Inside the new house.

Zhang Congrong sat shyly on the edge of the bed, while the matchmaker spoke a series of auspicious words. Madam Yu smiled and rewarded her with silver.

Amid cheers from the crowd, Yu Xin lifted Zhang Congrong's veil, and his eyes lit up instantly.

It must be said that Zhang Congrong's beauty is even more striking today. Although she is usually very beautiful, she gives people a non-threatening feeling.

Today, she is so beautiful that she seems distant.

The matchmaker smiled and handed the couple a toast, showering them with sweet words, each one unique, which touched the hearts of the newlyweds.

Yu Xin was overjoyed. With a wave of his hand, the matchmaker received a handful of golden peanuts.

Looking at this scene, Zhen Wanwan suddenly felt that the matchmaking industry must be a highly profitable one!

After the two newlyweds finished their ceremony, Yu Xin went out to entertain the guests, while the other women went out to watch the performances and listen to the songs.

Only Zhen Wanwan and Yu Lingling, who had been forced to stay behind by Madam Yu, remained in the new house.

With no outsiders present, Zhang Congrong didn't bother with formalities and sat down next to the two men.

She rubbed her shoulders wearily; after a whole day of this, the phoenix crown had made her neck ache.

"Sigh, it's finally over! Getting married is such a hassle and so tiring."

Zhen Wanwan chuckled and rubbed her shoulders: "You're one to talk! Who in Guangling County doesn't envy you? The Second Young Master Yu's wedding was so grand, all the girls are envious!"

Zhang Congrong was teased by her and shyly pulled her to sit down again. She dared not let Princess Jing massage her back, as that would be extremely disrespectful!

"Don't laugh at me. If you're willing, I think Prince Jing would love to make it even more grand."

Zhang Congrong had heard a little about Zhen Wanwan and Zhuyuan's marriage. She heard that Prince Jing was marrying into the Zhen family, so the wedding would naturally be held at the Zhen family's home.

Because of the ongoing war at that time, and the fact that Zhen's family was an ordinary family, the wedding was kept simple.

But what she didn't know was that although the wedding was simple, Zhu Yuan personally took care of everything, decorating every corner with the best materials.

A simple set of bowls and chopsticks can cost tens of taels of silver, and other items are even more expensive.

Zhen Wanwan smiled but didn't reply. She was very lazy and would rather sit than stand. She had already had her wedding once and didn't want to do it again.

Yu Lingling munched on snacks, listening to her second sister-in-law and the princess's conversation, finding it all incredibly boring.

In her opinion, what's so great about getting married? Spending your whole life with one man is so boring and dull!

But despite her thoughts, Madam Yu had already arranged for her to meet many suitors, picking one after another.

Noticing that Yu Lingling was in low spirits, Zhen Wanwan smiled and asked, "Miss Yu, has your marriage been settled?"

Yu Lingling pursed her lips, recalling the person she had met a few days ago, and then showed a look of disgust.

However, she didn't dare to show any disrespect to Zhen Wanwan, and said, "Your Highness, not yet. Those men were really unbearable to look at, and I didn't like them, so I politely declined!"

Zhen Wanwan sighed silently. The Yu family was truly unique. Her reputation was widespread, and probably all the prominent families within a hundred miles knew about her personality.

The Yu family went to great lengths to arrange her marriage.

Several times, Madam Yu secretly found several suitable families, but a few days before the engagement, she would inexplicably disappear without a trace.

Zhen Wanwan guessed that Yu Lingling was probably causing trouble behind the scenes!

She comforted him, saying, "Good men are hard to find, so there's no need to rush. Fate is something you can't force."

Yu Lingling didn't react to this; she wasn't going to give up the whole forest for one tree!

There are still many suffering men in the world waiting for her to give them a home.

Suddenly, Yu Lingling's eyes lit up with an idea, and she took Zhen Wanwan's hand.

"Your Highness, you are a role model for us women. I have a good suggestion, and I would like to ask Your Highness to listen to it."

Zhang Congrong's eyelids twitched. Knowing her sister-in-law's temperament, she stopped her before she could speak, saying, "Ling'er, don't say anything unpleasant in front of the Princess. Be good and go watch the performance! Your brother said they've invited a very popular celebrity today!"

Normally, Yu Lingling would run around excitedly when she heard about handsome guys, but today she remained unmoved, smiling as she waited for Zhen Wanwan to agree.

Zhen Wanwan nodded and said, "Miss Yu, please speak freely!"

She was already immune to this willful and capricious Miss Yu, who was a top-tier beauty enthusiast.

Yu Lingling grinned and said, "Your Highness, I think this world is so unfair!"

"Think about it, a man can have three wives and four concubines, he can study for the imperial examinations, he can keep mistresses, he can openly visit brothels... he can..."

"Ling'er, watch your words!"

Zhang Congrong's heart trembled as she listened to Yu Lingling, an unmarried girl, calling her mistress and concubine in front of Zhen Wanwan!

She shouldn't have had any hope; that child was too outspoken!

Yu Lingling was startled by the angry shout, then she pouted in dissatisfaction: "It's just the truth!"

Zhen Wanwan nodded and smiled, signaling Yu Lingling to continue.

To be honest, if Yu Lingling hadn't acted so unruly and had a slightly distorted worldview, she would have really wanted Yu Lingling to teach female students.

At least she didn't spout the kind of rhetoric that oppressed women in ancient times.

She knows how to think, how to resist, and dares to enforce the law!

Encouraged by Zhen Wanwan, Yu Lingling gave Zhang Congrong a haughty snort before continuing.

"Men have so many advantages, so what have we women gained? A woman can only have one husband in her life, and she cannot remarry after her husband dies. If you dare to remarry, you will be drowned in people's spittle!"

"And they'll be criticized and slandered, and their lives will be miserable from now on. But what about men? When their wives die, they remarry within a year. And that's not enough; they can't control their lustful desires. They'll spend money to take any pretty girl they see as a concubine!"

"That's not enough for them. The wildflowers smell sweeter than the garden flowers, so they go out and keep mistresses everywhere, and then bring back illegitimate children for the mistress to raise in her name!"

"As for women, if they marry a lazy husband, they have no choice but to follow him wherever he goes. If they have a vicious mother-in-law, they have to endure her torment, support the family, and tolerate their husbands' fickleness. Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit!"

"And what's more, if a man can't have children, he blames the woman. I once met one such man who couldn't have children and blamed his wife for it, beating her all the time. It wasn't until the doctor examined him that they found out it was the man's fault."

"But do you know what? That man's mother actually blamed the woman for bringing bad luck to her son! I was so angry! I wanted to whip her right there and then!"

Yu Lingling grew angrier as she spoke, slamming her hand on the table and stomping around. She angrily declared, "That's why I decided back then that I would never let anyone bully me!"

After Yu Lingling finished speaking, Zhen Wanwan and Zhang Congrong were both stunned.

Zhang Congrong's character is one of confusion, a reshaping of her values, and a rethinking of the plight of women.

Zhen Wanwan was more surprised. She thought that it was already very gratifying for women in this era to be able to think independently and survive.

Unexpectedly, Yu Lingling's ideas are so progressive, and she can even break through traditional thinking and analyze the problem from the perspective of gender inequality.

She looked at Yu Lingling with delight. This child suited her taste, but she also knew that with Yu Lingling's status and position, she had the capital to do whatever she wanted, while other women did not.

Therefore, she will not pursue ultimate gender equality. The backwardness of thousands of years cannot be reversed overnight.

She is practical and prefers to take things one step at a time. She believes that as long as women know how to respect themselves, have the ability to live independently, and are not exploited by others, they can live a good life.

Although they may not have 100% equal opportunities with men, they still have the right to choose.

She didn't want to provoke conflict between men and women; all she wanted was for women to be respected and have more choices.

Yu Lingling was still angrily cursing how fickle men were in the world, and how they weren't worth giving her heart to.

Zhang Congrong was initially shocked by Yu Lingling's bold remarks, but she was quick to accept them and even thought for herself, and actually felt that Yu Lingling's words made some sense.

She couldn't help but look at Zhen Wanwan, and she inexplicably felt that Zhen Wanwan must also feel a sense of kinship with Ling'er.

"Your Highness, tell me, am I right? Isn't this very unfair?"

There were only three people in the room, and she didn't mince words, saying directly, "Miss Yu is right!"

Zhen Wanwan deliberately guided the conversation, and said with a smile, "Looking at it this way, we women are indeed at a disadvantage. Miss Yu, what do you think we should do?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Lingling beamed with joy; this was exactly what she had been waiting for.

She puffed out her chest and said confidently, "Of course men have it, so we should have it too! Men can have three wives and four concubines, so why can't women? Men can keep mistresses, so why can't I keep a gigolo?"

Zhen Wanwan had just taken a sip of tea when her words made her cough incessantly.

Zhang Congrong quickly patted her back and scolded Yu Lingling, "Ling'er! You're not married yet, how can you say such things?"

Although she disliked the idea of ​​having multiple wives and concubines, she kept these thoughts to herself and decided to learn how to manage her husband.

How could you say that so casually? If people heard it, what would become of your reputation?

Zhang Congrong suddenly realized that Yu Lingling was really spoiled by her parents-in-law and husband, and she would definitely have a good talk with her mother-in-law tomorrow.

She can be willful at home, but outside, she represents the Yu family. Such reckless remarks could bring disaster to the Yu family.

When Yu Lingling saw Zhen Wanwan's flushed face, she felt a little flustered. She was afraid that the princess had really scared her to death, and Prince Jing would definitely not let her off!

Remembering how she had fought for the princess's male favorite, she knew that Prince Jing held a grudge against her. If anything happened to the princess, she would have to pay with her life!

No, no, her idols and male confidants are still waiting for her to save them!

Yu Lingling apologized guiltily, saying, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I spoke without thinking!"

But she wasn't wrong!

Zhen Wanwan waved her hand to indicate that she was fine. After she recovered, she looked at Yu Lingling in shock.

This young girl, at first she thought she was rejecting these outdated cultural practices, but she never expected that she herself would become like this.

She couldn't help but give her a thumbs up. This girl is really promising: "Miss Yu, your ambition is commendable. I have a hard time commenting, but I wish you success!"

Yu Lingling was initially afraid that Zhen Wanwan would scold her, but to her surprise, the other party wished her success!

Does that mean...?

Zhen Wanwan noticed that Yu Lingling's eyes were sparkling, as if they were glowing.

Sure enough, she jumped up happily the next second and said, "With the princess's words, I can rest assured!"

Zhen Wanwan looked completely bewildered. "Wait... what are you worried about?"

What did she say?

Zhang Congrong was also completely bewildered. She hadn't missed a single word. Had Zhen Niangzi promised her sister-in-law something?

Before the two could ask Yu Lingling for clarification, Zhen Wanwan was invited out for a banquet, and Yu Lingling took the opportunity to say that she would go to the kitchen to arrange food for Zhang Congrong.

The trio disbanded, filled with both doubt and excitement.

After exchanging a few words with Zhang Congrong, Zhen Wanwan followed her maid to the wedding banquet.

Guests, you have come to the banquet today and enjoyed both the performance and the delicacies. You have certainly had a great time.

At the same time, Yu Lingling also had new thoughts about the family's immense wealth. The wives with unmarried children in the family all looked at Yu Lingling differently.

The previous subtle disdain turned into a beaming smile.

Yu Lingling is the only daughter of the Yu family. She has been pampered since childhood. If you marry her, your son can avoid working hard for twenty years!

No! It will take at least a hundred years of struggle!

As for her reputation and her fondness for men, just pretend you're blind to it; things will be fine after she gets married!

Even if things don't go well, things will be better after I have the baby!

When she has children, she won't dare to cause trouble; the family has ways to control her!

The woman, who had a plan in mind, started to get creative and decided to have her son find a way to win the heart of the beauty.

Zhen Wanwan was unaware of all this. She sat in the main seat at the head table, where everyone else was of high status and position.

Apart from Madam Yu, who was a merchant, all the other ladies present were officials under Zhu Yuan.

These ladies were all shrewd and had sweet words, which made Zhen Wanwan very happy.

Sweetie, Treasure, and Zhou'er sat with their cousin Zhang Qinghuai, along with other children of similar age.

The children knew each other, and each child had a nanny and a maid standing behind them to serve them.

The families who could attend the banquet were all fairly well-off, and the children ate very well, taking their time and not scrambling for food.

After finishing their meal, Zhang Qinghuai, familiar with the area, led Tianbao and the others to play.

After dinner at the Yu family's residence, there was a performance, and the guests who wanted to stay and watch chatted with others in the mansion.

Zhu Yuan is not present today. The Fifth Prince is in Anqing Prefecture, and he needs to keep a close eye on him.

More often than not, he handled government affairs in the military camp, while Lü Yunshen was in charge of supervising him.

Inside Anqing Prefecture.

The Fifth Prince walked toward the ticket office with practiced ease. Lü Yun Shen opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but the other boy walked too fast and he didn't have time.

Seeing this, Lü Yunshen had no choice but to quicken his pace and follow.

The ticket office wasn't far, and we arrived quickly.

The ticket seller was dozing off when the Fifth Prince's guards woke him up and bought two VIP tickets and several other inner field tickets.

Having learned from their first experience, they understood the seating arrangement and were no longer willing to skimp on money in order to better protect His Highness.