He Yunzhao stepped into Madam He's main chamber, finding it amusing to see her mother meticulously reviewing documents at the desk while her grandmother examined account books on the daybed nearby.
When she was born, her mother had been filled with guilt for disguising her as a boy, believing she had ruined the child's entire future.
But as He Yunzhao grew, she proved inferior to boys of her age in neither physique nor intellect. With her sharp mind, she even secured a leadership position among her peers at the academy.
Madam He, who had dared to disguise her daughter as a boy, was astonished to discover He Yunzhao's remarkable talent for scholarship. Her feelings grew complex—could it be that women were truly not inferior to men?
Quick-witted as ever, Madam He shifted her perspective overnight—from hoping He Yunzhao would inherit the family legacy as a man to dreaming of her daughter entering the imperial court.
As He Yunzhao's academic achievements became increasingly evident, Madam He even began to secretly look down upon boys who performed poorly in their studies.
He Yunzhao approached with a smile, saying, "Grandmother, Mother, I'm back."
Hearing the voice, Madam He looked up from the texts and beamed at the sight of He Yunzhao in red robes, looking every bit the dashing young scholar. "My child looks best in red," she exclaimed.
Old Madam He smiled and beckoned her eldest grandchild to sit, pressing a fruit into He Yunzhao's hand.
He Yunzhao swept aside her robe and leaned casually against the table, crossing her legs with more ease than any young man.
Seeing her child return, Madam He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and immediately began chattering, "I've seen this year's Prefectural Examination topics—there's less focus on Shi Jing Shu and greater emphasis on Er Ya Zhu Shu."
He Yunzhao nodded. Madam He, a noblewoman from a feudal family, had successfully transformed into what one might call a "Haidian District parent"—though she couldn't write elegant essays herself, her analysis was always insightful, making her He Yunzhao's second-greatest academic supporter.
As Madam He continued discussing recent examination trends, He Yunzhao listened carefully, committing every detail to memory.
…
The He family was small, consisting only of He Yunzhao's immediate family and an uncle's household across the street. The family included Old Madam He (née Li, a descendant of the imperial clan), Madam He (née Yao), and He Yunzhao's two elder sisters.
The eldest sister, He Jinshu, had married Ning Qian, the second son of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the previous year. The second sister, He Jinmo, a year older than He Yunzhao, remained unmarried at home.
He Yunzhao's father, He Wenqin, had originally been in good health but contracted an epidemic disease while overseeing disaster relief in the southwest. Though he recovered, his constitution never fully restored. After the arduous journey back to the capital, he fell gravely ill.
On his sickbed, He Wenqin grew increasingly frustrated—he lamented that had he known he wouldn't survive, he should have died in the southwest where he could have earned posthumous honors for dying in service.
Realizing his time was short, He Wenqin instructed his physician to administer strong medicine to temporarily revive him. With trembling hands, he composed a final memorial to the Emperor, pouring his lifelong literary brilliance into every word. The letter sincerely expressed his loyalty to the throne and deep regret at being unable to continue serving his sovereign.
The Emperor was so moved that he shed tears and immediately bestowed the title of Kangshun Marquis. Despite opposition from several court officials, the title was granted solely to He Wenqin and could not be inherited by his descendants—essentially an honor bestowed on his deathbed.
Still, something was better than nothing. The Emperor decreed that as long as Old Madam He lived, the marquis household would receive its full stipend. The annual five hundred taels of silver and eight hundred dan of grain proved that He Wenqin's efforts had not been in vain.
Although the He family bore the title of a marquis household, everyone knew that once Father He passed away and the family lacked a male heir, their status would inevitably plummet.
Under these circumstances, He Yunzhao was raised as a boy from birth, in accordance with both parents' wishes. Thinking of how young the child was and the difficult future ahead, Father He struggled to hold on for another month to settle some affairs, managing to survive until He Yunzhao's full moon celebration before passing away.
Originally, Old Madam He and Madam He merely hoped for He Yunzhao to grow up safely and inherit the family estate under a male identity. Even if she couldn't become an official, her mere presence would provide support for the women of the He family.
Unexpectedly, He Yunzhao was born with memories of her past life. With an adult's self-discipline, she naturally excelled in her early education, stirring ambitions in Old Madam He and Madam He.
The He family now lingered on the fringes of the noble circle. Though their status remained, they had lost real power. If He Yunzhao's generation failed to enter the court, the He family would gradually fall among the common people. Thus, He Yunzhao unhesitatingly chose to study at the academy.
It was through comparison with her peers that Old Madam He and Madam He suddenly realized something: though Yunzhao was female, she not only matched but far surpassed her male contemporaries in the academic environment.
Perhaps some were more intelligent or had better comprehension, but in terms of self-discipline and thirst for knowledge, she exceeded all others.
He Yunzhao was quite satisfied with her efforts. In her previous life, she had fought through fierce competition to enter school and secure a position. In this world where the proportion of scholars was much smaller, she refused to believe she couldn't outperform them.
As for why she was so passionate about power and realizing her self-worth – no reason was needed. Were such excellent things as power and self-worth not worth pursuing for their own sake?
Certainly not.
When He Yunzhao was six, her great-grandfather Xiang Jun Prince sent a secret medicine for strengthening the body. Concerned about his great-grandchild's health given the short lifespans of the last two He family heads, the old prince went to great lengths to obtain this medicine. Some martial artists used it since childhood for medicinal baths to develop strong constitutions.
After taking the medicine, He Yunzhao's health gradually improved. Though already healthy, she could clearly feel increased energy, better physical stamina, and even greater strength.
While this medicine could strengthen the body, boost energy, and enrich qi and blood, its hidden drawback was that it caused infertility in women. Taken by women, this medicine originally developed for men would stop Gui Shui entirely.
It wasn't until the daughter of Madam He's wet nurse Qin Shi, who had studied medicine, accidentally discovered this side effect that Madam He broke down in tears. She redoubled her efforts for her daughter's future, pushing herself to become an examination expert.
However, He Yunzhao didn't consider this a drawback. Nonsense! Who called it a drawback? This was clearly a blessing!
Still, she vaguely felt that every development seemed to be pushing her further along the imperial examination path.
"Tomorrow, write another essay to show your teacher. We'll carefully revise any shortcomings," Madam He's words interrupted He Yunzhao's thoughts, redirecting her attention to her studies.
With a mature soul, He Yunzhao naturally didn't resist her mother's arrangements. In fact, she took immense pride in having such a mother.
When given a second chance at life, one truly realizes how fortunate it is to have an elder who wholeheartedly plans every step of your path.
The youth in red robes lay lazily across his grandmother’s lap, eyes closed as he quietly listened to his mother’s murmuring. Old Madam He’s eyes brimmed with affection, her warm, soft hand stroking from the nape of his neck down to his back. The boy, half-lidded, reached out to grasp his grandmother’s warm hand, as if an invisible conduit were channeling all her vitality into him.
He Yunzhao knew full well his own picky nature. Reflecting carefully, he recognized that his higher-than-average self-esteem had shown hints since childhood. Yet now, enveloped in the dense layers of love and expectation from his grandmother and mother, some of his rough edges seemed to have been smoothed away.
Old Madam He, thinking the child had tired himself out playing, pulled over a light blanket and gently covered He Yunzhao. Madam He, seeing this, fell silent.
Knock, knock! The door was lightly tapped twice, and a little girl with two floral buns entered, her cheeks puffed out like steamed buns, her steps as brisk as a sparrow’s. “Mother! The folks from the back alley are here to borrow money again!”
The gentle expression on Mother He’s face vanished in an instant, two deep lines appearing on her cheeks as her voice rose sharply: “Shameless creatures, coming again! Do they think our household is a charity hall?”
With that, she rolled up her sleeves and stood to go confront them. The girl with the floral buns—He Yunzhao’s second sister, He Jinmo—hurried over and wrapped her arms around Mother He’s waist, quickly explaining, “This time, it’s Uncle who’s come.”
Mother He froze, turning to look at He Yunzhao. He Yunzhao had already risen nimbly and pulled on his boots. Brushing his sleeves, he glanced around the room full of women and said, “I’ll handle it.”
He Yunzhao unhurriedly changed into a slightly worn blue cloth robe in the adjoining room, then instructed, “Cuiling, fetch my turquoise bracelet for me.”
The bracelet, made of fine-textured, blue-green stone with delicate veining, circled his wrist. He Yunzhao lifted his hand to inspect it and nodded in satisfaction.
He Mingchang, who had been waiting in the main hall for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, finally saw He Yunzhao arriving leisurely.
Old Master He had once journeyed from Jiangnan to the capital through imperial examinations, and the He family was a local lineage of scholarly repute—not exactly wealthy, but certainly respected.
After Old Master He became an official, many others came to the capital for the exams. He Mingchang’s family had arrived in the capital during that period. He Mingchang’s father was Old Master He’s paternal cousin; by convention, staying at his cousin’s home wouldn’t have been an issue.
Yet, they ended up settling just a street away behind the He residence. Outsiders, unaware of the details, whispered that perhaps Old Madam He—being the eldest daughter of the Xiang Jun Prince—was too spoiled and arrogant to accept the He family’s poorer relatives.
But the He family themselves knew better: Old Madam He was as kind-hearted as could be. Even now, widowed and having lost her son, her father, the Xiang Jun Prince, was still hale and hearty at seventy-seven, often walking over with his birdcage to dine at his eldest daughter’s home. For a woman of fifty-eight with a living father, Old Madam He was hardly petty or haughty.
The truth lay entirely with Old Master He, who looked down on this branch of the family. They hadn’t even passed the Recommended Man exams yet had the audacity to come to the capital seeking refuge with their cousin. Their household registration wasn’t even in the capital—their intentions were transparent.
Old Madam He didn’t mind the relatives leaning on them, but Old Master He was privately a man of detached sentiment. He had never owed them anything in the past, and now that they sought to take advantage, it was simply out of the question.
When Old Master He was still alive, He's uncle's family remained well-behaved. After Old Master He passed away, Father He, being shrewd and capable, spoke pleasantly but offered no substantial assistance.
It was only after Father He's departure that He's aunt began visiting with her daughter several times a year during festivals, inevitably causing Old Madam He to part with some belongings.
Unfortunately, in He Yunzhao's earlier years of inexperience, certain matters still required reliance on He's uncle—such as ancestral worship and incense-burning ceremonies—which could not possibly be entrusted to her maternal family's brothers and nephews.