The Whole Dynasty Spoils the Tyrant's Beloved Youngest Daughter-Chapter 401: The Big Obstacle

Chapter 401: Chapter 401: The Big Obstacle
"Since the founding of our state of Eastern Chu, there has never been a precedent of women attending court. Generally, even commoners must pass through five barriers, decapitate six generals, and formally pass the imperial examinations before they can attend court."
"The journey is arduous, it cannot be denied how wearing it is."
"But Princess Anle is different. She only started school at the age of eight, scarcely studied a few days, and often skipped class, claiming lack of interest. Saying she has barely any knowledge is no exaggeration. But with her fortunate fate, she wants to attend court, to enjoy the same privileges as her brothers, needing to do nothing more than beseech the Emperor, and through the Emperor’s doting, she is allowed into court. Truly, the Emperor spoils her beyond measure!"
"Spoils her to the point of disregarding ancestral doctrines."
"Seems the rumors outside aren’t false. Princess Anle is indeed good at beguiling the monarch!"
At this moment, the court ministers could no longer hold back, and their pent-up frustration could not help but be vented.
They spoke their minds without restraint.
Especially the censorate, their words were indeed cutting.
What were they saying?
Scolding with reasonable arguments, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Listening to this, Jun Ning couldn’t help but feel angry. But having endured two lifetimes, she knew better than to lose her temper or act rashly at this moment.
She took a deep breath, and soon suppressed her rising emotions.
Seeing Jun Ning say nothing, Emperor Yongning found it even more difficult to speak up. Otherwise, it would confirm the ministers’ accusations of his indulgence with affection.
The ministers below neither understood Emperor Yongning’s and Jun Ning’s restraint nor their patience and continued their clamoring.
"If a person like Princess Anle can attend court today and discuss state affairs with ministers, does this mean that the young ladies of high-ranking families can also attend court tomorrow?"
"That remains uncertain."
"However, as I know, many young ladies from prestigious families are well-educated from a young age, mastering poetry and literature, and have unique insights on state affairs. If they can attend court, they would surely be far superior to Princess Anle."
The saying goes, there’s no harm in comparison.
The ministers had never witnessed Jun Ning’s days and nights spent studying, but they had educated their daughters personally, knowing their daughters’ excellence, and how far-fetched the rumors about Princess Anle were.
In comparison, they naturally looked down upon the lackadaisical Princess Anle.
When speaking, they openly and covertly criticized Jun Ning, looked down upon her, believing she had nothing to offer beyond the Emperor’s favor.
"An idle fool, a useless wretch."
To this, Jun Ning remained unresponsive, displaying commendable patience.
But Emperor Yongning could not remain calm. He stood up, his voice trembling with anger.
"You claim that the young ladies in the Imperial City are superior to Princess Anle. Then, starting today, let the imperial examinations be open to women. From now on, women can also participate in the examinations and hold office as officials just like men. When the ladies of the Imperial City attend court, I do not mind letting them compete with Princess Anle to see whether the Empress or the ladies of the ministers are more capable."
"I am confident that Princess Anle will surely triumph over them."
"By then, you troublemakers and old ministers must apologize to Princess Anle for your words today."
The ministers were rendered speechless by the rebuke.
Emperor Yongning had planned to propose opening the imperial examinations to women during today’s court session to pave a smooth path for Jun Ning. But the ministers gave him no chance to say it gently and forced him to shout it out.
Now that he had shouted it out, the ministers were all intimidated into silence.
Some ministers began pondering, feeling that the Emperor’s confidence might mean he has secretly nurtured Princess Anle.
While those ministers with promising, diligent daughters were quietly pleased with the Emperor opening the exams to women.
In the future, their talented, ambitious, and aspiring daughters would no longer be confined to the backyard; they could achieve their dreams through learning and also bring honor to their families.
Given some thought, the number of ministers with daughters was not small, and many thought in this way.
So much so that...
Even while being scolded, the ministers were quite satisfied with Emperor Yongning’s proposal of opening the examinations to women.
The scolding was worth it.
And the matter of Princess Anle attending court, for the time being, the ministers had no objections. No, it should be said that Emperor Yongning gave them such great benefits, they dared not raise objections.
They planned to observe for a while, and if Princess Anle’s conduct became truly outrageous, they would speak again.
Or, seeing Princess Anle become displeasing, they could cause her trouble with a single trip-up, to ensure the troublesome little girl never raises her head again.
...
Jun Ning knew that the ministers would not let her go, but on her first day attending court, with the Emperor’s fiery display, he had already expressed his position that he stood by her side.
Consideration for Emperor Yongning ensured that the ministers would not conflict with him or trouble her in the short term.
But reality proved Jun Ning naive.
Just on her third day attending court, she was faced with a difficult hurdle, personally set by the Right Premier.
If Jun Ning could not overcome this hurdle, she would never again have the chance to attend court.
What hurdle was it?
Repairing the river dam...
In recent years, the North had experienced many extreme weather conditions, with frequent heavy rains, leading to severe floods. Every time a flood was diverted, it often submerged the river dam, devastating many nearby fields ready for harvest, causing tremendous losses to the common people.
This river dam was repaired almost annually, yet every year it would get washed away.
Those who knew how to repair the dam acted superior, their noses raised to the sky. Officials dispatched to oversee the repairs suffered greatly at their hands.
And it wasn’t just suffering; the most dreadful thing was that they ultimately couldn’t fix the dam so they faced penalties when they returned.
Especially for new officials unfamiliar with communication and basic situations, taking on such tasks meant they were not far away from penalties.
How could Emperor Yongning not be aware of these situations? He remarked, "Right Premier, Anle has just begun participating in court affairs. Assigning her such a difficult task is indeed inappropriate."
After all, the troublesome girl was only thirteen years old this year, how could she possibly deal with those old hands at river dam repairs?
Ah... time flies. After all the ups and downs, a few years have passed in a flash, Jun Ning is already thirteen, nearly coming of age.
The Right Premier paid no mind to whether Jun Ning had just started participating in court affairs or how old she was this year, he sternly said, "Your Majesty, when you hadn’t ascended the throne and hadn’t been conferred as Crown Prince, you were just an ordinary Prince, yet you had already started handling affairs and traveling to various places to work."