Chapter 86: She Never Thought of Becoming an Official
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### Chapter 86: She Never Thought of Becoming an Official
Duan shi almost blurted out, “Can you help me dream about when my unfilial son will be able to marry a wife?”
She was still very aware of the gravity of the situation and sighed, “Your Highness, the Princess, and the former Crown Prince are twins, so they are inherently connected… Miss Chang has a special bond with Your Highness, the Princess.”
She had mentioned before how Miss Chang had a special connection with the Princess when she saw the handwriting at Dayun Temple.
Perhaps for this reason, the more Duan shi looked at the little girl in front of her, the more she felt a sense of affinity.
She then asked softly, “Aside from that, what else did you dream about the Princess?”
“It was all nonsense…” Chang Suining hesitated, as if worried that speaking of her meaningless dreams might offend the Princess.
Duan shi smiled dismissively, “There’s no one else here, just a mere dream, it’s just idle chatter!”
Chang Suining paused before saying, “In the dream, the Princess said that she can’t find anyone who can fight down below.”
Duan shi was taken aback: “…”
Wasn’t this too much like the Princess? The flavor was far too orthodox!
Chang Suining felt it was absurd: “But the Princess is weak, how could she like to fight?”
Duan shi smiled but did not confirm or deny.
She then asked, “Did the Princess say anything else?”
Chang Suining nodded, “In the dream, the Princess entrusted me with a message that needs to be conveyed to you, which is why I have come here today.”
“Is it actually related to me?” Duan shi immediately straightened up, her eyes full of expectation—after all, what the little girl said before was truly remarkable!
Chang Suining replied, “The Princess asked me to prepare more chestnuts to bring to you when you go to the ceremony.”
Duan shi opened her mouth: “... The kind that’s already shelled?”
Chang Suining nodded: “Exactly.”
Duan shi immediately showed a look of regret: “Look how careless I’ve been; I didn’t even think to bring some chestnuts during the ceremonies in previous years…”
To think the Princess was so tempted to the point of needing to use dreams to ask her juniors for chestnuts!
Duan shi immediately called for a maid: “Quickly go to the kitchen and ask if there are any chestnuts. If there are, steam them all and bring them here. If there aren’t any, think of a way to buy some back as quickly as possible!”
Duan shi felt both pained and guilty: “The Princess must think I’m so dull that she didn’t even come to tell me directly in my dream.”
Chang Suining: … But isn’t this telling you directly?
Such shocking words were not easy to voice, so she sought to flatter herself, thinking that the flattery was indeed her own: “Or perhaps, as Madam said, I have some fate with the Princess.”
Duan shi sighed and nodded: “Many things may seem ethereal, but that doesn’t mean they are all untrustworthy… I truly wish to see the Princess in a dream and have a chat with her.”
As she spoke, she looked at Chang Suining with hopeful eyes: “If you dream of the Princess again, could you help me convey a message?”
Facing those nostalgic eyes full of longing, Chang Suining felt a bit choked up and nodded: “Please, Madame go ahead.”
Duan shi softly said, “When the Princess was young, we played a game and buried a box in the Princess’s residence. We each contributed half the items in that box. At that time, the Princess said that whoever’s embroidery is praised by the matron next month would take the box home—”
Hearing her mention this, Chang Suining immediately felt that any emotion she had previously experienced was gone, and with a “let’s see if you can keep this up” attitude, she tentatively asked, “… So who won?”
Duan shi sighed: “That time, I narrowly won.”
Chang Suining: “……”
As expected, when it comes to not being decent, Duan Zhenyi rarely disappointed her.
The reason for the bet back then was that both she and Duan Zhenyi were terrible at embroidery; she was busy with war and had no time to care, while Duan Zhenyi was simply talentless.
She still remembered that their embroidery was presented to the new matron in charge of women’s work at the Princess’s residence, and the matron remained silent for a long time, as if facing the greatest challenge of her life.
Duan Zhenyi asked the matron who did a better job.
Faced with such an embarrassing question, the matron’s eyes twitched uncontrollably, and out of desperation, she could only give the four words—“difficult to distinguish.”
This was a dilemma.
Thus, the box could not be dug up, and the two agreed to bet again next time.
However, afterward, Duan Zhenyi got engaged, and she herself was busy with the war for several years, so this matter was completely forgotten.
Looking at it now, Duan Zhenyi was quite obsessed with this, dreaming of asking her where the box was buried—
“The items in the box aren’t precious; they are just some old belongings from our childhood, but they hold a certain sentiment…” Duan shi said, her expression somewhat sorrowful.
“…” Chang Suining’s well-honed acting skills from her past life allowed her to maintain a composed demeanor.
That bet had been quite significant; to entice her to put up more stakes, Duan Zhenyi had wagered half of her fortune, so the box was filled with gold and silver jewelry and some cherished rare books.
This was what Duan Zhenyi now referred to as “not precious,” “old belongings,” and “a sentiment.”
Chang Suining found it hard to remain silent.
Finally, Duan shi urged, “So if you dream of the Princess again, please help me ask her one thing.”
After a moment, Chang Suining nodded in agreement.
“Tomorrow is the Princess’s memorial day. I originally planned to return to the Princess’s residence for the ceremony, and since you often dream of the Princess lately, why don’t we go together?”
This was precisely the purpose of Chang Suining’s visit; those ghostly nonsense words were merely a pretext.
At this moment, Duan shi’s initiative was simply perfect.
But Chang Suining always felt… that this person had ulterior motives, perhaps intending to strengthen the sense of connection between “her and the Princess” to facilitate a meeting in the dream, in order to ask her about the box’s location.
Regardless of whether the chef had selfish intentions, the food served to her was still to be eaten. Chang Suining pretended to agree happily, chatted with Duan shi for a while, and planned to leave once her goal was achieved.
But who knew that at that moment, the earlier maid returned and reported to Duan shi that there were indeed two baskets of chestnuts in the residence, and the kitchen had already been instructed to cook them.
Duan shi smiled and said, “Since this dream is a credit to you, and there’s nothing else to do, how about we peel the chestnuts together to prepare for tomorrow’s offerings?”
Chang Suining: “……?”
---
In her life, there were three things she detested the most: first, an unstable country with war and famine causing the people to suffer; second, those who are less capable than her occupying higher positions; and third, why should perfectly good chestnuts be forced to be peeled?
However, since it was she who brought up the topic, it was truly difficult to back down.
Thus, Chang Suining endured half a day of torture at the Marquis Zheng's residence, nearly peeling all the chestnuts she had never peeled in her previous life.
Moreover, since they were offerings prepared for the "Eldest Princess," out of respect, there was no possibility of tasting them; she could only peel and not eat, making it even more of a torment.
Furthermore, the Duan shi repeatedly and brazenly slacked off—one moment calling the steward to inquire about affairs in the residence, another moment ordering the kitchen to prepare lunch, and every dish had to be deliberated over for a long time. At one point, she sighed about her age, her shoulders hurting, and needing someone to massage them... It was as if she was perfectly recreating the awkwardness of studying with a tutor in her youth, surrounded by thorns.
Yet, at this moment, as a younger generation, she had no right to voice any opinions.
After nurturing her for a thousand days, she was instead being used.
After such torment, when she finally left the Duan shi's courtyard in the afternoon, Chang Suining felt a sense of relief as if a donkey had finally gotten off the millstone. However, on her way out of the residence, she ran into Wei Shuyi, who was returning home after his shift.
“Seeing the Chang family's carriage outside, I knew Miss Chang had arrived,” Wei Shuyi, dressed in official robes, smiled and asked, “I wonder if the dishes in the residence were to Miss Chang's liking?”
Chang Suining, who was peeling chestnuts to the point of questioning her life, nodded perfunctorily, “Very much to my liking.”
“That's good to hear.” Wei Shuyi smiled and turned to walk alongside Chang Suining, gesturing for her to go ahead: “As a token of thanks, may I escort Miss Chang?”
Chang Suining continued walking ahead: “What does Vice Minister Wei wish to thank me for again?”
Hearing the word “again,” Wei Shuyi chuckled and did not rush to answer. Instead, he praised with a sigh, “Miss Chang truly is extraordinary, possessing such keen and unique foresight—”
Chang Suining understood, “Has the candidate for the Minister of Rites been decided?”
Wei Shuyi's smile deepened: “Indeed, it is the esteemed Master Zhu.”
“There has been contention over this matter in court for more than half a month, and it has remained at a standstill, with no one willing to back down…” Wei Shuyi said as they walked, speaking in a calm tone, “Until today, the holy emperor proposed that Master Zhu take over, and among the court, the only noteworthy opposing voice was from one person.”
Chang Suining did not hesitate, “That must be Master Zhu himself.”
Wei Shuyi laughed in surprise: “Miss Chang truly is extraordinary.”
Chang Suining smiled but remained silent.
After all, her teacher often fantasized about the leisurely prospect of retiring from officialdom to listen to the breeze while playing the zither or to watch the waves while fishing, having prepared for this for a long time. However, due to the court’s unwillingness to let him go, he had remained in a state of preparation.
This delay dragged on until he reached the age of sixty-seven, seeing both dawn and dusk approaching. Just at this moment, he unexpectedly became the Minister of Rites—
The breezes and waves were gone, and the turmoil was abundant.
“However, the public's expectation makes it hard for Master Zhu to refuse.” Wei Shuyi said with a smile: “Now that the stalemate has been broken, this method is something I privately proposed to the holy emperor, hence this thank you.”
Since he was so candid, Chang Suining was not polite: “Then Vice Minister Wei owes me once more.”
Wei Shuyi nodded calmly: “I shall remember this, just waiting for Miss Chang to ask whenever.”
Chang Suining looked ahead at the lush green scenery, a testament to the Marquis Zheng's residence having built a house in the garden, filled with vitality—
She said, “Next year's spring examination, all the students from humble backgrounds can give their all without worrying about being let down.”
Wei Shuyi's smile faded slightly but became more serious: “That is indeed the case.”
The Holy Emperor’s decision to target the Pei family was a major reason—Pei Min's position was a significant temptation. The Holy Emperor wished to promote students from humble backgrounds to enter the officialdom to counterbalance the aristocrat, thus he greatly emphasized the examination system to recruit officials. However, the examination system had always belonged to the Ministry of Rites, and such important positions were traditionally held by officials from aristocrat backgrounds. With them acting as a cover, blocking the path to the emperor, this road would undoubtedly be obstructed.
As the Crown Prince grew older, the Holy Emperor could no longer wait.
Yet removing Pei Min was merely the first step—
Next, he needed to appoint a new Minister of Rites.
The Holy Emperor naturally wanted to select a trusted official from humble origins, but those from aristocrat backgrounds had just experienced the decline of the Pei family, and with a sense of crisis, they were unwilling to concede.
This step could not be compromised either; once it was, all previous efforts would be wasted.
If one were to say that the situation between both parties was as irreconcilable as fire and water, then Master Zhu was a mountain.
Even if this mountain appeared to be just a mound from a distance, it could effectively block the fire and water in between—
Tracing back three generations, Master Zhu could be considered to come from a minor aristocratic background, but his family had long since fallen into decline, having already distanced itself from the tightly knit interests of the major aristocrat, existing as an outsider.
Master Zhu’s wife hailed from a humble background, and his descendants had not even entered the officialdom.
He had never allied himself with others, nor was he a pawn of the Empress, and, more valuably, he was elderly, at an age where unexpected accidents could easily occur if nothing out of the ordinary happened—
Even with good fortune, reaching seventy to retire would only leave him with three years at most.
In this way, the aristocrats would still have three years to scheme, waiting for the right opportunity to seize back this stronghold.
For the Empress, it was the same.
The deep and broad struggle for power was never accomplished in a single stroke; this round equated to both sides taking a half step back to maintain a superficial balance, yet beneath that balance, the competition would not cease.
Wei Shuyi did not explicitly state these points, but from the very beginning, he had anticipated the direction of events, and before the girl who had directly pointed out the answer, there was no need for him to articulate it.
He could not help but ask again: “Is Miss Chang truly uninterested in court matters?”
This question was more sincere than the last time it had been asked in a casual manner.
“Not at all,” Chang Suining said, rare in her humility: “At my age, I should be focusing on studying more.”
Wei Shuyi looked at her with great interest: “What does Miss Chang mean by studying?”
He felt that her “studying” would not be too ordinary—
“I plan to attend the National Academy to study,” Chang Suining replied casually.
Though he had prepared himself for something unusual, Wei Shuyi was still quite taken aback and even more puzzled: “Miss Chang knows that the National Academy has various schools, and the students are generally divided into three categories: first, the children of officials above the third rank or the children of royal family members of the third and fourth ranks; second, those who have at least passed the provincial examination and hold some degree; and third, the children of ordinary people, who must pass three examinations before they can be considered students—”
He concluded: “Of course, none of this is the most crucial for Miss Chang; the most crucial point is that no matter how one enters the National Academy, being a male is the priority.”
This point had not changed, even though the current Holy Emperor was a woman.
The National Academy had now been tied to the examination system, and women could not enter court service through the examination; female officials had always been selected from within the inner court.
Chang Suining said, “I do not intend to become a student; I just want to go to the National Academy to study under a teacher.”
Wei Shuyi became somewhat confused by this and followed up with her words: “Then how will Miss Chang go about seeking a teacher?”
Chang Suining continued walking with her hands behind her back: “I’ll ask my Third Father to be my teacher.”
Wei Shuyi: “... Third Father?”
“Qiao Jizhao from the National Academy—”
Wei Shuyi smiled in realization: “So, Miss Chang’s intention to study at the National Academy is of that nature.”
At this point, he couldn’t help but remind her: “But even if you do study under Qiao Jizhao, Miss Chang, being neither a student nor a man, will still have no chance of entering court”
“I said I do not intend to become an official,” Chang Suining reiterated: “I just want to study.”
Wei Shuyi sighed with a smile: “Miss Chang’s desire for learning is so pure, it makes me, who speaks of entering officialdom, seem too utilitarian.”
This sigh carried a hint of regret.
Chang Suining did not offer an explanation.
Purity had nothing to do with her; studying was merely a facade.
After all, she only said she did not intend to become an official—
But she did not say she would not do something else.
…
The next day was the day Chang Suining would accompany the Duan shi to the Princess Chongyue’s residence for the ceremony.
Good night, everyone.
---
(End of chapter)
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