Chapter 741: Target of All
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Xuantian Gate is an extremely unique gateway, where the imperial palace, the inner palace, and the ancestral temple converge. Its significance is comparable to the n.o.ble’s exclusive Drum Tower for receiving official decrees. If the n.o.ble women knelt there, it was equivalent to announcing to the entire world that Princess Yong Chang was a person without talent or virtue.
This matter had caused an uproar back then, but it was only limited to the inner palace. This was because the Empress Dowager had received the news at that time and quickly sealed off the Xuantian Gate with the late Emperor.
At that time, the late Emperor was not muddle-headed yet. He doted on Little Yaoguang as much as she did and was worried that she would be hurt.
At that time, Princess Yong Chang was only 12 years old. She saw someone proposing the revival of the marriage alliance system to seek friendly relations with neighboring states and turn hostility into friendship and reduce disputes. However, Princess Yongchang didn’t understand why peace had to come at the cost of sacrificing women’s marriages. Couldn’t there be other ways to negotiate and seek peace?
Moreover, the Great Chang was not a weak country on this continent. Why did they have to do this?
Therefore, Princess Yong Chang went to investigate and realized that the commoners generally thought that this was the best solution. This was because everyone thought that women only had the ability to give birth to children. This was their natural mission. In any case, they were going to marry and have children. Was it so important who they married and bore children for? Sacrificing them was equivalent to not making any sacrifices.
When she first found out about the trend of public opinion, Princess Yong Chang almost went crazy from anger. She didn’t expect the world to look at women so harshly and unfeelingly.
She believed that only by letting more and more women enter the center of power could they speak up for themselves and defend their lives.
“That’s right. At that time, 1 was very naive. When I was the same age as you, 1 only thought that I was doing the right thing.” Old Madam w.a.n.g also forced a smile. It was obvious that she did not care much about this matter anymore. “I thought that the ones who stopped me would be my Father, Big Brother Emperor, or those Grand Tutors. However, after I suggested it, everyone only remained silent and did not give me an answer. Before I walked out of the inner palace, I heard that many women had come to the Xuantian Gate. They all said that I had spread rumors and wanted to destroy the Great Chang. What right do I have to bear this crime?”
Those people were very panicked and thought that Princess Yong Chang wanted to roast them on a fire to fulfill her reputation as a virtuous person.
They argued that traditionally, men were responsible for external matters while women were meant to manage household affairs. Allowing women to be involved in public matters would only bring them suffering.
They also said that giving birth to children was something they enjoyed. How could a little girl understand the joy of it? She actually said so much, thinking that she was saving them. Little did she know that she was pulling them out of their nest and pushing them into the fire pit!
They also said that their father, brothers, and sons had been working for the country their entire lives. In the end, they still had to stab them in the back and s.n.a.t.c.h their jobs and t.i.tles. They could not do it, and they were not that vicious.
There were even elderly women who kowtowed and banged their heads until they bled, demanding that the late Emperor revoke the t.i.tle of Princess Yong Chang and order her execution.
Fortunately, Duke An was swift and decisive. He led the d.u.c.h.ess, the eldest daughter of the Duke’s Estate, and his second daughter to storm into the Xuantian Gate with weapons, ready to sacrifice their lives to defend the honor of Princess Yong Chang.
The Empress Dowager, the late Emperor, and some of the experienced concubines in the Inner Palace all vouched for Princess Yong Chang, so this matter was suppressed.
However, Princess Yong Chang still found out the cause and effect. She was shocked and depressed for a long time.
“Perhaps from then on, Little Yaoguang had the intention to leave this place..” The Empress Dowager couldn’t look at Old Madam w.a.n.g’s current expression and only said to the dumbfounded Ah Yu, “Now, do you still think that starting a women’s academy is as simple as you think?”