Chapter 95 I am a woman
On New Year's Eve, the palace was decorated with lights and full of joy.
The officials toasted each other and enjoyed the graceful movements of the dancers.
Emperor Qingyuan and Empress Cao sat on high seats. This most noble couple in the world talked and laughed happily, and their eyes were full of tenderness when they met.
Fu Rui stood aside, his chubby face also full of smiles.
Just as he filled a glass of wine for Emperor Qingyuan, he caught a glimpse of a middle-aged official in a light green official robe.
Fu Rui narrowed his eyes. When would a seventh-rank official appear at the palace banquet on New Year's Eve?
Thinking carefully, this person seemed to be an official who was specifically responsible for guarding the Dengwen Drum.
Fu Rui had a plan in mind and gave a wink to his godson Yu Jue. The latter understood, stepped forward to take the wine pot, and took on the responsibility of serving Emperor Qing Yuan.
Fu Rui walked up to the official and asked directly, "Master Fang, is anyone knocking on the drum to report the incident?"
Lord Fang bowed and said, "Your Excellency, your foresight is as accurate as a god. Someone has indeed struck the drum to report the matter. This matter is of great importance, which is why I have rashly requested an audience."
Fu Rui raised his eyebrows slightly: "What grievance did the man who beat the drum have?"
Lord Fang glanced at Zuo Xi, hesitated for a moment, and whispered.
Fu Rui's pupils trembled after hearing this, and the hand holding the whisk trembled slightly. It took a long while before he found his voice again: "Master Fang, please wait a moment. I will report this matter to His Majesty."
Lord Fang nodded vigorously, "Okay, thank you for your help, eunuch."
Fu Rui twitched his lips, but found he couldn't smile. He simply gave up and quickly returned to Emperor Qingyuan: "Your Majesty."
Emperor Qingyuan paused in laughter and turned to look at Fu Rui.
Fu Rui repeated Lord Fang's words word for word in a voice that only he and Emperor Qingyuan could hear. Finally, he added, "Lord Fang is currently waiting in a side hall. The man has been placed in the corner tower next to Xihua Gate. Your Majesty is planning to..."
Emperor Qingyuan slowly turned the jade ring, his eyes filled with unfathomable emotion. "Since this is a crime of deceiving the emperor, it cannot be taken lightly. Since all the ministers are here tonight, let's try him in court and give everyone an explanation."
Fu Rui took a breath silently, bowed and said, "Yes, I will arrange for someone to pick her up right away."
After Fu Rui left, Empress Cao calmly withdrew her gaze and continued the previous topic: "Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince will be fifteen years old in a new year. It's time to choose a wife."
Emperor Qingyuan patted her hand and said with a smile, "Leave it to the Empress. I believe that the Empress will be able to choose a gentle, virtuous, and beautiful consort for the Seventh Prince."
Empress Cao responded softly.
The officials present here are no ordinary people. Even when chatting and laughing with others, they still remember to keep their eyes and ears open.
Lord Fang showed up at the palace banquet, and Eunuch Fu Rui said something to His Majesty, then disappeared from the palace banquet and his whereabouts are unknown.
When everyone thought about it, they guessed that someone had struck the drum to report the incident.
"Why did you choose to knock at this very moment instead of earlier? You really have no tact at all."
"Perhaps that person deliberately chose this time today. Your Majesty is free and we are also present."
"It seems that this must be a huge injustice."
"Could it be that His Majesty will hear the case at the New Year's Eve palace banquet?"
"Who knows? It's none of our business anyway, so we can just sit back and watch the fun."
"Master Du, I offer you a toast."
Du Qingtang clinked glasses with the doctor from the Ministry of Works and drank the imperial wine in the glasses.
The sounds of discussion around him filled his ears, but Du Qingtang had a calm expression. His slender fingers tapped the table rhythmically, and his posture was extremely comfortable.
At the top, Fu Rui came back.
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes and waited for the storm to come.
......
"After entering the palace, you must not look around. You must kneel three times and kowtow nine times to Your Majesty..."
The eunuch led the woman along the palace path and patiently taught her the rules of the palace.
The woman nodded, lowered her head slightly, but her eyes were darting around restlessly.
On New Year’s Eve, there is a palace lantern every ten steps along the palace road.
The palace lanterns are extremely exquisite, emitting a faint glow that illuminates the long and quiet palace path.
Yuanshi had lived for forty or fifty years and had never left Qingyuan County. She had never seen such a magnificent palace and her eyes were so busy that she couldn't take in it all.
Is this the imperial palace?
Can that damn girl Du Qingtang see such a beautiful palace every day?
Thinking about the journey and hearing the people along the way praising and admiring Du Qingtang, Yuanshi felt a surge of resentment in her heart.
She just passed the imperial examination and became an official, and made some contributions. Is it necessary to praise her so highly?
Yuanshi lowered her head, looked at her calloused fingers, and bit the soft flesh of her cheeks.
The dead girl lived such a good life, but she ignored her own mother and allowed the old witch of the Hu family to abuse her.
There is also Du Baya, who was named the village chief by His Majesty and rewarded with a hundred taels of gold, but he was unwilling to take her away from the Hu family, allowing her to continue living in poverty.
They are all disobedient and unfilial!
Being disobedient and unfilial will bring punishment from heaven. If Yuan Ruyi doesn't live well, Du Qingtang won't have an easy life either!
"We're here." The eunuch asked Yuanshi to stay outside the hall while he went in to report. He came out soon and said, "Go in."
Yuan nodded and bowed: "Thank you, sir, thank you, sir!"
The eunuch smiled and stepped aside.
......
When Yuanshi walked into the main hall, warmth hit her face, gradually warming her body which had been frozen in the cold wind.
The music suddenly stopped and the dancers left the stage from both sides.
Hundreds of gazes rushed towards Yuanshi from all directions, making her feel like a thorn in her back, and her legs swayed uncontrollably.
"Is it she who beats the Dengwen drum?"
"With his white hair and ragged clothes, he looks like a man with a miserable life."
"I don't know which adult will be unlucky today."
The gazes of the officials made Yuanshi so nervous that she was at a loss for words. She lowered her head and stared at the floor tiles in front of her toes, then walked forward with her head held high.
Yuan Shi followed the eunuch's instructions and walked a hundred steps. Then she stopped and prostrated herself on her knees, her voice trembling and her breathing trembling: "I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"
"Stand up." Emperor Qingyuan looked at the old, haggard woman below him. "Why are you beating the drum to report your grievances? Tell me your grievances in detail, and I will help you."
Yuan swallowed her saliva, banged her head on the ground, and shouted, "I want to sue Du Qingtang, the top scholar of the Qingyuan 16th year and now a third-rank minister, for deceiving the emperor and disguising himself as a man to take the imperial examination!"
The hall suddenly became quiet.
"A woman dressed as a man?" Emperor Qingyuan intertwined his fingers and clasped them together. "Are you saying that my beloved Du is a woman?"
Yuan nodded: "Yes."
Emperor Qingyuan asked again, "Who are you? What evidence do you have to prove that Du Aiqing is a woman?"
Yuan licked her cracked lips. In order to make herself look more miserable, she had not had a drop of water since morning. Now she was starving and her throat was burning.
"I am Du Qingtang's mother."
"My husband died unexpectedly. To protect our family property, I took a risk and disguised Du Qingtang as a man."
"If your majesty doesn't believe it, you can ask a doctor to come and check it out."
Emperor Qingyuan remained silent, seemingly pondering something.
The officials were whispering and looking around.
"Du Qingtang is actually a woman? But she is so tall and her figure... is clearly that of a man."
"This woman claims to be Du Qingtang's mother. Zhang saw that she spoke with such confidence and didn't seem to be lying. So, it's probably true."
Everyone couldn't help but look at Du Qingtang.
The young man sat upright, without a trace of panic on his face. Instead, he was filled with the composure that one would remain calm even if faced with a crisis.
In this situation, they were unsure again.
"If she really was a woman, she should be terrified when her secret was revealed."
"Master Liang is absolutely right."
After a moment's silence, Emperor Qingyuan tilted his head slightly and looked at Du Qingtang. "Lord Du, this person claims to be your mother and says you are a woman. I don't know whether I should believe her. Lord Du, could you prove your innocence?"
Du Qingtang stood up slowly, walked to the center of the hall, knelt on Yuan's left, and bowed to salute.
At this moment, the eyes of the emperor, empress, princes, officials and their families were all focused on her.
How would Du Qingtang answer?
A categorical denial?
Or confess?
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Du Qingtang spoke clearly, "Your Majesty, there is no need to prove myself. I am indeed a woman."
As soon as the words fell, there was an uproar at the table.
The sound of inhalation and the crackling sound of things being thrown around were heard alternately.
Under the huge earthquake, the wine glasses shattered to the ground and the wine splashed everywhere.
"What? She actually admitted it?"
"Did I hear correctly? Du Qingtang is not a man, but a woman?"
"Disguising herself as a man to take the imperial examination is incredibly audacious and ridiculous! Isn't she afraid of being discovered and having her head chopped off?"
Emperor Qingyuan's eyes flickered, and the gentle smile on his face gradually faded until it disappeared completely: "Lord Du, do you know what you are saying?"
Du Qingtang lowered his eyebrows and eyes, looking respectful: "I know, but it is indeed the case."
She is a woman.
She disguised herself as a man to take the imperial examination and became an official in the court.
She deceived the emperor and deserved death.
When Yuan saw that Du Qingtang admitted it without even a word of excuse, she was stunned at first, then overjoyed.
Du Qingtang admitted it!
She succeeded in her revenge!
But this is far from enough.
Yuan kowtowed three times, her forehead aching, but her excitement overwhelmed the pain. She shouted, "Your Majesty, I will not only sue Du Qingtang for deceiving the emperor, but also for being disobedient and unfilial, for neglecting me, her own mother, and for threatening me and even saying she would kill me!"
There was another uproar at the table.
"Killed your biological mother? Is that human language?"
"It's true that you can only judge a person by their appearance. Du Qingtang usually behaves in a measured and polite manner. Who would have thought that she would be such a beast that threatens her biological mother?"
The Minister of Rites stood up angrily and said sternly, "Your Majesty, women in politics are against the principles of yin and yang. This woman has deceived the emperor and committed treason. She is disloyal and unfilial. She deserves capital punishment!"
As soon as these words were spoken, officials came out one after another.
"Women should follow the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and strictly observe the rules and regulations for women. I've heard that many places have seen the emergence of Qiongying English societies formed by women. These women gather together all day to read and discuss poetry, and have no idea what it means to be content with their lot and support their husbands and raise their children. Now, with Du Qingtang disguising herself as a man to serve in the court, if word gets out, won't it only further fuel this perverse trend?"
"Your Majesty, please severely punish Du Qingtang and restore order to the status quo of men and women!"
"I second the motion!"
"I second the motion!"
The huge palace was filled with people kneeling.
Looking around, there were only a very few officials who did not come out and kneel down to beg Emperor Qingyuan to punish Du Qingtang.
Fu Rui sighed, this is going to force Lord Du to death!
Thinking of the task that Lord Du had been doing recently, Fu Rui secretly looked at the emperor's face.
Emperor Qingyuan had a blank expression on his face, and his majestic, low voice was indistinguishable from his emotions: "Lord Du, what do you say?"
Du Qingtang bowed and turned to look at Yuanshi.
"By disobedience and unfilial piety, do you mean that I'm unwilling to give up my studies and marry a licentious and shameless cousin who cheated on the imperial examinations and poisoned my biological parents and sister?"
"Or are you saying that our family is so poor that we can't even afford to eat, and the five of us siblings are starving to death, and I'm going to take back the seventy taels of silver you've been giving to my uncle's family every day for twelve years, despite your objections?"
"Or is it because you, in order to pay off your uncle's gambling debts, ignored my and my sister's advice and arranged a ghost marriage for a dead person?"
Yuanshi didn't expect Du Qingtang to say this. Excitement and disguised anger were frozen on her face, her eyebrows were raised, her eyes were wide open, and she looked like a funny clown.
All the officials were dumbfounded and talked endlessly.
"Du Qingtang's cousin is clearly not worthy of being entrusted with one's life. Why did her mother force her to marry him?"
"Ghost marriage? There's such a bad custom among the people?!"
"Of course there are, but most of the time both people are dead. This is the first time I've heard of a living person being paired with a dead person. It's absolutely ridiculous!"
Yuan Shi couldn't hear what the officials were saying, but from their expressions, she could tell that they believed Du Qingtang's words. She couldn't help but feel anxious: "I didn't..."
Du Qingtang didn't give Yuanshi a chance to quibble. He chuckled, with an indescribable irony lingering between his brows.
"You sent me to a private school, under the pretext of passing the imperial examination to become an official and bring honor to our family. But wasn't the real reason so I could serve alongside my cousin, risk my life for him, and take the blame for his crimes?"
"You said that we sisters ignored you, but after I returned home from high school, I clearly gave money to the Hu family and asked them to treat you well."
"As for threatening you and threatening to kill you, that's completely absurd."
"On the contrary, you, for your uncle and to marry into the Hu family, cruelly severed ties with my sister and me. You even repeatedly expressed that the thing you regretted most in your life was giving birth to me. You said that my sister and I were money-losing goods, that you hated me and told me to die."
It was an extremely plain narration, but it made everyone present gasp.
Is this really what a mother would say?
Even if there is an irreconcilable hatred, no one can say such harsh words.
All the officials looked at Yuan Shi doubtfully.
Perhaps this is just Du Qingtang's one-sided statement, intended to exonerate himself?
Then Yuan's face turned pale, her eyes wandering, and she looked guilty as if the truth had been revealed.
After Du Qingtang finished speaking, he took off his official hat with both hands and bowed down in salute.
"Mother has accused me of deceiving the emperor. I have nothing to say and will leave it to your majesty to decide."
After a moment's silence, Emperor Qingyuan said in a deep voice, "Come here, Du Qingtang has deceived the emperor and committed treason. He is hereby dismissed from office and thrown into prison to await his fate!"
Immediately, the imperial guards entered upon hearing the noise.
According to the rules, officials were required to take off their official robes before being dismissed from office and thrown into prison.
Because Du Qingtang was a woman, the imperial guards were not in a position to take action, so they asked Emperor Qingyuan for instructions.
Emperor Qingyuan waved his hand and said, "Forget it, let's go."
Du Qingtang thanked him and obediently followed the imperial guards to the Ministry of Justice prison.
Emperor Qingyuan rubbed his brows and sighed, "I am tired. The palace banquet ends here. My dear ministers, please disperse."
All the officials said in unison: "Farewell, Your Majesty."
Everyone watched the dragon and phoenix sedan chairs go away, sighing deeply.
"This year's New Year's Eve palace banquet was truly thrilling."
"What do you think His Majesty will do with Du Qingtang?"
"Du Qingtang deceives the emperor and his superiors, and he deserves death!"
"But she has done many meritorious deeds, enough to exempt her from the death penalty, right?"
"Who knows? Life or death is entirely up to your majesty." The white-haired official walked out slowly. "It's past midnight, and I'm tired. I'll take my leave now."
Recalling what Du Qingtang had said earlier, an official sighed, "Although Du Qingtang made mistakes at first, it's really not easy for her to get to where she is today."
Everyone remained silent and left with their families.
The fifth prince played with the jade pendant on his waist, his expression amused. "You two go back first. I will escort the Queen Mother back to Kunning Palace."
The Fifth Prince's wife bowed and said, "Goodbye, Your Highness."
The fifth prince glanced at Yuan Shi in the palace, and walked in the night to chase after Empress Cao's phoenix sedan.
"Come on, let's go home."
The Fifth Prince's wife, holding her two children, had just walked out of the palace when she ran into the Imperial Chief Steward.
Fury saluted and moved aside.
After the Fifth Prince's wife left, Fu Rui walked towards Yuan Shi and said, "Madam Du, it's late at night and the dew is heavy. His Majesty has asked me to prepare a place for you to stay. Please follow me."
Yuan heaved a sigh of relief.
Emperor Qingyuan and all the officials left and dispersed.
Many people passed by her and looked at her with contempt.
This made Yuanshi very uneasy, and she didn't know where to put her hands and feet.
The appearance of Fu Rui was like a god coming to the world to save her from danger.
"Thank you, eunuch." Yuan Shi followed Fu Rui out and smoothed her messy hair. "Eunuch, I want to ask you something."
Fu Rui smiled brightly and said, "Lord Du is an official appointed by the imperial court and has made great contributions to the country. I cannot easily decide his life or death."
Yuan was extremely disappointed, and a hint of disappointment could not help but show on her face.
Fu Rui saw this and sneered slightly.
What biological mother would be so impatient to put her own children to death?
Lord Du is unlucky to have such a mother.
Fu Rui led Yuan Shi, and the eunuchs in front held lanterns to clear the way. The group walked neither slowly nor hurriedly on the palace road.
Fu Rui yawned slowly, afraid that he would not be able to sleep tonight.
I hope Yuanshi will be more sensible and honestly confess who is behind her doing this.
-
Du Qingtang walked into the Ministry of Justice prison.
The imperial guards first took her to the interrogation room and changed her into prison uniform before taking her to the cell.
At this hour, the idle prisoners had already fallen asleep and were snoring loudly.
Only Qi Heming was sitting cross-legged on the tattered straw mat in meditation.
The rustling sound of footsteps came closer and he suddenly opened his eyes.
Du Qingtang was wearing a gray prison uniform and walking between two imperial guards, with slow steps and a calm expression.
It was as if she was not walking in the corridor of the Ministry of Justice, but was wearing an official robe and walking on the jade steps leading to the Golden Palace.
Wherever she passed, even the candlelight became much brighter.
Qi Heming chuckled.
Du Qingtang turned his head, and the two of them looked at each other through the prison door.
Qi Heming grinned and laughed silently.
Du Qingtang looked away expressionlessly, turned right at the end of the corridor and walked into the cell.
With a "click", the prison door was locked.
Du Qingtang stood still and looked up at the square window high up.
The bright silver light fell on her face, as gentle as a veil.
Du Qingtang smiled, lay down and fell asleep peacefully.
On the other side, after seeing Du Qingtang imprisoned with his own eyes, Qi Heming let his body slide down, stretched his limbs and lay on the straw mat.
He ignored the abuse from the prisoner next door and laughed out loud.
Atang, it seems that you like the surprise I prepared for you.
Don't be impatient.
I will go to hell with you.
......
The fifth prince, relying on his height and long legs, quickly caught up with Queen Cao.
"Mother."
Empress Cao stroked her hair gently and said, "Why are you following me here in the middle of the night?"
The harem has its own rules, and princes, especially adult princes, are not allowed to enter and leave the harem at will.
The Fifth Prince touched his nose and looked ahead: "Your son will take you back to Kunning Palace."
Empress Cao chuckled, gently touched her forehead with her nail-dyed hand, and closed her eyes to pretend to sleep.
The phoenix sedan stopped outside Kunning Palace. Empress Cao helped the palace maid down and said, "I'm here. You can go back now."
The Fifth Prince smiled sweetly, waved away the palace maid, and personally supported Empress Cao: "Mother, I will help you in."
Empress Cao let him go, and only spoke lazily after entering the main hall: "Tell me, what do you want to do?"
"I knew I couldn't hide anything from you, mother." The fifth prince diligently massaged Empress Cao's shoulders and whispered in her ear, "Mother, I want Du Qingtang."
Empress Cao turned her head and saw the determination in the Fifth Prince's eyes. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Why do you want her? You should know better than me what the consequences of deceiving the emperor are."
"So what if I'm guilty of deceiving the emperor? With just one word from my grandfather, my father will give Du Qingtang to me." The fifth prince was unconcerned. "Mother, please agree to this."
Empress Cao closed her eyes and said nothing.
The Fifth Prince said with a playful smile, "Du Qingtang is a thorny beauty. I fell in love with her the first time I saw her. Didn't my grandfather and Fourth Brother say that she is a woman of both talent and ability? Rather than die young, it would be better for her to be my concubine so that she can serve Fourth Brother in the future."
Empress Cao opened her eyes and said, "He is indeed a capable man."
Du Qingtang did what she wanted to do but didn't dare to do.
If she had Du Qingtang's courage back then, she wouldn't be trapped within the high red walls now, living a life that she could predict the end of, and hating the person next to her.
Empress Cao sighed softly, her eyes filled with melancholy: "Well, I'll do as you say this time."
The fifth prince raised the corner of his mouth in pleasure.
-
Du Qingtang went to the palace to attend the palace banquet, while Fu Ci and Yao Jingzhou were at Du's house, staying up around the charcoal brazier while waiting for their good friend/master uncle to come back.
However, until the middle of the night, Du Qingtang still hadn't returned.
Fu Ci ate some melon seeds and asked, "Isn't the palace banquet over yet?"
Yao Jingzhou frowned: "According to the procedures of previous years, we should be back after midnight."
The two looked at each other, and inexplicably had a sense of foreboding.
Yao Jingzhou called the guards and asked them to go to the palace gate to inquire about the news.
Less than half an hour later, the guard returned in a panic: "I inquired with the imperial guards at the palace gates and learned that around the hour of Xu, a woman beat the drum to report the incident, accusing Master Du of disguising himself as a man to take the imperial examination and become an official."
"As early as an hour ago, all the adults who attended the palace banquet went back."
“Bang!”
Fu Ci's hand shook, the teacup shattered, and the sour plum soup soaked his clothes.
Yao Jingzhou's reaction was not much better than hers. He directly overturned the plate of candied fruit, and the candied fruit rolled everywhere.
"A woman dressed as a man? How could my uncle be a woman?!"
Fu Ci opened his mouth, but for some reason couldn't find the words to agree.
Over the past seven years, the scenes of my time with Du Qingtang flashed through my mind like a kaleidoscope.
Fu Ci was surprised to find that everything seemed to have a traceable path.
Men in the world look down on women, seeing them as dependents who can be discarded at will.
Only Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang taught the sisters to read and write, so that they could be wise and sensible and have the ability to survive on their own.
Du Qingtang took her away from the nunnery, away from that home full of darkness and oppression, and led her step by step to where she is today.
That night, when Du Qingtang saw her wearing a skirt, he didn't show the slightest bit of surprise.
Now that I think about it, perhaps from the very beginning, Du Qingtang could tell that she was a woman.
Women know women best, don't they?
For many years thereafter, whether in the dormitory or in their daily interactions, they played and joked, hugged each other, and Du Qingtang never felt uncomfortable, as if eating and drinking were as natural as it was.
Even if there is a deep friendship between a man and her, it is impossible for him to be as close as she and Du Qingtang.
In this way, the truth is about to come out.
Fu Ci was like being hit by a bolt of lightning. His head was buzzing and he gripped the corner of the table tightly to prevent himself from losing composure.
Yao Jingzhou saw that Fu Ci was distracted, and an incredible thought came to his mind: "Zizhan, could it be..."
Fu Ci covered his face with his hands and remained silent.
But Yao Jingzhou already has the answer.
Yao Jingzhou clenched his fingers, the stinging pain calming him down: "This is a crime of deceiving the emperor. I'm afraid my uncle is in great danger."
Fu Ci's heart sank to the bottom of the valley. He grabbed Yao Jingzhou's wrist tightly, his fingertips turning white. "Wen Jing, you and I are insignificant and our influence is not strong enough. I'm afraid we can't persuade His Majesty to show leniency to Xian Yu. I wonder if you can..."
Yao Jingzhou patted Fu Ci's hand and said solemnly, "Master Uncle treats me very well. I must save her. My grandfather has many old friends in Beijing, many of whom are very close. As soon as the sun rises, I will go to their house and ask for help."
Yao Jingzhou couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had listened to his uncle's advice and did not ask his grandfather's old friend to come forward, allowing his uncle to stay in Xiajing to serve as an official.
My uncle once said that the more you use favors, the less you will need them.
Now is the time to use favors.
"Thank you, Wen Jing." Fu Ci looked at the red charcoal in the charcoal basin and suddenly made up her mind. But she said nothing, only said, "Master also has several old friends in Xiajing. I will visit them tomorrow and rescue Xianyu no matter what."
"Okay, it's settled."
Many people are destined to stay awake this night.
......
The next morning, Yao Jingzhou and Fu Ci brought generous gifts to visit Yao Xuan and Wen Boqing's old friend.
Some people turned them away, while others opened the door to welcome them and readily accepted their request.
"But let me be frank. I may not be able to make His Majesty retract his order."
Yao Jingzhou and Fu Ci thanked them again and again, saying that they would do their best, and then went to the next house with full of hope.
Just as they were running around the city for Du Qingtang, the news that "Lord Du is a girl" spread like wildfire and quickly spread throughout the entire Xiajing City.
"What? The lady who made us all get the cowpox vaccination so we don't have to suffer from smallpox is a woman?"
"This is outrageous. Women should stay at home and serve their men, bear children, and take the imperial examinations and become officials. This is a man's job. Why is she meddling in this?"
"If a girl is always out in the open, hanging out with men, which man would dare to want her in the future?"
"There's no future for her! She's caused such a catastrophic disaster, she's doomed!"
Some people were disdainful and used extremely vulgar words.
There were also people who stood on Du Qingtang's side and spoke for her.
"It doesn't matter whether she's a man or a woman. I just know that if it weren't for her, my daughter would have unknowingly come across a smallpox patient last year and would have died."
"Ever since we started using Lady Du's double-entry bookkeeping method, the shopkeepers in this shop no longer dare to tamper with the account books. Lady Du has saved me thousands of taels of silver. She is a good official and she doesn't deserve to die!"
"No wonder the things in Ningxiang Tower are so useful. It turns out that Lady Du is a woman. Only women can understand women best."
"Since ancient times, no one has stipulated that women cannot take the imperial examinations or become officials. Lord Du has truly brought honor to us women."
"Lady Du has benefited the people of this area and set a good example for us women. She shouldn't have died like this."
"I think we can join hands and write a petition asking His Majesty to forgive Lord Du this time. Lord Du did make a mistake, but his crime is not punishable by death. Wouldn't it be better if he could make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence? Lord Du is so capable, it would be easy for him to do so."
"But what if my parents find out..."
"This is easy. Instead of using a traditional petition, we can have each person write one, unsigned. That way, no one will know who wrote it."
So, the women in Beijing immediately took action, holding pens and racking their brains to write petitions.
Very few women did not say that when they learned that Lady Du was a woman, a secret thought arose in their hearts.
If Lord Du could survive, if Lord Du could continue to be an official, perhaps one day, they would also be able to ride a horse and parade through the streets like Lord Du, and enjoy a glorious and elegant life!
By then, let’s see if those who despise women as useless and think that women’s virtue lies in their lack of talent still dare to talk nonsense!
......
In the following days, various rumors about Du Qingtang were rampant.
Many scholars believed that Du Qingtang concealed her identity as a woman and entered the court as an official, which was against women's virtues, and they wrote parallel prose to denounce Du Qingtang's unorthodox behavior.
Within a few days, thousands of parallel prose pieces came into being and circulated in the streets and alleys.
Some people also spontaneously defended Du Qingtang, believing that if it weren't for her, countless people in Daxia would have died of smallpox.
What's more, some people admired Du Qingtang's courage and determination in not fearing the world, and recited poems to praise her in the street.
The pedantic officials in the court believed that Du Qingtang was encouraging unhealthy tendencies and deserved to be put to death. Memorials impeaching her flew onto Emperor Qingyuan's desk like snowflakes.
Emperor Qingyuan kept all of them in his palace and never mentioned Du Qingtang at the morning court. Even when an official petitioned him to execute Du Qingtang, he would divert the matter with other state affairs.
On the tenth day of Du Qingtang's imprisonment, Emperor Qingyuan handled government affairs in the imperial study as usual.
Fu Rui walked in with a whisk, followed by two eunuchs.
The eunuchs each held a piece of paper half a person's height and walked forward cautiously.
Emperor Qingyuan raised his eyes, pressed his brow with a headache, and said after a moment of silence, "It's already the ninth day, right?"
Fury replied, "It's the ninth day."
Except for the first day of the first lunar month, from the second to the tenth day, the imperial guards would find hundreds of petitions at the palace gate every day.
Although the petition was unsigned, Emperor Qingyuan knew it was written by a woman just by looking at the beautiful handwriting.
"I don't know when the girls in the capital became so close to her."
Fury didn't know either.
Lord Du had only been back in Beijing for three months and was busy with government affairs all day long, so he had no time to get to know the women in Beijing.
Perhaps only women can understand women's difficulties.
At this time, the eunuch came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary of Baohe Hall requests to see you."
"Xuan."
Yan Tiande entered the imperial study, bowed and greeted, then went straight to the point: "Your Majesty, how do you plan to deal with Du Qingtang?"
Emperor Qingyuan raised his eyebrows, his expression indifferent: "Lord Yan, you are already the thirty-eighth person to come and plead for her."
In addition to Yao Xuan and Wen Boqing's old friends, there were also officials such as the Minister of Revenue, the Vice Minister of Revenue, and the Minister of Works.
To be honest, it was beyond Emperor Qingyuan's expectation that the Minister of Works would come to plead for Du Qingtang.
When asked why, the Minister of Works was silent for a moment and replied, "A meritorious official should die for the country, a glorious death, not a death based on gender."
Back in the present, Yan Tiande's face was solemn as he said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Du Qingtang did commit a grave and unforgivable offense, but she has made great contributions to Daxia and saved countless people. Perhaps you can give her a chance to atone for her crime."
Emperor Qingyuan put down his red brush and said calmly, "My dear Lord Yan, I hate people who use and deceive me the most."
Du Qingtang might have anticipated this day long ago, which is why he offered methods to strengthen the army and enrich the country.
No one likes to be taken advantage of, especially the emperor.
Yan Tiande sighed softly, "Your Majesty, is there no room for maneuver?"
Emperor Qingyuan remained silent.
Yan Tiande continued, "Many years ago, when I was serving as the prefect of Baoding Prefecture, I had a long conversation with Du Qingtang."
"Although her words were restrained, I could see that she harbored lofty ambitions, determined to be loyal to the emperor and serve her country, and to die for Daxia."
"Later, in Runing Prefecture, Du Qingtang often neglected sleep and food for official business, doing everything personally. As a result, he gained the respect and love of the people, and these humble officials also saw it."
"Your Majesty, if what Du Qingtang said at the New Year's Eve palace banquet is true, then her short life has been spent being pushed forward."
Emperor Qingyuan's eyes flickered when he thought of Yuan's confession.
"Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Du Qingtang has no choice but to move forward."
Yan Tiande bowed and saluted, pleading in a low voice: "Your Majesty, please show some mercy and spare her life."
After a long time, Yan Tiande did not receive a response from Emperor Qingyuan, so he had to leave in disappointment.
Emperor Qingyuan picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and continued to review the memorials.
Fu Rui, who was standing aside, held his breath, lowered his head respectfully, and lowered his presence again and again.
......
"Wen Jing, have you made any progress?"
Fu Ci's eyes were dark and his brows were filled with fatigue. He forced himself to ask.
She hasn't had a good night's sleep since the day Du Qingtang was imprisoned.
Either he couldn't sleep all night, or he couldn't bear it any longer and lay down on the bed to catch up on his sleep. However, he hadn't slept for half an hour when he dreamed of the bad news about Du Qingtang. He woke up from the dream and couldn't fall asleep again.
Fu Ci's spirit was extremely tense, like a taut bow that would break at the slightest touch.
Not only Fu Ci, but Yao Jingzhou as well.
His leg injury had not yet healed, and he had been running around the city these days, anxious day and night, and had lost a lot of weight.
"I asked Uncle Yao to inquire, but all came back empty-handed." Yao Jingzhou sighed heavily. "It's been ten days, and His Majesty hasn't expressed his opinion yet. It's really hard to understand."
This is probably what it means when they say that a king's mind is hard to predict.
Yao Jingzhou rubbed his calf imperceptibly and said, "I hope that Your Majesty will show leniency to Xianyu in consideration of his hard work and great contributions."
But everyone knows that the possibility is extremely small.
The emperor's majesty cannot be offended, and Du Qingtang has committed a serious taboo.
Fu Ci noticed Yao Jingzhou's movements and knew that his legs were starting to hurt again. He immediately said, "You go back and rest first. I'll just keep an eye on the palace."
Yao Jingzhou couldn't persuade her and had to go back to Yao's house.
Fu Ci watched Yao Jingzhou leave, then went back to the house, took out his dark green official robe, dressed himself, and took a carriage to the palace.
After going through numerous inspections and notifications along the way, they finally arrived outside the imperial study.
"Please inform the eunuch that the Imperial Academy's editor, Fu Wen, wishes to see Your Majesty."
The eunuch returned and lifted the heavy wind-blocking curtain: "Master Fu, His Majesty invites you in."
Fu Ci thanked him, walked into the imperial study, and bowed to greet him.
"Your humble servant pays respect to Your Majesty."
Emperor Qingyuan did not call him, but asked: "Are you here to plead for Du Qingtang as well?"
Emperor Qingyuan knew that Fu Wen was Du Qingtang's best friend. From Qingyuan Academy to Xiajing, the two were like brothers.
Fu Ci lowered his eyebrows and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am not seeking an audience to plead for anyone, but to surrender myself to you."
Emperor Qingyuan stroked the dragon pattern on the pen: "Oh? What crime has Lord Fu committed?"
Fu Ci's eyelashes trembled slightly, but his tone was steady and firm: "This humble official's crime is to disguise as a man and take the imperial examination to become an official."
The faint smile on Emperor Qingyuan's face suddenly disappeared.
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