Chapter 445 I want to go myself
Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi stared intently at the lantern on the painted boat. "Lord Jiang, why is it that men can go on this painted boat, but women are not allowed to?"
"This..." Jiang Wanjun was genuinely stumped by Song Zhuyi's question for a moment.
I don't know how to answer.
Song Zhuyi continued, "You said that since women can also hold official positions, then they should naturally go on pleasure boats as well."
"Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want you to go, it's just that this pleasure boat is not... what a good place."
Song Zhuyi chuckled, looked at Jiang Wanjun, and reached out to flick Jiang Wanjun's nose. "I didn't go out much before, but I still know what this pleasure boat is for."
"Look at me now, I am a woman disguised as a man, which means I can go."
"Furthermore, can't women have worries? Do they have to do those things when they go to a pleasure boat? They can also listen to music and drink to relieve their sorrows, right?"
Jiang Wanjun nodded.
"So we went too."
"Oh dear, Your Majesty, I'm starting to get confused by you."
Song Zhuyi smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't go in. I just thought the lanterns on the painted boat were pretty and I wanted to take a look."
"Then Your Majesty, please wait while I have someone fetch it for you to see."
"I want to go myself."
Jiang Wanjun absolutely refused to let Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi board the painted boat.
What kind of place is this pleasure boat? If people find out that I took the Empress Dowager to a pleasure boat, how much saliva will I have to swallow when I go to court tomorrow?
"Thump!"
"Help! Help!"
"Quick, go check! Someone's fallen into the water..."
Song Zhuyi and Jiang Wanjun were locked in a stalemate when suddenly there was a commotion by the river. They heard someone fall into the water, and the two exchanged a glance and immediately rushed forward.
Song Zhuyi jumped down without hesitation.
Jiang Wanjun screamed in fright and jumped down after her.
The two of them worked together to pull the person out of the water. Jiang Wanjun saw that there were too many people on the shore and said, "Your Majesty, if you come ashore now, everyone will know that you are a woman. If they find out later that you are the Empress Dowager..."
"Even though this was a rescue, it wouldn't be good if word got out..."
The Empress Dowager fell into the water, her clothes were soaked, and she was surrounded by so many people. If this got out, the rumors would only spread more and more.
Although she didn't think there was anything wrong with it and was trying to change everything that was unfair to women,
However, over the past few centuries, not only men's ideas but also those of a large number of women have been deeply ingrained and are very difficult to change.
Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi was also aware of her own status; if she were to be used by someone with ulterior motives, it could shake the foundations of the nation.
The Empress Dowager looked around.
Jiang Wanjun turned to look at the pleasure boat. The pleasure boat looked unusually quiet today, and there was no one at the back. She just needed to go up from the back of the boat and find a woman to lead them to an empty room.
"Your Majesty, it seems your wish will come true today," Jiang Wanjun teased, looking at the painted boat.
Song Zhuyi grinned, and the two of them pulled the little girl who had fallen into the water and swam towards the shore, lifting her onto the bank.
The little girl's mother hugged her tightly, crying. The people who came to help breathed a sigh of relief. When they remembered that there were still two people in the river, they looked back, but the two people had disappeared.
Jiang Wanjun and Song Zhuyi climbed onto the painted boat.
He shielded Song Zhuyi behind him and took out his waist token, saying, "Take us to an empty room and find us two sets of clean clothes."
Upon seeing the waist tag, the woman who had been pulled over immediately stepped forward to lead the way, saying, "Lord Jiang, please come this way with me."
In the past, everyone in the pleasure boat liked Jiang Wan Ning because she was the first person to stand up for them, the courtesans. Now they have one more person to support them.
That was Jiang Wanjun.
Because Jiang Wanjun passed the imperial examination with the rank of Tan Hualang, countless women on the pleasure boat envied him. These women were originally daughters of officials, but were implicated because someone in their clan had committed a crime.
First they were sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), and then they were sent here.
The people here are of low social status, and it's harder than climbing to heaven to escape that status.
Jiang Wanjun and Empress Dowager Song Zhuyi were led to an empty room. The woman who led the way said, "Please wait a moment, Lord Jiang. I will go and get you some clothes."
The woman glanced at Song Zhuyi behind Jiang Wanjun; her clothes were completely soaked and clung tightly to her skin.
Therefore, the woman recognized Song Zhuyi as a woman at a glance.
"Please have someone bring you a bucket of hot water."
Jiang Wanjun heard Song Zhuyi behind her sneeze.
The woman smiled and said, "Of course, Lord Jiang, just wait."
Jiang Wanjun nodded and thanked her.
The woman went out and quickly returned, took all the prepared items inside, and then tactfully went out again and closed the door.
After Jiang Wanjun and Song Zhuyi finished packing and opened the door to rent a small boat from the back to leave,
Two guards stood at the entrance, blocking their way.
Jiang Wanjun and Song Zhuyi exchanged a glance, and Jiang Wanjun asked, "What do you mean by this?"
"Please wait a moment, sir. Someone wishes to see you," one of the guards said.
Jiang Wanjun and Song Zhuyi were not in a hurry, and went back inside to sit down.
The door was quickly reopened.
The newcomer was not the woman from before. Upon seeing Jiang Wanjun and Song Zhuyi, she stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This humble servant greets Lord Jiang and Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Jiang Wanjun and Song Zhuyi were both taken aback.
"Do you know her identity?" Jiang Wanjun asked first.
The woman smiled slightly and said, "I had the boat moored here to wait for you two. Your Highness, please rest assured, this pleasure boat is not open to the public today. There is no one else on board except Your Highness and Lord Jiang."
"Who are you?" Jiang Wanjun's voice turned cold.
The woman replied with a smile, "Your Highness and Lord Jiang probably don't know me, but the Princess Consort of Langya does."
Outsiders all call me Lady Qu.
Although the two did not know each other, they had heard of the name Qu Niangzi. She used to be the top courtesan on a pleasure boat, and her dancing was unmatched.
In the past, when foreign envoys came to pay tribute, they would often invite this lady to the palace to perform, but she would always wear a veil and heavy makeup.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager did not recognize Lady Qu.
"Did you hang that lantern up today?" the Empress Dowager asked calmly, staring at Zhu Yi.
Lady Qu looked up at the window and said, "It is I."
"To deliberately lure me onto the ship?"
There was no one else in the room besides the three of them, so the Empress Dowager asked directly what was on her mind.
Lady Qu lifted her dress and knelt on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, it was I who hung it up."
"Because I had been to the palace, I got to know a palace maid, and I asked her to pass on the message. That's how I learned that Your Highness left the palace today."
"Speak, why did you deliberately lead me here?" Song Zhuyi said calmly.
Lady Qu glanced at Jiang Wanjun.
"Lord Jiang is no outsider, there's no need to avoid him, please speak freely."
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