Chapter 112 Things never go so smoothly
The Emperor listened to the Empress Dowager's words and sat there in silence. He knew of the relationship between the Duchess of Chu and the Empress Dowager, and he was also aware that the Duke of Chu had helped him greatly in the past. However, there were indeed many hidden dangers regarding Jiang Yu's entry into the court as an official.
"Mother, once the door is opened for women to serve in the court, it will be impossible to stop them from doing so," the Emperor said.
The Empress Dowager looked at him and asked, "Why did you stop me?"
The emperor frowned, and then the empress dowager said again, "If it weren't for Emperor Gaozu, would your Qin family still have this empire?"
Emperor Gaozu was the empress of that time.
"Emperor Gaozu saved the Great Gan Dynasty and stabilized your Qin family's empire. Who wouldn't say she was a wise ruler?"
"Mother, Emperor Gaozu's surname was Qin, and she is of Qin blood," the Emperor said.
"I didn't discuss bloodlines with you," the Empress Dowager said, looking at him. "What I'm telling you is that outstanding women are no less capable than men. Besides, Jiang Yu isn't going to enter the harem or seize your Qin family's throne. She's just entering the court as an official. What are you afraid of?"
emperor:"......."
Empress Dowager: "I know you're overthinking things. After all, the country isn't a vegetable garden. But we both owe Jingrong and the Duke of Chu. I just hope you'll give Jiang Yu a chance. If she's capable, treat her like any other male official. If she's not, let her go home."
The emperor remained silent for a while, then said, "Very well, I will give her a chance. But she must undergo the same examination as everyone else, by the Ministry of Personnel and by me."
The Empress Dowager smiled, "Very well, if Jiang Yu fails the Ministry of Personnel's and your assessments, the Duke of Chu won't be able to say anything."
The emperor smiled somewhat helplessly, and the empress dowager's mood improved considerably upon seeing this.
The emperor did not delay. After returning to his study, he sent a eunuch to the Duke of Chu's residence to inform Jiang Yu to prepare for the assessment. Then he summoned the Minister of Personnel to his study and told him about the assessment of Jiang Yu.
When Minister of Personnel Ruan Heng heard that Jiang Yu had been recommended for an official position, he was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Is Jiang Yu the granddaughter of the Duke of Chu?"
The emperor hummed in agreement, and Ruan Heng frowned slightly: "But Jiang Yu is a woman."
The emperor gave him a somewhat displeased look. "How could I not know she was a woman?"
"That…"
"Alright, just do it the same way you always do," the emperor said.
However, the Minister of Personnel was still somewhat undecided. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "If Jiang Yu were to enter the court as an official, which position would be suitable?"
The Yellow Emperor, finding the Minister of Personnel so verbose for the first time, grew impatient: "I have said, do it the way it was done before, and do it the same way now."
"Oh, I see." The Minister of Personnel glanced cautiously at the Emperor again and said, "In the past, the examinations for recommended officials were similar to those for the imperial examinations, only a bit easier. Was Jiang Yu's examination the same?"
The emperor frowned. "How many times do I have to say it? Do it the same way as before."
The Minister of Personnel immediately knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, I am foolish and beg for punishment."
The emperor waved his hand, dismissing the Minister of Personnel. He knew perfectly well that the minister was afraid of misunderstanding him. After all, his agreement to allow Jiang Yu, a woman, to serve in the court indicated that he treated her with special affection.
The Minister of Personnel, accustomed to his cautious nature, naturally asked a few more questions. The Emperor sighed heavily; he was conflicted, not wanting Jiang Yu to pass the Ministry of Personnel's examination, yet also hoping she would. He also wanted to see if a woman could be as strong as a man.
The Minister of Personnel returned to his office and paced back and forth in his study. As the head of the Six Ministries and a second-rank official, he held a pivotal position in the powerful network of the capital.
The matter of Jiang Yu, the daughter of the Duke of Chu, entering the imperial court to serve as an official was neither a major nor a minor one. First of all, the fact that the Emperor had agreed to recommend Jiang Yu, a woman, for an official position indicated that the Duke of Chu still held some influence with the Emperor.
Secondly, the Chu princes are incompetent, and the legitimate son has been replaced by an illegitimate one, putting the Chu state on the verge of ruin. But now, Jiang Yu has suddenly appeared, a woman who can serve as an official in the court, making the future of Chu state affairs uncertain.
His family's relationship with the Duke of Chu's mansion was neither close nor distant; whether the Duke of Chu's mansion prospered or suffered misfortune wouldn't have a significant impact on him. Therefore, since the Emperor still valued the Duke of Chu, he had no reason to make things difficult for Jiang Yu.
Having figured out the key point, the Minister of Personnel glanced outside and said to his attendant, "Please invite Cheng Jinchuan, the Vice Minister of Rites, over here."
Cheng Jinchuan is the son-in-law of the Duke of Chu. If you want to curry favor with the Duke of Chu, it would be best to have him deliver the message.
A moment later, Cheng Jinchuan entered, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble official greets Your Excellency, Minister."
The Minister of Personnel smiled and waved his hand, "Jinchuan, please sit down."
Seeing his expression, Cheng Jinchuan roughly guessed what it was about. After all, he knew that the Duke of Chu had gone to the palace to see the Emperor yesterday, and that the Lady of Anyuan Marquis had gone to the palace to see the Empress Dowager today. Just now, the Minister of Personnel had gone to see the Emperor again, which must have been about Jiang Yu.
He was somewhat surprised. He knew that with the connections of the Duke of Chu's family, Jiang Yu would undoubtedly be able to enter the court as an official. However, he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.
"Jiang Yu, granddaughter of the Duke of Chu..."
"grown ups."
A voice interrupted the Minister of Personnel, who frowned, "What is it?"
His attendant bowed and came in, saying, "Madam says there's something urgent at home and she wants you to go home quickly."
The Minister of Personnel's face immediately darkened, but he couldn't show his anger, so he could only say, "Tell the madam that I'll be back in a little while."
"My lord, the matter is urgent. You should go back," the attendant said again, his face showing some anxiety.
Upon seeing this, the Minister of Personnel guessed that something serious might have happened in the family that couldn't be told to outsiders. He glanced at Cheng Jinchuan and said, "In that case, Jinchuan, please give my regards to the Duke of Chu."
Cheng Jinchuan thought to himself, "As expected," things never go so smoothly. But outwardly, he respectfully said, "This humble official will certainly convey the message."
The Minister of Personnel nodded, then hurried home. Cheng Jinchuan watched as his sedan chair left the government office, and immediately got into the chair to go to the Duke of Chu's residence.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Personnel was riding home in a sedan chair, anxiously wondering what had happened at home. He stopped the sedan chair, lifted the curtain, and let his attendant come closer, asking in a low voice, "What exactly happened at home?"
The attendant's eyes darted around, and just as he was about to speak, a horse charged over, knocking him down. But the rider made the horse turn back a few steps, and its front hooves slammed into the attendant's chest. The attendant, his eyes wide with terror, stopped breathing.
The man on horseback had his face covered with a black cloth, only his eyes were visible. Those eyes were not large, but the light they emitted was fierce and sinister. He looked at the Minister of Personnel, who had not yet recovered his senses, and said, "Lord Ruan must have suffered a great shock and will probably be bedridden."
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