The Three Gates Lane in the southern part of the city was generally where ministers and noble relatives of the imperial court had their mansions. Grand residences with high walls and vermilion gates stood side by side, but only the Gu residence appeared rather modest. Without the imperial-bestowed vermilion plaque hanging high on the gate, no one would have imagined this was the mansion of the current Left Minister.

A gentle breeze swept the path, the secluded walkway quiet and serene. The clouds in the sky were soft as silk as if about to descend.

Shen Zhili followed behind the Gu household servant, walking slowly, her heart like the cotton clouds above, softly squeezed together, floating gently up and down, left and right in her chest.

“The Minister has not been receiving outside visitors these past few days, but after seeing Master Shen’s calling card just now, he made an exception,” the servant said to her as they walked, his voice containing a hint of amusement.

Shen Zhili lowered her eyes, looking at the fragments of grass beneath her feet. “I imagine many female candidates have been leaving their cards and requesting visits at the Minister’s mansion these days?”

“Indeed they have!” The servant raised his eyebrows. “Ever since the Minister received the imperial edict appointing him as the chief examiner for the women’s jinshi examination in the Ministry of Rites, the threshold of the Minister’s mansion has been nearly worn out by visitors.”

She smiled. “Given your master’s temperament, refusing to see visitors is quite reasonable.”

The servant cheerfully led her around a corridor bend, pointing to a small hall ahead. “The Minister was painting in the flower hall just now. Madam Shen may go in directly. I’ll bring some tea for you.”

Shen Zhili raised her eyes to look. The jade-green tiles of the hall’s roof reflected the sunlight, slightly dazzling her eyes. She lowered her head, walked a few steps forward, then turned back to stop the servant. “I’ve just come to exchange a few words with the Minister and then I’ll leave. No need for tea.”

The servant was momentarily stunned and was about to speak, but saw that she had already turned and quickly walked away.

When Shen Zhili reached the entrance of the hall, she paused for a moment, thought briefly, then raised her hand to push aside the beaded curtain on the door and stepped lightly inside.

The light in the hall was soft and dim. A long black-lacquered wooden desk stood against the wall, with a man standing before it, half-bending over, holding a brush and dotting ink.

She stood at the doorway without entering further or speaking, just watching him.

The man heard the sound behind him but didn’t turn around, only softly opening his mouth: “Is that Leyan?”

Only then did Shen Zhili step forward, bending down to pick up scattered rice paper from the floor, responding: “Mmm.” She walked over and gently placed the paper on the desk, then stood silently.

The man paused his wrist in mid-air, turning his head slightly. His face was thin but clear and distinguished, his eyes bright as he looked at her for a long while, before averting his gaze and smiling: “It’s been quite some time since you’ve visited me. I didn’t see you when your parents came to pay respects during my wife’s funeral. What brings you here today?”

She couldn’t move her gaze, staring at the smile lines at the corners of his mouth. After a long moment, she finally relaxed her brow, pulling Meng Tinghui’s thin card from her sleeve and handing it over: “I’ve come to recommend someone to the Minister.”

Gu Qin set down his brush and reached out to take it. Without a word, he opened it to look, but his expression changed when he saw the name at the bottom of the card. Immediately, he threw the card to the corner of the desk. “Nonsense.” He supported himself on the desk, thought for a moment, then looked at her with furrowed brows: “What is your relationship with this person, that you would come to recommend her?”

Shen Zhili seemed to have anticipated this reaction, and without haste or annoyance, she picked up the card again and laid it before his eyes: “I happened to meet her today at Yitai Tower. I quite liked her two short compositions, and especially appreciated her subtle demeanor, different from the other female candidates.”

Gu Qin’s face darkened further. “I’ve heard about what this person did during the provincial examination in Chao’an North Road. If her top scholar title hadn’t been bestowed by the Crown Prince’s favor, I would certainly have removed her name from the Ministry of Rites examination!” He turned around, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked to open the window. “If everyone in the world knows such cleverness can succeed, what will become of the women’s jinshi examination in the future?”

“Minister, please be at ease,” Shen Zhili softly began, the corners of her lips curving into a smile. “I knew the Minister would react this way, which is why I came especially to recommend her. Otherwise, with the Minister serving as chief examiner for the Ministry of Rites examination, if Meng Tinghui were to take first place, the Minister would surely take away her honors. If Meng Tinghui only passed as a tribute student, the Minister would probably place her among the failed candidates…”

Gu Qin’s lips moved, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately did not speak. He just stood with his back to her, looking out the window toward the distant courtyard.

Shen Zhili gazed at him calmly, then continued: “Has the Minister considered how this women’s jinshi examination differs from previous years? Surely the Minister understands the Crown Prince’s intentions? The first woman to pass at the highest level will be allowed to enter the Hanlin Academy. Minister, you entered the Central Secretariat from the Hanlin Academy back then. Need I explain the deeper meaning? And what sort of place is the Hanlin Academy? A gathering of the pure stream, dominated by old ministers. If a woman with only talent but no understanding of worldly ways were to enter, what good outcome could there be?”

Seeing that he remained silent, she couldn’t help but smile. “This Meng Tinghui has outstanding talent but is not pedantic. Although her actions may be clever, she has excellent measures. If I may say so, among the female candidates who have come to the capital this time, I haven’t seen anyone more likable than her. If this woman doesn’t enter the Hanlin Academy, who can? Who would be able to?”

Gu Qin turned back, his gaze rather complex. “You come here to plead her case, but have you considered whether she would acknowledge this favor from you?”

She met his gaze, her throat suddenly constricting, and after a long moment she responded: “Meng Tinghui is a clever person.”

He snorted coldly: “Your words alone aren’t enough. We’ll have to see how she performs in the Ministry of Rites examination! And we must wait until after the Palace examination to see whom His Majesty will select!”

Shen Zhili lowered her head. “The Minister also knows why the Crown Prince requested His Majesty to issue an edict opening a position in the Hanlin Academy for women. For many years, female officials at court have been mere ornaments, how greatly this differs from His Majesty’s original intention when he established women’s education and opened the special examination! But why is this so? Minister, you are also an old minister who came from the Eastern Capital with Prince Ping. Surely you understand better than I do! The old ministers of the Eastern faction at court are growing more powerful by the day. What thoughts they harbor about women entering the court as officials, I fear the Minister understands best. His Majesty doesn’t quibble with these old ministers only because of his long-standing relationship with Prince Ping!”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qin’s face immediately darkened completely: “Leyan, do not be presumptuous!”

After a moment of silence, she continued: “His Majesty’s desire to abdicate and hand over power to the Crown Prince is known to the old ministers of both departments. Once the Crown Prince inherits the throne, will he still show the same reverence and respect to those old ministers? This permission for female jinshi to enter the Hanlin Academy is just the Crown Prince’s first move. I understand this, the Minister understands this, and the old ministers at court understand it even better. If an ordinary learned woman enters the Hanlin Academy, what use would there be? In the factional struggles and intrigues at court, haven’t there been enough sacrifices over the years?”

He raised his hand to interrupt her: “Speak no more.” He smoothed his brow to calm himself, then walked back to the desk and said to her: “Come look at the painting I’ve made.”

Shen Zhili obediently fell silent and walked over.

A long scroll was spread on the desk, the painting rich with spring colors – slender willows by pavilions, swallows flying and orioles singing, slow waters flowing in the distance…

He lowered his eyes, reached for a brush, mixed a light vermilion color, and handed it to her. With his other hand, he pointed to the empty branches of a peach tree in the painting, smiling slightly: “It still needs a few peach blossoms. Does Leyan still know how to paint peach blossoms?”

Her heart suddenly trembled, though her face remained calm. “The Minister taught me personally in those years. How could Leyan forget?”

Her hand holding the brush trembled slightly, hearing his laughter beside her, her heart increasingly unsettled.

Lightly sketching the peach blossoms, she did not release the brush but instead turned her wrist, letting the brush tip fall to an empty corner of the rice paper, quickly forming several characters—

“Resenting spring’s delay, last night I received news of spring.

Spring heart moves secretly, spring feelings sent in vain, spring matters only spring knows.”