Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 508: Jiaer Zhigaohua?
The Queen Mother did not want the Emperor to bear the reputation of forcing and killing his son. If she had not seen that everything was irreversible, she would not even want the Emperor to depose the Queen. But since deposing the Queen was a foregone conclusion, and she issued the decree in her own name, then now she had to take care of the eldest and second princes, a pair of brothers in distress.
The second prince was fine. Although he was repeatedly reprimanded and punished by the emperor and her, he was not like the first prince, who caused such a big mess in Cangzhou. It was not difficult for him to choose a wife. But the first prince... Ask any respectable family in the capital city who is willing to marry their daughter to him? The former queen... should be called the deposed queen now. The girls she liked were all promised to others out of fear.
If the Queen Mother had been like that, she would have put all these families on a list and kept them in mind for the rest of her life, but now that she was old and the eldest prince was indeed hateful, she had to put it aside for now. But even though the eldest prince's marriage became a problem and the emperor had once left him alone, she had not forgotten.
However, she did not think that Hong Shanchang, who openly wrote a letter to the emperor about this matter, had any good intentions. She once thought that he had ulterior motives, and Hong was naturally a woman with improper thoughts. But at this moment, the empress dowager finally understood that it was not wrong to say that people had ulterior motives and that they had improper thoughts, but that intention was not what she thought, and the improper thoughts were not what she thought!
The Queen Mother rubbed her brows tiredly, and then said calmly: "Okay, I know everything you said. Yuquan, reward Hong with a piece of Lu silk and send her out of the palace."
Yuquan agreed hastily and then walked towards Hong. Seeing that Hong knelt down calmly and saluted without any panic or humility, she thought of her words and actions in front of the empress dowager just now, and she couldn't help but praise her in her heart. After she led the people out of Qingning Palace, she immediately ordered the palace maid to go and pass on the message.
A piece of Lu silk is so heavy, you can't let her or Hong herself carry it out of the palace, right?
Obviously, someone had to record it and send it to the palace gate for people to see and spread. Of course, compared to this, she personally accompanied Hong out, which was already a relatively clear attitude. She also knew that this was completely different from the initial attitude of the Queen Mother towards Hong.
However, after Yuquan took the still calm Hong out of Qingning Palace, the empress dowager suddenly turned to look at Zhang Shou and said with a half-smile, "Zhang Shou, do you know who I was thinking of when I saw Hong talking so eloquently just now? It was you. Although I didn't see how you lobbied the emperor with my own eyes, the emperor, Grand Tutor Ge, and Hua Qi all mentioned you many times."
She paused, ignoring Zhu Ying who was immediately anxious after hearing her words, and said directly: "Do you think that what Hong wants is similar to what you want?"
"She does look a bit like me. I thought so before."
Zhang Shou shrugged and smiled, his attitude was relaxed and calm, as if what he was talking about had nothing to do with him. At the same time, he noticed that Zhu Ying behind him put her hand on his shoulder in a hurry, so he reached out and patted her hand gently, as if to comfort her not to think too much, but then he simply looked up and looked directly at the empress dowager.
"But I'm not as noble as her, and I don't want to save all living beings so much."
"Besides, she and I have different backgrounds and experiences, so even if we see the same scene and think of the same goal, the personalities we develop and the strategies we adopt are naturally completely different. Moreover, unlike me who used this relatively good-looking face to win Yingying over, that Madam Hong is ultimately lacking in appearance. Hasn't the Queen Mother already made a decision on this?"
Zhu Ying could no longer restrain herself at this point, and immediately shouted indignantly: "What do you mean by kidnapping me? What do you mean by this decent face? Ah Shou, why are you belittling yourself like this! This Madam Hong does have some skills, is very good at speaking, and behaves very decently, but how can she compare to you!"
The empress dowager couldn't help but be amused by Zhu Ying's anxious words. Just now, when Zhu Ying brought Hong here, it was clear from her words that she approved of and admired her. But this time, Zhang Shou just teased her and she immediately changed her attitude. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she changed her attitude as quickly as turning the pages of a book.
"Yingying ..." Zhang Shou saw that the Queen Mother did not speak, so he could only laugh and say, "I was just making an analogy and joking. I am not like that Madam Hong who is dedicated to the public. I have selfish motives, otherwise I would not hope that the Emperor would do his utmost to promote public schools, but at the same time I would favor children from wealthy families like Lu Sanlang and Zhang Chen? A single spark can start a prairie fire, but..."
He paused, and said word by word: "This world is ultimately ruled from top to bottom. Without Lu Sanlang's talent and Zhang Chen's personality, I would not be able to achieve what I have now. Even now, the people I rely on the most are still those powerful people who were deceived by to come to the Qingfeng Xulaitang in the mountains, and I do not shy away from this."
"As for the public school, that is the business of Lu Jijiu and also a business that Mr. Liu attaches great importance to. As for me, I am at most a supporting role. I have also made many suggestions to the emperor, some of which he will adopt, while others seem very difficult to implement and the emperor may not adopt them. Even if the emperor adopts them, it does not necessarily require me to take charge of the overall situation, let alone to handle them."
"I am just a proposer. What I am most interested in and what I cannot let go of is Jiuzhang Hall. But Madam Hong is different. If this women's school is established, she will probably feel a little frustrated if she cannot serve as the headmaster."
Zhu Ying raised her eyebrows immediately and shouted without thinking: "If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to change someone to be the headmaster? Lu Sanlang's fiancée Liu Qing is not bad, she is also a very talented girl. Of course Yongping is more suitable, but this girl is self-righteous and may not be willing to take on this job..."
Seeing the Queen Mother looking at Zhu Ying with a completely unbelievable look, Zhang Shou couldn't help but smile. Even though Zhu Ying's relatives knew that this girl was not superficial under her gorgeous appearance, most of them knew that she was not willing to use her brain. However, when the eldest lady really used her brain, her magical brain circuits were often refreshing.
So he did not continue to talk about what the Queen Mother's decision was. It would be foolish to speculate on her intention and then speak out. He said with a smile: "In fact, I also think that if Princess Yongping can come forward to preside over this girls' school, it will definitely be a grand event."
"Are you two a perfect match, and then you come to piss me off?"
The Queen Mother deliberately put on a stern face. Seeing Zhu Ying's arrogant expression that showed she was not afraid of her at all, she could only sigh and then said lightly: "Hong is virtuous, but her appearance is ordinary and she is old. Marrying the eldest prince, who is imprisoned, doesn't it mean that the court does not sympathize with the descendants of famous scholars?"
At this point, she smiled and said, "Since Hong didn't want to get married earlier, now she is forced to marry the eldest prince. Firstly, it doesn't match her ambitions, and secondly... it doesn't reflect the court's attitude of respecting celebrities. Although it may be possible to pick one or two outstanding people from the royal family to match her, she must be willing, and Hong Shanchang must feel that this trip is not a disgrace."
Although the Queen Mother's words were light, Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying could both hear that it meant not only that Mrs. Hong was willing, but also that the other members of the royal family might not be willing.
After all, in today's world where the royal family has little room for political advancement, what's the point of marrying an older girl who is well-known for her virtues but is not pretty? If such a woman is a virtuous queen, she may attract countless praises, but if she is kept at home and gets tired of each other every day, what's the point?
Zhu Ying frowned slightly and asked directly, "Queen Dowager, what do you want to do? I think what Madam Hong said just now makes sense. Even if her intention to marry the eldest prince is not pure, her ambition is indeed meaningful. You can't marry her off casually. You know, except for selecting concubines, our Ming Dynasty has never interfered in marriages among the people."
The Queen Mother was so shocked by what Zhu Ying said that she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She pretended to be angry and said, "Yingying, am I an old-fashioned, mean and sinister woman in your eyes who will make anyone she dislikes suffer?"
"Your Majesty, you are joking. How could Yingying think that?"
Seeing that it was Zhu Ying who had a red face this time, Zhang Shou had to interrupt and say, "Yingying is just straightforward. Although Madam Hong is just a newcomer, she still hopes not to go against her will. As for the suggestion of replacing the headmaster just now, Yingying might be regretting that she shouldn't have tripped her up."
Zhu Ying was immediately furious and said, "A Shou, why are you ruining my show? If it weren't for the Queen Mother comparing her to you, I wouldn't have done that... Humph, she's obviously a scheming but capable person. I just don't want her to waste her energy in the backyard. As long as she's not acting against you, I'm not unwilling to let her realize her wish a little bit."
As she said this, Zhu Ying couldn't help but recall the scene when she first met Hong. She was originally looking for trouble, but she didn't expect that as soon as they met, she didn't show any negative emotions that an ordinary-looking woman would have when she first saw her. Instead, she showed undisguised surprise.
And when she curiously talked to the other person for a few sentences and found that the other person was not only well-read, but also knew a thing or two about the ways of the market, her attitude towards Hong naturally changed. And then, the daughter of the principal of Yuzhang Academy said something that touched her sorely.
"I have always been curious about the legendary Miss Zhu. After all, my father despised Dr. Zhang's marriage, but he also felt that Duke Zhao was faithful to his engagement and was quite respectful of ancient etiquette. But I heard that it was not Duke Zhao who insisted on this marriage, but Miss Zhu had a keen eye for talent and felt that her fiancé was talented and ambitious, so she insisted on marrying him."
"Women in this world treat poor men with either disdain, or give them alms, or meet them in the back garden. Miss Zhu was born into a noble family, and some people even slandered you for being superficial, but in the end, no one can compare to your vision."
Zhu Ying loved to hear people say that she had good taste. Thinking of the scene when they met, after the initial little anger, she immediately asked: "Empress Dowager, what are you going to do with her?"
The Queen Mother glanced at Zhang Shou and saw that although his expression was not changed at all, in her opinion, Zhang Shou had clearly understood her plan. Therefore, seeing that Zhu Ying was still anxious, and thinking that it was this girl who had just revealed the secret, but was still stupid at this time, she could only sigh helplessly and said, "Yingying, it would be great if you were willing to use your brain more all the time."
Seeing Zhu Ying's face full of dissatisfaction, she said calmly: "Since this Hong is well-read and obviously very knowledgeable, and has proposed such a fresh idea of women's education, then, as the Empress Dowager, I appreciate her chastity and ambition, so I will keep her in the capital and hire her as the tutor of Princess Yongping. Of course, she is called a tutor, but in fact she is a friend, which will not humiliate her."
Zhu Ying stared at the Queen Mother in amazement. After a long while, she said in disbelief, "Can... can it be like this?"
Seeing that the Queen Mother was smiling but not saying anything, she could not help but turn her head to look at Zhang Shou, but she only saw Zhang Shou smiling at her: "Yingying, wasn't it you who reminded the Queen Mother? You said that it would be better for Princess Yongping to preside over the girls' school. In this case, the Queen Mother would of course give Hong the title of the princess's tutor. In this way, in the future, she will be able to assist Princess Yongping. Isn't that very appropriate?"
"If she really wants to have fewer ignorant and weak girls in the world and really wants to build a girls' school, then getting the support of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager is only the first step. Making that girls' school have enough credibility is the second step. What could be more convincing than having Princess Yongping, the Emperor's daughter, personally preside over it?"
"And if her so-called wish is just to be the head of the mountain herself and not to be content with being an assistant, then it is hard to say how much merit this so-called long-cherished wish has."
Zhang Shou chuckled as he spoke. For example, in the public school, as the proposer, he had made the suggestion and then temporarily withdrew his involvement. He had no intention of taking on everything by himself. It was exactly the same as with Banshan Hall, the Imperial Chef Selection Competition, and everything in Cangzhou.
Zhu Ying snorted in annoyance, and then whispered, "If I had this ambition, I wouldn't trust anyone else... But it's better than letting her marry the eldest prince. She would not be able to bear it, and the eldest prince would definitely not accept her as a wife."
Seeing that Zhu Ying was taking things for granted again, the Queen Mother could only remind her again, "Yingying, you are wrong. For Hong, marrying the eldest prince with a bad reputation and becoming a virtuous prince consort that others talk about is far less important than being a princess tutor or a princess friend, which is just a title."
The title of the eldest prince's consort, who was virtuous and virtuous, and occupied the moral high ground, also meant attention! And presiding over the girls' school in the name of the eldest prince's consort was definitely more in line with Hong's plan than presiding over it by Princess Yongping.
Thinking this in his heart, it can be seen that Zhu Ying has clearly revealed some hesitation, and Zhang Shou finally did not speak. When he finally withdrew and planned to return to Jiuzhang Hall first, he was caught up by Zhu Ying who rushed over before he could even walk out of Qingning Gate. She directly blocked him in front of him, and with a look, she drove everyone around her away, and then she spoke directly.
"Ah Shou, the Queen Mother asked you to accompany me to meet the girl Yongping, and to meet Concubine Yu as well."
