Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 1239: Chapter 1149: The Woman Chancellor (87)

Yin Shuangshuang herself does not care about reputation or public opinion. If she did, she would have quietly married and borne children instead of speaking of standing shoulder to shoulder with men, reaching the highest ranks of officials.

Although Yin Shuangshuang herself is unconcerned, General An feels that things cannot continue this way, as it will surely pose hidden dangers for Yin Shuangshuang’s future.

On this day, after the meeting concluded, General An finally couldn’t help but bow to the Emperor and say, ”Your Majesty, the matter of political reform has been mostly discussed, and all that remains is to put it into action.

I wonder if Your Majesty has considered Miss Yin’s future. I know that Your Majesty will certainly grant Miss Yin a position, most likely one as an Imperial Minister.

However, Your Majesty, not everyone recognizes Miss Yin’s talents or accepts the idea of a woman holding office. They will use all sorts of vile assumptions to guess at the relationship between Miss Yin and Your Majesty.

By then, both Your Majesty and Miss Yin will have to endure malicious gossip. Miss Yin might be branded as a seductive demon ensnaring the Emperor or as an unscrupulous female official because she has no tangible achievements to speak for her.

After all, everything Miss Yin is doing now cannot be publicly disclosed, or it will surely attract retaliation from the aristocratic families. In the eyes of outsiders, Miss Yin would thus appear to have suddenly risen to the role of an Imperial Minister without any achievements, naturally leading to many negative speculations.”

At this point, General An bowed deeply, his tone filled with earnestness as he continued, ”If Your Majesty truly values Miss Yin’s talents, please, Your Majesty, consider her and do not let her be subject to criticisms.”

Standing aside, Yin Shuangshuang was touched by General An’s protection, but she could not speak, as it pertained to herself. Nonetheless, Yin Shuangshuang had considered this issue before, but she believed everything could be mitigated over time.

Seducing the Emperor, offering counsel right beside him, her intelligence was not limited to political reform. Over time, whether she possesses true abilities will naturally be discerned, a concern Yin Shuangshuang never worried about.

As for being regarded as an unscrupulous female official, Yin Shuangshuang truly did not mind. Whether she is remembered through the ages or vilified does not affect her. Moreover, the benefits of successful reform are transformative, and she does not believe future history will do her an injustice.

It must be known that history is written by the victors, and by then she will be among them. At least she can ensure that the historians’ portrayal of her is objective and unwarped.

General An’s words moved Yin Shuangshuang, and the Emperor gave General An a long look before smiling, ”Beloved subject, as you say, I have also thought of this. I am not an Emperor who does not care for his officials.”

The Emperor then turned to Yin Shuangshuang, ”What General An said before is indeed pressing, so I have thought of two solutions. One is to issue a special imperial decree allowing you to participate in the imperial examinations with the scholars in the Capital City.

Justifying your reputation, then joining the Hanlin Academy. Although this will not completely silence the rumors, at least it will curb them to some extent, as your talents will be verifiable.

However, the conditions of the imperial examination are harsh, where even healthy people may fall seriously ill. I worry that if you actually go to take the exam, you might not be able to endure. Any mistake would be a great loss to me and the common people of the world.

So, I came up with a second approach, which is to appoint you as County Magistrate, sending you to a local area. However, the county assigned to you will certainly not be a good place, and you must achieve sufficient accomplishments to silence the officials. Otherwise, even I cannot bring you back to the Capital City for office.”

Truly, the Emperor had thoughtfully considered Yin Shuangshuang’s interests. Both methods were good, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Serving in the Capital City as a Hanlin would make it easier for Yin Shuangshuang to stay close to the Emperor, ready to assist him in adjusting any variables arising from the reforms.

Moreover, historically, high officials have mostly come from the Hanlin Academy, and the Prime Minister must come from Hanlin origins. However, as the Emperor stated, even this good method was not suitable for Yin Shuangshuang.

The examination cells are notorious for being grueling, and even robust individuals emerge seriously ill, with some even dying there, though these cases are rare and mostly involve those already in poor health succumbing to pressure.

But with Yin Shuangshuang’s small stature, even worse than the frailest, going in might see her succumbing in less than two days. What talk is there of the future then, if there is no future at all?

The drawbacks of serving as a local official are also apparent. She is a woman, and going out as an official she might struggle to gain acceptance, and whether the local common people will trust her authority as their parent-official is also questionable.

However, the advantage is that she would be the leader, and there are ways to deal with subordinates who might challenge her. With the Emperor’s backing, there’s no fear of higher-ups making things difficult, and being far from the Capital City’s concentration of high officials, she has more freedom to act.

Considering everything, Yin Shuangshuang ultimately felt that being sent out to serve as a County Magistrate would be better and make it easier to achieve results.

After making up her mind, Yin Shuangshuang bowed to the Emperor, ”Your Majesty, I am willing to be appointed out of the Capital City to serve as a County Magistrate.”

The Emperor smiled, ”I knew you would choose this. You appear unambitious, but in reality, you most dislike restraints. In the Capital City, officials surround you, making governance difficult and constrained, something your disposition surely rejects.”

”Your Majesty understands me well, and I thank Your Majesty for your consideration and comprehensive planning on my behalf,” Yin Shuangshuang complimented the Emperor with a gentle smile.

”You are my strategist, and there will be many days ahead where I need your service, so it is only fitting to plan carefully for you. After you leave the Capital, I will dispatch Hidden Guards to protect you, to prevent the aristocratic families from realizing your threat and plotting against you.”

This was the Emperor’s consideration and also a means of surveillance. Such matters as reform cannot be kept secret, and even if they are temporarily concealed, they will inevitably be uncovered later. Therefore, the Emperor’s actions genuinely aimed to protect Yin Shuangshuang’s safety.

Moreover, the Hidden Guards would handle communication between Yin Shuangshuang and the Emperor, facilitating her understanding of the reform process to advise the Emperor at any time.

But likewise, the Hidden Guards would also monitor Yin Shuangshuang to prevent any betrayal of the Emperor. The pressure reform faced was enormous, and should Yin Shuangshuang succumb to it and betray the Emperor, her intelligence would certainly cause great trouble.

The location the Emperor assigned to Yin Shuangshuang was Qinglin County, a county near the border. This area was not peaceful due to its proximity to the border; frequent barbarian incursions had made the people tough and unyielding.

However, this location had a significant advantage: it was General Feng’s domain. With General Feng, a trusted confidant of the Emperor, overseeing her, no higher-ups could trouble her, allowing Yin Shuangshuang to act freely and unrestrained.