But Fang He insisted, telling only the two: “Things are valuable because they’re rare, and second chances are even rarer. What they scramble to get themselves is far more precious than what we willingly give away.”
Consort Jing and Consort Yi thought it over and found it reasonable.
It was like food: eating it yourself and snatching it from others were completely different feelings.
So Consort Jing blocked the admissions door to those wanting to withdraw, while Consort Yi quietly arranged through her housekeeper to connect with families close to the Guoluo Clan, openly competing for entrance exam slots.
The Women’s Academy, opened by the Empress Dowager’s decree, taught what the Grand Empress Dowager greatly advocated, even allowing students to listen to her sayings.
For ordinary banner families, admission was as prestigious as an audience with the Emperor.
They would never get a chance to see the Emperor in their lifetimes!
Now, families only needed to send their women to the academy.
If they scored well, they might serve the palace’s noblewomen and even change their family’s fortune.
Most banner families lived in the inner city, all registered with the Zongrenfu.
Even if utterly poor, they couldn’t engage in trade, pawn houses, or sell fields without losing face.
For them, having a female official in the family was practically a windfall from heaven.
Families friendly with the Guoluo Clan—though not high-ranking—could hardly wait to broadcast how they secured exam qualifications by rubbing elbows with such a powerful tree.
Plus, those who had lost their chance by withdrawing were now flocking back.
Within days, the Women’s Academy was overcrowded and had become a major event in the capital.
Scholars who arrived early for the imperial exams and the civil and military officials invited to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday were all curious.
Once word got out, this good fortune in the capital could not be absent elsewhere.
No longer was the idea that women should never leave their homes held.
This was the Grand Empress Dowager’s legacy, imitating her example to produce more virtuous consorts for the Qing!
The same thing, with a different name, immediately drew enthusiastic support.
Fang He’s original intention was to give all women the chance to attend the Women’s Academy, but at first, the steps had to be small—starting with court candidates.
The capital had mostly banner families, but the provinces did not.
If the Women’s Academy flourished elsewhere, it would be the best opening.
She and Consort Jing quietly spread word of the academy’s merits, attracting more and more interested parties.
Soon, at the birthday banquet, requests to establish Women’s Academies in the provinces grew louder.
Kangxi was naturally agreeable.
The “investment sponsorship” plan Fang He wrote intrigued him especially!
He immediately declared publicly at the Jiayin Hall that, since it was done by Imperial Noble Consort Zhaoyuan out of filial piety and as an example for all women, the Women’s Academy would henceforth be hosted by her.
Fang He was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort with the honorary title “Zhen,” and the grand ceremony would be held after the selection ended.
Unlike a consort, the Imperial Noble Consort was a vice Empress, receiving a formal investiture and homage from all noblewomen inside and outside the palace.
The civil and military officials were surprised but not entirely shocked.
Surprised because the Emperor promoted Imperial Noble Consort Zhaoyuan on his birthday—a rare honor never before given to any consort.
This stole the Emperor’s own spotlight.
Not to mention the title “Zhen.”
Imperial Noble Consorts rarely had titles, and when they did, they often kept their consort title or lost their original after promotion.
The character “Zhen” implies abundant fruitfulness, thriving perpetually, a meaning more noble than “Zhao.”
It would rarely be used for consort titles because the world knew it best from the poem “The Peach Tree,” said to be a duet between husband and wife.
By choosing this character, the Emperor might as well have shouted, “I treat the Imperial Noble Consort as my wife.”
As for it being not surprising, that was because the Emperor had mentioned promoting Fang He before in court.
Though it wasn’t brought up again later, the stirrings at the Imperial Household Department and Ministry of Rites didn’t escape anyone’s notice—at least the Eastern Palace and Suo’etu’s and Mingzhu’s factions knew.
After the banquet, Suo’etu found a chance to sneak into Danningju, avoiding others.
“Your Highness!” Suo’etu’s face darkened as he saw the Crown Prince fiddling with some chess records.
“In a few months, you’ll have to call that lady from Yanxi Palace ‘Consort Zhen.’ How can you still sit there calmly? The Imperial Noble Consort governs the harem; even the Emperor’s children and princesses must respectfully address her as ‘Consort Zhen.'”
Although Crown Prince Yinreng, as the heir, could address the Imperial Noble Consort directly by rule, out of respect and filial piety to the Emperor, he had to call her “Consort Zhen,” implying a quasi-maternal status.
Yinreng slammed a black piece on the chessboard, expressionless.
“Or should I go to Jiayin Hall and beg Father to revoke the decree?”
At today’s banquet, as soon as the promotion edict was issued, many eyes flicked to him.
Some were excited, some took pleasure in his misfortune, but no one truly worried for him.
Even Suo’etu only cared about the Heshieli family’s glory, never his feelings.
Suo’etu frowned, “Now is not the time for Your Highness to trouble yourself! She gained promotion through the Women’s Academy and filial piety to the Empress Dowager. Then we must make sure the academy cannot function! If something goes wrong, she won’t easily be able to receive the golden tablet and seal at the ceremony.”
Yinreng leisurely pulled out a white piece from the box and calmly placed it on the board, staring at the losing black pieces representing himself.
Father was skilled at chess and loved studying chess records, so all the princes privately acquired records to study.
No one had ever beaten Kangxi.
Yinreng hadn’t been interested before, but in his dark moments, only focusing on chess brought peace.
Gradually, he began to taste its depth.
A losing position meant little; with the right moves, many reversals were possible.
This game had only just begun.
Yinreng said coldly, “The Imperial Matron issued the decree. The academy’s director is the Empress Dowager. If anyone makes a move in the academy that cannot be hidden from Father’s sight, it’s not just you or the Heshieli— even I will suffer.”
Suo’etu: “So we just have to watch her make trouble outside, gaining more fame than the Empress?”
Yinreng raised an eyebrow and continued the game.
“No fighting inside the academy, but outside is another matter.”
Suo’etu pondered but couldn’t think of a reliable plan and said, “Mingzhu is at the Ministry of War. The Imperial Guards Headquarters have more contact with the Ministry now. He’s crafty. Any trace we leave, if Mingzhu catches it, becomes a hidden risk—no different than fighting inside the academy.”
Yinreng chuckled and shook his head, “That’s not what I mean. We don’t need to sully the academy’s reputation as before. Since the Imperial Matron proposed re-selection at the academy, all we need is to place a few men at the medical inspections. The candidates should be distant relatives of the Zashuhu Li and Xu families, unrelated to us. Uncle, do you understand?”
Suo’etu thought for a moment, then clapped happily.
“Your Highness is truly wise. Your scheming surpasses even this old minister!”
Before the final selection, all candidates were officially the Emperor’s women, and medical inspections were always conducted by palace matrons.
But during external selections, some sneaked through the chaos and violated candidates’ purity.
If word got out, Fang He’s prior efforts would quickly become evidence against her intentions toward the candidates.
After all, she was also a consort of the harem.
If she wanted to block candidates from entering the palace by dirty means and damage the royal family’s reputation, it would be believable.
Yinreng twitched his lips.
He wished he could remain as straightforward and pure as before, untouched by filth.
But the palace was a turbulent place, and Father only saw the Imperial Noble Consort.
He had no choice but to grow up fast.
Previous selections started in March and ended by July.
March was chosen to allow candidates time to travel to the capital after the new year.
But this selection reform allowed candidates to be chosen at their local prefectural capitals by March.
The initial selection required only proof of banner household registration, verification of the father’s official rank, no debilitating defects, and demonstration of one of the “Six Female Arts” to pass.
Also evaluated were sewing and cooking skills.
The “Six Female Arts” corresponded to the “Six Male Arts” but excluded archery and horsemanship, focusing on etiquette (rules), music, calligraphy, and arithmetic (counting rods).
Gentlemen studied the Six Arts to serve family and country; women learned them to support their husbands and teach their children—time-honored traditions.
Fang He didn’t want women forever confined to the inner quarters, but, like starting only with candidates, she couldn’t shake things up too fast.
They first lured students in, then slowly added ideological education and nourishing spiritual teachings.
***
Back to the present.
The re-selection took place in prefectural capitals chosen by the court, supervised by the imperial selection envoys, Internal Affairs Department’s female officers, and the Supervisory Division.
In the capital, Consort Jing, Consort Yi led the Household Department matrons in pairs, escorted by Supervisory scribes, holding exams at four Women’s Academies near the city gates.
Re-exams still tested the Six Female Arts but differed from the initial stage by requiring medical inspections first.
Only candidates with no major physical flaws and no cheating with the Six Arts could enter the corresponding exam halls.
Those who passed the inspection were then called by name and immediately given scores in the Six Arts.
Results were divided into four ranks: A, B, C, and D, with only A and B qualifying for the final selection.
These rules were repeatedly discussed by Fang He, Consort Jing, and Consort Yi, partly following old selection customs to avoid backlash from conservatives.
But the name-calling session instantly became a contest of family honor.
Lower-status candidates didn’t care about passing or failing.
But if they received a higher ranking, their marriage prospects would improve significantly.
As for noble families, no dynasty lacked young women eager to compete and flaunt.
They had not yet been crushed by societal rules or the endless intrigues of the harem and their mother-in-laws.
Each was ready to fight tooth and nail, some gritting their teeth with fiery smiles.
Several days before the re-selection, clothing and jewelry shops in the capital were overwhelmed by candidates, leading to several small scuffles over hair ornaments to warm up for the competition.
After Qingming, the re-selection began.
Early that morning, as the city gates opened, thousands of people flooded in from outside.
Even citizens inside the city left early to crowd the four Women’s Academies.
After the morning hour passed, the academy gates swung open, drums sounded, and the streets emptied.
Except for the four re-selection academies, the capital was completely silent.
***
Kangxi, in plain clothes leaving the palace, was surprised to see Chang’an Street so quiet without the usual guards.
An attendant named Fang nodded approvingly, “This finally feels like it. The selection must be like this!”