sbdcsierra Chapter 456 Doing Practical Things for the Surname
Chapter 456 Doing Practical Things for the Surname
How could I possibly refuse to grant your wish?
She was overjoyed and said to Feng Ziheng, "My elder sister has no interest in love between men and women, and since the late emperor left me, I have no other thoughts. It is a blessing to see my second sister with Prince Ning."
Feng Ziheng said helplessly, "Your Majesty, although the court has been stabilized, if Your Majesty remains childless for a long time, I fear the court officials will still submit memorials to advise you. In the past, Your Majesty refused to marry a consort under the pretext of observing mourning for the late Emperor. Now that the mourning period has ended, perhaps..."
Should we bring the emperor's consort into the palace so that he can have children as soon as possible?
The younger sister looked at Feng Ziheng with a half-smile: "Among the court officials, who has a problem with me?"
Feng Ziheng explained: "I am not saying that any court officials have opinions against Your Majesty, but just... in case."
"So, my dear minister, you have a problem with me?"
Feng Ziheng hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I dare not."
"I dare not do the same to you." The younger sister sneered. "There's no need to mention this matter again. If I wanted to, I would take a consort. But for the sake of our offspring, it's absolutely impossible."
Feng Ziheng frowned: "Your Majesty, even the late emperor could not remain chaste for anyone. He would definitely marry concubines to continue the lineage and ensure the continuation of the empire."
The younger sister said, "Other emperors take concubines into the palace, but they don't need them to bear children. They can devote all their energy to the court. But I take imperial consorts. What can they do for me? Can they bear children, or can they raise them?"
"..."
"What's the point of sending a bunch of useless men to the harem? I don't like them, so you don't need to mention it again."
Feng Ziheng had no choice but to remain silent. He then spoke of the successful candidates who had passed the imperial examinations last spring. After nearly a year of training, they were ready to be sent to various departments to take up official positions.
Although the court is not in a state of talent shortage, there are still many gaps, especially in the shortage of talented personnel.
Two more years passed after Prince Ning left.
It wasn't that there was absolutely no news; he would regularly send letters to the palace about his relationship with his second sister.
He successfully found his second sister and confessed his feelings to her. During the three years they were separated, no one else appeared in their lives or in their hearts.
The second sister also accepted Prince Ning's marriage proposal as agreed.
Instead of holding a grand wedding in the capital, they signed their marriage certificate at the local government office and became husband and wife again.
They also made a copy of the marriage certificate and sent it to the Kyoto Palace.
The younger sister was overjoyed when she saw this: "My second sister is as stubborn as a rock. I thought she and Xiao Youchuan had no chance in this lifetime, but I didn't expect they would actually get together."
Upon learning this news, Si Muyan called Xiaoxia over and asked, "You are nine years old now, and there are many things that no longer need to be hidden from you. Do you want to know who your father is?"
Xia'er's big eyes shone brightly, revealing a mischievous glint: "It's Prince Ning, isn't it?"
Si Muyan looked at her: "You guessed it?"
"When I was little, I saw my mother crying at night and I never understood why. My mother said she missed my father, or that she missed Prince Ning. I didn't understand at the time, but as I grew up, I gradually understood."
Xiaoxia pouted.
“Aunt, don’t underestimate Xia’er. Xia’er is smart and can see through everything. Besides, Xia’er doesn’t think it matters who her father is. Whether he’s an ordinary farmer or the Prince of Ning, as the rumors say, what does it have to do with me?”
Si Muyan patted her head: "Will Xia'er resent your father?"
“No,” Xiaoxia said. “My aunt told me that many things in this world are unpredictable. Whether they separate or stay together may not be what they truly want.”
Si Muyan smiled and said, "However, they are together now. This is their marriage certificate, which has been sent to the capital. This copy is for your grandparents to know."
Xiaoxia said she didn't care, but as she held the marriage certificate and looked at it over and over, her eyes suddenly reddened.
She buried her head in Si Muyan's arms.
“Aunt, actually, I used to resent Mother. I didn’t understand why she abandoned me to pursue her career. All the other children in the village needed Mother’s company…”
"Later you told me that everyone should be themselves first. She is Si Mutong, Princess Xintong, and a female official of the Dali Temple. And then... she is Xia'er's mother."
“I understand now, it’s true. Aunt, I heard people say that she was the first female official to work for the well-being of the people. I’m so happy, so… proud of her.”
Si Muyan hugged her and said affectionately, "She is very good. Although she is not with you, you must remember that her love for you is no less than that of any other mother."
Even though the second sister wasn't with Xiaoxia, the first thing she did wherever she went was to collect local specialties and have them delivered to the village so that Xiaoxia could play with them.
She would write a letter every month, with a separate letter for Xiaoxia. What she sent was not just a letter, but also her longing for Xiaoxia.
In the past, when Xiaoxia was in a bad mood, she didn't want to read or reply to the letters. But she missed her mother, so she couldn't help but peek at them and write a reply, but she wouldn't send it out.
Si Muyan saw all this but said nothing. She only told her second sister about it when she wrote back to her.
“My little Xia’er has grown up.”
Xiaoxia raised her head: "Auntie, in the future I want to be as amazing as my mother, so that all the people will respect me!"
The second sister, revered by all, was extremely busy. For the first three years, she traveled to every corner of the Great Zhou, dedicating herself to promoting the laws of the Great Zhou. During this time, she also began to rewrite her own suggestions for revising the laws.
The collected materials were sent to Kyoto in the third year. This legal amendment received strong support from my younger sister.
She convened the three judicial departments, made reasonable modifications, and issued them. For those that were difficult to implement, she instructed each city to adjust them according to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty and issue their local laws and regulations.
This approach both reinstated the laws and aligned them with local customs, thus gaining widespread acceptance.
But the younger sister was not content with just that. During her travels in the Great Zhou Dynasty, she discovered that the situation for women was still dire. Although the Great Zhou had changed its laws, allowing women to establish their own households...
But to establish one's own household, both money and family members are indispensable.
A woman who lives alone, with no one to support her, is often targeted by people who want to take her for themselves.
However, the vast majority of women who are bullied by their husband's family are unable to return to their parents' home. If their parents' home were willing or able to support them, these women would not be bullied to the point of being unable to survive.
After much thought, the second sister decided that the best solution was to open a women's shelter.
To provide a safe haven for homeless women with nowhere to go.
But difficulties also followed.
Where does the funding come from?
Once the number of people increases, the funding will be insufficient. It might be enough for one or two years, barely enough for three or five years, but what will sustain it for eight or ten years?