Upon hearing this, Qin Yu smiled gently.
It must be said that Sima Lie and Weng Tonghe's counterattack was truly brilliant.
If this rumor were to spread, those poor students who couldn't afford the eight taels of silver for the exam papers would be outraged, believing that the court was exploiting them.
Those candidates from upper-class families would feel deep disdain because of the deliberate mention of allowing lowly farmers to take the imperial examinations!
It can be said that Qin Yu's original idea was good, but through such manipulation, both the upper and lower-level candidates were dissatisfied.
In doing so, this policy offends all test takers.
But Qin Yu remained calm, paused for a moment, and then gave his instructions in a slow voice.
"Eunuch An, just do as I say..."
Soon, the Blood Droplets, disguised as examinees, appeared at various gatherings.
"Did you know? I heard there was cheating behind this scientific expedition, which is why they implemented the sealed-book reform!"
"The sealing rolls require a lot of manpower and resources to make, and the imperial court has also added a lot of people to oversee them. The expenses are not small at all."
"The sealed roll certainly has its advantages and disadvantages, but I'm willing to pay these eight taels of silver!"
"......"
In less than a day, public opinion among test takers changed dramatically.
At first, they were indeed very excited, but now that they have calmed down and thought about it, they suddenly realized the truth!
The benefits of reforming the sealed roll system far outweigh the drawbacks!
Over the years, cheating in the imperial examinations has been rampant. Years of hard study could not outweigh the few silver notes and power of those playboys. Every year, candidates complained about the unfairness, but what could they do?
But if the reforms have been implemented, and if it only costs eight taels of silver to buy a fair contest, then it is absolutely worth it!
From being condemned and killed by everyone to being understood, sympathized with, admired and respected, Song Zhenglian's reputation among the test takers has changed dramatically in just one day!
"What? Are they all pigs? Someone said a few words and they all changed their minds!"
From inside the Weng residence came the sound of Weng Tonghe cursing angrily. Hearing that the whole incident had taken a dramatic turn, he was furious and cursed repeatedly.
But let's not forget that he was the one who first started manipulating public opinion.
In the Empress's palace, Anfu happily reported the turning point in the situation to Qin Yu.
"Your Majesty, your method is excellent. The candidates have stopped causing trouble, and those who gathered at the Imperial College shouting for a strike have also stopped making any moves."
Qin Yu thought it was perfectly normal.
The reform of the sealed rolls was originally a good policy, but like fine wine, it needs to be savored and understood.
Qin Yu waved his hand, indicating that An Fu could leave, clearly in a very good mood.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on resolving your troubles!"
Zhao Yan then came to Qin Yu's side and spoke gently.
Her face was rosy and radiant, clearly having been well-nourished over the past few days.
He pulled her into his arms, his large hands wandering over her as usual, but she blushed and whispered, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid Yan'er won't be able to serve you for the next few days."
Thinking about it carefully, Qin Yu realized that her gait was indeed a bit off. He guessed, "Yan'er, could it be that your period has come?"
In this era, women simply say "it's time for menstruation" when they have their period, and Zhao Yan was no exception. However, after spending a long time with Qin Yu, she got used to this way of speaking.
"Yes, it's my period."
Qin Yu was immediately annoyed. Damn it, Zhao Lan finally got to leave the palace, and this is just causing trouble.
How can we let such precious time go to waste?
Zhao Yan saw the disappointment and frustration on his face, and shyly explained in a low voice, "Although this period is indeed inconvenient, Yan'er can still serve Your Majesty."
Qin Yu's eyes lit up. "You mean a bloody battle?"
That's great! Just imagining that scene is pretty exciting!
"No!" Zhao Yan's blush stretched all the way to the base of her neck. "Isn't that filthy?"
“I mean, His Majesty can be served in other ways.”
Seeing her slightly moving lips, Qin Yu immediately knew what the girl meant.
It's not that it's impossible. I've been indulging in too much bathing and partying these past two days, and my vision is a bit blurry during the day.
Giving your brothers a break now and then is a good way to avoid exhausting your resources.
"Alright, I wonder if the sanitary napkins from the Imperial Workshop have arrived yet. Yan'er, you must take good care of yourself."
"It's here. The Director of Works has further improved it. It's quite good, but it's still a bit uncomfortable to walk in."
Hearing Zhao Yan's words, Qin Yu fell into deep thought.
No matter how much sanitary napkins are improved, they still cannot escape their fundamental design flaws, namely, while they are comfortable to wear, they are somewhat inconvenient for movement.
This was certainly not a big problem among the concubines in the harem, since they were all pampered and didn't engage in any violent actions.
But thinking of the women who received training at Qingyun Temple, he felt a little uneasy.
Female special forces, and indeed female soldiers throughout history, were unpopular and could not be as mainstream as male soldiers. One very important issue was menstruation.
For women who often engage in vigorous physical activity, sanitary napkins are far from sufficient.
Thinking of this, Qin Yu summoned Zi Yan directly.
"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
"Yan'er, go and make a trip to the Imperial Workshop and ask them to modify these sanitary napkins, but the purpose will remain the same!"
As he gave the instructions, Qin Yu took out paper and pen and drew a rough sketch of the tampons.
Compared to sanitary napkins, tampons are certainly more technologically advanced, and if not made well, they may cause problems.
Therefore, Qin Yu's instructions were very detailed.
"Yan'er, watch carefully. The length must not be too long, lest it hurt their bodies. The length of the first two joints of an index finger is just right."
"I'm afraid the Imperial Workshop Directors won't understand, so you should stay by their side and do it with them!"
Upon hearing the instructions, Zi Yan and Zhao Yan blushed deeply.
This tyrant has an incredibly detailed understanding of women's bodies!
The following day, the grand imperial examination officially began!
Countless students, whether dressed simply as poor students from humble backgrounds or as wealthy scions in fine clothes, gathered at the examination hall on this day.
Although their family backgrounds were completely different, their mental outlook was mostly the same, and their goals were the same.
That is to get good grades, gain fame and fortune, and stand out from the crowd!
The solemn atmosphere even spread throughout the entire capital city.
The once bustling capital city has now become somewhat quiet.
The candidates who entered the examination room were highly tense, some with confident expressions, clearly well-prepared.
"The imperial examination has officially begun. I hereby solemnly declare that all candidates must answer the questions carefully and cheating will not be tolerated!"
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