Debate with a group of scholars
"Summon Jiang Jin to an audience." Jiang Jin stood outside the Xuanzheng Hall, smiling slightly as he looked at the officials in their robes standing inside.
"Your Majesty, I, Jiang Jin, greet you. May Your Majesty be well."
Jiang Jin performed a deep bow and stood in the hall under the gaze of everyone. She was flanked by men in official robes, appearing in the Xuanzheng Hall like a withered tree sprouting new buds.
"I've heard that Lady Jiang single-handedly killed Wang Juesong. Truly, a woman's skill rivals that of any man. Whatever reward you desire, I will grant it to you." Emperor Wende sat on his throne, his gaze sweeping over the strangely behaving crowd below.
"I am a subject of the Great Yan, and it is only right that I do things for the Great Yan." Jiang Jin looked up at Emperor Wende. "However, a balance must be struck between rewards and punishments. I only ask that the law be followed and that I be granted a position in the army!"
The words had barely left his lips when, as if cold water had splashed onto hot oil, the entire Xuanzheng Hall was filled with voices that seemed utterly unreasonable.
"How dare a woman utter such arrogant words? What makes you think you can serve as an official in the court?" Zhou Pi, a court advisor, was the first to question Jiang Jin.
"Lord Zhou, I have already stated that I promoted you based on military merit in accordance with the law, or is Lord Zhou dissatisfied with the law?"
Zhou Pi snorted coldly, "That's for men to achieve great things, what are you, a little woman, to compete with?"
"The law does not explicitly state that women cannot use such merit to establish themselves. Although I am a young lady, I have indeed killed Wang Juesong. If Lord Zhou has any doubts about my merit, he may send someone to investigate!"
"Women have always been supposed to stay in the backyard, managing household affairs, supporting their husbands, and raising children," said Zheng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, looking at Jiang Jin with an air of self-righteousness.
"Zheng Langzhong, you are mistaken. If we always follow the ancient tradition, then we should be eating raw meat and drinking blood. Why should Zheng Langzhong eat cooked food? Should he wear grass skirts and drink dew? Besides, what ancient tradition is this? It is said that Leizu was the first to start silkworm breeding. If we follow Zheng Langzhong's words, then Zheng Langzhong might as well take off his official robes!" Jiang Jin looked arrogantly at the officials on both sides.
"Do any of you gentlemen have any further objections?" Jiang Jin held those who spouted benevolence and morality but only knew how to use the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues to confine women to the inner quarters in utter confinement.
"Your Majesty's decision to allow women into the court is unreasonable. Women are yin, and allowing them to disrupt the yang energy would be detrimental to the Great Yan!" Seeing that he could not persuade Jiang Jin, Doctor Zheng could only plead with Emperor Wende.
"Doctor Zheng, you flatter me. If a mere woman could disrupt the Great Yan, wouldn't that be disrespecting all of you? Or do you, Doctor Zheng, think that your colleagues are just good-for-nothings who can have their efforts wasted with such superstitious talk?"
Jiang Jin walked to Zheng Langzhong's side with her back straight, completely ignoring his resentful gaze.
"Dr. Zheng, General Fu Hao of the Shang Dynasty commanded the sacrificial army and routed the bandits. Everyone says Su Daji brought ruin to the country, but no one mentions King Zhou of Shang's extravagant military campaigns. Or does Dr. Zheng think that all the officials of our Great Yan are like those at the end of the Shang Dynasty?" Jiang Jin snorted coldly, and everyone saw her kneel down.
"I am a subject of the Great Yan, and I have always abided by its laws. Do you gentlemen believe that women are not subjects of the Great Yan and therefore should not obey the laws? When you judge women, please remember that you are filial to your mother and Your Highness is a subject. Do you all wish to be disloyal and unfilial?"
"How dare you! How dare you, a woman like you, judge us!" General Liu couldn't help but speak up to stop them. "Isn't it a laughing stock to have a woman holding a military officer's position?"
"General Liu, who are you to presume to contradict me before His Majesty has even spoken? Does General Liu not respect His Majesty?" Jiang Jin knelt on the ground, staring intently at General Liu.
"Your Majesty, I was merely angry and misspoke. I had no intention of disrespecting Your Majesty. This woman is spreading heresy and I beg Your Majesty to punish her!" General Liu bowed and apologized. Emperor Wende laughed out loud, "What does Lord Dou think?"
"I believe it is inappropriate for a woman to enter the court, but since Lady Wei has indeed rendered meritorious service, an exception could be made. Perhaps bestowing upon her a military honorary title would demonstrate the magnanimity of our Great Yan towards talented individuals." The Dou family naturally didn't want General Liu to have his way; it was just a military honorary title, and it wouldn't benefit them anyway, so they might as well go along with it.
"As expected of the renowned Lord Dou, his vision is indeed broad. Since Lord Dou strongly agrees, then I hereby issue the imperial decree that Jiang Jin has rendered meritorious service and shall be specially granted the title of Registrar of the Seventh Rank Secretariat."
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Jiang Jin kowtowed and expressed his gratitude, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your divine grace!"
"Get up. If there's nothing else, disperse." Emperor Wende felt a sense of satisfaction. These old fools, after all their scheming, had fallen into a trap.
"Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off!" The ministers in the court had no choice but to take their leave according to protocol. As they passed Jiang Jin, their expressions shifted between resentment and surprise.
"Madam, let's return to the residence." Wei Shu, dressed in a purple court robe, walked to Jiang Jin's side.
"General Wei, you are truly magnanimous to allow your wife to appear in public." Zheng Langzhong couldn't accept a woman serving in the court alongside him, nor did he believe Wei Shu would willingly allow his wife to mingle with men.
"Zheng Langzhong, my wife does whatever she wants. How come you couldn't argue with her during court, but now you've come here to sow discord? Or do you think you're so incorruptible that you can withstand my confiscation of your property?" Wei Shu's single sentence was enough to frighten Zheng Langzhong into fleeing in panic.
"General Wei is truly remarkable! Come on, let me treat you to dinner at Yangchun Restaurant!" Jiang Jin pulled Wei Shu out of Xuanzheng Hall.
Lou Xuan had already joined forces with the clothing workshops to ensure that Jiang Jin's resounding words in the court spread throughout the capital, and even reached many people in Bianzhou.
"From today onwards, you're in the spotlight. We're both about to become the most talked-about figures in the entire Great Yan." Wei Shu picked up a piece of roasted mutton and placed it in Jiang Jin's bowl.
"Wei Shu, I need to go back to the Jiang residence." Jiang Jin drank a cup of Lu'an tea. "What I did today will definitely implicate my sisters at home. I wonder if it will cause my mother to be scolded."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Wei Shu asked the question, but she already knew the answer in her heart.
“I can manage on my own. If you’re really worried, you can wait for me at the entrance of the Jiang residence.” Jiang Jin pushed Hu Gua towards Wei Shu. “I have to go to court tomorrow. My father won’t treat me like that.”
“You are a registrar of the Secretariat, personally appointed by His Majesty. Even the Censor-in-Chief cannot punish you without cause.” Wei Shu straightened Jiang Jin’s hairpin. “Let’s go, I’ll take you to the Jiang residence.”
Father Jiang looked at Mother Jiang with a dark expression, "Your second aunt has been in your courtyard for so long, and you haven't noticed anything unusual about her!"
"My lord, am I a tapeworm in my second wife's belly? How would I know what she's thinking!" Mother Jiang looked at Father Jiang with annoyance. "If it weren't for you, my lord, making my second wife marry Wei Shu, would she have run to Bianzhou? Would she have made a name for herself and wanted to enter the court?"
"Nonsense! The other ladies in the household must be disciplined; we mustn't let another 'Second Mistress' appear!" Father Jiang was still furious when the steward rushed in to report.
"My lord, the second mistress has returned." The steward had naturally heard about what happened in court today and was afraid that his lord would throw him out in a fit of anger.
"I won't see her! Tell her to get back home!" Father Jiang was so angry he almost smashed his teacup.
"It was General Wei who brought the Second Lady back. He said that if the Master is unwell, he will personally invite the imperial physician to examine him." The steward repeated Wei Shu's words word for word, trembling with fear.
"Bring this wretched child in!" For the first time, Father Jiang felt the heartache of having shot himself in the foot.
"Daughter greets Father and Mother." Jiang Jin knelt in the main hall, looking at her father. "Father, won't you let me get up?"
"Greetings. I'm already grateful you didn't die of anger!" Father Jiang snorted coldly and ignored Jiang Jin.
“Father, Lord Wei is right outside the door. If Father misses him, I can call him in.” Jiang Jin got up and sat on the wooden chair next to her father.
"Father, it's my fault for implicating my sisters. You may all leave." Jiang Jin glanced at the servants in the hall.
"This is the Jiang residence, not your Wei residence. What right do you have to order the people of the Jiang residence around?" Father Jiang was furious, as if he were seeing this daughter for the first time.
"Alright, then I'll say it in front of the servants. However, whether they can leave this house alive, I don't know." Jiang Jin glanced at the servants around her; they all flinched.
"Alright, go downstairs. Have someone guard the door and prevent anyone unimportant from approaching." Mother Jiang sighed and waved her hand. The crowd filed out as if granted a pardon.
"Since you have something to say to your father, Second Sister, I won't keep you any longer." Jiang Jin stopped Jiang's mother as soon as she got up.
“Mother’s matter is not a big deal. As the mistress of the Jiang family, you will naturally listen to it.” Jiang Jin looked at her father. “Father has been in officialdom for many years and is in the Censorate. Naturally, he can understand His Majesty’s thoughts to some extent.”
"You wretched child, how dare you speak of His Majesty in private!" Father Jiang wished he could cover Jiang Jin's mouth.
"Is Father unwilling to speak privately, or unwilling to speak to me privately?" Jiang Jin took a sip of tea. "In fact, Father understands that without His Majesty's approval, how could I have entered the Xuanzheng Hall openly today?"
"With your intelligence, you've become the one to stick your neck out!" Jiang's father wished he could crack open Jiang Jin's head to see what was inside!
"Father, now you have a happy family, children around you, and a successful career. Do you still remember your late wife, Mother?"
Jiang Jin scoffed, "My maternal grandparents' family was bullied to death by the Sun family, and my mother also passed away. My elder sister is now in Pingzhou and will be going with her husband to report on her crimes this year. Has Father ever shown any concern for her? When Wei Shu returned home that day, was it truly his intention? As a man, Father, couldn't you tell?"
Jiang Jin's eyes were filled with sorrow, "Father, you have moved on, but I will never forget the many souls who have died behind you!"
"Second Aunt, watch your words!" Father Jiang frowned as he looked at Jiang Jin, who seemed a little off, and a pang of guilt rose in his heart. "The Sun family is not something our Jiang family can contend with."
“Father is afraid, but I am not.” Jiang Jin pulled up the clearly visible knife marks inside her sleeve. “Father, have you had anyone investigate my assassination attempt in Yuezhou while I was testing medicine for Wei Shu, and my assassination attempt in Bianzhou?” Jiang’s father turned his back and refused to look at Jiang Jin again.
"Mother, it was my rashness that caused trouble for my sisters' marriages," Jiang Jin said, looking at her mother with some guilt.
"There's no point in saying more now. I'll send someone to sound out what the respectable woman thinks." Mother Jiang waved her hand, saying no more.
“Father, you are a member of the Censorate; you must follow His Majesty's will and not be swayed by worldly gossip.” Jiang Jin lowered his sleeves and left the main hall without looking back.
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