Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Accepting the fact of my rebirth wasn’t all that difficult.
It was, after all, my greatest wish after death.
However, to say that rebirth comes with a brand-new brain would be a complete lie.
It took me a while to accept the reality: I had been reborn, but my intellect hadn’t improved one bit.
I stared listlessly at the books before me: *Admonitions for Women*, *Precepts for Women*, and *Virtues for Women*.
I had heard that these books were written by a virtuous empress of the previous dynasty. They were revered as essential classics for all women under heaven, and many ladies took great pride in having read them thoroughly.
In my past life, under the tutelage of my nanny, I had committed these texts to memory.
But what use was it?
When my mother died, I was still bound and suppressed by these very rules, unable to fulfill my filial duties at her bedside.
Because I occupied the Empress’s seat and my mother was a subject, there was a distinction between superior and inferior. Shedding a few tears was already considered a significant gesture of favor.
Even when I wept and begged Zhao Jinsheng, I wasn’t allowed to step a single foot out of the palace gates.
Now, the mere sight of these books filled me with loathing.
With a sweep of my sleeve, I brushed the books off the table and quickly ran outside.
Today, my mother was hosting the Shanyan Assembly in the front courtyard. The most learned people in the capital had come to discuss state affairs. Whether they spoke well or poorly, they would not be punished for their words.
Scholars from all over the world fought tooth and nail for a chance to attend this Shanyan Assembly, hoping to leap through the Dragon Gate and achieve success.
In my past life, I would get sleepy the moment I heard those great scholars quoting classics and criticizing the current state of affairs.
But now I had realized something: since I lacked brains, I should listen more to those who actually had them.
I burst into the Shanyan Assembly.
My mother was stunned to see me, but she immediately called me over with joy and pulled me into her arms.
Scanning the surroundings, I spotted Zhao Jinsheng and Zhao Pinyan sitting upright.
They sat with such solemn dignity that it was impossible to tell if they were actually absorbing anything, but their expressions alone were enough to intimidate anyone.
I immediately adopted an attentive posture as well.
In the center of the assembly, two talented scholars were debating the topic: “Duke Huan of Qi achieved hegemony by delegating power to Guan Zhong, while King Kuai of Yan met his downfall by delegating power to Zi Zhi.”
In the past, I wouldn’t have understood a word they were saying.
But now, I caught a glimmer of the underlying meaning.
The person who proposed this topic had malicious intentions.
Duke Huan of Qi employed Guan Zhong and achieved hegemony, but as soon as Guan Zhong died, the Duke’s hegemony crumbled.
As for King Kuai of Yan, he employed Zi Zhi and even abdicated the throne to him. This act incited resentment in the Crown Prince, who eventually raised an army in rebellion, leading to great chaos in the state of Yan.
This wasn’t a discussion about Duke Huan of Qi and King Kuai of Yan at all.
It was clearly a jab at the Emperor and my mother.
Years ago, during a massive upheaval in the palace, eunuchs and court officials had conspired to kill every prince and princess and set the palace ablaze.
It was my mother-who was only a princess at the time-who joined forces with my father to turn the tide, suppress the rebellion, and support the current Emperor, then merely a cadet of the imperial clan, in ascending the throne.
After the Emperor took the throne, he couldn’t match my mother in terms of bloodline, power, or the debt of gratitude he owed her. He could only enshrine her like a great Buddha.
He titled her Grand Princess Zhaoyang and named me Princess Minghua, but these titles were far from equal to my mother’s contributions.
If my mother were a Guan Zhong, it would be fine. But if she were a Zi Zhi…
The person who set this topic was clearly pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust tree-using the past to warn my mother.
In my previous life, my mother had me marry Zhao Jinsheng and even paved the way for him, handing my father’s Tiger Roar Army over to his control.
All of this proved that my mother acted for the sake of the realm, unwilling to incite further conflict.
But what was the point of being a loyal subject?
When she died, her only daughter couldn’t even go to see her.
After her death, I was immediately cast into the Cold Palace by Zhao Jinsheng and eventually stabbed to death.
A surge of anger rose within me. Hearing the scholar speak of “the execution of Zi Zhi” with such schadenfreude, I couldn’t help but speak up in rebuttal.
“The one who was muddled was the King of Yan. If the King of Yan hadn’t been lazy, Zi Zhi wouldn’t have been the one governing. If the King of Yan hadn’t been fatuous, he wouldn’t have listened to the slanderous words of his ministers and orchestrated that abdication nonsense.”
“If Duke Huan of Qi were truly a wise ruler, he wouldn’t have immediately employed treacherous ministers after Guan Zhong died. The fault lies with the King of Yan and Duke Huan of Qi. What does it have to do with Guan Zhong or Zi Zhi?”
“If Guan Zhong and Zi Zhi were truly at fault, it was likely because they served those two emperors too well, leaving them utterly useless.”
As soon as these words left my mouth, the entire assembly was shocked.
The two scholars stood there agape, not knowing how to continue.
The rest of the guests looked at me, then at my mother, and for a moment, the room was pin-drop silent.
My mother slowly picked up a grape and popped it into my mouth, smiling tenderly. “My daughter has extraordinary insight. What she says makes sense. What do you all think?”
The crowd chimed in one after another, praising my foresight and exceptional intelligence.
I received more compliments in that moment than I had in my entire life, and I couldn’t stop grinning.
In my last life, this lot only praised me for being a natural beauty or having a graceful figure. None of them had ever used such flowery words for my mind.
As I laughed, my smile slowly faded.
I stared at them with wide eyes.
Does this mean that in my past life, they were just finding creative ways to call me an idiot?
Literati are truly wicked!