northernbook Chapter 487 Lü Zhi's Letter
Chapter 487 Lü Zhi's Letter
“But I’m afraid I won’t do it well…” she murmured at the time.
"Don't be afraid of anything, there's the Ministry of Rites and Literature. If all else fails, you can come to me." Ying Wuyou patted her hand with a smile. "Just like when I proposed the imperial examination system, no one had ever done it before, right? As long as you have justice in your heart and a sense of proportion in your writing, there's nothing you can't accomplish."
At this moment, Lü Zhi gazed at the scoring criteria personally annotated by Ying Wuyou on the table; the vermilion handwriting seemed to still carry warmth. She knew she could not betray this trust. Suddenly, she recalled how her father had taught her to read and write when she was young; she never imagined that many years later, she would actually have the opportunity to put her skills to use.
The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from outside the window; it was already past midnight. Lü Zhi sat down again, unfolded a blank sheet of paper, and began to draft an outline for tomorrow's meeting with the Ministry of Rites. She wanted to thoroughly implement Ying Wuyou's principle of "appointing people based solely on their talent, regardless of their background," and also add practical questions to test the candidates' abilities in handling finances, grain, and criminal matters. The candlelight cast interplay of light and shadow on her face as her pen moved swiftly across the paper, gradually sketching out words.
Just before dawn, Chunhua was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door. Opening it, she saw a clerk from the Ministry of Rites standing outside, sweating profusely. "Is Miss Lü there? Princess Jiayang has arrived at the Ministry of Rites and is waiting to discuss the imperial examinations!"
Hearing the sound, Lü Zhi came out of the house, still wearing the ruqun from last night, her hair casually tied up, but she couldn't hide the gleam in her eyes: "Prepare the carriage, I'll go right away." She turned around, put the documents she had organized on the table into a wooden box, and got into the carriage.
The carriage swayed and rattled along the wide streets of Xianyang, the creaking of the wheels against the stone pavement, accompanied by the occasional shouts of the driver, weaving together a unique symphony.
Empress Lü sat quietly in the carriage, gazing through the window at the bustling crowds on the street. She saw vendors carrying vegetables, students with their books on their backs, and merchants coming and going; everyone was busy with their own lives.
A surge of pride welled up within Lü Zhi. She couldn't help but think, "In this world, women truly can hold up half the sky! In this era of male supremacy, I, Lü Zhi, have managed to distinguish myself in the bustling city of Xianyang through my wisdom and courage." Lü Zhi's heart was filled with excitement.
She lowered the car window curtain, closed her eyes, and began to calm herself. She took a deep breath to calm her mind, then slowly opened her eyes, which shone with confidence and determination.
Today she was going to see Ying Wuyou, the woman she deeply respected. She wanted to face her in her best condition and discuss the imperial examinations with the officials of the Ministry of Rites. This was not only related to her own future, but also to the future of all the talented men in the land.
Outside the car window, the people were still busy, their figures gradually blurring in Lü Zhi's eyes, but leaving a deep impression on her heart.
The mornings in Pei County are always damp and misty, especially in summer. At the crack of dawn, a thin layer of dew condenses on the windowpanes. In the main hall of the Lü residence, the celadon bowls on the octagonal table still retain warmth. Uncle Lü puts down his bamboo chopsticks and takes a handkerchief from a maid to wipe his mouth. A bowl of millet porridge, two dishes of pickled vegetables, and half a wheat cake—this is the breakfast he's eaten for most of his life, simple, yet comforting.
"Master, the gatekeeper reports that there is a letter for you from Xianyang," the steward's voice rang out at the door, tinged with a hint of caution.
Lu Bo grunted in response, without even lifting his eyelids. Although the Lu family of Pei County was a prominent local clan, they didn't correspond frequently, especially with those in Xianyang. Just as he was wondering whose letter it was, a servant boy rushed in carrying an envelope.
"Do you know who sent the letter?" Uncle Lü asked.
The servant bowed his head and presented the envelope with both hands: "Reporting to Master, this letter... is... is from the young lady's side."
"Zhi'er?" Uncle Lü paused. He looked up at the servant and saw that the servant's forehead was still sweaty, obviously he had run all the way here. He took the envelope, it was slightly heavy in his hand, and there was an unfamiliar red seal on the seal, not the mark of any merchant or government office that he was familiar with.
His fingertips traced the rough paper seal, Lü Bo's movements unhurried. Having lived most of his life and experienced much, he had long since developed a composure that remained unchanged even in the face of a collapsing mountain. He tore off the sealing wax, pulled out the paper inside, and unfolded it. The edges of the pages were somewhat worn from the long journey, but the handwriting was sharp and vigorous, carrying an indescribable heroic spirit—it was Lü Zhi's handwriting, which he recognized.
The first few sentences were nothing more than greetings, saying that she was doing well in Xianyang and that her father need not worry. Lu Bo read them word by word, but his brows gradually furrowed. He knew this eldest daughter too well; she had never been the type to say "I'm fine" since she was little. If she said she was fine, it meant that she was hiding something.
When he saw the line in the letter, "This year, the Great Qin has ordered his daughter to participate in the spring examination. There are many trivial matters to attend to, and I am afraid it will be difficult for her to return home," Lu Bo's hand holding the letter suddenly stopped, and his knuckles turned white from gripping it so tightly.
"She...participated in the Qin Dynasty's imperial examination?" he murmured to himself, his voice so low it seemed only he could hear it. This news was utterly incomprehensible to him, completely unacceptable.
The imperial examinations of the Qin Dynasty were a matter of great importance, concerning the future of the nation! The King of Qin had always been ambitious, aiming to unify the world, and the imperial examinations were one of his key means to achieve this goal. Every year, the imperial examinations attracted much attention, with countless talented men and women eager to showcase their abilities, enter officialdom, and contribute to the prosperity of the Qin Dynasty.
However, Princess Jiayang personally presided over the imperial examinations last year, so why would she allow Empress Lü to participate this year? This is utterly incomprehensible! Leaving aside the fact that Lü Zhi was a woman, in this patriarchal era, women participating in the imperial examinations was extremely rare. More importantly, Lü Zhi was not a Qin native; she was alone in Qin, without any official position or background. What qualifications did she have to participate in such an important examination?
An indescribable emotion welled up in his heart—surprise, doubt, and a hint of barely concealed joy. That was his daughter, Lü Zhi, whom he had watched grow up. To have reached this point was something no ordinary woman could achieve. Lü Bo's fingertips traced the four characters "participating in the imperial examination," his fingertips feeling the slight bulge of the paper due to the heavy ink. His heart felt as if it had been struck by something.
He recalled that when Lü Zhi was a child, while other girls were learning needlework and drawing flowers, she was engrossed in reading his collection of "The Book of Lord Shang".
But this joy was quickly overshadowed by a deeper sense of unease. Lu Bo slammed the letter on the table with a soft "thud," startling the maids outside the door who shrank back.
"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!" he hissed, his chest heaving with anger.