章節 8: I reject those teachings
Jia Li drank the water and placed the glass on the table. She finished the remaining food and set down the chopsticks. As she dabbed her mouth with the napkin, she heard Court Lady Xuan say, "Her Majesty has asked the Crown Princess to see her after she finishes her meals."
Jia Li placed the napkin neatly on the table. The maidservants promptly approached to clean the table while Jia Li asked the reason for her mother's sudden summon.
"Her Majesty did not tell anything, Your Royal Highness," Court Lady Xuan replied.
Jia Li hummed and took another sip of water before standing up. She headed to see her mother. This sudden summon did not seem right to Jia Li. She reached her mother's manor and went straight to her grand chamber, where she not only found her grandmother but also the three aunts.
The picture got clear to Jia Li why she was being summoned. She bowed to them and took her seat.
"I heard from Mother that the Crown Princess refused to look at the proposal. She said she would marry the man whom she liked," Empress Mingxia said with an anxious look.
Jia Li recalled how she asked Court Lady Xuan to deliver this message to Grand Empress Dowager. "Yes, Mother," she agreed.
"The Crown Princess is old compared to many women, who are already married and taking care of their families and kids," her first aunt, Zhenyue remarked. "Why doesn't Her Majesty make her daughter understand?" She suggested Mingxia.
"The Crown Princess should consider the proposal which Grand Empress Dowager has brought for her," Mingxia told her daughter.
"Pardon me, Mother. I do not desire to marry a man of my grandmother's choice. Since my responsibilities are to look after my family and kids, then I must choose a man wisely since I am the Crown Princess," Jia Li pronounced.
Grand Empress Dowager shot a glance at Jia Li. "Does the Crown Princess think I found a man against her choice? I didn't expect this from Empress Mingxia's one and only daughter," she said coldly.
"Mother, Jia Li will marry the man of your choice only. I will talk to the Crown Princess. Please give me a day," Mingxia asked her mother-in-law to grant her a day to change Jia Li's decision.
Jia Li chose to remain silent since she still did not want any of them to find out what was in her head. Else, she had a lot to say. She didn't want to marry a man, who would pose a threat to her in the future. Given how the Grand Empress Dowager was against her being the Crown Princess, she would control her future husband to depose her in that position. Jia Li could not allow that to happen to her.
"I will meet the man whom my lovely grandmother has looked for me," Jia Li announced, which made her mother happy while Grand Empress Dowager got perplexed. This sudden change in her decision made Grand Empress Dowager dubious of the Crown Princess.
"As I am the Crown Princess, I have enough rights to look for certain qualities in my man. I am not an ordinary woman. I hope my grandmother agrees with this. Father will not like to see me getting married to a man who's not of my choice," Jia Li affirmed.
Grand Empress Dowager curled her fingers, and asked her if she didn't trust her choice.
"I do. However, it is difficult to trust men these days," Jia Li answered, tilting her head to gaze at Court Lady Xuan. "What does the proposal say?" she inquired.
"Your Royal Highness, the proposal mentions the name of the Empire State Minister's son, Cao Jun," Court Lady Xuan answered.
"Inform him to meet me tomorrow morning," Jia Li declared, gazing at Grand Empress Dowager. "Is the Grandmother happy?" She asked.
"I am," Grand Empress Dowager replied with a smile. She could not help but wonder about the swirling thoughts in the Crown Princess's head.
The three aunts exchanged gazes at each other and finally, the second aunt, Xu Yanmei, said, "I heard from my far relative's son how people want a male to lead the empire in the future."
Empress Mingxia peered at Xu Yanmei and knitted her brows together.
"I would like to know about such people, Aunt Yanmei," Jia Li expressed her wish.
"Well, a woman looks good taking care of her family. She does not understand how the Empire works and also physically she is weaker than men," said Yulan, Jia Li's third aunt. "Wangjie is suited most for the Crown Prince's position. Am I right, Mother?" she queried, glancing at Grand Empress Dowager.
Jia Li would hear such things every day. If she would be the old one, she had ignored them. However, it was the time to show her power over them.
"Aunt Yulan's retard thinking is the reason why women like her have not grown up. They fail to recognize their self-dignity and do what the society, especially the men, ask them to do," Jia Li proclaimed.
"Jia Li, this is not the right way to speak with your aunt," Mingxia scolded her mother.
"I would like to tell everyone present here that I will make the rules of my life. The teachings of our forefathers forbade us to think in a way where a woman can also rule and do better than the majority of men. However, I reject those teachings and will do what will be best for the future of this Empire. I hope I will not listen to it ever how a male should get this Crown. I am born to lead the Empire," Jia Li affirmed with confidence oozing out from her.
"Is the Crown Princess declaring her right over the throne already?" Grand Empress Dowager asked her.
"Yes, I am," Jia Li pronounced, her tone filled with confidence.
Empress Mingxia got worried for her daughter. She decided to talk to the Emperor about that matter once. She found out her daughter was alone in the battle of the Crown and later throne with many. She did not want her daughter to carry so many responsibilities at such a young age when she could enjoy life with her family like other women. But Empress Mingxia was also well aware of Jia Li's choices for her future. She wanted her daughter to be safe if she wanted to fight with evils around her.
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