The Virtuous Concubine

Wen Xian felt both sad and warm in his heart. Fortunately, his mother supported him!

She looked up and asked Malu: "Mother, is this road so difficult just because I am a girl?"

Malu nodded and shook her head, the tassels of the pearl hairpins on her bun colliding with each other, making a pleasant sound: "Yes, and no."

Seeing Wen Xian looking at her intently, Malu patted Wen Xian's back lovingly, feeling her daughter's strong heartbeat:

"As a woman, you will indeed face many obstacles in this world. People often have many restrictions and prejudices against women, believing that women should stay in the back house and take care of household chores. Getting involved in politics and state affairs is even more against the will of heaven. So, it seems that your difficulties are indeed because you are a girl."

"But the real difficulty is not because you were born a girl. Even if a man wants to take this path, he will suffer a lot. As long as you want to go against the current, hold power and choose your own life, you will find it difficult to move forward even if you are born a man. Because some things your father represents are weighing on you and blocking you. As long as you have your own ideals and ambitions, knowing that it is impossible but still doing it is the fundamental reason why you face difficulties."

Wen Xian's heart was filled with emotion after hearing these words. She felt as if there was a fire burning in her heart.

At this moment, she still didn't understand what imperial power was, because she was part of it. She also didn't understand what patricide was, but she knew that as long as someone stood in her way, she would kill them, even if someone stood in her way!

She raised her head and asked her mother word by word, "What if I disguise myself as a man and go to Jiangnan under the name of Yinzuo?"

Upon hearing this, Malu's expression suddenly changed and he looked a little amused.

"Silly daughter, how can you pretend? Your every move will easily give you away, and your hair——"

Malu smiled and tapped her forehead: "How can there be a Qing prince with long hair!"

Wen Xian felt that he would not be stumped by this: "Mother, I can put on a hat and imitate a man's walking posture and speaking tone. No one will notice."

Malu shook her head helplessly. "You think too simply. There are many people in Jiangnan, and you will be discovered if you are not careful. The fact that you have been wearing a hat is very suspicious. Mother doesn't want to pour cold water on you, but she can't help but remind you that your behavior is inappropriate."

Wen Xian already had an idea in her mind, so she didn't listen to Malu's words. She nodded perfunctorily: "Then I'd better go and persuade the emperor again. Mother, mother, I want to eat ox tongue biscuits and persimmon cakes - let Aunt Bai Xia make them for me."

Malu saw that Wen Xian had diverted his attention, but he was not relieved.

Her own daughter knew that Wen Xian had a stubborn temper and once he made a decision, it was difficult for him to change it easily.

"Wen Xian, just listen to your mother. We can't rush into this matter. If you insist on going to Jiangnan, you need to think long and hard." Malu tried to persuade Wen Xian again.

However, Wen Xian seemed to be preoccupied with the tongue biscuits and persimmon cakes and was no longer thinking about this matter.

"Mother, I understand. Don't worry." After Wen Xian said this, he turned around and ran to find Aunt Bai Xia, asking her to make some snacks for him.

The next day, Kangxi, with a gloomy face, rushed to Yonghe Palace with a young man.

Malu got up to greet the emperor after receiving the news. From a distance, he thought that it was one of the princes in Yonghe Palace who had offended Kangxi. It must be the thirteenth or fourteenth prince. Just when he was getting nervous, Kangxi said coldly, "Look at the good daughter you raised!"

Malu looked closely and found that the young man in the navy blue brocade robe and jacket was Wen Xian!

Seeing her mother looking at her, she stood up straight, smiled awkwardly, and performed a proper imperial salute: "I pay my respects to this lady."

Malu was so shocked by Wen Xian's bold action that she almost cried out. Just as she was about to kneel down and plead for Wen Xian, she was stunned by her sudden move.

She knew she shouldn't laugh, but she really wanted to laugh: "You stinky girl, what's so weird?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Kangxi with a half-smile on her face. She obviously wanted to laugh, but she restrained herself because she was still angry. She was ready to plead for mercy.

But as soon as her knees bent, Wen Xian pulled her arm up and looked at Kangxi pitifully: "Father, can you please come in and talk? I still have to save my face."

Kangxi couldn't help laughing. He laughed out loud, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed: "You still know how to save face? Forget it, I won't punish you for now. When you go in, let your mother see what good things you have done, and she will be the first to punish you."

When Wen Xian heard this, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly pulled Malu and Kangxi to the palace. Entering the main hall, Kangxi sat in the main seat. Although his expression was somewhat relaxed, he still looked a bit serious.

Wen Xian lowered his head, not daring to look Kangxi in the eye. Malu stood by, also full of worry. What does "If I knew what she had done, I would be the first to punish her" mean?

Kangxi looked at Wen Xian and knocked her hat-covered head with his hand without any courtesy: "Tell your mother why you want to dress as a man?"

Wen Xian pursed her lips and said unyieldingly: "Father, my daughter wants to go to Jiangnan."

Malu already knew about this, but she still cooperated and pretended to faint, which scared Bai Xiabaifu next to her so much that she quickly rushed over to support her.

Kangxi also looked at her worriedly, then turned around and rebuked Wen Xian: "See how you scared your mother!"

Wen Xian didn't dare to speak, he just lowered his head and said nothing.

Ma Lu could only weakly chime in: "If you want to go to Jiangnan, you should discuss it with your father and your fourth brother. They will not disagree. Why bother to dress like this?"

Kangxi was also a little confused. His daughter was making a fuss about going to Jiangnan, so she wasn't angry? And what did she mean by "I won't disagree"? I didn't agree at all!

Kangxi frowned and looked at Malu, "How can you, as her mother, indulge her like this? The flood in the south of the Yangtze River is no joke. I think she is just spoiled by you!"

Malu quickly stood up, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. I am not indulging you. It's just that Wen Xian has always been a very opinionated child. I want to understand why she is so determined to go to Jiangnan, and then slowly persuade her. Moreover, Your Majesty is a rare wise and holy ruler. The thoughts of this little girl Wen Xian may..."

After saying that, he glanced at Wen Xian and didn't continue. Wen Xian received the look from his mother and quickly took the opportunity to get angry. He pouted and was about to cry: "They all lied to me, just to keep me stable! Before, the emperor said that I could go if my water control strategy was well written, but now the strategy has been implemented, and there is no follow-up to my going to Jiangnan!"

Malu quickly hugged her daughter and looked at Kangxi with a condemning look - how could you go back on your word?

Seeing that Malu still didn't understand how serious Wen Xian's behavior was, Kangxi simply reached out and took off Wen Xian's hat himself, so that Malu could see what good things Wen Xian had done in order to go to Jiangnan.