At Her Mercy (GL) - Chapter 1

It was the third month of spring in the ninth year of Shunde. The capital city was adorned with blooming flowers and lush greenery. On the streets, people walked shoulder to shoulder, the air filled with bustling noise.

It was a beautiful time of year, and the main gates of the imperial palace were wide open, not to receive the emperor, but the high-ranking officials who had just been selected in the spring imperial examination.

More than a dozen high-spirited young talents personally drove their carriages forward, their horses’ hooves clicking clearly on the imperial road. The magnificent Tai Chi Hall was now in sight. These newly appointed young elites, dressed in gilded belts, brocade robes, and bright clothes, mounted on scarlet horses, looked radiant and full of lofty ambition.

The grand procession of carriages entered the forbidden grounds amid the deep booming of bells and drums, stopping outside the Tai Chi Hall. The high-grade new officials alighted and walked into the hall to pay their respects to the emperor. Afterward, the group once again rode towards the imperial garden in the northwest corner of the Tai Chi Hall to attend the Gui Lan Banquet.

The imperial garden, named “Yijing Garden,” hosted the biennial Gui Lan Banquet, which was the inaugural feast for high-ranking talents entering officialdom. The young emperor and the empress would also attend to celebrate with everyone, and nobles and high-ranking officials would be present for this biannual court spectacle.

They were still three li (approx. 1.5 km) from Yijing Garden, but inside, a feast of rare delicacies had already been prepared under the personal supervision of Xiang Xu, the Minister of Rites, and Liu Shao, the Attendant. The emperor had decreed that this year’s Gui Lan Banquet must be meticulously prepared, allowing for no mistakes.

As the guests were about to arrive, Xiang Xu inspected the wine cellar, carefully counting the jars. He noticed one type was missing and pulled Liu Shao over to ask:

“Has Attendant Liu prepared the Jade Grape Wine?”

When Liu Shao heard the question again, his eyes and nose wrinkled up instantly. He raised his voice: “You are being too nagging! Let me count for you—you must have mentioned this Jade Grape Wine no less than three times since last night, and you bring it up again today. Although I am old, my mind is still sound! How could I forget the Jade Grape Wine specifically prepared for the Scribe? That jar isn’t here; it was moved to the front hall earlier.”

Xiang Xu put his hands behind his back and followed the busy maids and eunuchs preparing the feast to the front hall. He immediately spotted the jar of Jade Grape Wine, a smile spreading across his face as he said gently, “It is good that it is prepared.”

Liu Shao personally poured the wine, placed the jar on the empty desk of the Scribe, turned around, and pointed at the wine jar, enunciating every word forcefully:

“Sir, do you know how much effort I put into taking the strength out of this grape wine while leaving the aroma? But then again, is wine without its strength still wine? Just because female officials cannot drink strong liquor yet must attend the Gui Lan Banquet, I’ve lost several nights of good sleep fretting over it. Now they all say men and women are equal in office, but we constantly have to expend extra thought considering the female officials’ preferences, taking meticulous care of them, for fear of gaining a reputation for bias. Where is the fairness in that?”

Xiang Xu offered a placating smile and said nothing more.

Every time Attendant Liu mentioned “female officials,” it seemed to touch his most sensitive nerve. Everyone knew whom he was constantly ridiculing—it was definitely not all female officials, but one specific woman who made him completely uneasy and even unsettled the entire Da Yu.

Attendant Liu, relying on his status as a favorite of the young emperor, attacked indirectly. It was bad enough that he spoke without restraint, but when no one responded, he would drone on endlessly. If one were to take his bait now, they probably wouldn’t be able to escape until sunset. Xiang Xu was unwilling to invite such trouble.

However, Liu Shao’s prejudice against female officials was not an isolated case. Women’s entry into the officialdom of Da Yu was relatively recent, and many people still held prejudices about it.

Since the late emperor broke convention, promoted female officials, and granted female titles in the first year of Zhaowu, more and more female high officials established their own offices, recruited subordinates, and even commanded the Northern Expedition army, achieving repeated military successes. Many common women in Da Yu, inspired by this, began to study and read. Not only did the Central Imperial Academy gradually admit female students, but even in village schools, female figures could increasingly be seen. They boldly stepped out of their inner quarters, studied Confucian classics alongside men, discussed Laozi and Zhuangzi, and entered official careers. In the second year of Zhaowu, the first high-ranking female official in the two-hundred-year history of the dynasty was appointed.

This female official possessed brilliant talent and military strategy. She rose quickly through the ranks upon entering office and, in twelve years, entered the Council of State and ranked among the Three Excellencies. She remains active in the court to this day. Her legendary official career greatly inspired women across the land who harbored ambitions for the state. For a time, Da Yu underwent a massive change; women flooded into various industries and social strata, no longer regarding lack of talent as a virtue. Instead, those who were educated, literate, and understood great principles were respected.

By the fourth year of Zhaowu, driven by the female focus on only reading the Sages’ books, Da Yu’s marriage rate hit a new low for three consecutive years. Countless men of marriageable age could not find a spouse, causing significant pressure regarding procreation. Moreover, ceaseless warfare exacerbated the perennial problem of replenishing soldiers, causing the Ministry of Household a major headache.

The late emperor, who caused this series of social problems, did not take it to heart and continued to act independently. The heavy label of “tyrant” was almost cemented on the late emperor’s head, yet no one expected that she would then forcefully push through a new law permitting same-sex marriage between women.

It was hardly surprising; the late emperor was the only female emperor since the founding of Da Yu, and her single-minded desire to elevate the status of women was reasonable. Under her strong promotion, more and more female officials appeared in court, and her influence grew steadily. After years of accumulation, this led to the current structure where female officials are almost on equal footing with male officials.

The reason for adding the word “almost” is precisely because of the existence of conservative, old-fashioned individuals like Liu Shao, whose way of thinking remains stuck in the era before the late emperor’s ascension—the time of male dominance. Naturally, there are also underlying interests at play.

Regardless of whether he could tolerate the current court situation, the laws of Da Yu were established, and he could only vent his frustrations verbally.

In fact, the most highly anticipated high-ranking official this year, the Scribe, was yet another heroine.

However, the new Scribe, Yao Maolin, genuinely did not feel that she qualified as a heroine.

The selection of officials in Da Yu primarily looks at family background. Children born into aristocratic families can easily be rated as high-ranking officials, enjoying generous salaries and a smooth career path. If one is from a humble background, even if exceptionally talented, they can only start as low-level officials, with little chance of rising in their lifetime.

Yao Maolin benefited from her family, the esteemed Yao family of Nanya.

Furthermore, Da Yu truly did not lack heroines. The ones she could name were all brilliant writers and courageous commanders; she felt she could not compare. Even more, there was an extremely embarrassing matter currently blocking her path to heroism—she couldn’t ride a horse.

Having shuttled between her inner quarters and the schoolhouse since childhood, she was intimately familiar with the Sages’ books and could conquer all in a scholarly debate, but she suffered from a fragile, pampered constitution.

After the biennial selection, new officials must personally drive their carriages to meet the emperor. The carriage must be loaded with classical texts to show that they are learned and willingly serve as subjects, swearing allegiance to the emperor and Da Yu. After exiting the Tai Chi Hall, they must drive through the capital to show off before proceeding to the Gui Lan Banquet. This series of events was a rule left by the ancestors, and no one dared to change it.

The line of luxurious carriages flowed through the streets, looking very elegant from afar. But upon closer inspection, problems became apparent.

Yao Maolin gripped the reins, her body as stiff as a stone, completely unmoving, her full concentration focused on maintaining her balance, terrified of accidentally falling off the horse.

She was new to the official circle and under intense scrutiny; she could not afford to show weakness. Under everyone’s gaze, she had to bite the bullet, firmly plant her feet in the stirrups, and tighten the reins. Watching the bright red flower on the horse’s head swaying, her own slender body also swayed from side to side, and her expression was rigid while she attempted to chat and laugh with her colleagues.

If she were to fall off the horse even for a second, becoming a laughingstock, it would truly disgrace the Yao family of Nanya.

Having worried her way through the entire journey, she finally saw the elegant gate of Yijing Garden. Thinking victory was within reach, her focus lapsed for a moment, just as the horse beneath her suddenly quickened its pace. The stirrup felt empty; the view of Yijing Garden’s gate suddenly flipped over, and Yao Maolin cried out, about to fall off the horse!

Had it not been for Zhen Wenjun’s timely pull, the newly appointed Scribe might have indeed knocked out her front teeth and completely lost face in front of all the officials, forcing her to attend court with her face covered thereafter.

Yao Maolin’s body had already tilted to the side of the horse, about to hit the ground, but a woman below the horse’s height caught her waist, stopping her descent. Before Yao Maolin could recover, the woman gently pushed upwards, single-handedly and steadily lifting her back onto the horse. This pull, push, and lift were executed with perfect force, without hurting the delicate Yao Maolin at all. In an instant, she was back on the horse, as if nothing had happened.

“Th-thank you, General Zhen…” Yao Maolin’s face was slightly flushed; she dared not look directly at her.

“Horses always test new riders, Scribe, please be careful,” the woman addressed as General Zhen smiled faintly at her, but it made her heart pound like thunder.

Yao Maolin had long searched among the officials for the General Zhen she held dear. Meeting her idol filled her with joy, and she had been racking her brain, trying to figure out how to strike up a conversation with General Zhen. Discuss Laozi and Zhuangzi or talk about military strategy? Discuss local customs or just some casual gossip? How could she appear uniquely interesting and appealing? Yao Maolin was utterly exhausted from thinking.

In the end, she did make a truly unforgettable impression—at least she would be the first person in history to nearly fall off a horse in front of Yijing Garden. And this embarrassing scene was witnessed and even saved by General Zhen. A mix of emotions flooded Yao Maolin, making it impossible to speak.

As a second-rank high official, General Zhen was naturally also attending the Gui Lan Banquet. Dressed in plain clothes now, she was different from the utterly heroic figure Yao Maolin had witnessed when she first welcomed her at the city gate last year.

For the banquet, General Zhen had exchanged her cold military uniform for rare civilian clothes. A lotus-green dress with a hidden dark peony pattern, complemented by a gold-inlaid hairpin in her cloud-like bun, made her look like a gentle beauty with a pure, jade-like grace. She was much more delicate and softer than when viewed from afar. The smile on her jade-like oval face was gentle. Years of campaigning had left a few scars on her brow, but they did not diminish her beauty in the slightest.

General Zhen, whose eyes shone like the morning star, sensed that the Scribe on the horse still had something to say. She slightly narrowed her beautiful, phoenix-like eyes and observed the other woman, waiting composedly for her to speak again.

But it was only a smiling glance, yet it made Yao Maolin feel that General Zhen had seen right through her thoughts. Although they were similar in age, she felt inexplicably a generation younger than her; the words she had prepared were now impossible to say, and she could only feel her face burning.

General Zhen was, of course, a military general.

Da Yu had always valued civil officials over military ones. Since the founding Emperor, very few generals were capable of leading troops, repelling enemies, and holding their own, and female generals were even rarer.

After the death of the late emperor, the current emperor had once wanted to abolish the law allowing women to enter office. Had it not been for General Zhen’s repeated military achievements, the doors to the court might indeed have closed to women again.

The era was renamed Shunde after Zhaowu. In the third year of Shunde, Zhen Wenjun led her troops in the northern expedition three times.

After five years, she finally completely defeated the fierce northern tribes that had long harassed the northern borders, resolving a forty-year-old threat to Da Yu.

When the Great General returned to the capital, the entire city erupted. Tens of thousands of people rushed into the streets just to catch a glimpse of her.

Yao Maolin, who was in the capital participating in the imperial selection, was among them. Clutching flowers bought from a florist, she was so excited that she chased General Zhen’s horse for three streets but failed to hand over the flowers. She was eventually squeezed out of the crowd, knocked over a noodle stall, and was covered in noodles.

The flowers were scattered all over the ground, along with her shattered maidenly heart.

That year, General Zhen’s fame spread across the land. Her unparalleled courage as a national hero and her beauty made countless men and women yearn for her.

However, despite their yearning, they were too late.

As early as the fourth year of Zhaowu, General Zhen was already married.

In all of Da Yu, Yao Maolin admired only one person. Needless to say, it was General Zhen, who was benevolent, righteous, loyal, brave, and possessed a charmingly beautiful appearance.

Conversely, there was also one person whom she intensely hated.

By all accounts, Yao Maolin, having extensively studied the Sages’ books, should understand the principles of welcoming talent, being tolerant, and rationally handling emotions. Yet, in the current court, there was a treacherous official whom she could not possibly like or tolerate, whom she wished to curse even in her midnight dreams—a major blight on the nation—Wei Tingxu.

This Wei Tingxu was none other than the first female official in Da Yu to lay the foundation for the development of female officials in the second year of Zhaowu. She held a high position, serving as the Minister of Personnel, the only female among the Three Excellencies.

Wei Tingxu came from an illustrious background. The ancestors of the Wei family of Pingcang County were the Duke of Cang, who had followed the founding Emperor to conquer the land. Even by her generation, the Wei family was still prosperous, with four generations holding the rank of Duke and ranking as one of the four great families of the time.

She entered office at the age of twenty-three as Deputy Minister of War; at twenty-seven, she was Minister of Personnel; at twenty-eight, she was promoted to Minister of Personnel, and in the sixth year of Shunde, she entered the Council of State as Minister of Secretariat. In the few years since then, she has persecuted loyal officials and eliminated rivals, and the entire court has virtually fallen into her hands. The young emperor was also personally recommended by her, becoming her puppet.

Everyone knew she intended to usurp the throne of Da Yu.

Wei Tingxu wielded absolute power in court, engaged in factionalism, and was an undeniable, heinous tyrant whose crimes warranted death many times over.

No one expected that the pride of women across the nation would become a malignant tumor on Da Yu after entering officialdom.

In Da Yu, whenever the name “Wei Tingxu” was mentioned, people would secretly curse her. A popular rumor claimed that the disastrous Wei family was descended from an ancient fox spirit, but this fox spirit was different from the legendary women who ruin men with their beauty; instead of seducing the emperor and creating chaos in the harem, she was earnestly eyeing the imperial throne itself.

What Yao Maolin found even harder to accept was that Wei Tingxu was none other than the most intimate person in the life of her revered General Zhen.

This scourge was, in fact, the close and inseparable partner of Zhen Wenjun, the pillar of the nation. When Yao Maolin first heard this news, she tossed and turned in her sleep and sighed over it for half a year.

Leaving aside their respective court positions, political ambitions, and public opinion, Wei Tingxu and Zhen Wenjun were the perfect embodiment of the late emperor’s decree, a contemporary example of a same-sex couple. If they had not defied all objections and become the first couple to enforce the same-sex marriage law, the situation in the country might be completely different today.

The two, one civil and one military, were renowned throughout the world and significantly promoted the cause of women’s liberation in Da Yu in their respective fields.

However, a nagging question remained in the hearts of the pure-minded officials, including Yao Maolin, who admired General Zhen: How could Zhen Wenjun, the loyal official of Da Yu, be so blind as to associate with the poisonous Wei family? Could she be under duress or was there some hidden reason?