Denghuangtai

"Have you heard? The newly appointed top scholar is actually a woman!"

The imperial examinations of the fifteenth year of the Tianqi reign had just ended, and in less than three days, the news spread like wildfire throughout Chang'an.

For a time, everyone, from high-ranking officials to ordinary people, was talking about the top scholar who had shown extraordinary talent and won first place in the imperial examinations after arriving in the capital.

"Yu Xian'an, you disguised yourself as a man and disrupted the court; your crime is unforgivable. I advise you to confess and sign the confession properly to avoid this physical suffering."

In the Dali Temple prison, Yu Xian'an, the top scholar who was the talk of the town, was currently tied to a wooden stake. Just two days ago she was full of vigor, but now her hair was disheveled and her fair cheeks were covered in mud.

She raised her eyes, looked at the person interrogating her, and sneered disdainfully.

Seeing this, the interrogator slammed his hand on the table, rose abruptly, and walked up to her, his gaze sinister. "Yu Xian'an, I'm only showing you mercy because you're a woman, giving you a chance to avoid physical punishment. I'll ask you one more time: do you plead guilty or not?"

Yu Xian'an moved her dry lips, "I don't admit it!"

"I topped the list with my solid scholarship, surpassing all other students in the classics, history, philosophy, and literature. I was not involved in any cheating, so what crime have I committed? Is it simply because I am a woman? In the past, when Nuwa created humans from clay, there was only the difference between men and women, not between noble and lowly. In the fields and markets, in the labor of farmers and merchants, there was no difference between men and women. Why is it that women are singled out for the imperial examinations and official careers? Is it a crime for women to participate in the examinations? How unjust!"

Yu Xian'an's voice grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the prison.

The sound drifted out of the prison and back to... three years ago.

Three years ago, Yu Xian'an was just an ordinary merchant's daughter in Quanzhou. Because her parents were open-minded, she, who loved reading poetry since childhood, often disguised herself as a man to attend poetry gatherings.

That day, upon hearing that a talented scholar from the capital had come to the poetry gathering, she hurriedly changed into men's clothing, intending to catch a glimpse of the capital's brilliance. Unexpectedly, on the way, she encountered an assassination attempt. To make matters worse, she was shot by an arrow, and even more unfortunately, she and another strange man were impaled together by the arrow like a string of candied hawthorns.

She was unconscious for three days. In her delirium, there seemed to be a voice in her mind, but the voice was indistinct and she could not hear what it said.

Three days later, when she woke up, she found herself lying in an unfamiliar place, with only her maid, Nan Jia, by her side.

Nan Jia sat on the edge of the bed, sobbing softly, as if she had encountered something sad.

"Nanjia?"

Yu Xian'an swallowed hard, then asked hesitantly, "Why are you crying if something happened?"

Upon hearing Yu Xian'an's voice, Nan Jia immediately stopped crying and rushed to her side with a joyful expression. She first stammered and asked if she was feeling unwell. Before Yu Xian'an could answer, Nan Jia seemed to suddenly realize something and hurriedly ran outside to find a doctor.

After the doctor arrived, four or five people came to the door. They did not enter, but stood outside and asked questions from a distance. At that time, Yu Xian'an had just woken up and was still confused. He fell into a coma again after a while.

Before she closed her eyes, she vaguely wondered, "Where am I? Why haven't my parents come to take me home? And why is Nan Jia crying?"

She was filled with questions, but unfortunately she had already lost consciousness. This time, the voice that kept repeating in her mind rang out again.

"Help me, I need your help." The voice was still faint, but this time Yu Xian'an heard the words clearly.

"Help you?" Yu Xian'an was puzzled. She didn't understand where the voice came from, who it was, or why they wanted her help.

"Whether you're a god or a ghost, the fact that you can enter my dream means you have some abilities. If even someone as capable as you can't do it, then I can't either. Stop bothering me; I need to wake up soon and go home."

Yu Xian'an earnestly communicated with the unknown voice in his mind.

To her surprise, the voice rang out immediately after she finished speaking.

The voice carried a hint of regret, "Go home? You can't go back."

What do you mean I can't go back?

Yu Xian'an panicked and shouted at the voice, but this time, no matter how much she shouted, the voice did not appear again.

"Why do you say I can't go back?"

In desperation, Yu Xian'an began to struggle frantically.

She struggled in the chaotic white mist and somehow managed to tear open a hole, allowing a ray of light to shine through.

"Young lady, you're awake."

Yu Xian'an was in a daze for a moment before she came to her senses. She grabbed Nan Jia's hand and said, "Nan Jia, let's go home."

Nan Jia's expression froze. After a few breaths, she managed a smile. "Miss, your injuries haven't healed yet, so it's not advisable for you to move."

Normally, she might have been fooled by Nan Jia's words, but the voice in her dream was too real, disturbing her peace of mind. If she didn't go home and see for herself today, she would not be able to feel at ease.

"Take me back." Yu Xian'an said with unusual determination.

Seeing that Nan Jia refused to move, she suddenly found a surge of strength, sat up, and started to walk out. Nan Jia tried to pull her away but to no avail, and watched as Yu Xian'an stumbled towards the door.

Having no other choice, she could only honestly tell Yu Xian'an: "The day before yesterday, our mansion was attacked by thieves. The master and the eldest mistress died on the spot, and the Yu mansion was burned to the ground. Miss, we can't go back."

Yu Xian'an's heart skipped a beat. She turned around, trembling, and stared at Nan Jia in disbelief. "What did you say?"

Nan Jia, tears streaming down her face, almost sobbed, "Now only the young lady and I are left in the Yu family."

"puff--"

Yu Xian'an felt dizzy and her throat felt metallic. She spat out a mouthful of blood, her body swayed, and she finally collapsed.

"I didn't lie to you, did I? You can't go back."

The voice rang in Yu Xian'an's mind once again.

"Who? Who killed them?" Yu Xian'an asked.

The voice paused for a moment, then slowly said, "I don't have the authority right now, but if you're willing to help me, we can complete the task together and earn points to unlock the authority."

Yu Xian'an didn't understand the terms "permissions" and "points," but she couldn't worry about explaining them at the moment. She focused on the key point and asked, "If I help you, can you help me find the murderer and avenge my parents?"

"Not only that." The voice seemed very confident, its tone resolute. "Once the mission is completed, I can take over this world, and then I can even resurrect your parents."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xian'an's eyes lit up, and without thinking, he blurted out, "It's a deal."

Although she didn't know whether the voice was from a god or a ghost, she was willing to make a deal with evil spirits for the sake of her deceased parents.

As soon as Yu Xian'an finished speaking, a golden light suddenly appeared before his eyes, and the sound of a bell rang out, its originally ethereal tone suddenly becoming majestic.

"Welcome to the Famous Minister System."