Female Supremacy and Rise to Power: Lin Shu's Imperial Examination Adventures

"Student Lin Shu greets teacher." Lin Shu bowed respectfully, just as she had when they first met, her posture upright and her voice deep and full of reverence.

Han Shuang had many more wrinkles on her face and had become thinner. She was wearing a blue long gown, which looked quite old, suggesting that she had lived a poor life for the past two years.

Han Shuang quickly helped her up and looked her over with satisfaction. She could tell that Lin Shu was no longer as indifferent as before, and now that she had entered officialdom, she seemed to have a bit more vitality.

"Great! Not bad! Shu'er looks much more mature and composed! Great! Haha!"

She was originally a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), but she grew tired of officialdom and came to this small town of Dongshan to open a private school. Lin Shu was undoubtedly her most outstanding student.

Lin Shu accepted her praise, and then they talked a lot about the current political situation before finally bringing up Qingfeng Academy:

"Teacher, is the academy facing any difficulties right now?"

She hadn't seen many students since she entered. Qingfeng Academy, as the only academy in Dongshan Town, had low fees and had always been the first choice for students from poor families. Logically, it shouldn't be so deserted.

"Sigh!" Han Shuang sighed helplessly, the frown lines between her brows deepening. After thinking for a moment, she calmly said:

“A year ago, a clan school opened in the nearby Peach Blossom Town. Many students and teachers went there. Now, most of those who remain are impoverished students.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Shu frowned. Peach Blossom Town? She pondered to herself, having never heard of this place before.

A clan school? Logically speaking, newly opened schools are far inferior to established academies in terms of teachers and cultural heritage, so how could they be so attractive?

Han Shuang seemed to see through her thoughts and explained with a wry smile, "I heard that the clan school has some connection with a certain official in the capital. The head of Peach Blossom Town used this name to recruit several tribute students to give lectures."

Lin Shu suddenly realized that although tribute students were not as good as imperial examination graduates, there were several of them at once. Coupled with the aura of important figures in the capital, it was undoubtedly a huge temptation for those students who wanted to stand out from the crowd.

However, it's understandable. Even a good bird knows to choose its tree to perch on, let alone a person!

However, Qingfeng Academy is different for me, especially since there are teachers here, and Qingfeng Academy also provides a lot of care for impoverished students:

“Teacher, I now have some influence in the imperial court. If you are willing, I am willing to contribute funds to support Qingfeng Academy.”

Han Shuang was taken aback. How could she not have thought of that? Families with some influence in the imperial court often funded the establishment of schools, which not only cultivated talents but also earned them the reputation of having "students all over the world".

If Lin Shu were to fund and support Qingfeng Academy, regardless of how well the academy would grow in the future, its students alone could potentially become Lin Shu's allies in the imperial court.

After all, Qingfeng Academy mainly enrolls students from poor families. "Noble children and successful candidates can come from humble backgrounds" is not just empty talk.

"Then I thank you very much, Shu'er!" Han Shuang smiled and patted Lin Shu's shoulder.

Lin Shu shook her head: "Yu Shu, teacher, there's no need to be so polite."

After chatting for a while, Lin Shu declined Han Shuang's offer to stay overnight and agreed that she would have someone contact her regarding the sponsorship before taking her leave.

Dongshan Town, at the entrance of Qingfeng Academy.

A tall, spacious four-horse carriage stood quietly inside, where the Lin family's husbands were waiting for Lin Shu.

"Wow! Is this Lin Shu's old school? It's so dilapidated... Hmm..." The chubby boy looked at the old, low building next to him and blurted out what was on his mind.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly covered his mouth, his eyes darting away.

However, no one paid any attention. Song Yun, curious, lifted the carriage curtain, peeked out, and echoed:

“Brother Ayu is right. But how come I didn’t notice it when my wife was studying here? Back then, I thought Qingfeng Academy was the biggest and best place I had ever seen.”

“Things are different now! When we first came to the countryside, we lived in a drafty thatched hut, slept on a door plank, and the best food we had was black porridge… When we first arrived in town, we naturally thought it was better here!” Su Mu said, his gaze and thoughts drifting away.

After he finished speaking, silence fell over the carriage.

Feng Yu took a polished bone from his bosom and gave it to the six-month-old Yi Chen in his arms to chew on, while looking up and asking, "Big brother, is the black paste tasty?"

"Delicious!" Song Yun nodded.

Feng Yu licked her lips: "I haven't even tried it yet."

"It's made with cassava and fern roots, so it has a slightly bitter taste. I'll make it for Ayu to try sometime." Su Mu smiled, then shook his head, thinking that it might not taste as good now.

At this moment, Ji Heng, who had been quietly reading, finally put down the miscellaneous book in his hands. Upon closer inspection, he realized that he was reading the chapter about cassava, which clearly stated—

Cassava, long and cylindrical in shape, similar to kudzu root, is poisonous and requires a complex process to remove the poison before the root and stem are ground into powder and made into a paste for consumption...

"Brother, did you have a hard life before?" Ji Heng asked with a hint of heartache.

Upon hearing this, the other husbands, except for Song Yun, all turned to look at him, waiting for his reply.

Su Mu tried hard to recall. If he had been asked this question two years ago, he would have nodded without hesitation, but now he seemed to have forgotten those days.

It seems that all the hardships he endured in the past were overshadowed by Lin Shu later on. If those difficult days at the beginning were for the sake of meeting Lin Shu, then he wouldn't feel bitter.

So he shook his head, his usually cold phoenix eyes softening with tenderness: "It's not bitter."

The husbands were about to ask more questions when Lin Shu, who had come out, interrupted them.

She nimbly boarded the carriage, her gaze sweeping around before settling on the gentle-looking Su Mu, and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"You're talking about how you used to bully us!" Su Mu joked, a rare occurrence for him.

Lin Shu also recalled the outrageous things the original owner of this body had done before she returned to it, and felt a little embarrassed, so she didn't dare to continue the conversation.

Feng Yu looked puzzled: "What bullying?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Shu turned her head and saw Su Mu suppressing a laugh, and she couldn't help but laugh herself: "Amu has even learned to tease me now!"

Xu Jingyun, Ji Heng, and Li Huanzhi were wondering what could have made Lin Shu feel so embarrassed.

To avoid bringing up the topic again, Lin Shu quickly changed the subject in a serious tone: "Let's rest in Dongshan Town tonight."

Fortunately, the yard I bought before is still there. Although it's not big, it's still manageable if we squeeze in.

Everyone has no objection.

Only Feng Yu weakly suggested, "Lin Shu, it's still early, I want to go and see the place where you used to live." Actually, she wanted to eat some black porridge.

Upon hearing this, the other husbands who had never been to Peach Blossom Village also became interested, and they all looked at Lin Shu with expectant eyes.

Helpless, Lin Shu thought that it wouldn't take long to get from Dongshan Town to Peach Blossom Village, so she nodded in agreement.

Along the way, the husbands were all very excited. Even the steady Li Huanzhi and the courteous Ji Heng couldn't help but take turns leaning out the window with the others, curiously gazing at the scenery outside.

Not long after leaving Dongshan Town, a wide road came into view.

The roadside was lined with peach trees. The peach blossoms had already faded, replaced by lush green leaves and many small, unripe fruits, swaying gently in the breeze, creating a beautiful pastoral scene.

None of them saw the ruins they had imagined; instead, the town looked even more prosperous than Dongshan Town.

After getting off the bus and walking for a while, Lin Shu discovered that the old, dilapidated houses were no longer there. Now, every house was neatly built, constructed of stone and wood, with sturdy beams and upturned eaves.

If you told me this was a village, who would believe it!

The husbands all looked like they'd been tricked, glaring at Lin Shu with reproach; all their earlier sympathy had been wasted...

Just then, a loud, middle-aged man's voice rang out, tinged with disbelief:

"Oh! Lin Shu?"

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