bullyxtreme Chapter 59 The Female Official Reboots
Chapter 59 The Female Official Reboots
September 25, Nanjing.
The smell of fresh lacquer lingered in the Wenhua Hall, mingling with the cool autumn morning air, making it somewhat pungent. Li Ce sat behind his desk, three documents spread out before him.
The ink on the far left was dry, and the edges of the paper were curled—it was sent from Juyong Pass ten days ago: "On the tenth day of the ninth month, the pass fell. Zhou Yuji led his remaining eight hundred soldiers in a street battle to the death, and died standing in front of the Guandi Temple. Of the five thousand defending troops, except for three hundred wounded soldiers who retreated first, the rest perished."
The thick cover in the middle is neatly inscribed with the title "Records of Candidates for Female Officials from Good Families in Yingtian Prefecture".
The one on the far right had just arrived and still smelled of horse sweat: "On September 20th, Dodo's 30,000 troops arrived in Jinan. Sun Chuanting retreated to Yanzhou, dismantled bridges and burned grain, and the Qing army's vanguard was trapped on the north bank of the Si River."
Li Ce stared at these three things for a long time, then reached out and pushed the battle report from Juyong Pass aside.
"Wang Chengen," he said, his voice hoarse.
"This old servant is here." The Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial bowed and stood below the steps, his eyes glancing at the battle report, cold sweat seeping from his back.
"When did the Empress arrive?"
"Your Majesty, we entered Chaoyang Gate at 3:45 PM yesterday. We were exhausted from the journey and rested at Kunning Palace this morning." Wang Chengen paused. "His Highness the Crown Prince arrived the day before yesterday. The Ministry of Rites is already preparing for the Regent Ceremony, which is scheduled for September 28th."
Li Ce nodded, his finger landing on the list of female officials: "The selection cannot wait. The Empress needs to rest, so let Ni Yuanlu handle it first. You are the Assistant Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs—Assistant, do you understand? It's to help, not to make the decisions."
Wang Chengen's Adam's apple bobbed: "Your Majesty, these six bureaus of female officials... were established during the reign of Emperor Hongwu, but they have been abandoned for over a hundred years. Now that they have been reopened, the Shanggong Bureau is in charge of documents and seals, and the Shangyi Bureau is in charge of etiquette and education. These are all important duties. If they are all handed over to women, there may be inconvenience in communication with the outer court and the transfer of documents."
"Inconvenient?" Li Ce looked up.
At just one glance, Wang Chengen's knees went weak.
"I'll give you two numbers." Li Ce tapped his finger on the table. "Last year, the Imperial Treasury's expenditure was 470,000 taels of silver, with 60% going to the eunuchs' monthly stipends, rewards, and meals. The Tongguan garrison is eight months behind on pay, and the Xuanfu soldiers are fighting on empty stomachs."
He paused. "Are you going to tell me it's 'inconvenient,' or 'shouldn't'?"
Wang Chengen knelt down, his forehead touching the ground: "This old servant... dares not."
"I dare not act rashly." Li Ce tossed the roster over. "The final examination begins tomorrow. Tell Ni Yuanlu to be the chief examiner, with Liu Rushi assisting. One hundred and eighty-four positions, to be selected within three days. I will personally review the candidates for the Shanggong and Shangyi Bureaus."
"Yes."
Wang Chengen's legs were trembling as he left with the roster in his arms.
Ni Yuanlu then emerged from behind the screen, holding another booklet in his hands: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has completed the third review of 321 people. They have been recommended by local officials, have impeccable family backgrounds, and have passed the preliminary examination. The final examination will be held tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM) in the old hall of the West Garden."
"Did Liu Rushi, whom Qian Qianyi recommended, pass the preliminary examination?"
"That's enough. This woman is well-versed in classics and history, skilled in poetry and prose, and also excels in mathematics." Ni Yuanlu paused, "but her background... after all, she's a concubine."
Li Ce pulled out a memorial from his desk—it was from Qian Qianyi. The handwriting was beautiful, the words were tactful, and the core message was just one sentence: Please give Liu Ru a chance.
The vermilion annotations had been written long ago, the ink completely dry:
"Approved. By special decree."
"Tell her," Li Ce threw the memorial back, "that I allowed her to take the exam not because of Qian Qianyi's influence. If she passes, she can earn her living through her own abilities; if she fails, she can go back to the Qian family as a concubine. The palace doesn't support idlers, much less those who live off a man's reputation."
Ni Yuanlu's heart skipped a beat: "Your subject understands."
Those dilapidated halls in the West Garden were abandoned after the Wanli reign.
Now the courtyard is cleared of weeds, the blue bricks swept clean, and thirty long tables are arranged neatly. On each table are writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, abacuses, white cloths, needles, thread, and scissors—everything is there. More than three hundred women stand in rows according to their place of origin, completely silent.
Liu Rushi stood on the steps, holding the register in her hand. Today she wore an indigo blue vest and a white silk skirt, her hair was simply styled with a plain silver hairpin.
"When I call your name, come forward to answer the call." Her voice was clear and carried far in the open courtyard. "After answering the call, take your number and sit down. The exam will begin at 7:00 AM. Latecomers will not be accepted."
Below, all was quiet, save for the rustling of autumn leaves in the wind.
Ni Yuanlu sat under the makeshift awning, a teacup in his hand, his eyes fixed on every face below. He was the chief examiner, but the emperor had said—to have Liu Rushi assist in the examination was to give her real power. How well this start went would determine whether the subsequent six examinations could be established.
"Chen Li family, Suzhou Prefecture."
A woman in her early thirties stepped forward, holding the hand of a girl who looked about five or six years old.
"Have you ever worked as a weaver?" Liu Rushi asked.
"I did it, I worked in a Suzhou weaving workshop for ten years." The woman's voice was very soft. "My husband died of illness last year, and I have a child, but no one wants to take him in."
Liu Rushi circled a name on the roster: "Go to the Jia-class seat. Child..." She looked at the girl, "There's a nanny watching over her behind the pavilion, and she'll provide lunch."
The woman froze, tears suddenly streaming down her face, and she grabbed the child, about to kneel down.
"Don't kneel," Liu Rushi helped her up. "Passing the exam is based on your own ability, and failing won't make you starve. Go on."
Within an hour, the distribution of the goods to more than 300 people was completed. At the exact hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the gong sounded three times.
First attempt at recognizing characters.
The examiner read a line from the Thousand Character Classic: "Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless." The candidates had to write it down from memory. Forty-seven candidates were eliminated in this test—most of them came from relatively well-off families but had little formal education.
Second Trial Calculation.
The questions were written on wooden signs and held up: "There is a bolt of silk, priced at six coins of silver. If fifteen bolts of silk are bought, how much silver is owed?" "There is thirty mu of land, each yielding two shi of rice. How much summer tax should be paid? (One-thirtieth tax)"
The abacus rattled for the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Another sixty-eight were swept away in this test.
The third test was on needlework.
Embroider a specific pattern on white cloth—a plum blossom, with the words "Braving the Cold" beside it. One hour is allotted.
When the sun reached its zenith, there were still 206 people left in the courtyard.
Ni Yuanlu stood up and walked to the steps.
"His Majesty's decree," he said in a clear voice, "is as follows: If you were in charge of a department, and one of your subordinates, recommended by a relative or nobleman, neglected his duties, how would you handle the situation? Answer in one hundred words, within the time limit of half an incense stick."
The women were stunned. This wasn't a test of skill, but a test of courage and social skills.
Half an incense stick later, the answer sheets were collected. Ni Yuanlu looked at them one by one, and pulled out the ones that seemed interesting.
One document reads: "Proceed according to the law. If the nobles inquire, reply: 'It's not that I'm intolerant, but the law is unforgiving. If Your Excellency finds this inappropriate, you may request an imperial decree to amend the law.'"
Another document was even more direct: "First, reprimand them, then fine them. If they repeatedly fail to correct their ways, request a transfer. The inner court is not a place for idleness; having received this order, I shall guard this gate for Your Majesty."
Ni Yuanlu nodded and pulled out the third portion.
The handwriting is neat and legible, just three lines:
"Official business shall be handled officially, and personal matters shall be settled privately. Those who neglect their duties shall be punished, regardless of their background. If relatives or nobles question me, I shall reply: 'When Your Excellency recommended this person, you surely hoped he would become a useful person, not a failure. My strict discipline is precisely to fulfill Your Excellency's good intention in recommending talent.'"
Signed: Liu Shi.
Ni Yuanlu handed this document to Liu Rushi.
After reading it, Liu Rushi smiled and said, "This is my answer."
"I know," Ni Yuanlu said, looking at her. "That's why His Majesty asked you to assist in the examination. Tomorrow is the second round of testing; you will be the main questioner, and I will be the observer."
In the workshops of Longjiang Pass, the furnaces burn day and night.
Song Yingxing squatted beside the anvil, staring at the iron ingot that had cracked into three pieces after cooling, his brows furrowed deeply. Bo Jue leaned closer to look, running his fingers over the cracks: "Too many impurities. The furnace temperature was high enough, but the ore was impure. During forging, the impurities broke off, and the iron cracked along with them."
"Should we switch to Fujian Railway?" Wang Zheng asked.
"The Fujian iron is too soft." Song Yingxing shook his head. "It's fine for making swords, but for cannon barrels, it deforms after just three shots."
The three remained silent. The only sounds in the shed were the whooshing of the blower and the distant clanging of forging.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Li Ce entered with two Imperial Guards, dressed in ordinary clothes with dust on his cuffs.
"Greetings, Your Majesty—"
"No need," Li Ce waved his hand, walked to the anvil, and asked, "What's this?"
"The gears of the new sight." Song Yingxing bowed. "We wanted to cast a set of fine iron gears to drive the dial, so that the gunner could adjust the firing angle according to the scale. But the gear teeth are fine, and if the iron is not pure, it will crack."
Li Ce picked up the blueprint and looked at it. The gears on the blueprint meshed, with clear markings, and a small note next to it read: "One turn of the gear raises the muzzle by one inch, increasing the range by ten paces."
"Good idea." He put down the blueprints. "But why insist on casting it as a single piece? Use wrought iron for the gear sprocket and steel for the central shaft, with mortise and tenon joints. Wrought iron is soft and easy to shape; steel is hard and has strong load-bearing capacity. Why not use the advantages of each?"
Bo Jue's eyes lit up.
Wang Zheng slapped his thigh: "It's recorded in 'Illustrated Explanation of Strange Western Instruments'! The gears of Western clocks are cast in separate parts and connected by pins! It's just that our craftsmen, in their pursuit of a single, unified design, have become trapped!"
"Then let's give it a try." Li Ce pulled out a list from his pocket. "This is a list I had the Ministry of Revenue look up, a directory of all the artisans in Nanjing, Suzhou, and Songjiang prefectures who can smelt refined iron. Whoever is needed, send them. What materials are needed, write it down and give it to Ni Yuanlu."
He paused, then looked at the three men: "Three months. In three months, I want to see a sight that can be mounted on the cannons of the Western Empire, so that even new recruits can fire accurately."
Song Yingxing solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, we will do our utmost."
Li Ce walked around the workshop. He watched the water hammer being tested—the gears broke; he looked at the new spinning wheel—the spool got stuck; he watched the flintlock musket being tested—three out of ten shots went silent.
It's flawed everywhere, and it's deadly in every way.
As he was leaving, he said to Song Yingxing, "I have read your book, *Tiangong Kaiwu*, three times. There is a sentence in it that I remember very well: 'All things in the world have their own principles. If you understand these principles, you can create the tools and implements.'"
Song Yingxing bowed: "Your Majesty flatters me."
"It's not an overstatement." Li Ce looked out at the rolling Yangtze River outside the workshop. "What the Ming Dynasty needs to create now is not just one or two powerful weapons, but a whole set of principles. Principles of weaving, principles of iron smelting, principles of warfare, principles of governing the country. Only when these principles are understood can the weapons be produced."
He smiled, a slightly bitter smile: "And this is harder than winning ten battles."
On the day the results of the imperial examinations were announced, the area in front of the screen wall was packed with people.
More than 3,000 candidates took the exam, but only 120 were accepted. When the results were posted, there was a chaotic scene of people crying, laughing, cursing, and making a scene.
"Chen Zizhuang! Chen Zizhuang from Guangdong has secured third place in the top division!"
"From a poor family! That's because they came from a poor family!"
"Even someone from a merchant family passed! The son of a Suzhou silk merchant, ranked second in the imperial examination!"
"Absurd! The social hierarchy is: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. How can a merchant be listed on the official register?!"
Several failed candidates began to stir up trouble: "The imperial court is destroying the millennia-old system of civil service examinations! They value merchants over scholars, and the moral order is collapsing!"
A stir ran through the crowd. Just then, a young man in a blue robe pushed his way to the front of the list, examined it carefully for a long time, and suddenly exclaimed, "I think this list is excellent!"
Everyone was looking at him. He was twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a thin face and piercing eyes.
"Who are you?" the old man asked angrily.
"Gu Yanwu of Kunshan," the young man said, bowing. "I, too, failed this imperial examination. But look at the list—it includes people who are well-versed in mathematics, maritime affairs, and agricultural administration—these are the people the nation truly needs! If we continue to select those pedantic scholars who only know the eight-legged essay and have no idea where millet comes from, the Ming Dynasty will truly perish!"
"Arrogant! You read the classics, yet you advocate for merchants?"
"The classics teach how to govern the country and bring peace to the world!" Gu Yanwu's voice rose even louder. "Guanzi said, 'When the granaries are full, people know etiquette.' What use is empty talk of benevolence and righteousness when the people can't even get enough to eat? The current emperor is selecting practical officials precisely to fill the granaries and enrich the people. This is true benevolence and righteousness!"
The two sides argued so fiercely they almost came to blows. The guards from the examination hall rushed in to break up the fight.
On the second floor of a teahouse not far away, Li Ce looked out the window.
"Is that Gu Yanwu?" he asked Zhang Jiayu behind him.
"Yes. His essay, 'On the Substitution of Military Farms and the Grand Canal,' was quite insightful, but its writing style was too intense, and the examiners did not accept it."
Li Ce nodded, his gaze shifting to the street corner—another young man, around twenty years old, was silently copying down names from the list.
"Who is that?"
"Huang Zongxi of Yuyao. His father, Huang Zunsu, was a member of the Donglin Party during the Tianqi reign and was killed by Wei Zhongxian. He studied in Nanjing but never took the imperial examinations, though he often participated in scholarly discussions."
Li Ce was silent for a moment: "Make a note of these two people. Do not take them into the imperial examinations; I have other plans for them."
September 28th, Fengtian Hall.
The ceremony for the Crown Prince to oversee the state was simple. There were no resounding bells and drums, no officials paying homage, only an incense table set up in front of the Fengtian Hall, where Li Ce led Zhu Cilang in offering sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and their ancestors.
The sixteen-year-old crown prince, dressed in an apricot-yellow dragon robe, knelt before the incense table, his back ramrod straight. Li Ce stood behind him, looking at his son's thin shoulders, and suddenly recalled how he himself had been when he ascended the throne in the first year of Chongzhen's reign—he was also this age, also this bewildered, only without such a heavy burden on his shoulders.
"Cilang," he said softly.
"Your subject is here."
"From this day forward, you are the Crown Prince Regent of the Ming Dynasty. The title 'Regent' carries immense weight. Every decree you issue concerns the lives of millions. Are you afraid?"
Zhu Cilang was silent for a moment: "I am afraid. But I am even more afraid of failing my father and the people."
"Okay." Li Ce patted his shoulder. "Remember this. No matter what difficulties you encounter in the future, think about today, think about why you are sitting here."
After the ceremony, the officials dispersed. Li Ce led Zhu Cilang back to the Wenhua Hall, where several people were already waiting: Sun Chuanting, Li Ruolian, Ni Yuanlu, and Shi Kefa.
The sand table stretches from Xuzhou to Beijing, depicting mountains, rivers, and cities in meticulous detail.
"How do we proceed on the Northern Expedition?" Li Ce asked.
Sun Chuanting pointed to the sand table: "Three routes. The eastern route goes by sea, with Zheng Sen's navy landing in Liaodong to contain the Qing army's rear; the central route goes out from Xuzhou and heads north along the Grand Canal, which is the choke point; the western route goes out from Xiangyang and attacks from the south of the Yellow River."
"troops?"
"We need 80,000 elite troops for the central route, 20,000 naval troops for the eastern route, and 30,000 for the western route." Sun Chuanting paused, "But the key is not the number of troops, but three things: firearms, supply lines, and the hearts and minds of the people."
Li Ruolian continued, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard spies have already infiltrated Beizhili and Shandong. The main force of the Qing army is pursuing and suppressing the remnants of Li Zicheng's forces in Shanxi, while the rebel armies in Shandong are rising up in droves and can be used by us."
"What about the grain supply route?" Li Ce asked Ni Yuanlu.
Ni Yuanlu unfolded the account book: "There are two million shi of grain in reserve, enough to supply an army of one hundred thousand for half a year. I propose to establish 'military grain silver notes,' which soldiers can use to redeem grain at official granaries along the way, thus eliminating the burden of baggage trains."
"ordnance?"
Shi Kefa replied, "Longjiang Pass produces 600 qualified flintlock muskets, four Hongyi cannons, and 20 Huzu cannons per month. Song Yingxing said that the new aiming device can be tested next month."
Li Ce remained silent, his fingers moving from Nanjing to Xuzhou, to Kaifeng, and then to Beijing.
"Where does the Qing army have an advantage?" he suddenly asked.
Sun Chuanting's voice deepened: "Cavalry. The Eight Banners cavalry are swift as the wind. If our army doesn't have wagon formations and trenches, we will be no match for them in open battle. Secondly, the heavy infantry (Bayala), with three layers of heavy armor, are difficult to penetrate by muskets from thirty paces away. Thirdly, the shield wagon siege tactics; that's how Juyong Pass was breached."
"Our military has an advantage?"
"Firearms," Sun Chuanting said without hesitation, "especially artillery. Although the Qing army has cannons, they are few in number and their operators are not skilled. If our army concentrates its artillery, it can suppress cavalry in field battles and break through shield carts when attacking cities."
Li Ce nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "Then let's use this strategy: build strong fortifications and fight a protracted war. Don't be greedy for merit, and don't fight recklessly. One camp per step, advance step by step. Use artillery to pave the way, and use fortifications to hold the line. The Northern Expedition is not about rushing, it's about pushing back the Ming Dynasty's soil, inch by inch."
He paused. "Time?"
Sun Chuanting and Li Ruolian exchanged a glance and said in unison:
"This winter, we will prepare food supplies, train troops, and manufacture weapons."
"We will set off in March next spring."
Li Ce walked to the palace door and pushed it open. The night wind rushed in, and the candlelight flickered wildly.
Outside, the sky is filled with stars, and the Milky Way stretches like a ribbon.
"Then next March." He looked north, his voice soft but resolute:
"Tell the soldiers, and tell the world—"
"Da Ming, it's time to go home."
In Kunning Palace, Empress Zhou had just finished drinking a bowl of ginseng soup.
Her face was still somewhat pale; twenty days of bumpy travel would be unbearable for anyone. Just as the palace maid was about to clear away the dishes, footsteps sounded outside.
Liu Rushi entered, holding a roster in her hands.
"Your Majesty, the results of the final examination for female officials are in." She knelt and bowed. "One hundred and eighty-four people, the list is here."
Empress Zhou took the book and turned the pages one by one. Each page contained a name, place of origin, family background, examination results, and finally, the proposed position. When she turned to the page for the Shanggong Bureau, she stopped.
"This Chen Lishi comes from a family of weavers in Suzhou. She excels in mathematics and is a first-rate needleworker." She looked up at Liu Rushi. "You want to appoint her as the head of the Shanggong Bureau?"
"Yes," Liu Rushi said calmly. "The Shanggong Bureau is in charge of documents, seals, and the inner treasury accounts. They need to be proficient in mathematics and have meticulous attention to detail. Chen Lishi worked in the Suzhou weaving workshop for ten years, managing a group of thirty people, and never made a mistake in the accounts. Moreover, her husband passed away, and she raised her young daughter alone. She has a strong character and cannot be easily bribed."
Empress Zhou stared at her for a long while: "And what about you? You came in first place, why didn't you recommend yourself to the Imperial Household Department?"
"I am skilled in writing, but I am even more adept at dealing with people," Liu Rushi smiled slightly. "The Bureau of Ceremonies is in charge of etiquette and education, as well as internal and external communications, which requires the ability to mediate. The people I have met and the things I have experienced during my years in the Qian family will come in handy."
Did Qian Qianyi know you were going to the palace?
"I know." Liu Rushi paused. "He said it was my good fortune."
Empress Zhou nodded and closed the register: "Then it's settled. Starting tomorrow, the female officials of the Six Bureaus will officially begin their duties. Tell them—there are strict rules in the palace, but rules are rigid, while people are flexible. As long as they do their duty and get things done, I will not mistreat them."
"Yes."
After Liu Rushi left, Empress Zhou walked to the window. Night had fallen, and the lights of Nanjing were twinkling.
She recalled the night she left Beijing, under a starry sky just like this. Only then, she was surrounded by ruins, while now she was surrounded by brand-new palace walls.
"Your Majesty," she murmured to herself, "I... have carried out the task you entrusted to me."
The autumn wind outside the window is bleak, sweeping away a few sycamore leaves.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on the Bohai Sea, Zheng Sen stood at the bow of the "Jinghai" ship, gazing at the scattered lights in the darkness to the north—those were the Qing army's grain transport fleet, slowly heading south.
He gripped the knife hilt tightly.
This winter will be very cold.
But even the coldest winter can't freeze a person who wants to live to death.