nycdaug Chapter 93: Concubine is always pregnant (really finished)
Chapter 93: Concubine is always pregnant (really finished)
When people heard that Lu Changqing was going to lead troops to war, everyone in and outside the court opposed it. In history, it was common for emperors to lead troops in person, but it was unusual for empresses or queen dowagers to lead troops in person, let alone concubines.
Although Qiao Luoluo has been with Lu Changqing in recent years, assisting her in handling government affairs and acting as the general assistant, she is a very honest person and cannot play dirty. Lu Changqing was afraid that she would suffer in the court, so she invited Cao Ruqiong out.
"Qiao Luoluo only has the title of empress dowager but no real power as regent. Do you think she can control these people in the court if you leave?" Cao Ruqiong asked.
Lu Changqing replied: "Not everyone has as big an appetite as your father and Yan Shan. There are still people in the court who are willing to do practical things."
These officials are not stupid. They don't have nine heads that can be chopped off at will. As long as they do their job well, they can ensure that their official hats will not fall off. Why would they rebel by hanging their necks on their belts?
Ignoring the opposition of court officials, Lu Changqing selected 300 cavalrymen from the imperial guards stationed outside the capital and rushed to Lingzhou overnight.
Cao Ruqiong was no stranger to court affairs. Although she had been staying in the cold palace for the past few years, Qiao Luoluo would often bring her children to see her and tell her about the situation in the court.
Cao Ruqiong found that she really couldn't understand Lu Changqing. At first, he said he would cooperate with her, but in the end, he plotted against her and caused her to lose her family and fail.
Of course, she didn't believe the other person either. After all, they had only known each other for a few months, and she couldn't be open and honest with someone of unknown origin.
Later, her child was taken away and she herself was imprisoned in the cold palace. She thought she could only be released after her daughter grew up, but she was released after only a few years.
Cao Ruqiong looked at Qiao Luoluo who was carefully reviewing memorials beside her. When this woman was in favor, she thought she was a deep-minded person. Later, after interacting with her in the cold palace, she found that this person really lived a simple life.
She asked Qiao Luoluo why she trusted Lu Changqing so much. Couldn't she see that the other party was using her?
What did Qiao Luoluo say at that time? She said: "Even if she was used, so what? Without her, I would have to stay in the harem and live out my life alone. But now I can still go to the palace to attend the morning court."
Sometimes she doesn't know how to evaluate Qiao Luoluo. If you say she is stupid, she still knows that she is being used. If you say she is smart, she is willing to be used.
What kind of personality is this? Honest and dutiful? Not fighting or competing, and as calm as a chrysanthemum?
But why does a person who is as calm as a chrysanthemum love money so much?
When Crown Prince Qi Kaisheng was seven years old, Qiao Luoluo left the palace. She said that she wanted to travel around the country to earn money for the crown prince to fill the national treasury.
Cao Ruqiong felt that Qiao Luoluo was a very contradictory woman, just like Lu Changqing.
One loves money but is not greedy for money; the other loves power but is not obsessed with power.
After driving away the enemies on the border, Lu Changqing led his troops to capture five cities of the other side. Eventually, the two countries signed a "friendly and peaceful" treaty. In addition to maintaining superficial peace, the two sides opened up trade.
It was also for this reason that Qiao Luoluo decided to leave the palace to do business.
That was the Queen Mother. Although Qiao Luoluo herself did not acknowledge this identity, she really gave up this identity she had always dreamed of for money.
After learning that Qiao Luoluo was determined to leave the palace, Lu Changqing personally taught Qiao Luoluo Sanda and Muay Thai. In addition, he also asked people to teach her archery and horse riding. Anyone in the harem who wanted to learn was also invited to join in. Because of this, a wave of horse riding and archery swept the capital, and from time to time one could see daughters of wealthy families riding horses in riding uniforms on the streets.
Qiao Luoluo's departure from Beijing did not alarm the previous dynasty. In addition to the other three concubines, more than a dozen female soldiers left with her.
The female soldiers were formed by Lu Changqing during the year he was at the border. They were all girls without families, and there were less than a hundred of them. When Lu Changqing returned to Beijing, he brought them all back.
Since Qi Yu's death, Lu Changqing told the concubines in the harem that if anyone wanted to leave the palace, she could draft an edict to allow them to go. However, only a few people left the palace. The families of most of the concubines did not want them to return home because it would damage the family reputation.
This era required women to be loyal, especially if they were the emperor's women.
In the second year after Qiao Luoluo left, a not-so-small event happened in Jiangnan. A nine-year-old girl named Lin Fengyu took the boy's exam and actually passed it.
This requires recommendation from the state officials to participate. Although it cannot be ruled out that the local officials may have done this to curry favor with their superiors, Lu Changqing still has to give them a thumbs up!
The imperial examination system of the time tacitly accepted that only men could take the examination, but there was no explicit stipulation that women could not take the examination. The girl took advantage of this loophole and became famous throughout the country, and showed her face in front of Lu Changqing.
Lu Changqing had Lin Fengqian brought to the capital, and after praising her in public, he asked her to go home and continue studying and taking exams. As long as she could pass the exams with real knowledge, she would definitely have a place in the court in the future.
Because of Lin Fengqian's example, many local girls were encouraged and boldly signed up for the imperial examinations.
Lu Changqing's words "As long as you can pass the Jinshi exam with your own ability, you will definitely have a place in the court in the future" were spread widely in the capital by people with ulterior motives. Everyone followed suit, and all the families whose daughters had passed the Meng exam signed up their children for the exam.
Seeing this situation, Lu Changqing made an exception and opened another boy's examination that year. All children aged fourteen and under could participate, regardless of gender.
As soon as this order was issued, the court was in an uproar, and most people were against it.
"This is absolutely unacceptable. Today the Concubine Dowager has set a precedent for women to take the imperial examinations. Will we have to serve as officials together with these women in the future?" Cheng Zhi was the first to stand up and object.
"Besides, women wear heavy makeup and strange clothes. If they stand in the court, they will probably affect the ministers." Someone stood up and echoed.
Lu Changqing stood up and walked into the hall. He stretched out his arms and turned around in front of everyone, and asked, "Am I not a woman? Do you ministers feel suffocated standing in the same court with me?"
Lu Changqing said as he walked up to the minister who agreed and said, "You're still wearing gaudy makeup and weird clothes. May I ask Mr. Ge, is my makeup gaudy? Are my clothes weird? You don't have the self-control. Being a weird woman will affect you. I've been sitting on the throne for eight years. Have I affected you?"
Minister Ge knelt down in fear, "The Concubine is wise and knowledgeable, and has great wisdom and strategy. How can an ordinary woman compare with you?"
Lu Changqing didn't want to hear these flattering words, "I just ask you if I am a woman?"
Minister Ge replied tremblingly, "Yes."
Lu Changqing glanced at all the ministers in the hall and said, "Aren't you scholars so self-righteous and arrogant? I just let women take the imperial examination, and you are so scared?"
Cheng Zhi lifted his robe and knelt down. "Since ancient times, there has been no precedent for women taking the imperial examination. The Queen Mother's move is indeed inappropriate. I hope the Queen Mother will think twice."
"I have thought about it, and I think this is a good move. If Prime Minister Cheng feels it is inappropriate, he can just resign and go home." Lu Changqing pointed to a pillar beside him and said, "If anyone wants to die by hitting the pillar, then that's it. Our great country is full of talented people, and there are many scholars who want to be loyal to the court."
Everyone:...
After picking his nails and waiting for a while, no one committed suicide and no one resigned. Ignoring the voices of "Treasure Dowager, please think twice", Lu Changqing waved his hand and said, "It's settled. I don't want to hear anyone object to this matter again. If you don't want to stay in the capital, there are many people who are willing to stay."
Afterwards, there were a few fearless people who petitioned Lu Changqing to revoke her decision, and she demoted them to remote places to accumulate political achievements.