The massive wave that was stirred up in the capital by a single "job posting" ultimately surged forward in a way that none of the old forces had anticipated.
The regent and the empress dowager could suppress the court officials and unite the noblewomen, but they could not suppress the thousands of women who emerged from every corner of the capital, their eyes burning with the flames of hope.
Public opinion, once again, sided with Lin Wanwan.
With the strong support of Emperor Xiao Che, who cited "following the will of the people" as the reason, the first selection of female officials since the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty was held as scheduled despite numerous pressures.
The examination was held within the palace walls, in the Shanggong Bureau, which was directly under the jurisdiction of the Kunning Palace.
To ensure that this unprecedented exam was absolutely fair, just, and transparent, Lin Wanwan went to great lengths.
She personally designed the exam. The written test didn't test abstract poetry and prose; it only tested two things: document writing and arithmetic application. The former tested reading comprehension and official document writing skills, while the latter consisted entirely of practical application questions related to warehouse inventory, expense calculation, and personnel allocation.
The interview process was overseen by her personally, along with several enlightened senior scholars invited from the Hanlin Academy who served as examiners. The entire process was conducted anonymously to prevent cheating, and its rigor even surpassed that of the imperial court's special imperial examinations.
This measure completely eliminates any possibility for daughters of noble families to use their family background to gain entry through connections. In this examination, the only pass is genuine talent and ability.
For three consecutive days, the candles in Kunning Palace burned almost all night.
Lin Wanwan personally graded each exam paper and carefully observed the speech and behavior of each candidate during the interviews.
It must be said that this exam allowed her to discover so many hidden gems. These women may not be good at needlework or composing poetry, but they showed amazing talent in management, arithmetic, and writing.
Among all the outstanding candidates, a woman named Qin Zheng left the deepest impression on Lin Wanwan.
Her written test score was the highest among all the test takers. Those complex accounting problems that would give even seasoned officials in the Ministry of Revenue a headache were presented to her with clarity and precision.
During the interview, she wore a slightly worn blue cloth dress, without any makeup, and her face showed signs of fatigue from taking the exam, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. Facing the questions from Lin Wanwan and several scholars, she remained composed and calm, neither humble nor arrogant.
"What is your opinion on the phenomenon of excessive spending in various departments of the inner palace, which has been repeatedly prohibited but not stopped?" an old scholar asked, stroking his beard.
After a moment's thought, Qin Zheng replied clearly, "In my opinion, Your Excellency, there are three root causes. First, the responsibilities are unclear. The procurement and expenditure supervision are handled by one person or department, who acts as both judge and participant, making it easy for embezzlement to occur. Second, the accounts are unclear. The expenditures of each palace only have a general ledger, without detailed records, making it impossible to verify and full of loopholes. Third, the rewards and punishments are unclear. Those who overspend have no recourse, while those who are frugal receive no reward. If this continues, everyone will seek extravagance and not think about thrift."
His words hit the nail on the head and were insightful, earning nods of approval from the senior scholars present.
Lin Wanwan's eyes gleamed with admiration. She pressed on, "In your opinion, what should be done?"
Qin Zheng raised her head, meeting the Empress's gaze, her eyes gleaming with confidence: "Your Highness, I believe we should establish a system of separation of powers. The powers of procurement, review, and expenditure should be divided among the three departments, with each department supervising the others. Furthermore, a budget system should be established, with each palace having a fixed monthly expenditure quota, which should not be exceeded except in special circumstances. Finally, a reward and punishment system should be implemented, with those who can reduce expenses in the palace being rewarded according to their merits. In this way, within six months, the atmosphere in the harem will surely be completely transformed!"
Separation of powers! Budgetary system!
These two terms, brimming with modern management thinking, uttered by an ancient woman, stirred up a storm in Lin Wanwan's heart.
She knew she had struck gold!
After the exam, Lin Wanwan looked up Qin Zheng's background information.
As expected, she wasn't born into a prestigious family, but rather the daughter of a moderately successful silk merchant in the capital. From a young age, she helped her father manage the business, possessing both an innate talent for accounting and management, and a wealth of experience accumulated over time. Had she not been born a woman, she might have long since become a distinguished businesswoman.
Such a top talent, however, was almost married off to a dissolute young man because of his merchant background and low social status, thus ending his life in poverty.
"It's her." Lin Wanwan looked at Qin Zheng's name and drew a heavy circle on the final list of accepted candidates.
The news caused another uproar throughout the government and the public.
Many of the disqualified noble ladies went on a rampage behind her back, saying that the Empress was unable to distinguish between pearls and jade, and that it was an insult to all the noble ladies to place a merchant's daughter, who reeked of money, above all the other noble ladies.
Even some officials who supported the reforms privately advised against it, arguing that handing such an important position to a woman with no background would be difficult to convince the public.
But Lin Wanwan defied all opposition and made decisions unilaterally.
What she wanted was not a pretty face who could compose poems, but a capable assistant who could manage the accounts and organize the harem!
Three days later, at Kunning Palace.
A simple yet solemn ceremony was held here to appoint female officials.
The thirty-six women who ultimately passed the assessment stood neatly in the hall, dressed in brand-new official robes hastily made overnight by the Bureau of Ceremonial Clothing. Their faces were filled with excitement and trepidation, while their eyes shone with boundless anticipation for the future.
Lin Wanwan sat upright on the phoenix throne, her gaze sweeping over the young and vibrant faces below, a sense of unprecedented accomplishment welling up within her.
This is her team, the first force she built herself that is completely loyal to her!
The female official in charge of ceremonies called out names loudly and issued appointment documents to each person.
When the last, and most important, name was read, the entire hall fell silent.
"Shanggong Qin Zheng, step forward to receive your appointment!"
Qin Zheng stepped out of the queue, now dressed in a deep purple official robe symbolizing a fifth-rank female official. She wore a jade belt around her waist and an official hat, looking dashing and heroic, a stark contrast to the merchant's daughter in a cloth dress she had been three days earlier.
She walked to the center of the hall, faced Lin Wanwan on the phoenix throne, lifted her robe, knelt on one knee, and performed a standard salute that a subject should give to his sovereign.
Her voice, clear and firm, resounded in every corner of Kunning Palace and touched the hearts of everyone present.
"Your subject, Qin Zheng, pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress!"
"I am willing to serve Your Highness with utmost devotion, even unto death!"
This bow marked the official birth of the first female official in the Great Liang Dynasty to obtain the rank of fifth grade based on her talent rather than her birth!
This bow also signifies that Lin Wanwan's power has finally moved from a "concept on paper" to a "tangible existence"!
Looking at her capable assistant below, whose eyes were bright and full of energy, Lin Wanwan finally smiled with satisfaction.
She knew that from this day forward, she was no longer alone.
She had her own team, trustworthy support, and a group of "colleagues" willing to follow her and work together to create a career.
She slowly raised her hand, her voice gentle yet full of strength: "Lady Qin, rise."
Looking into His Highness's thirty-six bright eyes, she felt a surge of pride.
Next, it will be the turn of those old fogies in the court who look down on women and clamor for "hens crowing at dawn" to see just how terrifying this "female power" that they despise really is!
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