Ji Yuan said, “…Won’t the young lady look at the official documents she wrote afterward?”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced at them dismissively, “She simply hasn’t been exposed to official documents before. This doesn’t matter – just keep her by my side and teach her slowly.”

“Her thinking is very important. That she can have such insight shows she’s an intelligent person, and moreover, a kindred spirit – very usable.” Zhao Hanzhang paused, then said, “Can be greatly used!”

“How many renowned scholars with reputations don’t even have her insight?” Zhao Hanzhang handed the paper to Fu Tinghan, “What do you think?”

Fu Tinghan scanned through the paper quickly and nodded, “Indeed so.”

Zhao Yunxin’s example official document was written extremely well. Zhao Hanzhang noticed the familiar writing style and raised an eyebrow, “Yunxin’s official document shows quite her brother’s style.”

Ji Yuan smiled and said, “Zhao Kuan is doing quite well as county magistrate. The situation in Quyang has now stabilized. After all, he’s a young person – his thinking is more flexible. He directly detained many merchants passing through Quyang. Now many merchants buy glass products and paper in Quyang, drawing customers away from Shangcai and Xiping.”

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t mind – whether Quyang, Shangcai, or Xiping, wasn’t it all her territory?

The third son was still a son. As long as he competed honorably and didn’t use underhanded means, this old mother would turn a blind eye.

So Zhao Hanzhang said, “If Changning and County Magistrate Chai have the ability, they’re perfectly welcome to steal the customers back.”

Ji Yuan said, “County Magistrate Chang will be heartbroken to hear this.”

Zhao Hanzhang pretended not to hear and seriously reviewed the essays in her hands.

In the end, they only selected twelve people, but this was just the first hurdle. Perhaps those discarded in the bamboo basket might perform well later and emerge again?

The afternoon questions were all related to law – Ji Yuan and Zhao Hanzhang had selected them from cases in their subordinate counties over the past six months.

If the candidates were county magistrates, how would they render judgment?

The answers were truly… all varieties imaginable.

One person’s large sheet contained only a few characters: “Such villains should be killed!”

Three cases, three identical answers.

Zhao Hanzhang nearly laughed herself to tears, then under Ji Yuan’s worried gaze tossed his paper into the second bamboo basket, “Regardless of how this person answers the remaining questions, do not use him!”

Ji Yuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

The second day tested mathematics, which Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan insisted on making a major portion of the examination.

Fu Tinghan personally set the questions, having them calculate land area, taxes, work section lengths and labor numbers for corvée duty, and so on.

The exam lasted two periods, or four hours.

These were the simplest problems. Fu Tinghan felt that if they had an elementary school diploma, they could solve all these questions.

However, the vast majority of people left the examination hall dizzy and disoriented, with even blanker faces than yesterday.

Even the consistently confident Zhao Yunxin fell silent for a moment and said to Sun Linghui, “Cousin, I’m still young – I should be able to come again next year, but you…”

She looked worried, “You’ll be betrothed next year, won’t you?”

Sun Linghui didn’t mind, “It’s fine. If I don’t pass this year, I’ll fall ill during the New Year. I just don’t know if Governor Zhao will issue another recruitment notice next year.”

Zhao Yunxin rolled her eyes and said, “Wait, I’ll ask my brother.”

How would Zhao Kuan know? Besides, he was in Quyang. Asking him was not as good as asking Fan Ying and Chen Siniang. He wrote back to his sister, “Aren’t you always close with those two? They’re more favored before Third Sister – instead of asking me, why not ask them?”

But they were friends – how could she ask them such things?

It was better to ask her brother – family needn’t be too formal.

Zhao Yunxin hadn’t expected her eldest brother to be so useless. While grumbling as she folded the letter, she fretted about how to bring this up with Sister Fan Ying.

As she pondered, Zhao Yunying and Sun Linghui came rushing in, calling loudly to Zhao Yunxin sitting by the window, “Yunxin, we’ve all been accepted!”

Zhao Yunxin’s eyes brightened instantly. She tossed the letter behind her and jumped up, asking, “Really?”

Sun Linghui nodded vigorously, “More real than real – I saw it with my own eyes. Both your and my names are on the list.”

Zhao Yunxin also excitedly spun in circles, finally unable to help embracing them both and shouting with joy, “We actually passed! How did the list come out so quickly? I thought it would take several more days.”

Sun Linghui said, “I thought so too, but today Cousin and I went to the county town tavern for a meal, and we heard the yamen runners beating gongs and drums announcing the recruitment list was out. Cousin and I ran to look, and I saw your name on the public notice wall at a glance – right in the center was your name.”

Zhao Yunxin smiled so much her eyes narrowed, “And you? Cousin, where was your name?”

Sun Linghui’s eyes curved into crescents, “I’m to your upper left.”

Zhao Yunying beside them said, “She was first place, you were eighth. This time they accepted a total of sixteen people.”

Zhao Yunxin: …

But she only paused briefly before embracing Sun Linghui again, happily saying, “Wonderful! From now on we’ll be colleagues.”

Sun Linghui then performed a formal bow: “Greetings, colleague.”

Zhao Yunxin quickly stepped back and also bowed, “Greetings, colleague.”

The two bent at the waist, raised their eyes to look at each other, and immediately dissolved into laughter.

Zhao Yunying beside them was full of envy, feeling sour inside, “You two are so fortunate.”

Zhao Yunxin hesitated briefly, then said, “Elder Sister, why don’t you speak with Mother about also taking the official examination? With your learning, you would surely pass.”

Zhao Yunying shook her head, “I’m already married. If I wanted to take an examination, I should ask my husband’s family, not Mother.”

She felt rather downcast, “And the Qian family would never agree.”

She sighed, “Because I previously went to the academy to teach, the Qian family already had many complaints. They only silently endured out of fear of our family’s power and status. That I can now stay in Xiping and remain at the academy is already quite good – I cannot be greedy for more.”

Zhao Yunxin huffed, “The Qian family doesn’t lack you to manage household affairs. What’s wrong with going out to teach or serve as an official?”

Sun Linghui said, “Human life is but a short hundred years – one must live contentedly. Although serving in office may not necessarily bring happiness, at least it’s something you want to do.”

Zhao Yunying smiled bitterly. She didn’t have Sun Linghui’s carefree spirit – to say she wanted to take the examination and immediately transcribe the recruitment notice and run straight to Xiping to test.

She said wistfully, “You’re so bold!”

Her tone contained envy she couldn’t express.

At this moment, Wang Shi was also looking at Zhao Hanzhang, who was eating noodles with her head down, and sighed, “You’re so bold…”

Zhao Hanzhang raised her head and smiled faintly at her.

Wang Shi looked silently at her daughter. She had great confidence in her daughter, but never imagined she could accomplish so many great deeds – not only becoming commandery governor, but actually issuing a widespread recruitment notice. “I’ve heard that even the court now knows about your recruitment notice.”