Official Jinshi Robes
Without hesitation, Zhao Ruxi Gao Xing ate with her grandmother and mother, went back for a short rest, and then painted a large-scale picture.
She still owes her teacher some homework.
She put aside her worries, but the old lady and Lady Zhu remained restless, even sending someone to wait at the gatehouse, fearing they wouldn't know when the Ministry of Rites arrived.
But even by dinnertime, the people from the Ministry of Ministry of Rites still hadn't arrived.
Therefore, Zhao Ruxi ate happily at dinner as she had at noon, while the old lady and Lady Zhu were preoccupied with their own thoughts.
During this time, Zhao Ruxi was busy with the exams, and the old lady and Lady Zhu had thoroughly investigated all the details that needed to be paid attention to in the palace examination.
Even if Zhao Ruxi doesn't get the title of "Chuanlu" (a high-ranking official), she should still be able to pass the imperial examination, right? She came in second in the provincial examination. In any case, she's guaranteed to pass the second-class examination.
But by this time, Zhao Ruxi's official robes for the imperial examinations, which he would wear to the announcement ceremony the next day, still hadn't arrived. Had something gone wrong?
Seeing that Zhao Ruxi had put down her chopsticks and bowl, clearly having finished eating, the old lady finally spoke up after holding back for half an hour, "Miss Xi, why don't you go ask your master what's going on? Why hasn't your official robes for the imperial examination arrived yet?"
Zhao Ruxi was taken aback, took the damp handkerchief to wipe her mouth and hands, and smiled, "Grandmother, things have come to this point, asking is useless and will only make things difficult for my master. Let it go."
She wasn't without her doubts. But she knew that both her master and senior brother cared deeply about her affairs, not to mention Xiao Lingyan.
If Xiao Ge is truly angry because of her request to be sent to a remote area and removes her from the list of successful candidates, her master and Xiao Lingyan will definitely be very anxious and try their best to make amends. If even they can't do anything about it, then there's no point in her sending someone to talk to her master.
It's better to just stay home and wait for news.
In truth, it wouldn't matter if she didn't pass the imperial examination. Although it would disappoint Grand Princess Shangde and Madam Cui, and she couldn't set a good example for talented women like Bai Wei, she had done her best. Apart from that, she had nothing to lose.
She didn't necessarily need to become an official to leave the capital. Wasn't Zhao Yuanxun serving in Gusu Prefecture? She could simply go and live Gusu Prefecture with her grandmother and mother. Without the pressure, she would have more time and energy to earn more money and come up with more novel ideas.
She and Xiao Lingyan had survived their near-death experience, and Zhao Yuankun, who had implicated the Earl of Suiping's Residence, was dead. After two years of management, Xiao Lingyan had accumulated considerable power. The Fu Family was still around, and the power of Xiao Lingpu and the Cen Family should not be underestimated. Xiao Lingyan was unlikely to be in any great danger.
She didn't have many obsessions in this world. As long as she, her family, Xiao Lingyan could live well, that was enough for her.
So if this goal wasn't achieved, then so be it.
Thinking of this, she comforted the old lady and Lady Zhu for a few words, stood up, and was about to take her leave and return to her courtyard when Caidie, who had been waiting at the gate all afternoon, rushed in, panting, and called out, "Old... Old Madam, Madam... Miss, someone from the Ministry of Rites has arrived."
"Really? That's wonderful! Quickly, please invite them in." The old lady was overjoyed and stood up.
Lady Zhu's joy was also evident on her face.
Only Zhao Ruxi's face showed no joy; instead, her brows were furrowed tightly.
She came in second in the provincial examination, so as long as her essay doesn't have any major problems, she shouldn't fall out of the top ten. Besides, she's been writing for quite some time now and knows how to avoid taboos, so she's unlikely to step on any landmines or write anything offensive.
The official robes for Jinshi graduates from the Ministry of Rites were delivered in order of their ranking. The fact that they're only delivering them now suggests she's only a Tongjinshi, or perhaps even the last one?
Xu Xi has always been a top student since childhood. Now, she's been moved from second place in the provincial examination to last place in the top three. What does this mean? It's even more infuriating than not being admitted at all.
"What's wrong?" Lady Zhu noticed her daughter's expression and asked hurriedly.
"Grandmother, Mother, you need to be prepared. Maybe I only came in last place in the top three, otherwise I wouldn't have waited until now to send off the official robes," Zhao Ruxi warned them.
The smiles on the old lady's and Lady Zhu's faces froze instantly.
The visitor was none other than Lord Mo, the clerk from the Ministry of Ministry of Rites.
After exchanging greetings, he apologized to Zhao, saying, "I am truly sorry, Scholar Zhao. The official robes we prepared for you were not satisfactory to the Emperor, who ordered the palace embroiderers to remake them, which is why they were delivered late."
As he spoke, he gestured to his attendant to open a box, revealing the official robes of a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).
Since there were no female scholars who passed the imperial examinations in the Great Jin, Zhao Ruxi participated in the metropolitan examination and even came in second place, which greatly troubled the Ministry of Rites.
The Ministry of Rites discussed the matter for a long time and decided to simply issue Zhao Ruxi the same clothing as the male Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) to show that everyone was treated equally. Otherwise, it would look strange to have a gaudy women's dress made and mixed in with a bunch of uniforms.
The Ministry of Rites reported this matter to the Emperor, who did not express any objection.
But today he suddenly sent someone to say that it was inappropriate for Zhao Ruxi to wear men's clothing, and asked the Ministry of Rites to make a set of women's Jinshi robes. The Ministry of Rites was already extremely busy today, sending out more than a hundred Jinshi robes, and this made things even more chaotic.
Keep in mind that the clothes weren't made directly. If they were made directly, that would be fine; a few skilled embroiderers could make a set of clothes in an hour.
But they not only had to make the clothes, they also had to design them, and the designs had to satisfy the emperor, which was quite troublesome.
Besides clothes, there were also hats. When Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) participated in the Chuanlu ceremony, they were required to wear a three-branch, nine-leaf crown. Women, who usually wore their hair in a bun, did not wear crowns. Wouldn't wearing the same hat as the male Jinshi make them blend into the crowd? This was a real headache.
After several officials from the Ministry of Rites discussed the matter, they had a design drawn up and sent it to the Emperor. The design was then revised based on the Emperor's feedback. This process was repeated three times before the style and color of the garment were finalized. After that, they commissioned embroiderers to make it, which is why the garment has only just been delivered.
Hearing Lord Mo's explanation, Zhao Ruxi's mood improved. She took the box and thanked Lord Mo.
The old lady and Lady Zhu's worries were relieved, and they warmly invited Lord Mo to sit down and have some tea with smiles on their faces.
If it were a yamen runner, they could give him a generous reward. But Lord Mo was an official appointed by the imperial court, so they couldn't give him money. They could only ask the kitchen to make some snacks to entertain him.
They actually wanted to inquire about the rankings in the palace examination. However, the final rankings wouldn't be determined until the audience with the emperor the next day, and even if they asked, Lord Mo would only say he didn't know. So the two of them had no choice but to give up.
The Emperor went to great lengths to order the Ministry of Rites to prepare formal attire, so Zhao Ruxi's ranking must be quite high.