Chapter 188: Female Champion
When Lord Fang, who was in charge of guarding the Dengwen Drum, rushed to the imperial study in a hurry, Emperor Qingyuan was discussing state affairs with important officials in the court.
After being informed, Lord Fang entered the imperial study and told the emperor about Zhang Jianhong beating the drum to file a complaint against Duke Wen and Earl Haining.
The officials did not show it on their faces, still maintaining the respect they showed when meeting the emperor, but most of them were secretly happy in their hearts.
They were secretly amazed at how those women could write essays in the preliminary examination that were no less impressive than those of the Jinshi or even the top scorer.
It would not be surprising if Duke Wen and Earl Haining were the driving forces behind it.
If we can take this opportunity to repel all those women, or even bring down Duke Wen and Earl Haining, and eliminate the trouble once and for all, that would be perfect!
"Your Majesty, this concerns the imperial examinations and the scholars of the world. I implore you to order a thorough investigation."
"Master Du, Master Fu, even if you are eager for your daughter to pass the imperial examinations and become an official, you cannot resort to such shameful means!"
Amidst the chorus of condemnation, Emperor Qingyuan raised his eyes, his expression unrecognizable as either joy or anger. "Lord Du, Lord Fu, what do you want to say?"
Looks of disdain or gloating came from all directions, but Du Qingtang remained calm: "If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext."
Fu Ci has always been gentle and seldom gets angry, but being accused of favoritism and corruption made him furious.
She glanced coldly at the officials who were fanning the flames and said righteously, "If I remember correctly, the examination questions were personally drawn up by Your Majesty on the fifth day of the seventh month."
"At that time, I came to the Imperial Study to discuss matters related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Your Majesty. Your Majesty mentioned something casually, and I took it to heart."
Everyone looked at Emperor Qingyuan, who nodded slightly and said, "It is true. I was very busy with government affairs those days and it was hard for me to squeeze out the time to pose the question."
Fu Ci continued, "The chief examiner and his colleagues had already moved into the Imperial Academy five days before the exam. Even with my connections, I'm afraid I couldn't have gotten past the layers of guards, bribed the examiners to obtain the exam questions, and written essays for thousands of candidates that completely defeated those of twenty thousand."
Seeing Fu Ci's confident words, someone gritted his teeth and said, "That being said, the Imperial Examination Hall is not an iron bucket. Lord Du and Lord Fu are both powerful people with great skills. As long as you are determined, you can always accomplish it."
Du Qingtang retorted, "Master Chang is saying that Mr. Du and Mr. Fu bribed the guards, patrolmen, and examiners outside the Imperial Examination Hall. When the exam begins and the questions are made public, the people inside will pass the questions out, and Mr. Du and Mr. Fu will write their essays and send them back inside?"
"Who knows? It's not impossible."
"This has never happened before. Scholars are all sensible people. They wouldn't risk their lives to report to the emperor without a good reason. This shows it's not just empty talk."
"There has never been a precedent for women taking the imperial examinations in previous years." Fu Ci's face was cold. "From what you two adults said, it seems that Mr. Fu and Mr. Du are extraordinary. They can write tens of thousands of articles in just three days - no, or two days, or even one day."
"Of course that's not possible, but what if you find someone else to write for you?"
"In fact, there's no need to write tens of thousands of articles. Just writing about 246 people is enough."
"Master Fu, why are you speaking so harshly? We just want to get the truth and seek justice for the candidates."
Fu Ci simply ignored the presence of Emperor Qingyuan and vented his anger at those shameless officials: "Whether this is for justice or for selfish reasons, you all know better than anyone else!"
It is said that when a wall falls, everyone pushes it. Now they haven't fallen yet, and Your Majesty has not sentenced them, but these people can't wait to nail them to the pillar of shame. It is simply disgusting and ridiculous.
Everyone fell backward in anger.
"You, you are unreasonable!"
"Is Master Fu angry out of shame?"
Du Qingtang was too lazy to argue with them. If someone sincerely wanted to frame someone, they would always find excuses. He glanced at Fu Ci, signaling her to stop talking. He then bowed to Emperor Qingyuan and said, "Your Majesty, since some candidates are doubting the fairness of this examination, why not send someone to rigorously interrogate the chief examiner and others? The truth will be revealed."
"In addition, Your Majesty can send someone else to strictly examine the candidates and their papers, asking them about their thinking behind the questions, and then compare their essays one by one."
"If someone else were to write it, the writing style would certainly be similar, and it would be impossible to express the detailed thinking behind the problem."
"On the contrary, it can prove the innocence of those women."
Shi Zishan looked at Du Qingtang intently for a few seconds and said, "Your Majesty, I think this plan is feasible."
Emperor Qingyuan exhaled and said, "Lord Shi, please handle this matter yourself."
Everyone felt relieved when they heard this.
Although the Prime Minister is a close confidant of His Majesty, he is well-known for his uprightness and strictness. He would never protect Du Qingtang and Fu Ci and do such things as favoritism and abuse of power.
Shi Zishan took the order and left. Emperor Qingyuan said again, "Lord Du, Lord Fu, the two of you go to the side hall and wait."
Du Qingtang and Fu Ci responded in unison: "Your Majesty, we will follow your Majesty's wishes." Then they left the imperial study and went to the side hall.
Fu Ci's face was sullen, and he looked like a pufferfish, about to explode. "Those students are too shady, aren't they? They are not as skilled as others, but they are so unwilling to lose that they resort to such despicable means!"
Du Qingtang leaned back in his chair, stroking the armrest with his palm, and spoke calmly: "You and I both know the truth, so just wait for the result."
It is true that those girls had never attended private schools or academies, but they still received a good education in the Qiong English Society and learned a lot.
For example, the Four Books and Five Classics.
For example, music, chess, calligraphy and painting.
For example, the eight-legged essay.
They study hard every day, absorbing knowledge like sponges.
They recite poems and write every day, exchange experiences, and grow at an astonishing speed.
In terms of knowledge, women are no worse than men.
The reason why the candidate named Zhang Jianhong beat the drum to report was that he could not accept that he had failed the exam, and he could not accept that the woman was better than him.
Perhaps in his eyes, women are all soft persimmons that can be squeezed and twisted at will.
Du Qingtang recalled the members of the Qiongying English Society in Qingyuan County, Shaoqing Prefecture and Xiajing, and pulled his lip slightly.
He was totally wrong.
......
Whether they were candidates from Xiajing or from other provinces, they all left their addresses at the Imperial Examination Hall so that the yamen runners could come to their homes to announce the good news after the results were announced.
Shi Zishan sent out a hundred officers and soldiers to search for the candidates one by one according to the addresses left by them.
In just one hour, 246 women were brought to the Imperial Examination Hall.
Shi Zishan randomly selected fifty clerks from the six ministries and five temples, and asked thirty of them to interrogate the women one by one about how they solved and answered the questions, while the other twenty were responsible for comparing the writing styles of their articles to see if there was any similarity.
Thirty women entered the examination room and were questioned, while the rest waited outside the dragon gate.
The women had already heard that a failed candidate had gone to the polls to sue Duke Wen and Earl Haining for favoritism and fraud, and for making things easier for them.
At this time, they were filled with anger and wanted to kill the candidate.
"I racked my brains to come up with those test questions, and I wrote the essay word for word. How can you accuse me of cheating?"
"Those stinking men are so despicable and shameless. They have nothing to fear from their own shadows. Just come at me. I'm not afraid of that damn interrogation!"
"Sisters, you must not lose your composure at a time like this. If we answer incorrectly, it will very likely implicate Duke Wen and Earl Haining. These two gentlemen have secured for us the opportunity to take the imperial examination and become officials. We must not repay their kindness with hatred."
"That's right! No matter what those people inside ask, just answer truthfully. Let those sinister men see that we defeated them with our true talents and knowledge!"
Outside the Imperial Examination Hall, candidates and ordinary people all knew about Zhang Jianhong's feat, and their opinions were mixed.
"Let's not talk about Marquis Haining. She just returned from overseas this year, and we're not familiar with her. But don't we know who Duke Wen is?"
"There were negative rumors about Duke Wen in the past, but they were all cleared up in the end, proving her innocence. She would never help those girls cheat."
"It's not easy for girls these days. I hope they can get through this smoothly."
"Things are different now. Last time, everyone accused Duke Wen of collaborating with the enemy and betraying his country, but you didn't think about it. Duke Wen had both an official position and a title in Daxia, so why would he choose to commit suicide? Now, you may not know that although the officials in the court have tacitly allowed Duke Wen and Marquis Haining to serve in the court, they are not on the same page except for matters of family and country. So... it's not impossible."
"He's really crazy, actually going to beat the drum to report the news!"
"This might not be a bad thing, maybe..."
The candidates who unfortunately failed the exam looked at each other, and a glimmer of hope rose in their hearts at the same time.
Maybe they can get back on the red list?
"Where is Zhang Jianhong now?"
"Not back yet."
"Why don't we also make a fuss? After all, the law doesn't punish the masses, so it's best to make this matter so serious that it can't be resolved. Maybe the court will be forced to cancel the women's honors or open up the quota for tribute scholars."
"Walk?"
"Walk!"
In just half an hour, tens of thousands of candidates had gathered and were pouring into the palace.
The imperial guards guarding the palace gate were surprised to see so many people. Their eyes became fierce and they drew their swords, which shone coldly in the sunlight.
The candidates were startled, their courage mostly gone, and they stammered and dared not say a word.
In the crowd, one candidate cursed the useless student silently and shouted at the top of his voice, "Duke Wen and Earl Haining abused their power for personal gain and tampered with the examination results. Your Majesty, please give us an explanation!"
This sound seemed to press the start button, and the candidates rushed to speak.
"Please severely punish Duke Wen and Earl Haining!"
"Your Majesty, please give an explanation to all the students in the world!"
Nearly ten thousand people spoke at the same time, and the sound shook the earth.
The imperial guards looked at each other with serious eyes: "We must tell His Majesty about this immediately."
“I’ll go!”
An imperial guard volunteered and rushed towards the imperial study.
At that time, the interrogation of the chief examiner and others had come to an end.
Commander Wang knelt at the head, unable to conceal his complicated feelings. "Your Majesty, one patrolman, one examiner, and one examiner have each confessed, saying that Lord Du bribed them."
Six years ago, Commander Wang was ordered by the emperor to rush to Caishikou and rescue Du Qingtang from Guitou's knife.
He sincerely hoped that this child, who was the same age as his only daughter, could go higher and fly further.
For many years thereafter, Du Qingtang lived up to his blessing and was promoted step by step to higher positions.
A few days ago, Commander Wang lamented to his wife, "When veteran officials like Lord Shi and Lord Yan retire, Duke Wen will undoubtedly be the top civil servant."
Who would have thought that Du Qingtang would end his own career and do such a foolish thing.
Commander Wang tried to convince himself that the confessions of the three men were false, a frame-up.
He really didn't want that child with a bright future to go astray and end up in a bad situation.
Emperor Qingyuan raised his hand and rubbed his forehead: "Where is he?"
Commander Wang replied, "He's waiting outside the palace."
"Let them in." Emperor Qingyuan pointed to the side hall, "and call Minister Du over."
Commander Wang took the order and left.
Emperor Qingyuan took a sip from his teacup, frowning slightly. "Painkillers."
Fu Rui handed over a painkiller pill, his face unable to conceal his worry, and whispered softly: "Your Majesty, you have had a headache every day this month. All medicines are toxic. You can't..."
Emperor Qingyuan shook his head.
He must eliminate all hidden dangers and hand over the peaceful and prosperous Great Xia to Sister Rong.
Emperor Qingyuan's eyes passed over the incense burner imperceptibly, and he took a painkiller pill and drank some water. "Any news from Hanzhong Prefecture?"
Fury bowed slightly: "No."
He also didn't expect that the entire Hanzhong Prefecture - from the government to the merchants - were all supporters of the Cao family.
Because of the wide range of involvement and the inconvenience of revealing her identity, Princess Zhaoyang had been in Hanzhong Prefecture for more than half a year and still had not eradicated the remnants of the Cao family. In June, she was seriously injured by the crazy counterattack of the remnants and was in a coma for two days.
Emperor Qingyuan put down his teacup, staring at the nonsense in the memorial, and said in an ambiguous tone: "My dear Du, please don't let me down."
Of course he knew the truth.
If you just want women to take the imperial examination and enter the court, this is the only way.
He gave Du Aiqing a high position and generous salary, and rewarded her for her service to the emperor, so it was time for Du Aiqing to repay him.
If you can't even pass this level, there's no need to keep it.
As his thoughts were flowing, Du Qingtang and the three officials who confessed and the patrolmen entered the imperial study one after another and bowed and greeted them.
"Your humble servant/commander pays homage to Your Majesty."
"Everyone, stand up." Emperor Qingyuan cast a stern gaze upon the three men. "But Lord Du bribed you to pass on the exam questions and essays, and then select the candidates who wrote these essays as tribute scholars?"
The three men banged their heads on the ground, their expressions unclear, but their voices were trembling, as if they were in a panic.
"Your Majesty, it was Lord Du who bribed me with two thousand taels to have the examination papers sent out of the Imperial Academy."
"Lord Du asked me to hand over the exam questions to Zhou Zhiping, and promised to give me two thousand taels afterwards. The banknote is still in my study."
"Lord Du gave me five thousand taels and asked me to pick out the marked papers. Your Majesty, please send someone to the Imperial Examination Hall to check. The marks on those papers are still there."
The three of them spoke with certainty, as if it were true.
Du Qingtang remained calm and walked up to the patrolman. "You said, was it me who asked you to send the examination papers out of the Imperial Academy?"
The patrolman nodded in agreement.
Du Qingtang stood with his hands behind his back and said slowly, "Then tell me, when did you send the exam questions? Who did you send them to? What did that person look like? And where did you send them to him?"
The patrolman swallowed his saliva and said, "On the afternoon of April 8th, a candidate was struck by heatstroke. Another patrolman and I carried him out of the Imperial Examination Hall. We took advantage of this opportunity to pass on the exam questions. That person was the steward of your residence..."
"Steward?" Du Qingtang's voice rose at the end. "There are several stewards in this mansion. Which one are you talking about?"
The patrolman paused and said firmly, "It's the one with the mole on his face."
Du Qingtang stepped forward, the hem of his purple robe swaying. "You have a mole? Then tell me, where exactly is this mole?"
The patrolman clenched the cloth under his palm, then quickly released it. "On... on the left cheek."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly: "You are right, there is indeed such a steward in my mansion who has a mole on his left cheek."
The patrolman felt relieved, but then he heard Du Qingtang change the subject: "But—"
The patrolman's breathing hitched.
"The person who asked you to frame me was too out of touch with the news. The steward you mentioned had already returned to Baoding Prefecture with several of my nephews in the first month of the year."
The patrolman suddenly raised his head, his face full of shock.
Du Qingtang turned his head to look at Emperor Qingyuan and smiled slightly, "Thanks to the steward Meng that Your Majesty has given me, he has managed my residence in perfect order, like an iron barrel. It is simply a fool's dream for outsiders to find out the news of the Duke's Mansion."
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
"impossible!"
The patrolman shouted. It was the hottest time of the year, but he was sweating profusely and his clothes were soaked.
"Your Majesty, please do not believe Lord Du's one-sided statement. It was the steward with the mole on his left cheek who took the exam papers..."
Before the patrolman could finish, Emperor Qingyuan raised his hand and summoned the imperial guards: "Go to Duke Wen's mansion to verify."
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please send someone to the homes of these three people to get the banknotes I gave them. Then, check the serial numbers at the bank and you will know who framed me."
Compared with the examiner and the examiner, the patrolman had obviously disordered breathing and dilated pupils, looking like a guilty thief.
Du Qingtang started directly with this person and easily found out that he was lying.
Even God was helping her, allowing her to choose Manager Sun to accompany Zhou Cheng and the other two back to Baoding Prefecture, and letting the mastermind behind the scenes choose Manager Sun, who had the most obvious facial features.
The patrolman revealed a flaw, and the remaining two people didn't even need to ask any more questions, as Du Qingtang had already proved his innocence.
Commander Wang's tense expression relaxed a lot, and he knew that he had not misjudged the people. He personally forced the three people to tell him the location of the silver bills and sent the imperial guards to investigate the origin of the silver bills.
The examiner was sweating profusely, his jaw trembling. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, every word I just said is true. If I lied in the slightest, I will be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"
"If swearing an oath worked, all the evil people in the world would have died long ago." Du Qingtang sneered. "Also, Your Majesty, please send someone to verify with the chief examiner, Lord Feng, whether there were any marks on the exam papers when they were opened."
The examiner's eyelids twitched, and he stiffened his neck to argue, "With so many exam papers and such subtle markings, how could Lord Feng possibly have noticed?"
Du Qingtang readily said, "Then verify with all the examiners."
Emperor Qingyuan glanced at Fu Rui, who immediately sent someone to do it.
The examiner was like a punctured balloon, losing all his strength in an instant. He collapsed to the ground like mud, his face ashen.
Du Qingtang turned around, stood tall and straight, and looked up at the person behind the imperial desk.
The king and his minister looked at each other, and Du Qingtang smiled slightly.
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
The waiting time is undoubtedly the most difficult.
For the next half hour, the three people kneeling in the hall felt that time was passing by very slowly. The big sword hanging above their heads was even more shaky, and they didn't know when it would fall, separating their heads and bodies from their bodies.
On the other hand, Du Qingtang, as it was past noon and his stomach was empty, he sang the empty city plan loudly.
Du Qingtang never treated himself badly. He dragged the exquisite pastries on the imperial table in front of him without any hesitation and ate them all up in a flash.
Finally, he still remembered his friend who was waiting in the adjacent side hall: "Your Majesty, could you please send some food to Zizhan?"
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
Fury: “…”
Examiner, Examiner, and Patrolman: "..."
The veins on Emperor Qingyuan's forehead throbbed, and he took a deep breath: "Fu Rui."
Fu Rui looked at Du Qingtang deeply, as if he was looking at some kind of warrior, and asked the palace maid to bring lunch to Fu Ci.
At this moment, a eunuch came to report: "Your Majesty, the imperial guards guarding the palace gates request to see you."
Emperor Qingyuan frowned and said, "Let him in."
The eunuch withdrew in response, and then the imperial guards came in and greeted them with greetings.
"Your Majesty, many candidates have arrived outside the palace gates. I ask you... I ask you to severely punish Duke Wen and Earl Haining, revoke the merits of the women who cheated, and then retake the imperial examination."
Emperor Qingyuan raised his eyebrows imperceptibly and said, "Don't worry about it. I'll investigate this matter and then give them an explanation."
The imperial guards did not dare to ask any more questions and left the imperial study.
After another stick of incense had passed, the imperial guards who had gone to Duke Wen's mansion to verify the situation returned.
"Your Majesty, we have interrogated the servants of the Duke's Mansion and found that Steward Sun had indeed returned to Baoding Prefecture with the three young cousins as early as the first month of the year."
The patrolman's heart sank to the bottom.
Immediately afterwards, the imperial guards who had gone to verify the marks on the test papers also returned.
"Your Majesty, Lord Feng and the other five examiners have clearly stated that there were no marks on those previous exam papers."
The examiner met Emperor Qingyuan's icy gaze, trembled all over, rolled his eyes and fainted.
The examiner and the patrolman trembled, their eyes filled with extreme despair.
After another half hour, the imperial guards returned from the bank.
"Your Majesty, we have searched all the major banks in Xiajing and finally found the corresponding number on the banknote at Hongxing Bank."
"Because he withdrew several thousand taels at once, the bank owner remembered the man very clearly. He was a servant in the household of a member of the Ministry of Personnel."
"I have taken the initiative to arrest the servant and am now waiting outside the palace for Your Majesty to summon me."
The examiner was stunned for a moment, then suddenly met Du Qingtang's inquiring gaze and lowered his head imperceptibly.
"Go call the Deputy Minister of Personnel." Emperor Qingyuan looked at the examiner and the patrolman again. "Tell me, who instructed you to frame Lord Du?"
The examiner rolled his eyes and said, "He is a member of the Ministry of Personnel..."
Before he could even utter the title, Du Qingtang interrupted him: "Sir Shen, I advise you to think it over carefully before you speak."
The examiner paused for a moment, then said calmly, "Why do you say that, Lord Du? This is Lord Zhu's order to frame you."
As he spoke, he kowtowed vigorously: "I know that my crimes are extremely serious, and I beg Your Majesty to show some mercy."
Emperor Qingyuan remained silent and let the examiner bang his head on the ground until Zhu Yuanwailang and his servants entered the imperial study.
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty."
After paying his respects, Zhu Yuanwailang couldn't wait to cry out his injustice: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I have no grudges against Lord Du in the past or in the present. Why would you go to such great lengths to frame her?"
Du Qingtang tilted his head: "Master Zhu, are you serious?"
Zhu Yuanwailang nodded vigorously, "Absolutely true! I swear... I swear on my career. If I tell even a single lie, I will never be promoted again. Even my descendants will be forbidden from taking the imperial examinations and entering the officialdom!"
Compared with the previous statement "I will die a miserable death if struck by lightning", the oath sworn by Zhu Yuanwailang was obviously much more poisonous.
Du Qingtang glanced at the examiner, then at Mr. Zhu, and finally fixed his gaze on the Zhu family servant. "Since Lord Shen and Lord Zhu have different opinions, why not throw this man into jail and interrogate him severely?"
"Having experienced eighteen kinds of torture, I don't believe he can't tell the truth."
The servant shuddered all over, his eyes bulged, almost bursting out of their sockets: "You, you can't..."
"Yes, I can." Du Qingtang smiled faintly. "Your Majesty, this is a matter of whether I can clear my name. Please imprison this man immediately and torture him severely."
"No! No way!" The servant's face drained of all color, and he shook his head desperately, "You can't... No, it wasn't my master, it was Master Fang. It was Master Fang who asked me to go to the bank to get the banknotes!"
Zhu Yuanwailang was stunned: "Master Fang?"
Du Qingtang raised his voice at the end of his voice: "Master Fang?"
The servant nodded rapidly, speaking as if he feared his life would be in danger if he spoke too slowly. "It's Mr. Zhong, the doctor of the Ministry of Personnel."
Zhu Yuanwailang stumbled two steps, his face filled with disbelief. "Why? Why would he do this? As a servant of my Zhu family, why would you aid and abet this evil? Do you know that doing this will kill me?"
The servant said with a sad face, "Master, I don't want to do this either, but my nephew owed the gambling house several hundred taels. Lord Fang asked me to go to the bank to get the money. I got the money, and he paid it back for my nephew."
"I didn't know that Lord Fang was doing this to put the blame on you, Master. Otherwise, even if you beat me to death, I would never do it!"
Zhu Yuanwailang was so angry that he laughed and forgot that he was in the imperial study. He raised his leg and kicked the servant to the ground.
"You little dog slave, how dare you act stupid in front of me, your master? Do you think I'm a fool?"
Zhu Yuanwailang was so angry that he kicked him a few more times.
"cough--"
It was not until Fu Rui coughed that Zhu Yuanwailang woke up from his dream. He suddenly turned his head and met the subtle eyes of Emperor Qingyuan.
Zhu Yuanwailang was horrified and fell to his knees, prostrating himself on the ground. "I know I am wrong, and I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
Emperor Qingyuan waved his hand and said, "Call the Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel."
Doctor Fang soon arrived at the imperial study.
Seeing Du Qingtang, Zhu Yuanwailang and others gathered together, there was no surprise on his face, but more regret.
Zhu Yuanwailang didn't miss Doctor Fang's expression. He was immediately enraged and demanded, "Why did you do this? Why did you frame Lord Du and put the blame on me?"
Doctor Fang didn't look at him, but stared straight at Du Qingtang: "Your life is too smooth, you can get whatever you want."
"She was clearly a woman, yet she passed the imperial examination with the sixth highest score and became an official in the imperial court."
"Even if his identity was exposed, he was able to escape death with the help of firearms. From then on, everything went smoothly, and he was promoted to the rank of Grand Secretary of the Wuying Palace, a title that everyone envied. He also became one of the five super-grade dukes in Daxia."
"But do you know how many people's blood you stepped on to reach your current height?"
Du Qingtang: "I don't know."
Doctor Fang: “?”
Du Qingtang: "I only know that those people deserved their punishment."
Doctor Fang's face flushed instantly: "You fart!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
"My only son died because of you, and my good friend was exiled because of you. You are nothing but an executioner and an evil ghost!"
Before Du Qingtang could retort, Zhu Yuanwailang spoke first: "Don't you only have two daughters?"
Du Qingtang suddenly realized: "A concubine's child? Or a child born out of wedlock?"
Doctor Fang: “…”
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
Others: “…”
"Du Qingtang!" Doctor Fang was furious. "You killed my son Qi Lang and brought disaster to my good friends Zhang Tonghai and Song Weiguang. You deserve to die in disgrace!"
Du Qingtang knew that Zhang Tonghai and Song Weiguang were officials she had personally sent to the Ministry of Justice in February, but—
"Who is Qi Lang?"
Doctor Fang: "...Du Qingtang!"
Fu Rui was shaking from trying to hold back his laughter. He coughed and said seriously, "If I remember correctly, he was one of the officials beheaded during the first month of the year."
"This person worked at the Taichang Temple and took advantage of his position to embezzle tens of thousands of taels of silver."
Du Qingtang suddenly realized that it was Cao Yuan's minion. She really didn't remember such a person: "Then he really deserved it."
Doctor Fang was so angry that his lungs ached. In a fit of rage, he swung his arm and slapped Du Qingtang.
However, before he even touched Du Qingtang's hair, he was kicked out by Zhu Yuanwailang.
The imperial guards rushed forward and captured Doctor Fang.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Doctor Fang was yelling, and Zhu Yuanwailang decisively blocked his mouth with a sweat-soaked handkerchief.
Doctor Fang: “Ugh—”
Du Qingtang looked at them coldly and asked only one question: "You made Lord Wang and the other two work for you, and even when they were on the verge of death, they still didn't betray you, but you have a fatal handle on them?"
Doctor Fang's eyes flickered as he just stared angrily at Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang got the answer he wanted, turned around and faced the imperial desk, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, now that the truth is out, please severely punish those who participated in framing this humble official."
"Of course," Emperor Qingyuan responded readily. After today, no one would dare to act rashly. "Come here, throw all these people into the Ministry of Justice's jail, remove them from office, and exile them three thousand miles away. Their descendants will never be allowed to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom again."
As it involved future generations, the examiners and patrolmen panicked.
"Your Majesty, it was Fang Yong who coerced me. He was the one who asked me to frame Lord Du. I had no choice but to do so!"
"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Please spare my life!"
"His Majesty......"
The cries for justice and pleas for mercy faded away, and only two officials, Du Qingtang and Zhu Yuanwailang, remained in the imperial study.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Yuanwailang tactfully withdrew.
Du Qingtang adjusted his sleeves lightly and said in a gentle voice, "Is Your Majesty satisfied with today's events?"
Emperor Qingyuan was naturally satisfied. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Du Qingtang continue, "Your Majesty, I'm frightened this time. You must at least express your gratitude, right?"
Emperor Qingyuan's throat choked slightly: "What do you want?"
Du Qingtang said calmly, "Why not issue an order on the day of the imperial examination to allow women to take the imperial examination and become officials?"
"Forever." Du Qingtang emphasized, "You will always be eligible to take the imperial examination and become an official."
Emperor Qingyuan twirled his jade ring and asked, "Why do we have to wait until the imperial examination ceremony?"
Du Qingtang's black and white eyes flashed with a malicious light: "Of course - to give you gentlemen a surprise."
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
Fury: “…”
surprise?
It’s almost scary!
However, Emperor Qingyuan was happy to see this happen. He put his fist to his lips and coughed twice, causing a dull pain in his forehead.
Just as he was about to speak, a eunuch came to report: "Your Majesty, Lord Shi requests an audience."
Emperor Qingyuan swallowed the words back when they came to his lips: "Announce."
Shi Zishan entered, bowed and greeted, then reported in a serious tone, "Your Majesty, I have sent someone to rigorously examine the 248 candidates. There are no problems with their approach or writing style."
Emperor Qingyuan responded, his expression calm, "The examinees are making trouble at the palace gate. Lord Shi, please explain the truth to them on my behalf, so that they don't continue to cause trouble and affect the subsequent palace examinations."
"Your Majesty's command is followed."
Shi Zishan took the order and left. Emperor Qingyuan looked at Du Qingtang again and said, "I will consider what you said. Now that the truth is out, you should go back to the cabinet."
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "I will take my leave."
After leaving the imperial study, Du Qingtang went to the side hall.
Fu Ci had been staring at the door. As soon as Du Qingtang appeared, she came forward and said, "Xianyu, what's going on?"
Du Qingtang told Fu Ci the truth in a few words and hooked his finger: "Let's go, there are still a lot of official business waiting for us."
Fu Ci wrinkled his nose childishly and hurried after him, "This old fellow is too mean! If it weren't for your alertness, Xianyu, I'm afraid I would have fallen into his trap!"
"I'm so pissed off! I'm going to stab the villain when I get home tonight and curse him..."
On the other side, Shi Zishan arrived at the palace gate on a tricycle, and the candidates were still clamoring.
"Severely punish Duke Wen and Earl Haining, and give us justice!"
"Remove the reputations of the 248 women who committed fraud and punish them severely. No leniency will be shown!"
Shi Zishan appeared, and his dazzling purple official robe instantly silenced the candidates, who looked at him with expectant eyes.
Shi Zishan explained the truth of the matter with a solemn expression.
Everyone was disappointed when they heard this.
"Really? My Lord, you didn't lie to us?"
"But they are so suspicious. I still can't believe they beat us with real talent."
Shi Zishan couldn't help but shake his head and said loudly, "It's a pity to fail the imperial examination, but you should find out where you missed out and review where you are inferior to others instead of making random speculations and causing trouble."
"Today's fault lies with Fang Yong. Your Majesty is merciful and will not pursue the matter. If it happens again, he will be punished with the same crime."
Shi Zishan left after he finished speaking, leaving the other candidates with pale faces, wishing they could find a hole to crawl into, feeling extremely ashamed.
At the same time, the women who took part in the imperial examination also learned the news that Duke Wen and Earl Haining had been cleared of their grievances.
"Fang Yong is so abominable. Exiling him three thousand miles away is too easy for him."
"I'm glad Duke Wen and Earl Haining are okay. I was really worried that they would be implicated because of us."
"Those stinky men are so arrogant that they even went to the palace gate to make a scene. It's so embarrassing."
"No more talking, go back and read. I will definitely crush them under my feet in the palace examination!"
"And me! I'm going to crush them to pieces too!"
The women scattered like birds and beasts and continued to study hard for the palace examination.
-
On August 16, the palace examination began.
The next day, eight examiners began their marking work in full swing, and it took them seven days to mark 600 test papers.
The chief examiner selected the examination papers that were qualified to be ranked in the top three and presented them to Emperor Qingyuan.
Emperor Qingyuan glanced through it and said: "Not bad, the first place is well deserved."
The chief examiner will then send the examination papers to the cabinet, where the list compiler will fill in the list.
On August 24, the grand ceremony of announcing the names of the successful candidates was held.
At the hour of Chen, Du Qingtang and the princes and officials stood in front of the Jiying Hall.
"Chiu~"
A crisp chirping sound was heard, and Du Qingtang looked in the direction of the sound——
A magpie, only the size of an adult man's palm, stood on the eaves, overlooking all living things.
In the sunlight, its feathers glow with a metallic luster of blue, green and purple, which is dazzling.
That's it.
Du Qingtang recognized the magpie at a glance as the one that had landed on his shoulder at the imperial examination ceremony in the 16th year of the Qingyuan reign.
Seven years have passed, and I didn't expect it to still be there.
As his thoughts were flowing, the magpie swooped down and landed accurately on Du Qingtang's shoulder.
Tilt your head and rub it~
Du Qingtang was stunned for a moment, then curled his lips imperceptibly, and gently stroked the magpie's glossy feathers with his fingertips: "Hello again, little one."
The magpie rubbed against me again.
See you again, purple two-legged beast.
......
At the time of Si, the new tribute scholars took their seats and performed the ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows along with the princes and ministers.
After the ceremony, the official from the Honglu Temple announced loudly: "On April 18th, the 16th year of the Qingyuan reign, the imperial examination was held for the imperial examinations of the whole country. The first place was awarded the title of Jinshi Jidi, the second place was awarded the title of Jinshi Chuan, and the third place was awarded the title of Tong Jinshi Chuan!"
After the announcement was made, the announcer began to call out the names.
"First place in the first class, Zhao Muqing from Changde Prefecture, Hunan Province."
"The second place in the first class is from Baoding Prefecture, Northern Zhili, and is Ruan Ran."
"Third place in the first class, Wu Guang from Yangzhou Prefecture, Nanzhili."
The loud singing voice flew over the green tiles and red roofs, and the layers of buildings, reaching everyone's ears clearly.
The princes and officials sighed softly, their hearts filled with melancholy.
Among the three people in the first class, the top two were women, and only the third place was a man.
The roll call continues.
Everyone pricked up their ears and counted the number of women.
The second class consists of ninety-seven people, forty-two of whom are women.
The third class consists of one hundred people, sixty-two of whom are women.
The fourth class consists of 200 people, 85 of whom are women.
The fifth class consists of 200 people, 73 of whom are women.
This is a huge blow to them.
This means that from now on, in addition to the two women, Duke Wen and Earl Haining, there are 248 more women in the court.
However, a bigger blow was yet to come.
"Because women have achieved outstanding results in this special examination, I have decided to officially open the imperial examination to women. Starting next year, women can take the imperial examination alongside men, serve as officials in the court, share my burdens, and serve the country!"
Princes and officials: "?"
No, Your Majesty, do you want to listen to what you are saying?
Your Majesty, are you crazy?
At this time, Du Qingtang turned around and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too low, just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Your Majesty, out of pity for the injustice I have suffered, has made an exception and granted me a condition in order to calm my nerves."
"Du thought about it and proposed this condition."
"From now on, there will be more and more women who will become your colleagues."
Everyone: “???”
Everyone: “!!!”
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