Chapter 492

“Grandma here has been enduring you for a long time.”

“Bang!”

With a loud crash, Meng Fanyin's body was sent flying, slamming into the door, then rebounding to the ground. She curled up in pain, groaning incessantly.

“Fire pans, boiling tea... why don't you just fly to heaven?”

“Originally, I thought today was a good day for Grandma, so I didn’t want to quarrel with you. But you took my silence for fear and started bullying me even more. When Grandma was reigning in the imperial palace, you were probably still playing in the mud somewhere!”

“Listen up, Grandma doesn’t like wasting time squabbling. If you dare to play your sly tricks again, don’t blame Grandma for being merciless.”

The kick just now was already tempered with consideration for Meng Qingyu’s feelings. Otherwise, Meng Fanyin would have already been spitting blood.

“If your family keeps causing trouble, this wedding won’t happen.”

This remark was directed at Meng Qingyu.

Truthfully, she regretted leaving the palace and still wanted to return to be with her Empress.

Meng Qingyu quickly waved his hand, instructing a few subordinates attending the wedding: “Escort my elder sister and Sixth Miss Gu out.”

“Yes, sir!”

Several tall men who had long despised Meng Fanyin’s actions stepped forward and, without hesitation, hoisted the already incapacitated woman, tossing her out of the Meng family’s gate.

Sixth Miss Gu, who had hoped to marry Meng Qingyu, was so terrified by Xi Que’s brute force that she didn’t even dare to look at her: “Don’t carry me, don’t carry me, I’ll walk out myself.”

If word got out that she was thrown out of Meng Qingyu’s wedding, her reputation in the capital would be ruined. How could she possibly continue to live there?

Now, only her aunt had been tossed out, so the humiliation would fall on her aunt, and no one would notice her.

Ma Family—

Though Ma Yiyang was the Minister of Justice, his position was substantial, being a protégé of Jiang Xinyue and hailing from a humble background. His ruthless, iron-handed methods made many aristocratic families wary of him.

Thus, his wedding to Jiang Yunxia was noticeably subdued.

Only a few who were friendly with the governor’s estate, or those who were close friends of Jiang Yankun, attended. Some of them, however, went to Meng Qingyu’s celebration instead.

The remaining attendees were mostly Ma Yiyang’s subordinates from the Ministry of Justice.

Ma Yiyang’s mother and sister held Jiang Yunxia’s hands and said, “Good child, we know you’re enduring hardship by marrying into our family, but your willingness to join us is a blessing for the Ma family. We promise to treat you well and ensure you won’t suffer any hardships.”

“Indeed!”

Ma Yiyang’s sister added: “Don’t let my brother’s stern face fool you. Deep down, he’s warm-hearted. You’ll learn over time that he’s a wonderful person. Marrying him, he’ll surely dote on you. And my mother and I will also love and care for you.”

Jiang Yunxia smiled faintly, her voice muffled by the red veil: “Thank you, Mother, thank you, Sister.”

On their wedding night, two loving couples finally united. People were full of admiration, commenting that the Empress was truly extraordinary for enabling her attendants to marry prominent military officers, who would one day become generals' wives.

When Little April’s birthday arrived, the Jin Kingdom officially declared war on the Great Yan.

With the Jin King leading the charge, the Jin army’s morale soared, determined to breach the border defenses.

Su Yanran believed wholeheartedly in the defense plans she possessed, thanks to Xie Chenghui’s exceptional drawing skills. He had even sought his master to make the fake plans appear ancient. Even Shi Ruojun, holding the genuine plans, might have been deceived.

“Kill—”

“Kill—”

The pristine snow-covered landscape was instantly stained red with blood as both armies’ soldiers fought fiercely, their eyes filled with rage.

Shi Ruojun stood on the lookout tower, using a telescope to scan the dense crowd for the Jin King’s figure.

Capturing the leader first was the strategy—and since Helian Chi had literally walked into their trap, failing to cut off his head would shame the Empress's meticulous planning.

She was absolutely determined not to disappoint the Empress!

Despite the intense border war, life in the Great Yan’s capital remained unaffected.

The three-yearly imperial examinations were in full swing.

This year was different from previous ones, as many female candidates appeared, most of whom were from the Great Yan Academy founded by the Empress.

There were also female candidates from elsewhere, but their numbers were far fewer than those from the Great Yan Academy. The people in the imperial city were most influenced by the Empress, believing that women could shoulder half the world.

In more remote regions, however, men still dominated society, and women were primarily homemakers.

But even a few awakening voices were enough to satisfy Jiang Xinyue.

One couldn’t achieve greatness in a single step. Her initial strides had been ambitious, so now it was time to solidify the foundation and progress steadily down this path.

If some promising talents emerged from this year’s exams, Jiang Xinyue planned to promote and cultivate them heavily, demonstrating to everyone that she hadn’t spoken in vain. She truly intended to grant official positions to capable women.

Hanlin Academy Scholar Xie pouted unhappily: “It’s absurd to allow women to participate in the sacred imperial examinations.”@@novelbin@@

What was even more absurd was that the Emperor had assigned him to oversee this year’s exams, which left him utterly disheartened.

However, disheartened as he might be, he was a traditionalist who strictly adhered to rules.

Since the Emperor entrusted him with this duty, he would treat all candidates equally. He was eager to see what extraordinary talents these women, confined to deep courtyards, could produce.

“So, the Emperor appointed Scholar Xie to oversee the exams because he feared other proctors might subtly discriminate against the women.”

Jiang ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‍Xinyue leaned against the Emperor’s embrace: “Does Your Majesty believe, as I do, that women in official roles are no less capable than men?”

“I’ve never said women are inferior to men,” the Emperor playfully pinched her nose. “In my view, men and women differ only in gender. In terms of intellect, wisdom, and methods, we’re all equally capable. No one is inherently weaker than the other.”

Even in the Great Yan today, many households are run by their wives.

The Great Yan was in urgent need of capable individuals, and the Emperor genuinely didn’t care whether his officials were men or women.

As long as they could assist him in governing the kingdom effectively, he considered them invaluable assets.

What was wrong with appointing women to office?

As long as they had value, gender distinctions vanished from his perspective.

All were his esteemed ministers.

Jiang Xinyue appreciated the Emperor’s clarity in this regard. He remained the most rational person.

He could unreservedly and unconditionally accept any suggestion beneficial to the Great Yan.

Even if he personally disliked a proposal, upon analyzing its merits, he would convince himself to embrace it if it served the nation and its people.

He was an exceptionally good ruler, rare for any kingdom.

Fortunately, Jiang Xinyue had transmigrated into a world where the Emperor was such a reasonable and understanding leader, or else she would have been embroiled in ceaseless palace intrigues, leaving no energy to pursue her ambitions.

Meeting such an excellent leader was something to cherish, ensuring the prosperity and growth of the kingdom.

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