Upon receiving the message, Bao Youtian immediately accepted the package and settled into the residence arranged by the Hanlin Academy.
At the same time, Wu Qiu also took notice of this person and hinted to Xie to win over Bao Youtian.
Bao Youtian became a celebrity in the Hanlin Academy in no time.
The first imperial examination was successfully held.
Lanzhang Palace.
Xie Lanzhi specially prepared a delicious meal to celebrate Si Xitong's birthday.
Si Xitong picked up some food and discovered a dish of green vegetables she had never seen before. The green leaves were intertwined like vines, and it smelled very sweet.
Xie Lanzhi introduced it: "These are sweet potato leaves. Stir-fried sweet potato leaves taste pretty good, you should try them."
Si Xitong picked up a sweet potato leaf; it was both crisp and chewy, offering a unique texture. Xie Lanzhi also enjoyed eating some vegetables because of the sweet potato leaves.
She calculated that it was March now, and there were still three months until the sweet potatoes could be harvested.
"I think we should be able to inspect Qi Nian's place now." Xie Lanzhi specifically mentioned that Little Phoenix and her younger brother had been arguing for almost half a year, and the two siblings hadn't apologized to each other or met. They had similar aloof personalities.
Si Xinian admitted his mistake and accepted the punishment, but did not bow his head.
Si Xitong didn't say anything. After finishing half a bowl of rice, she put down her chopsticks.
Xie Lanzhi took a few bites and said, "Are you still angry?"
"No."
“But I’m short of money.” Si Xitong suddenly looked up at her with teary eyes. The golden hairpins on her ears drooped because of their owner’s mood, like a kitten with airplane ears abandoned by the roadside.
My heart skipped a beat.
This time, they're actually...acting cute.
Xie Lanzhi put down her chopsticks and tried her best to suppress and correct Xiao Fenghuang's thoughts, but Xiao Fenghuang's style and the cold imperial temperament in the original work began to disappear forever.
She could only play along, saying, "Are you thinking of that one hundred million taels?"
Si Xitong nodded: "Perhaps Qi Nian will know. But he can't come back until he completes the yield target."
The rules she set for herself, when enforced, made people wonder if she was Si Xinian's biological sister.
Xie Lanzhi wanted to contribute money, but Si Xitong refused.
For a moment, Xie Lanzhi couldn't think of anything else, so she focused her attention on the dowry her father-in-law had given her.
She brought it up herself: "Crown Prince Yelü once sent you back a jade seal key. Perhaps we should take it out and see which storehouse it belongs to."
Huang Mang had already looted the palace when he stormed Tianjing, so even if he had the key to open any door, the dowry might not still be there.
Neither of them had any expectations.
Si Xitong's mood suddenly dropped.
Feeling sorry for her, Xie Lanzhi sat down beside her and comforted her, "Shall we look for it?"
Si Xitong nodded immediately, her gloom vanishing, as if she had been waiting for her to ask to help her search.
Xie Lanzhi felt she had been tricked, but what could she do? She could only spoil her little phoenix!
She asked Xiaoxiu to bring out the jade seal key.
When her father-in-law placed the lotus-shaped red box on the bed, Xie Lanzhi leaned over the bed and poked the top box with her hand. Si Xitong immediately unlocked it and took out the jade seal that had been pieced together last time.
The jade seal is crystal clear and blue in color. The top is a dragon head, and the bottom is a seal without any words. However, as soon as you press it, the key-shaped opening made of jade will extend out.
Looking at the intricate mechanisms inside, Xie Lanzhi couldn't help but say, "Father-in-law really likes these exquisite things, even the flintlock gun."
It's a pity that if Emperor Xicheng had been given a year or two, he might have invented the flintlock gun himself, shot down the Yellow Emperor, and swept across the world. Unfortunately, his father-in-law was too unlucky.
Si Xitong stroked the jade seal with her fingertips and sighed, "My father loved this when he was young and also liked to befriend the Mohists. He invented many things, but unfortunately, my grandfather always disliked these things, regarding them as frivolous and unworthy to be associated with Confucian scholars. He cut off my father's opportunity to continue to rely on the Mohists."
“Since my father ascended the throne, those Mohist disciples have been moved to the north and used by the Hu and Xiongnu.”
Xie Lanzhi's eyelids twitched, and she vehemently condemned the Emperor Emeritus's incompetence. He himself had reintroduced the feudal system, which had delayed the nation and caused immense harm. It was tantamount to turning back the clock of history.
"Little Phoenix, how about we open all the gates of the palace?"
Si Xitong said, "The palace has three thousand main gates, five thousand smaller gates, two thousand side gates, and countless windows."
There are tens of thousands of keyholes in total.
Xie Lanzhi looked horrified: "So many? Even if you turned the key ten thousand times, it would break!"
Si Xitong said, "The only way is to have several keys made in advance, just in case."
The key to the dragon head jade seal was sent to the workshop, where three hundred keys were made overnight.
The next day, Xie Lanzhi and Si Xitong went to court and handed the keys to the imperial guards to try each door.
As the weather warmed up today, many people put on spring clothes, and the mood of the courtiers seemed to be warmer as well.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report!"
"I have one too!"
“My affairs are of greater importance, as they concern the future of this dynasty.”
The officials and clerks of the Six Ministries all vied to speak first, and it seemed they had found a match.
The atmosphere in the court was more lively than usual, and Xie Shi followed suit. Suddenly, a noisy commotion erupted below.
Xie Lanzhi is not in the mood to care about them right now.
Si Xitong wasn't in the mood to care about them.
The two of them spent the entire night in bed guessing what the dowry Emperor Xicheng had left behind would be. They stayed up late guessing and now they're completely exhausted.
The military officers also became involved, wanting to report on military affairs.
"Marshal, please listen to me."
"Marshal, this is the cavalry battalion. Please listen to me first."
"Let me speak first. A letter came from the Southern Region."
Xie Lanzhi felt like flies were buzzing around her ears.
Good news kept coming from Jiu Jinchen's side, such as the success of the imperial examinations and the achievements of Bu Jian. Si Xitong dealt with a few of these cases, and then someone questioned the imperial examinations and demanded that the answers be re-examined.
Si Xitong immediately slammed her hand on the table. She hadn't slept well and didn't want to control her emotions.
With a "bang," Xie Lanzhi's drowsiness was startled away.
She looked at the little phoenix with surprise and doubt.
Si Xitong ordered Jiu Jinchen: "Arrest scholars who oppose the imperial examinations and question their unfairness. They must not be allowed to incite public opinion again, and if necessary, their writings may be reassigned."
The official was taken aback: "Your Highness intends to use the Imperial Prison!"
Si Xitong gave no room for refusal: "Get it done immediately!"
"Your subject obeys!"
Si Xitong's tough stance surprised the officials, and some old-fashioned people who wanted to oppose the imperial examinations dared not speak out. Only one old minister stood up and denounced: "The imperial examination questions are extremely frivolous. Why are you making such a decision on your own?"
"Your Highness, we should listen to everyone's opinions before making a decision."
This old minister stumbled into a trap as soon as he came out.
Xie Lanzhi's expression darkened; the question she had posed was incredibly frivolous.
Chapter 70 The Dowry from the Father-in-Law
This old minister, Liang Cheng, was a Grand Master of the Palace and also a censor.
The large number of people eliminated in the imperial examinations caused discontent both internally and externally, and coincidentally, Liang Cheng's grandson and more than a dozen of his students were among those eliminated, causing him to lose face completely.
Liang Cheng even personally predicted the questions for the imperial examination and sent his grandson and more than a dozen disciples to the third examination. However, they were unexpectedly eliminated by the three questions in the final examination.
Those three questions were beyond his predictions and had nothing to do with the Four Books and Five Classics. Naturally, they seemed unorthodox. Students who relied solely on rote memorization would inevitably fail the exam.
The students who were rejected didn't blame their own lack of ability, but instead blamed the people who guessed the questions incorrectly. This led to Liang Cheng being humiliated by his parents yesterday for accepting gifts but not fulfilling his obligations. Furthermore, Liang Cheng's lack of support for the imperial examination system fueled his resentment. He and other anti-examination officials used the students' situation as an opportunity to test the prince's limits.
The Great Jin Dynasty has never killed any civil officials; at most, they are severely punished or exiled. Si Xitong was well aware of this, which is why he spoke out first when the old conservatives objected.
Seeing that he had come prepared, Xie Lanzhi wanted to see what tricks the old man would play.
Liang Cheng vehemently criticized the exam questions: "Even if the questions are set for the palace examination, they still need the approval of the examiners before they can be passed. How can they be transferred out so easily?"
Xie Lanzhi said, "I've set the question, so feel free to voice any opinions you may have!"
Liang Cheng's eyelids twitched. He had known it was related to the marshal, but he hadn't expected her to bring up the question. Now he was in an awkward situation, but he had already stepped forward. If he went back now, he would lose face.
The most important thing for a royal physician is his reputation.
Liang Cheng suddenly knelt down, looking heartbroken for the country and its people: "Since the Marshal knows the significance of the imperial examination to scholars all over the world, how can he set such a question to be so contemptuous of everyone?"
"What is the purpose of the examination questions and the appointment of officials?"
Xie Lanzhi said calmly, "Then just eat rice when you're hungry. Why eat vegetables and salt?"
The audience burst into suppressed laughter.
Liang Cheng insisted, "Even if we are setting a precedent, we must have a reason to convince everyone. Marshal, please give me a reason, give all the scholars in the world a reason."
Such a statement would imply that he represented all scholars in the world. Neither Li Ling nor Zhao Gongming both bothered to step forward.
Liang Cheng continued, alone: "We demand an explanation from the Marshal!"
Xie Lanzhi said, "The reason is very simple. I suddenly realized that the preparations for the palace examination were somewhat rushed, and Lord Liang is not without reason."
Her words took an unexpected turn, suddenly supporting Liang Cheng. Liang Cheng was taken aback; what was the marshal up to? The Xie family members also stopped guessing. The marshal was in charge; she could do whatever she wanted without needing a reason. Sure enough, the officials in Tianjing had all lost the audacity of the previous dynasty. Utterly nonsensical.
Most of the officials in the capital are sycophants and few dare to have their own opinions. Although Liang Cheng's actions were foolish, they also expressed some of their thoughts. It would be better to use Liang Cheng as a test to see what the Marshal's bottom line is.
Xie Lanzhi said, "Lord Liang feels that 90% of the candidates have been screened out, which is undeserved. But how can we compromise on the merits of the imperial examination system when selecting the virtuous and capable?"
"In my opinion, ten people are too many. It would be better to have only three."
"Since Lord Liang questions the unfairness, and the students who failed the exam outside also question the unfairness, then the students who took the exam do not agree with the imperial examination system, so their exam results should not be recognized."
These words caused an uproar throughout the court. The ministers and Xie Shi, who had been watching the show with amusement, suddenly felt as if a fire had been kindled to them. Just now they thought it was someone else's business, but now, the marshal's skills in stirring up a hornet's nest were becoming more and more proficient.