Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times - Chapter 121

Shen Xingyue finally understood how difficult it was to be a military general in ancient times. Risking your life on the battlefield was already hard enough but when you returned, you still had to deal with criticism from those who lived comfortably behind palace walls. Just thinking about it made her feel bitter.

Even Shen Kaiyuan couldn’t stay silent any longer. She spoke coldly:

“Minister Zhu, if we had handled the riot the way you suggested by reasoning with the rebels, the Crown Princess would have died long ago. There are moments when words simply won’t work. Here’s what we’ll do: the next time there’s a battle, I’ll allow you to join the front lines and explain the values of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust to the enemy. We’ll see if your eloquence moves them.”

Minister Zhu was immediately at a loss for words. Embarrassed, he quietly bowed and returned to his place in the ranks. In Beichuan, censors were not punished even if their accusations were found to be wrong this was exactly why so many officials feared them.

Shen Kaiyuan looked around the court once more. “Does anyone else wish to present a report?”

There was a brief silence among the crowd until General Wang Mingda stepped forward and knelt. Shen Kaiyuan’s brows furrowed slightly. She had expected that Wang Mingda wouldn’t stay quiet for long.

“General Wang, what is it you wish to say?” she asked coldly.

“Your Majesty,” Wang Mingda said solemnly, “I am guilty. I failed to see through the Third Prince’s intentions earlier. I await Your Majesty’s punishment.”

His sorrowful expression caught Shen Kaiyuan off guard.

She had thought Wang Mingda might protest or resist—but instead, he was admitting fault and accepting responsibility. Given that he had committed no actual wrongdoing and had shown humility, Shen Kaiyuan decided not to press the matter.

“It was Shen Yiqian who lost his way. This has nothing to do with you, General Wang. You may rise.”

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s compassion,” Wang Mingda said as he rose and bowed. “I will devote myself entirely to serving the court, to repay Your Majesty’s grace.”

From the sidelines, Cui Can stared daggers at Wang Mingda, furious. Just days ago, they had stood side by side at the palace gates demanding answers and now Wang Mingda had changed his tone entirely?

After that, the court turned its attention to the flooding in the southern region. Now that the ministers understood the Empress’s firm stance on what had happened at the southern gate, none dared provoke her again.

~~

In the days that followed, many members of the Cui family across Beichuan resigned from their government posts, seemingly as a form of silent protest. This left numerous positions across the nation vacant, and in some regions, the local governments were on the verge of collapse.

Memorials urging the Empress to reinstate Cui Can poured into the palace like a blizzard. The constant petitions gave Shen Kaiyuan a massive headache. If she truly reinstated him, wouldn’t that mean she had been forced to bow her head to the noble families?

Even Shen Zhengchu had been visibly troubled by the matter. During a meal, he finally brought it up.

Shen Xingyue spoke up, “Actually, it’s not that complicated. Right now, most of the power in Beichuan is held by a few aristocratic clans. This is the perfect time to recruit a group of scholars from humble backgrounds—men without powerful family ties.”

She continued, “These scholars naturally resent the noble clans and have no other factions to lean on. The only person they can rely on is the Empress. People like that are usually highly motivated and could become a sharp blade in Her Majesty’s hands. The only issue is balance—bring in too many too quickly, and you risk sparking factional conflict.”

“Yue’er,” Shen Zhengchu said thoughtfully, “after the meal, come with me to the palace and share this with Her Majesty. Your plan makes sense, though it may be difficult to carry out.”

“Alright,” Shen Xingyue nodded. “Let’s go to the palace this afternoon and discuss it with Her Majesty.”

That afternoon, Shen Xingyue and Shen Zhengchu entered the palace and made their way to the Hall of Diligent Governance (Qinzheng Hall) to meet Shen Kaiyuan.

Shen Yining was still recovering in a side chamber of the same hall. The imperial physicians had advised against moving her back to the Eastern Palace for fear it might affect her recovery, so Little Miss Prim had remained there to heal.

When Shen Kaiyuan saw that it was Shen Zhengchu and Shen Xingyue who had arrived, she looked up and asked:

“What brings the two of you here?”

“Your Majesty,” Shen Zhengchu began, “Yue’er has some thoughts regarding the Cui family situation. Would you like to hear her opinion?”

Shen Kaiyuan, still troubled by the matter, looked up at Shen Xingyue. “Yue’er, what ideas do you have?”

Shen Xingyue stepped forward and answered calmly, “I believe we should start appointing scholars from humble backgrounds. What happened with the Cui family isn’t an isolated case. The noble clans hold far too much power—enough to sway Your Majesty’s decisions, as we’ve seen. That’s dangerous.”

She took a breath before continuing. “This current wave of resignations gives us an opportunity. I suggest we begin by holding special imperial exams—‘grace exams’—in several provinces near the capital. These exams should be open to everyone, regardless of birth or status. The process can be divided into three stages: the local level, the regional level, and finally the capital-level exam.”

“Those who pass the county and provincial exams would qualify to take the metropolitan exam in the capital. From there, they can advance to the palace exam, personally overseen by Your Majesty. You would review their results yourself and appoint the top candidates. This way, those who pass the palace exam will be directly chosen by you—and loyal to you.”

“These scholars,” she added, “especially those from poor backgrounds, have no connections to rely on. Many of them naturally oppose the powerful clans. They could become the sharp sword in Your Majesty’s hand.”

Shen Kaiyuan nodded thoughtfully as she listened. “Your plan is solid. But won’t there still be chances for cheating? After all, a candidate’s name is right there on the exam. It wouldn’t be hard for someone to tamper with the results.”

“Your Majesty, we can have each candidate seal their name with paste and a paper strip once they’ve finished their exam,” Shen Xingyue replied. “The graders won’t see their names. The examiners can be directly dispatched from the capital and monitored during the grading process. We can also have soldiers present to ensure the examiners don’t try to cheat.”

She paused briefly, then added, “Of course, if we move forward with this, some of the noble families are going to push back hard.”

Shen Kaiyuan’s eyes grew cold. “Let them push back. I’ve been forced into this position by their constant interference. If they had behaved properly, I wouldn’t have touched them for the time being. But if they choose to act like the Cui family—trying to pressure me—I will not be soft or yielding.”

She looked at Shen Xingyue and said seriously, “You’re right. I need people at my side who are willing to cut through obstacles. This matter can’t wait. I’ll summon a few trusted advisors today to begin working on the details.”

She clenched her jaw. “Beichuan won’t fall apart just because the Cui family is gone.”

“It’s worth carefully weighing the pros and cons,” Shen Xingyue added, thoughtfully. “What I’ve proposed is just an idea. The exact details should be worked out through collective discussion.”

Shen Kaiyuan smiled, her eyes softening. “I understand. But Yue’er, you’ve truly grown up. If this plan succeeds, then you’ll have done me a great service.”

“Your Majesty is too kind,” Shen Xingyue said, bowing with humility.

~~

Over the next several days, Shen Kaiyuan met with a few Grand Academicians from the Inner Cabinet to discuss the feasibility of the grace exams. Using the framework Shen Xingyue had laid out, they developed a detailed examination system and began distributing the plans to the provinces.

News of the reform quickly swept through Beichuan like wildfire.

For many scholars from humble backgrounds, this was the opportunity they had waited for their entire lives. In the past, they needed powerful sponsors just to be considered for government positions. But now, they finally had a chance to prove themselves based on merit alone.

Of course, many of the noble clans opposed the new system. However, after seeing how the Cui family’s actions had angered the Empress, none of the other clans dared to stir up trouble—at least not openly.

As the date of the imperial examination drew near, Shen Yining’s injuries had nearly healed. The wounds on both her shoulders had already scabbed over. Aside from occasionally feeling weak in her arms, she was doing well and had no serious issues left.

That afternoon, Shen Yining sat in the Hall of Diligent Governance with Shen Kaiyuan and several senior officials, discussing the exam content for the upcoming imperial examination. Most ministers suggested focusing on Confucian classics—offering candidates a quote and asking them to explain its meaning. Others proposed testing obscure Confucian texts. Shen Kaiyuan nodded thoughtfully, then as if remembering something, turned to Wenjing and said:

“Wenjing, take a carriage and bring Yu’er here. Hurry. She doesn’t need to get off at the palace gate—just have the attendants bring the carriage straight in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wenjing replied, bowing before quickly leaving.

Noticing some of the officials’ puzzled looks, Shen Kaiyuan explained, “This grace exam was Yu’er’s idea in the first place. Since we’re setting the exam content now, it’s only right to have her join us and give her input. Go on, continue your suggestions.”

At that moment, Shen Xingyu was with Su Muyu, going over the accounts from several shops in the capital. Just as they were reviewing numbers, an attendant arrived with the message from the palace. Shen Xingyu didn’t dare delay. She quickly followed the attendant and got into the carriage. Not long after, she arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Diligent Governance.

She rushed inside and was just beginning to bow when Shen Kaiyuan stopped her.

“That’s enough, that’s enough—no need for all those formalities.”

Shen Kaiyuan then turned to Wenjing and said, “Court Attendant Wen, bring a seat for Yu’er.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Wenjing responded and immediately brought over a round stool, placing it next to Shen Xingyu.

Shen Xingyu gave him a small nod of thanks, then took a seat beside Shen Yining.

Shen Kaiyuan looked at Shen Yining, then at Shen Xingyu, and finally smiled.

“Yu’er, we’re discussing the content of this imperial exam. Since this whole plan started with you, you should help us finalize the questions. Besides the Confucian classics, what else do you think we should include?”

Shen Xingyu thought for a moment, recalling the civil service exams from her previous life, then said:

“In addition to Confucian texts, we could add policy essays and practical administration problems. For example, give candidates real-world situations that local officials often face and see how they would handle them. After all, being a good official isn’t just about knowing books—it’s also about solving real problems.”

“You’re right,” Shen Kaiyuan nodded. “It’s important to include real-life topics. What else?”

“We can also include current events,” Shen Xingyu continued. “For example, this year Beichuan faced both floods and droughts. Let the candidates write their views and solutions. It will show who understands the country’s actual problems.”

She paused, then added, “And we should also prepare for the possibility of cheating or leaked exam questions.”

“How would we do that?” Shen Yining asked curiously.

“We prepare two sets of questions,” Shen Xingyu explained. “One is the main set, and the other is a backup. If the main set is leaked, we can switch to the backup. Both sets should be sealed in envelopes and guarded by soldiers. On the day of the exam, just before it begins, the envelope is handed to the chief examiner and opened in front of everyone. That way, there’s no chance for leaks.”

She added, “To ensure fairness, we’d need all the provinces to hold the exam at the same time.”

Grand Tutor Zhou Yuanzhen quickly agreed. “What the princess said is absolutely right. The exam questions must be sealed. If the questions get leaked, it would crush the hopes of honest, hardworking scholars.”

“Yes,” Shen Kaiyuan said with a smile. “Yu’er’s idea about backup questions is also important. We must prepare for all possible risks.”

She looked at Shen Xingyu warmly, her smile deepening. Their Yu’er really did have good ideas. Perhaps… it was time to start bringing her to court more often.

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