Heat leached into Chu Jiubian’s icy hand from the man’s warm palm.

Looking at the person in front of him, Chu Jiubian withdrew his hand and said with a smile: “You didn’t come looking for me in the middle of the night just to see my injury, did you?”

Qin Xiao released his hand and said: “I have something to tell you.”

“Come sit down.” Chu Jiubian turned and walked to the couch by the window, lit the oil lamp, and poured himself a cup of water.

Qin Xiao sat down opposite him. He looked toward his hand and said: “Let me bandage it for you.”

After drinking half a cup of water, Chu Jiubian took the iodine and bandages from his spatial storage and said: “Let’s get down to business.”

Whether it was a finger injury or a back injury, Chu Jiubian could bandage it himself without anyone’s help.

He slowly and methodically rinsed the wound with iodine.

Looking down, Qin Xiao said: “Fan Ze and Yang Ankang are both dead.”

Chu Jiubian was taken aback.

These two men were the magistrates of Guizhou and Guangxi, one from the Xiao family and one from the Lu family.

They had deliberately delayed their reports of the disaster situation in the region and transferred grain without distributing it to the common people, all at the instigation of these two families.

“Suicide out of fear of punishment again?”

“En.”

“Is Dali Temple truly so lax?” Chu Jiubian’s eyes darkened slightly.

“Perhaps. Sometimes it is strict, and sometimes it isn’t,” said Qin Xiao.

The cases of these two magistrates had already been reviewed by the Ministry of Justice. In addition to their absurd behavior during the drought, it was also discovered that they routinely deprived the common people of their rights and engaged in corruption and bribery.

Ultimately, they were sentenced to exile and the confiscation of their property.

This evening, the two had been transferred from the Ministry of Justice to Dali Temple, with their exile scheduled a few days from now. But unexpectedly, they had died in prison this very night.

Chu Jiubian said: “It seems someone didn’t want them to live.”

“Do you remember that Zhen Fu, the Deputy Minister of Dali Temple, is Su Sheng’s son-in-law?” Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian nodded: “Then there are only two possibilities.”

One possibility was that Su Sheng wanted Zhen Fu to pry additional information out of Fan Ze and Yang Ankang. As magistrates, and with close ties to the Xiao and Lu families, they must know even more secrets.

Therefore, Su Sheng wanted to unearth this information before the two left the capital, so that he could reveal it in the future and suppress the Xiao and Lu families.

And these two families guessed that the magistrates transferred to Dali Temple would be interrogated again, so they killed them in advance as a precaution.

The second possibility was that these two died at the hands of Dali Temple itself.

Su Sheng wanted to frame the Xiao and Lu families for their deaths, and perhaps even fabricate confessions to prove how many evil deeds they had committed on behalf of the two families.

This would lead Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao to the conclusion that they had been “silenced.”

So which possibility was it?

Chu Jiubian lowered his eyelashes slightly, obscuring his vision.

With a bandage wrapped around his fingertip, he raised his hand to his lips and bit the edge of the bandage with his teeth, gently tearing it into two strips. Then he skillfully tied them together using his other hand and his teeth.

Qin Xiao watched these fluid movements with a tranquil expression, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

“Dead is dead.” Chu Jiubian began tying another finger. “Dali Temple neglected its duties and deserves punishment.”

“There were only two minor officials on duty tonight. A dozen or so strokes with a cane should do it,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian chuckled softly: “If they can’t even manage their subordinates, the Zhen family shouldn’t keep clinging to this position.”

Zhen Fu, the Deputy Minister of Dali Temple, was the second-in-command. And the top official, the minister, was Zhen Fu’s father, Zhen Ming.

The Zhen family had been guarding Dali Temple for generations, and had received countless bribes and handled countless wrongful cases behind the scenes.

Such positions should be held by fair and upright officials.

Seeing that Chu Jiubian was about to tie the next bandage, Qin Xiao couldn’t help but reach out and grab his wrist. He pulled it toward him, saying: “Have you considered a criminal justice course for the Imperial Examinations?”

“Yes.” Chu Jiubian stopped being avoidant and allowed him to tie his bandages.

Initially, he had only planned to establish six subjects: classics, mathematics, agriculture, and engineering, which could be taken by both men and women, and needlework and women’s medicine, which would be set up independently for women.

The selection criteria for the classics class was based on the scholars’ and students’ ability to govern, and they were the first group of people whom Chu Jiubian would promote to official positions.

Mathematics and engineering corresponded to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of works respectively. As long as there was an opportunity and a job available, students could be sent there.

As for agriculture, Chu Jiubian intended to directly establish a new bureau separate from the Six Ministries, just like the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, for the specific purpose of managing all agricultural affairs across all of Great Ning.

Crops like sweet potatoes, cotton, and corn required these people to study planting methods tailored to local environments, and would allow the common people to grow more food.

Based on the above subjects, Chu Jiubian believed that there would likely be no women among the first batch of students taking the exams, but this precedent must be set; women must participate in the Imperial Examinations, so that more and more women could enter officialdom.

Therefore, Chu Jiubian had to establish subjects specifically for women, giving them a reason and a way to take the exams with peace of mind. 

The subject “women’s medicine” was important to establish, as it would address the current problem in Great Ning regarding the difficulty women faced when it came to accessing medical care.

There were too few female doctors. Even in the palace’s Imperial Hospital, all of the doctors were male. Only some experienced nannies knew a bit about women’s health and could deliver babies.

There were very few female doctors among the general population. Most midwives were only considered half-doctors, but none of them had received structured training, and their knowledge of illnesses and treatments was based on personal experience, which was sometimes sufficient and sometimes not.

Therefore, “female doctor” must be established as a profession. Among the people Qin Xiao had found for Chu Jiubian were two nannies who had served the late empress.

These two nannies were the female medical instructors that Chu Jiubian intended to train.

Needlework was even simpler; noblewomen in this era all knew how to embroider, and it was considered a basic skill.

Women in rural areas knew how to sew and mend, and there were no few embroiderers among them.

Chu Jiubian had established this subject separately in order to give women the opportunity to step out of their boudoirs.

Once someone took the first step and became a “female official,” more and more female talents would participate in the other subjects, and the Imperial Court would then have more capable people to use.

Furthermore, he had already instructed Situ Zhaoling to improve Nanjiang’s silk. Once this silk was brought to the capital, a dedicated embroidery bureau could be established in cooperation with her, and the purchased silk could then be embellished.

Afterward, the embroiderers at the bureau would find ways to sell the silk. Whether they sold it to noble families or formed a caravan to sell it in the Western Regions, they could do as they pleased. Anything was fine as long as no money was lost. If they made a profit, it would be another source of income for the Imperial Court.

This would also serve as a blow to the textile bureaus in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions and deter their insatiable greed.

But he hadn’t revealed these subjects yet, and hadn’t even told Qin Xiao.

It seemed that a criminal justice course would need to be added.

Select individuals who were knowledgeable about the law and capable of enforcing it would be sent to the Ministry of Justice and Dali Temple, where they could prevent wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice like the one today from continuing to occur.

Qin Xiao’s bandaging technique was very steady. He had already finished bandaging one of Chu Jiubian’s fingers, and had moved on to the next one.

“I’ve already ordered someone to draft the documents. What specific subjects will be covered? I’ll have them added,” he said.

Chu Jiubian then stated his ideas.

Including criminal justice, there would be seven subjects in total.

Qin Xiao remained silent for some time after hearing this, and looked back up at him only after all of his fingers were bandaged: “You would have both men and women enroll.”

“Yes.”

Qin Xiao just smiled and said: “Those great scholars are going to lose their minds over this.”

“That’s how it is in our immortal realm.” Chu Jiubian met his gaze without backing down. “There is no difference between men and women. Whether we’re talking about professions or the Imperial Examinations, ability is all that matters.”

That being said, even the “immortal realm” hadn’t achieved such a level of equality, but that wouldn’t stop Chu Jiubian from starting now.

If things continued along this path, the world might look completely different a thousand years from now.

And there were so many female talents – he wasn’t going to give up these brilliant minds just to avoid being criticized by those great Confucian scholars as a “deviant.”

He was desperately short of people, and would take anyone who was capable, regardless of gender or even age. 

Qin Xiao said: “What about the Imperial Academy itself? Will students be divided into classrooms by gender, or will they study together?”

“Naturally, they will study separately,” said Chu Jiubian.

The strict separation of men and women was deeply ingrained in the fabric of this society. Therefore, he didn’t intend to achieve everything all at once, but rather to push progress forward little by little.

The main issue was that if classes weren’t separated by gender, it might prove itself a barrier for women who otherwise would have entered the Imperial Academy, which would be a great loss.

“What are your thoughts?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“I have no objections.” Qin Xiao glanced at the table, and said when he saw only a single teacup: “I’m thirsty, give me a sip.”

Chu Jiubian then drank the remaining tea and handed him the empty cup.

Qin Xiao poured himself more tea and took a small sip from Chu Jiubian’s cup.

“Let’s send out the documents tomorrow. I’ll also find a way to spread the word so that all of the common people are informed,” Chu Jiubian said. 

Qin Xiao didn’t ask what methods he would use. He just gave a hum of acknowledgement and said nothing more. 

He leaned back against the couch’s armrest, his gaze fixed on the face of the person opposite him as his fingertips softly traced the rim of the cup. 

Chu Jiubian reclined back as well: “Is there anything else?”

“I’m not finished with my tea.”

Chu Jiubian glanced at the cup of tea, then abruptly smiled at Qin Xiao and said: “It seems that I’ve never seen you return to your Qin family. Don’t you need to take care of things at home?”

“The clan elders take care of my family members, and there is also a steward at home. Since there aren’t very many of us left, there is no need for me to take the trouble,” Qin Xiao said.

With most members of the Qin family now deceased, there really weren’t many of them left.

“Do you have any siblings?” Chu Jiubian asked casually.

Qin Xiao said: “I have two younger sisters.”

“They’re members of the Qin family?” Chu Jiubian was a little surprised.

Qin Xiao smiled, and said rather than answering directly: “They are nominally legitimate children.”

So they were originally born out of wedlock?

Chu Jiubian was even more surprised.

When he heard Xiao Xiangzi talking about it before, he always said that Qin Jingzhao and his wife were a loving couple, so Chu Jiubian assumed that there were no concubines. Was that not the case?

He didn’t hide his doubts, and Qin Xiao said: “Auntie Wu was my mother’s dowry maid, and they were as close as sisters. When my mother passed away, she followed her in death.”

In the Great Ning Dynasty, dowry maids were basically meant to be the son-in-law’s concubines in order to secure favor for their young mistress.

There was no such concern in the Qin family. Auntie Wu was a full six years younger than Wei Lingyun, a child she had picked up when she was still a young girl. She had raised her since the age of five, and the two were as close as sisters, so even when she married into the Qin family, Wei Lingyun brought her along.

Auntie Wu was kind-hearted, lively, and clever, and had fallen in love with a young captain under Qin Jingzhao at age sixteen. 

However, before the marriage could take place, the captain was sent to the battlefield.

Auntie Wu was heartbroken, thinking that if he didn’t come back, she would never marry in her life. The captain was certain that he would return and marry the woman he loved, so the two teens passionately consummated their marriage.

Neither of them spoke of this affair. The battle against the Tatars was extremely fierce, and the captain took several arrows for Qin Jingzhao and lost his life.

It was after this that Auntie Wu discovered she was pregnant.

She was determined to give birth to the child, but she was an unmarried woman. How would she be able to establish herself in this world?

After much deliberation, Wei Lingyun decided to keep the woman in the manor under the title of “concubine.”

Qin Jingzhao was grateful to the captain and full of guilt, so he was naturally willing to care for the man’s widow and child, especially because it was just a matter of keeping them in the manor and guaranteeing them status and food.

Thus, the Qin family obtained its one and only concubine.

Auntie Wu gave birth to twin daughters, and Wei Lingyun adopted them both, making them legitimate daughters of the Grand Marshal’s Manor.

The two girls were now sixteen years old.

Qin Xiao didn’t go into too much detail about these past events, only saying that these two girls were the children of Auntie Wu and that captain, and were now legitimate daughters – and his nominal sisters.

Chu Jiubian hadn’t expected him to divulge such a secret, but upon reflection, it didn’t seem like a very big deal.

As for the Qin family’s true secrets, he wondered if Qin Xiao would ever tell him those.

“Do you have any brothers?” Chu Jiubian asked. “Are you the only male member of the household?”

Qin Xiao paused for a moment before saying: “I also have a younger brother.”

Chu Jiubian’s heart skipped a beat, but his face revealed nothing as he asked: “Really? I’ve never heard about him.”

Qin Xiao just smiled and changed the subject: “What about you?”

“What?”

Qin Xiao looked at him intently: “What was your past like?”

Bathed in the warm yellow light of an oil lamp, the young man’s face lost its usual cold aloofness. Even the sharp, mature edges of his features softened, revealing a youthful tenderness unique to people his age.

But in the blink of an eye, the lost look on his face vanished and was replaced by a mask of composure. 

“I also have a younger brother.” Chu Jiubian gave him a smile.

Qin Xiao stared at him fixedly.

The young man was smiling, but his eyes were devoid of emotion.

He suddenly recalled his first encounter with Chu Jiubian. He had proposed a bet and worked hard to ensure his own survival, but there had been no life in his eyes.

How strange and contradictory.

Just like now, he possessed the abilities of a god, but his physical body was as fragile as that of a mortal.

Chu Jiubian had always been a person of many contradictions…..or rather, a god.

The flames of the oil lamp flickered.

Qin Xiao withdrew his gaze and finished the remaining tea in the cup. Then he stood up and said: “I’m heading out. See you tomorrow.”

Chu Jiubian didn’t see him off, nor did he watch him leave.

There was indeed trust between him and Qin Xiao, but that trust wasn’t enough to break down their mutual defenses. So they didn’t hide the fact that they both had younger brothers, but spoke of them in a roundabout way that didn’t give the other party much information.

Qin Xiao concealed the fact that his younger brother was actually kept hidden by the Qin family.

And Chu Jiubian didn’t mention that his younger brother had long since shattered before his very eyes. 

They didn’t want to lie to each other, but they also couldn’t be completely honest.

Beneath the pretense lay a tiny, miniscule sliver of sincerity, laughable yet tragic.

However, they had reached a tacit understanding – the wild kiss on the palace road and the encounter in the council hall would be treated as if they had never happened.

Neither of them was prepared to handle more complex emotions.

Chu Jiubian was glad that he was an actor who could distinguish between acting and reality.

*

*

The next morning, news that the Imperial Court had established an “Imperial Academy” to select students through an “Imperial Exam” spread to every city in Great Ning in the form of official documents.

Whether the fiefdoms of the vassal kings or territories directly under the jurisdiction of the court, people from everywhere could register at their local government office as long as they met the selection criteria for the seven subjects.

Meanwhile, Chu Jiubian summoned Wang Qichen to the Divine Realm and gave him this task: to use his influence to encourage more people to participate in the Imperial Examinations.

Wang Qichen had long understood that the High Priest intended to enlighten the common people, so when the Imperial Court issued this decree, his first thought was that the High Priest would be very interested in the matter.

Because he knew that the Imperial Academy was just the beginning, and that the “Imperial Examination” was the court’s true goal.

Ning-wang and Grand Tutor Chu wanted to break away from the original recommendation system and replace it with the Imperial Examination system. This would undoubtedly give everyone a relatively fair opportunity, and the Imperial Court would no longer be controlled by the powerful families; even those from humble backgrounds could prove themselves to be outstanding individuals.

Given this general trend, more people would realize the importance of reading, understanding Confucian principles, and learning skills. Educating the common people would no longer be a futile dream.

Furthermore, the Imperial Examinations included agriculture and needlework, so skilled farmers and women would have the opportunity to engage with the court and even become officials.

When Wang Qichen heard this news, he almost considered getting involved himself, to say nothing of those commoner scholars who couldn’t buy their way into official positions.

He knew this coincided with the High Priest’s goals, and had intended to report it to him, but given the High Priest’s methods, what was the point?

Hadn’t he already assigned Wang Qichen a task?

And this task was exactly what he wanted. He was brimming with enthusiasm to carry it out.

Could there really be such a coincidence in this world?

The High Priest’s goal was to enlighten the common people, and Grand Tutor Chu in the palace had proposed the Imperial Examination system and the establishment of an Imperial Academy.

And both of them were rather influential deities in today’s Great Ning.

Wang Qichen had met that Grand Tutor before and knew his voice and appearance, and the High Priest’s phantom silhouette didn’t resemble him at all. Thus, he had ruled out the possibility that they were the same god.

But he still wondered…..could there be some connection between them?

He disliked guessing and thought it best to inquire. All the better if the High Priest answered him, but it was also fine if he didn’t.

So he asked: “High Priest, this subordinate has a question. I don’t know if you’ll be willing to answer it?”

“What is it?”

“Are you acquainted with Chu Jiubian, the palace’s Grand Tutor?”

Chu Jiubian wasn’t surprised that he would ask this question; Jiang Shuoye had asked it before, and they were both very intelligent people, so it was incredibly easy for them to connect the “High Priest” to “Grand Tutor Chu.”

Situ Zhaoling was the only one who didn’t take Grand Tutor Chu’s “miracles” too seriously, because he was located too far north.

If she were to enter the capital and meet him, she would certainly pose the same question.

Not wanting to answer the same question over and over, Chu Jiubian said: “I was born alongside the Sacred Star God, and his descent to the mortal world to undergo a tribulation is concerning to me. Therefore, I came to help him. You may speak of this matter to the other Believers, but that god must not be informed. Please keep this in mind.”

Wang Qichen instantly extracted all of the key points.

These two deities not only knew each other, but had an exceptionally good relationship, so good that one had followed the other.

The High Priest’s manner and tone also made it seem like he was protective over Grand Tutor Chu.

A sudden idea flashed through Wang Qichen’s mind: Could these two gods be lovers?!

He quickly suppressed this thought, realizing that it wasn’t a good idea to speculate on the will of the gods.

But the High Priest probably meant for him to explain this matter to other Believers who entered the Divine Realm. When he met with Jiang Shuoye, or the other Believers he had yet to meet, he would tell them on the High Priest’s behalf.

This way, none of them would offend Grand Tutor Chu.

Upon leaving the Divine Realm, Wang Qichen immediately sent messages to his subordinates, who were renowned scholars, instructing them to spread the word about the Imperial Examinations and the Imperial Academy.

If they themselves were interested in joining the government, they also could consider enrolling in the academy.

Once Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian abolished the recommendation system, these students from the Imperial Academy would then have the opportunity to enter officialdom.

Of course, Wang Qichen was perfectly well aware of the flaws and shortcomings of these renowned scholars and dignitaries – they would inevitably criticize the idea of women participating in the examinations.

Thus, in his letters to them, he earnestly and repeatedly tried to persuade them.

“Many of you have daughters at home. Think carefully, aren’t daughters often more sensible and well-behaved than sons? Aren’t they sometimes more perceptive and intelligent?”

“Don’t you occasionally find yourself thinking, ‘if only she were a son?’”

“The opportunity is right in front of you, so what are you waiting for? Why hesitate? Don’t you want to bring glory to your family and hold real power in your hands?”

Fortunately, these scholars and dignitaries all encouraged the younger generations of their families to receive an education, and the daughters of these scholarly families were often highly-educated themselves. Therefore, many of these scholars had already discovered that their daughters were more capable than their sons.

Their status as women, however, restricted their future prospects, forcing them to become mere tools for political marriages, and their value as such was undeniably low.

Now, women would have the same opportunity as men to hold official positions and bring honor to their families. It would be a lie to say they weren’t tempted by such a thing.

It was just that women would eventually marry, and then they would belong to another family…..

In his letters, Wang Qichen also wrote: “Why should she marry into another family, ah? Why should such an excellent daughter leave her own family? It’s perfectly fine to stay at home forever. If you’re worried about her being criticized for not being married, then find a man who’s willing to marry into the family. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

He chose his words carefully to strike at these people’s hearts, and indeed, many of them were swayed by his arguments.

*

*

Baxian County, Shandong Prefecture.

A handsome and refined scholar in his early forties sat in the back garden pavilion, lost in thought as he gazed out at the lush greenery.

A soft, gentle female voice sounded: “Good morning, Father.”

Tan Ji regained his composure and turned his head to see his graceful young daughter, Tan Yuzhu. The girl, only fourteen years old, had already grown into a remarkably sweet-tempered, beautiful young woman.

Since the previous year, there had been a constant stream of matchmakers coming to their house, but this child didn’t seem to like any of the options presented. Whenever she was asked, she would say that she wished to remain with her parents forever and had no interest in marrying.

The couple bore three sons before finally having this young daughter, whom they had cherished and protected like a precious jewel from a young age.

Yuzhu was intelligent and quick-witted in addition to her gentleness and elegance, inheriting both beauty and character from her mother, and talent from her father. She consistently outshone her three brothers whenever they discussed or composed poetry.

Even when discussing the political situation in Great Ning, the young girl spoke with eloquent intelligence that far surpassed that of her older brothers.

Not only did Tan Ji acknowledge this, but even the three older brothers often lamented that if their younger sister had been a boy, she would surely bring great honor to the family.

Unfortunately, she was a woman.

But now, an opportunity had presented itself.

Tan Ji gestured with his hand: “Zhu’er, come have a seat.”

Tan Yuzhu approached and sat down on the stone bench opposite her father. Seeing the chessboard on the table, she said with a smile: “Father must have been playing chess with Yan-bobo. Why did you stop playing halfway through the game?”

Tan Ji chuckled: “I can’t hide anything from you.”

Looking at his daughter’s radiant smile, he hesitated, not sure how to organize his words.

“Does Father have something he wishes to tell this daughter?”

“Do you know why your Yan-bobo left so suddenly?”

Tan Yuzhu picked up a chess piece and continued the game where they had left off, saying softly: “A letter came from the capital. It seems that the young master of the Wang family issued some instructions, so Yan-bobo must have gone back to make preparations.”

Tan Ji burst into laughter, all of his doubts and hesitation evaporating.

He took a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to his daughter.

This was a common occurrence, so Tan Yuzhu smoothly accepted it and lowered her eyes to read it.

Subsequently, Tang Ji watched as his usually unflappable young daughter’s brow furrowed more and more deeply. Her hands trembled slightly as they clutched the paper.

Tan Yuzhu read the letter three times from beginning to end, and when she finally looked up at her father, her eyes were red-rimmed and even glistening slightly with tears.

“Father–” Her voice was somewhat strained, and she asked after taking a deep breath: “Is what the letter says true?”

Seeing his daughter like this, a pang of heartache washed over Tan Ji, and he said gently: “It is absolutely true.”

Tan Yuzhu smiled, but tears welled up uncontrollably in the corners of her eyes.

She rose and walked to Tan Ji, then knelt respectfully and performed a deep bow.

Tan Ji hurriedly went to help her up, but then he heard his daughter say in a hoarse voice: “Father, this daughter wishes to take the Imperial Examinations!”

“Good, good!” Tan Ji’s voice was also a little choked up. He carefully helped his daughter up and smiled: “Dear child, your father will go with you. Your Yan-bobo is also taking your younger cousin Yan Rui to participate in the examinations, so the four of us can travel together.”

“Father, I want to write an essay.” Tan Yuzhu said, an unfamiliar light shining in her eyes.

Not all girls were doted on by their parents, and not all fathers were as open-minded at Tan Ji. Therefore, Tan Yuzhu wanted to write an essay to tell everyone in the world that women were no less capable than men.

She wanted to encourage more girls to participate in the Imperial Examinations with her, to seize this opportunity to potentially enter officialdom!

*

*

Thanks to Wang Qichen’s efforts and the official decree issued by Qin Xiao to local officials of all levels, within half a month, the entirety of Great Ning was shaken by this news. 

All at once, everyone from people in the streets and alleys to ordinary village farmers were discussing this matter.

“Have you heard the news? The Imperial Court is selecting people to study at the Imperial Academy in the capital, and those who perform well will have the opportunity to become officials!”

“Of course I’ve heard about it! They say even us common folk can enroll.”

“How can a country bumpkin like me go? I can’t even read a single character. What would I do in the Imperial Court? Farm?”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Then someone said: “Don’t laugh, they really are choosing farmers to become officials.”

“What? You can become an official just by knowing how to farm?”

“That’s right! They say there’s a subject specifically related to farming, and if you’re good at it, you’ll have a chance to become an official!”

“Aiya, this is our chance to become bigshots, ah. We can’t miss this opportunity! Who wants to sign up for the exams with me?”

“I won’t go. If I don’t do well on the exams, I’m afraid those officials will beat and scold me.”

“I don’t dare go either. Even if they don’t beat or scold me, if I don’t do well on the exams, won’t that mean that I’m not good at farming? How would I survive in this village afterwards?”

The crowd burst into laughter again, and the person who had originally expressed his interest began to hesitate again.

The same scene occurred in various locations throughout Great Ning, and even in the capital, many people had similar thoughts.

The Zhen family residence.

Su Xi’er and her older sister, Su Nian’er, sat in the outer room, embroidering lifelike flowers and birds onto silk handkerchiefs.

“Have you thought this through?” Su Nian’er regarded her little sister with some concern. “How can sheltered young ladies like us expose ourselves to the public? Even our father won’t agree to it.”

“I will convince Father.” Su Xi’er’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “My embroidery skills are quite good, and I’m about eighty percent positive that I’ll pass the assessment. If so, your meimei will become a student at the Imperial Academy, and could even become an official in the future.”

Su Nian’er chuckled: “How can someone become an official by knowing how to embroider?”

“Grand Tutor Chu has already ordered the establishment of an embroidery workshop. It will be an independent bureau, just like the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, and the officials there will have real official ranks.” Su Xi’er had uncovered all of the details.

Su Nian’er knew that her sister was serious about this, and didn’t know whether to be happy for her or worried.

“But regarding the matter with the Zhao family…..” she said in a low voice, “For that alone, this jiejie wishes you would leave the capital.”

The political scene in the capital was an absolute mess, yet Su Xi’er still wanted to become an official. How could she possibly succeed in navigating such a situation?

Even their father had to tread carefully in court, to say nothing of the innocent and naive Su Xi’er.

Su Xi’er thought of Zhao Xi, and a trace of sadness flashed through her eyes. Her voice became somewhat subdued: “Jiejie, I don’t want to be separated from you.”

Even if it meant death, she wanted to die alongside her family.

Su Nian’er’s eyes welled up with tears, and she stopped trying to dissuade her. She said softly: “Okay, we’ll stay together. We won’t separate.”

Two weeks later, government offices across the country received applications from varying numbers of people. In addition, after a female talent from Baixan County in Shandong Prefecture known as the “Bamboo Rain Scholar” published an essay, the number of women applying to the program also increased.

There were naturally more men among the applicants, and many of them were already well-known figures, including some renowned scholars and retainers from prominent families.

However, the court decree stated that there could be no sons from noble families, and no retainers of powerful officials. Only those with simple backgrounds and no connections to advance their careers were to be considered.

This clearly thwarted the powerful families’ plans to install their own people, and also earned the adulation and support of ordinary citizens who lacked powerful connections. Many people even began to spontaneously expose those with connections to major families.

There were naturally some with purely malicious intent who wished to sabotage their fellow villagers and rivals, but they would all be sorted out by government officials.

Most of the people in these government offices were actually from the four great noble families, but they each had a supervisor by their side: the military officials Qin Xiao had sent to deliver the decree.

These individuals had been granted a prerogative by Qin Xiao, namely the right to monitor the registration processes of these officials and report any practices that did not conform to regulations. For example, if these officials tried to recruit their own people, the soldiers could directly arrest them.

After four or five magistrates and prefects were arrested in this manner, no one dared to engage in further underhanded tactics.

Upon hearing this, Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but smile.

The soldiers under Qin Xiao’s command were not skilled at politics, but in other aspects, they were truly disciplined and followed orders without question, their methods resolute and decisive.

And Qin Xiao kept his word – for those who had gained some renown and might be targeted by the powerful families, he sent secret guards to protect them.

In this way, not only were other factions unable to harm the participating students, but they wouldn’t even be able to communicate with them, let alone threaten or bribe them.

Those noble families had initially not taken this endeavor seriously, but as the number of applicants increased and many familiar names appeared on the lists from various prefectures and counties, they could no longer remain indifferent.

Messages were immediately sent out one after another, announcing that their families would also be establishing “external academies,” and that scholars who wished to become disciples of prominent families could register and join them.

For a time, Great Ning’s scholarly class was in an uproar.

Many of those scholars who had previously had no access to the noble families and were unable to become disciples under a master began to have other ideas.

Entering the Imperial Academy only offered the possibility of becoming an official, but if one managed to attach himself to a noble family, they would earn the respect of everyone.

Consequently, many scholars began to withdraw their applications from the government, and instead enrolled in the private schools run by noble families.

And when they saw that male and female talents from their respective fiefdoms were all signing up to serve the Imperial Court, the seven vassal kings could no longer sit idly by. 

They immediately announced that their own small courts would begin recruiting, and that anyone with talent could apply.

Since it was difficult to leave their ancestral lands, many people chose to join the small regional courts of these vassal kings after weighing the pros and cons.

Consequently, the number of people registering at the government offices decreased by more than half in a short period of time.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao, however, seemed unbothered by this. These individuals who screened themselves out were simply not suited for the Imperial Academy, and they should be grateful to those noble families for helping them thin out the herd.

The establishment of the Imperial Academy was proceeding at full speed, with Chu Jiubian given full authority to handle all aspects of the endeavor.

He spent half his time building the Imperial Academy and the other half training instructors, only eating meals with Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong during lunch and dinner.

In the meantime, Qin Xiao was not idle either. He selected a group of soldiers and was teaching them how to act as “examiners.”

The exams were scheduled to take place in three months’ time. The candidates would take an examination in their county seat, then those who passed would go on to take another exam in their respective prefectural capitals, and finally, the successful candidates would travel to the capital city for the final round of examinations.

Those who managed to make their way to the capital, excluding those who were just trying to fish in troubled waters, were all able to enter the Imperial Academy. Some would be selected for advanced classes and would receive special training, while the rest would be taught at a slower pace.

And in order to prevent cheating during the local examinations, examiners would be sent from the capital to supervise.

Qin Xiao would also entrust the exam questions to his secret guards, who would quietly deliver them to the designated locations and hand them over to the examiners at the last minute, ensuring maximum fairness.

As for the exam questions, Chu Jiubian came up with all of them himself.

Three months could pass quickly or slowly, depending on one’s perspective, but one event arrived before the Imperial Examinations began – the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet.

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Chapter 52 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 54