Chapter 339 Mei Nanhua's Difficulties!
The Ministry of Rites and all the officials in charge of the imperial examinations were present, including Grand Tutor Mei Nanhua, who served as the deputy examiner.
"Grand Tutor, it's an honor to meet you!" Shen Lanxi greeted everyone one by one, and finally specifically addressed Mei Nanhua by name.
The officials were most afraid of the two of them going up against each other. The woman was narrow-minded and petty. The Grand Tutor had impeached Shen Lanxi several times in the main hall before. Given women's vengeful nature, they were afraid that she would make things difficult for the Grand Tutor!
Mei Nanhua snorted coldly and turned his head to the side.
Shen Lanxi chuckled, not annoyed at all, and unceremoniously sat down in the main seat.
"His Majesty has appointed me to be in charge of this imperial examination and designated me as the chief examiner. From now on, we are all colleagues, so please speak freely without any restraint."
The officials were momentarily embarrassed.
They never dreamed that one day a woman would say such things to them.
Shen Lanxi: "As you all know, I am a warrior and not literate. I will have to trouble you gentlemen with matters concerning the imperial examinations!"
The officials' lips twitched, and they smiled and clasped their hands in agreement, but they didn't say anything.
They really didn't know what to say. As long as their leader was a man, even if he was an ignorant and incompetent person, they would still hold their noses and flatter him.
But Shen Lanxi is a woman. How can they, as men, bow and scrape to a woman?
This is utterly unbecoming of a scholar and lacks proper decorum.
The officials all gave perfunctory responses, thinking they were giving Shen Lanxi enough face and could get through this meeting as soon as possible, when Shen Lanxi suddenly spoke up.
"I'll leave the examination questions for this year's imperial examination to Grand Tutor Mei."
Mei Nanhua's face was extremely pale. As a leading figure in the literary world of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he naturally had an inescapable responsibility for such a vital national event as the imperial examination. However, hearing Shen Lanxi say it made it sound like she was ordering him around, which made him very uncomfortable.
Even His Majesty gives him some face, yet Shen Lanxi, a mere woman, dares to speak to him in a commanding tone.
This rebellious and treacherous woman, if Mei Nanhua doesn't teach her a lesson today, who knows how arrogant she'll become in the future.
"I have presided over no fewer than ten imperial examinations and participated in the appointment of examination questions dozens of times, without ever making a mistake. Lord Shen can rest assured on this point."
Shen Lanxi acted as if she hadn't heard the hurried tone in those words, and said calmly, "His Majesty and I naturally trust Lord Mei, otherwise we wouldn't have appointed him as the deputy examiner!"
Speaking of the position of deputy examiner, Mei Nanhua's face showed a hint of humiliation.
He was a Grand Tutor of the court, with more than three thousand disciples under his command. Now he was being made the deputy by a vulgar, insidious, and vicious woman. It was an utter disgrace!
"Lord Shen, you are the chief examiner this time. What are your thoughts on the examination questions?"
The officials of the Ministry of Rites all watched with expressions of anticipation, as the Grand Tutor's words were a direct sarcasm that Shen Lanxi was unworthy of her position.
Shen Lanxi raised an eyebrow: "I dare not presume to offer my opinion. With the imperial examinations approaching, if Lord Mei still has no clue, I can only recommend other capable individuals. Let the most capable person take the position!"
His final words were a sharp rebuttal to Mei Nanhua.
This is outrageous! How dare Shen Lanxi humiliate him like this?
Who among them is truly unworthy to sit in the examiner's seat?
Shen Lanxi is absolutely adept at distorting the truth.
"Lord Shen, do you think I am incompetent?" Mei Nanhua stopped beating around the bush and glared coldly at Shen Lanxi.
The officials wouldn't allow the two to actually face off; His Majesty's meaning couldn't be clearer. Shen Lanxi was merely a figurehead; the real chief examiner for the imperial examinations was still the Grand Tutor.
Why should the old Grand Tutor take this so seriously?
"Lord Mei, please don't misunderstand. I was just retaliating based on what you said!"
"The appointment of the chief examiner and the deputy examiner is made by His Majesty. If anyone doubts that one of them did not get to his current position based on his own abilities, then he is questioning His Majesty's judgment in choosing people."
Mei Nanhua froze, his face dark with shock. He hadn't expected Shen Lanxi to use the emperor's name as a pretext.
"Lord Mei, do you think I am not capable of being the chief examiner?" Shen Lanxi asked with a half-smile, her sharp eyes fixed on Mei Nanhua.
The latter's face turned ashen, his lips were tightly pursed, and he gritted his teeth, too angry to utter a single word.
If he dares to say that Shen Lanxi is unworthy to be the chief examiner today, he will be accused of questioning His Majesty and disobeying the imperial edict.
Shen Lanxi is absolutely insidious.
“We are all officials in the same court, and we were all appointed to be in charge of the imperial examinations. His Majesty’s eye for talent is naturally excellent. Gentlemen, why don’t we hurry up and select the location for this year’s imperial examinations? With the examination date fast approaching, His Majesty is urging us to make progress every day. We really can’t delay any longer, or we will all be punished!” An official from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward to smooth things over.
Mei Nanhua turned his head to the side with a livid face.
"Lord Shen, the Grand Tutor has been so preoccupied with the imperial examination questions lately that he has lost his appetite and sleep. It is understandable that he is suffering from a feverish temper. Please forgive him!"
"Please forgive me, Lord Shen..."
"We are jointly responsible for the imperial examinations; our fortunes are intertwined, and our losses are shared..."
After much persuasion from the officials, Shen Lanxi hesitated before reluctantly nodding to smooth things over.
“You were just talking about choosing a location for the imperial examinations? Let’s just hold them where they were held in the past. I suppose His Majesty doesn’t want to cause trouble for the people and waste resources!” Shen Lanxi said.
The officials from the Ministry of Rites repeatedly agreed.
Afterwards, Shen Lanxi answered some trivial questions, and as soon as her shift ended, she got up and left without saying a word.
Mei Nanhua was thinking that if Shen Lanxi wanted to interfere with the imperial examination questions, he would fight her to the bitter end, but he didn't expect her to not even mention it.
It seems she's saving face since it's her first time in office. She'll definitely bring up the exam questions and the matter of inserting people later, but as long as Mei Nanhua is alive, he won't let Shen Lanxi succeed!
...
Shen Lanxi and Shen Congwen returned to the Shen residence one after the other.
A shadow seemed to hang over the Shen residence, and even the servants dared not breathe loudly.
"You unruly girl! If you don't teach her a lesson, she'll become utterly lawless!" After hearing the whole story from Old Madam Shen, Shen Congwen was furious and immediately ordered someone to go to the inner quarters to arrest Shen Yuantang.
On her way back, she ran into Sun Feng, who was on his way to Dali Temple to find her. From Sun Feng, she learned that Shen Yuantang had gone to the Jining Marquis's residence and brazenly questioned why the Marquis had broken off the engagement. She had even injured the servants and young lady of the Jining Marquis's residence, and had made the Jining Marquis's wife faint from anger, because she had learned martial arts.
Sun Feng didn't investigate much and easily found Shen Yuantang. When he arrived, Shen Yuantang was confronting the people from the Marquis of Jining's mansion with a stick. It wasn't that the servants and guards were no match for him; it was that Shen Yuantang was loudly calling out "Your Majesty, Uncle."
Shen Lanxi watched Shen Congwen rage with a blank expression, her heart filled with gloom. She couldn't believe that her own sister, born of the same mother, had become like this.
"Let me go, Grandmother, save me..." Shen Yuantang broke free from the old woman's grip and ran to Old Madam Shen for help.
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