in2ebook Chapter 115 The Temptation of a Matriarchal Kingdom
Chapter 115 The Temptation of a Matriarchal Kingdom
After finally managing to coax the icy Xiao Chenyuan away, Su Yaoyao's heart felt restless and itchy, like it was being scratched by a cat.
A matriarchal society!
A living matriarchal society!
In her previous life, she had only seen this kind of setting in novels: women were respected, men were devoted to their wives and children, and women could even have multiple husbands... Just thinking about it was exciting!
"Jingzhe! Has Jingzhe returned yet?" She craned her neck to look outside.
No sooner had the words been spoken than Jingzhe hurriedly came in from outside. On his perpetually indifferent face, a rare hint of...surprise appeared.
"How was it? How was it?" Su Yaoyao grabbed her arm, her eyes shining like stars in the night sky. "What did you find out? What's the leader of the Xiliang delegation like? Is it all women? Isn't that impressive?"
Jingzhe was dizzy from being shaken, so she quickly steadied her voice: "Reporting to Miss, the Xiliang delegation does indeed respect women. The leader is a female general named Mu Yun, riding a tall horse, wearing silver armor, and with a curved sword at her waist..."
She paused, a longing involuntarily showing in her eyes, "It's really impressive."
Su Yaoyao listened with fascination: "They really have women holding official positions? And do generals wield real power? Can they command troops?"
"Yes." Jingzhe nodded. "I've inquired. In the Western Liang court, female officials make up 70% of the ranks, and there are quite a few female generals in the army as well. This General Muyun is one of the three great generals under the King of Western Liang, and she has a distinguished military record."
"My God..." Su Yaoyao cupped her face in her hands, looking completely dazed. "Then can they also have three husbands and four concubines?"
Jingzhe was taken aback by the question, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "I've heard... it's possible. It's common for women in Xiliang to take several concubines if they have high status and good family background."
"My God..." Su Yaoyao clutched her chest.
Isn't this the life she dreamed of in her past life?!
She suddenly realized that she had really made a huge mistake by transmigrating to the Yong Kingdom, where thinness was considered beautiful!
If she were to transmigrate to the Western Liang, with her looks and figure, plus her modern brain, she might very well become a high-ranking official and keep a courtyard full of handsome concubines...
Stop, stop.
She quickly shook her head, trying to banish those dangerous thoughts.
"Anyone else?" she pressed. "Who else is in the delegation?"
"There's another princess," Jingzhe said. "I heard she's the eldest princess of Xiliang who had a brief affair with a man from the Central Plains when she was traveling in her early years, and the child she had was born. But the child was kidnapped not long after he was born, and he was only found a few days ago. This time, she specially brought him to Yongjing to broaden his horizons."
"Princess?" Su Yaoyao blinked. "You mean... a male princess?"
"Similar." Jingzhe thought for a moment, "In Xiliang, women are respected, so the titles for men are different. This princess is extremely beautiful—no, not beautiful, but stunning. When she entered the city today, she was sitting in a carriage and wearing a veil, so no one could see her face clearly."
Su Yaoyao rested her chin on her hand, her face filled with longing: "Beautiful... just how beautiful must she be?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it," Jingzhe shook her head. "I just feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
Su Yaoyao pouted, "I guess all pretty people look pretty much the same. Ah, I really want to see it in person!"
She lay on the table, her mind already wandering freely.
If only she could travel to the Western Liang Kingdom! She could be a queen, raising a bunch of handsome men, spoiling whomever she wanted, and taking anyone she liked into her household…
No, no, that's not right.
She suddenly sat up straight.
If I traveled to Xiliang, I would never have met Xiao Chenyuan.
Thinking of Xiao Chenyuan's aloof and ascetic face, although he was a bit possessive and obsessive, he was genuinely good to her. That kind of doting affection, where he only had eyes for her and wanted to give her the whole world... was quite intoxicating.
Su Yaoyao's longing for a matriarchal society suddenly faded a little.
But soon, she started grinning mischievously again.
If Xiao Chenyuan became her male concubine...
Hey.
An image immediately flashed through her mind: Xiao Chenyuan, dressed in a light gauze robe, was chained to the headboard with gold chains, his clear, cold phoenix eyes glistening with tears, looking at her with a mixture of resistance and attraction, calling out "Master" in a hoarse voice...
"Pfft—" She couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"What are you thinking about? Why are you so happy?"
A deep voice suddenly came from the doorway.
Su Qingrun walked in with a gloomy expression. When he saw his sister's silly grin, his brows furrowed even more.
"Brother?" She quickly sat up straight. "What brings you here?"
Su Qingrun sat down opposite her, her gaze sweeping over her face: "When the Crown Prince left just now, he didn't look too good."
Su Yaoyao's heart skipped a beat, but she smiled and said, "Really? I didn't notice."
"Stop playing dumb." Su Qingrun tapped the table. "What's gotten into you two again? Is it because of that eldest prince of Beimo?"
"...I guess so." Su Yaoyao honestly admitted, "His Highness... is a little jealous."
"A little?" Su Qingrun sneered. "I think he wishes he could gouge Ashina Lie's eyes out."
Su Yaoyao shrank her neck.
Her brother has a really good eye for people.
"Brother, do you think His Highness's personality is a bit too... that kind of thing?" she asked tentatively.
"Which one?" Su Qingrun raised an eyebrow.
"It's just... he's too possessive, obsessive, and a bit..." Su Yaoyao carefully chose her words, "...yandere?"
Su Qingrun didn't quite understand what "yandere" meant, but she understood what he had said before. After a moment of silence, she slowly said, "He wasn't like this when he was a child."
Su Yaoyao was taken aback.
"The Crown Prince had a difficult childhood in the palace." Su Qingrun's voice lowered a few decibels. "The Empress Dowager passed away early, and he grew up under the Empress's care. He appeared noble, but in reality, he was walking on thin ice. Later, he turned to Buddhism, which was less about purifying his mind and reducing desires, and more about... sealing himself off."
He looked at Su Yaoyao: "You are the first person in the past ten years who has brought him back to life. That's why he's so nervous, so... anxious."
Su Yaoyao's heart skipped a beat.
She suddenly remembered Xiao Chenyuan's obsessive actions, his uneasy eyes, and the vulnerability hidden beneath his strength.
It turned out to be the case.
"Then... what should I do?" she asked softly.
"He needs to be coaxed, and he needs to be disciplined," Su Qingrun said bluntly. "You are his future crown princess, and the person closest to him. He trusts you, which is why he shows this side of himself to you. Don't let him... go astray."
Su Yaoyao nodded emphatically: "I understand."
Su Qingrun's expression softened slightly, then, remembering something, she rubbed her temples.
"Ashina Lie just sent someone with an invitation, inviting you to the horse farm outside the city tomorrow... to admire the horses."
Su Yaoyao: "...Huh?"
"They said they brought several fine horses from the Northern Desert and wanted the future Crown Princess to appreciate them."
Su Qingrun said in a hard tone, "I also heard that he said at the post station that the men of the grasslands know how to care for people the most, and are a hundred times better than those weak scholars in the Central Plains."
Su Yaoyao blinked.
It goes without saying who he was saying this to.
"What about His Highness..." she asked tentatively.
"The Crown Prince's palace must already know," Su Qingrun sneered. "Let him worry about it himself."
Su Yaoyao: "..."
Brother, you really are my brother.
She could already imagine Xiao Chenyuan's expression when he saw the post.
(P.S.: I'm not thinking about harem at the moment; it's just the author's quirky sense of humor. Of course, as you know, I'm an author who listens to advice~~)