312. I cannot agree to your request.
the next day.
morning.
Qu Zijin first went to the residence of the Marquis of Beiding to bring Xiao Tuanzi to the palace.
The little girl became nervous when she heard that she was going to see Wei Xiuming: "Grand Tutor, what should Yue'er say when she sees His Majesty? Will His Majesty be angry if she says the wrong thing?"
Qu Zijin reassured her, "No, His Majesty treats you well and won't blame you. We'll be able to see Lin Fuman this time. Although she might not mention those things, we can."
The little dumpling nodded, then clenched her fist tightly, encouraging herself: "Yes! Don't be nervous, Yue'er! You can do it!"
Qu Zijin also silently encouraged himself.
"By the way, Grand Tutor, has Brother Xie come up with any ideas?"
Upon hearing this, Qu Zijin hesitated: "He should... have agreed to help, right?"
After all, he had already agreed to go to the palace together.
"Huh?" The little dumpling looked at Qu Zijin in confusion.
Qu Zijin picked her up and said, "Never mind, let's go to the palace first."
-
The Imperial Palace.
Lin Fuman had arrived and was standing under the corridor outside the Imperial Study, her eyes looking somewhat flustered.
This was her first time entering the palace alone, and the thought of seeing the emperor made her very nervous.
Fortunately, Xiao Tuanzi and Qu Zijin arrived in time.
Upon seeing the little girl, Lin Fuman was initially delighted, then relaxed a bit, quickly walked over, and took her hand: "Little Moon, what brings you here? I was so nervous."
"Yue'er is nervous too... but His Majesty has a very good temper and won't scold us, so don't panic."
Two girls held hands and encouraged each other.
A short while later, a eunuch came to announce their arrival and told them to enter the palace.
Upon entering the hall, Lin Fuman saw Wei Xiuming sitting on the dragon throne.
She had only caught a glimpse of him from afar at banquets before, but now, seeing him up close, he was more imposing, younger, and more handsome than she had imagined.
But she dared not look too long, and quickly followed Qu Zijin and Xiao Tuanzi to bow: "This commoner, Lin Fuman, greets Your Majesty."
Wei Xiuming waved his hand, his tone still relatively gentle: "Get up, no need for formalities."
His gaze fell on Lin Fuman: "During the previous plague in the south, thanks to you and the princess in developing medicine, many people were saved. You have made a great contribution, and I want to give you a reward. What do you want?"
Lin Fuman lowered her head and remained silent for a moment.
She remembered what her mother had told her yesterday, and the terrible consequences, and her heart was filled with panic and confusion.
Should she choose her ideal, even though the chances of success are slim?
Or should we listen to Li Yuniang and not disappoint or worry our mothers?
The hall was quiet for a moment. Wei Xiuming did not urge her, but just looked at her.
Lin Fuman hesitated.
After a while, seeing that she still didn't speak, Wei Xiuming said, "If you can't decide, I can bestow upon you the title of County Princess and lift the restrictions on you and your mother entering the capital. You can bring your mother to live with us. What do you say?"
This is already a very generous reward; anyone else would have expressed their gratitude long ago.
But Lin Fuman slowly raised her head, her eyes no longer filled with panic, but with more determination.
She took a deep breath and resolutely said, "Your Majesty, I do not want the title of county princess. What I want as a reward is to implore Your Majesty to issue a decree that allows women to have equal inheritance rights and to hold official positions."
The moment these words were spoken, the hall fell silent.
A hint of relief flashed in Qu Zijin's eyes, and the little dumpling immediately looked up, its eyes sparkling as it looked at Lin Fuman.
After Lin Fuman finished speaking, she felt a little flustered and quietly apologized to Li Yuniang in her heart.
Mother, I'm sorry.
She still didn't listen and still wanted to give it her all.
Even if she loses in the end, she won't regret it.
Wei Xiuming looked at her without speaking immediately, his eyes filled with scrutiny and surprise.
He never expected that such a young girl would dare to make such a big request in front of him.
The little dumpling was originally worried that Lin Fuman would give up because of Li Yuniang's words, but she didn't expect that she would not back down and dare to say what she was thinking in front of Wei Xiuming!
The little dumpling stood next to her and couldn't help but quietly tug at Lin Fuman's hand, mouthing softly, "Sister Fuman, you're amazing!"
Qu Zijin nodded quietly, his eyes full of satisfaction.
But this joy didn't last long; it was quickly suppressed by the deathly silence in the hall.
Wei Xiuming sat on the dragon throne, silent, his stillness unsettling. His gaze fell on Lin Fuman, his expression unreadable, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Lin Fuman kept her head down, her fingers almost tearing the hem of her skirt.
The little dumpling didn't dare to speak, her little hands tightly gripping Qu Zijin's sleeve, her heart pounding with anxiety.
She would occasionally steal a glance at Wei Xiuming, then quickly lower her head again, afraid of upsetting him.
Qu Zijin made a bold decision.
In this tense atmosphere, he quietly tugged at the little dumpling, and with extremely light steps, he slowly took two steps back and went around to the side of the hall behind a screen.
The little dumpling was pulled along by him in a daze, and after taking only two steps, it froze, its eyes wide open.
Xie Wenling was sitting behind the screen!
It turns out she didn't see Brother Xie earlier because he had arrived long ago and was sitting right here!
The little dumpling lowered her voice, full of surprise: "Thank you, brother!"
Xie Wenling made a "shh" gesture, signaling her to be quiet, and glanced outside the screen.
Qu Zijin didn't say anything, but gestured to Xie Wenling with his eyes.
With Wei Xiuming remaining silent and the atmosphere so tense, it would be best to have Xie Wenling go out and say a few words, to help put in a good word, so that at least the matter doesn't fall through.
Xie Wenling gently shook his head and gestured to them with his eyes to keep quiet.
Qu Zijin frowned, feeling a little uneasy, but he didn't insist any further. He could only hold the little dumpling and listen quietly to the commotion outside.
The deathly silence outside the screen continued. Lin Fuman's shoulders slowly slumped, her heart growing increasingly panicked. She even began to wonder if she had spoken too hastily and displeased Wei Xiuming.
Wei Xiuming finally spoke, his tone still gentle, but no longer relaxed: "What you're talking about involves too many people and affects the interests of too many people. I can't agree to it immediately. Please give me a different reward."
Upon hearing this, Lin Fu outside wilted, and the light in her eyes dimmed instantly.
The little dumpling behind the screen also became anxious, tugging at Qu Zijin's sleeve and whispering, "Grand Tutor, His Majesty won't agree, what should we do?"
Qu Zijin frowned, his heart filled with disappointment, and then turned to look at Xie Wenling with anxious eyes.
Xie Wenling remained the same, sitting quietly, showing no intention of leaving, and his expression didn't even change.
It seems like it was expected.
Qu Zijin became even more suspicious.
Could it be that Xie Wenling actually disagrees with this matter?
But when we discussed it yesterday, didn't he eventually agree to come with him to see His Majesty?
Why is he silent now that His Majesty has made a statement?
Outside, Lin Fuman hung her head and remained silent for a long time, feeling extremely disappointed.
But then she thought, even if Wei Xiuming didn't agree to equal rights, she didn't want to just ask for the title of county princess.
Having the title of county princess certainly brings honor, but it also means having to be more careful about many things.
With a stable income, I could easily live a life of luxury with my mother.
But compared to what she had to do, this income was far from enough.
This is not what she wanted.
Lin Fuman took a deep breath, raised her head again, and her eyes showed a hint of stubbornness: "Your Majesty, I would rather not accept the title of County Princess."
"I would like to ask Your Majesty to establish a female household for my mother and me, so that we will no longer have to depend on others."
"In addition, I would like to ask for a position as a royal merchant so that I can do business with my own abilities and support myself and my mother."
Upon hearing this, Qu Zijin, who was behind the screen, was taken aback for a moment, then showed some approval.
This child is clever. Knowing that equality is unlikely to be achieved right now, he has settled for second best. Establishing female households would free the mother and daughter from dependence, while the position of imperial merchant would allow them to have their own livelihood.
Once we have a foothold, we can then discuss other things.
Wei Xiuming looked at Lin Fuman, his eyes flickered slightly, and then he nodded: "Alright, I grant your permission. I will have someone process the documents for establishing a female household for you as soon as possible. I will also give you the imperial merchant's permit. From now on, do your business well and don't cause any trouble. I will not treat you unfairly."
Then, Wei Xiuming said to the eunuch beside him, "Rescind the ban on the mother and daughter, and reward her with 20,000 taels of silver so that she can take it back and live a good life with her mother."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Lin Fuman knelt down and kowtowed.
Most of her previous disappointment dissipated.
Although equal rights were not achieved, at least she and her mother were able to establish their own households and run their own businesses, without having to depend on others anymore.
This is much better than she expected.
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