"This is a roster I have compiled of the women living in the frontier regions; with their fragile frames, they have upheld half the sky. If these heroines could serve as officials in the court, why should we ever worry that the nation lacks pillars of strength?"
"I also know that Your Majesty is wise and virtuous. When employing people, one should not look at their origins. This is the very purpose of the imperial examination: to select those with profound knowledge and virtuous talent from across the land to enter the court, to plan for the people, and to seek the prosperity and security of the Great Zhou."
"If one’s origin should not matter, then why should one's gender?"
Chapter 146