The Sickly Beauty Substitute Called It Quits

65

Shen Yu looked at Shang JunLin, utterly speechless.

"Why is Ah Yu staring at this emperor?" Shang JunLin's hand continued moving at the same pace. "Did this emperor say something wrong?"

"... No." When he thought of their only two encounters so far, Shen Yu's head began to ache. He didn't dislike being intimate with Shang JunLin. It was just that Shang JunLin... took too long.

Shen Yu didn't think he could bear it.

Anyway, forget it.

The carriage rattled into the palace. As soon as they got out, Meng Gonggong, who'd been waiting there a long time, greeted them. "Your Majesty, Minister Fang requests an audience."

"Have him wait for this emperor in the imperial study." Shang JunLin walked Shen Yu back to Yuzhang Palace before heading over.

The reason Minister Fang entered the palace this time was because of his impetuous daughter.

Minister Fang knelt on the ground, his face full of remorse. "Your Majesty, this servant is ashamed. This servant had no idea that my daughter disguised herself as a man to take part in the imperial examination."

He knew how determined his daughter was, but he never thought she'd do something like this.

If he'd known this would happen, he never would have educated her so thoroughly since childhood. It made her overly ambitious!

Shang JunLin had an impression of the woman. He tossed away the memorial he was holding. "Tell this emperor what happened."

"This servant's daughter did everything with the utmost secrecy. But when the results were announced, she knew she couldn't hide it anymore. That's when she told this servant what she did."

Minister Fang was astounded. Setting aside the surprising news that his daughter had passed the exam with excellent results, he made her explain the entire story in detail.

"It turns out that a few years ago, she went to visit the scholar who taught her when she was a child. During this time, she somehow obtained a man's identity and took part in the provincial exam. After passing the exam, she didn't tell anyone about it. This time, she did the same thing and used that false identity to enter the examination hall."

The last examination was held in the palace, facing the emperor himself. Fang JiaYi had already spoken to Shang JunLin about her goal. Since she had some confidence, she dared to tell her father after the metropolitan exam results were announced.

Minister Fang talked endlessly and related everything he knew. When he finished, he kowtowed solemnly. "It's this servant's fault for not teaching my daughter properly. This servant will accept punishment."

"Does Da Huan have a law that women cannot participate in the imperial examinations?" Shang JunLin asked.

"... No." Minister Fang didn't understand why Shang JunLin suddenly asked this. He mentally reviewed the laws of Da Huan and found there really was no rule that women weren't allowed to take part.

It was just that over the years, everyone implicitly believed that only men could participate.

As he realized the meaning of Shang JunLin's words, Minister Fang's eyes slowly widened. "But... There's no precedent...."

Did His Majesty actually want to allow female officials? Minister Fang couldn't believe it.

"There's no hurry. Let's wait for the results of the palace exam."

When Minister Fang returned home in a daze, Madam Fang greeted him anxiously. "How did it go?"

She too was shocked by her daughter's actions. The entire time Minister Fang was in the palace, Madam Fang was on edge. After all, deceiving the emperor was a major crime which could be punished with nine familial exterminations.