"Brother Zhu, you mustn't say that."
A voice rang out, and Zhu Cheng frowned immediately upon hearing it. "Chang Ke, it's you again. Why do you always have to pick on me? We're all here enjoying drinks, why do you have to say such unpleasant things?"
"Since its construction, no woman has been allowed to stand here at Minghe Tower!"
“Brother Zhu, your view is extremely limited.” Chang Ke stood up straight. “There is no explicit rule in Dayu that forbids women from climbing Minghe Tower. Just because they didn’t come doesn’t mean they can’t come.”
"You're just the descendant of a military officer who luckily passed the county-level imperial examination and took the path of civil service. Now you dare to rely on your brother's influence to swagger around in Minghe Tower?"
Upon hearing this, Chang Ke's eyes lit up, and with a judo throw, he put Zhu Cheng to the ground. "The Zhu family has been doing quite well in recent years, and your father is highly regarded by the Emperor in the court. But if your father finds out what you said at Minghe Tower, what good will happen to you?"
"It's a disgrace that Lord Zhu, as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, is so upright, yet he has such a rebellious son as you in his family..."
"you!"
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean, ''?" Chang Ke raised an eyebrow and patted Zhu Cheng's face. "You still argue with me after you know I'm a military officer. Aren't you afraid I'll break your right hand?"
After saying that, Chang Ke released Zhu Cheng and looked around. "If I hear anything like that again, I will definitely go to the palace to report to the Empress Dowager."
After Chang Ke left, the crowd began to whisper among themselves.
“He’s Chang Qing’s younger brother, why did you provoke him!” Someone reached out and helped Zhu Cheng up. “Although he’s pursuing the imperial examinations, he’s still trained in martial arts.”
"I refuse to believe that those women, who only studied for a few years, could outperform those of us who have been studying hard since childhood!"
Zhu Cheng spoke angrily, feeling somewhat ashamed, so he waved his arms and shouted, "If any woman passes the imperial examination this time, I, Zhu Cheng, will walk naked through the capital!"
Now, even the students who had reached out to help Zhu Cheng up couldn't help but keep their distance from him...
Why is this person acting so strangely today?
......
Changfu.
"Why haven't you said a word during your meal today? Could it be that you've gotten yourself into trouble?"
Chang Qing slammed down his chopsticks and glared at Chang Ke with his tiger-like eyes. "Your parents entrusted you to me before they died. As the eldest brother, I'm like a father to you. If you cause trouble, I won't hold back when I beat you."
The vast Chang mansion was only inhabited by the brothers Chang Qing and Chang Ke.
Chang Ke's lips twitched upon hearing this. "Big brother, why don't you say that I was bullied by someone else?"
"You think you can be bullied?"
Chang Qing couldn't bear to recall the trouble his younger brother had caused since childhood. He looked like a harmless scholar, but his methods were far more ruthless than his older brother's.
I've never suffered a loss since I was a child.
"Today at Minghe Tower, Zhu Cheng openly shouted that the female examinees were inferior to them, and even said that no woman had ever been able to climb Minghe Tower. I couldn't stand it, so I knocked him to the ground."
After Chang Ke finished speaking, Chang Qing paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, "So that's how it is! Well done!"
“Chang Ke, you must remember that our Chang family is where it is today thanks to the Empress Dowager and the Marquis’s support. If you encounter someone like Zhu Cheng who is disrespectful to the Empress Dowager, just slap him across the face. If anything happens, your elder brother will take responsibility for you.”
"Brother, we should still discuss this matter with the Marquis."
Chang Ke narrowed his eyes slightly, "Big brother, just mention it casually, there's no need to be too formal."
Why?
Chang Qing knew that his younger brother was quick-witted, so he didn't refute him but continued to ask.
"It would be unseemly to make a big fuss about this. It would be better to have the Marquis pass on the message to the Empress Dowager. Surely the Empress Dowager would have a way to deal with it. If none of the female candidates pass the imperial examination this time... then the Empress Dowager can prepare in advance."
To deal with these gossips and rumors.
Upon hearing this, Chang Qing's expression also turned serious. "You're right."
Even before the imperial examinations have begun, rumors have already started to circulate; it's time to remind the Empress Dowager.
......
The next day, at the military camp.
After the training was finished, Jiang He was about to leave the military camp when Chang Qing followed closely behind him. "My lord, the weather is starting to get colder. The training should be much better from now on."
When training in hot weather, the soldiers inevitably feel restless and irritable.
“That makes sense.” Jiang He smiled. “You usually stay in the military camp until almost night before returning home. Today… are you already getting ready to go back?”
"It's that kid Chang Ke, he's always getting me into trouble."
Chang Qing slapped his forehead in frustration, "Yesterday I actually started messing around with that brat Zhu Cheng at Minghe Tower. I need to go back to the manor early to keep an eye on that kid."
"That's not right. I remember Chang Ke being very clever. What caused his argument with Zhu Cheng?"
Upon seeing this, Chang Qing quickly told Jiang He about what happened at Minghe Tower. After listening, Jiang He's face immediately darkened. "I think Chang Ke should not only not be punished, but should be rewarded. You go buy him a roast goose tonight and say it's on my behalf."
"Alright, that kid's going to be ecstatic!"
Jiang He didn't even return to the Marquis's residence; he went directly to Zhaoning Palace.
No one knows what Jiang He and Jiang Yu said to each other, but all that is known is that Jiang Yu personally bestowed a calligraphy piece upon Lingyun Garden the next day.
"Women first—"
Xie Zhiqing also personally went to the palace to express her gratitude.
"Thank you for the inscription for Lingyun Garden, Your Highness. Everyone is grateful for your attention." Although Xie Zhiqing had recovered, her face was still very pale.
"These are all minor matters," Jiang Yu said with a smile. "How is everyone's recovery going lately?"
"They have all recovered very well."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu's smile became even more genuine. "The imperial examination is just around the corner. I would like to find an opportunity to see everyone at Minghe Tower. Last time they were all poisoned, and I didn't have a proper chance to talk to them."
"Minghe Tower?"
Xie Zhiqing was stunned. Minghe Tower was a place where literati and scholars composed poems and couplets. Many scholars and officials were frequent visitors there. Could they go there too?
"It's set for the day after tomorrow."
Jiang Yu's eyes held an unwavering determination: "I will personally host the imperial examination at Minghe Tower to celebrate their success."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Xie Zhiqing left with profuse thanks, her eyes red as she went.
"Why did Your Highness choose Minghe Tower as the venue?"
"Granny, I just want the world to know that even if those women fail the imperial examinations, they still have the right to ascend the Minghe Tower. In what way are they inferior to others?"
Being a woman should be an honor, not a shackle.
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