Li Xiwei, the most talented man in the Great Zhou Dynasty, was not only good at reciting poems and composing couplets, but also proficient in playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. What is even more commendable is that he was the first male official to reach the highest position since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Thousands of years ago, men reigned supreme across the land of Kyushu. Suddenly, a divine stone descended from the sky, causing an earthquake. After peace returned, the people were surprised to discover that everything around them had changed. Glittering dust floated in the air, like fireflies, and many of them penetrated the bodies of women, making them appear lighter and even able to summon wind and rain.
People attributed this vision to a divine blessing bestowed upon women. Initially, women simply used their special abilities to spin and weave faster. But one woman, beaten by her husband, unleashed a wave of resistance, transforming dust into a sword of light that pierced her husband's throat, instantly killing him. As her story spread, more and more bullied women rose up in resistance, delighted to discover they could triumph over their husbands and men. Fearing women's abilities, men began to yield. From helping women share household chores to allowing them to hold official positions, and ultimately, women finally overthrew the male regime and took control of the country.
From that time on, women were always respected throughout the Nine Provinces. Initially, female empresses tended to be conservative and moderate, rarely launching wars. However, over time, women completely shed the shackles of "docility" and "obedience" imposed by men, and demonstrated ambitions equal to, or even greater than, those of men. The founding emperor of the Qin Dynasty was such a powerful ruler. She annexed various states and unified the Nine Provinces, achieving unprecedented feats. However, in her later years, she became increasingly paranoid and strictly restricted male political participation. The number of men in court dwindled, and eventually, like women centuries earlier, men lost their right to participate in government. This remained unchanged throughout the Qin Dynasty.
The Wu and Yan dynasties after the Qin Dynasty also continued the tradition of women-only political participation. In the final years of the Yan Dynasty, Emperor Ai indulged in debauchery, building palaces and gardens for pleasure. He conscripted men from all over the land into his harem, including both well-off and married men. The people suffered greatly, and eventually the Right Prime Minister joined forces with the General to overthrow Emperor Ai's regime. The concubines in Emperor Ai's harem killed the incompetent and dissolute ruler. After the Right Prime Minister ascended to the throne, he recognized their contributions by allowing men to participate in politics again, marking the beginning of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
For two hundred years after Emperor Gaozu of Zhou, although men had regained the right to participate in politics, they were never able to enter the centers of power. Most of the positions they held were nominal and idle, and their political achievements were far from evident. By the time of Jiang Cenyun's grandmother, there was not a single male official in the court. This situation did not change until the arrival of Li Xiwei.
For the women of the Great Zhou, Li Xiwei was their ideal husband before he entered the court, but after he entered the court, he became a thorn in their side. But for the men of the Great Zhou, Li Xiwei was their role model and hope.
Therefore, almost all the men who entered the palace had the same attitude as Zhuo Huanqing: surprise and regret.
Some people even came over to offer advice to Li Xiwei.
"Lord Zuo Xiang, I have heard that His Majesty likes gentle, obedient, and docile men, and dislikes men with heavy perfume. When you come to see His Majesty in a few days, you can put on more perfume and speak a few words to His Majesty. Perhaps you can avoid the suffering of the harem."
Li Xi turned her head slightly to look at him. "She not only likes gentle, obedient and cuddly people."
"Why?"
"I also like active and lively people jumping around."
"ah?"
"There are also those who are as quiet as a virgin and as swift as a rabbit."
"this……"
"In other words, as long as the guy's appearance is acceptable, she's likely to like any man."
"Your Majesty, is he that kind of person?" The man subconsciously touched his face.
"But you're right about the last part. She really does hate the smell of cosmetics. During the reign of the late emperor, Dong Jun loved to wear cosmetics and always pretended to be virtuous in front of the late emperor. He would hold her in his arms, choking her until she burst into tears."
"How do you know everything..."
Li Xi smiled without saying a word and continued to move forward.
The palace servants led them to different courtyards. Li Xiwei and Zhuo Huanqing were assigned to Huixuexuan, where they shared a room with two other people. Li Xiwei was just inspecting the furnishings when Zhuo Huanqing stormed in, shouting, "Zhaiyue, guess what I just saw? Those two guys were secretly passing money to the palace servants!"
"After you shouted like that, even the people next door knew what they did. It can't be considered quiet." Li Xiwei turned the plum vase by the window and spoke in a steady tone.
Zhuo Huanqing laughed awkwardly twice and lowered his voice. "My mother is hard of hearing, so I'm used to talking like this."
After waiting for a moment and hearing no response from Li Xiwei, he leaned forward and said, "Zhaiyue, you've been by His Majesty's side for so many years, you must know her very well, right?"
"I wouldn't call it 'very', but I do understand." Li Xiwei turned and looked at him. "What do you want to ask?"
"What kind of people does she hate? How can I be rejected?" Zhuo Huanqing scratched his ear. "I don't want to enter the palace."
"She hates dull people."
"Huh? What does it mean to be dull and boring?"
"You're not."
"No, I can be one. Teach me!"
"If you just follow her every word and don't argue, it will be dull and boring."
"Oh, how difficult is that? Just watch me." Zhuo Huanqing smiled triumphantly, picked up a ringo from the table, took a bite, and squinted his eyes. "The food and clothing in the palace are not available outside. This is the first time I've tasted such a sweet and sour ringo."
"Then take them all away. I don't like to eat them."
"How can I feel embarrassed about this?" Zhuo Huanqing said as he put the remaining apples in the fruit plate into his sleeves.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Li Xiwei asked him.
He wandered over to him, a look of curiosity on his face. "You said you entered the palace on your own initiative. Why? Could it be that those women were after you? Are you hiding in the harem to avoid the spotlight?"
"How do you misunderstand my situation?"
"My mother said that people always scold you in the court. She always uses you as an example to urge me to be more sensible and not become a womanizer like you. I envy you. My biggest dream is to become a general and fight in the battlefield, but my mother only wants me to get married and raise a wife and children."
"If you marry someone like this, I'm afraid it will only bring chaos to the family."
"Yes. That's why I don't want to get married. Once I'm banished from the palace, there won't be anyone proposing marriage to me, right? Oh, no, you haven't told me why you want to enter the palace."
"Because..." Li Xiwei looked at the green plum blossoms outside the window and said, "I want to reach the position I want most."
"What position?"
"Her side."
"Aren't you already one now? You are the highest official in the country, second only to the emperor and above everyone else."
"That's not enough." Li Xiwei said softly, "I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with her."
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