Chapter 294 We Must Ensure the Noble Lady Makes the List
In mid-spring, the weather is fine and sunny.
The Chuxiu Palace, originally used to house newly arrived imperial concubines, has now been renovated.
With its spacious halls and bright, clean windows, Chuxiu Palace became the examination venue for the first grand examination of female officials.
On this day, the palace gates opened wide, and talented women from all over the Great Qi, selected through rigorous processes, entered this place that would determine their future fate with varying emotions.
This year is the first year of the major examination, and the number of women who came is not as spectacular as in previous talent shows, but their nervousness is just as great.
In an instant, the Chuxiu Palace was filled with fluttering skirts and tinkling jade pendants, as it became a gathering place for many women from all over the world who longed to make their mark.
Above the main hall of the examination hall hangs a plaque inscribed with the words "Only the talented are selected," written in a vigorous and powerful style. It is said to have been written by the late emperor himself.
Shui Xian did not appear to be in charge, but instead resided in a quiet room behind the main hall, cleverly separated by a screen. Through a specially made beaded curtain, one could clearly see the situation inside the examination hall.
She was dressed in auspicious attire, her expression calm, her gaze sweeping over the young faces below, some nervous, some confident, and some curious.
In a side hall on the other side, Emperor Zhaoheng also sat upright.
He deliberately postponed several minor official matters today, saying he needed to calmly reflect on them.
Feng Shunxiang understood perfectly and had already arranged the area properly. The hanging beaded curtain allowed him to see most of the examination room without disturbing the candidates.
He was toying with a warm, smooth jade pendant in his hand, his gaze deep and unfathomable, lost in thought.
The examination hall reveals a myriad of human behaviors.
There were women from humble backgrounds, dressed in simple clothes and wearing simple hairpins, with clear and firm eyes. They held ordinary writing brushes tightly, their knuckles turning slightly white from the force, but their eyes burned with a desire to change their fate.
There were also young ladies from official families dressed in fine silks and surrounded by jewels. They were reserved, either talking quietly with acquaintances or casually observing their surroundings.
Among them are those who intend to seek benefits for their families, or simply to gain a reputation as a talented woman in order to increase their bargaining power in future marriages.
Shui Xiu was also among the crowd.
Today she wore only a simple, light-colored dress, her black hair simply tied up, and she wore no other ornaments except for a jade hairpin given to her by Narcissus, which was of only average quality.
Shui Xiu was no longer the little sister who would follow behind Shui Xian in her memory. She stood there alone, with a calm demeanor and lowered eyes, not conspicuous among the colorful flowers.
However, her status as the Empress's younger sister meant that she could never truly keep a low profile.
The gazes from those around him were varied and hard to discern; some were curious scrutiny, some harbored envious intent, and others, presumably, displayed undisguised disdain and contempt.
In the brief lull before the exam, a noblewoman surnamed Zheng, dressed in a brocade dress embroidered with gold butterflies and clouds, deliberately walked near the water show, surrounded by a group of noblewomen.
She came from a noble family and was related to the Zheng family, which had been dealt with earlier. She was proud and arrogant from a young age.
At that moment, she raised her voice, her tone filled with undisguised sarcasm, which clearly reached the ears of those around her.
"This system of female officials is an unprecedented virtuous policy of the Empress, who is compassionate towards women of the world and bestows her talents upon them. We are naturally extremely grateful and have studied diligently for years, hoping to serve the palace with our true talents and knowledge."
In order to be sarcastic, she deliberately praised in a veiled way before revealing her true meaning.
"But if someone... relies on their special status to easily obtain a spot by simply going through the motions, wouldn't that make the truly talented sisters in the world feel disheartened? Wouldn't we, who have studied hard for months, just become someone's foil and stepping stone?"
Although she didn't name names directly, her pointed gaze and the strong implication in her words made it clear to almost everyone who she was targeting.
For a moment, many people's eyes were focused on Shui Xiu, scrutinizing her.
Shui Xiu slowly raised her eyes and looked in the direction of the noblewoman surnamed Zheng.
After meeting the other person's gaze, Shui Xiu slowly turned to face the noblewoman surnamed Zheng and the many onlookers around her. There was no anger at being offended on her face, only a clear calmness.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the slightly noisy hall, showing no sign of unease.
“What this lady says is absolutely right.”
"Her Majesty the Empress established the system of female officials with the intention of breaking down barriers of social class and opening up a path for all talented and ambitious women in the world to make a living and serve the court and the harem based on their own abilities, rather than paving a shortcut for any specific person."
Her gaze swept calmly over the crowd as she continued, "Today's examination is conducted according to clear rules. Her Majesty the Empress and all the examiners will uphold impartiality and judge solely on talent and learning, without regard to social status or family background."
"If Ruoshui is a scholar of limited learning and knowledge, he will naturally fail the exam without any complaints. If he is fortunate enough to pass, it must be due to the fair judgment of the examiners and the wise guidance of His Majesty and the Empress."
As she finished speaking, she slowly looked around at everyone.
"All of you sisters here are outstanding individuals who have gone through the selection process. Why not focus your attention on the upcoming exam? Let's work together to make the most of this rare opportunity."
These words, spoken with neither arrogance nor servility, not only clarified the fundamentals of the female official system and upheld the fairness of her sister Shuixian's implementation of the new policies, but also skillfully deflected the other party's accusations, demonstrating her own integrity and uprightness.
Shui Xiu's words were sincere and her perspective was broad, which immediately won the favor of many onlookers who were originally skeptical or neutral, and they nodded in approval.
In contrast, the aggressive and veiled manner of the noblewoman surnamed Zheng seemed petty and lacking in grace.
Miss Zheng's face turned pale. She was about to say something more when, just then, the sound of bells and chimes rang out, the examiners entered, and the exam was about to begin...
She could only glare at Shui Xiu resentfully before returning to her seat.
The exam questions were opened and read aloud by the chief examiner in front of everyone.
As expected, it did not focus on romantic themes such as poetry and songs, but was highly targeted and focused on practical matters.
The first question was a policy essay.
This question not only tests writing skills, but also examines one's understanding of practical matters, analytical abilities, and the wisdom to offer feasible suggestions.
The second question simulates a practical situation, requiring you to handle a warehouse account with messy entries and contradictory data, clarify and correct the errors, and point out any potential loopholes.
And simulate handling a dispute among palace servants caused by unequal division of labor, requiring you to write down your handling approach and the basis for your ruling.
When the exam questions were announced, a soft gasp rippled through the exam room.
Those young ladies who were only proficient in poetry and well-versed in "Admonitions for Women" immediately looked troubled, while some daughters of officials who were known for their talent but lacked practical experience also frowned.
Several examiners, who had been secretly contacted by court officials, exchanged subtle glances, a hint of smugness barely perceptible on their lips.
Although the Empress's test questions were not in their plans, they thought that Shui Xiu had been outside the palace for a long time. Even if she had read some books, how much practical experience in palace management could she have?
They will inevitably embarrass themselves on such practical issues.
However, they underestimated Shui Xiu's diligence and intelligence.
When Shui Xiu saw these two seemingly tricky test questions, she did not panic.
She took a deep breath, focused her mind, and carefully examined the chaotic accounts. The key points of verification that Manager Zhou Yan had emphasized when he was organizing the accounts quickly came to mind—
It is necessary to pay attention to areas where materials frequently enter and exit, compare errors between different ledgers, and also be wary of unreasonable losses and purchases...
She calmed down and checked each item one by one.
As for the question about the palace servants' disputes, she recalled her sister's principle of "fairness first, while taking into account both reason and emotion" when handling affairs of the six palaces, as well as the methods that Zhou Yan often used to mediate conflicts among the staff at the Dengdi Inn.
After a moment's thought, she picked up her pen and wrote down her thoughts.
In the examination hall, the women were either writing furiously or biting their lips in deep thought.
Shui Xiu sat there, writing with ease, her expression focused and calm, exuding a calming aura.
In the side hall, Emperor Zhaoheng looked through the beaded curtain and slowly swept his gaze across the examination hall, finally settling on Shui Xiu's calm and focused figure.
Seeing that she remained composed and dealt with the problem calmly, a flash of approval crossed his deep eyes. He turned his head slightly and whispered to Feng Shunxiang, who was standing beside him:
"The Empress...is a very good teacher."
Feng Shunxiang bowed, a respectful smile on his face, and softly replied, "Your Majesty is wise, Your Majesty is intelligent, and Miss Shuixiu is also clever and diligent. It is truly a blessing to the imperial family."
The air inside the hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and the only sound was the soft scratching of paper and pen.
Soon after, the major exam ended, and the intensive grading process began.
All the women who were to participate in the examination were invited to rest in low rooms that had been prepared in advance. They were guarded by guards and would not come into contact with anyone in the palace at this crucial time, so as to ensure that they would not receive any help or care from anyone.
To ensure fairness, all exam papers were anonymized and transcribed by a designated person with neat and uniform handwriting, completely eliminating the possibility of identifying candidates based on handwriting or markings.
When Shui Xiu's essay was copied and presented to the examiners, it immediately caused quite a stir.
Among the many essays that either talked about benevolence and morality in a hollow way or were limited to old clichés such as reducing food and entertainment and cutting back on clothing and food, this policy essay stood out for its novel viewpoints and concrete and feasible measures, which almost instantly won the approval of the examiners.
The article did not simply emphasize austerity, but instead classified palace expenses into different levels according to their urgency. Different levels corresponded to different approval authorities and inspection frequencies, which ensured both efficiency and strengthened supervision.
Several examiners who initially held prejudices against Shuixiu found, upon careful reading, to have a well-structured and logically sound argument. They also found that the proposed measures, though novel, were not far-fetched but rather interconnected and highly feasible.
They had no idea that the essay was written by Shui Xiu. The examiners, who had been contacted by court officials or aristocratic families, exchanged glances and all saw approval for the essay in each other's eyes.
An article with such ideas must have come from the hand of a noblewoman from a prominent family.
Such brilliant strategies could only be cultivated by wealthy and powerful families who nurtured women of such talent from a young age, aspiring for the position of matriarch.
After exchanging glances, they both gave it a first-class rating.
They had to ensure that noble ladies made the list and entered the palace as ladies-in-waiting.
And that Shui Xiu... will definitely be stopped outside the palace gates by them!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com