Chapter 558 Am I the Emperor's Mother?
To Song Peng's surprise, his portrait was plastered all over the streets and alleys of Licheng, and he suddenly became a wanted criminal by the government.
The reason for his arrest was that the jade shop in Licheng had been robbed a few days ago, and he had become the main culprit in that robbery.
Song Peng wanted to cry out for justice, but he had nowhere to do so.
What he didn't know was that arresting him was also Xie Shang's idea. Forget about evidence, let's catch him first, and no one dares to say a word against it.
Looking at the lifelike portrait his men had brought back, Song Peng exclaimed, "It's so realistic!"
He now knew who the woman surnamed Lin that Yang Guaizi had mentioned was. She was exceptionally beautiful, skilled in martial arts, extremely cunning, and also possessed extraordinary dancing skills. Furthermore, Yang Guaizi had died at her hands.
Song Peng's trusted subordinate was killed, so he was bound to seek revenge.
"Sir, let's hurry up and leave. We can't stay in Licheng any longer. We can make plans slowly when we get back. If we wait any longer, we might not be able to go back. The customs are getting stricter and stricter."
Song Peng had been setting up a plan in the Southern Kingdom for several months. He originally thought that he had used the simplest method to conquer the Southern Kingdom and make it a vassal state. Once he occupied the Southern Kingdom, it would save him half the effort to invade the Great Zhou. However, unexpectedly, a Cheng Yaojin appeared halfway and ruined his plan.
He is not yet sure if Da Zhou has already noticed, but it seems that Da Zhou has already noticed.
Song Peng was furious. "Go and find out what these two people are all about."
"But the Great Zhou Kingdom is so vast, where do we even begin to investigate?"
"Who can command the headquarters and mobilize officers and soldiers?" Song Peng asked.
“Those who became officials naturally held very high-ranking positions.”
"That makes it easier to investigate. Find out who that woman surnamed Jiang is and send someone to investigate immediately." Song Peng thought he hadn't given anything away and was determined to take over the Southern Kingdom, but in the end, he became a wanted criminal himself.
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Two days later, Xie Shang remained calm and showed no intention of leaving.
Jiang Fenghua asked him, "Aren't you going to pack your things?"
“I don’t need to do it myself; my subordinates will handle these trivial matters.” Xie Shang stared intently at her and said, “You’re also very good at reading and playing chess. Do you know what your greatest wish is?”
Jiang Fenghua herself didn't know what her wish was. She asked, "What is it?"
"It's about building an academy, an academy where only women can enroll. You are a female teacher, and you want to educate and nurture people." Xie Shang said calmly, "After we go back, I will help you build a girls' school to fulfill your wish."
In fact, Xie Shang had already instructed people to start working on this matter when he left the capital, and the girls' school should have been completed by the time they returned.
She even fought with Lu Xuefei for women's equal rights. I don't know what she was thinking or why she came up with these ideas that subverted male power.
Lu Xuefei and Jiang Fenghua were both reactionaries who wanted to rebel for women, and he selectively accepted the rules and regulations they listed and included them in the laws and regulations.
At this point, Jiang Fenghua suddenly became interested. Her face radiated a bright glow, and her eyes shone as brightly as stars. "Is that really what I think?"
Xie Shang replied, "Yes."
Jiang Fenghua was somewhat incredulous.
He added, “Your father was a teacher who nurtured people. You may have been influenced by him and also wanted to establish a school specifically for women.”
"Can I teach people to read?" she said. "I know I am good at reading, but it is not easy to teach people. What if I teach them badly? Wouldn't that be harming others?"
“Of course I can, and I can teach them better than many teachers.” Xie Shang smiled slightly. “If there were someone who could stand up for women, not only teach them to read and learn, but also help them fight for their rights, such as rewriting the laws of the Great Zhou Kingdom so that they could fight for the right to be equal to men in the world, would you be willing to be that person?”
"Do you think this is something I can accomplish just by being willing or unwilling?" Jiang Fenghua scoffed, "Do you think I have such great power to rewrite the laws of the Great Zhou Kingdom? I am the emperor!"
Xie Shang was stunned. "You're bigger than the emperor."
"Am I the emperor's mother?" Jiang Fenghua asked seriously.
Xie Shang was speechless. "Even the emperor's mother isn't as powerful as the emperor."
"What kind of logic is that? It's complete nonsense. Do you really think I don't know what the emperor does? Do you think I'm more powerful than the emperor? Are you trying to harm me or my father?" Jiang Fenghua didn't believe him at all.
Xie Shang raised an eyebrow and continued to persuade her, "A person may have suffered too much. I'm just saying 'maybe,' not necessarily true..."
Jiang Fenghua asked, "And then what? If it's not true, why say it?"
Xie Shang said, "Being able to shelter others from the wind and rain is a very happy thing. You said that yourself."
Jiang Fenghua listened attentively to him without interrupting.
Seeing her obedient and earnest appearance, he said, "You have read many books and seen the world. You should know that only when you have power in your hands can you be qualified to protect others from the wind and rain."
"You mean you want me to fight for power and seize the throne?" Jiang Fenghua's words would infuriate Xie Shang: "Like the Grand Prince and Grand Princess of the Southern Kingdom, rebel and seize the throne."
"You're getting more and more ridiculous." Jiang Fenghua didn't want to chat with him anymore. She had only come to ask him when he was leaving, but he brought up all this talk about power and profit. She didn't have the ability to fight for it, nor did she want to.
Xie Shang thought: He is the emperor, so he can command the country and save the people from suffering. She can only fulfill her dream by becoming his empress. He wants to arouse her desire.
He wanted to tell her that they needed power not for personal gain, but for a greater good.
Meng Ang and the Grand Consort both crave power; they pursue their own selfish interests without regard for the lives of others.
He was different; he had a strong sense of national responsibility, and so did she. They were kindred spirits and could walk hand in hand into the future.
"We might not be back so soon," Xie Shang said, stopping her from leaving.
Jiang Fenghua said, "You said you had to rush back."
“We haven’t figured out Song Peng’s identity yet, and there are still hidden dangers in the South, so we can’t leave for the time being.” He moved closer to her. “Do you still remember what I told you before?”
Jiang Fenghua took a half step back. "I remember you said that the vassal state might want to use the Southern Kingdom to attack the Great Zhou. These are matters of your court and have nothing to do with me. If you don't leave, Lin Yu and I will leave first."
"Your performance at the Southern Kingdom's palace, where you killed pirates, and if Song Peng is also a pirate and knows you, he won't let you and me off the hook," Xie Shang said directly.
"I...I'm not afraid of him at all." Jiang Fenghua always kept her sword with her; she just felt that he was too close, making her breathing a little rapid.
Xie Shang changed his tune and continued, "Don't you want to eliminate the pirates? You've already witnessed their ruthlessness."
He was inviting her to join him; they were the most compatible allies.
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