After Disguising Herself as a Man, She Became a Powerful Official by Reading Gossip

Ning An wakes up in ancient times. The good news is that her life is no longer in danger. The bad news is that she's dressed as a man and about to take the imperial exams. How is that any different from sending her straight to her death? Just as Ning An struggles onward, a gossip System suddenly appears before her: [The male official checking your identity ahead has a thing for wearing bellybands.] [The redder and more garish, the better!] The official, who can hear her thoughts, turns pale with terror. To stop her from saying anything more, he immediately sends her into the exam hall. Once the exam begins, the gossip System answers the questions for Ning An. Everyone within a hundred meters of her suddenly sees something called a livestream room pop up before them. [Want to listen in? Pay to enter.] As soon as they pay, Ning An's voice rings in their ears. [So this question is that simple. Here's how you solve it...] The examiner goes white as a sheet, personally escorts Ning An out, and sets aside a separate room just for her exam. Later... [So the Vice Minister of Personnel is into men.] The Vice Minister of Personnel, eyes glistening with tears, shoves a handful of silver over and tries to stop her. "My dear Ning." [But his lover even keeps male courtesans.] The Vice Minister of Personnel clenches his fists. [The emperor's consort is having an affair with a guard. And not just one guard, either.] The emperor turns green in the face. [The great general has been secretly stockpiling troops and provisions. So he's planning a rebellion.] The great general turns pale and immediately drops to his knees. "I would never do such a thing!" [The chief eunuch is actually a fake eunuch. Oh, and he's still serving Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.] The chief eunuch nearly spits blood. Ning An had thought she'd be discovered as a woman and executed. Instead, she sails through the exams and rises steadily through the ranks of the government. In the end, she builds a successful career and makes it into the inner circle of the imperial court. All she has to do is sit back, enjoy the gossip, and watch the show to earn endless silver. The only downside is being surrounded by ambitious officials, all scheming and fighting for power. Caught between them, Ning An only wants to protect herself and make sure nobody discovers she's a woman. What she doesn't realize is that everyone, from the emperor to the officials of the court, has known all along. [2023/10/17 Original blurb, archived] Theme: Live positively, build a successful life, and work hard to achieve prosperity.