In matters of the heart, she would not settle.
Love was good, but its absence was not a deal-breaker. She also wanted to contribute to the nation.
As her brother Jiayan had said, if one felt the country was flawed, one should strive to change it; if the bureaucracy was corrupt, one should study, enter officialdom, and become that light; if the common people were ignorant, one should enlighten them and spread the laws of Great Wei, rather than complain, flee, and give up. Even a little bit of warmth, a little bit of light, could illuminate the darkness.
She wanted to be that light.
The selection of female officials by the Six Ministries was extremely stringent. Candidates could not be of slave status, nor from merchant families. Those too short, too thin, or with disfigured features were rejected.
Only after these prerequisites were met came the written examinations of the Six Ministries, followed by interviews. For Yu Mingyue, however, these were all quite manageable.
Although she had grown taller and leaner recently, she was still slightly more robust than the delicate and frail girls around her.
The written examination for the Dali Temple, which handled judicial matters, focused on the laws of Great Wei. This was not difficult for Yu Mingyue. For the final question, which required her to expound on her views on the law, Yu Mingyue penned over a thousand words, and was quite satisfied with her work.
On the day the results were posted, Yu Mingyue placed first in the Dali Temple's written examination. The Second Madam, who happened to be at Madam Cui's courtyard, exclaimed upon hearing the news, "Our family has produced a female top scholar! It seems our days of hardship are truly over. Our children are all accomplished. Look, our Sixth Daughter will soon be an official too."
With her son having entered the Ministry of Works and her daughter a夫人 of a noble household, the Second Madam was in high spirits lately, her words even more pleasant than usual.
"She's hardly a female top scholar; this is nothing compared to the imperial examinations," Madam Cui said, though she tempered her joy.
"Eldest Sister-in-law is too modest. This is a female official, a precedent in our dynasty. If Miaoyan could have passed, I would be overjoyed," the Second Madam said, her words direct.
It was a pity Miaoyan was already married. If the court had held these selections two or three years earlier, she would surely have tried.
Madam Cui nodded, "Sister-in-law, you are absolutely right. I shall order a banquet to be prepared to celebrate Sixth Daughter."
In truth, Madam Cui had already instructed the small kitchen to prepare. She knew her daughter's capabilities well, but disliked ostentation. Since Madam Zhao had mentioned it, she decided to go along with it.
Though the Second Madam could sometimes be irksome, she was perceptive today. "That's right. Sixth Daughter should be back soon. I must return and prepare my congratulatory gift."
...
Yu Mingyue had left early that morning, but not to check the examination results.
"Uncle Wu asked me for tea early in the morning. Is he afraid I haven't woken up yet?" Yu Mingyue asked as she pushed open the door and saw Ye Feisheng already waiting for her.
Ye Feisheng was not angered by her retort. If this girl were a docile and obedient sort, she wouldn't have dared to undertake such audacious actions, nor would she have chosen to gnaw on the hardest bone in the yamen.
The Dali Temple handled major and serious cases, directly under the Emperor's jurisdiction. In other words, the Dali Temple not only handled cases but also had to discern the Emperor's intentions.
"Sit!" Ye Feisheng gestured to the seat beside him.
Yu Mingyue sat down without ceremony, "What is it?"
"Since you call me Uncle Wu, you show no basic respect for elders. Have the Cui family's rules been taught in vain?"
"Speak about me if you must, but do not mention the Cui family. Uncle Wu, you know your own role in the Qinghe Rebellion," Yu Mingyue said resentfully.
He dared to mention the Cui family. It was the Yu family who had wronged him, but Yu Mingyue felt she had never wronged him. Yet, he was taking out his hatred for the Yu family on her, wasn't he?
Ye Feisheng put down his cup and said gravely, "Since it's difficult for me to see you, I'll be brief. Your father and brother are not in the capital. Do not take sides in the power struggles within the Dali Temple. Do not rush to the forefront in any matter."
"What power struggles?"