward. "I will arrange my time to accompany mother every day. But, sister, I don't want to be a princess kept in the palace all my life, admiring flowers and having fun, which is useless to the world."
There was a subtle choke in her voice. "Brother is gone, and sister has to shoulder the entire world. I can't help much, but at least... at least I can learn to share some of the trivial tasks. Even if it's just organizing paperwork and checking numbers, it's better than watching sister toil alone while I can only stand by helplessly."
Ning Lingyi looked at the tears flashing in her sister's eyes, as if she saw herself many years ago who was unwilling to be manipulated and insisted on taking control of her destiny.
She thought of the Ama, the woman on the fiftieth floor, and the many souls struggling to break free from their bonds.
After all, the world is slowly changing.
She pondered for a long time, and finally sighed softly: "Since you have made up your mind, I will not stop you. However, you need to promise me two things."
"Sister, please speak!"
"First, you must be diligent in accompanying your mother. You must get her approval and not upset her."
“It’s natural!”
"Secondly," Ning Lingyi's expression became more serious, "working with Su Qingfan is by no means easy. She has strict requirements and will not be lenient because of your status. You need to endure hardships and study hard."
Ning Lingyao's eyes sparkled, and she nodded vigorously, "I can endure hardship! I will study hard and never bring shame to my sister and Master Su!"
"Okay." Ning Lingyi finally showed a faint smile at the corner of her lips, "Then you should go to Su Qingfan first. She will arrange for someone to teach you."
"Thank you, sister!" Ning Lingyao was so happy that she almost cried.
She did not leave immediately. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Sister, there is one more thing..."
"I've been walking around the palace lately and have seen many concubines and maids left behind by my father and the Guangqi Dynasty. They're trapped in the inner palace, with no one to rely on, and their lives are very lonely. Many of them are intelligent and literate. Since you've allowed me to work, could you please consider their placement? If there are those who wish to return home, could you release them? If there are those who wish to stay and work, could you employ them according to their abilities? This way, they can have a full life and perhaps also provide you with some additional manpower."
Upon hearing this, Ning Lingyi looked at her sister deeply.
She had been busy with the military and political affairs of the previous dynasty and had never thought about the remaining issues in the harem. Ling Yao's move was actually quite thoughtful.
"You're right." Ning Lingyi nodded. "I'll leave this matter to you. Please draft a set of rules."
*
Ning Lingyao received the order and did it with all her heart.
She first carefully drafted the items of inquiry, and then personally took several reliable female officials to visit each palace one by one, gently inquiring about the wishes of the concubines, imperial concubines and palace maids.
When the news spread, the harem, which had been silent for many years, was stirred up.
Some people were grateful for the grace of heaven and burst into tears, wanting only to return home as soon as possible to reunite with their families; some people were old and had no one at home, so they would rather stay in the palace to get enough food and clothing; there were also a few young people who had read some books and heard that they might be able to work outside, and there was a glimmer of anticipation in their eyes.
In just half a month, Ning Lingyao reported a clearly organized list to Ning Lingyi.
After reading it, Ning Lingyi immediately issued an edict that those palace ladies of the previous dynasty who were willing to return would be rewarded with silver and sent back; those who stayed in the palace could be assigned to Su Qingfan for training and service after being assessed.
As soon as this decree was issued, there was a mixture of sadness and joy in the harem.
Those who received the silver and were sent out of the palace felt as if they were in another world and kowtowed towards the palace.
What was left behind, because of this sudden change, was like a stone thrown into the stagnant life, causing ripples.
The huge palace seemed to appear a little brighter because of this.
*
When Queen Mother Yu heard about this in the palace, she remained silent for a long time.
Although she lived in seclusion, she was not blind and knew everything that was going on in the harem. That afternoon, she rarely ordered people to prepare a sedan chair and came to the side hall where Ning Lingyi handled government affairs.
Ning Lingyi heard the news and hurriedly stood up to greet her: "Why are you here, mother? Is there anything you want to tell me?"
Empress Dowager Yu felt a little pain in her heart when she saw the fatigue that was hard to conceal between her daughter's brows and the mountain of memorials and documents on the desk.
Ning Lingyi helped her sit down and she said slowly, "I heard that you released some of the old people in the harem and selected some to work for Su Qingfan?"
"Yes," Ning Lingyi replied, "Lingyao suggested it, and I thought it was feasible, so I agreed. It also gives them a way out."
"Yes, it was handled properly." Empress Dowager Yu nodded slightly, then changed the subject, "Now you have to deal with Beishuo and manage this vast country. You can never have too many trustworthy and useful people around you. Especially women, they are cheaper to use."
Ning Lingyi smiled bitterly and said, "Mother, you are wise. I know this, too. But there are so many things to deal with that it's hard to handle at once..."
"I understand your difficulties," Empress Dowager Yu interrupted, looking at her calmly. "Your sister is thoughtful enough to consider these old ladies in the harem. But the women in the harem, after all, have limited knowledge. In fact, in this capital, there are many intelligent, sensible, and well-read women from official and scholarly families. It's a pity that they are trapped in the boudoir, with nowhere to display their talents and knowledge."
Ning Lingyi's heart moved, as if she had grasped something.
Empress Dowager Yu continued, "Since you've set a precedent for women serving in government, why not open the door wider? You don't have to entrust them with important positions right from the start. You could model your examination after the imperial examination system and select women specifically. This would, firstly, alleviate your shortage of staff; secondly, it would create a path to success for talented women across the world."
The light in Ning Lingyi's eyes gradually brightened.
Her mother's words coincided with her inner thoughts! However, she had been so busy before, and most of her energy was taken up by the war in the northern border, so she hadn't thought about it carefully. Now, after her mother's guidance, her thoughts suddenly became clear.
"Mother, this is a very good idea!" Ning Lingyi said with a hint of excitement. "But if we suddenly open a women's department, I'm afraid there will be even greater criticism from both the government and the public. Why not first try it out in the capital under the guise of assisting the military office in handling clerks?"
Seeing that she had taken it in, Empress Dowager Yu smiled faintly, "Since you think it's feasible, then go ahead and do it. It's the right thing to do, step by step."
*
At the court meeting a few days later, Su Qingfan stepped forward to make a report.
She spoke earnestly, explaining that the military affairs office was facing a dramatic increase in paperwork, involving extremely cumbersome matters such as food and fodder allocation and border intelligence compilation. Although existing officials tried their best to cope with it, they still felt understaffed and there were occasional errors and omissions.
In view of this, she pleaded to select some women who were proficient in literature and writing in the capital to serve as clerical assistants in the Military Affairs Office, specializing in basic affairs such as file organization and digital verification to solve the urgent problem.
After Su Qingfan finished playing, some whispers were heard in the hall.
Some conservative old ministers showed disapproval, but considering that this move was only to recruit low-level assistants and was affiliated with the Military Affairs Office, rather than granting important positions to court officials, and that the military situation in the northern border was critical and manpower was indeed needed, they did not immediately oppose it strongly.
The imperial court ultimately belongs to men, and they don't mind the occasional women or two.
Ning Lingyi sat upright, taking in everyone's reactions. After a moment's silence, she said slowly, "Lord Su's request is indeed a pragmatic one. I approve it."
"Immediately issue a notice to hold a hairpin examination in the capital to select women of clean family background and proficiency in mathematics. Those who pass the examination will be temporarily appointed as eighth-rank clerks and assigned to the Military Affairs Office to assist in matters. Su Qingfan will be in charge of this matter, with Ning Lingyao as his assistant."
*
As soon as this decree was issued, people in teahouses, taverns, and inner chambers began to discuss the matter.
"Going to the Military Affairs Office to handle paperwork? That's new."
"From the eighth rank... the rank is not high, but after all, it is an official position?"
"I guess the frontline is busy with military affairs and is really short of manpower."
"My daughter is quite talented in mathematics. Perhaps we could give her a try?"
There are those who look down on it, those who are skeptical and on the sidelines, but more are those women who are confined to a small space but have ambitions or desires for change in their hearts, and they see a glimmer of unprecedented possibility.
The registration area was located outside the General Affairs Office and was unexpectedly bustling.
There were talented women from scholarly families, calmly handing over their business cards under the complicated gazes of their fathers and brothers; there were daughters of minor officials, clutching their meager savings, hoping for a better future; there were even a few women from impoverished families, who had learned to read and do a little math by themselves, and who mustered up the courage to come...
According to the final statistics, there were as many as 317 applicants.
On the day of the first examination, it was held in a spacious official office next to the Imperial College.
The exam questions were jointly formulated by Su Qingfan, Zhou Yingxue and several officials proficient in mathematics. They focused on basic arithmetic, document format analysis, etc., which are all practical skills.
Inside the examination room, the women were either concentrating on thinking or writing furiously. Although some were occasionally nervous, most of them were focused and maintained good order.
After strict review by Su Qingfan and others, one hundred people were finally selected and allowed to participate in the palace examination presided over by Ning Lingyi himself.
On the day of the palace examination, it was held in the side hall of Minyou Hall.
Hundreds of women dressed in various colors stood silently in the hall. Although they tried to remain calm, they were still very excited.
Ning Lingyi came to the hall in person, accompanied by Su Qingfan and Ning Lingyao.
She glanced at the young faces below, some of which were pretty, some dignified, and some with a scholarly air. Without saying much, she gave a few words of encouragement and then announced the start of the palace examination.
The palace examination questions were more specific, including math questions that required calculating the required supplies based on fictitious food and grass consumption, official document questions that required extracting the key points from a brief military intelligence report, practical questions that required classifying and organizing a messy list of military equipment, and so on.
For a moment, the only sound in the hall was the rustling of paper and pens. Many women frowned and thought hard, while others looked enlightened and wrote faster and faster.
Ning Lingyi sat high up on it, observing quietly.
After the exam, Ning Lingyi, Su Qingfan, and Nong Zishi and Shen Qingyan, who were specially invited to ensure fairness, jointly reviewed and evaluated the papers.
Allowing two important officials, Nong and Shen, to participate was also a move by Ning Lingyi to reduce resistance.
In the end, twenty test papers stood out.
On the day of the announcement of the results, twenty names were written in red ink on the imperial list and posted outside the palace gate.
These twenty people will be appointed as eighth-rank clerical assistants and serve in the Military Affairs Office.
Some were ecstatic, some covered their faces and cried, and some of the losers were dejected, but they also planted the seeds of hope in their hearts.
Three days later, in the main hall of Minyou Hall.
Ning Lingyi held a simple hairpin-flower awarding ceremony for the twenty outstanding women.
Twenty people changed into the uniform light blue official uniform of female officials. Although their rank was not high, it was of great significance. They lined up neatly and knelt to listen to the imperial decree.
Ning Lingyi personally pinned a magnolia flower on each of them, symbolizing talent and responsibility, and awarded them official seals.
"When you join the Military Affairs Office, you will be involved in important military and national affairs. Although it is a clerical job, you must be cautious and careful. I hope you will live up to your studies and perform your duties conscientiously." Ning Lingyi's voice echoed in the hall.
"Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered by us! We will work diligently and serve the court!" Twenty people responded in unison. Although their voices were a little nervous, they revealed a new vitality.
They knew that the road under their feet was different.
Ning Lingyi knew that this was just the beginning.
Although the ranks and positions of the officials are all low, and their scope is limited to a corner of the Military Affairs Department, it is intended to reduce disturbances.
But once you have taken the first step on this road, there will be no turning back.
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