Chapter 39 Creating Brilliance Together in Harmony
Sheng Qinghe, courtesy name Fengyan, was born in a brothel in Kyoto.
? ? ?
The crowd, who were still trying to figure out which noblewoman she was, were dumbfounded.
Qinghe was also stunned.
Her daughter was sitting by the window when she heard footsteps. She smiled slightly at her and said, "Qinghe, you're here."
Qinghe nodded.
Born in Kyoto, she wasn't stupid; she knew the significance of this top scholar title.
Every time, they would celebrate with great joy and excitement. The girls who came to welcome and see them off would say, "In the play, if you choose that scholar and he becomes the top scholar, even if you can't become his wife, it would be a good thing if you could redeem yourself from your servitude."
But he was the only one among all the scholars in the world over those three years.
Now, nowadays...
Is it really her?
Historical records say that Sheng Fengyan was intelligent and quick-witted from a young age, and loved learning. She was surrounded by talented scholars and distinguished guests, and she gradually learned to read and write by observing the poetic talents they displayed.
She initially followed Sheng Lianlian, a name that should be familiar to everyone; several of her poems are quite famous.
Upon hearing the familiar name, Qinghe nearly jumped up and rushed forward to hug Sheng Lianlian: "Miss, Miss! You've gone up to Tianmu too!"
Sheng Lianlian helped her up and smiled, "Yes, Qinghe, you are the future top scholar."
After the initial excitement subsided, Sheng Qinghe quickly composed herself, and the two heads huddled together as they peered out the window, intently gazing at the sky.
She had memorized Emperor Zhongzong's name perfectly. One day in the future, just as Tianmu had said, she would achieve great success and fame. At that point, what need would she have for talented scholars and gentlemen?
She herself is a woman of great talent!
but……
She had considered studying, but secretly learning was unrealistic. The few characters she knew that she had learned were from a girl.
So, even the history books of the Celestial Immortal can spout nonsense?
Zhou She listened very attentively.
Scientific expeditions were originally a path to heaven for a small group of people.
But it will become wider and wider in the future, and he hopes that this path can become the college entrance examination for future generations, so that everyone can showcase their talents.
In the thirtieth year of the Hong'an era, Emperor Zhongzong returned to the capital. When he left again, he took Sheng Qinghe with him back to the northern frontier. Because of this, some people argued with me before, insisting that Emperor Zhongzong had fallen in love with someone else. Stand up and take the blame!
Now the truth has finally come out: it was Huai Leju who entrusted him to take Sheng Qinghe away. Later, he placed her in a free school, and the two did not see each other for more than ten years. Overall, Sheng Qinghe continued to grow up wildly.
The reason is simple: Sheng Lianlian was Huai Leju's confidante. In the twenty-ninth year of Hong'an, while Huai Leju was away from the capital on official business, Sheng Lianlian married the Fifth Prince as a concubine, and three days later she committed suicide by self-immolation.
After Sheng Lianlian's death, worried about the chaos in the capital, he asked Emperor Zhongzong to take her away. When she returned home in the first year of the Jinghua era, she was already a fledgling eagle soaring high.
Twenty-nine years of Hong'an?
Huai Leju was struck dumb, as if by lightning.
He had no romantic feelings for Sheng Lianlian; their friendship was deep, even closer than that of family.
He originally intended to redeem Sheng Lianlian from her servitude, but after she found out, she refused.
Huai Leju always believed that the Huai family had power, and that as long as he was alive, Sheng Lianlian would not be bullied.
But today he realized how foolish he had been.
Fifth Prince, Fifth Prince!
He felt his heart race, his breathing quicken, and a wave of dizziness wash over him; he had no idea where he was. He repeatedly crushed the Fifth Prince's name in his mind, and suddenly understood why Tianmu had said, "He hates the Fifth Prince to the bone!"
Fortunately, none of this happened. He should have done what he wanted long ago!
Huai Leju was eager to know the whole story, but Tianmu couldn't hear her; she would only continue talking about topics that interested her.
I don't know if Sheng Qinghe is really that talented. Some people love to spread conspiracy theories, saying that Emperor Zhongzong just likes to help geniuses and is a very opportunistic person—pshaw, people who say such things should go back to school and look at the data from back then.
From the first time women took the imperial examination in the fourth year of Jinghua's reign to the thirty-second year of Jinghua's reign, the proportion of those taking the exam and the number of those passing increased year by year. In the fourth year of Jinghua's reign, none of the top three candidates were women. Why don't you mention that King Jungjong had another big argument with some old-fashioned people at that time, which almost escalated into a violent incident?
Upon hearing Tianmu's words, the old-fashioned folks seemed to have received divine guidance, and they immediately stood up: "None of the top three are women, so they shouldn't be allowed to participate!"
"With more people taking the exam, shouldn't the number of slots be increased too...?" This is a rather pragmatic person.
Zhou She pondered for a moment: We probably need to expand enrollment, otherwise we'll kill too many people later, and enrollment won't keep up with graduation. Working will be exhausting.
The uploader admires Sheng Qinghe greatly; she set her sights high in her youth and ultimately achieved great success.
And if she's a genius, then her talent has paid off. If she's not a genius—and even non-geniuses can become top scorers! What are you all hesitating for? Tsinghua and Peking University are beckoning you!
Sheng Lianlian leaned against the window.
She was only sixteen years old when she heard the news of her own death.
Qinghe's hands were still trembling. She turned her head to look at him, her eyes glistening with tears.
A pair of warm hands covered hers.
"Qinghe." Sheng Lianlian raised her eyebrows and smiled, calling her name softly, "Look how scared you are. Okay, relax."
Qinghe spoke, her voice choked with emotion: "Miss..."
Sheng Lianlian held her hand without saying much.
Of course she didn't want to die, but if it was fate... if her name could be passed down to posterity because of her poetic talent, not just because of those romantic affairs, then that would be an unexpected joy.
Besides, she felt at ease knowing that Qinghe was doing well.
Everyone was happy with the imperial examinations that year, except perhaps Zhuo Jianghong, who remained the perennial runner-up. At home, she was the second young lady, and things were a little better when she was away studying. But when she ran into Sheng Qinghe in the imperial examinations, she angrily became the second-place winner.
What she found most unbearable was that one day after court, Emperor Zhongzong spoke of the officials around him: "I have many talented people around me, such as Fang Shourou, Sheng Fengyan, and you, Zhuo Ziyun. You are all capable ministers who can govern the country well. You will surely have a place in the annals of history in the future."
Zhuo Jianghong was so angry that she tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, her mind filled with the same question: "Why is Sheng Qinghe ahead of her?"
Oh my, that temper is terrible! I'd be furious too.
Zhuo Jianghong: "...?"
Why is she involved?
She waved her long whip listlessly, driving her horse in circles.
There are both expectations and fears about the future self.
But all those fears vanished the moment he heard he was only ranked second.
Many people may not be familiar with the name Zhuo Jianghong. As the second young lady of the Zhuo family in Yongzhou, Zhuo Jianghong was her given name. Later, she changed her name to Zhuo Yuchi, which sounds the same as Zhuo Yuchi, reflecting her late-blooming life.
In the thirty-fifth year of the Hong'an era, Emperor Zhongzong raised his sword and slaughtered a powerful clan in Yongzhou. Some were angry, some were hateful, and naturally, some saw his future potential and decided to arrange a marriage between him and the clan.
Zhuo Jianghong, the second daughter of the Zhuo family, is the object of this arranged marriage.
Zhuo's father's heart stirred.
His second daughter is a stubborn mule who won't budge no matter what you try to pull her away from, and will even back down if you try to force her. Now she's thirteen, but she still has a strong preference for spears and horses, and is especially fond of fighting, being competitive, and ambitious.
He has endured until now, partly out of favoritism and partly out of helplessness.
Marrying the future emperor is not an option... in fact, it's a safer path. Why fight to the death?
But then he thought again, something's not right. Is his daughter such an honest person?
Zhuo Jianghong was still bewildered, but now she was furious: What does this mean? Are you telling her to marry someone and become a concubine?
Absolutely impossible!
However, they did not find King Jungjong at all, because the day after the massacre, King Jungjong made his routine return visit, which was to check on the families of the soldiers and observe the distribution of pensions. He had been gone for several days.
They were received by the future Empress Renzhao.
Zhou She finally decided to go to the palace.
The emperor was sitting in the flower hall, intently gazing at the sky. When he saw him arrive, he smiled and said, "You certainly know how to appoint capable people; you've been searching everywhere for them."
Despite Tianmu's many explanations, he still couldn't accept how a woman could hold office.
But that's a topic for the future, and ultimately it's irrelevant to him.
Zhou She respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I only employ the virtuous and talented, and can disregard status and family background. Since that's the case, why not go a step further and ignore gender as well?"
The emperor seemed to be seeing him for the first time: "You've really impressed me lately."
“There is still something I should learn.”
When Empress Renzhao saw them arrive, she initially thought they were a family coming to surrender. As the old saying goes, use every possible connection to build friendships, and the Zhuo family was relatively honest, so she naturally welcomed them.
But she soon discovered that while surrender was indeed surrender, it was somewhat different from what she had come to understand. The Zhuo family even felt they had made significant concessions: "You're a general, and although we all know you wield great power, you're still just a general."
Our legitimate daughter is marrying you; becoming a concubine is already a huge step down. What more do you want?
Gu Xunhui shook his head, not optimistic.
She knew from just a few words from Tianmu, such a short fragment, that this Miss Zhuo was a very strong-willed person.
If she were a man, she would never have ended up like this. If she were a man, her ambitions would not have been buried for so many years, only to be labeled as a late bloomer.
At this moment, she felt a sense of kinship with Zhuo Yuchi, whom she had never met before, on the sky.
Emperor Hong'an smiled and said, "That's right. If you marry into a local aristocratic family, you will gain a foothold in the northern frontier faster and more firmly."
However... while marrying into a powerful family is a shortcut to faster integration into the local community, it will inevitably backfire.
Zhou She didn't think it was a good idea, and he believed that his future self wouldn't agree either.
Ultimately, if one deviates from their original intention, it begins with losing the will to fight.
Although the Zhuo family knew that Zhuo Yuchi was unwilling, they assumed that her father had already persuaded her. However, Zhuo Yuchi had no way to express her suffering. Her parents and family were all on her shoulders at this moment, and she had nothing to say. For the first time, she lowered her head, which had always been high and mighty.
The Empress saw her mood and understood her predicament, so she declined, saying she needed to wait for Emperor Jungjong to return home to discuss it. A few days later, Emperor Jungjong returned home after his inspection tour and, upon hearing the news, was utterly speechless.
Zhuo's father didn't find anything amiss.
A marriage alliance is a win-win situation for both of us. I don't worry about you jumping out in the middle of the night to kill someone, and you don't have to worry about me assassinating you someday.
It might indeed be a bit cruel for the daughter.
Even Bai Jisong, who had just made up his mind to cause trouble, began to ponder: Why don't they give it a try too... Actually, he has quite a few daughters.
After reaching a consensus, the Empress summoned Zhuo Yuchi, expressing her desire to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.
Against the backdrop of the sky, beneath a verdant bamboo grove, two people sit facing each other at a round table.
Although they are only four or five years apart in age, Zhuo Yuchi looks like he is in his prime, while Empress Renzhao looks more mature.
Zhuo Yuchi sat there blankly as the Empress paced back and forth, turning to look at her: "What do you think of the Zhuo family's proposal?"
Zhuo Yuchi stared at her blankly. The Empress stood solemnly by the bamboo grove, bathed in sunlight, which made her look radiant.
"If Madam agrees, the Zhuo family will naturally follow the General, and there will be no further discussion..."
The Empress interrupted her: "The Zhuo family agrees, do you agree?"
The sunlight was too dazzling, and Zhuo Yuchi almost burst into tears. She said something that didn't reflect her true feelings, "Lord Zhou is young and valiant, and has no intention of doing so."
"Very well." The Empress said with some disappointment, "I originally wanted to ask you if you would be willing to become our advisor, with the possibility of being ennobled and appointed prime minister in the future. But since you have agreed, then I will—"
Before she could finish speaking, Zhuo Yuchi almost immediately knelt down.
"May I ask, Madam... Lord Zhou..." Although she was kneeling, her back remained straight.
"You are a member of the Zhuo family, the second daughter of the Zhuo family." The Empress sat down in front of her and said calmly, "I have heard of your reputation and can roughly guess your ambition. Your poetic talent is excellent, and one of your poems surpasses that of all the young men in the room. In the thirty-third year of Hong'an, the policy questions you wrote based on the imperial examination questions also showed unique insights."
Zhuo Yuchi remained silent, and the Empress ignored her as well.
A few hurried footsteps were heard, and Emperor Zhongzong arrived in haste. He stood outside the pavilion and said, "I have spent countless amounts of gold and silver building this free school, and I have never wavered over the years, all in order to find talented people. Whether you are male or female, we do not care. I'm afraid you haven't seen it before, there are many women in the free school, so why would there be one more like you?"
Zhuo Yuchi lowered her head, tears falling to the ground.
"Why are you crying?" The Empress's voice held a hint of surprise. She handed her a handkerchief and said, "It's not wrong to be competitive. I think that one day you will be able to uphold the honor of the Zhuo family."
"The family will not allow it." Zhuo Yuchi's body stiffened, and he finally kowtowed heavily. "Thank you for your advice, Madam, but unfortunately Jiang Hong is in the Zhuo family and has no way out."
Emperor Zhongzong's gaze passed over Zhuo Yuchi and met the Empress's eyes, both of them holding a faint smile.
His voice was steady and firm: "You've miscalculated. I only need talented people to do things. Qingya Academy is about to enroll students. The academy's dean was my teacher back then. I'll write you a letter of recommendation later, and you can go."
As he finished speaking, his cold expression softened slightly: "Don't let yourself down."
Three days later, King Jungjong personally visited the Zhuo family. During the meeting, he made it clear that he already had a wife and did not need a marriage alliance. If the Zhuo family agreed, it would be a win-win situation for both sides, and he was willing to accept the Zhuo family.
The Zhuo family reluctantly agreed. Zhuo Jianghong changed her name to Zhuo Yuchi, bid farewell to her parents, and went to Qingya Academy to study.
The color of the sky changed.
The sky was clear and cloudless, and a man stood on the official road leading his horse.
It was a woman dressed as a man, leading a horse with one hand, her figure ethereal and otherworldly. She looked up at the plaque in front of her, which read "Zhuo Mansion".
No one saw him off.
She stared at it for a long time, as if trying to etch those two words deep into her heart. Finally, she lowered her head and knelt down with a thud.
"Your unfilial son, Zhuo Yuchi, bids farewell to his parents. If I do not achieve anything on this journey, please consider me dead!"
After saying this, she kowtowed three times heavily in the direction of the Zhuo family mansion, then got up, her resolute face now devoid of tears.
She mounted her horse, flicked the whip, her hair flying, and rode off into the vast, boundless world.
Behind her, Zhuo's father and mother had different expressions.
With tears streaming down her face, Zhuo's mother said, "This foolish child, talking about upholding the Zhuo family's reputation... Her eldest brother has been gone for years, and he hasn't done any good in the exams..."
Father Zhuo's expression darkened, and he turned his face away: "As she wished, she even changed her name. How can she be considered a descendant of the Zhuo family?"
However, a fleeting glimmer of moisture appeared on her aged and haggard face.
Zhuo Yuchi's years of diligent study ultimately did not disappoint.
In the seventh year of Jinghua, Sheng Qinghe became the top scholar in the imperial examination, while Zhuo Yuchi, at the age of thirty-two, ranked second. When they met again in the court, it was indeed true that he would not disappoint himself.
Zhuo Yuchi recounted that she was competitive, but it wasn't until the thirty-fifth year of the Hong'an era that she truly understood what it felt like to fight for herself. Serving as an official for over forty years, she traveled throughout the north and south, winning the hearts of the people and preserving the Zhuo family's prosperity for several more decades.
As the first family to submit in the northern frontier, the Zhuo family, although they chose the wrong path, ultimately achieved a very good result.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhuo's father nearly crushed the teacup in his hand.
The daughter he used to dreaded would achieve something he never imagined.
The eldest son, Zhuo Jianghan, indeed lacked the talent for studying, and he knew this in his heart. Unfortunately, he was the only male among the younger generation.
The privileged families were far better off than ordinary people, and they used this path to occupy high positions. But now it seems that Zhuo Jianghan... is not up to the task.
If future women could truly take this as a reference…
Zhuo's father was tempted.
The family's rise to even greater heights is just around the corner!
It's wonderful that everyone can work together harmoniously to create a brilliant future.
Okay, let's continue.
After Emperor Jungjong's campaign against the Northern Barbarians ended in failure, the Imperial Guard was reorganized, its personnel replenished, and it underwent further training. During this period, two assassination attempts were recorded.
Because they were all pretty bad, let me name them: The first wave came from the Northern Barbarians; they didn't even need interrogation, they all looked different. The second wave was more interesting, coming from our Crown Prince.
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