307. I want equal rights.

The little dumpling climbed down from Wei Xiuming's arms, bowed respectfully, and then tiptoed to whisper, "Your Majesty, don't forget Sister Fufu's reward!"

"I can't forget it, I can't forget it," Wei Xiuming said with a smile and waved. "Go back now, be careful on the road."

The father and daughter left the Imperial Study with Qu Zijin. The little girl skipped and hopped all the way, humming a little tune, and was in a very good mood.

Upon returning home, Jiang Xiyue greeted him with a smile as soon as he entered the door, asking, "How did it go? What did His Majesty say during your audience?"

Before Marquis Beiding could even speak, the little dumpling tilted her head back and said proudly, "Mother! His Majesty has made Yue'er a princess!"

"Princess?" Jiang Xiyue covered her mouth in surprise, then picked her up in one scoop. "My good daughter, you're amazing!"

Jin Qizhi and her second brother also gathered around, their faces beaming with excitement: "Little sister, you're amazing! You'll be a princess from now on!"

"If anyone dares to bully my sister, that's bullying the princess, I'll be the first to get revenge!" the second brother declared, patting his chest.

Then he scratched his head and said, "No, my sister is stronger than us now. She should be the one protecting us!"

Surrounded by everyone, the little dumpling proudly puffed out its little belly: "Moon protects you all!"

Then, remembering something, she said seriously, "Yue'er also told His Majesty that Sister Fufu also made contributions and that she should be rewarded! His Majesty said he would consider it!"

"Our Yue'er is such a good child, still thinking of her friends," Jiang Xiyue said with a smile, patting her head. "Tonight, Mother will cook you something delicious to celebrate the birth of our princess!"

"That's great!"

-

The next morning.

The little dumpling went to see Lin Fuman again.

This time, I went with my second brother.

"Sister Fufu! The moon is here!"

The second brother chimed in, "Good morning! I have some great news to tell you all—my sister is now a princess! It was bestowed upon her by His Majesty himself, so from now on, no one here will dare to bully her!"

Lin Fuman and Li Yuniang both smiled upon hearing this.

Li Yuniang smiled and nodded, "Oh, congratulations, Yue'er! What a promising child!"

Lin Fuman also held the little dumpling's hand, her eyes sparkling: "Little Moon, you're so amazing! Isn't the princess so impressive?"

"I don't know." The little dumpling blinked.

She's only been a princess for a day, and this is her first time going out.

Then she remembered something: "Oh right, Sister Fufu, His Majesty said he'll reward you! What kind of reward does Sister Fufu want?"

Lin Fu paused for a moment after hearing this question.

She looked at Li Yuniang, a smile spreading across her face, full of anticipation: "I've already made up my mind!"

Li Yuniang was taken aback.

Lin Fuman looked at her and said, "Mother, do you remember? When you participated in the imperial examination, it was discovered that you were a girl."

"For this reason, you were almost imprisoned without any explanation."

"After that, you went back to do business, which was clearly an industry that you and your parents had built up."

"However, after your parents pass away, those properties will not belong to you. Instead, they will belong to your brothers and uncles who did not contribute anything and whom you have hardly ever met."

"All of this is simply because you are a woman."

"Therefore, you cannot become an official, nor can you inherit your parents' estate or own your own business."

Li Yuniang looked at her, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

The little boy and his second brother didn't quite understand what Lin Fuman was trying to say, and looked at her curiously.

Lin Fuman took a deep breath, her expression earnest yet filled with hope and anticipation for the future: "I want Your Majesty to issue a decree granting women equal inheritance rights. Furthermore, women should also be allowed to hold official positions. As long as one has the ability, regardless of gender, one can serve the people."

"Wow!" The little dumpling didn't quite understand, but as always, she was very enthusiastic and immediately clapped her hands, "Sister Fufu is so amazing!"

Upon hearing his sister's agreement, the second brother nodded in agreement as well: "I support you!"

But to everyone's surprise, Li Yuniang frowned and said in a serious tone, "No."

Lin Fuman was stunned, her eyes widening as she looked at Li Yuniang in disbelief: "Mother? Why? Isn't this a good thing? Many girls won't have to suffer anymore."

"Mother is doing this for your own good." Li Yuniang took her hand, her tone softening slightly, but still firm.

"Why?"

Lin Fuman couldn't understand why it was her mother who opposed her.

Li Yuniang sighed, "Because Mother knows that this matter is too difficult and too dangerous."

“Nowadays, men have the final say. If you ask a woman to share the family property equally with a man and also to become an official, no man would be willing to do that.”

"Even if His Majesty agrees, it probably won't work out and will only harm you."

"At that time, most men will hate you, saying that you are disrupting the rules, they will cause you trouble, they will try to attack you, and even kill you."

"Fufu, do you know? You might die a terrible death."

"Moreover, even if the odds are extremely small and it actually happens, those women might not be grateful to you; they might even think you're meddling."

"Fufu, your mother doesn't want you to take this risk. It's better for us to live a peaceful and safe life than anything else."

Lin Fuman stubbornly insisted, "I'm not afraid of danger. I just feel that women shouldn't only stay at home to be good wives and mothers; they can also do what they want to do."

The little dumpling seemed to understand a bit: "Aunt Li, Sister Fufu is right, Mother Yue is also very capable, sometimes even better than Father!"

The second brother just kept nodding and chiming in, "That's right, Aunt Li!"

Looking at the sincere expressions of the two children, and then at her daughter's reddened eyes, Li Yuniang sighed.

She didn't immediately refute him, but gently patted Lin Fuman's hand: "Mother knows you mean well, but this matter is really too dangerous. Let's think about it again, okay? Don't make a decision so hastily."

Lin Fuman's voice choked with emotion: "Mother, you weren't like this before! You used to tell me that I couldn't accept my fate and that I had to fight for it. Just because you've always been like this doesn't mean it's right. You should do what you want to do... Why won't you let me try now?"

Li Yuniang's eyes also reddened. She reached out and hugged her, her voice hoarse: "Mother has suffered a loss. Back then, Mother was just like you, thinking, why can't women do it? And what happened?"

"I'm being cursed, slandered, and defamed... Look at my reputation! How many people hate me..."

“My mother thought the same way you did. I felt I was right. I was just fighting for myself.”

"But it's no use, Fu Fu. Once you touch their interests, they will do everything they can to kill you."

Even if I can't kill you, I'll ruin your reputation and make everyone despise you.

"Your mother knows there's no hope, and that's why she doesn't want you to follow the same path and suffer the same pain your mother endured."

"But I'm not afraid of hardship!" Lin Fuman broke free from her, tears still on her face, yet her determination remained unwavering. "Even if I die, I want to try. Maybe I'll succeed!"

"Try? How will you try?"

Li Yuniang became anxious and her tone became harsher: "People will say you are shameless, that you are disrupting social order, and they will put all sorts of nasty things on you and smear your reputation!"

"Now, you are a child prodigy, a great person who saves the people."

"But once you do that, you will be demonized immediately, you will become a monster, and healing the people will become poisoning them."

"At that time, the men will hate you, feeling that you stole what was theirs."

"Some women will also dislike you and feel that they have been implicated by you."

"In the end, no one will dare to approach you, you'll have very few supporters, and everyone will attack and insult you. Is that what you want?"

"I..." Lin Fuman was speechless, and her tears fell even more fiercely.

The little dumpling quickly ran over, grabbed her hand, and said in a clear voice, "Sister Fufu, even if everyone else avoids you, Yue'er won't! We'll always be good friends. Yue'er will play with you every day and bring you delicious food!"

The second brother immediately nodded, patting his chest: "That's right, and so am I! If anyone dares to insult you, I'll insult them back for you! If anyone dares to bully you, I'll learn martial arts and beat them up! We'll always stand by your side!"

Li Yuniang looked at the two children, sighed, and softened her tone: "You are good children, but you are still young and don't understand how important reputation is. She will grow up, and when she grows up, she will get married. But if her reputation is ruined, how can she get married? Can you stay with her for the rest of her life?"

The question left the three children speechless, unsure of what to say.