Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

"His Majesty's remains have been transported back to the palace and are currently resting in the Qianyang Hall."

Yan Zhen lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling.

Hongyu tied the belt around her waist, and she raised her head, her eyes clear and calm.

"Let's go to Yongchun Palace."

When Yan Zhen met the Noble Consort at Yongchun Palace, her attitude was not as warm as before, and she did not even dare to look Yan Zhen in the eye.

Yan Zhen knew that Xiao Dingfang had returned to the capital with 400,000 troops, absorbed Liu Su's troops, and replaced the entire palace defenses with his own people.

The entire army and the center of power of the Great Jin Dynasty fell into the hands of the Xiao family. Even the Sun family, the maternal relatives of the late Emperor Xiahou Che, had submitted to the Xiao family. To outsiders, it seemed that Xiao Dingfang was determined to seize power.

The Imperial Concubine Gui was naturally not immune to having such thoughts. She was unsure how to deal with Yan Zhen, the daughter of this "traitorous minister."

"Your Majesty." Yan Zhen's attitude was as friendly as ever. He took the Noble Consort's hand and sat down on the daybed. "I've come today because I have something I'd like to ask for your help with."

The Imperial Concubine looked uneasy: "Tell me about it."

"His Majesty has passed away, and the Xiahou clan's close relatives were all slaughtered in the last power struggle. In order to prevent the world from falling into conflict over the throne again, I intend to establish myself as emperor."

The Imperial Concubine lowered her head, seemingly unsurprised: "Oh, is that so? If General Xiao has thought it through, then so be it. I have no objections..."

"Your Majesty," Yan Zhen repeated, "I said, I intend to declare myself Empress."

"I know, I... What?!" The Noble Consort was stunned and suddenly raised her head.

Yan Zhen met her gaze, which was a mixture of doubt, shock, and disbelief, and nodded solemnly: "You heard me right. It's not my father, nor any male member of the Xiao family. It's me, Xiao Lingyi, who is going to declare myself Empress."

The Imperial Concubine was so shocked by the news that she couldn't recover for a long time: "You... Lingyi, you must be joking..."

Throughout history, there has never been a reason for a woman to become emperor.

“I’m not joking, Your Majesty, I need your help,” Yan Zhen said earnestly and sincerely.

The Tang family, the maternal family behind the Noble Consort, was a prominent family for centuries. Although Emperor Jin intended to suppress them, not many of the Tang family members served as officials in the court, and those who did were not in important positions.

However, the Tang family is a family of upright scholars with a high reputation among scholars. If Yan Zhen could gain the support of the Tang family, he would essentially control the public opinion of scholars in this era.

This is also why she has been protecting the Noble Consort all these years.

A scholar's pen is a knife that kills without drawing blood. She can use force to suppress dissenting voices, but she cannot fundamentally change people's prejudices about "a woman becoming emperor".

Simply covering up and suppressing the issue will inevitably lead to trouble in the long run.

Therefore, it is better to control the source of public opinion from the very beginning.

"I know Your Majesty can't accept this right away," Yan Zhen said calmly. "The reason is simply because I'm a woman, but so what if I'm a woman? Am I inferior to a man?"

The imperial concubine remained silent, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"In terms of ability, insight, and methods, I am no less capable than any of the princes of the Xiahou clan. If you support me as emperor, I am confident that I can ensure that the people of the Great Jin live a life of plenty."

"Moreover, as a woman, I am more empathetic to the plight of women. I will create an opportunity for the women of the Great Jin Dynasty to step out of their inner quarters and no longer be confined to the small world of the backyard."

Yan Zhen stared intently at the Noble Consort: "Your Highness, you have been through this. You entered the Prince's residence when you were a teenager, and spent most of your life revolving around your husband and son. Seven years ago, when Brother Jin passed away, your world collapsed. In the end, what caused you so much pain, besides the loss of your son, was this universal rule that eats people up without spitting out their bones."

"Rules tell all women that the husband is the head of the household, and that a woman's only value is to manage the household for her husband, bear children, and contribute to the family. If she cannot do these things, then she is a worthless person despised by everyone. But as an independent individual, we are human beings first, and then women!"

These words left the Dowager Consort bewildered and terrified, overturning her understanding of the past forty years. She looked at Yan Zhen uneasily: "Lingyi, I don't understand... what do you intend to do?"

"When I ascend the throne, I will establish a girls' school so that women will also have the opportunity to participate in the imperial examinations and become officials. I will also establish a new marriage system, where men can divorce their wives on the basis of the seven grounds for divorce, and women can also divorce their husbands."

"From now on, women will be able to leave the inner quarters, engage in commerce, study medicine, practice martial arts, and become officials, giving them the right to choose and the confidence to stand on their own. They will no longer be subservient to men for their entire lives, with men deciding their life and death."

The Noble Consort listened to these words in a daze, and couldn't help but recall many years ago, when a cousin from a collateral branch of the Tang family was jilted before her marriage. The reason was that a servant who had done something wrong and was sold off maliciously revealed that she had a black birthmark on her shoulder.

When her fiancé's family learned of this, they believed that her cousin had "lost her virginity" before marriage, which was why such a private part of her body had been seen by others, and they insisted on breaking off the engagement.

This incident caused a huge uproar. After the engagement was called off, the cousin couldn't bear the criticism from her clan and committed suicide by jumping into a well a few days later.

It was only afterward that the Noble Consort learned that the man did not mind that his cousin had lost her virginity before marriage, but rather that he had another woman in his heart and had made such a scene in order to break off the engagement.

Although she secretly instructed others to sabotage the man's family to vent her anger, her cousin from her own family died for no reason and was burdened with a bad reputation.

She grieved for a long time because of this, but even though she was a noble concubine, there was nothing she could do.

If Xiao Lingyi hadn't boasted, then by making her empress, women could have the right to leave the inner palace and, like men, study for official positions and engage in business to make money.

She earned her own livelihood with her own hands, and she no longer had to depend on men, nor would she have to suffer sleepless nights like a sinner for not being able to bear a son, nor would she face certain death after being abandoned...

What would that look like?

Just thinking about it made the Imperial Concubine Gui feel excited.

"You...are you serious?" the Noble Consort asked cautiously. "But those men, they won't let you do this. They will definitely oppose it vehemently."

"So I need your help."

After thinking for a long time, the Noble Consort nodded: "Alright, I believe you."

When Yan Zhen came out of Yongchun Palace, his face was pale, but his expression was much more relaxed.

Hongyu greeted her: "Your Highness, the Duke and his ministers are waiting for you at the Fengtian Hall."

Yan Zhen recalled what the Noble Consort had said, and could even imagine how fiercely the court officials would oppose her, insult her, and even threaten her with death after she said in the Fengtian Hall that she wanted to declare herself empress.

Obstructed and long.

But why not give it a try?

-

Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the Imperial Study, Yan Zhen finished dealing with the thick stack of memorials on the imperial desk. It was already dark outside.

Palace lanterns were lit inside the hall. She got up to stretch her limbs, and Hongyu brought her a cup of tea.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine requests an audience."