Lu Xi hurriedly fell to his knees. “This servant deserves death. I spoke out of turn.”
Snowfluff seemed to sense the terrifying pressure in the room as well. It stretched out its two paws, curled itself into a ball once more, and buried its little head in its thick fur.
Qin Yi’s gaze turned deep and shadowed as he fixed it on Lu Xi.
Kneeling on the floor, Lu Xi pressed his forehead against the icy ground, feeling as though thorns were pricking his back.
Qin Yi said in a low voice, “Go on. Why have you stopped?”
Lu Xi replied in a trembling voice, “This servant deserves death. I wouldn’t dare.”
Qin Yi’s voice turned harsh. “I command you to speak!”
Lu Xi could not tell what Qin Yi was thinking. Daring neither to disobey the imperial decree nor remain silent, he continued cautiously, “The last time, Your Majesty, you ordered this servant to press Lord Yan into the icy water. But afterward, you would rather touch that bone-chilling water yourself than let Lord Yan do so. Lord Yan repeatedly defied Your Majesty’s orders, yet Your Majesty always showed her leniency.
“After the Lantern Festival, Your Majesty spent day and night pondering the riddle you had set for Lord Yan. Once you solved it at Xiangguo Temple, you stayed up all night to draw up the regulations, then summoned the ministers at the first opportunity on New Year’s Day…”
Lu Xi carefully stole a glance at Qin Yi. His face was dark and gloomy, his black eyes brewing a storm.
Qin Yi swept his gaze toward him. “Continue.”
Lu Xi was terrified, but he could not disobey the imperial command. He continued, “Your Majesty does not even bother reading any memorials impeaching Lord Yan or the Yan family. The rewards you bestow upon Lord Yan are also the most generous. At first, they consisted of high offices, generous stipends, gold, silver, and jade. Later, after learning what Lord Yan liked to eat, you made sure that anything delicious went to her first. You even sent people to look after the Yan family’s businesses. As for the Qian family’s silk shop, you instructed them to take special care of it as well. And there are countless other details…”
The farther Lu Xi went, the quieter his voice became.
“That is because I need her,” Qin Yi said, his voice even colder. “It is merely the proper treatment of a worthy subject.”
Lu Xi answered meekly, “Yes. That is precisely what this servant means. Your Majesty holds Lord Yan in high regard and thus grants her exceptional rewards.”
After Lu Xi finished speaking, a deathly silence descended upon the Hall of Diligent Governance.
The air seemed to congeal, leaving him feeling as though he could barely breathe.
Only after Lu Xi had knelt until both his legs were nearly numb did he finally hear Qin Yi speak.
“Get out.”
Lu Xi was overwhelmed with gratitude. “Yes. This servant deserves death. This servant takes his leave.”
That night, Qin Yi sat on the bed with his knees spread apart and his elbows braced against them, his gloomy gaze fixed on the copper coin in his hand.
There was no moon in the pitch-black sky. Inside the spacious bedchamber, only a few solitary lamps were scattered like stars.
On the table not far from the bed lay a plate of milk-skin persimmon rolls, white and orange, strikingly vivid against the shadowed chamber.
The copper coin turned over and over in Qin Yi’s hand.
His temple throbbed.
It was not a reward. It was not special regard.
Throughout history, emperors had treated worthy subjects with far greater courtesy than he had shown Yan Tongshu. Some had even waited upon their ministers day and night at their sickbeds, or honored them as adoptive fathers.
The crucial point was his attention.
Lu Xi’s words had abruptly made him realize something: he paid Yan Tongshu far too much attention.
He seemed unusually curious about every aspect of her.
He wanted to know what the foods Yan Tongshu liked tasted like, what games she enjoyed felt like, and what she thought of him.
He did not like hearing Yan Tongshu say she disliked how he was like a wall—impossible to budge no matter how hard one pushed.
Yan Tongshu kept a cat. He wanted one too.
No matter where they were—even in a bustling market, amid crowds of people gathered around a chess match—he could recognize Yan Tongshu at a glance from nothing more than the back of her head. The one pretending to be foolish and oblivious could only be her.
When Yan Tongshu was happy, he was happy too.
Yan Tongshu could influence his emotions far too easily.
Qin Yi vaguely sensed that he was standing on the brink of losing control. He only knew that, for an emperor, this was not a good sign. Yet he had only the dimmest idea of what this feeling of losing control truly was, or how he might return to the point before it had begun.
…
Having finished dealing with the annual examinations, Yan Tongshu launched her plan to help her sisters get ahead.
Using the excuse of tutoring Zheng Ke, she invited her colleagues from the Xianlin Academy to come and teach him. Then, under the pretext of supervising Zheng Ke, she arranged for Yan Liangyu and Yan Liangrong to take turns accompanying him to lessons.
Six-year-old Zheng Ke was stunned.
Every one of these tutors taught material more advanced than the last. His head was spinning; there was so, so much that he could not understand.
But this was his uncle’s “kindness.” These were all exceptionally accomplished teachers, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and study through tears.
Seeing that the lessons were simply too difficult, Yan Tongshu began persuading Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu to study themselves. Once they had learned the material, they could teach Zheng Ke gradually.
Yan Liangyu said worriedly, “Brother, isn’t this a little too rushed? Ke’er is only six. There’s still a long time before the imperial examinations.”
Yan Liangrong added, “Yes, Tongshu. Ke’er is still young. I used to push him hard too, but never as hard as you are now.”
“A good teacher is harder to find than gold,” Yan Tongshu encouraged them. “They only agreed to come teach in turns for three months because they lost a bet to me. Once those three months are over, they won’t be coming back. Sister, Liangyu, just think about it—what a waste it would be not to seize such a wonderful opportunity. Ke’er may be young, but we aren’t. If he can’t learn it yet, then he doesn’t have to. We’ll learn it. Once we’ve mastered it, we can teach him slowly.”
The matter Cen Xu had mentioned had yet to be announced, so Yan Tongshu did not dare reveal it casually.
What if something went wrong in the meantime? If the final announcement differed from what Cen Xu had said, Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu would be terribly disappointed.
So Yan Tongshu did everything she could to make Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu study.
That way, when the department resembling a modern women’s aid center was established and began recruiting talented women as officials, she was certain that, with Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu’s learning—and three months of intensive study—they would both pass the examinations without fail.
Then the Yan family would have three outstanding achievers in a single household. How impressive would that be?
Yan Tongshu clenched her fists. “Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets their heart to it. Sister, Liangyu, I believe that as long as you are willing to study, if you work day and night for these three months, you’ll definitely learn it all.”
Would they?
Yan Liangyu was not so sure.
Yan Liangrong, meanwhile, carefully calculated the matter in her mind.
The colleagues from the Xianlin Academy whom Tongshu had invited this time were all brilliant scholars who had once placed among the top three in the imperial examinations. Any one of them, if they went out to lecture, would draw countless students eager to learn; admission to a single lecture alone would cost a considerable sum.
But this time, all these people were going to teach Ke’er together. What a wonderful opportunity!
If she missed it, where would she ever find so many renowned teachers again?
Ke’er’s aptitude was only average, which meant she had to work even harder.
“All right!” Yan Liangrong lifted her head, her gaze resolute. “I’ll learn.”
Yan Liangyu had not wanted to study in the first place. She was a girl, after all; she had no need to sit for the imperial examinations. Once she married, at most she would be managing the household. She might as well spend more time learning needlework and bookkeeping.
But now that her sister had decided to study herself to the bone, if she refused to join her, she would be leaving her sister alone to face all those “fierce teachers.” No—her sister would be far too lonely, and she couldn’t bear that.
“All right,” Yan Liangyu said softly. “Then I’ll learn too.”
Success!
Yan Tongshu was instantly delighted, enthusiastically cheering Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu on.
In her excitement, she took Pearl and Jinbao to Aunt Yang’s noodle stall to eat while they waited for Zhao Sheng.
The three of them had been eating for a while when Zhao Sheng arrived.
This time, he was positively smug.
At last, he was no longer asking Aunt Yang for money. He had even bought her a silver bracelet to wear.
“Oh, I don’t want it. It’ll get scorched by the stove,” she said, though inwardly she was thrilled, her face blossoming with a smile.
After all these years, she was finally seeing some money returned to her.
Aunt Yang admired the bracelet with great delight. “It’s so late. Have you eaten? Go sit down, and I’ll make you a bowl of noodles.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Zhao Sheng found an empty seat and sat down.
Yan Tongshu signaled to Jinbao and Pearl with her eyes, and the three of them surrounded Zhao Sheng at once.
Zhao Sheng crossed his arms over his chest. “Lord Yan, my elder brother and I earned the money for this bracelet honestly. We didn’t do anything bad.”
Yan Tongshu blinked. “Why are you scared every time I come looking for you?”
“Of course I am,” Zhao Sheng said weakly. “Who wouldn’t be afraid of the authorities?”
Yan Tongshu smiled. “Your mother isn’t.”
How could that be the same?
He had stolen things, beaten people up, and sold counterfeit goods and contraband on the black market. His mother, on the other hand, had never committed any crime.
Yan Tongshu continued smiling. “Has your elder brother moved again?”
Zhao Sheng sprang up and tried to run, only for Pearl and Jinbao to press him back down from either side.
This time, Zhao Sheng truly looked close to tears. “Lord Yan! If I take you to my brother again, he really won’t want me anymore!”
Yan Tongshu gently placed a hand on Zhao Sheng’s shoulder. “He won’t.”
Zhao Sheng looked at Yan Tongshu pitifully. At that moment, the Yan Tongshu standing before him did not seem like the upright Lord Yan, but rather some green-faced, fanged demon from the underworld of legend.
Two incense sticks’ worth of time later, Gao Qi looked at Yan Tongshu, Pearl, Jinbao, and Zhao Sheng—who was carefully avoiding his gaze—and fell silent once more.
Yan Tongshu approached Gao Qi with a beaming smile. “Long time no see.”
Gao Qi let out a long, very long sigh. “Whatever Lord Yan requires, just give the order.”
Yan Tongshu sat down and patted the spot beside her. Gao Qi shook his head. “This humble one would not dare.”
Gao Qi refused to sit, and Yan Tongshu did not press him. She signaled to Pearl and Jinbao, telling them to block the exits at both ends of the alley.
Yan Tongshu smiled gently. “Here’s the thing, Gao Qi. I think you’re exceptionally gifted. You’re well-informed, you know all sorts of things about what goes on in Bianjing, and you can even read lips. You’re truly rare talent, and I’d like to promote you. Don’t be afraid, and don’t rush to refuse. Hear me out first…”
“All right.”
Before Yan Tongshu could finish, Gao Qi agreed at once. Now it was her turn to be taken aback. “I haven’t even told you what I want you to do yet.”
Gao Qi immediately dropped to his knees. “No matter what it is, this humble one will await Lord Yan’s orders at all times.”
Yan Tongshu blinked. “Gao Qi, have you been ill lately? Did the sickness muddle your brain?”
Gao Qi fell silent for a moment. “Lord Yan, you said you wanted to promote me. That’s a good thing. Why would I refuse?”
Was it?
Yan Tongshu was skeptical.
When had Gao Qi ever been this agreeable?
After thinking for a moment, she raised her hand. “Three claps. I’ll promote you, but for the next three months, you have to do as I say.”
Gao Qi raised his hand as well.
Clap, clap, clap.
Three claps as an oath, witnessed by Heaven. Whoever broke it would be struck by lightning.
Once the oath was made, Yan Tongshu smiled. “Come report to the Kaifeng Prefecture Office tomorrow at the hour of the Snake.”
After Yan Tongshu and her group had left, Zhao Sheng crept up to Gao Qi with a snicker. “Big Brother, why were you so easygoing today? Lord Yan hadn’t even said what she wanted yet, and you already agreed.”
Gao Qi’s gaze darkened. “Because you were right. Lord Yan is different. She’s a good official.”
An upright, honorable official.
Zhao Sheng slapped his palm against his hand. “I told you so, but you wouldn’t believe me. What changed your mind? Was it the general’s case, or the bandit case?”
“It was—”
Gao Qi punched Zhao Sheng squarely in the eye. Zhao Sheng collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain.
Rolling his wrist, Gao Qi looked down at him. “One thing has nothing to do with the other. Now let’s settle the score for all the times you sold me out.”
Zhao Sheng scrambled up and bolted. Gao Qi immediately gave chase.
The next day, at the hour of the Snake, Gao Qi arrived at the Kaifeng Prefecture Office on time.
He had come brimming with confidence. One incense-stick’s time later, however, he was running laps around the prefectural office with sandbags strapped to his back. After ten laps, he returned and glared furiously at Yan Tongshu as if she were his sworn enemy.
“Lord Yan, you’re not reliable at all.”
Yan Tongshu replied, somewhat sheepishly, “You can’t blame me for this. I wanted to explain everything to you yesterday, but you agreed before you even listened.”
“Exactly, exactly.”
Zhao Sheng—who had been beaten black and blue the day before and had come to watch the spectacle out of curiosity—hid behind Yan Tongshu and nodded vigorously.
Yan Tongshu looked at Gao Qi with utmost sincerity. “Look, I’m an upright official. Even if I want to promote you, I can’t play favorites. So if you want to become a constable, you’ll have to do it properly and take the examination. See? I’ve invited an experienced senior constable, Xu Qiu—”
Xu Qiu stepped forward, lifting his chin slightly.
Yan Tongshu continued, “—to create a three-month intensive training program tailored just for you. It guarantees that within three months, you’ll rapidly develop into a qualified constable.”
Gao Qi gritted his teeth. “So this so-called training is just working me half to death?”
Yan Tongshu looked Gao Qi straight in the eye. “This is physical training. If you want to be a constable, your fitness has to be up to standard. There was supposed to be literacy training too, but since you can already read, we didn’t arrange that for you.”
In this era, few people could read. Becoming a constable did not require much education, either—just the ability to recognize basic, commonly used characters.
Still holding a grudge over Gao Qi beating him up yesterday, Zhao Sheng chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right. I’ve seen Brother Xu catch people before—he runs incredibly fast. Big Brother, you still need to train.”
Yan Tongshu added, “Everything Xu Qiu has arranged for you is a required item on the constable examination. It’s targeted training. I believe that if you endure this intensive training for three months, you’ll definitely pass the exam and become a constable.”
Gao Qi ground his teeth.
Seeing that he was about to quit, Yan Tongshu immediately said, “We struck our palms together three times yesterday. If you break your oath, you’ll be struck by lightning.”
Gao Qi’s teeth creaked loudly.
Through clenched teeth, he said, “Fine. A man’s word is his bond. I’ll take this loss. But I have one condition.”
Yan Tongshu asked, “What is it?”
Gao Qi pointed at Zhao Sheng. “He’s doing it too.”
Zhao Sheng’s eyes went wide.
Gao Qi enunciated every word. “He has to take the exam too.”
Zhao Sheng waved his hands frantically.
A constable!
For street thugs like them, taking the constable examination was practically a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.
He actually envied his big brother for having such an opportunity.
But he couldn’t do it.
He was just a lowly little hooligan. How could he possibly dare to take the constable examination?
He would never pass. Absolutely never.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yan Tongshu sold Zhao Sheng out. “Deal.”
The two of them were not bad people, but they loved taking advantage of others and were fond of petty theft. Besides physical training, they would need a course in professional ethics as well, to strictly discipline their behavior.
Yan Tongshu gave Xu Qiu a meaningful look. Xu Qiu immediately brought over sandbags and strapped them onto Zhao Sheng. After only five laps, Zhao Sheng was already crying.
Being a constable was so hard.
Constable training was so miserable.
Wasn’t the reason he had followed his big brother into this life because he couldn’t endure hardship? Why had things suddenly turned out like this?
Gao Qi and Zhao Sheng trained from morning until the sky was nearly dark, panting and wheezing all the while. Only then did Xu Qiu finally let them go.
Yan Tongshu looked at the two of them with satisfaction.
Gao Qi was someone who cared deeply about his reputation and did his best not to leave any criminal stain on his record.
And in the case involving Qiao Qingqing and Ma Tianci, when he had gone to steal something and discovered the bodies, he could have simply left. No one would have suspected him. Yet he had chosen to shout for help, allowing others to discover the corpses as soon as possible.
If the bodies had remained undiscovered for a few more days, the evidence would have deteriorated even further.
That showed that although Gao Qi had spent years making money in the gray areas of society, he was, at heart, a man with principles.
Zhao Sheng was all right too. He was timid and did not dare commit serious crimes. After the Zhao Gengtian case, he had become much more obedient. He no longer even stole chickens or picked pockets, instead focusing on running gray-market schemes with Gao Qi—schemes that earned little and lost more.
If the department Cen Xu had mentioned really came into being, Yan Tongshu believed that Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu would certainly rank first and second in the civil service examinations—or, at the very least, would definitely qualify to serve as officials. At that time, a new department with no real authority would surely be met with disdain, neglect, and harassment. They would need a capable assistant.
Gao Qi was a perfect fit. He was clever and quick-witted, well connected, and knew every aspect of Bianjing City inside out.
Take legal advocates alone: Gao Qi was familiar with eight or nine out of every ten advocates in Kaifeng. He knew what cases they had handled before, as well as their temperaments and moral character. Such information was extremely helpful in investigating cases.
Gao Qi and Zhao Sheng had trained for an entire day and were exhausted. Taking pity on them, Yan Tongshu generously brought the two of them to Tonghe Restaurant for a meal.
The moment Yan Tongshu entered, the restaurant manager spotted her and immediately came forward with a smile. “Lord Yan, please, this way. Please come up to the second floor.”
Seeing her confusion, the manager explained, “Lord Yan, you saved our concubine at Xiangguo Temple last time. The Heir and she are both deeply grateful to you, and they specifically instructed us to reserve a private room for you at Tonghe Restaurant. From now on, you may come whenever you wish and eat whatever you like—at no charge.”
“That won’t do. One matter should not be confused with another.”
Yan Tongshu declined the manager’s kind offer and chose to sit in the open dining hall on the second floor instead.
Seeing that Yan Tongshu insisted, the manager thought for a moment and had several extra dishes brought to their table. “Lord Yan, you must at least accept these few dishes. Otherwise, the Heir and the concubine will scold me later for not knowing how to behave.”
Yan Tongshu nodded and accepted the dishes.
Gao Qi and Zhao Sheng had used up too much energy in training that day and were starving. As soon as the first dishes arrived, the two swept through them like a storm, grabbing meat and tearing into it. Before long, it was all gone.
Yan Tongshu was just about to order more dishes when the manager sent over a braised pork knuckle.
Gao Qi snatched it from Zhao Sheng’s hands and tore into it in great mouthfuls. Zhao Sheng immediately grabbed the stewed chicken beside him, ripped off a leg, and began gnawing on it.
Pearl and Jinbao stared in astonishment.
It was their first time seeing anyone eat like that.
Yan Tongshu ordered several more dishes, and only then were Gao Qi and Zhao Sheng finally full.
After everyone had eaten, they remained seated and rested while they digested their meal.
A clatter of hooves came from outside the window. Yan Tongshu looked over and saw the Black-Armored Imperial Guard riding past in full gear. Their ranks were disciplined, their bearing imposing.
Meng Zheng wore the severe official uniform of the Commander of the Imperial Guard. Young, handsome, and resolute, he looked like an eagle.
Yan Tongshu murmured softly, “Why are the Imperial Guard entering the city at this hour?”
“Burp—”
Gao Qi let out a burp. “They probably just came back from training at Mount Wanggu.”
Yan Tongshu looked at him. “Training at Mount Wanggu?”
“Yes.” Gao Qi poured himself a bowl of hot tea. “Lord Yan, didn’t you know? On the afternoon of the third day of the month, the Imperial Guard, led by their newly appointed deputy commander, went to Mount Wanggu for training. I heard it’s a custom of the Imperial Guard: whenever a new commander or deputy commander takes office, they must lead the troops to Mount Wanggu for training.
“When a new deputy commander assumes office, if he wants the men under him to accept him, he has to go to Mount Wanggu and give them a chance to test him. If he lacks skill and cannot hold the field, if the men below him refuse to respect or obey him, then he will not be able to keep the post of deputy commander for long.”
“I see.” Yan Tongshu gazed at Meng Zheng’s retreating figure.
That meant the lantern had been delivered to the Yan residence by Madame Meng, and Meng Zheng had not seen the prayer beads either.
Yan Tongshu’s heart was in turmoil, pounding anxiously within her chest. She did not want to lose Meng Zheng as a friend.
But Meng Yi was Meng Zheng’s father. Whether they should remain friends was a decision that lay with Meng Zheng.
Pearl studied Gao Qi curiously. “How do you know all this? Aren’t you a street thug?”
Gao Qi scratched his head. “Actually, I figured it out. On the day the Divine Guard Army left the city, they gathered at the gate and talked. I watched from afar and read their lips.”
Wow.
That was an impressive skill.
Pearl and Jinbao looked at Gao Qi with admiration.
Both of them were tempted. They wanted to learn it too.
If they mastered it, perhaps they could be of help to their young master someday.
…
On the fifteenth day of the third month, the annual examinations began.
Once the examinations were over, the officials quietly gathered in private, railing against the Ministry of Rites and Yan Tongshu.
Yan Tongshu sneezed more than twenty times at the Kaifeng Prefecture Office.
Li Fulin chuckled. “Lord Yan, quite a few people must be cursing you in their hearts today.”
Yan Tongshu shot him a look. “How did you do on the exam, then?”
Li Fulin’s expression stiffened. Not wanting to answer, he turned and tugged at Zhang Jiu. “Magistrate Zhang, how did you do?”
“Not bad,” Zhang Jiu replied evenly.
Li Fulin’s mood soured even further.
Yan Tongshu and Zhang Jiu exchanged a glance. Well, well—Magistrate Li’s expression was certainly ugly. He must have done terribly.
The day after the annual examinations, the Emperor issued an imperial edict:
“I, who have inherited Heaven’s mandate and rule over all under Heaven, rise early and retire late, ever mindful of bringing peace to the people and prosperity to the realm. From the teachings of antiquity, I have learned that only when yin and yang stand in balance, and Heaven and Earth are in harmony, can men and women each fulfill their talents and the family and state alike flourish.
“Yet in the world today, women confined to their inner chambers may suffer because they cannot read or write; they may be oppressed by the violence of the powerful; they may endure the private punishments of their own clans. And when women are wronged, concerns over chastity and reputation often prevent them from seeking justice, leaving their grievances unspoken and their bitterness unresolved.
“This is not merely the sorrow of women; it is a loss to the state and a flaw in the moral order.
“Therefore, to promote enlightenment, support the vulnerable, and uphold justice, I hereby decree the establishment of an office known as the ‘Legal Affairs Bureau,’ devoted to assisting women in criminal and civil proceedings. Let all officials understand My earnest intent; let worthy persons lend their aid to this undertaking. May the women of the realm bring forth a pure wind, and together may we advance the governance of a flourishing age.”
Following the edict was an official document setting out the Legal Affairs Bureau’s specific duties.
First: to draft petitions and legal complaints on behalf of women who could neither read nor write, or who lacked the means to pursue litigation, and to present their cases before the courts.
Second: to accompany isolated and vulnerable women to hearings, argue their cases according to the law, and correct legal errors.
Third: to inspect local areas, receive women’s complaints concerning abuse, property seizure, coercion in marriage, and similar matters; refer such cases to the appropriate authorities; and oversee their handling in accordance with the law.
Fourth: to compile plain-language guides to the law and spread knowledge of them among women’s quarters and rural communities, so that people might know there was law to rely upon and a path by which grievances could be heard.
Put simply, the Legal Affairs Bureau held no real power. It was more like a modern women’s support center, chiefly providing legal consultation, legal aid, and assistance to other government offices in handling cases.
Though it remained in a supporting role, it was already a major step forward.
Yan Tongshu continued searching through the issued documents. At the very end were the requirements for selecting female officials: applicants had to be between fourteen and fifty years of age, and would be examined in three subjects—legal texts, case documentation, and the analysis of circumstance and reason. The best candidates would be appointed.
Because the Legal Affairs Bureau had been established for the first time, with no precedent to follow and no female officials already serving at court, this recruitment would take in a great many women. Anyone who sat for the examination stood a strong chance of being selected.
However, because it was a first-of-its-kind initiative, the court would assign a group of officials well versed in the law to assist the Legal Affairs Office through its initial period of disorder. After one year, these male officials would gradually withdraw from the office.
For the time being, the Legal Affairs Office would be established only in Bianjing. If it proved successful within a year, it would then be expanded to the provinces.
The first group of female officials recruited would all begin at the ninth rank. After a six-month probationary period, they would be promoted according to their abilities and achievements.
Thus, the position equivalent to that of a Minister—the fourth-rank post of Chief Administrator of the Legal Affairs Office—was temporarily vacant. In six months’ time, everyone would compete on their own merits.
The Legal Affairs Office’s first examination was scheduled for the twentieth day of the fourth month. Modeled after the imperial examinations, it would be jointly administered by the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel.
Yan Tongshu did the math. The twentieth day of the fourth month was only a month away.
Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu had been steeped in books since childhood. With more than a month to devote themselves to their studies, and with the encouragement of their colleagues at Xianlin Hall, they would surely come out on top.
Yan Tongshu was already picturing the three sisters in official robes, striding down the street together in all their glory.
That afternoon, after getting off work, Yan Tongshu rushed to the major bookshops to buy writing supplies.
Before the news had been confirmed, she had not been able to openly cheer Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu on. But now, she intended to give her beloved sister and younger sister all the support she could.
By the time Yan Tongshu reached the Southern Paper Shop, it was packed to the brim.
Everyone was there to buy books, brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
Yan Tongshu and Pearl could not even squeeze their way inside.
They tried several more shops, but every one of them was crammed with people.
“My mistress spotted that Huizhou ink first. What are you snatching it for?”
“Have you paid for it? Just because you say it’s yours doesn’t make it so! It belongs to my old madam.”
“Your old madam is already forty. What does she need all this for?”
“My old madam is full of vigor—she’s still going strong!”
“Hand it over! My young lady reserved that Xuan paper long ago.”
“Bullshit. I was the one who grabbed it.”
“Zhang Cuihua, don’t steal my books!”
Yan Tongshu’s face went blank.
If she had known, she would have bought everything in advance.
She had never imagined it would be this frenzied.
She had assumed there would not be many people interested in taking the examination, and that the competition would not be too fierce. After all, studying was expensive. Even someone like Chen Sizhen needed the support of an entire clan just to make it to the capital for the civil service examinations.
That was the case for men, let alone women, whom many families did not consider worth educating. If a household’s finances were even slightly strained, they would never allow their daughters to study or learn to read.
And girls from wealthy families were generally lectured from childhood that they should master the four arts, serve their husbands and raise their children, manage the inner household diligently, and uphold the traditional virtues of obedience, morality, gentleness, propriety, and modesty.
The “Rong” in Yan Liangrong’s name came from the phrase “virtue, appearance, speech, and skill.”
Yan Tongshu had thought those deeply ingrained ideas would hold people back. The court had never promoted female officials before; she assumed most would wait and see, and that not many would sit for the very first examination.
Never in her wildest dreams had she expected so many people.
After struggling and scrambling for ages, she and Pearl had managed to get only a few sheets of Xuan paper.
Just as Yan Tongshu was beginning to feel discouraged, a carriage stopped in front of her. The curtain was lifted, and Tantai Mingzhu stepped down with Fenghe supporting her.
The last time she had been poisoned at Xiangguo Temple, she had miscarried. Though her life had been saved, the damage to her body was immense. She had been recuperating ever since and had only just become well enough to leave the house these past few days.
Tantai Mingzhu approached Yan Tongshu and curtsied gracefully. “Mingzhu is deeply grateful for Lord Yan’s life-saving grace. This debt of gratitude outweighs Mount Tai, and I will never forget it. Should Lord Yan ever have need of me, I would not hesitate to die at your command.”
Yan Tongshu had Pearl help her up. “All right, I understand. You haven’t recovered yet, so let’s not stand on ceremony over such formalities.”
“Yes, thank you, Lord Yan.” Tantai Mingzhu smiled. “As soon as the imperial decree was issued, I had the bookstore under the Earl of Yu’s estate set aside a batch of writing supplies. They have already been sent to the Yan residence.”
Yan Tongshu was about to say that this was inappropriate, but Tantai Mingzhu added, “Eldest Miss Yan had her servants pay for them.”
At a time like this, when ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones were impossible to obtain, one normally had to pay extra. Tantai Mingzhu had charged the usual price, avoiding any appearance of bribery while still doing her a favor.
Yan Tongshu patted the sheet of xuan paper in her hand and smiled. “In that case, you’ve saved me some trouble.”
Then Yan Tongshu stepped closer to Tantai Mingzhu and lowered her voice. “Did Fenghe tell you?”
She was asking about the message she had asked Fenghe to deliver: forcing a respectable woman into concubinage was against the law.
A flicker of despondency appeared in Tantai Mingzhu’s eyes. “It’s too difficult. Forget it.”
It was easy enough to bring charges for forcing a respectable woman into prostitution, because a person’s commoner registration was recorded and could be verified. A woman of commoner status could only be reduced to servile status as punishment for a crime; she was not permitted to be sold into prostitution.
But forcing a respectable woman into concubinage was far more difficult to prosecute, because it was hard to determine whether the woman had truly consented.
Tantai Mingzhu’s second uncle was, moreover, her legal guardian. He had accepted Ning Yuan’s betrothal gifts for taking Tantai Mingzhu as a concubine, and both families’ elders had completed the official procedures. To overturn the case would require irrefutable evidence. It was absolutely impossible to establish coercion solely on Tantai Mingzhu’s claim that she had been forced.
In such circumstances, unless the person involved was prepared to stake everything on a desperate gamble, there was no chance of winning the case.
Thus, whatever choice Tantai Mingzhu made, Yan Tongshu could understand. She smiled, exchanged a few more pleasantries with Tantai Mingzhu, then left with Pearl.
Tantai Mingzhu turned her gaze toward the bustling shop.
How she envied them—and hated them, too.
She envied them for still possessing the spirit to strive upward.
She hated them for having the status of respectable commoners.
Ever since she had been forced into concubinage, she was no longer of commoner status.
Tantai Mingzhu clenched the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, her eyes blazing with bone-deep hatred. Ning Yuan—what a fine deception he had spun for her, for so very long...
