Chapter 1687: Chapter 1687: Clueless
Zhulan looked at the eagerly anticipating Empress Dowager Chen and pointed at herself, "Consort, what I write is articles."
Empress Dowager Chen said, "I’ve read them, that’s why I’m asking if I may do the same."
Zhulan spread her hands, "I write articles with the Emperor’s permission, so you should know whom to ask."
Empress Dowager Chen pursed her lips, "I’m writing fiction, and I’d like to hear your opinion."
Zhulan pointed to the sky, "This matter can be taken into the palace to inquire of the Emperor."
There is room for amusement, so fiction isn’t impossible, mainly depending on the Emperor’s thoughts. For an Emperor with authority in hand, a lot of things are convenient to implement.
Empress Dowager Chen wasn’t too inclined to enter the palace, "Don’t you have any other method?"
Zhulan shook her head, "No, I don’t."
Without the Emperor’s permission, no one dared to take on Empress Dowager Chen’s fiction.
Empress Dowager Chen furrowed her brow, "Why is it so difficult for women? You have great talent yet can only use Mr. Fengqing to write articles. I can only use Mr. Yan."
Zhulan thought in her heart that it is indeed not easy for women, but articles and fiction are different. Even if fiction is welcomed, putting it in the newspaper would still be difficult. Especially since the capital’s newspapers face all the provinces nationally, carrying the Emperor’s ideas and the court’s decisions. She felt the Emperor wouldn’t agree for fiction to appear in newspapers.
Amusement pieces and fiction are different; amusement pieces collect more from the common people, thus gathering some of the people’s thoughts, whereas fiction speaks of love and such!
Empress Dowager Chen saw that Yang wasn’t speaking, and the enthusiasm in her heart slowly waned, "Ah, I’m unwilling to accept this."
Zhulan spoke, "You might as well ask."
When Empress Dowager Chen came, she didn’t ask her son because she knew what her son would say, so she came to ask Yang, a woman who had her articles published in newspapers; she hoped to get some advice and also hoped Yang could help her!
Unfortunately, what Yang said was right. The world belongs to the Emperor. If the Emperor doesn’t allow it, asking more people to help is useless.
Empress Dowager Chen didn’t rush to leave but instead said, "Your articles appeared in the newspapers; my son praised you."
Zhulan’s lips curled up in a smile, "Really?"
Empress Dowager Chen nodded, "Really."
Zhulan felt delighted; who doesn’t like receiving praise? Getting compliments from someone of Prince Qi’s level was not only an affirmation of her but also recognition of her thoughts!
With Zhulan’s articles appearing in the newspapers, Mr. Fengqing became more famous and received recognition from many scholars. The result was that books in the bookshop sold better, and books weren’t cheap. The bookshop owner was delighted, placing Mr. Fengqing’s books in the most prominent position.
At the same time, everyone was curious about who Mr. Fengqing was!
The boys from the Zhou family, still at the Academy, listened to their classmates’ strange silence during discussions.
Ming Jung pursed his lips; he really wanted to say Mr. Fengqing is my grandmother, but sighed, knowing he couldn’t say it and felt quite stifled!
Ming Ling and Ming Feng sat together, and when it was class time, they only saw the teacher come in with a newspaper. The two brothers exchanged a glance, feeling a sense of independence!
A few days later, nobody in the capital knew who Mr. Fengqing was. The more mysterious Mr. Fengqing became, the more discussions there were.
And Zhulan had already moved past her joy, pondering whether she could recruit female students in the future and was preparing to visit the surrounding villages of the capital.
Yu Yi wanted to follow along, and Yu Wen rarely volunteered to join, so Zhulan took both of her granddaughters.
Being the capital of the country, the suburb’s people’s lives were quite good, judging by their houses and attire, with some family wealth.
The curtain of the carriage wasn’t drawn, and through the glass window, the outside scenery was clearly visible.
Yu Yi pursed her lips, "The ones playing in the village are all boys; granddaughter hasn’t seen any girls."
Ever since they entered the village, she had been staring out the window. Even though she had her suspicions, seeing it with her own eyes made her feel uncomfortable.
Yu Wen, "Grandmother, should we get off the carriage?"
Zhulan nodded but didn’t let the coachman stop at a household that appeared to be struggling. She was only visiting, and it would be useless. Even if she didn’t charge any coins, such families wouldn’t send their girls to learn skills. She didn’t want to see stubborn thinking.
Right now, trying to persuade them would be pointless unless someone in the village sent their daughter to learn, and they saw wages after learning. Only then would the idea sway, even if it was for Silver Coin.
The carriage stopped at Lizheng’s house, and the people in the suburb recognize carriages. From them, they could tell whether one was nobility.
Lizheng was at home. Zhulan got off the carriage, and Lizheng was stunned, "This lady?"
Zhulan said, "Just an excuse to drink some water."
Lizheng didn’t think much of it, "Please come in."
Zhulan entered the courtyard, and the female head of the household welcomed her. Knowing she was borrowing water, she quickly asked her granddaughter to boil some.
Zhulan didn’t enter the house, sitting in the courtyard. Spotting a glass window, she also noticed the jewelry worn by the women, and she had an idea, "Is there a scholar in the house?"
Lizheng’s wife smiled, "Yes, several grandsons are studying."
Zhulan looked at a few girls. As Zhulan’s group comprised of women, the girls didn’t shy away, while Lizheng did, "How old are your granddaughters?"
Lizheng’s wife replied, "The oldest is fourteen and already engaged, the youngest is eight."
Zhulan noticed the girls were very well-behaved and smiled, "You’re blessed."
Lizheng’s wife waved her hand, "What’s the blessing?"
She wished for more grandsons because granddaughters would eventually marry.
Zhulan said, "Granddaughters are affectionate."
Lizheng’s wife didn’t agree but also didn’t argue. She recognized noble carriages on the streets of the capital, and the elderly woman in front of her, even without many pieces of jewelry and a kind face, she didn’t dare to say everything.
Zhulan asked again, "Do your granddaughters know how to read?"
Lizheng’s wife felt puzzled but replied, "They don’t know how to read."
Zhulan felt suffocated; several grandsons in the house were studying, yet none of the granddaughters knew how to read, "Are you familiar with the orphan manor?"
Lizheng’s wife became spirited, "Yes, my husband said once it’s rebuilt, he’ll send our talentless grandsons to learn."
"What about your granddaughters?"
Lizheng’s wife was stunned, frowning, "Granddaughters will eventually marry."
When they learn enough, it’s time to get married. Sending granddaughters to study would benefit others, plus she wouldn’t want to spend Silver on sending granddaughters to learn. It would be better to send more grandsons to study, so they’d have skills in the future.
Yu Yi and Yu Wen remained exceptionally silent. They had been fortunate at birth, being Mr. Guan’s daughters, having parents who adored them and unbiased grandparents. They had learned to read from a young age, learning everything from musical instruments to painting, and their grandmother broadened their horizons; they were truly fortunate.
Zhulan’s gaze passed Lizheng’s wife and looked at the girl standing behind her, "Would you like to learn a skill? The Academy teaches embroidery, medicine, etc., not just reading and writing but also arithmetic; would you want to learn?"
Lizheng’s wife wanted to speak, but Zhulan’s gaze stopped her; Lizheng’s wife’s pupils shrank, for she was intimidated by the sharp gaze.
The girl didn’t hesitate to answer, "I listen to my parents."
Zhulan looked at the younger ones. In ancient times, children matured early, and girls, being treated unequally, matured even earlier. The younger ones had a look of confusion in their eyes at this moment; they hadn’t considered learning.