As soon as Qin Shiyu got off the carriage, she spotted Master Qin and quickly ran over to him.
"Father."
"Shiyu, you're back."
After two months of separation, Master Qin counted down the days with bated breath, finally seeing his daughter return from the capital.
The father and daughter embraced. At this moment, Yang Jin walked over, bowed to Master Qin, and said:
"Master Qin, overjoyed!"
Master Qin was taken aback, looked at Yang Jin, and said:
"Where does this joy come from?"
Yang Jin smiled and said:
"Master Qin, you may not know this, but on this trip to the capital, Miss Qin gave lectures to officials of the Agricultural and Fertilizer Department and was rewarded by the Emperor with the title of Ninth-Rank Lady."
"What?! Shiyu has been conferred the title of Ninth-Rank Lady? Is this true?" Master Qin simply couldn't believe his ears.
“Father, Magistrate Yang is right. Your daughter was indeed granted the title of Ninth-Rank Lady by the Emperor, and the Emperor also bestowed upon her a set of Lady’s robes. But I have never worn them before. I will wear them for you to see later.”
"That's wonderful! The ancestors of the Qin family have received imperial honors for their poetry. Our Qin family has finally risen to prominence."
Tears streamed down Qin Yuanwai's face as he knelt down and kowtowed towards the direction of the capital. The movement was so forceful that he couldn't get up after kowtowing.
Yang Jin and Qin Shiyu quickly helped Master Qin up. Master Qin was still trembling a little from being so excited.
After a moment, Master Qin calmed down a bit, but recalling something Qin Shiyu had just said, he was puzzled and asked:
"Shiyu, you just mentioned Governor Yang, who is he?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Shiyu burst out laughing.
"Governor Yang is Brother Yang. Father, you may not know this, but Brother Yang was appointed as a ninth-rank governor by the imperial court for teaching fertilizer production techniques."
"Really? Yang Jin has also been granted an official position by the imperial court! That's wonderful! Hurry home and tell your parents the good news. They'll be overjoyed if they know how successful you are."
"You should wait a moment. I'll go find Marquis Zhengyang and tell him about these two joyous occasions. He can make the arrangements."
After Qin Yuanwai finished speaking, he ran towards the workshop to find Zhao Xian.
At his age, he was still running, which terrified Qin Shiyu, who gave chase.
"Father, don't run, slow down, don't fall."
Qin Shiyu shouted as she chased after him, and Yang Jin, seeing that things were not going well, quickly followed.
Zhao Xian had many workshops, all around Shuixian Village. Although Qin Yuanwai stayed in the Marquis's Mansion, he knew which workshop Zhao Xian was in and went straight there.
This was a textile workshop, not far from home. Master Qin quickly arrived, and Qin Shiyu and Yang Jin followed. Master Qin was already panting heavily and out of breath.
At this moment, Zhao Xian came out from inside and saw Master Qin panting heavily in front of the workshop, with Yang Jin and Qin Shiyu following behind. He was stunned.
Master Qin arrived running, exhausted, but his face still revealed an undisguised joy.
Master Qin was usually very composed and unhurried, but his demeanor today surprised Zhao Xian. When he saw that Yang Jin and Qin Shiyu had also come, he realized that they had just returned from the capital and might not have even entered the house yet.
Seeing Master Qin's expression, it must be a joyous occasion. Thinking this, Zhao Xian quickly stepped forward to support Master Qin and said:
"Tell me slowly what happened to Master Qin."
Seeing that Master Qin was only panting and unable to speak for a moment, he spoke up:
"We helped Master Qin inside to rest for a while."
Master Qin was helped inside and sat down. Zhao Xian poured him a cup of tea, which he took and drank. He only felt better after finishing the tea.
Next, Master Qin recounted how Yang Jin had been appointed as the Ninth-Rank Supervisor of Agricultural and Fertilizer Management by the imperial court, and how Qin Shiyu had been conferred the title of Ninth-Rank Lady by the emperor.
After the two arrived in the capital, Li Guang told Zhao Xian that they would be rewarded, but he was still very excited when he learned that they would both be ninth-rank officials.
“Let’s go back now and have a proper celebration,” Zhao Xian said.
At the Marquis's mansion, Qin Shiyu dressed in a lady's robe, a lady's hat, and lady's shoes, and slowly walked up to the crowd.
The lady's robe and hat gleamed with gold under the light, and the high heels of the lady's shoes made Qin Shiyu look as if she had grown taller.
At this moment, everyone was captivated by Qin Shiyu's temperament. Qin Shiyu was beautiful, and this lady's dress was tailor-made for her. After wearing it, she immediately became radiant and exuded nobility.
At this moment, Li Guang also returned. He was very happy to see Qin Shiyu dressed in the clothes of a lady. Qin Shiyu was a ninth-rank official appointed by the current emperor, which meant that women might be able to enter the court as officials in the future.
The time for women to participate in the imperial examinations and be selected by the court for talent is not far off.
Just as everyone was praising him, Zhao Xian looked at Yang Jin and said:
"Yang Jin, you are now an official of the imperial court, which is a great joy for your Yang family."
"Go home tomorrow morning and tell your parents the good news, so they can be happy too."
"Yes, Marquis Zhengyang, I will go home tomorrow morning to report the good news," Yang Jin said excitedly.
Yang Jin and Qin Shiyu received honors and rewards upon their arrival in the capital. Qin Shiyu, in particular, was bestowed the title of Ninth-Rank Lady by the Emperor, causing a sensation in Shuixian Village and becoming the talk of the town.
Master Lin was overjoyed that Qin Shiyu had obtained the rank of a ninth-grade official. At this time last year, Li Guang had told him that in the future, women in the Great Northern Dynasty could enter the court as officials and participate in the imperial examinations.
Unexpectedly, female officials appeared in the Great Northern Dynasty just one year later, which suggests that women participating in the imperial examinations should not be far off.
What I need to do now is to teach well and cultivate more knowledgeable and talented students. Once the imperial court opens up the civil service examinations for women, I believe that the students I have trained will definitely be able to pass the exams.
Time flies, and half a year has passed in a flash. On this day, Ding Tong came to Narcissus Village and found Li Guang.
Ding Tong briefed Li Guang on the situation of fighting against Japanese pirates in the coastal areas. Following Li Guang's advice, Ding Tong sent people to Japan to lodge a formal protest.
The Japanese emperor was also helpless. He told the envoy that because Japan was constantly at war, the defeated side faced the fate of being driven out of the country.
With nowhere to escape, these people had no choice but to occupy some islands and engage in piracy in order to preserve their power.
It seemed unrealistic to expect Japan to suppress the Japanese pirates, so Ding Tong sent envoys to neighboring coastal countries to understand the situation. They found that these countries were also suffering greatly, and their citizens were frequently burned, killed, and robbed by the Japanese pirates.
In this situation, Ding Tong joined forces with them, sharing information to fight against the Japanese pirates.
After completing a series of maritime diplomatic affairs, Ding Tong began to implement a coastal evacuation and sea ban in the coastal areas.
This matter involves countless households and spans thousands of miles of sea; it is too vast and too difficult.
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