Wu Meiniang shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. I don't mean anything else. I just want to show you the real Mei Niang."
"The real you!" Empress Zhangsun couldn't help frowning.
Wu Meiniang said loudly, "I was driven out of Duke Ying's Mansion at the age of 12. The family affection became the deepest thorn in my heart. At that time, Mei Niang swore that I would control my fate in my own hands and never let the humiliation of the Martial Mansion happen again."
"A woman can also control her own fate!"
In the Li Zheng Hall, everyone was silent. Some were amazed, some admired, and some sneered.
"She is also a poor person." Great Elder Princess Tong 'an sighed.
"However, although Mei Niang suffered misfortune, she was also lucky. When Mei Niang was driven out of the Martial Mansion, she met Master Mo. Master taught me the Mo Skills and the Mo Family's philosophy, which gave me the opportunity to control my own fate. It was the Mo Family that gave me a new life, and I can't betray the Mo Family's philosophy. Monogamy is the belief of the Mo Family's women. As the Eldest Senior Sister of the Mo Family, I must set an example. Otherwise, not only will I betray the Mo Family's philosophy, but also my own oath. "Wu Meiniang said firmly.
"Monogamy!"
All the women present couldn't help but be touched. Everyone had been loyal to their husbands. However, even the noble Empress Zhangsun didn't want to adhere to the monogamy. She even didn't hesitate to sacrifice herself to choose beauties from all over the world for Li Shimin.
Even the domineering Great Elder Princess Tong 'an couldn't stop her husband from marrying concubines, let alone the peerless beauty Zheng Chonghua. In order to enter the palace as a concubine, she didn't hesitate to give up the monogamy.
The beauties in the selection were even more pathetic. They were sent here by their families without any chance to choose. What was more, they were just competing for the position of one of the concubines. They didn't even have a short monogamy.
However, an ordinary woman in front of them was talking about monogamy in front of Empress Zhangsun. This made them blush with shame and moved them.
"In addition to monogamy, Mei Niang also wants to decide her own life. Women can also do what they want to do. I have improved the formula for the secret technique of longevity a long time ago, but I have never dared to try it. This time, I finally made up my mind and dyed my hair the color I like the most. It is definitely not to anger the Empress, but purely because I like it very much." Wu Meiniang stroked her orange hair and slightly raised it, creating waves. The other girls couldn't help but feel envious. Even though they weren't used to this kind of hair color, they had to admit that it was strangely beautiful.
"Women still have to get married in the end. Sometimes, if you miss out on love because of your willfulness, you will regret it for life." Zheng Chonghua persuaded her with deep feelings. It was reasonable to say that Prince Jin was affectionate and had a high status. Even if Yunying was unmarried, she probably had no reason to refuse him. However, Wu Meiniang in front of her was stubborn.
"It's not that Mei Niang doesn't want to get married, but I am now a lady from a noble family who doesn't go out of the house. I am used to the unrestrained and free life of the Mo Family. The royal family is not suitable for me." Wu Meiniang was not swayed and insisted on her own opinion.
"Live a free life."
A group of beauties couldn't help looking at the maverick rival in love in front of them enviously. Since they were born, they began to learn to be educated, reasonable, needlework, and all kinds of etiquette, just to be the victims of their families again one day.
"Do you know what you are rejecting?" Great Elder Princess Tong 'an said with a sneer. In her opinion, Wu Meiniang was a naive little girl who didn't know the benefits behind the Princess of Jin.
Wu Meiniang nodded and said, "Mei Niang knows that if I agree to become the Princess of Jin, the Mo Family will have a closer relationship with the royal family. My mother will also be a titled Madam, and the Wu Family will also become a relative of the royal family and go back to glory. In the future, my children will also live a life of glory and wealth, and the fate of all the people related to me will change."
"Since you know that, you still …" Great Elder Princess Tong 'an pretended to be flustered and exasperated.
"However, Great Elder Princess, you forget one thing. If I become the Princess of Jin, everyone will be happy, but I am not. I was a bird that got out of the cage and has grown into a baby eagle that soars in the sky. Why should I return to the cage and be a canary? I will not sacrifice my happiness for the interests of my family," Wu Meiniang said solemnly.
All the beauties couldn't help but fall silent. They no longer had the joy of competing for the position of the Princess of Jin. Not long ago, they were noble ladies of aristocratic families, but now they had become the victims of their families.
Great Elder Princess Tong 'an couldn't help but change her expression. Thinking that she was also the victim of the marriage alliance, she immediately became angry out of shame and said, "Don't you want to repay the kindness of Merton as your teacher and your parents for raising you?"
Wu Meiniang shook her head and said, "The Wu Family drove me out of the house and cut off all ties with me. If Mei Niang wants to repay the kindness, the best way is to stay in the Mo Family and carry it forward. My mother's kindness for raising me is even simpler. Since I entered the Mo Family at the age of 12, I have been raising this family."
Great Elder Princess Tong 'an couldn't help but feel discouraged. If she were an ordinary girl, she would have been obedient. However, Wu Meiniang was so independent and self-reliant that they had no way to control her.
"You don't want to marry into the Prince of Jin's Mansion because you are angry and want to take revenge on the Wu Family?" Empress Zhangsun suddenly asked.
All of a sudden, everyone fell silent. It seemed that this was really possible.
Wu Meiniang shook her head and said, "Of course not. No matter how heartless the Wu Family is, after all, they have raised me. Mei Niang won't take revenge on them with my life's happiness."
"Then have you ever had someone else in your heart?" Empress Zhangsun asked again.
All of a sudden, all the people present held their breath. This question was extremely terrible, especially Zheng Chonghua, who was even more embarrassed. Before she entered the palace, she had an engagement with Lu Shuang and secretly admired Mo Jiazi. Empress Zhangsun's words were like a blow to her.
Wu Meiniang shook her head and said, "Mei Niang has always been careless and has never had any entanglement with any man."
"Since you don't have any, I need a reasonable explanation. Otherwise, you should know the consequences of disobeying the royal family." Empress Zhangsun said coldly. Prince of Jin, Li Zhi, was her favorite child. She could tolerate Wu Meiniang's rebellion, but she couldn't let Prince of Jin, Li Zhi, repeat the mistakes of Zhangsun Chong.
"For freedom!" Wu Meiniang said word by word.
"Freedom?" Suddenly, everyone looked at Wu Meiniang as if they were looking at a fool. Everyone thought that Wu Meiniang would definitely find some righteous reason, but they didn't expect it to be this absurd reason.
"In this world, we women are born to depend on men. Men are strong and women are weak. Men are superior and women are inferior. Men have multiple wives and concubines. Women can only get a pitiful share of love. Women are said to be jealous when they fight for favor. Women have no freedom to go out, no freedom to go to school, no freedom to marry, and no freedom to decide their own fate. Now that I, Wu Meiniang, have the freedom to decide my own fate, I will not allow myself to lose this freedom." Wu Meiniang said proudly.
Silence filled the hall. All the women were deeply moved. They had once longed for the outside world, but reality seemed to have an invisible wall that trapped them inside. Now, the woman in front of them had achieved the freedom that they had longed for but could not obtain.
"Is it worth it?" Zheng Chonghua murmured. She had once asked herself this question, but at this moment, she was already addicted to power and began to doubt the decision she had made.
"I was also once very confused. Until I accidentally saw a poem by my master. Only then did my conviction become firm." Wu Meiniang said clearly.
"Merton's poem." Zheng Chonghua heard this and her eyes regained some color.
"Life is precious, but the price of love is even higher. For freedom, both can be thrown away."
Wu Meiniang's voice was like a clap of thunder, exploding in the Li Zheng Hall.
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