Lu Qingwan didn't need to deliberately recall the various forms of differential treatment she had endured. Driven by her desire for the rank of general, she nodded without hesitation, "I do. Your Highness, to be frank, I dream of becoming a general. When Xie Shichuan was fighting on the battlefield, I thought to myself, if I could lead the charge openly like her, I would be content even if I died on the battlefield at that very moment."
Lu Qingwan chuckled softly, "Rest assured, you won't be a one-time general. I will do my best to ensure you all stand in court with legitimate titles."
Li Su nodded, then sighed wistfully, "When Xie Shiyu said the same thing, I just thought it was empty talk. Now, hearing it from Your Highness, even though I know it will be difficult, I am filled with hope. Am I being a bit double-standard?"
Li Su's expression was relaxed and her tone playful, but Lu Qingwan knew she genuinely had doubts. These people around her were Lu Qingwan's pillars of support. If they couldn't figure things out, Lu Qingwan wouldn't be able to accomplish her goals. Therefore, she explained it to Li Su quite earnestly.
"Theoretically speaking, Xie Shiyu's words are not wrong. People in this world should not be divided into classes, and women indeed should not be appendages to men. What men can do, women can certainly do. However, raising the status of women cannot be achieved by mere words. Even if you treated those maids as young mistresses, if they themselves don't see themselves as equals, others will only treat them as slightly valuable commodities. And how can an object, no matter how valuable, be compared to a living person?"
Li Su nodded repeatedly as she listened, "Your Highness is right. I heard that when Xie Shiyu first spread those ideas, she didn't allow the servants in the manor to kneel. She told the maids that she was their equal and ate with them at the same table. But in reality, the consequence of her actions was that the maids were seen by the stewards and severely punished for not knowing the rules. They even had their monthly wages deducted. Xie Shiyu, who shouted about equality, only dared to confront Madam Xie and did nothing to help those unfortunate maids who were punished because of her."
...
As they were talking, Li Yang hurried over, "Reporting to Your Highness, the carriages are all prepared. Please board."
It was noon. Even though the sun shone brightly on the North Wei land, a cool breeze still blew. Lu Qingwan, standing in the leeward, couldn't keep her eyes open from the wind. "Didn't we agree to depart tomorrow morning? Why the sudden change?"
Li Yang shook his head, "I don't know the specific situation. I only know that a letter arrived from Zhongzhou, and His Highness ordered an immediate return."
The words "letter from Zhongzhou" immediately struck the sensitive nerve that had been taut for the past few days. Lu Qingwan decisively mounted her horse. "The carriage is there, take me." All her complex thoughts were interrupted. Lu Qingwan had only one thought in her mind: she hoped it wasn't the Yan family's scheme succeeding. No matter what they had done, if they succeeded even once, the brotherhood between Si Fengwu and Si Fengming would never be the same, and their lives would never be peaceful again.
As the horse galloped to the palace gate, Lu Qingwan saw the familiar figure standing in front of the carriage from afar. Her wildly beating heart immediately calmed down. She dismounted and ran over. Before she could ask what had happened, Si Fengwu said, "We'll talk in the carriage." The retinue and drivers were ready, truly prepared to depart, waiting only for her. Lu Qingwan got into the carriage without a word. The warmth from the hand warmer hit her. Lu Qingwan skillfully nestled into her usual spot before asking, "What happened? Why the sudden early departure?"
Si Fengwu handed her a piece of paper, "Take a look at this." Lu Qingwan took it and her expression became that of an old man in shock. "What on earth is this?" After composing herself, she continued to read, "Yan Liyuan sent people to help us govern the southeastern three-part territory, and only after they were on their way did they inform us that we had asked him for help?"
Si Fengwu's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot that hadn't been cleaned in eight hundred years. "My imperial brother sent the news via a golden hawk. Yan Liyuan mentioned it to him once before, but after he rejected it, Yan Liyuan didn't bring it up again. This morning, Yan Liyuan's wife went to the palace to urge the Empress to have another child and let it slip, which is how my imperial brother found out. My imperial brother immediately wrote a personal letter and sent it over."
Lu Qingwan breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Si Fengming himself hadn't wavered in his stance or developed other feelings for her and Si Fengwu, everything else could be managed. "This is not a problem. We can write a letter to Prime Minister Wen and the others, telling them to ignore those uninvited guests. When you and I drive them away, it will be resolved."
Si Fengwu nodded, "I have already written to Prime Minister Wen and sent a letter to Ge Di Fang. I rushed to call you back precisely to see what these people are about. Those are indeed talented individuals selected by the Great Qin court. Logically, after gaining enough experience in the provinces, they should enter Zhongzhou. Instead, they are being ordered around by Yan Liyuan. I suspect there might be something fishy going on."
Lu Qingwan immediately turned into a nodding doll. "It's not just these people who are fishy. I even suspect Yan Liyuan himself is fishy. Generally, when a maternal relative suddenly gains great power, they become arrogant and forget who they are, meddling in court affairs. I can understand that, but there should at least be a transition period, right? The Emperor has only been on the throne for a short while, and he's already impatiently interfering in the Emperor's family matters, sowing discord between you brothers, and extending his reach to the southeastern three-part territory. This change is too sudden!" Before Si Fengming ascended the throne, from any perspective, Yan Liyuan's performance could be recorded in history as that of an upright official. Yet, in just half a year, he unhesitatingly interfered in matters that should have been handled by the emperor and extended his reach to Si Fengwu. This was a stark contrast to his previously upright and incorruptible image.
"My imperial brother is already investigating." Si Fengwu sighed heavily at this sudden turn of events. "The Empress also specifically wrote us a letter, begging us to spare the lives of Yan Liyuan and his wife, and not to let the Yan clan be extinguished. She said we can handle the rest as we see fit and not to let personal sentiment disrupt the hard-won stability in Zhongzhou." The tear stains on the letter were enough to show Yan Ruozhao's inner turmoil and sadness when she wrote it. Lu Qingwan looked at Yan Ruozhao's letter and felt helpless, "Why are they so troublesome? Poor Empress, to have such a father who can't see straight. She must regret being the Empress."
Si Fengwu didn't respond to that. He suddenly said something astonishing, "Today, Li Yang and the others caught an assassin trying to sneak in. Do you know what he confessed?" If it were in the past, Lu Qingwan would have been bewildered. But now, what couldn't she guess? She immediately replied, "Did that assassin tell you that he was sent by my imperial brother or the Empress?"