Chapter 30 Birthday: Jiang Ning was sixteen years old.
Dali is located in the central part of the mainland, with four distinct seasons and abundant resources.
Unlike the harsh and long winters of Beiyong, or the hot and humid climate and long summers of Nanzhou, Dongyin is not plagued by the constant threat of sea storms.
A country with strategic location and a strong, secure terrain has thrived and multiplied continuously.
Bei Yong launched several military campaigns to attack and occupy Zhong Lin's territory, but all his efforts were in vain.
The next two or three years passed unexpectedly peacefully, with occasional unexpected incidents.
Between Zhonglin and Beiyong lies a wasteland and desert, as well as vast grasslands and meadows, where many nomadic tribes live scattered. Today, an urgent military report from the north states that the three tribes of Kuirong, Qiudi, and Ximano intend to annex other smaller tribes to strengthen themselves, and have formed an alliance to frequently harass the northern border.
The Southern Continent, a vassal state of Zhonglin, was also in great turmoil.
When the King of Nanzhou fell critically ill, Liang Qiuting, the Crown Prince of Nanzhou, was supposed to succeed him. However, his elder half-brother, Liang Qiufeng, took control of the Nanzhou court and openly seized the throne.
Fortunately, Chen Linjun was stationed in the north, and Lu Pinghou Hengji was stationed in the south. Apart from occasional disturbances, the country was generally at peace.
Within the territory, the siltation of the Hezhou River was a major problem. Xie Yuan recommended Cheng Lingdian, the Director of the Water Conservancy Bureau, to Emperor Xuanyuan to go to Hezhou to dredge the silt, fix the blockage, and reinforce the river. The results were quite effective.
After his term expired, Cheng Lingdian was transferred to the position of Prefect of Yong'an, becoming Xie Yuan's right-hand man.
Prince Shen's prestige at court grew daily, yet he remained steadfast in his duties as a subject and brother, never overstepping his bounds, while the Crown Prince remained firmly seated in the Eastern Palace.
When everything is in balance, peace and tranquility are hard to come by.
This superficial peace was shattered by the appearance of a banned book.
In the twentieth year of Xuanyuan, the book "On Women" written by Yao Jifeng, the former Director of the Imperial Academy who had been beheaded, resurfaced in Zhonglin.
Xie Wenjun has now completed her mourning period.
Almost overnight, this banned book spread like wildfire, blooming everywhere.
Naturally, it once again became the focus of discussion among the scholars of Yongdu.
April 15th marks the 70th birthday of the former Princess Consort of the Eastern Palace.
Many young ladies from prominent families in Yongdu had received her instruction and teachings. The old princess was highly respected in Yongdu, and her birthday celebrations were attended by dignitaries and noblewomen of the court.
Many of them brought their daughters of marriageable age to ask the old princess to take a look at their daughters. If any girl could receive a few words of praise from the old princess, matchmakers would soon be flocking to their door.
Even Lady He Yunzhou, who usually spent her days in the Buddhist temple with only the company of the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp, dressed up early and prepared a gift to celebrate the old princess's birthday.
Chen Luan had already come of age, and he had been studying in Cangnan all these years. He had not yet found a wife, and she was worried that if she did not get married soon, she would become a bachelor with no one to marry her.
While celebrating the old princess's birthday, she was also planning to arrange a marriage if she found a suitable girl.
Madam Shan found Chen Liangyu at Yan Nian's place and asked the two of them to go to the East Mansion with the Madam.
At that time, Chen Liangyu was chatting with Yan Nian.
Yan Nian became pregnant, and bandits from the northern border, including those from Kui Rong and Ximano, frequently raided the city, often resulting in bloodshed.
After Yan Nian, supporting her waist, killed two bandits who had robbed civilians, her pulse remained unstable. Fearing the effects of the bloodshed, Chen Linjun sent her back to Yongdu to rest and recuperate.
The two sisters-in-law, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, spent their days together chatting endlessly.
When Xie Wenjun was mentioned, Chen Liangyu counted on her fingers, "Counting the days, it has been three years since Empress Huixian passed away, and it is time for Princess Jiangning to return to the palace from Taihuang Temple."
Yan Nian found it unusual and asked her, "Didn't you used to dislike the princess? I've heard you mention her quite a bit lately."
“Ha, the first time I saw her, she was this tall,” Chen Liangyu stood up and gestured to her stomach, “She killed a Bei Yong soldier with a hairpin. I’ve seen so many new recruits go into battle for the first time and they’re so scared that their hands and feet go weak and their whole bodies tremble. Some even break down and cry. She was completely different.”
This was strange. Yan Nian asked in surprise, "Didn't you kill the person?"
Chen Liangyu spread her hands, "Everyone, including you, sister-in-law, assumed that I killed that soldier without even asking. Who would have thought of her? But the truth is, she was the one who stabbed him to death. I just took the blame for her."
"I didn't know about this, and I've never heard you mention it."
"Nobody asked me. Even though he was a bandit from Beiyong, it wouldn't sound good if word got out that the princess killed someone. The Crown Prince gave a signal, and the people below knew what to do. One more or one less bandit from Beiyong who died at my hands wouldn't make a difference. Besides, that day, apart from those few Beiyong soldiers, only the princess and I were there. It's perfect to pin the blame on me. Am I supposed to go around the streets and alleys crying out for justice?"
Chen Liangyu reveals her true feelings.
"It's no wonder I was wary of her. She looks just like the maidservant beside the Bodhisattva in the temple in the west, completely honest and trustworthy. Who would have thought that Yichai would be so nimble?"
"Then why are you so concerned about Princess Jiangning's affairs now?"
"I just feel sorry for her at such a young age..."
Chen Liangyu lowered her head and murmured, then sighed softly, seemingly unaware of what year it was, and thus hadn't calculated that Princess Jiangning was now sixteen years old.
"Empress Huixian was a pitiful person. I was entrusted with this task by the Empress on her deathbed. Since I promised, I must do it. I don't want the deceased to be unable to rest in peace."
The Xun family's carriage was also parked at the gate. The curtain was lifted, and a young girl was sitting inside.
She is dignified, elegant, graceful, and poised.
"Liangyu, come and ride with me."
Xun Shuheng's voice was gentle and graceful.
She was also accompanying Lady Xun to celebrate the old princess's birthday. The two mansions faced each other, and they took the same route, so it didn't matter whose carriage she rode in.
Chen Liangyu told her mother and Yan Nian, then climbed into the Xun family's carriage, saying, "Aheng."
Xun Shuheng and Xun Xiang's wife traveled separately in their carriages. She sat alone on a soft couch in her palanquin, which was covered with a tiger skin. Several plates of exquisite pastries were placed in front of her, and an incense burner was lit. She slowly brushed her sleeves through the smoke from the burner, spreading a delicate fragrance.
The car started moving, and she waved to Chen Liangyu to sit closer.
Then she mysteriously lifted a corner, gently pressed down, and took out a book from a hidden compartment under the animal skin.
Chen Liangyu immediately guessed what she had hidden. When she took it and looked at it, sure enough, it was "On Women".
“Mother said it was against the natural order and wouldn’t let me see it, so I secretly hid it.” Xun Shuheng winked at her. “Liangyu, you don’t think it’s unclean, right?”
She certainly didn't think it was a disgrace, and she even knew who was behind the book's sudden popularity.
Besides enshrining the memorial tablets of imperial relatives, Taihuang Temple also had the responsibility of teaching and lecturing on Buddhist scriptures, traveling throughout the country, and spreading its virtuous deeds.
The temple has a special library for storing scriptures and classics. Since the monks travel all over the country, it is common for books to be lost or damaged. After private printing shops became popular, Taihuang Temple set up a printing workshop in imitation of this.
This engraving workshop wasn't for carving stone or wood artifacts; it was specifically used by Taihuang Temple to engrave scriptures and texts related to the temple's teachings.
Princess Jiangning observed mourning for her birth mother and did not go to the tomb where Empress Huixian was buried, but instead chose Taihuang Temple.
“This book is very good,” Chen Liangyu said.
"You've read it too?"
"nature."
This edition is quite different from the half-volume that Xie Wenjun had shown her. That half-volume was written in a literary style, similar to the Four Books and Five Classics, with concise and profound language, but it was difficult to read.
The version of "On Women" that was once popular on the market was translated into colloquial language, similar to the storybooks used in folk storytelling. It did not require a teacher to explain it word by word; anyone who could read could understand it.
This is one of the reasons why it spreads so easily; many people read it as a book.
The outer wall of the East Mansion was separated from the inner garden by only half a wall, and the women gathered in the dressing pavilion in the inner garden. The dressing pavilion was cleverly built, and from the second floor looking south, one could see the corridors and waterside pavilions of the outer garden, where many young masters from noble families were chatting.
Chen Liangyu declined the Dongfu aged wine offered by Xun Shuheng's maid.
Xun Shuheng laughed and said, "Drinking a cup won't hurt. This wine is fragrant and sweet, a rare delicacy. It's a wonder you're a commander who can't even drink spicy wine, but can drink fruit wine instead."
"Why would a commander necessarily drink alcohol? Who drinks excessively in the army?"
Chen Liangyu retorted jokingly, "Everyone says that the Xun family's daughters are the most virtuous and proper, gentle, kind, respectful, and frugal, a model of noble ladies, with the virtue of an empress and the conduct of a recluse. Those who say this must not have seen you drinking heartily and getting drunk with gusto. I have seen it."
She met Xun Shuheng when Xun Shuheng was drinking at Yueyang Tower. She was drunk and her face was flushed. When she passed by, Xun Shuheng grabbed her and made her vomit all over her.
She didn't recognize the woman, but the other woman knew her name. It wasn't until the drunken woman was helped into the Xun family's carriage by several maids that she realized that this was the sixth young lady of the prestigious Xun family in Yongdu.
Xun Shuheng looked at her apologetically, her face instantly turning bright red with embarrassment.
A gentle breeze swept in from that direction, and the voices of the young noblemen conversing were clearly audible to those in the dressing pavilion.
"What kind of behavior is it for a woman to study and show her face in public?"
"If women are made to study and pass the imperial examinations, then who will bear children? If there are no descendants, who will farm the fields? Who will fight the wars? Who will pay the taxes? Who will build the palaces and temples? Who will care for the elderly? How will the nation continue?"
"When women have power, they will incite more women to disregard morality and reason, and act perversely. When all women go to study for the imperial examinations, who will manage the household affairs? If there is no one to manage the household, how can we have peace after we are gone?"
"This book should be banned! If everyone were to emulate Chen Liangyu, the paragon of noble families and model of illustrious status, wouldn't that turn the world upside down!"
“I’m talking to you,” Xun Shuheng said.
"I'm listening," Chen Liangyu said.
These two words were clearly not a compliment when applied to her. Instead, Chen Liangyu became interested and pricked up her ears, listening with great interest to how these people could possibly spread rumors about her.
The people in the waterside pavilion were unaware that their conversations were being heard on the other side of the white walls and gray tiles, and that Chen Liangyu had become a target for their attacks and conquests.
Amidst the fervor of the crowd, someone appeared and asked, "May I ask, sir, what business is it of Chen Liangyu to discuss matters concerning women's calligraphy?"
As soon as he stepped into the waterside pavilion, the sounds from the other side subsided.
It wasn't because the visitor held a high position or great power, but simply because his appearance was so striking that he stood out even among a group of distinguished nobles.
He was dressed simply in a moon-white robe, tall and elegant.
As soon as he appeared in everyone's sight, he drew frequent exclamations of surprise from the young ladies and wives in the dressing room. The noblewomen with daughters couldn't help but inquire, "Whose young master is this? He looks unfamiliar."
He added, "It is a good thing to open up the imperial examinations to women across the country and enlighten the people."
Now everyone inside and outside the wall fell silent, listening intently.
Everyone tacitly wanted to hear his profound theories, but what good could such unorthodox and heretical remarks possibly do?
"Simply keeping the people ignorant is not a good way. Does opening a special imperial examination mean everyone can become prime minister? Not at all. What this book teaches is simply to give women in the world a choice, to let the ambitious speak their minds, the capable display their abilities, and the virtuous use their talents—this is the greatest good! Selecting talent for the country is not about gender. When the time comes, all talents will be used by the court. The rest, the mediocre will remain mediocre, and the foolish will remain foolish. Chen Liangyu holds an important position in the court because His Majesty has a discerning eye for talent and personally conferred upon him this title. What dissatisfaction do you all have?"
One of the women in the waterside pavilion said indignantly, "Isn't it because she broke the rules and set a bad example first! Women should cultivate virtue, speech, appearance, and skills, find a good husband, and live a quiet life as wives and mothers. Why bother with martial arts and fighting? If she had cultivated her virtue and read more of the 'Instructions for Women,' she wouldn't have been rejected by His Highness Prince Shen when she asked for a marriage decree."
Without saying a word, Chen Liangyu left the dressing room and went for a walk around. She could no longer hear those decadent music.
Two or three years have passed, and Chen Luan has grown much taller, so much so that Chen Liangyu has to look up at him when they look at each other.
His cheeks had become a little fuller, his facial features were still clear, and his body was still thinner than the average person, but he had transformed from a refugee fleeing famine into a handsome young man.
Chen Liangyu pulled him around, looking him up and down, her face filled with disbelief. She couldn't believe her second brother was such a handsome man.
Unlike Chen Linjun's dashing and flamboyant handsomeness, Chen Luan has a more delicate and sickly air about him. He cultivated a strong sense of righteousness at Hanhong Academy. This contradiction makes him even more captivating at first glance.
Exquisite! Absolutely stunning!
Those deep and well-proportioned features overlapped with the image of the person sitting idly in a rattan chair on Bogong Ridge in Chen Liangyu's memory.
“Mr. Qi came to pay his respects to the old Princess Consort. I returned to Yongdu with you. I originally wanted to go home first to pay my respects to my parents, but Mr. Qi said that today is the old Princess Consort’s birthday and you and my mother would definitely come to the East Mansion, so I came here with you first,” Chen Luan said.
The Mr. Qi he was referring to was Qi Xiu.
This is also Yao Jifeng after a makeover and name change.
When Chen Liangyu returned to the dressing room, Xun Shuheng had already gone with the Prime Minister's wife to pay their respects to the old Princess.
She sat alone.
The old princess was surrounded by elegant ladies from prestigious families, so it was better for her not to go, since her mother had her sister-in-law by her side anyway.
“Ah Li.”
Before Chen Liangyu could turn around, a group of people had already knelt down in the dressing room.
The women bowed in unison and greeted her, "May Princess Jiangning be blessed with good fortune."
Xie Wenjun wore a jade-colored, high-waisted iris-patterned long dress, with a shawl draped over her shoulders. Behind her was a gentle breeze and the bright sunshine. She stretched out her hand, palm open, and said, "I've been looking for you for a long time."
Chen Liangyu watched her walk step by step to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, and for a moment, the string seemed to break.
She felt that three years was a short time and nothing had changed.
Only today did I realize how quickly time flies, and how many people and things have changed without my noticing.
Author's note: Thank you for reading this far!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com