Was she truly behaving like some greedy landlord from a folktale?
Clouds of doubt briefly flitted across Yun Shu's mind.
Fortunately, Emperor Xuanwu swiftly ordered someone to bring him a medical text.
"Take a look at this. Is what is written here true or false?"
"Yes… it appears to be accurate," the old Imperial Physician replied after glancing over it.
To be summoned at the break of dawn, rushed from the Imperial Medical Bureau to the Xuan Zheng Hall, all just to look at a book?
The old physician wiped the sweat from his brow. Though speechless, the tension that had gripped him on the journey here finally began to ease.
He lowered his gaze to the opened page before him.
"During slumber, particularly in the depth of night, the human body's organs reach their peak in detoxification. Each organ corresponds with a specific time..."
Hmm?
Such a theory?
The old physician blinked, momentarily stunned. He read the entire page carefully, but just as he began to ponder its implications, the voice of the Emperor rose again from the dais.
"Well?"
"This…"
The sweat he had just wiped away now returned in earnest.
"This theory… this humble servant has never encountered it before, so…"
He dared a cautious glance at Emperor Xuanwu's expression. Though the Emperor's face betrayed no anger or joy, the old physician felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.
Just one glance was enough to make him lower his head again. His words came out in a rapid rush.
"However, this humble servant can examine more pages. Perhaps I might cross-reference the unfamiliar parts with what I already know, and thereby assess the book's reliability."
"Hmm."
Emperor Xuanwu gave a nonchalant grunt, yet it held the weight of authority.
The old physician quickly flipped the book back to the first page.
Surely, the beginning of any book would contain the simplest material… right?
As he turned the pages, he prayed silently that he would find something—anything—he understood.
He was in luck. Or more accurately, Yun Shu had anticipated such a situation. When she crafted the aged appearance of this volume, she had deliberately interspersed modern wellness practices with long-established classical medical knowledge.
After skimming through a fair portion of the book, the old physician finally gathered his thoughts.
"Your Majesty, this book appears to be a guide on maintaining one's health and prolonging vitality. While there are indeed passages this humble servant has not seen before, the vast majority of the content aligns with established knowledge."
Which meant that the unfamiliar parts likely held merit as well.
Emperor Xuanwu gave a subtle nod and turned his gaze toward Liu Xiang, who had initially suggested summoning the physician.
"Liu Aiqing, what say you?"
"Your Majesty," Liu Xiang replied, his tone solemn yet sincere, "Since the physician has confirmed the general accuracy of the contents, and since Her Highness the Crown Princess has already found a means to resolve the inconvenience of performing duties after sundown, then to delay the morning court session seems wholly acceptable."
As always, his words were guided by a heartfelt concern for the Emperor's wellbeing.
"For the sake of Your Majesty's health, this minister supports the Crown Princess's proposal."
"This minister also concurs!"
After all, this concerned longevity!
In any age, those who held power valued their health above all else. The higher one stood, the more fervently one clung to life.
And if all it took was adjusting one's sleeping schedule to improve health… who would not be pleased?
One after another, ministers voiced their support.
It was rare to see such a sweeping consensus on any reform, let alone one proposed that very morning. Emperor Xuanwu lifted an eyebrow in faint surprise but made his decision with equal decisiveness.
"Then so be it. Morning court shall henceforth convene at the end of the Chen hour, beginning tomorrow."
"Your Majesty is wise beyond compare!"
As shouts of praise echoed throughout the hall, only the old physician wore an expression of confusion.
Had he misunderstood something?
Because of one page claiming that sleeping during the Yin hour was beneficial to health… the Emperor and the entire court simply shifted the time of morning court?
Was it truly so hasty?
The old physician staggered out alongside the rest of the court ministers, having just experienced his first-ever "dismissal from court."
In his heart, the very concept of morning court had been forever shattered.
Unaware of the old man's internal turmoil, Yun Shu remained wholly untroubled.
She certainly did not think the decision was made lightly. After all, she had gone so far as to rig up a generator and electric lamps just to make this possible. If even that couldn't earn her a proper night's sleep, then truly, the world was unjust.
In high spirits, Yun Shu entered the Imperial Study.
First, she cast a glance at the stack of memorials on Emperor Xuanwu's desk. There were only a few.
With a cheerful smile, she approached.
"Father Emperor, Your Daughter requests a day's leave."
"You again? What are you scheming this time?"
She had already achieved two major reforms in a single morning. And now this?
Emperor Xuanwu lifted his gaze and spoke with calm suspicion.
"Bear in mind, the Ministry of Works will soon be on holiday for the New Year."
"Surely Father Emperor does not believe Your Daughter is planning to deliver yet another blueprint to the Ministry?"
Yun Shu gave him a look of exaggerated innocence.
"Perish the thought! I merely wish to deliver a mathematics book to Huyan Mingchuan."
"You?"
Emperor Xuanwu's face was laced with disbelief.
"And since when have you and Huyan Mingchuan grown so close that a mere book requires your personal delivery?"
"Well, the mathematical civil examination is about to take place."
Yun Shu scratched her nose sheepishly and chuckled.
"Though I'm not sure how well the students at Tian Sheng Academy have progressed over the past few months, I must admit, none of them have truly impressed me.
But this is the first official mathematics examination. We cannot possibly allow it to pass without a worthy top scholar.
And Huyan Mingchuan—though indifferent to most things—is an undeniable genius in mathematics.
To have such a rare talent right before us and not make use of him would be a terrible waste."
After all, Huyan Mingchuan had no interest in anything else. Even when Emperor Xuanwu had considered granting him a princedom to manage affairs in Bei Xiang, the man had refused outright.
All he ever cared about was mathematics.
So why not let him shine in that field and contribute to the glory of the Tian Sheng Dynasty?
Emperor Xuanwu was silent for a moment.
Did she not realize she sounded exactly like one of those miserly landlords from her own tales?
Having successfully secured her day off, Yun Shu opted for a carriage rather than horseback due to the biting cold.
Along the way, she could hear the excited chatter of citizens discussing the news in Capital Weekly.
"Can you believe it? When I passed by the tea house this morning and heard talk of a mathematical civil service exam, I thought I had misheard!"
"Hahaha! I always thought my daughter studying physics at Tian Sheng Academy was a complete waste of time. Just a way to keep her fed and occupied for a couple years.
Who would have guessed? Now she can take the imperial exam!"