The revival of female officials was undoubtedly advantageous to Cheng Danruo.
She could briefly leave the inner palace and wander around the front half of the imperial palace, especially since the Imperial Pharmacy was also over there, which made it even more reasonable and justifiable.
What kind of place was the Imperial Pharmacy?
“It is in charge of medicines for imperial use and is connected with the Imperial Medical Institute” – that is to say, it was the place specifically responsible for medicines used by the emperor. The pharmacy was a forbidden area of the palace, and idlers could not enter without authorization.
All medicinal materials handled by the Dispensary Officer had to pass through the Imperial Pharmacy. Cheng Danruo wanted to go to the Library Pavilion to borrow books, and along the way familiarize herself with the route to the Imperial Pharmacy.
The work at the Hall of Peace and Joy did not require clocking in on time every day anyway. Cheng Danruo went to find the dispensary official and said she wanted to borrow a few medical books to read, which counted as an open and legitimate reason to leave the inner palace.
But how to walk the route also required attention.
She absolutely could not act like she was touring the Forbidden City, walking carelessly along the central axis of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. She had to take a detour, go from the back, head directly to the eastern side lane, and take the road inside the East Glorious Gate.
When walking within the palace, one must always be careful to yield.
When young palace servants saw her wearing a plain blue round-collared robe, and although it had no rank badge, it was still not the jacket and skirt of a palace servant, they knew she was a low-ranking female official and would all avoid her from afar.
But if she encountered a grand eunuch with rank, then it was Cheng Danruo’s turn to avoid him.
Luck was decent. The whole way was alarming but not dangerous. She only encountered one grand eunuch, and the other party showed no intention of making things difficult, merely walking in haste. Cheng Danruo breathed a sigh of relief and sized up the cyan building before her.
The Library Pavilion was behind the Hall of Literary Glory. In the history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was called the Pavilion of Literary Profundity, and both were repositories of books within the palace.
The one guarding the book pavilion was a eunuch, refined and courteous, wearing a cyan round-collared robe of the same color as hers.
“Greetings, Auntie.” He was very polite.
Cheng Danruo responded in kind. “Greetings. I would like to borrow a few medical books.”
“Please go ahead.” The eunuch made a gesture of invitation, then sat back down in his chair and continued reading.
Cheng Danruo could not help but glance at him a couple more times before going in to look for books.
The palace collection was no ordinary one. Many unique copies out of print on the market could be found here. But to be honest, medical books were different from ordinary books. Compared with early medical texts that resembled cultivation manuals, she needed more contemporary works to understand the current level of medicine.
After searching and selecting, she settled on the Prescriptions for Universal Relief.
Thirty-five volumes in total – a super massive work.
Fortunately, there was no need to copy professional books in full. She only had to select useful content to transcribe and make it look as though she were studying them. Cheng Danruo borrowed only one volume, and additionally picked out a copy of the Great Xia Code.
She was just hesitating over whether to borrow another book when a familiar voice came from the entrance.
“Is there a copy of the Revised Sino-Barbarian Vocabulary in the book pavilion?”
It was Xie Xuanying.
“Yes, there is, Young Master Xie.” The young eunuch guarding the door rose. “I will go fetch it for you.”
Cheng Danruo then said to Ji Qiu, “Let us keep out of the way.”
So they withdrew inside.
At that moment, Xie Xuanying’s voice drifted over again. “No need, I will find it myself.” Then his tone softened. “You continue reading.”
“There is a female official borrowing books to read in the pavilion,” the eunuch said instead. “It would be better for me to go.”
Xie Xuanying immediately changed his tone. “Very well.”
The eunuch came in to look for the book. Cheng Danruo thought for a moment, then said to Ji Qiu, “Is there anything you would like to read? I can borrow it for you.”
Ji Qiu looked at her gratefully and, under her urging gesture, dawdled over to leaf through the book she had earlier taken a fancy to.
After sending her away, Cheng Danruo then stole a glance toward the entrance.
Xie Xuanying had seen her too.
Their eyes met.
Cheng Danruo smiled at him and nodded in greeting.
Xie Xuanying curved his lips slightly.
Coming to the Library Pavilion today was of course not a coincidence, but intentional.
Some days earlier, after finishing his examinations and entering the palace for duty, he had happened to run into the young eunuch who had been in charge of the female official recruitment examination that day. The fellow had run over happily to hold his horse and eagerly informed him. “That young lady you looked after has been assigned to the Inner Hall of Peace and Joy.”
Xie Xuanying naturally knew whom he was talking about, but he put on an expression as if he could not recall and asked with a frown, “Young lady?”
The young eunuch hurriedly said, “She is your relative.”
“Nonsense. How could the Xie family have such a relative… Oh,” he pretended to suddenly understand, “she is from my teacher’s family.”
He nodded and said casually, “I see. Thank you.” He casually took out silver and rewarded him. “I appreciate you taking the trouble to inquire. I am grateful.”
The young eunuch had originally been regretting that he had flattered the wrong person, but seeing the reward, he became happy again. “I do not deserve your reward.”
Xie Xuanying feared that saying more would lead to mistakes, so he smiled at him and turned to leave.
He knew that with this reward, the young eunuch would certainly help inquire again, and would not let anyone know.
But scattered bits of news could not soothe his longing.
After being separated for more than a month, he wanted to see her again. Even if they could not speak, just seeing with his own eyes that she was doing well was enough. It was only that the outer court and the inner palace were close at hand, yet the rules were strict and harsh. Even someone like him could not go to the inner palace.
After thinking it over again and again, he guessed that she might come to the Library Pavilion, so he decided to try his luck.
Today was the second time.
At last, he had seen her.
His heart felt as if it had encountered sweet rain, and he was instantly at ease.
“Young Master Xie.” The eunuch handed him a volume of the Revised Sino-Barbarian Vocabulary. “This is the first volume.”
Xie Xuanying had only wanted to find a book that was unavailable outside but present in the palace. He flipped through it casually and nodded. “Thank you. I will return it as soon as I finish.” After a brief moment of thought, he said, “Also keep an eye out for me – is there a copy of the Past and Present Geographical Atlas? If so, keep it for me. I will borrow it next time I come.”
The eunuch saluted. “I have noted it.”
“Much obliged.” Xie Xuanying nodded and left as if nothing had happened.
Ji Qiu asked Cheng Danruo in a low voice, “What books are those two?”
She said, “…I have not heard of them either.”
The eunuch laughed and said, “Young Master Xie loves reading miscellaneous books. The Sino-Barbarian Vocabulary is a Mongolian translation, and the Past and Present is a atlas of mountains and rivers. Copies may exist outside, but they are not fully printed and engraved. They are not as complete as those in the palace.”
“I see. Thank you for explaining.” Cheng Danruo greatly admired him and could not help asking, “May I ask your name?”
The eunuch said, “My name is Liang Jishu.”
“Eunuch Liang.” Seeing that his speech was extraordinary, Cheng Danruo became even more meticulous in her courtesy. “I would like to borrow these two books.” She then looked at Ji Qiu. Seeing that her hands were empty and she gave a slight wave, she did not press her. “I do not know how to register them.”
Liang Jishu took out a ledger, wrote down the book titles and the date, and asked, “May I ask your name, Auntie, and where you are assigned?”
“Cheng Danruo, of the Bureau of Food.”
He registered it truthfully and reminded her. “Although what you are borrowing, Auntie, are not rare editions, please be sure not to soil the pages.”
“I will be very careful.”
After borrowing the books and coming out, she ran into Wang Yongxu face to face again.
Both were wearing informal attire and black gauze caps, but Cheng Danruo’s cap had only a single gold hairpin for fastening, while Wang Yongxu had inserted ornaments cut from black gold paper in the shape of grass insects and butterflies. When the wind blew, their wings trembled, lifelike and vivid. There were also several clusters of small jasmine flowers, elegant and fragrant.
Behind her were two more palace maids in attendance, making her display of pomp twice as grand.
Cheng Danruo showed no change in expression and stepped aside to make way.
Wang Yongxu, however, seemed to have forgotten the previous awkwardness and said with great ease, “We entered the palace together, yet you treat me so distantly.”
“Propriety cannot be discarded.” Cheng Danruo smiled, her tone gentle, as if she were merely being polite out of courtesy rather than because of any discord. “Are you also here to borrow books?”
Wang Yongxu said, “Indeed. Though there are books in our own repository, how could they compare with the abundance in the Library Pavilion? Two days ago I borrowed Palace Poems of Two Houses, and today I came to look at something new.” She smiled again. “What did you borrow?”
Cheng Danruo showed her the medical book and the legal code.
Wang Yongxu smiled. “I will not keep you then. After borrowing books, I still have to return to the Palace of Gathering Fragrance. Come find me another day, and we can have a chat together.”
Cheng Danruo naturally agreed. “As long as you do not mind me intruding.”
“Then it is settled.”
After a friendly exchange of pleasantries, they parted ways.
This year’s metropolitan examination was postponed by a month, so the date of the palace examination was also changed, to the first day of April.
The candidates who had passed the metropolitan examination entered the palace for the examination.
When they gathered outside the Gate of Heavenly Succession, everyone finally saw the beauty who was rumored to have caused certain candidates to perform poorly and fail in bitter disappointment.
In April, the spring breeze spread gently, and there was not a cloud in the vast sky.
Xie Xuanying came riding on horseback, his robe sleeves fluttering, his face like fine jade, his bearing compelling. He truly had a touch of the exiled immortal riding the clouds, smiling as he looked down upon the mortal world.
“Young Master Xie.” The Vice Minister of Rites greeted him with a smile.
“Junior Minister of the Ancestral Temple.” He returned the salute.
The scene fell silent.
Before long, after the body search was completed, they entered the palace.
The examination site was in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where court assemblies were held. All the candidates, together with the examiners, knelt and paid homage to the emperor, listened to the questions, took their seats, and prepared for the examination.
With the greatest leader in the world sitting right in front of them, it was no easy matter to perform well.
The emperor also did not follow the rules and liked to stroll over to the desks to watch them answer.
Before long, one somewhat older candidate was sweating profusely, his back soaked through, and another nearly knocked over an inkstone, trembling with fear.
Xie Xuanying: answering the questions.
The emperor walked over, took a couple of glances, chuckled, and said without the least bit of mercy, “Submit your paper before noon.”
Xie Xuanying replied, “…Yes.”
There was no time to draft. After a brief moment of thought, he wrote directly on the answer sheet.
The emperor left, satisfied.
Rushing and hurrying, he finally submitted his paper before noon. The others felt inexplicable sympathy for him – this was truly too miserable. Everyone else could write until evening.
After Xie Xuanying finished answering, taking advantage of the fact that the others had not yet come out, he hurried home.
The next day, the grading of the examination papers began.
The graders: the Grand Secretaries.
Grand Secretary Li had been on sick leave at home for some days and had only returned to duty today. Without saying a word, he picked out the papers and, based on the evaluations of the other Grand Secretaries, considered the candidates for the first rank.
After the grading was completed, it was read to the emperor.
This year’s palace examination question was: How do you believe a country should be governed?
The topic was grand and vague, very difficult to answer.
The first place in the first rank, as determined by the Grand Secretariat, was a steady and prudent man. His core idea was that the key to governing a country lay in each fulfilling their duties: the emperor must be wise, appoint the worthy, and keep petty men at a distance; the ministers must cast aside personal desires and consider the country; the common people must obey the court’s directives and keep to their proper places.
Beyond that, external enemies must be resisted, especially the northern barbarians, and at the same time the barbarians within the borders must be civilized and transformed, their native chieftain systems replaced with regular administration.
In addition, water conservancy must be undertaken, agriculture and sericulture developed, the ruler must lead by example in frugality, not indulge in luxury, and correct the increasingly extravagant customs among the people.
This paper was excellent, and its key strength lay in its comprehensiveness, with beautiful rhetoric, every phrase having its source – a perfect essay on an assigned topic.
The second place, however, did not answer comprehensively, but with precision. He emphasized that agriculture and sericulture were the foundation of the nation. Developing from this point, he discussed how to develop agriculture, how to build water conservancy facilities, how to select good seeds, and noted that sweet potatoes had appeared in the coastal regions, being high in yield and filling, and recommended they be widely planted.
The emperor smiled as he listened.
It had substance – one could tell at a glance this was a man who did practical work.
Third place, Xie Xuanying.
He believed that the common people had an innate inclination toward goodness and loyalty to the ruler. Through instruction, the people could come to know that everyone could be loyal to the ruler and serve the country – soldiers fighting in battle was serving the country, farmers tilling the land was serving the country. That is to say, they should understand the meaning of their actions before doing things, rather than muddling through and breeding resentment for nothing.
At the same time, officials must also consider the hardships of the people, be cautious in making decisions, and not seek private gain. Money cannot be brought in at birth nor taken away at death. They must do solid work and improve the people’s quality of life. In this way, when the people know why they do what they do, and officials guide them in how to do it, the world can become a better place.
“The Grand Secretariat has thought it through thoroughly,” the emperor said. “Let it be done this way.”
Grand Secretary Li breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared the emperor might, out of personal preference, insist on making Xie Xuanying the top scholar.
His paper was a typical exposition of the School of Mind. Once it circulated, there would be even more scholars in the civil examinations inclined toward the School of Mind among the people.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
