107 The Two Saints
◎End of the main text◎
The results of the palace examination will be announced to the world in Hanyuan Hall ten days later.
Gu Ningxi summoned eight scholars from the Hanlin Academy to review the students' answers together in the Xuanzheng Hall.
There are more than 200 essays, and each scholar's essay is judged by three to four scholars in an effort to be fair.
Gu Ningxi stayed in the Xuanzheng Hall every day, and his whole heart was devoted to it for the past few days.
It was noon, another busy half day, and the imperial kitchen had already prepared lunch.
After the meal, the Hanlin scholars can rest in their respective rooms for an hour and then continue marking the papers at noon.
During these ten days, the eight Hanlin scholars were not allowed to return home. They were provided with separate accommodations within the palace. Each had a separate bedroom, and the imperial guards would patrol from time to time to prevent any private interactions between them.
Gu Ningxi took some time off to go back to Kunning Palace, where her sister was already waiting for her.
Gu Ningwan handled all the palace affairs for three months and handed over the final accounts to Gu Ningxi.
She adjusted her teacup and said, "Not a single cent of my salary as a court lady was earned for nothing."
Gu Ningxi smiled: "Thanks to my sister."
After the Spring Examination, she was too busy to handle everything. Fortunately, the harem was peaceful, so she temporarily left the palace affairs.
"Is His Majesty not here?"
"He went to Renzhi Palace in the morning."
Gu Ningwan nodded, and was allowed to stay in Kunning Palace for a while longer. She asked, "Will the results of the palace examination be out soon?"
"Yes, the order can be sorted out as early as the day after tomorrow."
Gu Ningxi noted the candidates' origins. "Most of those selected this time are from prominent families. There aren't many scholars from humble backgrounds, and most of them ranked low before the palace exam."
There are two sources of candidates for the imperial examinations. One is students from official schools, namely those from the Imperial College, Hongwenguan and Chongwenguan; the other is local tribute students, who are assessed by local prefectures and sent to the Shangshu Province to participate in the imperial examinations of the Ministry of Rites after passing the examinations.
Among them, more than 90% were students from official schools, and Gu Ningxi was also a graduate of the Imperial College.
Most of the students in official schools come from prominent families and rely on their ancestors' influence. Even those with average qualifications can enter the Imperial Academy to study and occupy a place in the imperial examination.
In order to truly select the virtuous and capable, starting from the second year of Tianguan, Gu Ningxi wanted to gradually increase the proportion of scholars from poor families in the imperial examinations, suppress the aristocratic families, and give learned people as fair a chance as possible.
Only when new talents enter the court can the Jin Dynasty prosper.
This road is difficult and long, and it will not be accomplished overnight. Gu Ningwan said, "Then we must first develop the state and county schools."
Children of common people must have the opportunity to go to school before they can talk about the imperial examinations.
The Ministry of Revenue can allocate funds to build schools, and local prefectures and counties can also raise funds. Gu Ningxi said: "Not only should we build schools, but we should also build girls' schools."
In the past, Empress Yiwen and Empress Yao jointly established Huiwen Hall, which was specifically for girls to study.
Although Huiwentang did not become a major event, it set a precedent in the Jin Dynasty and provided an example to follow.
The imperial court wanted to recruit talents without any restrictions, so boys from poor families could be recruited, and of course women could be recruited as well.
The Central Plains has been ravaged by war, and countless men have died on the front lines. At home, it is often their mothers and wives who work in the fields to support the family.
Because of this, the customs of this dynasty are open and the status of women is better than in previous generations.
There is a shortage of talented people in the court. Why should we only look among men to become the new pillars of the country?
"Sister, do you understand what I mean?"
Women could attend school, and of course, they could also take the imperial examinations. Starting with the daughters of aristocratic families, Gu Ningxi was curious about which of the two, the daughters of humble scholars or the daughters of aristocratic families, the powerful would be more accepting of.
Even though it seems like a fairy tale now for a woman to step out of the harem and create a new world for herself, ten years from now, a hundred years from now, as long as there are women who can truly stand in the court, there will be successors who will continue to carry on the tradition.
Gu Ningxi will work hard for it. She believes that her elder sister can take the lead, and Gu Ningwan also trusts her.
The two sisters looked at each other and smiled.
…
In Renzhi Palace, the imperial physician examined the retired emperor's pulse and prescribed a medicine to calm the mind and reduce internal heat.
The retired emperor dismissed all the servants standing in the hall, his anger still lingering, his chest heaving violently.
"Conducting the imperial examinations to select scholars is a national priority, a matter of great importance to the country and its people for generations to come! How could you let a woman preside over it? Lu Qian'an, I handed the Jin Dynasty into your hands, and this is how you answer to me and the people?"
The retired emperor was furious, and he rarely interfered in government affairs. But the absurdity of the empress interfering in government affairs in public in Xuanzheng Hall and serving as the chief examiner of the imperial examinations was known to the entire court. How could it not have reached his ears?
"Father, calm down and take care of your health."
"How do you want me to calm down?!"
He thought that Qi'an would no longer have to worry if he made Xuanping Hou's legitimate daughter the empress and established the foundation of the country. However, he never expected that Lu Qi'an's lust would blind him and he would treat the court as a joke, allowing the women in the harem to dictate his affairs.
Lu Jing remained calm and didn't say anything contradictory. However, the retired emperor felt deeply powerless as he looked at his young son.
Today, his trusted court officials have either retreated to the sidelines like he did, or have returned to pledge their allegiance to Qi'an. The Jin court is no longer what it once was, and he can no longer do anything to his son.
Li Ji brought the medicine and Lu Jing served it personally.
He guessed that his father would be angry, so he came in person to explain.
"Your Majesty, I beg you to calm down." He still said this.
After taking the medicine and waiting for the retired emperor to look a little more relaxed, Lu Jingfang gestured to Sun Jing to come forward with a roll of paper.
Lu Jing presented it to the Emperor, "Father, please read this. This is the question for the palace examination."
The retired emperor was far from being old and dim-sighted. As the former ruler of the Jin Dynasty, he was certainly aware of the problems within the court. However, he was powerless to handle many matters and could only carefully cultivate a crown prince, leaving the throne to his successor.
These four questions were extremely well-written, some discussing border defense, some investigating people's livelihood, some supervising official administration, and some rectifying education. They took both internal and external factors into consideration and pointed out the current ills. Such questions could only be answered with a deep understanding of the affairs of the court and the world.
The retired emperor was well aware of the practice of circulating the imperial examination papers. However, the noble families had made significant contributions to the establishment of the Jin dynasty, and neither he nor the King of Shu could completely weaken their influence within the court. The retired emperor approved of the palace examination, his only complaint being that Qi'an had allowed a woman to preside over it, sacrificing his power for the sake of a beautiful woman.
"Father, why can't Yuanle be selected for the imperial examination?"
"A mere woman—" the retired emperor blurted out, but then remembered that Qi'an's empress was no ordinary boudoir girl. "But the court is full of talented people, whether it's the Minister of the Central Secretariat, the Minister of Works, or the President of the Hanlin Academy, who wouldn't be more qualified for this position? Why are you causing so much discussion among the world?"
Lu Jing's eyes fell on the scroll and he said calmly, "But Father, the palace examination was Yuan Le's idea, and the four strategic questions were also written by Yuan Le."
The emperor was speechless for a moment.
Lu Jing continued, "When I was young, I went to school with Yuan Le, spending every day and night with him. Naturally, I believe in Yuan Le's talent. Yuan Le passed the imperial examination and was even personally selected by your father as the top three scholar. He has served in the six ministries for many years. Even if your father doesn't trust me, doesn't he trust his own judgment?"
The retired emperor looked at the roll of paper. Among the young descendants of aristocratic families, many had entered the court as officials, but he could not remember many of them. The young man from the Gu family was one of them.
He had also intended to cultivate and promote her, wanting her to become a role model for children from aristocratic families to serve as officials, to change their arrogant and lazy habits, and to truly serve the country and the people.
"I believe the Emperor recognizes Yuan Le's character and talent. She has also inspected local water conservancy projects on my behalf and is well aware of the hardships faced by the people. Government affairs are complex these days, and I need someone to share the burden. Instead of supporting important officials, why can't I choose Yuan Le? She shares my heart."
The Emperor was silent for a moment. "Throughout history, you should understand the principle of external relatives interfering in government affairs."
"There is no one available in the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion, and Yuan Le will not support the Gu family."
Her attitude was even colder than Lu Jing's. It was Lu Jing who decided on his own to bestow the honorific title on the Marquis Xuanping's Mansion, as he did not want outsiders to think that Queen Yuan Le was being treated lightly.
Lu Jing explained all of the retired emperor's concerns clearly, but he still couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart.
The father and son in the hall fell silent. Li Ji came forward to announce that Li Taibu wanted to see them.
Since his health has been deteriorating, the retired emperor has started to believe in Taoism, and recently Li Taibu has been deeply favored by him.
There were still government affairs to be dealt with in the court, so Lu Jing stood up and took his leave, intending to come back and discuss things with his father in a few days.
"You go ahead."
The retired emperor waved his hand and ordered Li Ji to send Qi'an out.
Lu Jing understood his father's passion for seeking immortality and the way of Taoism. As long as he didn't touch the talisman water or swallow the elixir, it would be fine to seek comfort.
Li Taibu, knowing the severity of the situation, replaced the golden pills with a tonic. After taking it, the emperor felt much better. Furthermore, with his mother watching over him in Renzhi Palace, Lu Jing felt at ease.
The bitter medicinal aroma in the main hall dissipated a little, and Li Taibu performed the ceremony as usual.
"This humble official pays his respects to the Emperor."
"Get up."
The Emperor half-closed his eyes and asked, "Has the Nine Palaces Formation produced any results these days?"
Li Taibu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, your prediction is correct. The Empress is indeed the one destined by His Majesty."
The Emperor pondered for a long time: "Then, has Qi'an's fate changed?"
He always remembered the divination he had read, which had predicted a life-or-death catastrophe in Qi'an's thirties. The key to resolving it lay with the person destined to do so.
He was deeply saddened by Yiwen's early death and did not want their only child to suffer the same fate.
Diviner Li said, "Your Majesty, your hexagram shows the ninth and second line of the Tai hexagram, which reads, 'Encompassing the wilderness, using Fenghe, not leaving behind, friends gone, yet able to rise in the middle.' This is a sign of a reversal of calamity. I observed the astrology tonight and saw that the evil in your Majesty's life palace is gradually receding, while the purple aura is growing—this is because the destined person has appeared. Your Majesty and the Empress have a compatible fate, and perhaps the calamity of life and death can be averted. Your Majesty's fortune is now improving. Simply follow the will of heaven, and as your bond strengthens, the calamity will naturally dissipate."
Follow the will of heaven, follow the will of heaven.
The retired emperor couldn't help but ponder, is it really God's will that the Empress rules the country?
"Well, go down."
"I will take my leave."
The main hall was quiet for a long time, with white clouds stretching and moving slowly until dusk fell.
The emperor looked up at the vast setting sun, watching the light on the horizon gradually fade away.
It's probably just as Shuhua said, at this age, there's no need to be obsessed with mundane affairs and add to your unhappiness.
Just let it be, what else can you do?
The night was as dark as ink, and the candle in the imperial study was still lit.
The woman behind the imperial desk was carefully reading the examination papers. When she heard footsteps, she looked up and said with a smile, "Your Majesty has returned. Would you like to stay overnight at Renzhi Palace?"
In front of her, Lu Jing avoided talking about the dispute in Renzhi Palace.
He sat down next to Gu Ningxi and said, "The court has been busy lately, so I haven't been late."
Gu Ningxi handed him the preliminary results of the palace examination. He then reviewed all the papers, consulting the Hanlin scholars' comments. He found many exceptionally impressive essays.
Gu Ningxi sorted the papers into several categories. The answers to the four questions easily revealed the scholars' strengths. She smiled and said, "When the new batch of Jinshi enter the court and are appointed to official positions, they can use this as a reference."
Her fingers unconsciously brushed across the neatly arranged papers. Looking at the papers, she couldn't help but recall the scene when she participated in the scientific examination at the age of seventeen.
She still remembers vividly how she was chosen as the third place in the imperial examination by the retired emperor in Hanyuan Hall.
"Your Majesty was there at that time, right?" Gu Ningxi looked at the person next to him.
She remembered that when he defeated Xue Ju and Fang Xinsheng returned, he was at the most ambitious time.
They looked at each other in the hall, with only smiles on their faces.
"Yes," Lu Jing couldn't help but smile as he recalled the past, "I changed three horses and ran for five days to get back."
Just to catch up with Yuan Le’s joy of passing the imperial examination.
"Since you're the chief examiner," Lu Jing said with a smile in his eyes, "would you like to come and see the winner of the Hanyuan Hall selection?"
Gu Ningxi was stunned for a moment as every word of the words fell into his ears, and looked at the person in front of him.
Lu Jing waited for her answer with a smile.
…
As the sun rises and the moon sets, the sky is already turning pale, and the towering palace looks even more majestic and magnificent in the morning light.
As the hour of Mao approached, civil and military officials gradually gathered in the square in front of Hanyuan Hall.
Today is the day when the newly-minted scholars come to the court to express their gratitude, and there will soon be new faces in the court.
From time to time, imperial guards armed with swords would patrol here. The cold light on their armor and the palace lanterns in front of the steps reflected each other, fully demonstrating the solemnity of the court meeting.
The Chengyi Hall behind the Hanyuan Hall was traditionally used as a place for the emperor to rest before the morning court session.
Lu Jing held Gu Ningxi's hand and asked, "Are you nervous?"
Gu Ningxi was dressed in a dark multicolored robe, and the twelve flower crowns were neatly arranged and sparkling with colors.
She shook her head honestly. The sleepless mood she had felt the previous night had completely vanished when she stepped into the front court.
She looked at the furnishings in Chengyi Hall, and everything seemed strangely familiar to her.
She lowered her head and smiled, even feeling that the person next to her was redundant.
Yuan Le was so calm and composed that Lu Jing could only swallow back his words of comfort.
He actually wanted to tell her that the Jin Dynasty's court was under his control, and with him around, she didn't have to worry about the criticism and opposition from the court officials.
The unfinished business of his past life lingered in his mind, and she said it was time to move on.
Since they had rekindled their relationship, he wanted to give her the best of everything.
The morning glow spread out layer upon layer across the sky, the deep sound of bells echoed in the palace, and dissipated in the halo of the rising sun.
The door of Hanyuan Hall opened, and all the officials divided into two rows and solemnly entered the Golden Hall holding their tablets.
Today's court meeting was already unusual due to the arrival of new scholars, but the changes on the jade steps were even more unexpected for most civil and military officials.
In the center remained the same golden nanmu imperial dragon throne, with a screen depicting the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers behind it. Seven steps to the right of the throne, a new nanmu throne stood, separated by a pearl curtain that swayed slightly in the breeze.
And the answer to who the owner of the throne is is obvious.
The neighboring officials exchanged glances, their eyes seemed to contain thousands of words, but no one spoke first.
The wait seemed even longer because of the throne, until the chief steward in front of the emperor shouted in unison: "Your Majesty has arrived, the Empress has arrived!"
Everything is settled.
All civil and military officials straightened their attire and performed the ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows.
"Long live His Majesty, and long live the Empress."
Gu Ningxi sat down quietly, overlooking the civil and military officials of the Great Jin Dynasty.
It seemed as if scenes were interweaving before her eyes, and finally transformed into the appearance of a court.
"Everyone, please stand up."
All officials returned to their seats, and the court session did not begin immediately. Silence fell in the hall, as if a silent standoff between the emperor and his ministers.
The officials behind the jade scepter held their breath, five breaths, ten breaths. The Empress was in court, but the Minister of the Central Secretariat remained silent, the Minister of the Imperial Court remained silent, and the two Ministers of the Imperial Secretariat remained silent. Even the Grand Master Pei, a veteran of the Mingde Dynasty and the most trusted figure of the Retired Emperor, said nothing.
No one wants to be the first to stand out.
Your Majesty has pacified the world and rectified state affairs since ascending the throne. He has cut the Lu family's royal titles as easily as cutting vegetables, and has been absolutely impartial in the administration of officials.
The pillars of the court remained silent. Who would dare to stand up and be the first to disobey His Majesty?
Some people even had a lucky hope that maybe the Queen would just come to the court for a visit and would not stay for long.
The tassels on Gu Ningxi's temples swayed slightly, and she was thinking in her heart that this twelve-tree flower hairpin was too heavy, and she would have to replace it with a lighter phoenix crown in the future.
The court meeting began as usual. The Minister of Rites read out the results of the palace examination and announced, "The new Jinshi are here to enter the palace!"
Facing the rising sun, the high-spirited new scholars strode into the hall.
Compared with the hundreds of officials in the court, they were more accepting of seeing the empress behind the pearl curtain again.
The three students in the first class led their peers behind them to kowtow in unison, with the second place student’s voice being particularly loud.
He came from a humble background, but after the palace examination, his ranking jumped from outside the top 100 to second, bringing honor to his family.
Among the newly-appointed Jinshi, there are many people like him.
The palace examination was the most fair to them. They were extremely grateful for this additional test and were even more grateful for the kindness of His Majesty and the Empress.
On the high platform, Gu Ningxi and Lu Jing sat side by side, looking at the new forces in the court from afar.
The sky is filled with clouds and morning glow.
The great Jin Dynasty will eventually usher in a new era.
【Author’s words】
Later I will continue to write about the daily life of the two saints, the pacification of the four seas, and the extra chapters of the previous life [Starry Eyes]
If you have any extra episodes you want to watch, you can also click on the memes.
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