Today is the palace examination. Only one female scholar, Huo Panlijian, has made it into the top thirty. This year's palace examination is different from the past. The emperor will not be able to see the scholars answering the questions, nor will he know who wrote the answers.
Yuwen Xuanhong sat in his high seat, quietly waiting for the exam papers from the students in the side room next to him.
As the sun rose higher, the first chime of a bell rang outside.
--bite
The deep tolling of the bells echoed throughout the palace. The women of the harem strolled around the palace today. Whether what the Prince of Zhenbei did for them was worthwhile would be revealed today.
"Stop writing!" Lu Kai shouted from the front.
--bite
Another bell rang.
"Collect the papers."
Thirty students, led by Lu Kai, arrived at the main hall and waited quietly for the Emperor to review their papers. In addition to the Emperor, Chen Songyun was also present to review the papers. He had been personally invited by the Emperor, as such an important event required an elder to witness it.
Lord Chen read it first, and the Emperor read it a second time.
Chen Songyun first selected the top three, and then the Emperor arranged the order himself. This way, if anything went wrong, the Emperor would bear less responsibility.
"A sharp sword of Huo Pan!" the Emperor exclaimed after opening the seal on the first exam paper.
"I am here."
"Come forward."
The women bowed and stepped forward, standing as straight as a pine tree.
"He writes well and has traveled extensively with the Prince of Zhenbei, gaining a wealth of knowledge. He is good at everything from planting and flood control to policy discussions."
"Now, I have a question for you. If you answer it well, you will be the top scholar of this year, the first female top scholar of the Great Yan Dynasty, bringing glory to your ancestors. But if you do not answer it well... don't blame me for not giving the Prince of Zhenbei face."
With his chin slightly raised, Li Jian bowed to the Emperor.
"Please, Your Majesty, give us the question."
"Have you heard about the land hoarding by the Marquis of Dongyu a while ago?"
"Your Majesty, I have heard of it."
"If the person hoarding the land is not the Marquis of Dongyu, but my prince, and you are the presiding judge in this case, with both witnesses and physical evidence, how should you rule?"
Huo Panli took a deep breath and slowly uttered three words.
"Kill without mercy."
Yuwen Xuanhong slammed his hand on the table, pointed at the sword, and shouted loudly.
"He is my prince!"
"The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people!"
"This land belongs to the Yuwen family! It also belongs to the people of Great Yan! Your Majesty! The people are like water; water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. If I were to become an official, I would have only one conviction!"
"I want this world so that no one will die of hunger again. I want them to have warmth in the cold winter, support for the elderly, and care for the young!"
May our Great Yan Dynasty enjoy ten thousand years of prosperity!
May you be revered by all people!
The preceding sentences are the original intention of the Sharp Sword Examination, while the last sentence is Hua Luan's teaching.
"good!"
Yuwen Xuanhong was inspired by Li Jian's words and his right hand trembled as he pointed at Li Jian a few times.
"Hahahaha, what a glorious era! Huo Pan's sword! I will grant you a fine place!"
“The Prince of Zhenbei is right. Talented people are not limited by gender or background!”
"Huo Pan, a brilliant sword! For being the top scholar of this imperial examination, he is hereby granted the title of 'Disciple of the Emperor.' Lu Kai, draft the decree."
The palace gates swung open, and the woman wearing a scholar's hat, a red flower on her chest, and holding a scepter was the one that Fan Lihua and the others had been waiting for.
Long'er also booked a nice place, and looking at the person who had grown up with her since childhood, her wish finally came true. Her nose felt a little sore; it had really been so difficult.
Meanwhile, in the next private room, Fan Lihua hugged her friend and wept with joy.
"She did it. The top scholar of this year's imperial examination is a woman. From now on, all the women of the Great Yan will be able to become officials. They won't have to rely solely on marriage anymore."
There was a great commotion on both sides, with lion dance troupes and firecrackers going off in unison. There were even more women watching the spectacle today than usual, throwing sachets and flowers at the sword as if they were free.
This time, there was no "finding a son-in-law after the imperial examination results are announced," nor was there any flirtatious advances hoping to become the wife of a top scholar; there were only heartfelt expressions of gratitude.
Li Jian looked up and saw Huo Xiaolong nodding at her.
Huo Panli still remembers the scene: a few young girls stood on the city gate, gazing at the distant, unseen capital. She said she also wanted to take the imperial examinations.
Your Highness, I did it.
"The gathering of all the students brings me great joy. Now that the palace examination is over, their essays are exquisite and their talents are outstanding. After deliberation by the ministers and after personally reviewing the papers, I have decided on the top scholar."
At the entrance of the Hanlin Academy, the top three scholars who had finished their parade knelt down to receive their titles.
Lu Kai stood in front of the group, and the golden list slowly unfolded.
"I have heard that all the talented people in the world aspire to achieve prominence. Today, having seen you all, I can confirm that this reputation is well-deserved. However, the title of top scholar cannot be held by anyone who possesses both talent and virtue."
"By imperial decree, the top scholar of this imperial examination is Huo Panlijian, a talented scholar from Beining. His writing flows like clouds and water, and his reasoning is profound. He is truly a master of his generation. You should all take him as your role model, study diligently without ceasing, and work together to make the nation prosperous."
"The top scholar Huo Panlijian is hereby granted the title of Fifth-Rank Academician in the Hanlin Academy. This is the imperial decree!"
The four large characters "Disciple of the Emperor" followed Huo Pan's sharp sword into the Hanlin Academy. The woman looked at the stone tablet at the entrance, which listed the names of the top three winners of each year. She was the first woman on the tablet.
But it's definitely not the last one.
"Old Chen, did you see that? That's my granddaughter! My granddaughter, she's really something!"
Lou Qingming was swaying with his best friend, his face covered in tears. Chen Songyun couldn't understand how someone his age could be jumping around like that. Besides, it's really embarrassing for you to cry. Look at those young girls across from you, crying with tears streaming down their faces. Look at you, what are you crying for?
Is ginseng really that effective?
He decided not to keep it and would eat it when he got back.
"I see it, I see it. I said before that Li Jian is a great talent."
"You must take care of her in court from now on, and make sure she is not bullied by others."
"She's the Prince of Zhenbei's woman, who's bullying her?"
He doesn't attend court; he doesn't understand.
The Prince of Zhenbei is now the most reckless person at the Grand Court Assembly; even Old Dog Fan can't compare to her.
Even when all those people in the Censorate were fighting, she was as enthusiastic as she was.
The difference between military generals and civil officials is immediately apparent.
"But you need to go back and have your granddaughter practice martial arts, understand?"
Lou Qingming nodded.
"Absolutely, I understand."
Li Jian, dressed in official robes, returned to the palace. The person she saw at the door was Hua Luan.
"Sir! You've arrived!"
The woman lost her usual composure; she ran over, knelt down, hugged Hua Luan's waist, and said in a tearful voice.
Hua Luan gently patted her back, her face beaming with undisguised pride.
"I am coming."
"Our Sharp Sword has finally achieved his wish and become the top scholar! Great, great!"
"Beautiful! Amazing!"
Huo Panlijian, his eyes red-rimmed, held onto Hua Luan's hand tightly.
"What are you still doing at the door? Go back and eat. Drink as much as you want tonight, but nobody is allowed to look at official documents."
"Yes, Madam Cen."
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