My Cold-Hearted Wife Chapter 76

The weather finally began to warm up in March, which was wonderful news for all the examination candidates.

Candidates were forbidden from wearing padded jackets during the exams, for fear they might conceal cheat sheets in the lining. Those from wealthy families had nothing to worry about; they could simply wear fur robes. But for the poor, who had no padded clothing to keep them warm, enduring the cold would be unbearable.

Thus, not a single candidate failed to appreciate the emperor’s decision to postpone the examinations.

Before dawn, the candidates were already carrying their examination baskets into the examination compound. Each examination session lasted three days and two nights, with candidates required to eat and sleep in tiny individual cells. Each cell was two meters high, 1.3 meters deep, and one meter wide. They were even smaller than those little office cubicles that looked like pigeonholes.

Worst of all, some cells were situated right next to the public latrines.

Ancient public latrines…

Ahem. Fortunately, Xie Xuanying was unlikely to suffer such terrible luck. The moment he entered the examination compound, the attendants responsible for searching candidates did not dare lay a hand on him during the inspection. They merely went through the motions, taking a good look at the handsome young man before eagerly offering to carry his basket for him.

“Young Master Xie, this way, please.”

The other candidates barely reacted. They simply stared at him in a daze, and even after he disappeared from sight, they still seemed a little lost.

The cell assigned to Xie Xuanying had been hastily repaired after the disaster in February. The roof tiles were brand-new and gleamed brightly, ensuring that not a drop of rain would leak through. The walls had been freshly whitewashed, and lime had been scattered about to drive away insects.

Yet once he sat down and looked up at the ceiling, which he could touch simply by reaching out, he still let out a long sigh.

Well, he was here now. He might as well do his best and get the exams over with.

The First Examination: Classics and Their Meaning

The questions were somewhat challenging. As Xie Xuanying pondered his answers, he absently rubbed the incense pendant in his hand.

Zhaoqing Xiangong Incense.

It had originally sat on his teacher’s desk. Xie Xuanying had pretended not to notice how poor the incense was, picked it up to fiddle with, and then slipped it into his robes as naturally as could be when he left. After all, as long as his teacher did not call him out on it, he could consider it a gift.

A student taking things from his teacher was only natural.

A faintly bitter fragrance spread through the tiny examination cell, bringing a sense of calm and pleasure.

Xie Xuanying’s lips curved into a smile.

Spring was in full bloom.

The candidates in the row of cells opposite him: “…”

They silently raised their sleeves and hastily wiped their faces.

What a cruel twist of fate! They had studied diligently by lamplight for ten long years, all in the hope of earning a place on the imperial examination rolls. Yet just as Heaven was about to entrust them with great responsibilities, it had seen fit to place an absolute beauty directly opposite them, testing the limits of their self-control.

How difficult! Far too difficult!

They had thought nothing could be worse than a cell beside the stinking latrines. Now they knew better.

There was such a thing as a beauty cell!

After playing with his incense pendant for a while, Xie Xuanying finally ground his ink and began writing his answers. At noon, he opened his food box and heated his meal over a small tea stove. The compartmentalized food container was made of brass and could be placed directly on the stove.

Three dishes and a soup, along with two kinds of pastries. Everything had been prepared in advance and consisted of steamed dishes and steamed treats.

The taste was thoroughly unremarkable.

In the neighboring cell, a candidate gnawed on a steamed bun and swallowed hard.

In the afternoon, Xie Xuanying continued working on his answers.

At one point, he went to the lavatory. An attendant escorted him to the facilities reserved for the chief examiners. They were clean and odorless, and someone even brought him hot water to wash his hands.

Before he knew it, dusk had fallen, and an attendant arrived to distribute candles.

Xie Xuanying finished copying out his answers and went straight to sleep.

He had brought a fur-lined robe, which he spread over the wooden plank to serve as a mattress, and used his cloak as a blanket. Since he had gone to bed early, he managed to get a solid hour and a half of sleep. After that, however, things went downhill.

The examination compound housed over a thousand people, and there was absolutely no soundproofing. It was a complete disaster.

Xie Xuanying had never realized just how many people could snore, nor that some people talked in their sleep.

On the second day, he continued answering the questions.

With no psychological burdens weighing on him and years of reading behind him since childhood, he found it easy to write his essays.

He had to produce three essays on the Four Books and four on the Five Classics, and he had already completed most of them.

Then he went another night without sleep.

Lying on his side facing the wall, he pressed the incense pendant against his temple and, in the meantime, finished working out his ideas for the final question, which concerned the Book of Songs.

As soon as day broke, he got up and immediately began writing.

He copied out his answers and submitted his papers.

The first examination was over. Although he was not allowed to leave the examination compound, he could at least take a little rest.

An attendant led him to a quiet room and let him sleep for the entire afternoon. They were even considerate enough to bring him hot water so he could wash his face and brush his teeth, and rinse his mouth after eating.

On the twelfth of March, he sat the second examination, which followed the same procedure as the first.

This time, the questions concerned official documents such as imperial edicts, proclamations, and memorials – in essence, practical writing.

Having spent his childhood at the emperor’s side, Xie Xuanying was thoroughly familiar with this sort of thing. He could write them with his eyes closed.

March 15. The third examination: policy essays.

The subject changed every year. Sometimes the questions concerned current affairs, such as whether a particular policy was beneficial; other times, they focused on the political situation, such as what one thought of the Oirat Mongols to the north.

This year’s question concerned the strengths and weaknesses of the military system.

For a brief moment, Xie Xuanying suspected that the emperor had somehow leaked the examination question to him.

Of course, that was impossible. The chief examiners were responsible for setting the questions, and they had been confined to the examination compound several days in advance. They would not prepare the examination papers until the day before the exams began, and they could not leave until the entire spring examination was over. Besides, the emperor had raised the subject of the system back in October of the previous year, while the chief examiners had not been appointed until late February this year.

The only reasonable conclusion was that the proposed reform of the system had either been pushed forward by court officials or that the examiners had sensed which way the political winds were blowing.

Either way, he would simply have to answer the question as best he could.

His brush flew across the paper. He could hardly wait for the examination to end.

Nine whole days!

The candidates opposite him kept glancing his way.

Ah, is the beauty struggling with the questions? He hasn’t smiled once during this examination.

On March 16, the examination was finally over, and he returned home.

He bathed and went straight to sleep.

Meanwhile, a rumor began circulating among the examination candidates in the capital.

There is a beauty among us, a woman disguised as a man who sat the examinations in her elder brother’s place. That explains why no one had ever heard of such a person before. And now that the examinations are over, he has vanished without a trace. Who knows which distinguished family this talented young lady belongs to? The mystery is positively enchanting.

On the seventeenth, Xie Xuanying’s examination papers were delivered to the chief examiners.

Although all the papers were anonymized and the examiners only received copied versions, his papers had been placed right at the top from the very beginning.

One of the assistant examiners knew exactly what was going on. After reading the papers, he found that they were genuinely excellent and immediately picked up his brush to write a glowing appraisal.

The papers were then passed on to the chief examiner.

The essays on the Classics were solidly grounded, substantive, and clearly structured. They also unmistakably belonged to the School of Pure Sincerity. The official documents were exemplary models of their kind, while the policy essay was equally impressive, presenting its arguments methodically and analyzing the issues with penetrating insight.

Even a Hanlin academic from the School of Principle could not help admitting, “Even if these essays had not been written by Young Master Xie, they would still have earned their author a place on the examination rolls.”

In short, passing him would leave them with a clear conscience. It could hardly be considered cheating.

The rest of the marking proceeded without incident. The examiners focused primarily on the essays on the Classics; the other two sections only needed to be reasonably good.

The only point of contention was the selection of the Five Classics Laureates.

These were the candidates who came first in each of the five Classics categories. To make an imperfect comparison, the Four Books were like the core school subjects of language, mathematics, and foreign languages, while the Five Classics were like politics, history, geography, biology, chemistry, and physics. Each subject had its own top candidate.

Xie Xuanying had studied the Book of Songs, and one of the assistant examiners hoped to award him first place in that category.

The chief examiner was somewhat hesitant. Xie Xuanying’s answers had been deeply influenced by the School of Mind. He had challenged the interpretation of “Guan Ju” as an expression of the virtue of an empress, citing Confucius’s statement that the Book of Songs was free from depraved thoughts. He argued that when the feelings between a man and a woman arose sincerely from the heart and accorded with human relationships, they were already free from depravity. To insist that such feelings must demonstrate virtuous conduct was, in fact, neither sincere nor authentic.

This was a quintessential argument of the School of Innate Authenticity, a hallmark of Li Wu’s philosophy. Within the School of Mind, it was even considered a radical position.

The examiners from the School of Principle would certainly disagree. They considered such views the impetuous idealism of youth and preferred to select someone with a more measured outlook.

The other assistant examiners agreed. After all, awarding him the distinction might invite criticism, whereas withholding it could hardly be faulted.

As for the other chief examiner, he simply refused to get involved.

What was there to argue about? What difference did it make whether Xie Xuanying became a Five Classics Laureate or not? As long as Young Master Xie made the list of successful candidates, after the palace examination he’d be either the top scholar or the third-place graduate anyway.

On the twenty-eighth of March, the examination results were announced.

An attendant set off for the Xie residence, beating a gong and drum to announce the good news. However, Xie Xuanying was not at home.

He had gone to the palace.

By then, more than a month had passed since Cheng Danruo had entered the palace.

In other words, he had not seen her for a long time. His eagerness to get to work was naturally motivated, at least in part, by the hope of finding an opportunity to see her.

Half a month into her new post, Cheng Danruo had already achieved remarkable results.

To begin with, of the six patients at the Inner Hall of Peace and Joy, one had died a tragic death on the very day she arrived, one was too old to walk, and the cause of the third patient’s vomiting blood remained unclear, so they were still taking medicine. The other three had improved to varying degrees: two had recovered completely, while the third was getting better.

Within a few days, the patient suffering from diarrhea was confirmed to have nothing more serious than gastroenteritis and recovered as well.

The mortality rate had dropped noticeably. Moreover, palace maids tended to know one another, and word soon spread that the newly arrived female medical officer genuinely knew how to treat illnesses.

In a palace as vast as this one, with tens of thousands of palace maids, who among them did not suffer from some minor ailment or another?

Gradually, the Hall of Peace and Joy was no longer deserted. Small groups of palace maids began arriving regularly, asking for medical consultations.

Some had colds, some suffered from diarrhea, some had sprained limbs, and others experienced irregular menstruation.

Cheng Danruo turned none of them away.

The consultation fee was one qian.

To be honest, this was rather expensive by modern standards. A low-ranking palace maid earned roughly three qian a month, while those in slightly better positions might receive between five qian and one tael of silver. However, the palace treasury covered their food and accommodation, so most could save a little money and afford the fee.

As for the cost of medicine, she did not charge them a single coin. She simply told them to find someone to purchase it themselves.

Since these patients were not admitted to the Hall of Peace and Joy, their expenses could not be entered into its accounts, and the money went directly into the pockets of the Dispensary Office. The Medicine Manager was quite accommodating, and whenever Cheng Danruo prescribed medicine, she received a fifteen per cent kickback.

Just like the earlier “perks” she had received, Cheng Danruo accepted this money as well. She recorded every transaction and set the funds aside as a reserve to help subsidize treatment. Whenever someone was short of money, she would cover the cost herself, without worrying about whether they paid her back.

Because she knew how to conduct herself, genuinely possessed medical skills, and had powerful backing, her career progressed a little further with each passing day.

Although the palace maids were unwilling to remain at the Hall of Peace and Joy while recovering, they all had their own duties to attend to. Some shared living quarters with others, while some had to serve their mistresses. Preparing medicinal decoctions was inconvenient, so they began asking to use the Hall of Peace and Joy’s stove.

Cheng Danruo agreed and assigned two eunuchs to take charge of boiling the medicine, allowing them to earn a little extra money.

With people coming and going like this, casual greetings and conversations were inevitable.

Cheng Danruo deliberately maintained a doctor’s air of authority and therefore did not chat or joke with the palace maids herself, though she allowed Ji Qiu to converse with them.

She listened from the side and gradually gathered a wealth of scattered information.

For instance, that very day, a palace maid from the Bureau of Ceremonies was suffering from menstrual cramps. While waiting for her medicine to finish boiling, she remarked to Ji Qiu, “Records Supervisor Wang has been transferred to Xiefang Palace. She’s already become one of the princess’s favorites.”

Cheng Danruo raised an eyebrow slightly.

Ji Qiu asked, “What happened?”

Life in the palace was dull, and gossip was its greatest source of entertainment.

The palace maid explained, “Yesterday or the day before, the princess was studying and came across something she couldn’t understand. As it happened, Records Supervisor Wang arrived to deliver some books to her and answered all her questions with ease. The princess admired her learning and specifically petitioned His Majesty to allow Records Supervisor Wang to accompany her in her studies.”

“His Majesty agreed?”

“Of course.” The palace maid could not hide her envy. “No wonder everyone says Records Supervisor Wang is a woman of great talent.”

Ji Qiu said, “You work in the Bureau of Ceremonies. Surely it wouldn’t be difficult for you to find some time to study, either.”

“People like us can hardly go to the Library Pavilion,” the palace maid replied.

Cheng Danruo interjected, “What sort of place is that?”

“The Library Pavilion is the palace’s collection of books.” Judging Cheng Danruo’s reaction, Ji Qiu explained, “Those of us serving in the palace aren’t permitted to go there, but it wouldn’t be difficult for you, if you wanted to visit.”

“Oh?”

Ji Qiu proceeded to explain in detail.

It turned out that, in theory, palace staff were not allowed to leave the inner palace precincts, but female officials could go out on official business without too much difficulty. Under the original system, many of the duties performed by the Six Bureaus and One Directorate required them to liaise with eunuchs.

Take the Jewelry Office of the Bureau of Works, for example. It was responsible for managing gold, silver, and precious treasures. Whenever the imperial harem needed gold, silver, or jade ornaments, requests would go through this office. However, the Jewelry Office was not responsible for crafting such items.

That task fell to the Silverworks Bureau, which was managed by eunuchs.

Thus, if a Noble Consort wanted a particular item, she would inform the Jewelry Office, which would then coordinate with the Silverworks Bureau. Of course, the Silverworks Bureau was located outside the palace gates, so eunuchs were generally sent inside to handle matters. If a female official needed to leave the palace herself, the procedures were exceedingly cumbersome.

Over time, the eunuchs grew increasingly powerful and gradually took over some of the female officials’ duties, dealing directly with the imperial consorts. This eventually led to instances of consorts colluding with eunuchs.

After ascending the throne, the current emperor reinstated the system of female officials, appointing women to manage the imperial harem. With female officials once again conducting routine official business with other departments, the range of places they could access naturally expanded.

Here, we must take a moment to mention Palace Matron Hong.

In theory, even the highest-ranking female official, the Palace Matron, was confined to the imperial court. But Palace Matron Hong came from the Hong clan. Her father was a Lingtailang at the Directorate of Astronomy, and she had studied astronomy and mathematics from a young age. Her husband also came from a prominent family, and together they had presented a star chart to the late emperor.

After being widowed, she retained her reputation for learning and was summoned to serve in the palace. She initially took up the post of Palace Superintendent, an office that did not belong to any of the Six Bureaus and One Directorate. It had originally been a position held by eunuchs. She was assigned to the Observatory.

The Observatory was a place administered by eunuchs, responsible specifically for observing the stars.

Thanks to her outstanding achievements and exceptional learning, she was promoted to Palace Matron. Even now, she occasionally collaborates with the Directorate of Astronomy, albeit through eunuchs, and enjoys the emperor’s deep trust.

In recent years, the scope of the Six Bureaus’ responsibilities had quietly expanded.

Take food, for example. The imperial court’s meals were overseen by the Imperial Catering Directorate and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. The Bureau of Food had originally been responsible only for serving meals to the emperor and his consorts and tasting the food beforehand. Its subordinate Provisioning Office was merely a small kitchen that occasionally prepared light refreshments.

Nowadays, however, the Provisioning Office was responsible for the empress dowager’s daily meals. Any dishes she bestowed upon the imperial consorts were regarded as a mark of honor.

It was plain to see that the emperor intended to promote female officials as a counterbalance to the eunuchs, and Palace Matron Hong had seized the opportunity.