The Top Female Scholar Who Shook the Imperial Court
Lin Shiya disguised herself as a man to take the imperial examinations. Gifted with extraordinary talent and intelligence, she navigated the intricacies of the ancient court, overcoming obstacle after
Chapter One: The Provincial Examination Approaches, Materials Are Hard to Find
“A woman taking the imperial examination? Utter nonsense!” Master Lin’s furious roar echoed through the Lin family study, making the paintings on the walls tremble.
Lin Shiya knelt upright, her back straight as a pine, unmoved by her father’s wrath.
She knew this path would be strewn with thorns, but she would not retreat.
The provincial exams were fast approaching, and time was running out.
Lin Shiya had been clever since childhood, passionate about reading, versed in classics and poetry, her talent no less than any man’s.
Yet in this era, where women were praised for having no talent, her learning found no outlet.
No one in her family supported her aspiration for the examination, and there wasn’t even a complete set of materials at home.
The air in the study was so stifling it felt frozen, pressing down until Lin Shiya could barely breathe.
She needed to find study materials quickly if she was to have any hope of success.
At dawn the next day, Lin Shiya, accompanied by Butler Chen, made her way to the largest bookstore in town—Brush and Ink Pavilion.
She pushed open the heavy wooden door, and the fragrance of ink greeted her, rows upon rows of books filling her with a glimmer of hope.
From classics and histories to poetry and essays, every genre was neatly arranged upon the shelves.
The bookstore was bustling, the sounds of customers flipping through pages, the proprietor’s calls, and children’s laughter mingling i