Yan Wan is reborn as a legitimate wife: Curing Ruyi's Douyi syndrome

Despite numerous setbacks, the imperial examination was successfully conducted without major incident.

In order to gain the respect of the people, Jingqin assigned them a big task as soon as he ascended the throne. Fortunately, Fuheng was used to the imperial examination, and although Jingse was flustered, she was able to get the hang of it under Fuheng's guidance.

After all, this was the first time in history that a woman had openly participated in the imperial examinations. Many people's mindsets had not changed. The number of women participating in this examination was very small, with only one female candidate out of fifty candidates.

However, women who dared to take the plunge were generally quite knowledgeable and courageous. Although few of them participated in the preliminary examinations (the county, prefectural, and provincial examinations), their pass rate was ridiculously high, with an average of one in five becoming a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

Even in remote areas, the pass rate was one in ten, not to mention the better education in the capital. In the capital, the pass rate for women reached an astonishing one in three, which shocked the entire court!

No one dared to suspect the female examinee of cheating. After all, the preliminary examinations were not like the imperial examinations in the capital. The questions were set by examiners from various regions. Apart from Jingse, the examiner in the capital, who was a woman, all the other examiners were men. How could they possibly cheat for a woman?

The ministers could only attribute it to the quality of the female candidates.

After the preliminary examination came the provincial examination. Those who failed the preliminary examination went home to continue their studies, while some who passed the county-level examination hesitated because they were not confident. In the end, the proportion of female candidates was much lower than that of those who failed the preliminary examination.

However, the success rate of female candidates in the provincial examination was half that of the children's examination. Because there were fewer candidates, the number of female candidates who passed the provincial examination was also smaller, and the court did not experience the same level of excitement as it did for the children's examination.

After the provincial examinations, the metropolitan examinations would begin, and candidates would gather in the capital to prepare for them.

Among the female candidates, those from impoverished families were a minority. After all, poor families would not support their daughters' education. As a result, the business of inns and rentals was even more booming than in previous years, with some even experiencing shortages and prices soaring.

However, not everyone is wealthy. Even with family support, some female candidates are short of money, so they often have to find a place to stay or share an apartment with others.

Seeing this, some families opened their doors to help, taking in female examinees. These families were mostly those that also had female examinees taking the exam, such as the Ling family, the Xue family, and the Lin family...

Given that there were women among the candidates participating in this imperial examination, in order to prevent any serious incidents from damaging the reputation of the court, Jingqin waved her hand and sent the imperial envoys who had just returned to the capital out on patrol again.

Qianqing Palace

The imperial envoys were summoned to the Qianqing Palace as soon as they entered the capital. Although they were somewhat apprehensive, they were mostly excited.

The imperial envoys were led into the Qianqing Palace by palace servants and sat down in batches. Jingqin arrived soon after and sat in the hall.

When the imperial envoys saw Jingqin arrive, they all stood up, bowed, and said, "Your humble servants respectfully wish Your Majesty good health."

Jingqin: "No need for formalities, please be seated. Today's banquet is to welcome you all and wash away the dust of your journey. There's no need for such formalities."

Everyone: "Yes."

Jingqin: "The tasks I instructed my ministers to accomplish have all been done well, which makes me very pleased. However, rewards and punishments must be measured. Those who have made contributions should be rewarded, and those who have made mistakes should also be punished."

The crowd was stunned, unsure how to respond, and were about to kneel down to beg for forgiveness.

Jingqin took the memorial from Wei Yanwan's hand and said calmly: "Zhao Prefecture's Hui Nara Yunting and Yi Prefecture's Huermai... neglected their duties and failed to perform their duties properly. They are hereby stripped of their assessment qualifications, sent back to their original positions, and never to be employed again."

……

Wang Xiezhi of Jiangning Prefecture and Ma Jia Huaichun of Huaiqing Prefecture... neglected their duties, engaged in private dealings, colluded with county officials, accepted bribes, and abandoned their posts. They are hereby stripped of their official positions and imprisoned to await further judgment.

The imperial envoys were surprised that the emperor had seen through their every move, and even more surprised that someone would dare to mess things up at such a critical moment!

The task assigned by the Emperor was not difficult. Anyone who could understand the Emperor's heart could do it well. Not to mention that this time the Emperor's personal guards were with him. They only needed to follow orders. How could someone fail to take advantage of such a good opportunity?

The imperial envoys who had been punished also looked pale. Most of them were the personal guards of the retired emperor and were considered outstanding individuals in the capital. Unexpectedly, the situation changed suddenly and a new emperor ascended the throne. They were sent by the new emperor to small county towns as imperial envoys, where they had to endure wind and sun every day.

They were raised with pampered privileges, how could they endure such hardship? After dispersing, they began to swagger and bully others in the county town, never thinking of getting a job.

They thought that since the emperor was far away, no one would know how outrageous their actions were. They never expected that the emperor's reach could extend so far that even in the capital, his little schemes could be detected.

Even when the offending imperial envoy was taken away, he was still puzzled and couldn't understand how the emperor knew.

Fortunately, most people are clear-headed. With the promise of a promotion and a raise dangling in front of them, only a minority can resist the temptation.

The principle of giving a slap followed by a sweet treat was something Jingqin understood. After dragging the offending imperial envoy away, Jingqin resumed her kind and amiable smile.

Jingqin smiled and said, "All of you ministers are people I have chosen. You are all excellent in both literature and military strategy. I have high hopes for you all. You have done a good job on this mission. You will all be rewarded after the banquet."

Everyone knew they had passed this hurdle, and they said in unison, "Your Majesty, we thank you for your reward!"

Jingqin continued to assign tasks, saying, "You've done a good job on this mission, but things aren't over yet. There are female candidates participating in this imperial examination. To prevent any villains from causing trouble and damaging the court's reputation, we need all of you to patrol the capital and safeguard the candidates' safety."

The imperial envoys looked at each other, wondering what kind of mission this was. Although they were skilled in martial arts, they were merely the emperor's personal guards, their authority was illegitimate, and how could they be allowed to inspect the capital?

Imperial Envoy Suheba stepped forward with a stiff upper lip and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, we are the personal guards, but with the infantry battalion here, how can it be our turn to inspect the capital?"

Jingqin: "It is true that the Infantry Battalion is patrolling the capital, but this year's imperial examination is special. The number of people coming to the capital is also greater than in previous years. With so many people and so many opinions, the Infantry Battalion needs to report to higher levels when dealing with thieves. If they are not careful, they will make mistakes. In extraordinary times, we must use extraordinary methods."

The imperial envoys understood. This was because the Infantry Battalion had many connections with high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital. The emperor felt that if people in the capital used their power to bully the candidates, the Infantry Battalion would protect the criminals, so he sent them to be the ones to take the lead!

The imperial envoy, Zhalab, stepped forward, bowed, and said cautiously, "But Your Majesty, our position is ultimately illegitimate..."

Jingqin: "I have already drafted an edict to specially appoint all of you as Imperial Guards, in charge of patrolling and arresting criminals. Your reports will not go beyond the Six Ministries and will directly reach the Emperor's ears."

The imperial envoys were stunned. To prevent Jingqin from changing her mind, they all knelt down and said in unison, "Your humble servants obey the decree!"

The Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards, though differing by only one character, sound exactly like the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the previous dynasty. The imperial envoys couldn't contain their elation at the thought of how well the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the previous dynasty lived.

Jingqin knew what everyone was thinking, smiled, and didn't explain further.

The banquet was a great success, with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves.

After the banquet, the imperial envoys were taken by palace servants to the newly built Zhenfu Division, where they were assigned rooms and given rewards.

The newly built Zhenfu Division was converted from the residence of the deposed Crown Prince Li Qinwang. After Hongzhe's rebellion, the residence was razed to the ground by the retired emperor.

Today, its front courtyard has been converted into sixteen buildings and two halls, and its back courtyard has been converted into rooms for the Imperial Guards to rest.

After assigning the rooms and rewards, Wei Yanwan explained to everyone, "The official robes and waist tokens have been placed down along with the rewards. Please check if anything has been missed. If nothing has been missed, please tidy up first and wait for the Emperor's arrangements tomorrow."

Everyone: "Yes, thank you, Wei Gongyu."

The next day, Qianqing Palace

The ministers were still whispering about what happened at Prince Li's residence yesterday, but they dared not step forward to ask because of Jingqin's intimidating presence. So many guards came out of the palace gate yesterday, and their colleagues might have been taken away. How could they dare to act recklessly?

Even the usually talkative censors were silent, afraid of getting themselves into trouble.

The ministers' attitudes were exactly what he wanted, and Jingqin directly announced at the morning court session that the Feather Guard would be established to be responsible for patrolling and arresting criminals, and appointed Hua Nian as the commander of the Feather Guard.

The news caused an uproar among the ministers. Although Jingqin had changed her name, the ministers were not fools and offered their advice:

"Your Majesty! Isn't this just restoring the old ways of the previous dynasty?"

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards of the previous dynasty indiscriminately arrested innocent people, leading to many wrongful convictions. We must learn from the past and be wary of such mistakes!"

Jingqin explained, "I am naturally aware of the drawbacks of the previous dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard. Although the Feathered Uniform Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have similar functions, they also have many differences. I will not allow them to repeat the same mistakes."

The ministers remained skeptical, especially the officials of the Court of Judicial Review, which was in charge of criminal cases, and they feared that the Imperial Guards would seize their power.

After all, the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the previous dynasty wielded immense power. They were responsible not only for guarding the emperor and ceremonial guards and for foreign intelligence, but also for surveillance, arrest, and interrogation. They arrested people with impunity, rendering the Court of Judicial Review virtually useless.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, this move may cause turmoil in the court. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider.”

Jingqin knew what the ministers were worried about, and continued to explain: "I am aware of your concerns, my dear ministers. Although the Feathered Guard has the power to patrol and arrest, the interrogation is still the responsibility of the Court of Judicial Review, and the guards' ceremonial guards are still the responsibility of the Imperial Guards Office."

The Imperial Guards' primary duty is to patrol various prefectures and counties. They performed well on the mission I assigned them recently. Their continued presence in the capital this time is also for the imperial examinations.

The ministers seemed to understand but not quite, and wanted to step forward to stop him, but Jingqin waved his hand and said, "My mind is made up, my beloved ministers, there is no need to persuade me any further. Moreover, I will also establish a system of supervision, and if the Feathered Guards commit any illegal or disorderly acts, they will be severely punished without exception."

Seeing the emperor's resolute attitude, the ministers, though dissatisfied, dared not try to dissuade him further and could only keep quiet.

Jingqin knew that her actions would certainly cause controversy, but the empress's rule was not as stable as that of a man, so she had to use extraordinary methods to nip the threat in the bud.

As for posterity's evaluation? Which emperor throughout history has been without criticism? Why should they care about their reputation before death!

Hua Nian stood among the court officials, and even though he had received such a good job, he remained calm and composed, showing no emotion.

Seeing this, the ministers were even more uncertain. Hua Nian had been a lady-in-waiting to the emperor, but she was a cold person. Even though she had obtained the official position of a close minister to the emperor, she had no real power, and few people noticed her, who often followed Jing Se.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor wasn't just refusing to give his trusted confidants real power; he was actually planning something big! The ministers who had ignored Hua Nian were now filled with regret!

In particular, the ministers who had ties with the rebels were afraid that Hua Nian, as a new official, would make a scene to vent the emperor's anger on them, and they were all planning how to curry favor with Hua Nian after the court session.

Jingqin: "Alright, since all my ministers have no objections, then those who have something to say may speak, and those who have nothing to say may leave the court. The Minister of the Prime Minister and the Grand Councilor shall remain."

The ministers replied, "Yes."

Fine, no need to try to be nice anymore, just wait to die.

Jinzhong: "Retreat—from court—"