“I heard you wrote a eulogy for someone. You don’t actually think you’re the future Minister of Works, do you? No way, no way!”
“The name Meng Wenruo could belong to either gender, and there are countless people in this world with that name. I’m sure many of them became Taoists and wrote eulogies.”
The legitimate eldest son born to the Meng family head and his official wife, he possessed fair skin, handsome features, and peach-blossom eyes. If he stood there silent and unsmiling, one might mistakenly think him an elegant young gentleman.
Yet in reality, the moment he opened his mouth, he would spew sharp, venomous, and bitter sarcasm.
That handsome appearance instantly became vulgar and disgusting in Meng Wenruo’s eyes.
“You, a mere daughter of a maidservant, spent a few years as a Taoist, scheming and striving to write a single eulogy. Do you think you can exploit the coincidence of sharing a name to claim the identity of the future Minister of Works revealed by the Sky Screen? How could someone of your lowly and contemptible status be worthy?”
“Besides, you’re a woman. How could a woman ever become a Minister?”
Meng Wenruo lowered her head without responding. It was true there wouldn’t be few people in the world named Meng Wenruo.
But were there really many people named Meng Wenruo who became Taoists and wrote eulogies?
What’s wrong with a woman becoming a Minister?
Women could become emperors, women could become generals – couldn’t women also become Ministers?
“Enough!”
The Meng family head scolded his foolish son.
It wasn’t that he disliked his son mocking his daughter, but with the Sky Screen revealing a future where women would rule the world, his son’s words about women not being fit to be Ministers would be opposing the Princess and contradicting the Sky Screen.
Their Meng family wasn’t powerful enough to defy both the Princess and Heaven.
Madam Meng fingered her prayer beads, opening her eyes to cast a cold glance at Meng Wenruo—this little wench was growing more and more like her shameless mother, irritating to behold.
“We called you back this time firstly because your father wants to see you for his birthday celebration. The family has arranged a marriage for you, and since the wedding is in half a month, it’s time for you to prepare.”
As expected. They hadn’t brought her back because they held any hope she might be the future Minister of Works, but to marry her off.
“Father and Mother have been so considerate of your daughter, for which I’m deeply grateful. But your daughter has already entered the Taoist order—how could I partake in worldly marriage?”
The Meng family head said gravely, “What does joining the Taoist order matter? Just leave it and return to secular life. Since you know your parents are considering your welfare, you should be obedient and docile, calmly awaiting your marriage without causing trouble or entertaining improper thoughts.”
“Yes.”
Meng Wenruo acquiesced. In this so-called home, she held no status whatsoever.
“Might I ask Father and Mother, who am I to marry?”
Madam Meng set down her prayer beads: “The groom is the second son of the Ye family in Nanzhou. Young, handsome, and from an extremely wealthy family—you won’t be wronged.”
Meng Wenruo feigned delight while inwardly sneering.
Did they really think she’d been isolated and ignorant in the Taoist temple?
The second son of the Ye family in Nanzhou was known for his violent temper. After falling from a horse, he’d been left half-paralyzed, and rumors said he didn’t have long to live.
Were the Meng family marrying her off to be a widow or a burial companion?
Suppressing her disgust, she pretended shyness: “Thank you, Father and Mother. Your daughter will calmly await the marriage. However, the Ye family is so wealthy—if I marry there, the dowry…”
Madam Meng shot her a cold glance, impatient and disdainful: “Do you think your father and I would send you empty-handed to shame the Meng family? The dowry is already prepared. During your stay here, I’ll give you some spending money and have someone teach you proper etiquette.”
Meng Wenruo happily collected the jewelry and silver, then endured two days of the Meng family fool’s sarcastic remarks and the strict admonishments from her instructing aunt while pretending to be obedient. During the birthday banquet of the Meng family head, she quietly left Mingzhou with the money and headed for Luojing.
These fools still thought she only wanted to marry into a good family? Still believed she desired some kind of family support?
Pah!
During her years at the Taoist temple, she had long since extinguished all affection and expectations for the Meng family.
Who’s to say the Minister of Works Meng Wenruo couldn’t be her?
Even if it weren’t truly her, she still wanted to go to Luojing to witness the elegance of the future Empress!
*
Before the third video appeared, Yue Guantang, who had been suppressing bandits at Nanwoshan, rushed back to Luojing at full speed.
When he left, he was still Princess Shunyang’s consort; upon returning, he had become the Crown Prince’s spouse.
Knowing the Crown Prince was female, what should the principal spouse of the Crown Prince be called?
The Minister of Rites said: “It’s inappropriate to call them Crown Princess.”
This troubled the ministers greatly.
Finally, Xue Zeruo said: “Your Highness speaks wisely. The Sky Screen stated that after Your Highness ascends the throne, the consort shall not be called Empress, but instead changed to Lord Jingting. Henceforth, through successive generations, Lord Jingting shall specifically refer to the Empress’s consort. General Yue has rendered meritorious service in suppressing bandits and deserves reward. Why not first confer upon General Yue the title of Marquis Jingting? The court and public may refer to him as Marquis Jingting. What does Your Highness think?”
Zhu Xuanyi agreed.
Marquis Jingting had been traveling urgently and hadn’t had time to bathe or change clothes before being led by a eunuch to Changding Hall.
“His Majesty’s health has not yet recovered, so court affairs have been temporarily transferred to Princess Shunyang. Her Highness still resides at the Princess Manor but has chosen Changding Hall to handle government affairs.”
Because the Sky Screen mentioned the Crown Prince’s weakness and national humiliation, and with the recent change of heir, people had become accustomed to calling Zhu Xuanyi “Her Highness Shunyang”—omitting the “Princess.”
Shunyang was the place of Zhu Xuanyi’s enfeoffment and her dragon-rising land, so addressing her as Her Highness Shunyang was not incorrect, and she did not refuse this form of address.
The eunuch led Yue Guantang to the side hall of Changding Hall. From a distance, he saw Zhu Xuanyi standing before the main hall and unconsciously quickened his pace, breaking into a run.
When he reached Zhu Xuanyi, he saw her smiling warmly. Just as he wanted to embrace her, the closely following eunuch brought him to instant awareness.
The times had changed.
“Your subject pays respects to the Crown Prince.”
From the day the Sky Screen appeared, he knew that eventually the Princess would become the heir apparent and would become the Emperor whose majesty extends beyond the seas.
He was not only Her Highness Shunyang’s husband but also her subject.
Zhu Xuanyi was slightly taken aback and personally helped him up: “Guantang, you’ve been gone for months. Suppressing bandits is full of dangers, and you always prefer charging at the front—were you injured?”
Hearing Zhu Xuanyi’s consistent concern, Yue Guantang relaxed into a smile and held her hand: “Yiyi, I’m perfectly fine.”
After speaking, he took out something carefully wrapped in white silk.
“See what this is.”
Unwrapping three layers of silk revealed oil paper inside, which contained dried meat jerky.
“Dried meat jerky made by Madam Xu from the forest post tea house in the suburbs of Luojing!” Zhu Xuanyi immediately took a piece to taste, then noticed a small wine pouch hanging at Yue Guantang’s waist and grew even more delighted. “Since you bought the dried meat jerky, you must have bought Madam Xu’s Xu Family wine too!”
Madam Xu of the forest post tea house was an impressive woman—skilled at cooking and brewing excellent wine. With such talents, her business would surely thrive in Luojing, yet she preferred that sparsely populated place, selling tea to passing travelers.
Seeing His Highness about to untie the wine pouch, Zhong Lingyun behind him quickly reminded, “Your Highness, you have a meeting with Vice Censor-in-Chief Lu later—you must not drink!”
“Then we’ll drink when we return home tonight.”
As the words fell, the sky blazed with radiance, and the luminous screen appeared once more.