RPAGF Chapter 397 Accepting One's Excellence with Equanimity
Chapter 397 Accepting One's Excellence with Equanimity
The Crown Prince's wedding was a low-key affair, but Kyoto was still bustling with activity. The Crown Prince was twenty-two when he married, which wasn't particularly late in Kyoto, but it wasn't early either.
Unlike aristocratic families, princes in the palace needed to produce heirs. They would usually hold a preliminary selection before coming of age, and then get married and establish their own residences after reaching adulthood.
However, because the Empress passed away early, the Emperor didn't care much for the Crown Prince, and the Consort was unwilling to treat him well, so it was delayed until now. It was only because the Second Prince was about to come of age and should get married, but there was an order of seniority, that she thought of putting the selection of concubines on the agenda.
Now that the grand wedding has finally taken place, some of the senior officials in the court were so overjoyed that they wept, repeatedly saying that the foundation of the nation had been established.
These words greatly displeased the emperor, and he felt a tightness in his chest. He returned to the Zichen Palace and asked his younger sister about it.
Am I very old?
"Why did Your Majesty suddenly ask that?" The younger sister reached out and stroked his temples, her eyes filled with heartache. "My Majesty has gray hair at your temples, you are not young anymore. But you are not old either, Your Majesty will be with me for many more decades."
The Emperor, holding his younger sister, said, "With the Crown Prince's wedding approaching, those old ministers feel that the foundation of the nation has only just been established, and they can't wait for me to die!"
The younger sister pouted, "If Your Majesty says such things again, I won't stand for it. Your Majesty yourself said that those old ministers always exaggerate. They're saying they've established the foundation of the state now, but does Your Majesty believe it? If the Crown Princess doesn't show any signs of pregnancy after a year, those old ministers will probably be more anxious than Your Majesty, your father-in-law."
She knew how to coax people and didn't just blindly agree with the emperor's words. Instead, she made the emperor feel that what she said was the truth, which made him feel extremely comforted.
"It's just that my health might not be able to give Wan'er any children. I always think, if I leave in the future, wouldn't I leave you all alone?"
The younger sister said, "If Your Majesty is worried about me, you should either take good care of yourself and spend more time with me, or wait until the day comes when I will accompany you."
"Don't talk nonsense." The Emperor glared at her. "I'm already so many years older than you, how can I treat you so harshly?"
The younger sister smiled and said, "Then Your Majesty must listen to me and stop worrying about mundane matters."
The Chinese New Year is just around the corner.
It started snowing in Kyoto.
Xia'er is three years old now, and she's very active and energetic. Last year when it snowed, she only let the maid carry her around in the yard to play. But this year, she couldn't resist and called over a few of the village's little maids to have a snowball fight with her, and they had a great time.
After playing for a while, she lay down on Yumeng and wanted to sleep.
Yu Meng quickly carried her inside: "Little Miss, you can't sleep like this. You're all sweaty, be careful not to catch a cold."
He wiped away her sweat, changed her clothes, tucked her into the warmed bedding, and stayed by her side, dozing off.
When the second sister had a free time, she came over and saw that Xiaoxia was sleeping. Not wanting to disturb her, she went outside to talk to Si Muyan.
"The snow this winter is quite heavy."
Si Muyan nodded: "Yes, I wonder what the snow and wind are like in Lingnan."
Laiqian wrote a while ago, saying that everything is fine in Songji Village and the tourist village will be built next year. And he's coming back soon, in the next couple of days.
Si Muyan turned her head to look at her second sister: "You haven't been here for a while. How have you been lately?"
The second sister said, "It's not bad. Our Dali Temple already has ten female officials and six female constables. Not only us, but other departments have also started recruiting women, and people in the countryside have also started sending their daughters to school."
"This is a good thing." Si Muyan was genuinely happy.
The second sister said, "It's a good thing, but it's mainly concentrated in Kyoto. There are some in the suburbs, but you won't find anything like it further away."
"Everything is difficult at the beginning, but Kyoto has always been a trendsetter for other places. If Kyoto starts to have female officials, then other places will gradually follow suit. Given time, it is not impossible for women to take the civil service examinations."
The second sister nodded: "Eldest sister is right, I was too impatient."
Si Muyan shook her head: "Don't be in a hurry, Second Sister. You are exceptionally capable, and it is you who have driven the development of women in the Great Zhou Dynasty. This is your achievement."
The second sister was a little embarrassed and said in a low voice, "Actually, I didn't do anything. If I had to say who deserves the real credit, it would be because Prince Ning insisted on having me join the staff, and I was also a colleague at the Dali Temple. In particular, it was thanks to Feng Zizhou's help that I am where I am today."
“They also deserve credit, but Second Sister, success is inherently difficult. There will be pressure from all sides, as well as help from relatives, friends, and strangers. Just because someone helped you, does that mean that it's not your achievement?”
Si Muyan said seriously.
"For example, a man's success may come from the support of his family, the appreciation of his mentor, and the promotion of his superiors. These are all important, but people will never say that the man's success is not due to his own efforts."
"So why should women be expected to fight alone and not accept help from others? Whether it's Prince Ning, Feng Zizhou, or your colleagues and supporters, they are all your helpers. However, their existence should not negate your success."
The second sister was truly stunned and deeply moved.
She knew that her success was inseparable from her own hard work. But she also knew that the rumors outside always made people think that she relied on others, so she always held onto a sense of pride, wanting to prove her excellence while still being unable to escape the help from the Dali Temple.
It was only now, after hearing her older sister's words, that she suddenly understood.
Yes, men are not alone when they climb to the top, so why should women be criticized more harshly for their success?
Laiqian's mother rushed over, her face beaming with joy: "Miss, Second Miss, the people on the estate say that Laiqian has returned."
Si Muyan hurriedly let the money in.
Before the money arrived, his voice preceded it, and he loudly proclaimed, "Young Miss, do you know who I met on my last trip back to Lingnan?"
When they came in, they saw that the second young lady was also there.
He awkwardly scratched his head: "The Second Miss is here too."
Seeing his expression, the second sister couldn't help but tease him: "What's wrong? Is it inconvenient for you to talk now that I'm here? You just mentioned going back to Lingnan, who did you meet?"
Lai Qian hesitated for a moment and looked at Si Muyan.
He's always been clever; this is the first time he's been so dull.
Even the second sister could tell: "Is it that you can't say it in front of me?"
"No, no, Second Miss..." Laiqian quickly waved his hand and whispered, "I'm just afraid of touching on Second Miss's sad memories... This time when I went back to Fenghuang County in Lingnan, I actually ran into... the Jiang family."
When the Jiang family fled the famine, they first arrived at Songji Village. However, the Jiang family members were difficult to get along with. Apart from Jiang Sanlang, who was hardworking, the others were lazy and loved to eat and drink, and they argued with people in the village every day.
After the autumn logging work was finished that year, the Songji village collective made a fuss, not allowing the Jiang family to stay in the village. The Jiang family didn't wait for the work to be done, saying that they had a capable son named Sanlang, and that they could live well anywhere, so they moved away with their whole family.
That's how I got to know the Chiang family.