Chapter 111: Achieve 45% Progress on the Transmigrator Mission

…

This year's palace examination lasted four days in total.

One day for cultural knowledge, one day for court etiquette, one day for needlework skills, and one day for moral cultivation.

In fact, after the first day, Li Qingzhao no longer wanted to continue.

This was mainly because Li Qingzhao had come solely to compete in the cultural knowledge portion; she had no intention of competing in anything else, nor was she skilled in them. As for needlework, she didn't know how to do it at all—going up would only bring shame upon herself.

Moreover, Li Qingzhao was still an unmarried maiden, and it was improper for her to spend the night outside.

—In Li Qingzhao's view, she had sneaked out to participate in the palace examination, and even her father did not know of this.

Li Qingzhao told Chao Min of her thoughts.

Chao Min rolled her eyes outright: "This is the Empress's palace examination; His Majesty himself may come as examiner during his leisure. This is the inner palace—how could you think you can come and go as you please?"

Li Qingzhao realized this was true—this was no place for her to act recklessly; if she caused trouble, she might bring great disaster upon her family.

As for how she would explain it to her family, "Master Gong should send someone to inform my household, right? Otherwise, if Father sends people to look for me at Master Gong's residence, they'll know I'm here."

With this thought, Li Qingzhao had no choice but to remain obediently in the inner palace for five full days.

Why five days, not four?

That was because one day was needed for the ranking announcement.

The only thing that comforted Li Qingzhao was that the results of the cultural knowledge competition would be announced on the first day.

Just as Li Qingzhao confidently awaited her top ranking, the results revealed she had placed second.

"How could it be second place?"

Li Qingzhao silently marveled, her brows lightly furrowed with confusion and unwillingness.

Li Qingzhao knew she had performed poorly in the classics, histories, philosophers, and anthologies, for those texts on female virtue were an agony, a confinement to her—she had never read them. She had guessed her answers based on the questions, and her arguments were even somewhat heretical; her score could not possibly be high.

But Li Qingzhao had absolute confidence in her poem "Ru Meng Ling." She believed anyone who understood poetry would give this ci a high evaluation.

Crucially, Li Qingzhao had heard that among the examiners were her Master Gong Su Shi, her uncle Su Zhe, as well as Zhang Dun, Ceng Bu, and Cai Jing—all great masters of poetry.

Her "Ru Meng Ling" should not have been buried under such circumstances.

This was not arrogance; she had read poetry since childhood, her literary talent was outstanding, and this "Ru Meng Ling" had been composed during a recent outburst of inspiration.

Put simply, "Ru Meng Ling" was the best work she had ever created—certainly among her top three, and possibly even the very best.

Thus, she was certain that in poetry, no one could surpass her.

Li Qingzhao had guessed that if she did not win first place in cultural knowledge, the fault must lie in the classics, histories, philosophers, and anthologies—not in poetry.

But even knowing the reason, Li Qingzhao still resented being second.

Chao Min was even more frustrated: "The inner palace is full of hidden dragons and tigers? I only got seventh place! It must be because of the classics, histories, philosophers, and anthologies—but even so, I shouldn't have ranked so low. I want to see who these women are and what gives them the right to rank above me!"

Chao Min's poetry skills were also excellent; seventh place was truly absurd.

Thus, Li Qingzhao and Chao Min squeezed forward with the intent to challenge, wanting to see how the rankings were decided.

Before Li Qingzhao and Chao Min could cause a scene, Cai Xuan bowed gracefully to the official in charge of posting the results: "May I ask, sister, may we inspect the examination papers?"

Li Qingzhao and Chao Min heard from those around them that Cai Xuan hadn't even made the top ten.

Remember, Cai Xuan had come to win first place.

Such a drastic fall—how could a woman as proud as Cai Xuan possibly accept it?

Pei Sui said nothing, and immediately had the top ten examination papers displayed.

Unsurprisingly, everyone's eyes first went to the first-place paper—Zhang Chun's.

After all the women read Zhang Chun's "Yi Jian Mei," they fell silent.

You could say many of these women were arrogant or even conceited, but you could not doubt their taste.

These women, raised deep within the palace, along with the noble daughters recommended by the chancellors, had been steeped since childhood in poetry, literature, and ritual; their sensitivity and appreciation for language naturally surpassed ordinary people.

Upon reading it once, the subtle emotions and supreme artistic mastery expressed in "Yi Jian Mei" left every woman present feeling utterly inferior.

Even Li Qingzhao was deeply shaken, feeling that Zhang Chun's "Yi Jian Mei" was truly on par with her own "Ru Meng Ling."

Under such circumstances—where poetry was nearly evenly matched—when Li Qingzhao looked at the scores in classics, histories, philosophers, and anthologies, she immediately felt she had lost fairly.

Yet Li Qingzhao faintly felt that this "Yi Jian Mei" resonated with her too deeply; had she not truly never written this poem, she might have believed it was her own creation.

Beside her, Chao Min sighed in sincere admiration: "I never imagined someone could express emotion so profoundly and fully through a single ci. Who exactly is this Empress Zhang, to have reached such a realm in poetry?"

After the women had read Li Qingzhao's "Ru Meng Ling," they all smiled wryly.

One talented female poet was already astonishing enough; now a second had appeared—and the two were evenly matched. How could one not feel overwhelmed by such wonder?

The women looked at Li Qingzhao, whom they knew well; their gazes now held less of the earlier schadenfreude over her second-place finish, and more sympathy for her loss to a peer of equal caliber.

Chao Min also sighed deeply. Though she still felt resentment, she could not deny the brilliance of Zhang Chun's and Li Qingzhao's two ci. She looked at Li Qingzhao and said with genuine admiration: "I thought my own ci was outstanding; today I realize there are those above us, heavens beyond heavens. You and Empress Zhang are the true marvels of literary genius."

As the women looked further down the list, there were certainly some disputes—after all, in literature there is no absolute first, and opinions vary—but objectively speaking, the evaluation of the cultural knowledge portion of this palace examination was fair and just.

After reading all ten top examination papers, even the most resentful Cai Xuan fell silent.

Zheng Xiansu arranged meals and temporary lodging for Li Qingzhao and the other women recommended by the chancellors to participate in the palace examination.

Having seen the results, Li Qingzhao and the other women could now go eat and rest.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Zhang Chun came over.

Seeing Empress Zhang—who she had met briefly before—approach her, Li Qingzhao was surprised and puzzled as to why Zhang Chun had come.

Before Li Qingzhao could ask, Zhang Chun smiled and explained her reason: "I have long admired your literary talent, Miss Li. Would you be willing to visit my palace for a chat? I'd like to introduce you to a few close friends."

Afraid Li Qingzhao might refuse, Zhang Chun pointed to the top-ranked paper and added with a smile: "I was in too much of a hurry to enter earlier—I didn't give my full name…"

Only then did Li Qingzhao realize she had lost to the woman standing before her.

At the same time, Li Qingzhao suddenly understood: Zhang Chun was a kindred spirit, seeking to invite her to discuss poetry.

Li Qingzhao did not hesitate to praise: "I too admire Your Majesty's extraordinary literary talent…"

After a round of mutual admiration, Li Qingzhao gladly accepted Zhang Chun's invitation.

Zhang Chun invited Chao Min to come sit with her again.

But Chao Min had come to participate in the Palace Examination with a mission; she did not dare run about inside the imperial palace. If someone caught her and thought she didn't understand the rules, ruining Su Shi and Su Zhe's great undertaking, she would be a sinner of the Yuanyou faction. So she politely declined Zhang Chun's invitation and gave Li Qingzhao a look, hoping Li Qingzhao would also see the bigger picture.

Yet Li Qingzhao completely did not get what Chao Min was hoping. Seeing that Chao Min was unwilling to go with Zhang Chun, she chatted happily with Zhang Chun about poetry as she walked off with her…

Seeing this, Chao Min could do nothing about it. After all, Li Qingzhao might really have come just to enjoy herself — unlike her.

Li Qingzhao was clever and candid, brave and rebellious, deeply affectionate and loyal. Someone with such a personality found it easy to make friends.

On the other hand, the reason Zhang Chun had come looking for Li Qingzhao and befriended her was mainly that she knew clearly the true first place was not herself, but Li Qingzhao, whose two ci poems had been judged tied for first by Zhao Yu and the others. If not for cheating, Zhang Chun might not even have made the top twenty. Therefore, Li Qingzhao was the true marvel, while she herself was nothing more than a lucky girl who had stumbled into heaven's favor by chance.

Zhang Chun invited Li Qingzhao to her palace, immediately had people prepare hotpot lamb, and at the same time sent people to invite Li Lin, Ye Shi Yun, Ma Ma Xiao Jiao, and Yuan Qingcheng over.

Zhang Chun gave special instructions: have Ye Shi Yun bring a jar of imperial wine, and have Ma Ma Xiao Jiao bring a set of mahjong tiles.

It was clear that Zhang Chun very much wanted to entertain Li Qingzhao well.

This was only natural.

As a woman of letters, how could Zhang Chun not admire Li Qingzhao, the greatest talent in history? Especially after she truly came to understand Li Qingzhao's brilliance.

Soon, Ye Shi Yun arrived carrying a jar of imperial wine.

Li Qingzhao was a discerning person. The moment she saw the red jar with yellow seal, she immediately guessed this was imperial wine — something that couldn't be bought no matter how much money one had.

Li Qingzhao's gluttonous cravings were instantly stirred up.

"Imperial Consort Zhang is worth befriending!"

The moment they met, Ye Shi Yun teased Zhang Chun: "I heard you used 'Yi Jian Mei · Red Lotus Fragrance Faded, Jade Mat Autumn' to defeat Li Qingzhao's 'Ru Meng Ling · Often Remembering the Creek Pavilion at Dusk.' You really are shameless…"

Before the word "shameless" could leave her mouth, Ye Shi Yun saw Zhang Chun frantically winking at her.

Only then did Ye Shi Yun notice Li Qingzhao not far away and asked: "And who is this?"

Zhang Chun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly introduced Li Qingzhao to Ye Shi Yun: "This is Miss Li."

Ye Shi Yun truly hadn't expected Zhang Chun to have actually invited Li Qingzhao over. She greeted Li Qingzhao with great frankness: "I've heard Miss excels at gambling and has never lost in her life. So have I. How about the two of us have a little contest later?"

Li Qingzhao was overjoyed; she felt she had found a treasure trove. Not only was there imperial wine here, but also people who loved gambling. "From now on I can come here often to amuse myself."

"Gamble at what, da ma?" Li Qingzhao asked.

"Da ma" was a chess-like gambling game, fairly popular in this era.

Li Qingzhao especially loved this kind of game, calling it "the upper echelon of board games, an elegant pastime for the boudoir." She believed "da ma" was not only fun but could also train the mind and strategic ability. She had a deep understanding of and rich experience with "da ma," and was a master of the game.

Ye Shi Yun shook her head: "Da ma is a trivial pursuit. In a moment, elder sister will take you to play some games you've never played before."

Li Qingzhao was a person of especially strong curiosity. She loved embracing new things, so she was full of anticipation for the games she had never played that Ye Shi Yun spoke of.

In no time at all, Li Lin, Ma Ma Xiao Jiao, and Yuan Qingcheng also arrived at Zhang Chun's place.

The banquet began, and the few of them raised cups and exchanged goblets, chatting away at length.

What Li Qingzhao had never expected was that the five women of Zhang Chun's group knew many things she did not, and each had her own abilities — they all seemed to be extraordinary people.

For instance, the mechanical arts Ma Ma Xiao Jiao discussed greatly piqued Li Qingzhao's curiosity.

Seeing that Li Qingzhao liked these things, Ma Ma Xiao Jiao readily agreed to take her to her own place tomorrow to have a look.

Once they got chatting, Li Qingzhao discovered that Zhang Chun and the others were not only broad in knowledge but also interesting in temperament. They were unbothered by small matters, put on none of the airs of imperial consorts, and in both speech and action carried a forthrightness rarely found in women of this era.

This suited Li Qingzhao's temperament perfectly; she felt a sense of "what a pity we didn't meet sooner."

The only pity was that Ye Shi Yun, who had brought the wine, did enjoy a drink, but her capacity was very limited — once she hit her limit, she refused no matter what; Ma Ma Xiao Jiao was pregnant and could not drink; Li Lin kept to a health regimen and never touched a drop; Zhang Chun's capacity was also poor — after just a few cups she was already getting tipsy.

Fortunately there was Yuan Qingcheng.

How so?

If Ye Shi Yun hadn't insisted on teaching Li Qingzhao to play mahjong, Yuan Qingcheng, who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, would have drunk Li Qingzhao under the table.

After the meal, Zhang Chun, Ye Shi Yun, and Yuan Qingcheng kept Li Qingzhao company in a game of mahjong.

After just one round, Li Qingzhao had already grasped the essence of mahjong. Whether drawing, pong, kong, or winning, she applied each with perfect precision, as if it were a game she had been born mastering.

The more she played, the more radiant Li Qingzhao became. In Li Qingzhao's view, Ye Shi Yun was right — compared with mahjong, da ma was simply too dull.

As the game progressed, Li Qingzhao grew ever more absorbed. Her mind worked at lightning speed, and her ability to count tiles astonished the others. Every discard and every draw-pong was decisive and precise, making it impossible to tell she was a novice.

After eight rounds, Zhang Chun and Yuan Qingcheng, having lost a good deal of money, surrendered.

Not yet satisfied, Li Qingzhao started a two-player mahjong game with Ye Shi Yun.

The others stood by and watched.

After watching for a while, the crowd realized Li Qingzhao was simply a mahjong genius — careful in her discards, listening on multiple tiles, defense-oriented, flexible in changing tactics, greedy when she should be greedy, willing to abandon when she should abandon, rarely dealing into others' winning hands, and with an excellent memory. She seemed born to play mahjong.

Only then did Zhang Chun and Yuan Qingcheng realize that their inability to beat Li Qingzhao was not because she had a beginner's luck buff, but mainly because their skill genuinely could not match hers — even though this was Li Qingzhao's very first time playing mahjong.

Of course, in the end it was still Ye Shi Yun who won.

There was no help for it — Ye Shi Yun's memory was too strong; when she played mahjong, it was almost like playing with her tiles face-up.

No matter how well Li Qingzhao played, she could not beat an opponent like Ye Shi Yun who was running a cheat.

Still, Li Qingzhao was a bit indignant and challenged Ye Shi Yun to a rematch tomorrow.

Afterwards, the women drank together for a while longer, and the five women of Zhang Chun's group, emboldened by a bit of wine, told Li Qingzhao quite a few things she did not know.

Only now did Li Qingzhao truly understand what was meant by "there are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens" — it turned out there were so many things she did not know.

That night, Zhang Chun and Li Qingzhao shared a bed, and the two chatted about many things — some on literature, but mostly about fields Li Qingzhao did not know…

Until the two fell asleep.

Late at night.

After the Quyan ended.

Zhao Yu, who had also drunk quite a bit today, thought it over. Although the final results of the Palace Examination had not yet come out, Zhang Chun had at least secured first place in cultural knowledge. It was time for him to fulfill his promise and grant Zhang Chun a son.

— Zhao Yu's mind was as clear as a mirror. Zhang Chun definitely wouldn't get particularly good results in the later events. If he strictly followed what he'd agreed with Zhang Chun, he'd still have to keep Zhang Chun on a leash for a period of time, and that would be a bit too bullying of Zhang Chun. After all, now apart from Yuan Qingcheng, who kept avoiding him, only Zhang Chun was left. Combined with all those laughably absurd things Zhang Chun had done before, if Zhang Chun still couldn't land him this time, Li Lin, Ye Shi Yun, and Ma Ma Xiao Jiao might well laugh at Zhang Chun and cause her to go dark or something.

Therefore, not wanting any extra complications, Zhao Yu made his way to Zhang Chun's palace.

The bedchamber attendant went to inform Zhang Chun to prepare to receive the emperor for the night.

But Zhao Yu stopped him.

He planned to give Zhang Chun a surprise…

……

(End of Chapter)