The Tang Empress Breaks the Rules

During the Kaiyuan era, the gifted Shen Huiyin used the female official examination system to enter the Shangshu Directorate, becoming the Tang Dynasty’s first female secretary in charge of criminal cases. As soon as she took office, she discovered that even the illustrious Six Codes of the Tang contained loopholes in its rulings. Applying the logical syllogism to her study of the law, she devised a case-analysis chart and used document verification to expose a powerful minister’s plot to forge an imperial edict amid mountains of paperwork. When attacked for “women interfering in politics,” she joined forces with like-minded female official Pei Sue and senior palace attendant Cui to clarify official responsibilities based on the bureaucracy recorded in the Comprehensive Institutions. Together, they pushed for the creation of a Women’s Official Oversight Bureau, wielding the sword of the law to impeach corrupt eunuchs. A palace reform blending wisdom, law, and courage was now underway, ultimately leading to the promulgation of the Yonghui Decree on Female Official Examinations. Amid towering palace walls and a rigid bureaucracy, it would leave a brilliant mark for women officials.