"Your Majesty, are you joking?" Chen Youzhi asked, "How can a commoner become an official in the court?"
"Our dynasty promotes the imperial examination system to help the poor and needy. All citizens under the rule of our Great Zhou, regardless of gender, age, or social status, can participate in the imperial examinations, and everyone has the opportunity to enter the officialdom."
Chen Youzhi smiled bitterly. "Your Majesty, do you know how many men have been blocked from becoming officials by the physical examinations before the exams alone?"
"The body check is to prevent you from bringing in cheat sheets. What's wrong with that?" Jiang Cenyun asked.
"But the official who examined him was a woman. If a man was touched all over by a woman in public, his reputation would be ruined, and it would be extremely difficult for him to get married in the future."
Jiang Cenyun pondered. "So that's how it is... From now on, I should permanently appoint a male examiner to examine men."
"Your Majesty is wise."
"But Chen Youzhi," Jiang Cenyun said in a clear voice. "You always want to consider all the options, not wanting to lose anything, yet wanting to gain everything. How can such a good thing happen in this world?"
Chen Youzhi looked up in astonishment. "Your Majesty..."
"You say you just want a place to stay, yet you complain that the other noble ladies in the capital can't understand your talent. You cherish your own knowledge, but you're reluctant to take the imperial examinations. It's true that the current world places many constraints on men, but are these constraints an excuse for you to stop striving? Is Li Xiwei's current position of high rank due to the favor of the late emperor and me? Is it because he was the top scholar in the tenth year of the Yongping reign? Do you suspect he underwent a physical examination back then?"
"But now...hasn't he also abandoned officialdom and joined us as ministers?" Chen Youzhi said in a trembling voice, "You are referring to the former Left Prime Minister. However, today's Left Prime Minister is no longer the hero he once was. He is just like us ministers, striving for the emperor's favor."
Jiang Cenyun was stunned by the question and looked a little ugly.
Chen Youzhi gritted his teeth and knelt on the ground. "I know that if I say something, I'll die, but I simply... I simply can't keep it to myself. Your Majesty, if you would consider the men of the world and treat men and women equally, then please... please do not accept Prime Minister Li into the palace."
She narrowed her eyes and said slowly, "Is this your true purpose?"
"Yes." Chen Youzhi's head rested against the ground, his voice growing stronger. "If Your Majesty prefers men of talent, I know I possess some talent. While I cannot be Your Majesty's right-hand man, I can certainly be a valuable addition to your life. The Left Prime Minister's talent shouldn't be confined to the inner palace; the court is where he can truly showcase his abilities."
A new word suddenly popped up in Jiang Cenyun's mind, and he blurted out without thinking: "So you want to be a substitute?"
"Substitute?" Chen Youzhi repeated the word doubtfully, then shook his head. "Of course I dare not replace the Left Prime Minister."
"Then how can you be so sure that I won't marry him again if I have you?" Jiang Cenyun snorted coldly. "You think too highly of yourself."
"Your Majesty..." His voice began to tremble again.
"But you're right," she sighed. "Whether it's for the sake of the country or for the sake of the man who makes up half of the people, not allowing Li Xiwei into the palace is the best option. Neither he nor I should be confined by romantic feelings."
"Then Your Majesty..."
"Please act out a play with me." She bent down and helped Chen Youzhi up.
On the second day, Chen Youzhi met the emperor in the imperial garden, and the news that he had won the favor of His Majesty spread like wildfire. Chen Youzhi also moved from the remote place where the handsome men lived together to the Zhuohua Palace, which was closer to the emperor's bedroom. This was once the residence of Rong Meijun, the favorite concubine of Emperor Wen.
A group of handsome men gnashed their teeth in despair. Those who had once been on good terms with Chen Youzhi now cursed him for using seductive tactics to get there first. Some even inquired about the details of what happened in the Imperial Garden, wanting to know how Chen Youzhi had managed to seduce the emperor.
"I thought Chen was a quiet and demure woman. This poor boy is simply lowly. Who knows what despicable tricks he used to deceive Your Majesty."
"That's right. He used to be close to Prime Minister Li. It seems he has already found out about Your Majesty's preferences."
"Lord Zuo Xiang, why don't you give us some pointers? You will definitely be the master of Laiyi Palace in the future. We are willing to be your pawns, your steps, and help you eliminate this ungrateful and heartless person."
Surrounded by the crowd, Li Xiwei remained silent. It wasn't until a female official passed by that he stepped forward and asked, "Did Your Majesty really meet Chen Youzhi and let him live in Zhuhua Palace?"
There was a hint of reluctance in the female official's eyes. "I personally saw Chen appear at Zhuanhua Palace today. As for what happened yesterday, I'm not entirely clear. Please, Left Prime Minister, don't worry too much and take care of yourself."
"Thank you, Lu Fengyu."
He turned and walked back. A group of people surrounded him again, chattering. He flicked his sleeves. "Everyone, get out."
Everyone immediately stopped arguing.
After they walked quite a distance, someone among them murmured, "That's not right. He's now on equal footing with us. We're not his subordinates. Why should we listen to him?"
Li Xiwei sat alone in the courtyard, looking towards the imperial study, and only caught a glimpse of a corner of the hall.
He couldn't guess what Jiang Cenyun was thinking, but from what he knew about her, although she had a lively personality, she was not the kind of person who would joke around casually. She sympathized with the weak and would not play tricks on a decent family like Chen Youzhi who had a rough life.
So the preferential treatment she gave him was real preferential treatment.
Why is this happening?
He suddenly remembered that when she came incognito yesterday, she stared at Chen Youzhi for a long time with interest in her eyes. Was she really interested in him?
What's the problem? Is it the policy paper?
He looked down at his blue robe and just wanted to change into official uniform and go to the imperial study to get things clear.
But he couldn't. If he wanted that position, he couldn't give others a handle to criticize him when there were so many people watching.
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