Chapter 78 Establishment of a Special Course for Women
Before long, Eunuch Xu led a young man dressed in a blue cloth robe into the hall.
The man had delicate features and a slightly slender build; he was none other than Xiao Lingdang, dressed in men's clothing.
"This humble subject, Lin Dang, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"No need for formalities." The Emperor looked at his youthful appearance, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "You're so young, yet you're skilled at treating headaches?"
Little Bell calmly replied, "Your Majesty, this is a family heirloom. My ancestors specialized in treating wind-related diseases, and I have been studying under them since I was a child. Although I have not been practicing medicine for very long, I have accumulated some experience, which may be of some use to Your Majesty."
The emperor saw that he spoke eloquently and was neither arrogant nor humble despite his youth, which improved his impression of him. So, at his request, the emperor extended his wrist so that the emperor could take his pulse.
Halfway through taking the pulse, she suddenly looked up and said, "Your Majesty, have you recently been experiencing tightness in the back of your neck, and are you feeling dizzy and lightheaded when you wake up in the morning?"
The Emperor was slightly taken aback, then nodded: "That is indeed the case."
“This is caused by pent-up emotions accumulating in the neck and shoulders, which then affect the head,” Little Bell said, then asked for instructions. “This humble subject knows a little about massage; perhaps I can offer Your Majesty some relief.”
The Emperor was suffering from a headache and was feeling quite annoyed. Upon hearing this, he nodded in agreement: "Alright, you can give it a try."
Little Bell stepped forward as instructed and gently pressed the acupoint on the back of the Emperor's neck.
Li Yuanzhao stood aside, watching quietly without saying a word.
After a moment, Xiao Lingdang withdrew her hand, bowed and said, "Your Majesty's headaches are a chronic ailment, mostly caused by the stress of state affairs and mental strain, resulting in pent-up emotions in the body, which require slow and gradual treatment. I can devise a prescription for Your Majesty, supplemented with acupuncture, to alleviate the pain of the attacks first, and with time, there may be hope for a complete cure."
The Emperor felt a sense of relief in the back of his neck, and the previous dizziness dissipated considerably. Clearly, this person had some real skills. A rare smile appeared on his face. "Good, since you have such abilities, then keep him in the Imperial Medical Bureau and take good care of me."
Little Bell glanced back at Li Yuanzhao without realizing it.
Seeing her nod slightly, she felt relieved and accepted the imperial decree to express her gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."
Just then, a eunuch's urgent voice came from outside the hall: "Urgent report from the border—!"
Upon seeing this, Li Yuanzhao immediately stood up and said, "Since Father has important matters to attend to, Your Majesty, Physician Lin and I will take our leave now."
The Emperor waved his hand, saying, "No need, you can stay."
Seeing this, Little Bell quickly retreated.
Soon, the eunuch strode in carrying the report, knelt down and announced loudly: "Your Majesty! General Shen led his army to a great victory over the Tubo at Qingxia Pass, killing 30,000 enemies and capturing countless grains and horses. The Tubo Zanpu has sent envoys to sue for peace, willing to pay tribute and become a vassal state every year!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
The Emperor slammed his hand on the table three times, his eyes brimming with ecstatic joy. "Shen Xu has indeed not disappointed me! Those Tibetan barbarians have repeatedly provoked us, but today they've finally been taught a lesson!"
Upon seeing this, Li Yuanzhao immediately knelt down, saying, "This victory is entirely due to Father Emperor's wisdom and martial prowess, his strategic planning and decisive victories from afar! Now, with Physician Lin curing Father Emperor's incurable illness and ensuring his health, and with this great victory at the border, our national prestige is enhanced, and our barbarians are deterred. This is truly a blessing from Heaven for the Great Qi, a blessing from Heaven for a wise ruler! It is a fortunate event for the nation and a blessing for all the people!"
Which emperor doesn't like others praising his achievements?
Which emperor doesn't yearn to prove that he is the chosen one?
Which emperor doesn't hope to be remembered in history and praised as a wise ruler?
Upon hearing Li Yuanzhao's words, the Emperor was overjoyed, and his previous hesitation about the "Women's Imperial Examination" seemed to have been largely dispelled by this joyful atmosphere.
He looked at his daughter kneeling on the ground and found her more and more pleasing to the eye.
"Very well!" His Majesty waved his hand. "Your earlier request for a special imperial examination for women is granted!"
He paused, then added, "You will be fully responsible for this matter. Draft the regulations and submit them."
A glint of triumph flashed in Li Yuanzhao's eyes, and he quickly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Father! Your son will certainly not fail in his mission!"
She never fights a battle unprepared.
Today, in addition to bringing the little bell, I also learned in advance from my uncle's letter about the great victory at the front, and I had the right time to have the report delivered to me.
Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence?
People are most likely to let their guard down when they are overjoyed, and are also most likely to agree to things they would otherwise hesitate to do.
The emperor was overwhelmed with joy at the great victory at the border, and was also pleased by her words "a wise ruler blessed by heaven." Naturally, all his previous concerns about the women's imperial examination were forgotten.
In this way, the establishment of a special examination for women naturally came to fruition.
The Grand Tutor truly understood her best; even their thoughts and concerns were identical.
However, even without you, I will still follow the path you expected.
Therefore, you can rest assured about your reincarnation and need not worry.
The Emperor was overjoyed by the great victory at the border, and Minister Lu also benefited from it.
In the end, he was only given a lenient sentence: dismissed from his post and exiled. His family was not endangered.
Li Yuanyou was also punished for "lax management of his subordinates and poor judgment of people," with his fiefdom reduced by half and him punished by being confined to his study room for three months as a minor punishment to serve as a warning.
Because of the victory, Tibet sent envoys to sue for peace, and the people were naturally overjoyed. They no longer cared about the matter of the Second Prince and Grand Tutor Liu. Since the emperor had given an explanation, everyone gradually stopped discussing it.
Whether the public will accept this claim is another matter.
The Emperor was in high spirits and immediately ordered a celebratory banquet to be held, inviting all civil and military officials to celebrate.
Perhaps the joyous occasions were too frequent, or perhaps the glory of the border victory overshadowed everything else.
When Li Yuanzhao presented the regulations for establishing a girls' school at the Imperial Academy, along with the proposed special examinations for women, to the court, it did not cause much controversy.
Relying on Li Yuanzhao's young ministers, they naturally dared not raise any objections.
Although the veteran officials had some complaints, they ultimately chose to remain silent after the emperor declared, "This is Heaven's blessing upon the Great Qi; we should widely recruit talented individuals."
Having just recovered, why would Prime Minister Cui's faction want to spoil the Emperor's mood?
Moreover, these men might think that since ancient times, men have read books for thousands of years and are thoroughly familiar with the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, while women only occasionally practice writing in their boudoirs. How could they possibly outperform men in the imperial examinations?
This imperial examination for women is probably just a gimmick by the princess on a whim, and it won't cause any trouble. It's better to give the emperor face and avoid offending him on a festive occasion.
Of all the officials in the court, only Su Qingci saw through the deeper meaning behind this.
This may seem like just a small opening for women to step into the arena of power, but in reality, it is laying a solid foundation for His Highness to ascend to the highest position.
If people gradually become accustomed to women serving in the court and participating in national affairs, then when a woman ascends the throne one day, the opposition will be much smaller.
After all, habit is the most terrifying thing. When "women in power" goes from being shocking to commonplace, all resistance will gradually dissipate.
And so, in a joyous atmosphere, the establishment of the Women's Special Examination was decided so easily.
The Emperor personally approved the decision to hold the examination in February of the following year, in the same year as the men's imperial examination, using the same set of questions, to ensure fairness.
The news caused an uproar.
Countless talented women were drawn to the news.
In rural villages, women spontaneously form societies to exchange knowledge and skills.
Even some young ladies from scholarly families from generation to generation asked their families to send them to the Imperial College Girls' School to prepare for the special imperial examination next spring.
“An ancient woman was born, and she was placed on a tile. She was weak and frail, and lay under the bed.”
Women in this world have no way out: before marriage, they obey their fathers; after marriage, they obey their husbands; and after their husbands die, they obey their sons.
It seems that their only way out in life is to please men.
But at this moment, the news of the woman Enko was like a ray of dawn, illuminating a path they had never dared to imagine.
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