Chapter 59 Taking the Exam
On the sky, an old man stood in the center of the main hall.
His hair was gray, but his voice was strong and slightly sarcastic: "Lord Tan is a great Confucian scholar of our time. It is said that the words of sages cultivate people's hearts, yet Lord Tan has not been influenced by them at all? It is truly amazing."
At the same time, SkyCover thoughtfully placed a name tag next to him.
Everyone stared intently: "..."
Shen Mingzhe: "..."
How could this be me?!
But this is indeed him. Not only him, but this future version of himself is also criticizing the teammates that Shen Mingzhe sees now.
Shen Mingzhe had a sudden urge to die.
Upon hearing this, Tan Lichuan flew into a rage, spitting as he shouted, "Shen Mingzhe, there's no need for such sarcastic remarks! I'd like to ask you, which book of sages says that women can serve as officials in the court?!"
Shen Mingzhe, neck stiff, took two steps forward and said, "Which book of sages says it's impossible?!"
The two men were face to face, glaring at each other like fighting cocks.
Another person appeared beside Tan Lichuan: "Lord Shen teaches at Qingya Academy, it seems he has gained profound insights?"
Shen Mingzhe: "..." These people are saying his lines!
Wait, Qingya Academy?
Shen Mingzhe suddenly remembered that when Zhuo Yuchi went to Qingya Academy to study, could it be...?
Unable to accept it, Shen Mingzhe closed his eyes in despair.
Even so, the sound from the sky continued to pour into his ears.
Shen Mingzhe chuckled coldly. Years of teaching experience had left him frustrated with his students' lack of progress, making him particularly quick-witted: "Lord Zhao is right. In all my years of teaching, this is the first time I've seen such a dull-witted student as your son. I have to think that a student like your son is better suited for the exam; a woman would be better off!"
Zhao Xin pointed at Shen Mingzhe, panting heavily like a bellows. He was more than ten years younger than Shen Mingzhe, and after being attacked personally, he lunged forward and scratched at Shen Mingzhe's hair with his ten fingers: "Today I'm acting on behalf of heaven to teach you a lesson, you disrespectful old man!"
Shen Mingzhe refused to back down and fought back.
Now things had really gotten interesting; the verbal sparring between the civil and military officials had turned into a physical fight. A group of military officers naturally sided with Emperor Zhongzong and had the upper hand, but the other group was not to be outdone.
Emperor Zhongzong on his throne: "..." Where is the slightest trace of a court now?
He watched for a moment, and only after they finished fighting did he begin to take sides, giving a wink to Wai Lok-koi who was standing to the side.
A group of guards immediately rushed forward and easily separated the fighting ministers.
The two leaders, panting heavily, glared at each other before simultaneously turning their faces away.
Emperor Zhongzong strode down the imperial steps and said sullenly, "What kind of behavior is this, arguing like this? The imperial court is not a marketplace."
Actually, it's no different from selling vegetables.
At this moment, everyone calmed down a bit and bowed their heads to apologize.
Emperor Zhongzong glanced at Shen Mingzhe and, seeing that his face wasn't scratched, released him with relief and slowly strolled around the assembled officials.
He walked up to Tan Lichuan and said, "Minister Tan, I heard that you also have a daughter. Why are you so agitated? Is it because your daughter is not good enough?"
Tan Lichuan lowered his head: "I just feel that the laws of our ancestors should not be changed at will. Besides, it is always inappropriate to show one's face in public."
Emperor Zhongzong appeared very magnanimous, patted him on the shoulder, and said gently, "Then I will assume that your daughter is unwilling to attend court. I will grant her a special permission later, allowing her not to take the exam."
That sounds nice, but its actual meaning is not so mild.
Tan Lichuan stammered, "Your Majesty—"
His Majesty ignored him and turned to the other important ministers: "I remember that your families all say your daughters are quite talented. Could it be that you are unwilling to govern the country for me?"
He slapped a huge accusation of "unwillingness" on everyone's heads, and everyone fell silent, afraid that the weight of that accusation would break their backs.
Only the Vice Minister of Rites remained stubborn. Zhao Xin said softly, "Your Majesty, our ancestors..."
Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Zhongzong had already turned around and stood in front of him, staring at him with his dark eyes, and asked calmly, "Can the ancestor help me fill these positions?"
Zhao Xin: "..."
Tan Lichuan: "..."
Emperor Jungjong issued an ultimatum: "I only want talented people. As long as they can work for me, they are good people. If your daughters are unwilling to enter the court, I will make other choices. Don't cry then."
He swept his gaze across the diverse expressions on the faces of the crowd and declared unilaterally, "Court is adjourned."
The expressions of the two assistants changed as they looked at Shen Mingzhe.
Well, Lord Shen, you were so angry you almost vomited blood when you heard about the women's imperial examinations, so that's why...
So you were in cahoots with Emperor Jungjong all along!
They all remember it well. Wasn't that Qingya Academy where Zhuo Yuchi went? At that time, Emperor Zhongzong even said that he had a teacher at Qingya Academy. It seems that it was you, Shen Mingzhe!
Shen Mingzhe didn't want to speak. After a long silence, he stretched out an arm and said, "Help me up."
The two men helped him sit up, exchanged a glance, and although they were still eager to watch the show, they were, after all, his superiors, and showed some concern: "How are you feeling, sir? Are you alright?"
Judging from the sky, it couldn't be better.
Shen Mingzhe: "Hehe."
The two of them were speechless. They were truly shocked.
Of course, not everyone thought it was unfeasible. The female officials had been in place for four years, and some officials who were closer to King Jungjong thought it was perfectly reasonable.
Among those charging ahead, besides the ever-changing Lord Shen Mingzhe, there was another person.
Xiao Yichun: "..." He thought it was his grandson.
And there's no reason why I think that way.
Xiao Jianhe: "..." There's no way to defend myself; it's quite possible.
[The Zhuo family of Yongzhou in the northern frontier, Zhuo Yashan. Zhuo Yashan cheered this on, his goal very clear—his son might not pass the exam, but his daughter could! How could he miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?]
They had initially thought King Jungjong was deceiving them, but now that the opportunity had actually arrived, they felt they had to immediately charge forward and tear apart the mouths of all those who refused.
Zhuo Yuchi, who was still called Zhuo Jianghong at this moment, asked: "Father?"
Zhuo Yashan was silent for a moment, then covered his face and said, "I am only doing this for the family."
Zhuo's mother passed by quietly, then turned her head to glance at him: "Hypocrite."
These two sarcastic syllables made Zhuo Yashan stiffen. Was it wrong for him to maintain his prestige?
Xiao Yichun was somewhat surprised; this person wasn't his grandson?
Although the officials had no choice but to give in, the once highly sought-after chief examiner suddenly became unwanted, as no one wanted to be associated with the title of the first examiner.
The position was passed around among officials, but Xiao Jianhe finally stepped forward and became one of the chief examiners. After receiving the imperial edict, he smiled at the several old ministers who stubbornly disagreed, saying, "My name will be recorded in history."
Xiao Yichun looked at her grandson, thought for a moment, and said nothing.
Xiao Jianhe, however, hesitated for a moment, then looked up and stammered, "Grandpa..."
Xiao Yichun patted his head: "It's alright."
He's being narrow-minded. The purpose is to share His Majesty's burdens and select talented individuals for the nation. What does it matter whether the examinee is male or female?
Moreover, Xiao Jianhe is right. History will record this moment, and a new order is about to unfold. As the person involved, Xiao Jianhe will indeed be recorded forever.
The final draft of the new imperial examination was passed, with Xiao Jianhe and Xie Chaoxian serving as the chief examiners. All men and women within the territory of the Ning Dynasty could participate in this examination.
Furthermore, since one had to become a scholar before participating in the special provincial examination, an additional preliminary examination was held for all candidates. In addition, female officials were transferred directly to the outer court and did not need to take the examination.
In fact, large-scale enrollment of women in schools mainly occurred in the free schools in the northern frontier. Later, in other areas conquered by Emperor Zhongzong, the free school system was relatively mature in the northern areas, but became less complete as one moved further south.
The female officials who already held positions were all from the Empress's inner court, but Emperor Jungjong decided to directly transfer the inner court to the outer court, resulting in a chaotic and disorganized system, which he disliked.
Emperor Hong'an frowned slightly. His control over power was beyond what others could imagine, and he was somewhat displeased upon hearing the distinction between the inner and outer courts.
The inner court was mostly staffed by the Empress's inner circle; allowing them to enter the outer court and serve as officials alongside men...
This represents a loss of some power.
He didn't know whether Zhou She was unaware of this or was aware but didn't care.
Zhuo Yuchi was also unhappy.
If I had known, why would I have gone to Qingya Academy? I could have just gotten an official position from the Empress.
But she knew her parents would not agree. Going to school was a refined thing, but what was it to follow the Empress around?
Besides, who could have predicted that the ladies-in-waiting of the inner court would have this opportunity?
[This decision was passed, but the Empress refused it. Of course, it wasn't because the Empress was bored and wanted to refuse; rather, several of her trusted female officials advised her that they wanted to participate in the examination.]
The scroll of the sky slowly unfolds.
Several female officials stood before the Empress, and the one at the front spoke first: "Your Highness, we do not need Your Majesty to bestow official titles upon us, but request to participate in this year's imperial examination."
She had a kind, round face, which should have given her a very approachable appearance. However, her eyes were surprisingly spirited, lacking any of the gentle and graceful charm that people admired at the time; instead, they seemed bright and piercing.
The Empress slightly raised her eyes, her gaze gentle yet appreciative: "You should know how many detours we've avoided."
Du Huayun shook her head, exchanging glances with her colleagues: "This is preferential treatment for us, but isn't it also..."
She wanted to express her contempt, but felt it inappropriate, so she remained silent for a moment and said only, "Your Highness knows that women in the world have only studied for a few years, and the construction of free schools in the Northern Frontier has only been going on for ten years. It is extremely difficult to achieve outstanding results. If none of us take the exams, who will prove it to them?"
The Empress remained silent as well.
In fact, she felt that being directly granted official positions was something they deserved. For example, Fang Jingruo, Ren Duan, and others had worked with her for several years and naturally knew about the efforts they had put in.
If it were someone else, where would all this criticism come from?
But she knew even more that this was a battle she had to fight head-on, a war without gunfire.
Du Huayun has followed her for so many years, she knows their personalities too well, how could she refuse?
"Then I wish you all the best." The Queen made her decision quickly, without any self-pity on her face, and smiled, "Things will get better someday."
In the first year of the Jinghua era, this marked the beginning of competition between men and women, but it was only the beginning. Although many female officials took the exams, the overall number of women participating was still small. These limitations prevented most truly talented women from taking the exams, and their final results were not ideal.
The first major period of reference was during Jinghua's fourth year, and it was in that year that the results began to improve.
Tan Lichuan's face turned pale, but he couldn't help but think of his daughter.
He had three sons and one daughter, whom he had carefully taught from a young age. His children were all well-read, and he watched his sons get married and establish their own careers. However, his youngest daughter was stubborn and refused to get married no matter what.
He was torn between two figures in his mind, one on his left and one on his right, as if they were having a conversation.
"Yuechan is so studious, what's wrong with letting her take an exam?"
"How can you get married if you're always showing your face in public?"
"Then let's find a son-in-law!"
"This is too, too—"
Tan Lichuan shook his head, clearing his mind of all the random thoughts, and really wanted to ask Shen Mingzhe: "How do you manage to be so fickle?"
Why can't he do it?
When the results of the imperial examinations were announced, many people harbored resentment. Since ancient times, the imperial examinations had been a male prerogative; for the emperor to allow women to take the exams was tantamount to robbing them of their resources! They were genuinely curious to see what the final outcome would be given by the emperor's insistence.
Emperor Hong'an was even more dissatisfied.
Although he also felt it was unnecessary, how could you, as his subjects, be so eager for the emperor's decision to fail?
How twisted!
As he was thinking this, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the hall. Huai Leju hurriedly entered and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the results have been released."
Emperor Hong'an was greatly encouraged. From the day the imperial examinations ended, he had Huai Leju send people to keep an eye on the final results, and now the results were finally released.
Who is the top scholar?
Huai Leju said softly, "He is indeed the person His Majesty favors; the Great Harmony is in full swing."
The emperor's expression changed slightly. He stroked his long beard and indeed showed a hint of a smile: "I can be considered a capable minister."
What about the future close ministers and loyal advisors of Emperor Zhongzong? Let him use them before he dies!
At the same time, the imperial examination results for the first year of the Jinghua era were also announced:
As they wished, Enko's exam results were indeed not satisfactory.
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