Unexpected results
"My lady, the Westerner who painted the picture earlier sent someone to tell me that he has found a painting. Would you like to bring it in to take a look?"
Hesheli sat at the side, listening to Hongxiu's report to the empress. She recognized Hongxiu; she was a trusted maidservant of her mother-in-law's, often sent to the Eastern Palace to deliver messages or gifts. Hesheli had one principle in mind: to flatter her mother-in-law, she would visit Kunning Palace every day.
Shujia glanced around and saw her new daughter-in-law sitting in a formal manner, smiling. She sighed inwardly, remembering she had gone through the same thing back then, but Hesheli's situation was much more difficult than hers. As Crown Princesses, Shujia had no mother-in-law to look after her, and a great-grandmother was just a child. Hesheli wasn't so lucky, especially since her mother-in-law was in charge of the selection process.
Even worse, Shujia shared Yinreng's hardships. When she first married, Yinreng had a troublemaking older brother who was a rival to her. If Shujia had simply behaved normally, it would have been a powerful symbol of revolutionary friendship. Hongdan's position, however, was secure, while Hesheli had no chance to shine, relying solely on ordinary behavior to slowly win her husband's heart.
To put it in perspective, Shujia's actions were like those of a woman who, during times of peace, planned well and pacified the barbarians. Hesheli, on the other hand, was merely a woman who, during times of peace, could only gain experience in the officialdom. Fortunately, the Eastern Palace was free of any disturbing scandals, but even so, Hesheli felt a sense of unease. Upon arriving at Kunning Palace, she dared not speak casually beyond paying her respects, only to follow her mother-in-law's lead. Fortunately, she had a good upbringing and handled matters with tact, making her a familiar figure within the palace.
The only thing that was not so satisfactory was that Hesheli looked up at her sister-in-law sitting opposite her. She was pregnant with her second child, which was really exciting.
Shujia also noticed Hesheli's little trick and smiled slightly: "Ask him to bring the painting in." Hongxiu responded and went down. Shujia said to her two daughters-in-law, "This foreign monk can also play tricks. He draws a picture and tells a long story. In other words, he also wants some money for incense."
Hesheli bowed and said, "I wonder how much effort it took for them to walk to my mother. Of course they must..." As she spoke, she covered her mouth and smiled.
Gegentana then said, "People say that foreign monks can chant sutras. I don't care whether this foreign monk can chant sutras or not. I just don't know how good they are at painting."
"Won't you know when they come?"
The missionaries had everything ready, just waiting for a signal from inside. They held a long meeting and discussed it, concluding that they had indeed been a bit impatient. Even if they were anxious, they couldn't show it on the surface. Acting tough meant being calm and composed to intimidate people, right? After a thorough review of their actions, even though they wished they could have wings and run into the palace with the painting frame in their arms, they maintained a serious expression and followed the young eunuch to Kunning Palace at a leisurely pace.
Along the way, he repeatedly reviewed the reinforcement plan he had come up with during the meeting. If the Queen asked this question, how would he answer it? If the Queen mentioned the painting, how would he use it as an opportunity to lead her to religious beliefs? Unexpectedly, he entered Kunning Palace and found that there was more than just the Queen inside.
The missionary, a bold man, erected the painting, but he was suspicious when he saw that the person helping the empress approach wasn't the usual maidservant. The empress was still young and appeared to be in good health. Her usual gestures were merely touching the hands of the maids and eunuchs.
According to Prince John, the Queen was only supported by two women when she was wearing a heavy formal dress that made her movements difficult. Today, although the Queen was wearing a less heavy dress for a reception, she was still supported by two young women. Missionaries had been in China for a long time and could distinguish between the attire of a young woman and a woman, and they were even more wary of who this lady was.
You know, when it comes to preaching, pyramid schemes, and sales, the biggest taboo is having dissenters around the target. If there's only one person, you might be able to fool them, but if you add a hostile person to the mix, things often don't end well.
He thought about the information he had learned and quietly estimated the ages of the two young women. As he was hesitating, he heard the queen ask, "What do you think?"
The younger woman in the bright red dress said, "Outside the palace, I've often heard of Western painting techniques, but I don't understand Western painting very well, so I can't make any rash judgments. But there is one thing that looks very similar."
Wife? The missionary asked himself.
"Since you like it, how about asking them to draw you a picture when they have some free time?"
"Thanks to my mother."
Damn! The missionary still understood the word "mother." Considering the two married princesses had already left the capital, and considering their ages, this woman, under twenty, was actually the Crown Princess? The missionary's heart began to pound. If these two women had converted to Christianity...
Pinching himself hard, the missionary told himself to take it easy and not rush. The Tatar palace valued a leisurely pace. He forced himself to stop preaching and turned to the portraits, "Is there anything else your Majesty is dissatisfied with about these two paintings? Please let us know and we will do our best to revise it."
The biggest complaint was the dull and monotonous background. Shujia pondered, "I've already told the Emperor to paint a few more pictures of pleasure, including the princesses. You should prepare them. But you must keep it secret, and the drawings must not be circulated. I'll leave the message for today. When I have time, I'll send someone to call you."
After confirming that there would be opportunities for contact in the future, the missionary quickly agreed and told them not to rush.
After carefully exiting Kunning Palace, I heard the young woman say, "Sister-in-law..."
The missionary took out a clean white handkerchief and wiped his forehead. Fortunately, he had held back his anger! The other young woman was also the emperor's daughter-in-law.
The missionaries discussed that monogamy was not enough to completely impress the queen, so what was the most important thing for a woman? If she was a mother, of course it was her children!
Here comes the killer: "Only legitimate children have the right of inheritance."
However, according to their theory, only the wife was legitimate, and only the children born to the wife were legitimate. Hongxi's status was awkward, and the missionaries were adaptable. Knowing the local customs, they didn't want to retroactively enforce them, leaving the status of "bastard" vague for now. When someone as noble as the emperor converted to Christianity, the customs would naturally change over time. But for now, it was inappropriate to reveal this fact.
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Seeing that the missionaries had become much more obedient after being left out for a while, Shujia continued to let them draw.
Wu Yunzhu was still at an active age, and despite being taught by her talented namesake, she hadn't become a dullard. When she heard she was going to have her portrait painted, she was overjoyed: "Mother, how kind! Can I wear that jacket in your portrait? The one I made the other day?"
Shujia held her on her lap and tapped her nose: "It's all up to you."
Wu Yunzhu was given half an hour off each day to report to Kunning Palace. The portrait was new to her, and she sat upright, looking at the missionary with her large, dark eyes. "I've seen paintings, but I never believed anyone had eyes other than black. I never expected to see someone with green eyes. Why is your hair curly? Why don't you have a braid?"
The missionary was at a loss for words: "Your Highness, I was born this way. This is God's arrangement."
"God?" Wu Yunzhu had a strange look on his face. The word "God" was originally a local word. When emperors of all dynasties had nothing better to do, they not only gave titles to themselves and their ancestors, but also took charge of the gods. Among them was a god whose long list of titles included the word "God".
No wonder Wu Yunzhu looked weird. She really couldn't understand why her God had such a weird idea to create such a strange-looking person.
Shujia said, "He came here to paint your portrait, not to be your master. If he delays things and can't finish the painting, don't blame others."
Wu Yunzhu then stopped talking.
The missionary carefully asked Shujia what pose she wanted to strike. Shujia was stunned. Of course, she couldn't do anything too unruly. She just wanted to hold her daughter in her arms. Wu Yunzhu grabbed Shujia's sleeve, tilted her head, and leaned into her mother's arms.
The missionary quickly took up his stance.
He was truly working on his painting. After he'd finished the draft, he moved on to the details. While painting, he no longer jumped straight into the subject, but instead circulated a story, recounting his experiences along the way from Europe to China, keeping Wu Yunzhu riveted. After he finished the mother-daughter portrait, the little princess had left, and the missionary had become quite familiar with the queen, he finally got back to the main topic.
This time, of course, we are talking about the issue of inheritance rights.
Shujia laughed in anger: "You are so thoughtful."
The missionary felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong. He didn't dare to move and had to retreat in embarrassment.
As soon as he left, Shujia pounded the table behind him: "They are so arrogant!"
According to Shujia, this religious mission is like some men seeking wives. They're all so gentle and affectionate during courtship, but once married, everything turns sour. He becomes the master, and all the housework falls on you. He doesn't buy you fried stinky tofu and deliver it to your door, and it's not your turn to do the laundry, cook, buy groceries, or mop the floor... You want this, you want that, and what? You complain? You're really unfaithful and not a good woman! Completed.
Don't think that's the end of it. Remember, marriage is a matter between two families. If you're unlucky enough to encounter awful in-laws, or a sister-in-law or brother-in-law who doesn't let you live in peace, or even distant aunts and uncles... you'll have plenty to worry about. Especially your parents-in-law. They're your elders, inherently privileged by the patriarchal system. They can insult you for no reason, and if you talk back, you'll be labeled a jerk.
If you believe in a more moderate religion with humble monks, you have found the right husband and met good in-laws.
If you believe in a strict religion, for example, and the monks there really think they are delicious, you will fall into the worst kind of trap.
Catholicism these days undoubtedly embodies the latter. Believing in it is like being thrown into a family where people don't treat their daughters-in-law like human beings. A bit of a strict doctrine would be fine, since it's a voluntary belief after all. But what's the point of having the Vatican hanging over your head? Tithes, indulgences, the Inquisition, the Crusades... need I give you more examples?
The Catholic Church's influence in Western Europe eventually became so severe that the local residents could no longer tolerate it and began to rebel. His original wife wanted a divorce, and now he wants to come to China to take in a child bride?
In response, Shujia had only one sentence: GO YOUR HEAD! Go to your head!
"Are you trying to become the Emperor?" Shujia complained to Yinreng without any hesitation, sneering, "You're taking me for a fool!"
When she got angry, Yinreng, who was originally angry, calmed down. He sneered, "We took them in because we thought they had some skills that could be used, but we don't absolutely need them. It seems they are too ambitious. So, we should hand over their drawings and forbid them from entering the palace. Then, ask the Governor of Guangdong to select two honest ones and send them to us. Don't be angry anymore."
Shujia was merely reporting this to Yinreng. Monogamy alone wasn't a big deal, but if it involved inheritance, it would be a huge issue. She didn't want to be implicated by a few missionaries. Then, reluctantly, she nodded and said, "I heard that Sunu's sons really believe in this. This is not good! They're like possessed, constantly lobbying. This is not gentlemanly at all. They're more like bandits recruiting people into their gang and refusing to let them off."
Yinreng was amused. "Where did you read that rumor book? Although there are some despicable missionaries, some of their skills are still useful. Apart from other things, don't you think the painting drawn by this person who angered you is not bad?"
"That's true." Shujia pulled Yinreng to look at the photo of herself and Wu Yunzhu.
Yinreng looked at it with envy: "I have been too busy these days, and you actually got there first. Today I will order the Governor of Guangdong to select a Western painter to send it to me!"
Shujia smiled and said, "Then I have the upper hand."
Yinreng continued to appraise the paintings, then returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, summoning Jia Yingxuan and ordering him to inquire carefully about the missionaries' claims. He cared little for their claims about monogamy and legitimate children; he was now a model of morality and was happy to treat his wife well. Shujia was right; Yinreng was indeed nostalgic for their past relationship. Their youthful marriage had seemed glorious, but now, in retrospect, the situation had indeed been difficult, though he had only realized it late. Recalling those days, he felt even more precious about his wife, and so he was happy to indulge her.
He hadn't misjudged his wife, and he hadn't believed everything he'd heard. What annoyed him was that these guys had no sense and actually wanted to control him. The phrase "emperor emeritus" was truly apt!
He didn't care about Sunu's face, since Sunu didn't believe in religion anyway. He ordered his men to arrest the missionaries and drive them all the way to Guangzhou, where they were escorted out of the country with courtesy. He also brought with him an imperial edict that ordered the Guangdong governor to select "honest missionaries" again.
What Yinreng didn't expect was that just after he issued the edict, he actually received an urgent report from the Governor of Guangdong: Westerners were causing trouble in Guangdong and even using firearms!
This is going to be fun!
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