She further decided to place her sex once and for all on an equality with man.

For that purpose women were admitted to the public examinations, official posts being conferred upon those who were successful; and among other things they were excused from kneeling while giving evidence in courts of justice.

This innovation, however, did not fulfil its promise; and with the disappearance of its vigorous foundress, the system also disappeared.

It was not actually the first time in Chinese history that the experiment had been tried.

An emperor of the third century A.D.