The most dissolute couple in the capital

Time flies like water, and in the blink of an eye, it's late spring.

The excitement surrounding Princess Li Zhao's marriage in Chang'an gradually subsided.

After returning from the wedding banquet, Cui Qingyi lay down on the couch and let out a long sigh.

"worn out."

Li Chengjing brought over a bowl of white fungus soup and said, "You've been sitting there eating all day, what's so tiring about it?"

"You don't understand," Cui Qingyi took the bowl, slowly scooped a spoonful, "I've been smiling all day, my face is stiff."

Li Chengjing thought for a moment, then reached out and pinched her cheek: "It is indeed a bit hard."

Cui Qingyi slapped his hand away: "...Get out."

Li Chengjing chuckled, sat down beside her, and suddenly said seriously, "By the way, Princess Zhao is probably leaving the capital this month."

Cui Qingyi was somewhat surprised: "So fast?"

"She said the orphanage is now firmly established in the capital, and the next step is to expand it to the surrounding prefectures," Li Chengjing thought for a moment. "She plans to personally make the arrangements."

In this life, the orphanage was announced earlier, and with the stable income support from Chenxiang Pavilion, Li Zhao's plans were also initiated earlier.

"That's a good thing."

"There's one more thing," Li Chengjing said with a hint of ingratiation, "I'd like He Li to go with Li Zhao."

Cui Qingyi glanced at him.

Li Chengjing quickly explained, "Think about it, He Li spends all his time idly in Chang'an, either scattering money in the streets or getting chased and beaten by his mother. Going out with Li Zhao to see the world is better than staying cooped up here. Besides, Li Zhao needs manpower. Although He Li isn't good at studying, he's eloquent and persuasive, and he's much more useful in dealing with the common people than those aloof civil officials."

Cui Qingyi lowered her head and took a sip of the white fungus soup, then slowly said, "You certainly think of everything for him. What about Lord He?"

"Lord He?" Li Chengjing scoffed. "Lord He, after hearing my idea, was practically ready to pack up He Li and send him over."

Cui Qingyi thought about it and realized that it was indeed a good idea. Madam He was keeping a close eye on He Li every day, afraid that he would create some kind of "confidante".

He Li was like a wilted eggplant all day long, and he would hide in the Liang Prince's mansion to freeload meals whenever he had nothing to do.

Princess Zhao has become the first princess in the emperor's family to officially hold a position, and she is about to leave the capital to inspect various prefectures and promote the policy of building orphanages.

The old foxes in the capital naturally each had their own ideas.

By placing He Li in Princess Zhao's service, she could both keep him away from Madam He's strict discipline and allow him to witness firsthand the harsh realities of life and the realities of everyday existence, preventing him from clinging to his kind heart and being betrayed without realizing it.

Thinking of Princess Zhao's mission to leave the capital, Cui Qingyi suddenly thought of another person.

Su Ruolan.

Miss Su has been living a peaceful life lately. After her second uncle was exiled, all of the family property was recovered, and her mother's worries were greatly relieved, and her health gradually improved.

Miss Su has a great talent for business. In just a few months, she managed her family's shop very well.

This person is intelligent and decisive, able to calmly plan ahead in difficult situations, and possesses a resilient character.

It would be a shame to confine such a person to a small shop.

Princess Zhao's trip to the provinces will inevitably involve dealing with those slick, cunning merchants and scoundrels.

The princess was surrounded by female officials who were well-versed in poetry and literature. They were impeccable in terms of literature and etiquette, but when it came to understanding the affairs of the common people and being well-versed in the ways of the lower classes, she probably needed someone like Su Ruolan.

She ordered someone to introduce Miss Su to Li Zhao. Li Zhao initially only met her out of respect for his aunt, but after several exchanges, he was greatly impressed by Miss Su's keen insight into certain matters.

Compared to the female officials around Li Zhao, Su Ruolan was more shrewd and experienced. More importantly, Su Ruolan had a clean family background and obvious weaknesses, with her mother and younger brother being her biggest concerns.

Having just escaped from a predicament, Su Ruolan desperately craved a powerful backer to protect her family.

One was in dire need of capable officials, and the other was desperately seeking protection; the two immediately reached an agreement.

Lord He pleaded with His Majesty to secure He Li a position as a military advisor in the Jingzhao Prefecture, a rank of eighth grade, which was then placed in the entourage accompanying Princess Zhao when she left the capital.

Lee Seung-kyung also contributed to this effort, donating even more to the orphanage that month.

On the night before leaving the capital, Li Zhao went to the palace to bid farewell to the Empress.

She had already bid farewell to her father during the day.

The Empress sat upright on her throne, looking down at her daughter who stood straight and resolute below the steps: "This trip out of the capital is the best opportunity your father has given you. If you do a good job, you will have an unshakeable future in the court; but if you mess it up, you should give up those thoughts as soon as possible and live a peaceful life as a wealthy princess."

Li Zhao's expression hardened, and he clasped his hands in front of his forehead, solemnly kowtowing: "Your subject understands. The journey is long and arduous, and your subject will do his utmost to fulfill the teachings of Father and Mother."

The Empress nodded slightly, her smile fading slightly, and then turned her attention to state affairs: "The orphanage's current rule is to only admit female infants. An imperial censor has already submitted a memorial, questioning whether your actions, as a royal princess, are biased."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhao decisively shook his head: "Your Majesty is wise. In recent years, even if there are abandoned baby boys in the countryside, they are quickly adopted by families without heirs because they can carry on the family line and become strong laborers in the future. But what about baby girls? Once abandoned, they often don't even have a straw mat. If no one takes them in, they will only freeze or starve to death."

The Empress gave her a deep look, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and continued, "What you say makes sense. But look at Chang'an now. The atmosphere in the capital is much more open now. It's not uncommon for noble ladies to ride horses through the streets, and it's not uncommon for women in ordinary households to establish their own households. There are even many cases of women taking in sons-in-law to live with them. In your opinion, why is this?"

Li Zhao answered clearly and logically: "Your Majesty, I believe that the capital is under the emperor's nose and a land of royal rule. The people here are influenced by literature and are mostly able to read and understand principles. With such education from top to bottom, the social atmosphere will naturally become more tolerant and open-minded. Therefore, as long as the court can broaden the people's minds and carry out more education, the people of the world will be influenced by what they see and hear, and those folk tragedies of favoring sons over daughters will naturally decrease from top to bottom."

After listening, the Empress sighed softly: "You are half right and half wrong about this matter."

Li Zhao was slightly taken aback, then bowed respectfully: "Your subject is foolish and ignorant, please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

"You are born into the royal family and study the classics, so you can naturally feel the fruits of your education." The Empress's voice echoed slowly in the empty hall. "But you must not forget that Da Ning was founded on agriculture and sericulture. In the countryside, when the common people couldn't even get enough to eat, who would care about Confucianism and Mencius' teachings? Why do people insist on having male offspring? Ultimately, it's not about education, but about the ability to make a living."

Li Zhao raised his head, his eyes filled with focused curiosity.

The Empress continued, "Farming, clearing wasteland, carrying loads on one's shoulders—which of these doesn't require utterly mortgaging physical strength? Men are born strong, and one man can cultivate several more acres of wasteland and harvest several hundred more pounds of food. In the eyes of ordinary families, one male member means a greater harvest for the whole family. While women may be able to manage household chores, compared to the actual food rations, it's insignificant."

The Empress paused, her gaze fixed intently on Li Zhao: "Because men are stronger, they can produce more grain, protect their family's wealth, and even have an advantage in expanding outwards. Therefore, they control the family's wealth and resources. Over time, people naturally respect male offspring and despise female offspring."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhao was struck dumb. She had always prided herself on her intelligence, but had never analyzed the state of the world from such a worldly and cruel perspective.

Her eyes flashed intensely, and after a long pause, she managed to squeeze out a voice from her throat: "What Mother means is... if we truly want to change the plight of women, education alone is simply not enough. To eradicate such prejudices, women must also have the skills to support themselves and earn a living, to earn money and food that are no less than men's... Only by narrowing these gaps between men and women in survival and livelihood can women truly have a chance to stand up?"

"That's right." The Empress looked at her daughter, who had finally come to her senses, with a hint of indescribable sorrow in her eyes. "This is why we spent so much money teaching them accounting, business, and trades at the orphanage."

"If you can grasp this point, your trip out of the capital this time will not be merely a superficial act of kindness. However, how difficult it is to reverse the survival rules that have existed for thousands of years. Even if you and I, mother and daughter, exhaust our lives and all our efforts, I'm afraid we will not live to see the day when men and women can truly stand on equal footing in this world."

Li Zhao said softly, "Even if I reach that day?"

The Queen nodded: "Even if you reach that day."

A long, deathly silence fell over the main hall.

After a long while, Li Zhao slowly stood up. Her figure appeared somewhat frail in the flickering candlelight: "Then, Mother, will that day really come?"

The Empress slowly leaned back in her chair, her gaze seemingly piercing through the layers of palace walls, looking towards an extremely distant future:

"It will happen."