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

In early July, the opium case came to a close.

At the gate of Mengzhou Prefecture.

"Lin Shu, then I'll be leaving now. I'll wait for you in the capital. When I return, I will definitely report to the Empress Dowager and acknowledge your merit." Feng Zhao and Xiao Zhuqing were about to set off for the capital today, and Lin Shu saw them off at the city gate.

"Yes. Thank you, Your Highness. Take care." Lin Shu nodded.

"Hey! You're not calling me Guardian Xiao anymore, and I'm still a little unaccustomed to it. We've been through thick and thin together, so from now on we'll call each other sisters." Feng Zhao looked at Lin Shu with a displeased expression.

Seeing that the other person's expression didn't seem like a joke, Lin Shu had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Xiao Zhuqing, who was stroking the horse's mane, walked over and patted Lin Shu's shoulder, saying, "You're a good young lady. How about you come with me to the military camp for some training?"

Feng Zhao quickly grabbed his aunt, waved goodbye to Lin Shu, and then mounted his horse. Watching the departing procession, he could still hear the conversation between Feng Zhao and Lin Shu in the distance...

……

Unbeknownst to Lin Shu, another huge uproar was about to erupt in the capital because of her...

The Imperial Garden in Beijing.

Because of the Crown Princess's meritorious service in handling the case, the Empress specially arranged a celebration banquet in the Imperial Garden, where officials of the third rank and their spouses were allowed to attend.

After several rounds of drinks, the Empress spoke, recounting the merits and awarding prizes:

"The Crown Princess has done a commendable job in solving this case and deserves a reward!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Zhao quickly rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you, but this was not solely my doing! General Xiao and... the final method of destroying the opium was also Lin Shu's idea..."

Then Feng Zhao recounted the whole story.

"Hahaha! It's Lin Shu again? I'm getting more and more curious about her!" The Empress was in a great mood, and even the wrinkles between her brows seemed to have smoothed out a bit.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have heard that the previous dynasty destroyed hemp by burning it, and the smoke caused people and animals within a hundred miles to go insane. This Lin Shu is truly an extraordinary person, to be able to think of such a method..." The old Grand Tutor also expressed his admiration for Lin Shu.

As soon as she finished speaking, Her Majesty the Empress's voice came again: "The autumn examination is approaching, and the spring examination next year should also be prepared in advance. Zhao'er does things very well to my liking, so let Zhao'er take charge of the spring examination next February."

Upon hearing this, the Third Princess Feng Qing gritted her teeth and gave her people a meaningful look. It wasn't enough that the Six Ministries had already gained three; was the Ministry of Personnel also going to be taken away?

“Your Majesty, this action is probably inappropriate…” Upon receiving the look, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review quickly stepped forward to speak.

"Oh? Then who does Minister Shen think is suitable?" The Empress narrowed her eyes, speaking to Minister Shen, but her gaze was fixed on the Third Princess, Feng Qing.

"I don't dare."

"Humph!"

……

A residence near the Imperial Palace in Beijing.

"Useless! Have all the people I planted in Mengzhou Prefecture been wiped out like this?" A woman's sinister voice rang out.

The person reporting on the ground knelt, trembling, terrified of being implicated...

"Lin Shu? The Crown Princess? Very well! We'll see... Guards, what results have you found from the investigation I asked you to conduct before?"

"Your Highness, Lin Shu has a troubled past and was disliked by her mother, Lin Dafeng, from a young age... She also has a close friend named Li Yun'er, who is..."

"Oh? Send someone to bring Lin Dafeng to the capital... Also, my close friend Li Yun'er, ha..." As the woman's sinister voice fell, a chrysanthemum on the table by the window was ruthlessly snapped off...

……

Mengzhou Prefecture, Lin Family.

Su Mu was almost five months pregnant, and his body was becoming increasingly cumbersome. Lin Shu felt a little alarmed every time she saw him with his big belly.

Just as Lin Shu was taking Song Yun and helping Su Mu for a walk, Li Yun'er arrived.

Li Yun'er had not been to the academy for several days. She had gone to the mansion to check on her and was told that she had returned to Yun County.

Looking at Li Yun'er standing in front of me now, I feel that she has changed. She seems more mature and thinner, but she is not as lively and cute as before.

"Sister, I've come to say goodbye." After Lin Shu escorted Su Mu and the other person to the inner room and returned to the courtyard, Li Yun'er finally spoke.

"Where are you going? Do you know that the autumn imperial examinations are next month?" Lin Shu asked, puzzled.

"Going to the capital. You know I'm not cut out for studying. I'm already incredibly lucky to have passed the exams, so I don't want to take them anymore," Li Yun'er said frankly.

When are you leaving?

"I've come today to say goodbye, as I must depart immediately. You're getting married to my brother next month, and I'm afraid I won't be able to come!" Li Yun'er said, a hint of apology on her face.

"It's alright. There are many powerful and influential people in the capital, so please take care!" Lin Shu patted Li Yun'er on the shoulder.

Li Yun'er: "Okay, take good care of my brother!"

"Yes, I will." Lin Shu nodded in agreement.

……

Watching Li Yun'er's departing figure, Lin Shu felt a pang of melancholy.

"What is my wife looking at?" Su Mu came out of the house, supporting his belly, and saw Lin Shu staring blankly in the direction of the courtyard gate.

Lin Shu shook her head, then pulled Su Mu back into the house.

……

The days passed like this.

Wushuang Pavilion gradually developed, and during this period, Lin Shu also improved the existing printing technique—movable type printing, which greatly increased the printing speed. Newspapers gradually became popular in more than ten prefectures of Fengming Kingdom.

Even Song Yun often complained that the newspaper only published two pages a month, which was simply not enough to read...

The young men in the capital and the imperial consorts in the harem mostly shared the same idea; every month when Wushuang Pavilion released a new newspaper, it would be snapped up in no time.

As a result, Lin Shu made a fortune.

……

August is a month of clear skies and crisp autumn air.

The provincial examination (autumn examination).

The provincial examinations were conducted by Hanlin scholars and Grand Secretaries selected by the imperial court to serve as chief and deputy examiners in various provinces. The examinations mainly tested knowledge of the Four Books, the Five Classics, policy questions, and the eight-legged essay.

The exam is divided into three sessions, each lasting three days. Students need to enter the exam venue one day in advance for all three sessions, namely the 8th, 11th, and 14th of the month, and leave the venue the day after the exam.

If the county, prefectural, and provincial examinations used to be crowded, then the current provincial examination can be described as overcrowded.

Scholars from all districts under Mengzhou Prefecture, including those who had passed the imperial examinations, those who had received official appointments, and those who had passed the annual examinations, gathered together. Not only inns, but even some restaurants and taverns cleaned up their woodsheds to attract customers.

Some students and talented women would go on spring outings together, learning from the nobles how to organize elegant poetry gatherings, such as the "winding stream party".

Lin Shu and Chen Jin also attended a few poetry gatherings a few days ago, just to join in the fun and listen to a lot of the promising students preparing for the college entrance exams...

Perhaps finding it uninteresting, the two later refused to go again.

The provincial examination began on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month.

In addition to Du Ziqi, the guarantor for this case also included a teacher from Shangyang Academy.

The process was similar to the imperial examination. After verifying her identity, Lin Shu was led to a separate examination room, and the door was locked from the outside. It seemed that she would have to take care of all her needs, including eating, drinking, and relieving herself, in this small cell for the next few days...

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