Female magistrate?
Jiang Yushu couldn't believe it. She clutched her hand tightly to suppress her pounding heart. She was both excited and bewildered. She nervously said, "Oh my God! I, I may dream occasionally, but I've never seriously considered getting promoted. I certainly never imagined I'd actually become a county magistrate."
"Madam, why do you have to belittle yourself?"
Guo Honglei smiled and said with emotion, "Your official positions, the position of special envoy, were bestowed by the emperor, and the position of county magistrate was a promotion from when the crown prince was regent. Both were based on merit and were carefully considered by the court. They were definitely not spur-of-the-moment decisions."
Jiang Yushu lowered her eyes in thought, then said uneasily, "That being said, our country has its own laws. Since ancient times, the imperial examination has been the orthodox path to officialdom. I haven't even read the Four Books and Five Classics, but I've jumped from a commoner to an official. How can those scholars who have studied so hard for years accept this?"
"It all depends on your ability. What's there to be dissatisfied about?" Guo Honglei raised an eyebrow and consoled him, "If a scholar has talent, he should work hard to get a good score on the imperial examination. Those who envy the female officials are narrow-minded. Does that mean it's his turn to become an official just because there are no female officials in the court?"
"The imperial examination is indeed the orthodox path, but hereditary succession and the practice of favoritism have also existed since ancient times. The court has a keen eye for talent and employs talents without any restrictions, which is very rare."
Jiang Yushu calmed herself down and pondered for a moment. "Yes, it all depends on your ability! I'm upright and haven't bribed the court, so there's no need to feel guilty or anxious." She observed the other person's expression and asked cautiously, "Then, do you agree?"
"I don't agree." Guo Honglei scowled and asked, "But first, the order cannot be disobeyed, and second, you are unwilling to refuse. What's the point of me not agreeing?"
Jiang Yushu's eyes flickered. She put down the comb, took his hand, and said solemnly and softly, "Since I can't disobey, I can only accept it. Alas, I know I am not very talented. Maybe after two or three years in office, I will be dismissed for having no achievements. I will go home in disgrace and rely on the Second Master for support."
"snort."
Guo Honglei choked, but reluctantly held her hand and compromised, "It's a man's duty to support his family. Whether you're an official or dismissed, I have to support you. However, it's best if you resign. If you're dismissed again, you'll be hiding in your room crying bitterly again."
Jiang Yushu couldn't hold back her pride, so she pinched him and said angrily, "Who's crying? You're the one crying!"
Guo Honglei hugged her and whispered, "I just saw the children. The sons are very well-behaved, and the daughter looks especially like you. She's sure to be stunning when she grows up. I just don't know why, but the little girl loves to cry. She only falls asleep when she's tired of crying. I guess it's because when she was in your womb, your career wasn't going well, and you often cried secretly. Your daughter learned that."
"How is that possible?" Jiang Yushu denied awkwardly, "I only cried that one time, definitely not 'often'."
Guo Honglei kissed her forehead, his heart filled with joy. "Twins, a boy and a girl! My relatives and friends will envy me so much. My wife has suffered so much."
"Three children, do you think it's enough?" Jiang Yushu was worried and said sadly, "It will be difficult for me to get pregnant again in the future."
Guo Honglei already knew everything and replied solemnly, "That's enough, that's enough."
"Yeah." As their eyes met, Jiang Yushu felt relieved and thought to herself: If he is a man who values offspring, and his wife is infertile, he can take a concubine with a clear conscience, and his wife will have no reason to object... Fortunately, he is not that kind of person.
Guo Honglei informed him, "By the way, the court has ordered you to take up your post before September, replacing Sun Jie."
"September?"
"Okay! My body should be recovered by then." Jiang Yushu thought for a moment and asked curiously, "Hey, has Lord Sun been promoted?"
"Thanks to his contributions to the Runhe River, he was relocated, but not promoted. He was transferred to become a county magistrate elsewhere, which was considered his wish. He feared the ravages of war and always wanted to leave Tuning." Guo Honglei frowned. "And you, on the other hand, went from being a leisurely special envoy to the military depot to becoming the magistrate of an impoverished border county."
Jiang Yushu's heart surged with excitement, her fighting spirit high. "I never thought that the court would think so highly of me and trust me with such an important task. If I don't do a good job, I will have failed the court's expectations."
"We'll take it one step at a time." Guo Honglei was helpless. "I'm in Tuningwei—"
Jiang Yushu rubbed her hands together, "Let's take care of each other!"
"good."
At the same time, the Imperial Palace
The magnificent palace is tall, spacious, clean and solemn.
The Ninth Prince strode into the study with his head held high, bowed slightly, and called out, "Royal Brother!"
"Are you here? Sit down." The eldest prince, Zhao Zhan, now the crown prince, put down the memorial, rubbed his brows wearily, and asked gently, "Have you met my father and mother?"
The Ninth Prince sat down and his brother started to act. "I just came back from paying my respects. I played two games of chess with my father and admired the flowers with my mother."
"Good, that's exactly what you should do. Spend more time with your elders and show more filial piety." The Crown Prince, with his usual stern expression and unsmiling manner, instructed, "Don't rush to leave the palace. Come and serve Father with us for dinner later."
"Okay!"
Despite the scorching heat, a cool breeze blew through the halls, and the eunuchs fanned themselves respectfully. The Ninth Prince sipped tea and ate iced fruit to ease his boredom. At noon, he reminded the emperor, "It's time for lunch. Aren't you done yet?"
"Wait a moment." The prince was concentrating on reviewing the memorials, his brows furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "川". He said solemnly, "There are always troubles in the northwest."
The Ninth Prince asked with concern, "What happened in the northwest?"
"Drought has caused a poor harvest in Qinzhou and Puyu. We are requesting relief from the imperial court."
The Ninth Prince held a sinecure and only attended court occasionally. He asked, puzzled, "Foreign nations have been sending us tribute crops called potatoes for years. They're said to be drought-resistant and easy to harvest. Why hasn't it spread yet?"
"No matter how good something is, it always takes time to spread. And for crops, even a year can pass after just one or two plantings, which is especially slow." The prince understood this and spoke casually, "Currently, potatoes are plentiful in Xicang and have spread to the surrounding areas. Yongzhou is planting quite a bit, but the yields vary greatly from place to place."
"But when it spread to other places, the harvest was unpredictable. After all, there is a saying that 'oranges grown south of the Huai River are oranges, while those grown north of the Huai River are tangerines.'"
The Ninth Prince nodded in agreement, thought for a moment, and suggested, "Isn't that Jiang Shi good at tending crops? Now that she's cleared of corruption and abuse of power, why not send her to improve the situation in the areas with poor harvests? It would be a good idea to make the best use of everything and everyone."
"She's already a county magistrate, which is quite exceptional. Whether she can handle the job is still unknown. How can she have the energy to manage more? She's not a superhero."
The Ninth Prince praised him, "We have already made an exception to appoint a female official, so why would we break it again? My Royal Highness, you only appoint people based on their talents. This truly demonstrates your vision and courage. I admire you!"
The Crown Prince smiled as he closed the memorial. He tapped his brother with the tip of his pen, then put it down and said slowly, "I was originally thinking that appointing a female official wasn't quite in line with the rules, so I decided to just impeach her and remove her from office to avoid unnecessary complications."
"Then why did you change your mind?"
"According to the confessions submitted by the dispatched personnel, as well as the information secretly gathered, Jiang has some real abilities. She is diligent in her duties and dedicated to the people. She has also accomplished several practical things, such as the grain workshop and the canal planning. Therefore, we have decided to give her a chance to display her talents. I want to see how outstanding this female official can be."
"A woman so driven, how rare!" The Ninth Prince was very interested. "How capable is she? I'm also very curious."
The prince spoke calmly, his manner dignified, "Let's see if she's worthy of the court's trust. Once we find she's incompetent, it won't be too late to remove her."
A few days later, Hechin
Now, the Guo family has not only established itself firmly in the county, but is also considered a well-known and prestigious family. This month, the family wants to hold a full moon banquet and also celebrate Wang's birthday. After discussion, they decided to hold them together.
The invitations had already been sent out, and everyone was busy day and night preparing for the wedding. The house was cleaned inside and out, and on the wedding day, the servants started working before dawn.
At dawn, the quilt and curtains rustled. Jiang Yushu, sound asleep, turned over in a daze and murmured, "Is it dawn yet?"
"You continue to sleep and get up for breakfast." Guo Honglei tied his outer robe neatly.
Jiang Yushu rubbed her eyes and glanced at the sky with great effort. "It's still early. You can rest for a while."
"No," Guo Honglei explained. "We have quite a few guests today. The two elder brothers from the Mu family in Changping will definitely be attending the wedding. Plus, my colleagues, your colleagues, and so on. I have to look around to avoid being rude and making a fool of myself."
"Okay." As soon as she finished speaking, she fell asleep again.
Guo Honglei smiled, closed the curtains, strode open the door, and inspected the banquet.
So Jiang Yushu slept soundly until dawn, and only got up to wash and eat when the maid knocked on the door.
After dinner, she took her eldest son, nephew and cousin for a walk to visit the baby as usual, and then paid her respects to Mrs. Wang.
Soon, guests arrived one after another.
The official guests were in the front hall, being entertained by the three brothers Guo Honglei; the guests from the family gathered in Wang's courtyard. Some came alone, while others brought their children. A dozen children were playing in the garden, and the wet nurses and maids from each family were running around, either persuading or coaxing them. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and the scene was very lively.
Jiang Yushu was still recuperating. She had a sore back from sitting for a long time. She appeared for a social event for half an hour and took the female guests to see the twins. Her relatives and friends then urged her to rest.
Among them, Pei Wenfeng's wife Ji Yingyue followed Jiang Yushu back to the room to clean up because her cousin's clothes were soiled by a naughty boy with ice cream.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any girls of your age in my house. I wouldn't dare exchange my maid's clothes for a distinguished guest. I only have mine. I'm sorry, Miss Ji, but you'll have to make do with it." As Jiang Yushu spoke, Cuimei gestured and handed over a set of clothes. "This set is newly made. I haven't worn it before, so it might be a little too long for you."
"Thank you, ma'am. Yingru is sorry for the trouble." Ji Yingru was shy, pretty and weak. Her personal maid thanked her and took the clothes.
Jiang Yushu apologized: "No, it's probably because we didn't provide good hospitality. The children were chasing and playing around, and they soiled the guests' clothes. Please don't blame me, young lady."
"It's okay, it's okay." Ji Yingru lowered her head and shook her head repeatedly to show that she didn't mind. Ji Yingyue smiled and said, "Xiaoru is shy, and I'm sorry to make you laugh. Sister, go change your clothes quickly."
"Um."
Jiang Yushu responded with a few words and gently instructed, "Take Miss Ji to the guest room to rest."
"Yes." The maid led the way, and Ji Yingru and her servant left.
In a blink of an eye, Jiang Yushu was curled up in a recliner, and Ji Yingyue, with her hair in a woman's bun, was sitting next to her. The two of them started chatting in private.
"Sigh." Ji Yingyue subconsciously touched her belly, feeling anxious and distressed. "Ever since I got married, there's been no movement in my belly. My mother-in-law and great-grandmother often write to me asking about me. I, I... Well, lately, even my mother has started to get anxious. She's been praying to the gods and visiting doctors, but nothing's working."
"Sister, if you have any ideas, could you teach me?"
Jiang Yushu laughed dumbly, "Sister? According to seniority, you are my cousin's wife."
"Although we're of different generations, I've always considered you my sister," Ji Yingyue said frankly. She knew about her cousins' past and had tried to pry into their relationship, but eventually, with their frank attitude, her grudges gradually faded.
Jiang Yushu sat up straight, stared at the other person, and said frankly, "Well, to be honest, I got pregnant naturally. I never used any method, and I don't have any secret recipes. I'm sorry to have made you come here for nothing."
"Don't say that!" Ji Yingyue bit her lip awkwardly. "It's nothing. We haven't seen each other for a long time. It's time to get together."
"You've only been married for a year or two, and you're several years younger than me. There's no need to rush. Relax, you'll have children sooner or later."
"I am young, but he married late and is not young anymore. No wonder the elders are worried."
Jiang Yushu frowned and asked tentatively, "Did my cousin urge you?"
"Not really. He also meant to 'let it be', but the elders have high expectations, and I can't feel at ease." Ji Yingyue smiled bitterly.
"This kind of thing really can't be rushed. Or, should we ask a doctor to treat my body?"
"Alas, I'm recovering and taking medicine every day. Even when I came to Heqin to visit my aunt, I brought medicine with me." Ji Yingyue sighed worriedly, "I'm really worried that I won't be able to get pregnant."
"You will get pregnant sooner or later, stop thinking about it!" Jiang Yushu didn't have any so-called "secret recipe for having a baby", so she could only comfort her repeatedly.
Before they knew it, it was noon and the banquet was about to begin. The maid smiled and invited the guests of honor to take their seats.
Jiang Yushu stood up and said, "Let's go to my mother-in-law's house to have some fun."
"Sister, go slower." Ji Yingyue supported her personally.
The next moment, Ji Yingru's maid suddenly rushed over in a panic, sweating profusely, and reported with a pale face: "The fourth lady is missing!"
"What?"
Ji Yingyue asked in surprise, "Why did he disappear for no reason? Weren't you there to serve him?"
"We were originally staying in the guest room. The maid from the Guo Mansion was afraid that the young lady would be bored, so she suggested that we go to the garden to appreciate the flowers, so we went. But there were many children playing in the garden, walking and stopping, and in the hustle and bustle, the young lady disappeared. I and the maid from the Guo Mansion secretly searched for her several times, but couldn't find her." The maid was panicked and cried with fear.
Ji Yingyue was also panicking, "Sister, what should I do? If anything happens to Xiaoru, I won't be able to explain to my uncle and aunt."
"Don't panic, I'll think of a way."
Jiang Yushu thought for a moment, then made a prompt decision and ordered, "Call Aunt Liu immediately. I have something to tell her!"
The author has something to say: One day, the imperial court will find that it is worthwhile to appoint female officials as exceptions!
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