Chapter 185: Imperial Examination Begins
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On the tenth day of the second month, Emperor Qingyuan issued an edict to the world.
The imperial court will hold a special examination on the eighth day of the seventh month, when both the civil and military examinations will be held at the same time.
What was different from the special examinations in previous years was that because the two thousand women of Lijiazhai had made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion, Emperor Qingyuan showed them special favor and allowed them to participate in this special examination together with the men.
Also, because overseas countries adhere to the principle of gender equality, Daxia, as a friendly country, should learn from the strengths of others. Therefore, it decided to treat all women equally and allow all women in the world to sign up for this special examination.
The special examination only tested the joint examination, but women had no official titles, so Emperor Qingyuan ordered that the preliminary examination be held on the eighth day of the fourth month.
The preliminary examination was held in the imperial examination halls of Xiajing and various provinces. Only women who passed the preliminary examination could enter the capital to take part in the joint examination.
Anyone whose name is on the list can serve as an official in the court together with other men.
......
The first people to receive the news were the women of Lijiazhai living in the post house.
"Big sister! Big sister!"
In the guest room, Li Jin was studying a military book when a young girl with a dark complexion and bright eyes rushed in.
"What's wrong?" Li Jin didn't even raise his head, and said in a coaxing tone, "Did you go to Zuihonglou again?"
The girls in Lijiazhai have been studying and practicing martial arts since they were young. They have grown up in a wild way and developed a casual personality.
It just so happened that the women from overseas were equally passionate and unrestrained. When they met, they felt that they had met too late. They went out together every day and were extremely happy.
Although the overseas envoys had been in Daxia for many days, they had not visited every corner of Xiajing. The girls from Lijiazhai were new to the city, so they mistakenly entered a place of brothels.
Zuihonglou is the largest brothel in the area, and the girls inside are all beautiful.
Everyone was kind to women and had plenty of money, so they would often visit and take care of the business of the girls in Zuihonglou.
Especially the girl in front of me named Mu Ping, who goes to Zuihonglou to drink and listen to music almost every day.
They also knew that every time they went to Zuihonglou, those stinky men would look at them with complete contempt.
But they don't care, they just want to be happy.
Mu Ping shook her head like a rattle: "No, no, it's news from the palace!"
Li Jin frowned, raised his head from the book, and quietly pinched the page: "What news?"
Mu Ping said loudly, "His Majesty has issued an imperial decree to hold a special imperial examination on the eighth day of the seventh month, with both civil and military examinations to be held simultaneously. He has also allowed us to participate together!"
Li Jin's fingertips trembled, and the military book fell to the ground.
Twenty days ago, Prince Ping started a rebellion. She couldn't stand it, so she led the girls from Lijiazhai deep into the enemy camp and captured Prince Ping alive.
Later, Commander Yang of the Huben Army came to her and said that he was ordered by His Majesty to take them to Xiajing to receive rewards.
At this point, Li Jin did not regret letting the court know about the existence of Lijiazhai.
She couldn't bear to see the people suffer from the war.
After Li Jin consulted the girls, two thousand people packed up their gold and silver and followed the Huben Army and the Firearms Army into Beijing and stayed at the post station.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed, but the court never summoned them and left them alone.
Li Jin couldn't figure out what the court was up to. Just when she was thinking about whether to run away with the girls, news came from Xiajing City that Duke Wen and Earl Haining recommended them to serve as officials in the court.
Upon hearing the news, Li Jin immediately gave up the idea of running away.
If she could become an official in the court, perhaps there would be a chance for that dusty history to see the light of day again.
Li Jin had been waiting for the outcome of this battle between male and female power. Upon learning that the imperial court was holding an imperial examination, his voice trembled with excitement. "Are you serious? You're not lying to me?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Mu Ping pouted unhappily, but then she thought of something and her eyebrows lit up with joy. Waving her fists, she said, "Sister, you must get first place in the exam, beat all those stinky men to the ground, and become a general in glory!"
"In the future, when you have achieved great military success on the battlefield, His Majesty will summon you. You can spread the story of our ancestors' heroic deeds so that everyone in the world will know how powerful they were!"
In addition to the Li family members themselves, all the women with different surnames in Lijiazhai were homeless for various reasons. After being taken in, they have reproduced from generation to generation, allowing Lijiazhai to expand from 200 people to thousands.
In the minds of these people, no matter what their surnames are, they only have two ancestors, namely Li Jin and Zhao Mucheng’s great-grandmothers, Li Ying and Zhao Tanxiang.
Li Ying and Zhao Tanxiang were both women from the previous dynasty, namely the Daqing Dynasty. One was the legitimate daughter of Duke Dingguo, and the other was the Princess of Qingping County.
More than a hundred years ago, 80,000 enemy troops attacked Guangning Prefecture, and the generals defending the city died one after another. It was these two women who led the people to defend the city for two months, holding on until the last moment, until they died in battle.
They deserve to be recorded in history, passed down through the ages, and praised by future generations.
However, this is not the case.
Just because they were women, the historians of the Daqing Dynasty erased their achievements, leaving only a short sentence: "The people of Guangning Prefecture held out for two months, but were ultimately defeated and brutally massacred."
There is no Li Ying and no Zhao Tanxiang.
Their heroic act of sacrificing their lives for the country has disappeared in the long river of history, no one remembers it, and no one even knows about it.
The daughters of Li Ying and Zhao Tanxiang therefore resented the historian and the last emperor of the Daqing Dynasty who instructed the historian to do so. When Xia Taizu led his troops to attack Kyoto, they joined forces to kill the last emperor and took the initiative to open the city gates to welcome the Xia army into the city.
Later, when Daxia was established, Li Yanran and Zhao Xiwen fled and hid in the mountains with their confidants, establishing Lijiazhai.
Time flies, and a hundred years pass in the blink of an eye.
Li Jin, as the granddaughter of Li Yanran, and Zhao Mucheng, as the granddaughter of Zhao Tanxiang, have never forgotten their great-grandmother's heroic deeds, but they are also annoyed by the world's contempt and malicious speculations towards their great-grandmother.
However, when my grandmother was alive, she made a rule that no one could be born in Lijiazhai unless absolutely necessary.
They could not defend their great-grandmother, nor could they clear her name.
This time, Duke Wen and Earl Haining recommended everyone from Lijiazhai to serve as officials, which gave Li Jin a glimmer of hope.
Perhaps during her lifetime, she can fulfill her grandmother's long-cherished wish and let the truth of that year see the light of day again.
Li Jin picked up the book and said with a smile: "Duke Wen and Earl Haining are truly role models for women. We owe them a favor."
Mu Ping poked at the cake on the table, pinched it and swallowed it in one gulp. Her voice was vague: "In fact, it's not just us. All the women in Daxia can participate in this special examination."
"I think they are amazing. They were able to convince His Majesty, and even those officials with their eyes on the top of their heads agreed."
Li Jin remained noncommittal: "The court is full of intrigue. If you don't have some skills, you would have been eaten to the bone."
Seeing Mu Ping eating cakes with no effort, too busy to talk, Li Jin handed her the whole plate and said, "You eat here. I'll go tell Mu Qing about this."
Mu Ping nodded and waved her hand to indicate that she should go quickly.
Li Jin knocked on Zhao Mucheng's door, and the latter was painting at his desk.
Li Jin told Zhao Muqing about the special examination, and Zhao Muqing was overjoyed: "That's great! I thought the court would just give us a few silver coins to get rid of us."
"To be honest, I was planning to leave secretly." Li Jin said with a smile, "Except for you, everyone else should be taking the martial arts exam. Those who pass will stay in Xiajing, and those who fail will go back home."
Zhao Muqing put down his brush and said, "The children we raise are certainly better than boys."
"But before that, we have to find a way to settle down."
Since I have decided to take the imperial examination, I must have a place to stay. I can't live in an inn for the next few months.
The martial arts examination requires training, which is always inconvenient in the post station.
"That's right, that's right." Li Jin pondered for a moment. "I don't think there are that many houses for rent or sale in the city. We can go outside the city. If that doesn't work, we can build a Lijia Village. We have enough money and manpower. We can build a house in half a month."
Zhao Mucheng readily agreed. The two talked for a while and then Li Jin left.
On the way, Li Jin met Chang Xia and his group who were returning from outside, and stopped to say hello.
Chang Xia smiled and said, "I heard that His Majesty of Da Xia has allowed women to take the imperial examinations. Unfortunately, by the time the exam officially started, we had already returned home. I hope you can have a successful start and be on the list."
Li Jin smiled, thinking that this Nanzhao princess was speaking the Daxia official language more and more fluently, and she could use idioms at will. "Excuse me for your good wishes. When do you plan to leave?"
Chang Xia said, "The one-month visa has expired. We are packing our bags. We will attend the palace banquet tonight and leave by train tomorrow."
The so-called palace banquet was a farewell banquet held by Emperor Qingyuan for overseas envoys.
Li Jin bowed, smiling brightly. "We're leaving the city tomorrow. I wish you all a safe journey in advance. If there's a fleet heading to Nanzhao Kingdom in the future, we'll write to you."
"Then it's a deal!" Chang Xia walked forward with a smile, gently hugged Li Jin, and muttered, "Although Da Xia was good before, it was not good for women. Now it's different. Women can also make a name for themselves. I hope that by the time I receive this letter, you will have become very good and outstanding people."
Only in this way would her actions at the welcoming banquet that night be worthwhile.
Li Jin said firmly: "Yes."
-
That night, overseas envoys entered the palace again, boarded a boat to the island, and went to the Bixiao Palace to attend the farewell banquet.
Although they were reluctant to leave, they had a mission to accomplish.
During this month, they traveled to almost every corner of Xiajing and gained a very deep understanding of this dynasty located on the west coast of the ocean.
Now it was time for them to leave and tell their king, their leader, what they had seen and heard in Daxia.
After getting off the boat and walking a little further, you will reach the Bixiao Palace.
Everyone was walking and talking and laughing when suddenly someone shouted, "Look, what is that?"
Although they didn't speak the same language, it didn't stop everyone from looking forward following the speaker's gestures.
At the end of the cement road stands a towering palace.
Unlike the dim candlelight when I came last time, the Bixiao Palace tonight is shrouded in bright lights.
Under the embellishment of the warm yellow light, the entire palace looks even more magnificent, as if it were made of gold and jade.
“So beautiful!”
"What are those things hanging in the air? They are brighter than candles and oil lamps!"
"This must have been made by the Daxia Research Institute. Maybe we can buy some and take them back."
With it, your eyes will not be hurt even when reading or handling official business at night.
Thinking of this, everyone quickened their pace and filed into the main hall of the Bixiao Palace.
The main hall was also lit with warm yellow lights, making the surroundings as bright as day.
Everyone looked at the clusters of warm yellow glassware, as if they saw the sun itself.
Burning and dazzling.
Someone murmured, "I finally understand what it means to be a moth to a flame."
For a moment, they also wanted to rush forward regardless of everything and merge into the warm yellow.
Changxia looked at Du Qingtang, who was sitting at the table and talking in a low voice with Fu Ci. She had a strong premonition that the other party must know what this was.
"Duke Wen, could you sell us some of these glass lamps? Even if the price is high, it doesn't matter. They are so beautiful, my parents will definitely like them."
Du Qingtang looked at the electric lights hanging around the main hall and thought that the name "glass lamp" sounded quite nice. "I'm sorry, but these glass lamps are still in the trial stage and need further improvement."
This is the truth.
Although Du Qingtang successfully made the electric light, the tungsten powder was not pure enough, resulting in poor heat resistance of the tungsten filament, with an average lifespan of only twenty to one month.
Du Qingtang is currently planning to reorganize the tungsten powder extraction equipment, and it is estimated that it will take two to four months to make any progress.
The reason why we use light bulbs to decorate the Bixiao Palace tonight is to let overseas countries know that Daxia has such a good thing.
Since it is a good thing, naturally many people will be interested in it. Why worry about not being able to sell it?
Upon hearing this, the envoys from various countries were extremely disappointed.
Changxia frowned, and after a moment asked, "Once you've improved it, can you ask the merchants from Nanzhao to buy a batch of glass lamps on their behalf?"
Du Qingtang readily agreed: "Of course."
Only then did Changxia smile happily, and the envoys from various countries sat down with satisfaction.
......
The guests had a great time at the banquet and did not leave until midnight.
All the officials breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the envoys from various countries board the ship and sail away from the island in the middle of the lake.
"Finally they left. If they had stayed in Daxia, their influence on Your Majesty would have only deepened. Who knows, one day they might get carried away and appoint a princess as the crown prince. That would have been the end of us."
"Fortunately, women can only take part in this imperial examination this once. Otherwise, if things continue like this, what you're worried about, Lord Lu, might actually become a reality."
"Why is Lord An so sure that no woman is on the list? What if someone is as talented as Duke Wen? Wouldn't that give Duke Wen the opportunity to continue stirring up trouble?"
If there is one, there will be two. There is no guarantee that Duke Wen will not ask His Majesty to allow women to continue to take part in the imperial examinations.
"Impossible." Lord Lu said firmly, "Although Duke Wen is a woman, she has studied at Qingyuan Academy since she was young and has been taught by the great scholar Yao. How can an ordinary woman be compared with her?"
Seeing his colleagues' hesitant expressions, Lord Lu comforted them, "Everyone, don't worry. Those women won't amount to anything. The court of Daxia is still a men's court!"
In this way, several colleagues felt a little relieved and followed Lord Lu onto the ship.
The pleasure boat sways gently and the water flows gently.
Lord Lu stood at the bow of the ship, watching the glass lamps that had been lit for half the night go out one by one, and the majestic palace fell into darkness again, and he couldn't help laughing.
No matter how powerful she is, she is just a flash in the pan and will disappear in a flash.
After the flowers fade, everything will return to normal.
......
It was already late at night when Du Qingtang and Fu Ci returned to Duke Wen's Mansion.
Meng Fang was still waiting beside the stone lion, his face slightly pale from the cold.
Seeing the two, Meng Fang stepped forward and saluted: "Master, Master Fu."
Du Qingtang had said it once before, but Meng Fang insisted on doing so, so he was too lazy to say it again and just let him do it.
Back in the main courtyard, Fu Ci helped Du Qingtang remove the gauze wrapped around his head.
Under the gauze, the forehead was white and smooth, without a trace of scar.
Fu Ci folded up the gauze and placed it on the table beside him, muttering unhappily, "You're taking too much of a risk. What if something happens, like you hit your head?"
Du Qingtang took a sip of tea. She didn't dare drink more, worried that she wouldn't be able to sleep later. She just moistened her throat and said, "Only in this way will they be cautious and not dare to continue making trouble."
Those officials in the court still don’t understand Du Qingtang well enough.
Her opponents have never been the common people or scholars, and she doesn't care about their opinions.
The only obstacle on the road to women taking the imperial examinations and becoming officials is clearly those officials who talk all the time about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and moral principles.
Du Qingtang first sent some people to the Ministry of Justice prison. The rest of the people did not want to be imprisoned, so they had to compromise.
With Yan Tiande's assistance, it would be easy to send all the women in the world to the imperial examinations.
Fu Ci had a cup of tea at Du Qingtang's place, then went to Cuiwei Garden next door to rest.
Du Qingtang quickly washed up and went to bed, lying in bed with his eyes closed, trying to fall asleep.
In her drowsy state, she vaguely recalled Yan Tiande's words at the morning court: "If no woman passes the civil or military examinations, Lord Du will no longer allow women to serve as officials."
Don't let her down.
-
The next day, representatives from various countries boarded the train to Hangzhou Prefecture, bringing with them the generous return gifts from Emperor Qingyuan, public buses hastily made by researchers, wheat seeds, rice seeds, woolen clothes and other Daxia specialties.
They will board the ship at the port of Hangzhou Prefecture and brave the waves all the way back to their respective countries.
In addition, some businessmen stayed and, after obtaining visas, continued to sell imported goods they brought from their home countries.
At the same time, the news that the court was holding an imperial examination spread like a spring breeze, quickly spreading to every inch of Daxia.
When the people heard the news, they had mixed reactions.
"What does gender equality overseas have to do with Daxia? In Daxia, men should be responsible for the outside world and women should be responsible for the home. How can women do what men do?"
"A woman serving in the imperial court, surrounded by men all day, how can she be chaste?"
"That's not true. Duke Wen and Earl Haining have served in government for many years and have always maintained a clean record. They've never had any negative rumors about anyone. They're officials who serve to benefit the people, not to do anything shameful. They're not as despicable as you say."
"If a woman goes away to study and take the imperial examinations, who will take care of the children? Who will serve her husband and parents-in-law and take care of the household?"
"Bah! A girl married into your family and gave birth to your son's children, so why should everything be put on her alone? Is it possible that your entire family has died and there is no one left to work?"
"Don't bother with that old woman. She was bullied by her mother-in-law when she was young, and now she's bullied by her daughter-in-law. She's just a bully at home, not a good person. My daughter has been studying at the Qiong English Society for a few years. She knows the Four Books and Five Classics by heart. I plan to let her take the exam. If she passes, it would be a great honor to enter the court and become an official. It would bring honor to eighteen generations of descendants!"
"To be honest, if it weren't for finding someone to lean on, to protect themselves from being bullied, and to avoid a miserable old age, who would want to get married and have children? A woman who becomes an official becomes more powerful. Even if she doesn't marry, she'll have maids to serve her when she's older, and she won't have to endure bullying or the pain of childbirth. It's simply wonderful!"
"It's a pity that I'm so old, otherwise I would have given it a try," the gray-haired grandmother said with regret. "But fortunately, my three little granddaughters have all lived to see the good times."
"They are so lucky to have an open-minded grandmother like you, Auntie! Unlike some people who can't stand seeing women thrive, they wish we women would spend our whole lives circling around the stove and rot in that palm-sized kitchen."
The old lady smiled, and every wrinkle on her face relaxed. "Life is not easy for women. A lifetime is only a few decades long, and it's gone in the blink of an eye. Why should I let myself and the younger generations in my family live by all those rules and regulations? It's better to live a relaxed and comfortable life."
The old lady walked briskly with the help of a cane.
She had to tell her granddaughters the good news as soon as possible so that they could be happy too.
Halfway through the journey, several men in round-collar robes came towards us.
"I have always believed that Your Majesty is a wise ruler, but now it seems that he is just so-so. He is actually being led by the nose by a woman."
"Usually, only one or two hundred people were admitted to each imperial examination. If women were allowed to take the imperial examination, every time a woman made it onto the list, a scholar would be squeezed out and lose the chance to become a Jinshi."
"That's so unfair..."
As the conversation faded away, the old lady couldn't help but shake her head.
Only the weak seek fairness.
These young guys simply cannot accept that the entry of women has disrupted the original pattern of interest distribution and the benefits they can get have become less.
When I got home, the old lady's three granddaughters were sitting in the yard, holding books in their hands, shaking their heads and talking nonsense.
Just as the grandmother was about to speak, she heard her eldest granddaughter say excitedly, "Grandma, we just came back from the Qiongying English Society. We heard that the imperial court is holding an imperial examination and women can also participate. We plan to go down and give it a try."
The second granddaughter smiled and said, "It's only a two hundred wen registration fee anyway. It doesn't matter if I don't pass. I can just consider it an experience."
The little granddaughter turned the page of the book: "Not only the three of us, but also Sister Chunyun next door is planning to sign up."
The old lady was stunned for a moment and changed her hand to lean on the crutch: "Chunyun? She wants to take the imperial examination, I'm afraid not..."
Before he could finish his words, a loud shout suddenly erupted from the next room: "What kind of imperial examination are you taking? You're not allowed to take it!"
"It's better for a girl to stay in her place. Who would dare to marry her if she keeps showing up outside all day? Even if they did, I'm afraid she would cause unrest in the family and even make our Zhang family lose face."
"If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have let you go to that literary club. Now that you've grown up and have wings, you want to fly away, right? I'm telling you, dream on! Maybe in your next life!"
The old lady couldn't help but sigh.
Unlike her family where boys and girls are treated equally, the Zhang family next door is very patriarchal.
Zhang Chunyun's father has five older sisters, and Zhang Chunyun herself has three older sisters, two younger sisters, and a younger brother.
Because of the large population, the Zhang family lived a very tight life. They almost had no food to eat. Any good food they had went into the stomachs of their sons and grandsons, and the girls were so thin that they were just skin and bones.
Five years ago, Zhang Chunyun secretly went to study at the Qiong English Society without telling her family. She was discovered two years ago and her family beat her half to death.
Fortunately, Zhang Chunyun was ambitious enough and managed to become a teacher for the only daughter of the cloth shop owner. She received two taels of silver every month, which she gave all to her family. Only then did her family give up the idea of selling her to the idiot as a wife.
"This girl is really pitiful. Her parents are so unreasonable. I guess she won't be able to pass the exam."
The eldest granddaughter said, "Not necessarily."
Just as the old woman was about to ask further questions, she heard Zhang Chunyun's calm yet tinged voice from next door: "You can stop me from taking the imperial examination, but from now on, you all have to sleep with one eye open. If I ever get the chance, I'll burn you all to death. I'll die with you, and no one else will survive!"
After a long silence, Zhang's mother said weakly, "You silly girl, why don't you go?"
Those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes. In the end, Zhang Chunyun won this game.
She had used two taels of silver every month to buy her freedom so that she wouldn't have to marry a fool and live a miserable life.
Two years of patience, in exchange for an explosion today.
In order to avoid being controlled by others, even the most cowardly woman can rebel and fight to the death for freedom.
......
When the news reached Baoding Prefecture, Yao Xuan and Wen Boqing sat opposite each other in silence.
After a while, Wen Boqing sighed and said, "Your disciple is really... audacious."
Yao Xuan twirled his beard and said, "Same here."
Wen Boqing choked.
Both women dressed as men and both recommended women to be officials, isn't it just "same here".
Wen Boqing pinched his eyebrows and sighed.
Wen Boqing was undoubtedly proud that his only disciple returned safely after four years at sea and was awarded the title of Earl.
When the news of the imperial court's opening of the imperial examinations arrived, he felt a headache again: "A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. They are so unscrupulous, I don't know whether it is a good thing or a bad thing."
Compared to his friends, Yao Xuan was more open-minded: "They are not children anymore, especially Xianyu. She has always been cautious and will think twice before acting. Zizhan has her protection, so nothing will happen to him."
Wen Boqing felt a little relieved, staring at the tea leaves in the cup. "This is good. With more women serving in the court, Zizhan and Xianyu will no longer be the target of public criticism, and the burden on their shoulders will be lighter."
Yao Xuan remained silent.
Men understand men best, and he knows best what kinds of thoughts the officials in the court have about women.
Especially towards Du Qingtang and Fu Ci, he couldn't wait to get rid of them.
It seemed that if the two of them were removed, the court would be clean.
Little do they know that some of them are the dirtiest, with so much sin on their hands and so much blood on their hands.
Yao Xuan took a sip of tea and spoke leisurely, "Since it's the imperial court's decree, as a government-run academy, we should actively cooperate and allow the women who are interested in taking the imperial examination to come to the academy and study for a while."
Let's just consider it as Du Qingtang's reward for promoting Yao Jingzhou.
The more women there are on the list, the more proud his disciple will be, right?
The next day, the news that Qingyuan Academy accepted girls as students spread and reached the Qiongying English Society in Qingyuan County.
Many members were very excited.
"I'll pack up when I get home tonight and go to the academy to study tomorrow morning!"
"Me too."
"Sister Yiyi, shall we go together?"
"I'll let it go." A member named Zhu Yiyi pinched her cuffs, which were white and frayed from washing, and said in a relaxed tone.
"Why not?"
Zhu Yiyi smiled and said, "I am already very satisfied with being able to read and write. Forget about taking the imperial examination and becoming an official."
"No!" Meng Qingyan and Li Wei walked in and happened to hear these words. Their expressions suddenly became serious. "This is your only chance to change your fate. If you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again. You must apply for the imperial examination!"
Li Wei continued, "You don't have to worry about not being able to raise the money. It won't cost much to take the train from here to Xiajing. The extra money is for accommodation. Although my family is not the richest or the most wealthy, we can still afford a few hundred or a few thousand taels."
Meng Qingyan and several rich young ladies echoed this.
"Think of Duke Wen and Earl Haining, who changed their destinies through the imperial examinations and became role models for women today."
"As women, you are no worse than anyone else and can also be role models for women."
"Don't be polite to us. If you really feel bad, just write us an IOU and pay us back when you have more money."
When the members from poor families heard this, they felt a warm current flowing through their hearts and their eyes couldn't help but turn red.
"Okay! I'll take the test!"
"Thank you so much for your generosity, sisters. When I have money, I will definitely pay you back with interest."
"I, I will definitely work hard and pass the exam!"
Li Wei couldn't help laughing as she looked at the girls whose faces were red with excitement.
Duke Wen has secured this opportunity for women all over the world, so she should give him her full support.
After all, if it weren't for Duke Wen, she would have hanged herself to death long ago.
......
Shaoqing Prefecture, government office.
Yao Jingzhou, wearing a crimson official robe, discussed the imperial court's special examination with the four officials of Zhou, Wu, and Zheng.
"Let's not even talk about the girls in Shaoqing School, who are far from the age to take the imperial examination. Just the members of the Qiongying English Society who are literate are estimated to have at least hundreds of people applying for the imperial examination."
"Most of these people come from modest, even impoverished families. To allow them to prepare for the exam without any worries, I have decided to take some money from the public account to cover their travel expenses. What do you think?"
Zhou Tongzhi was the first to nod in agreement. "Since Lord Du is fighting for all the women in the world, we should actively respond. Having more women on the list will only benefit Shaoqing Prefecture. Let alone a few thousand taels, even tens of thousands of taels would be worth it."
The other three echoed.
"Your Excellency the Prefect is kind and benevolent. I am far inferior to you."
"It's time to let the world know that not only are the men in Shaoqing Prefecture good at reading, but the women are just as good!"
"It just so happens that the Fresh Fruit Garden has collected some money, which could be used to support the women taking the exam. However, I think it would be best to treat everyone equally, and not neglect the men either."
Yao Jingzhou nodded: "That's natural."
At the Qiongying English Society, upon learning that the imperial court was opening a special examination system and allowing women to apply, Du Minjing immediately slammed the table and said without hesitation, "I don't want to be a female teacher anymore. I want to take the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official like Master Du!"
Wang Nianci raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you always want to be a female teacher?"
Du Minjing said confidently: "I became a female teacher because I like reading, and most importantly, I want my sister to have a good life without worries about food and drink. Now that the opportunity is here, it is obvious that being an official is better than being a female teacher, so of course I can't miss it."
Then she asked back, "Sister Wang, what about you? Are you planning to take the imperial examination?"
Wang Nianci, Gu Ran and other women looked at each other and shook their heads firmly.
Perhaps because they experienced twists and turns in the first half of their lives and endured too many storms, they yearn for a peaceful and comfortable life.
"If you pass the preliminary exam, when you go to Xiajing to meet Lord Du and the others, remember to say hello to them for us."
Without Lord Du, how could there be Wang Nianci today?
Du Minjing nodded rapidly, sighing, "It's been two years since Lady Du left. I miss her so much."
If Lord Du had not come to her aid and severely punished the evildoers, she and her sister might have been murdered and gone to hell long ago.
"Then study hard, do more exercises, and try to pass the preliminary exam in one go."
"Okay!"
The girls were cheered up and opened their books at the same time, burying their heads in study.
......
Henan Province, Zuofu.
In the main courtyard, a maid said happily, "News has come from Xiajing: His Majesty has opened a special imperial examination, allowing women to apply for it!"
Yuan Xue's hand on the zither suddenly stopped. Zuo Yuan, who was learning the zither beside her, tilted her head and looked over curiously: "Mom? Can women also take the imperial examination?"
After a long time, Yuan Xue woke up as if from a dream. She slowly curled her lips, gently stroked Zuo Yuan's hair, and replied softly: "Sister Yuan, you must study hard, pass the imperial examination and enter the officialdom in the future, step by step to rise in rank, and bring honor to our family."
"Okay!" Zuo Yuan responded crisply, "I want to be a high-ranking official, and let mother become a royal consort!"
Yuan Xue's smile deepened as she looked out the window at the new greenery on the branches and murmured, "I wasn't mistaken."
A single spark can start a prairie fire!
-
By early April, all provinces, prefectures, and counties in Daxia were equipped with public buses.
Du Wu and Du Liu returned to Xiajing with latex. Du Qingtang gave the recipe for making tires to the researcher, and then remembered the tricycle mentioned by the Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall, and asked the researcher to try to make it as well.
During this time, Du Qingtang planned to draft a set of traffic rules to prevent two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles from accidentally hitting people and causing tragedies when they become popular on the streets.
But before Du Qingtang could draft the traffic rules, the first test came as scheduled.
April 8th, the day of the preliminary examination.
Just after the hour of Yin, the women got up.
Wash up, have breakfast, prepare exam supplies and food, then carry the exam basket to the exam room.
At the hour of Mao, the Imperial Examination Hall opens.
The women spontaneously lined up in long queues to undergo body searches.
The female inspector conducted a detailed inspection of the candidates and released them one by one.
The candidates found their seats according to the test instructions, and not long after, the signal cannon sounded.
The first women's preliminary examination in Daxia officially began.
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