He had been planning this for a while, but hadn't found the opportunity.
He Jiuniang said, "Of course you can, but you'll have to pay for it yourself if you're treating."
She teased her son on purpose, thinking the puppy would be surprised that he had to pay for something from their own house, but he wasn't. He happily agreed, saying he would get the money when he got back and deliver it to the Imperial College the next afternoon.
He Jiuniang readily agreed, and deliberately smiled, "Young master, please rest assured, our service will satisfy you!"
The little dog was completely taken aback by his mother's antics and didn't know what to say for a moment, his little face turning bright red.
Without saying a word, Mrs. Sun slapped her and scolded, "That's enough! Look how scared my little grandson is!"
He Jiuniang didn't refute, but just made a face at Sun Shi. Sun Shi rolled her eyes in anger and scolded Lu Baichuan irritably, "Control your wife!"
Lu Baichuan touched his nose and asked in a muffled voice, "Do you think I dare?"
He Jiuniang laughed triumphantly. Sun wanted to go up and pinch her a few times, but she couldn't bear to, so she turned around and pinched Lu Baichuan instead.
Lu Baichuan: ...
The car was filled with laughter and chatter. When I got home, I felt a bit hungry. Although the food at the palace was delicious, it would get cold. The banquet was long, and I couldn't eat much afterward. Plus, after all that commotion, I had already digested everything I had eaten earlier.
Then, the food sent from Jingzhou came in handy. The family sat around in the courtyard, looking at the bright moon in the sky, and ate a reunion dinner that wasn't quite a complete family gathering, but it was still very happy. Only then did they go back to sleep.
The next day, Lu Baichuan didn't have to attend court, so he slept in late, which was rare for him. He then followed He Jiuniang around like a lapdog all day, going wherever she went.
He Jiuniang was so annoyed by him that she asked him to deliver snacks to her son at the Imperial College, which gave her a little respite.
Two days later, after Lu Baichuan went to the military camp again, He Jiuniang went to the palace to check the emperor's pulse and then casually mentioned to the empress the matter of establishing a girls' academy.
“Your Majesty, we are both women, and we know that the world is far too harsh on women. Now that we are in such a position, it would be good if we could do something for women.”
She was unusually serious and earnest, and she just wanted to give women of this era a helping hand so that they wouldn't always live such a stifled life.
The Empress had always known that she was an unconventional woman and sometimes envied her ideas and actions, but she never expected that she would want to join forces with her to establish a women's academy.
The Empress was startled. This was something that had never happened before. If they really did it, they would be setting a precedent and offending countless people!
“Jiu Niang, I understand what you’ve said, but this has never happened before, and I don’t dare to make a decision on my own. I should ask His Majesty for his opinion.”
Now that she is the mother of the nation, her every word and action is being recorded. In particular, since the emperor has been unwilling to choose concubines for her sake, she has to be even more careful not to let anyone find fault with her.
He Jiuniang understood her difficulties, which is why she brought it up to see her reaction.
Seeing that she didn't object, but was just a little hesitant to do it, He Jiuniang felt relieved.
This friendship was definitely worth having!
"Then I'll wait for Your Majesty's good news!"
She smiled easily, as if she had accomplished something great.
The Empress couldn't help but find her expression amusing and asked, "So, how did you come up with the idea of starting a girls' academy?"
He Jiuniang replied, "First of all, it's because I don't have enough people under my command. I have to train them all from scratch, but very few of the maids I buy from outside are literate. The cost of training them is even greater. As a result, I don't know when I will be able to train a group of outstanding talents."
"This era is too harsh on women. Not to mention ordinary families, even families with some wealth are unwilling to value girls' education. So I want to fund a girls' college so that girls can read and write and have more options in the future, instead of relying on men to make a living."
“My strength alone is too small, and my influence is not deep enough, so I came to ask Your Majesty to do this with me, and to use Your Majesty’s power to let the people know that girls’ education is equally important.”
Before meeting He Jiuniang, the Empress would have thought such words were a fantasy, but now that she has spent so much time with He Jiuniang, she knows that she is a woman of great wisdom who has also trained many outstanding young girls.
Especially Lianhua and Youya, as well as the two young daughters of the county magistrates, all went from knowing nothing to gradually becoming familiar with it and then proficient.
The Empress never questioned them on this point, which proves that women are no less capable than men. It's just that the world is too harsh on women, which prevents them from having the opportunity to show themselves.
"I understand. Don't worry, I will ask His Majesty's opinion and do my best to persuade him."
The Empress made her stance clear: she supported He Jiuniang.
He Jiuniang did these things not entirely to cultivate useful talents for herself, but also to redeem women across the country. She could not let He Jiuniang down.
When the emperor came to have dinner with her that evening, the empress told him about it.
"Your Majesty, I think Jiu Niang's idea is very good, helping women in this world to have a better future. However, I dare not make a decision on my own. I would like to ask Your Majesty's opinion. What does Your Majesty think?"
When the Empress spoke to the Emperor, her tone was very gentle, even with a hint of flattery, showing that she was worried the Emperor would refuse.
The emperor, who was eating, put down his bowl upon hearing her words and listened to her with a serious expression.
After listening, she thought about it carefully before saying, "You are the mother of the nation, and it is your duty to take charge of women's affairs. You can make your own decisions on these matters, and I support you. I think this idea is excellent."
The emperor did not refer to himself as "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "the emperor"), and spoke to her as gently as possible.
Hearing this, the Empress breathed a sigh of relief, but was also moved to tears. Her emotions had been fluctuating greatly since she became pregnant, and she would cry even when it was unnecessary.
The emperor knew her problem all too well, so he had prepared a small handkerchief for her in advance. While wiping away her tears, he coaxed her, "Alright, alright, don't cry. We are husband and wife, and your decision is my decision. As long as you think it's right and good for the people, just do it."
"But...but I'm worried about those court officials..."
The Empress sobbed uncontrollably, finding it incredibly annoying that she couldn't stop crying. She forced herself to suppress her tears and spoke to the Emperor.
"That's a matter from the previous dynasty. I'll handle it myself. Even if the sky falls, I'll be there to support you. Don't be afraid, just go ahead and do it."
The emperor sighed softly and pulled the empress into his arms, so that she wouldn't feel so cautious and insecure.
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