Chapter 186 186 Shine Brightly
On the eighth day of April, three people from Duke Wen's Mansion took part in the preliminary examination, namely Ruan Ran, Du Qingqin's only daughter Feng Xiu, and Du Qingshu's only daughter Qian Ran.
Gu Yajun was still a little girl and could only give up with regret.
At the hour of Yin, it was still dark.
The carriage of the Duke's Mansion was packed with five people, three of whom looked a little nervous, with their eyes downcast and muttering to themselves.
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci sat on the same side, both with their arms folded, leaning against the carriage in silence.
In fact, according to regulations, candidates must return to their hometowns to take the imperial examinations.
However, two thousand women from Lijiazhai traveled all the way from Hunan Province to Xiajing. Out of sympathy for those who had made contributions, Emperor Qingyuan made an exception and allowed them to stay in Xiajing to participate in the civil and military examinations.
The three girls of the Du family benefited from this and did not have to return to northern Zhili to take the preliminary examination.
On the way, there was a noise outside the car.
Du Qingtang frowned and lifted a corner of the car curtain to look out.
It was getting dark, and I could only vaguely make out a huge group of people, talking and laughing as they hurried along.
At this time, in this direction, one is undoubtedly going to take the preliminary examination.
Looking at the number of people, most of them are the women from Lijiazhai.
And in fact, it was them.
"Mu Qing, the martial arts examination venue is just ahead. If you're going there alone, make sure you don't get the wrong direction." Li Jin, usually taciturn, now spoke like a nagging old mother. "Remember, turn left first, then right."
Zhao Muqing, who had suddenly lost his sense of direction since arriving in Xiajing, said: "...I know. I won't make a mistake."
Li Jin patted his friend's shoulder and said, "Do well in the exam. I'll wait for you to come out."
Zhao Muqing chuckled: "Yeah, you too."
The rumbling of the carriage stopped at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall.
"Master, we're here."
The recitation stopped abruptly, and the three of them raised their eyes in unison, took a deep breath, and the "gulp" swallowing sound could be heard clearly.
Du Qingtang looked at the girls who were unable to hide their nervousness, raised his hand and patted their hair one by one: "Don't panic, don't be afraid, it's just a preliminary test."
Qian Ran exhaled a breath of foul air, blinked, and pinched his fingertips until they turned white. "Aunt, Aunt Fu, weren't you nervous at all when you took the imperial examination?"
Du Qingtang placed his right hand lightly on his left wrist, tapping it with his fingertips. He spoke calmly, "Why are you so nervous? The competitors are certainly excellent, but I'm not bad either. It's still uncertain who will win or lose."
Fu Ci swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and said with a smile: "I was thinking that if I stick my head out, I'll get hurt. If I hide my head, I'll get hurt too. Instead of getting anxious and causing poor performance, I should think about what to eat after the exam."
The three of them burst out laughing, and the tension and pressure that had accumulated in their hearts for many days quietly dissipated.
My aunt was right. With Mr. Qu's generous teaching and my aunt, the top scorer in the imperial examination, guiding them, they have already surpassed the vast majority of candidates.
Ruan Ran scratched his head and said shyly, "I put pressure on myself."
Du Qingtang raised his chin slightly: "Go, it's time for me to go to court."
Originally, Du Qingqin and Du Qingshu planned to send their daughter and sister to the examination center. Du Qingtang thought that he was on his way, so he took the initiative to take over the task.
The three girls lined up to get off the carriage, stood still, and took the examination baskets. "You two should hurry up and don't delay the morning court."
Du Qingtang responded: "I won't come over this afternoon, you guys go back by yourselves."
The three of them nodded.
Just as he was about to lower the curtain, he glanced inadvertently and saw Yan Tiande sticking his head out of the carriage not far away, talking to two girls.
Yan Tiande keenly sensed Du Qingtang's gaze, accurately locked onto the location, and looked back.
Their eyes met, and Du Qingtang curled his lips.
Yan Tiande nodded, saying everything.
Du Qingtang lowered the curtain and said, "Let's go."
The driver cracked his whip and the carriage drove away from the Imperial Examination Hall.
"Grandfather, was that Duke Wen?" The slightly taller girl withdrew her gaze, still with curiosity in her eyes.
Yan Tiande nodded: "Yes, it's her."
"Duke Wen looks very young and very beautiful, truly stunning." Yan Tiande's eldest granddaughter, Yan Zhixi, smoothed her hair and whispered softly, "But compared to her appearance, I am even more impressed by her overall demeanor and self-cultivation."
"Yes, Duke Wen is no ordinary woman," said Yan Zhiyan, the second-in-law's granddaughter, with a heartfelt sigh. "Daxia is truly blessed to have Duke Wen and Earl Haining."
Without them, there would be no women today. How could they sisters enter the imperial examination hall like men?
Yan Tiande felt a little jealous. He had obviously put in a lot of effort, but many of his colleagues complained about him giving "bad advice". However, his two granddaughters were only grateful to Du Qingtang.
However, Yan Tiande maintained a solemn demeanor, whether towards his colleagues or his family. He felt bitter inside, but his face remained expressionless. He said expressionlessly, "Just do your best."
And then nothing happened.
Yan Tiande retracted the carriage and sped away.
Yan Zhixi: “…”
Yan Zhiyan: “…”
......
Although it was an imperial examination for women, the candidates had never taken the imperial examination before, but the difficulty of the examination questions was comparable to that of the provincial examination, and the eight-legged essay and policy essay were exactly the same.
Fortunately, the girls of the Du family had been practicing the imperial examination papers for two consecutive years and had become very proficient at it. They could recite essays from the Four Books, the Five Classics, and examination poems with ease.
As he was writing furiously, sad cries were heard in the examination room.
The patrolmen shouted in low voices, and the examiner shouted even more sternly: "Silence! Silence!"
The crying gradually stopped, but the rustling sounds in the surrounding cells did not stop. It was obvious that the people were distracted by the crying just now.
Ruan Ran listened to the low curses coming from the next room, put the manuscript paper filled with eight-part essays aside, let it dry naturally, and couldn't help shaking his head.
Not everyone is like them, who have the guidance of successful candidates and the top scorer in the imperial examinations, and who also have ready-made high-quality test questions to practice every day.
Even after the imperial court announced the opening of the special examination, the women read the Four Books and Five Classics over and over again and did many test questions, but due to the tight time schedule, they were more or less not well prepared.
Now I am in the examination room, the atmosphere is depressing, and it is inevitable that I will have wild thoughts when I am nervous.
Thinking about the failure in this special examination and the fact that he would never be able to take the imperial examination again in his life, he couldn't help but burst into tears.
However, Ruan Ran did not think that this was the only opportunity for women to take the imperial examination.
Even if all the civil and military officials are in an uproar over this, Sister Nine and Sister Fu will overcome all difficulties and turn "only this time" into "forever".
Ruan Ran's mind raced as he continued to write down a question.
Among all the candidates taking the preliminary examination, Ruan Ran undoubtedly has the advantage.
If nothing unexpected happens, she will definitely be on the list and successfully move on to the next stage - the imperial examination.
Ruan Ran didn't seek to be ranked first, as long as he could pass the imperial examination, he would be satisfied.
It's a pity that she couldn't share this good news with her brother.
That year, my brother killed my second uncle, took back the family property, avenged his parents, returned to Qingyuan County to see her, and then left.
For many years after that, Ruan Ran never saw Ruan Liang again, nor did he receive any letters from him.
If her ninth sister had not told her in a firm tone that her brother was fine and they would be reunited soon, Ruan Ran would have really believed that her brother had died quietly in some unnoticed corner.
—Pooh, pooh, pooh! You can’t say that! Slap your mouth!
By the time her brother returns, she might have already entered the court as an official and become the praised Lord Ruan.
This is more surprising than passing the imperial examination. Her brother will definitely be proud of her.
Thinking of this, Ruan Ran was full of fighting spirit and wrote as if possessed by god. In just one and a half hours, he wrote a 2,000-word policy paper.
After finishing the draft, Ruan Ran revised it word by word according to the experience taught by Du Qingtang, and then copied it onto the test paper.
When the last stroke was made, it was already dusk.
The brilliant rays of light fell on the Imperial Examination Hall and shone on every candidate, warm and gentle.
Ruan Ran pulled the small bell beside him.
“Ding-ling-ling——”
The examiner stepped forward upon hearing the noise, sealed the test paper, and placed it in a special box. He solemnly instructed, "Don't make any noise when you leave, or your score will be invalidated."
Ruan Ran bowed and left with the exam basket.
Just as they sat down, Feng Xiu and Qian Ran came out one after another.
"How does it feel?"
"Compared to those nerve-wracking exams my aunt gave me, this one is pretty easy."
"Me too."
The three of them looked at each other and smiled happily.
"go home?"
"go home!"
......
On the other side, inside the research institute, Du Qingtang put the latest batch of light bulbs into a wooden box.
In February, Du Qingtang reassembled a tungsten powder extraction device, which worked much better than before and produced more durable tungsten wire.
She doesn't plan to make further improvements. She will teach the researchers how to make light bulbs and generators for mass production tomorrow, and it is expected to be officially sold to the public in May or June.
At that moment, Researcher Zhu came knocking on the door, shouting through the door panel, "Sir! Sir! I have installed the tire on the two-wheeled vehicle. Would you like to try it out?"
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows when he heard this. They were quite efficient. They had already made the tire in just a few days. "I'll be right there."
"Okay! Don't worry, sir. I'll be waiting for you outside."
Du Qingtang threw the discarded iron sheets and copper wires into the trash can, opened the door and walked out, following Researcher Zhu to his laboratory.
The two-wheeled vehicle is still made of solid wood, except that the wooden wheels have been replaced with white tires.
——Because it is made of latex and there is no carbon black in Daxia, Du Qingtang has not found a substitute yet, so the tire uses the most original color.
Du Qingtang squatted down and pressed the tire twice: "Have you tried it?"
Researcher Zhu nodded, and when Du Qingtang stood up, he carried the two-wheeled vehicle out with one hand, lifted his leg to sit on the seat, stepped on the pedal lightly, and the man and the vehicle slid out smoothly.
"Did you see that, sir? After changing the tire, riding is much easier and faster!"
Researcher Zhu said, as if showing off his skills, he turned the car around and returned to the same route, stopping in front of Du Qingtang: "It's just that this color is really not resistant to dirt. The slightest bit of dust will be very obvious."
Du Qingtang looked at Researcher Zhu, who was eight feet tall with a thick waist and round arms, and then looked at the still strong tire, with a look of satisfaction on his face.
As expected of an elite researcher who has passed layers of selection and gone through many trials and tribulations, he was so successful in making tires for the first time.
"Just make do with it for now. I'll try to dye the tires black."
Researcher Zhu naturally responded with a loud and clear voice.
Du Qingtang pondered for a moment and finally gave up the idea of using steel to build a two-wheeled vehicle.
Steel is precious and ordinary people cannot afford it, so the sales market is narrow.
The powerful, officials, businessmen and the like are not short of money, and most of them will choose three-wheeled vehicles. The end result of waiting for two-wheeled vehicles is that they will be unsalable and no one will be interested in them, which will be counterproductive.
“We can start mass production now.”
"yes!"
Du Qingtang also asked the researcher in charge of making tires to start mass production. He also arranged for people to go to Nanning Prefecture and pay local people to collect latex, and then send it to Xiajing by freight train in the name of the research institute.
Not to mention trains and buses, two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles all need tires, so the demand for latex is huge.
I'll have to ask Academician Qi later how many vacant government shops there are in the capital. If we start repairing them now, they can be opened and start making money next month.
Du Qingtang rode his horse back to Duke Wen's Mansion and passed by the Imperial Examination Hall. Many candidates squatted at the entrance of the hall in a very unruly manner and burst into tears.
"I still have one policy essay question left to write, so I'm definitely not going to pass the preliminary exam."
"That Four Books question was wrong from the very beginning, and I didn't even notice it. The whole essay was completely off."
"My stomach ached during the exam, and my mind was a mess. I had no idea what I wrote. Wow..."
Du Qingtang rode away, leaving the crying and complaints behind.
Back at Duke Wen's Mansion, Ruan Ran, Feng Xiu and Qian Ran were feasting in the dining room.
They brought vegetable and meat patties into the examination room, but in order to save time, they didn't eat a single bite of lunch. By the time they handed in their papers, their stomachs had been rumbling in protest for a long time.
Now that I'm home, I eat to my heart's content.
Du Qingtang glanced at them as he passed by, but did not disturb them. Instead, he went back to the main courtyard to change into casual clothes, threw the official robe stained with tungsten powder into the clothes basket, and then went back.
"Ninth Sister."
"aunt."
Seeing Du Qingtang come in, the three girls put down their chopsticks at the same time and called for help.
Du Qingtang sat down casually and got straight to the point: "How do you feel?"
"fine."
“I feel like I write very fluently.”
"But during the exam, many people burst into tears while writing, and even more people cried after handing in their papers."
Du Qingtang was not surprised. When she took the imperial examination, some people with poor mental endurance burst into tears on the spot. "Take a rest for two days and continue preparing for the exam after the results are announced."
The three girls naturally agreed.
Not long after, Du Qingqin and others came back one after another.
They first carefully observed the three girls' faces to make sure they were in a good mood before asking about the preliminary exam.
The three of them answered truthfully, and everyone's anxiety finally settled down. They had a lively dinner and then went their separate ways.
-
The next day, in the imperial examination halls of Xiajing and various provinces, examiners took out the sealed examination papers from special boxes and began the intensive work of examining the papers.
Five days passed in a flash.
On April 14, the results of the preliminary examination were announced.
That morning, at dawn, all the members of the Du family except Du Qingtang and Fu Ci went out to accompany Ruan Ran, Feng Xiu and Qian Ran to see the list.
As they were confident about their plan, the group chatted and laughed as they walked to the Imperial Examination Hall.
Although it was still dawn, the Imperial Examination Hall was already crowded with people, all of them were candidates and their families who came to see the results.
Feng Xiu took a quick glance and saw many members of the Qiongying English Society.
Xia Duo, Xu Qing, Yan Zhixi, Yan Zhiyan...even the Princess of Changle County was there.
Although Princess Changle was a member of the royal family and had a title, she still obtained the consent of her grandfather, Prince Wen, and signed up for this special examination.
When the girls, who were generally young, met, they gathered together spontaneously and chattered non-stop.
The smiles on their faces infected other candidates, and the tension in their hearts also dissipated a little.
"It's great to be young." Li Jin folded his arms and sighed softly.
Zhao Muqing glanced at Li Jin unhappily: "You are only twenty-eight years old. Your life has just begun."
Li Jin poked her and muttered softly, "I love to hear that."
Zhao Muqing couldn't help laughing. Thinking back to the article he wrote five days ago, he felt a little relieved and started chatting and laughing with Li Jin again.
At noon, the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall was flung open, and the official from the Ministry of Rites who was responsible for announcing the results appeared. He posted the red list on the notice wall and left.
The crowd rushed forward and ran towards the eye-catching long notice.
“I passed!”
"There's no me... How could there be no me? For the past few months, I've studied until late at night, getting up before dawn to memorize. I've worn out several brushes, and I've been sick from doing the exercises. Why isn't there me? Why didn't I pass?"
The woman, whose clothes were patched up with patches, had a look of disbelief on her face. She murmured, and tears flowed out like a faucet, wetting her haggard face.
Seeing this scene, the candidates who were delighted to be on the list restrained their smiles and felt mixed emotions.
They have this one and only chance. If they fail, they will have no chance of entering the officialdom or pursuing a career in politics.
They hadn't even stepped into the examination hall, which was a devastating blow.
It was so quiet in front of the notice wall that you could hear a pin drop.
Some people come and some people leave.
Some people burst into tears, while others were silent and happy.
......
In this preliminary exam, Zhao Muqing ranked first.
The candidates did not find it strange, but were convinced.
This military strategist who led two thousand women to defeat thirty thousand rebels naturally deserves the top spot on the list.
The second is Ruan Ran.
The girl had been with Du Qingtang since she was four years old, and was influenced by her all year round. Later, when she grew up, Du Qingtang became an official in the court, and Ruan Ran went to the Qiongying English Society to continue her studies.
More than ten years have passed, and it is no exaggeration to say that she is full of poetry and books. She deserves the second place.
The third is Yan Tiande’s eldest granddaughter, Yan Zhixi.
Feng Xiu is ninth, Qian Ran is fifteen, Yan Zhiyan is twenty-three, Changle County Princess is twenty-six, Xu Qing is forty-seven, Xia Duo is ninety-six...
A total of 298 students from Qiong English Publishing House took the preliminary examination, of whom 146 passed, nearly half.
Only 160 people were admitted in the initial examination.
......
The results of the preliminary examination of the military examination were announced a little later, and the list of admitted candidates was posted near noon.
At this time, there were crowds of people in front of the notice wall.
There are two thousand women in Lijiazhai, including civilian women with extraordinary martial arts skills and women from military families.
"Hey, I passed!"
"Me too, me too!"
"Big sister, big sister, you got first place in the exam!"
Li Jin looked at the name at the top of the list, his face beaming with excitement: "Yeah, I saw it."
"I didn't perform well and failed the exam, but congratulations to you all anyway. Shall we set up two tables tonight to celebrate?"
"That's a good idea. I want to eat meat!"
"I want to eat meat too. I'd better buy some snacks from Shixiang Pavilion."
The girls from Lijiazhai laughed and decided on the menu for the evening.
Like the civil examination, the military examination only admitted 160 people.
There are two thousand people in Lijiazhai, so there must be some who unfortunately failed the exam.
But these people are not depressed, they still have smiles on their faces, and they are not jealous of those on the list.
They grew up together and have a deep relationship. They only wish their friends good luck in their careers and promotions, which makes them feel proud too.
"Have you finished reading it?"
"I've finished reading it."
"Then let's go home."
"Great, let's go home!"
-
When the results of the civil and military examinations were announced, all the officials were furious after learning the details.
"Qiong English Publishing House should not exist!"
"That's easy to say. Countless people have criticized it over the years, but it still stands firm. Even the granddaughter of Prince Wen is in the Qiong Ying Society. It's said that the five-story house was awarded to the Princess of Changle by Prince Wen."
"Don't forget, everyone, there's more than just the Qiong English Society in Xiajing."
There are Qiongying societies in every inch of Daxia, including provincial capitals, prefectural capitals, and county towns.
There are countless literary societies, with tens of thousands of members.
——More than tens of thousands, maybe even more.
"It was a mistake. I shouldn't have agreed to Lord Yan's proposal in the first place."
"I've asked Master Zhang, who's in charge of grading the papers, and the top three essays are no less impressive than the top three from two years ago, by Zhou Jizhong, who worked at the Hanlin Academy."
"And those fierce bandits from Lijiazhai! They took up 150 of the 160 admission spots. It really makes me mad!"
"After all, we underestimated the enemy."
"Unfortunately, your words are true. What has been done cannot be undone. There is no other way but to go on."
Everyone's eyes met, and their mood was heavier than ever before.
Beneath the heaviness, there is also a hint of imperceptible despair.
Is there really no way?
Do they really want to watch more and more women occupy the court and take away the power and glory that belongs to them?
"Your humble servant greets you, sir."
The greeting brought everyone back to reality from their panic. Just as their eyes focused, a flash of purple caught their eyes.
Eyes like the cold moon, as cold as ice.
It’s Du Qingtang.
The instigator of today's situation.
There was another person beside her, who was the other culprit, Fu Ci.
New and old grudges piled up together, and the way they looked at the two of them almost sparked, but the moment they met those indifferent eyes, they "puffed" and went out.
There's nothing they can do.
They could do nothing but step aside and salute Du Qingtang and Fu Ci respectfully.
"Your humble servant greets you, sir."
The corners of the purple robes fluttered, and the brilliant rays of light stretched the two thin figures very long, disappearing at the end of the palace road.
"Even if some women successfully pass the imperial examination and become officials, so what? They are not Du Qingtang, and they don't have such extraordinary abilities. We can definitely suppress them and make them never get ahead!"
"Isn't it normal for young people to make minor mistakes when they first enter officialdom? Once they make a mistake, it will be recorded in the official register and demoted step by step..."
They looked at each other, their depression swept away, and they smiled happily.
......
When Du Qingtang and Fu Ci returned to Duke Wen's Mansion, everyone had already returned and was sitting neatly in the dining room, waiting for her to get off duty so that they could start eating.
"How did you do in the exam?" Du Qingtang glanced at the three girls playing with Youyou at the next table, then sat down after washing his hands.
Fu Ci sat down next to Du Qingtang, supported his chin with his still wet hand, and looked to the right.
Ruan Ran raised his hand: "Second!"
Feng Xiu raised her hand: "Ninth!"
Qian Ran raised his hand: "Fifteen!"
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows: "Very good, keep up the good work."
The three girls raised their arms and shouted: "Yeah!"
Youyou was frightened, his ears stood up, and he jumped three feet high with his tail raised: "Meow meow meow!"
Fu Ci was quick-witted and quick-handed. He grabbed Youyou, held her in his arms and rubbed her a few times before putting her on the ground.
The little tabby put oil on his paws and ran away while meowing.
"Passing the preliminary exam is equivalent to obtaining the title of Juren (a successful candidate in a juren exam), so it's worth celebrating." Du Qingtang then changed the subject, "I'll give you another set of questions tonight, and we'll finish them in the next two days."
Fu Ci blinked and said mischievously, "You can't be partial to one and neglect the other. You've done the jade offerings, so you should also do mine."
Ruan Ran and Feng Xiu's expressions were blank for a moment: "...Yes."
Qian Ran touched his hair, which seemed to be getting thinner, and replied "yes" slowly.
Fu Ci was amused by the expressions and actions of the three of them. He leaned on Du Qingtang and laughed for a long time before stopping.
Du Qingtang: "...disrespectful to the elderly."
Fu Ci turned his head and said, "Huh? Who are you talking about?"
Du Qingtang remained calm: "I didn't say you."
Fu Ci snorted and went to the side to think about what questions to ask.
That night, everyone celebrated with great enthusiasm, drank and ate to their heart's content, and left feeling satisfied.
After washing up, it was still early, so Du Qingtang drank some hangover soup and went to the study to work out a set of mock examination questions.
Du Qingtang glanced at the grandfather clock she had bought from the imported goods market. Seeing that the hands pointed to eleven and midnight was approaching, she turned off the lights and went back to her bedroom to rest.
-
The next morning, Du Qingtang asked the maid to send the mock test papers to the family school, put on his official robe and hat, and went to the morning court with Fu Ci in the morning mist.
At the palace gate, Du Qingtang met the Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall unexpectedly.
The Grand Secretary of Jianji Palace thought about the preliminary examination results that had been widely circulated in the capital yesterday, making countless people uneasy. He looked at the person in front of him, and for a moment, his emotions were complicated. He bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Du, and Lord Fu."
"Greetings, Lord Wang." Du Qingtang and Fu Ci returned the greeting. After a brief exchange of greetings, the three of them went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to attend court.
On the way, Du Qingtang suddenly thought of something and looked at the Grand Secretary of Jianji Palace: "Sir Wang, the tricycle you requested last year is now being manufactured."
The Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall was stunned for a moment before reacting. He slapped his head and said with a smile, "Look at my memory. If Master Du hadn't reminded me, I would have really forgotten such a thing."
As he spoke, he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Lord Du, for letting me know. I'm planning to reserve one. I'd like to know how much the deposit is."
Du Qingtang shook his head: "The price has not been determined yet. Let's discuss it with Master Qi first."
The Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall understood. After all, the tricycles were sold in an official shop affiliated with the Ministry of Revenue. Naturally, he had to discuss this with Grand Secretary Qi. "Then I will wait for good news from Lord Du."
After the morning court session, Du Qingtang returned to the cabinet and discussed with Qi Daxueshi the official store specializing in selling two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles and the specific regulations for pre-sales.
——Since the electric lamp was named Glass Lamp, Du Qingtang planned to sell it directly in the Glass Workshop, but the price was slightly lower, making it more affordable than other glass products.
The location of the official store and the pre-sale price have been decided, and the news that the institute is about to sell two-wheelers and three-wheelers has spread.
All this was thanks to the Grand Secretary of Jianji Palace. He was a man who could not keep secrets, and after the morning court session he started to spread the news.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Qi University Scholar: "......"
The two looked at each other. Academician Qi wiped his face and said dryly, "That's good. At least we don't have to work so hard on publicity."
Du Qingtang did not comment and turned to go to the duty room to handle official business.
Five days later, Xia Sheng Auto Shop, which specializes in selling two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles, officially opened.
There is only one three-wheeler and one two-wheeler on display in the official store. Anyone interested in purchasing can make a reservation in advance, and the goods are expected to be delivered to your door in May or June.
Ordinary people were still waiting and watching, but the princes and high-ranking officials sent people to the store to reserve tricycles on the first day of its opening, and not just one.
There was one car for each elder in the family, one for himself and his wife, one for each legitimate son and daughter, and two cars for illegitimate sons and daughters.
Ordinary officials could not afford three-wheeled vehicles, so they had to settle for the next best option and choose to order two-wheeled vehicles.
In this way, the owner of the car accessories store received a lot of deposits every day.
In just ten days, he collected nearly 50,000 taels of deposit.
Due to the huge demand, Du Qingtang recruited a group of researchers who were good at mechanical engineering to specialize in manufacturing steam engines.
On the other hand, the manufacture of light bulbs is also in full swing.
Du Qingtang did not forget to send two generators and several glass lamps to the palace, one each to the Imperial Study and the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
In June, the first batch of tricycles and two-wheelers delivered goods to our doorsteps, and Liulifang officially put its glass lamps on the shelves.
The princes and officials had of course seen the warm light of the glass lamps, which was like the rising sun. Those who had money at home bought both the glass lamps and the generators.
At night, when the generator is turned on, the glass lamp will emit a warm yellow light, illuminating the entire room as if it were daytime, making it very convenient for reading or working overtime.
Compared with princes and officials, ordinary people rarely buy glass lamps.
Although the price of glass lamps is affordable, the price of generators is not affordable, and can even be called expensive.
Du Qingtang was thinking about building a large generator that could supply electricity to multiple households at the same time.
But before she could build a large generator, the imperial examination came as scheduled.
July 8th is the day of the imperial examination.
Just after the hour of Yin, the women who had passed the preliminary examination and the candidates stood up.
After washing up and having breakfast, we walked to the examination halls for the civil and military examinations respectively in the dark.
When Ruan Ran, Feng Xiu and Qian Ran arrived at the Imperial Examination Hall, many people were already waiting outside.
There are men and women.
Men are on the left and women are on the right.
Ruan Ran stepped down from the horse stool and happened to hear a man say in a sarcastic voice: "Some people are really arrogant. They are obviously ignorant and foolish, but they still want to soar to the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with men."
Everyone present knew who "certain people" were. The men burst into laughter, while the women were embarrassed and angry.
Ruan Ran was not one to swallow his anger, and he immediately retorted, "We are both human beings, why can't women fly into the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with you?"
"Don't you see? Heroines have existed since ancient times. It's just that due to the secular concept of male superiority and female inferiority, and because it's you men who hold the pen, none of them have been recorded in history."
The man who had just spoken flew into a rage: "That's nonsense, you women..."
Before he could finish his words, a cannon blast sounded and the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall burst open.
Candidates spontaneously lined up in long queues to undergo body searches.
The man snorted coldly, his tone disdainful: "I want to see how many of you can pass the imperial examination!"
Ruan Ran didn't care and asked Feng Xiu and Qian Ran to line up.
The search officers are divided into male and female, and they will conduct detailed body searches on the candidates to ensure that there is no cheating such as smuggling before letting them pass.
The candidates found their respective rooms according to the examination instructions, sat down and waited quietly.
Half an hour later, the signal cannon sounded again.
The first imperial examination in Daxia for both men and women officially began.
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