The document is clear to the world - Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty: The Millennium Palace Examination
The day before the Millennium, the Emperor and Empress summoned the ladies-in-waiting to Pingyang Palace.
The Emperor was the chief examiner, the Prime Minister was the deputy examiner, the Prince's tutor, Grand Tutor Qin, set the questions, and the Empress, the princes, and many court officials were merely spectators, sitting together in the hall drinking and discussing.
At noon, after receiving the Emperor's permission, the Grand Tutor turned to face us and asked first, "Are the ladies ready?"
Everyone nodded slightly. The eldest sister-in-law was absent due to illness, so the Grand Tutor walked up to the Crown Princess, who was leading the group, and began to ask questions: "Your Majesty, please tell this old minister the origin of the phrase 'as if separated by three autumns'."
Rong Jihe smiled slightly, her voice lively, "It comes from the Book of Songs, 'Gathering the Kudzu'."
The Grand Tutor nodded. "Indeed, Your Highness. Can you recite it?"
"She gathers kudzu; a day without seeing her feels like three months."
She gathers artemisia. A day without seeing her feels like three autumns.
She gathers artemisia. A day without seeing her feels like three years.
Upon hearing her answer, the Grand Tutor stroked his beard with satisfaction, a smile spreading across his face. He then asked, "Does Your Highness know the Precepts for Women?"
Seeing her nod again, he continued, "Could Your Majesty recite the first eight sentences of your admonition?"
"Do not act frivolously, do not dress seductively, do not speak loudly, do not be easily swayed, do not spread rumors, do not sow discord among family members, do not be long-winded, and do not use clever words to seduce." Rong Jihe's confident smile had the warmth of a spring breeze.
"Fan Chi asked about benevolence?"
Confucius said, "Love others."
"Ask for details?"
Confucius said, "Knowing people is key."
"Haha, well answered." The Grand Tutor turned around and reported to the Emperor with a smile, "I have truly witnessed the Crown Princess's insightful judgment time and time again."
The Grand Tutor would ask about each and every princess.
The princes sitting in the hall, drinking wine, would frequently glance at their wives to see if they had brought them honor, only letting out a long sigh of relief after seeing their wives pass the test. I, however, glanced to the side several times and noticed that Lu Li drank calmly, never even raising his head once.
"Your Highness... Princess Ning..." It sounded like someone was calling me. I quickly turned around and saw the Grand Tutor with a smile on his face. "Your Highness, are you ready?"
I nodded with a smile and said, "Please give me the question, Master."
"May I ask, Your Majesty, what are the virtues of women?"
"Gentle in nature, serene in demeanor, upright in conduct, elegant in appearance, meticulous in ancestral worship, filial to parents-in-law, respectful to one's master, harmonious with sisters-in-law, polite to relatives, tolerant of maids and concubines... sericulture and weaving, and compassionate towards livestock." Although I wasn't very familiar with these things, fortunately, Lu Li had clearly written them down in the book he threw at me.
"Good, good, good, again..." The master raised his head. "During the Northern Song Dynasty, Fan Zhongyan served as the prefect of Yanzhou to defend against the Western Xia. He was strict in his military discipline. The Western Xia people called him?" "He had a million soldiers in his heart." I raised my eyebrows. Nangong was a Western Xia person. He would say this to me all the time to show off.
"Mao Sui criticized the masses, saying they were mediocre and unremarkable. What is Your Majesty's interpretation of this?"
"When Qin attacked Zhao, Mao Sui volunteered to accompany Lord Pingyuan to Chu to seek help. He even drew his sword and persuaded the King of Chu to send troops, mocking the other nineteen as mediocre and incompetent." "Where does the idiom 'not abandoning the chaff' originate?"
My gaze swept slightly towards Lu Li, and his wrist holding the cup paused.
I looked up at the Grand Tutor: "Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, wanted Song Hong to abandon his wife and marry Princess Huyang, but Song Hong replied, 'Friends made in poverty and hardship should not be forgotten, and a wife who has shared hardship should not be abandoned.'"
After all the princesses had been questioned, the Grand Tutor turned to the Emperor and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, all the princesses are equally outstanding, learned and talented, virtuous and capable. I request Your Majesty, the Empress, and the Prime Minister to make their respective decisions."
The Emperor looked at the Prime Minister and said, “My dear minister, I have heard that you have been studying astronomy and astrology. Why don’t you take a look at my wives and see if any of them share your interests?”
It was not unusual for the ladies of the royal family to study the Four Books and Five Classics, read the works of various philosophers, and memorize the rules and precepts for women. However, when it came to astronomy, it was probably not something everyone could know anything about. The women around me had already begun to whisper among themselves.
The Prime Minister rose and walked towards us. "Do the princesses know what the Seven Luminaries and the Five Planets are?"
A moment of silence fell, and most people lowered their heads. But the Crown Princess's voice was melodious and pleasant, "The Sun, Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn are collectively known as the Seven Luminaries, and these five planets are also called the Five Planets."
The Prime Minister was pleasantly surprised and took a few steps to stand in front of the Crown Princess. "The Crown Princess is indeed knowledgeable in astronomy and geography."
"I dare not accept such praise. My father and elder brother are very fond of the Five Elements, and I only know a little about them."
The Prime Minister nodded, but then suddenly turned to look at me, "The Princess Consort of Ning and the Crown Princess come from the same family, and they also know a little about astronomy?"
Before I could answer, the Crown Princess took the phone and said, “My younger sister has been living in her hometown since she was a child. I’m afraid she will disappoint the Prime Minister. Please don’t make things difficult for her.”
"Not only is she exceptionally talented, but her love for her siblings is also admirable." The Prime Minister stopped looking at me and smiled at Princess Qin.
I felt every organ in my body burning hot. To outsiders, it might sound like they were trying to help me out, but to me, it felt like needles pricking my ears… I entered the manor at the age of thirteen. Despite the meticulous care of my father and mother, my eldest brother always treated me like an outsider, while my second brother was always kind to me. My eldest brother loved astronomy, and every time he learned something new from his master, he would secretly teach it to my two older sisters behind closed doors. Every time my father tested us, only I… couldn't answer a single question about astronomy. Later, Xiao Xuan came to my side, and only then did I learn a smattering of knowledge from him.
This time, my sister brought up this past event again, which made me feel all the grievances I had suppressed for many years come rushing back.
The Prime Minister continued with great interest, "Then does the Crown Princess know the distribution of the Twenty-Eight Mansions?"
The Crown Princess pursed her red lips slightly, "The Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon in the East, the North... My lord, I really can't remember."
I exhaled slightly and gently took over the conversation, “The seven mansions of the Azure Dragon in the East are called Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket; the seven mansions of the Black Tortoise in the North are Dipper, Ox, Woman, Emptiness, Danger, Enclosure, and Wall; the seven mansions of the White Tiger in the West are Legs, Stomach, Pleiades, Net, Beak, and Three Stars; the seven mansions of the Vermilion Bird in the South are Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, and Chariot. In addition to the twenty-eight mansions, there are also three enclosures, namely the Purple Palace Enclosure, the Supreme Palace Enclosure, and the Heavenly Market Enclosure.”
When I finished speaking, the Prime Minister was already astonished. He clapped his hands lightly, laughed, and turned to face the hall. "I never imagined... the Prince of Huainan's mansion was truly a place where dragons and tigers roamed. The daughter of the Rong family is indeed extraordinary."
My aunt, the Empress, always maintained composure and poise, her eyes smiling and charming as she looked at the supreme Emperor.
"I have been very troubled lately," the emperor finally spoke after a long silence. "Our dynasty and the Liao Kingdom will soon be engaged in a fierce battle... I have been studying Sun Tzu's Art of War for days and have gained some insights... I would also like to ask you, in the art of war, there are scattered terrain, light terrain, contested terrain, intersecting terrain, crossroads terrain, heavy terrain, dilapidated terrain, encircled terrain, and the last one... Does any of you know about it?"
After another silence, the emperor flicked his sleeve and said, "It seems I have been too hard on you. You princes and their wives only need to manage the affairs of the palace and be well-versed in the moral principles and virtues of women. Fighting is still the men's business."
"It's a death trap."
Those deep eyes suddenly lit up, staring straight at me, their voice hoarse, "Seventh daughter-in-law... what are you saying?"