The little county princess was born at dusk, when vermilion clouds filled half the sky.
The red clouds formed the image of a phoenix, and everyone said this little county princess was born extraordinary. However, this saying was quickly suppressed.
The little county princess was deeply loved by everyone from the moment she was born, except for her own father.
But as the little county princess grew older, her small face, carved from the same mold as the Crown Princess, made the Crown Prince dote on her.
This little county princess was the apple of Great Qi's eye. Even the Emperor held her on his dragon throne when he went to court.
After all, her parents and grandfather were all in the imperial court.
In the thirteenth year of Mingde, the Emperor felt he was no longer capable of handling state affairs. Moreover, he had already ceased to manage most matters in the preceding two years, with the Crown Prince reviewing most memorials.
He decided to abdicate and retire, taking his Empress to a secondary residence to recuperate.
The Emperor's abdication decree did not surprise the court officials, as they had long anticipated such a day. The Ministry of Rites then began to busily prepare.
The coronation ceremony of the new Emperor and the enfeoffment ceremony of the Empress were held together. The new Emperor and his Empress ascended the dragon throne, symbolizing imperial power, hand in hand.
The first imperial edict issued by the new Emperor after his ascension was to share his power with the Empress. This period was later referred to in history as "Two Saints Governing the Realm."
The Emperor and Empress governed the country together. Although they had differing opinions on some matters, they generally collaborated and divided their responsibilities.
From the time the new Emperor was the Crown Prince, court officials had begun petitioning him to take concubines. Later, after the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had no children for several years, requests for the Crown Prince to take more concubines increased.
Now that the new Emperor had ascended the throne and shared his power with the Empress, no one dared to mention replenishing the imperial harem.
The second imperial edict issued by the new Emperor after his succession was to declare his only legitimate daughter as the Crown Princess.
This statement again touched the nerves of some old ministers. Discovering that the new Emperor was unyielding, they sent messages to the Supreme Emperor, hoping he would discipline his son.
However, the Supreme Emperor paid them no mind, having already left the palace with the Empress Dowager to tour the mountains and rivers.
During the reign of the Two Saints, Great Qi's national strength increased severalfold. The residents of Great Qi, while not necessarily adorned in gold and silver, at least had ample food and clothing, and did not worry even in years of famine.
Wang Linlang rose from a minor official in the Ministry of Revenue to become the Prime Minister of a nation. Just as her husband had predicted, her path had surpassed his.
Over the years, many women of exceptional talent emerged. Some served as officials, some in commerce, some as educators, and some wrote poetry and prose...
Regardless of their profession, they proved with their abilities that women's talents were not inferior to men's, and in some aspects, even superior.
Women were no longer confined to the inner chambers. They walked confidently on the streets, wearing vibrant skirts or men's attire, no longer needing to cover their faces with veils or wide hats.
After the Eldest Princess was established as the Crown Princess, the status of women was further elevated. As the royal family set such an example by having a female heir, how could the common people continue to look down upon women?
The Crown Princess was a well-behaved little child. Although she had been pampered her entire life, she had not turned out spoiled.
Perhaps because she was held by her imperial grandfather in court from a young age, she developed an interest in state affairs very early.
This was also why she was chosen as the Crown Princess.
After Lin Yan gave birth to this Eldest Princess, Zhao Hao was reluctant for her to have another child. He knew Lin Yan possessed a medicine that could completely prevent pregnancy.
He had originally intended to select an exceptionally talented individual from the Zhao family's bloodline to be groomed if an heir was needed. But since his only child showed a fondness for state affairs, he directly discussed it with his family and decided to make her the Crown Princess.
Although Lin Yan did not become Empress herself, her daughter became the next Empress, and not through usurping the throne, but by legitimately inheriting her father's imperial title.
In this lifetime, Lin Yan lived to be over seventy years old, a considerable age in ancient times with less advanced medical conditions.
Zhao Hao followed her a few days later. The Empress, who had been reigning for many years, wept bitterly at their successive passings.
Her Imperial Husband constantly comforted her, and her two children also tried to console her, yet she remained despondent for a long time.
Lin Yan had spent her life improving the status of women. By the time of her death, the status of women was no different from that of men.
In fact, because women cherished their hard-won opportunities for learning more, they achieved fame earlier and were more likely to attain success than men, often leaving men feeling disheartened.
Later, when the Empress ascended the throne, she also favored appointing female officials. For a period, the status of women was even higher than that of men.
During that time, people were happier to have daughters than sons.
It was only later that Lin Yan persuaded her daughter not to show favoritism, lest it incite dissatisfaction among men and sow discord, that the court situation was balanced.
Wang Linlang lived even longer than Lin Yan. The Xu family already had five generations living together. Her great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren loved to gather around her, listening to her tell stories of the past.
On the day Lin Yan passed away, Wang Linlang had a dream. In her dream, she was still entangled with the Prince of Yan, who had taken an interest in her, and in her dream, Lin Yan also came to her rescue, though she was quickly targeted by the Prince of Yan.
However, they found common ground, and Lin Yan particularly agreed with her views and envied everything she described.
But later, her identity as a woman was discovered, and she was imprisoned for the crime of deceiving the emperor.
She saw herself pleading with the Prince of Yan, agreeing to marry him in exchange for Lin Yan's safety.
Lin Yan was released but was demoted to commoner status and stripped of her titles. She then left the capital.
And she married into the Prince's manor, becoming a Princess.
Before she even married, two governesses were sent from the palace to teach her how to be a proper Princess.
Circumstances were stronger than individuals. A woman without backing like her could not contend with the royal family, especially with Lin Yan's precedent. She had already implicated Lin Yan and could not bear to implicate others who were kind to her.
She diligently learned the rules, correcting her words and actions bit by bit. It took her a year to completely transform herself into a well-bred lady of ancient times.
Polite in her conduct and accustomed to a life of luxury. Internally, she managed the affairs of the Prince's manor well, and externally, she interacted with other ladies and Princesses.
Her greatest pastime was hosting banquets or going for outings in the mountains outside the city. However, no matter where she went, a group of people followed her, leaving her with almost no freedom.