The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 48

Gu Qing went to the palace and explained the outcome of the major battle to Xie Zhibai.

“Then it shall be as you say. Lin Chenzhi is your responsibility; I will not interfere.” It was only a small request, and Xie Zhibai was not so rigid as to deny this.

Gu Qing nodded. She had anticipated this. She then brought up another matter. “I encountered a woman in a small border town named Zhou Xianyun. She was originally a female head catcher there. Her family has all passed away. I was thinking it would be better to let her come to the capital to serve as a head catcher here.”

Xie Zhibai naturally trusted Gu Qing’s ability to judge character and did not ask many questions. “I will arrange this matter.”

Besides these two small matters regarding Zhou Xianyun and Lin Chenzhi, there was actually one more thing she had always wanted to do. However, while the late Emperor was reigning, her situation with Xie Zhizhen had no clear resolution, so she had no opportunity to speak of it.

Now that Xie Zhibai was the Emperor, Gu Qing finally had the chance to explain her thoughts to him. “There is one more thing. From some of the smaller towns, we can see many women serving as officials, leading their towns to develop better and better. And while Zhou Xianyun is a woman, she has been a head catcher for five years. The thieves and criminals she has captured are not fewer than those caught by men.”

Although he did not know what Gu Qing meant by this, Xie Zhibai listened quietly without interrupting.

Gu Qing continued. “I may not be the most formidable general in the history of the Geng Dynasty, but I believe I am not inferior to any man. No matter the task, I have always felt that strength is what matters most, not gender.”

Xie Zhibai roughly understood Gu Qing’s meaning. He nodded in agreement. “Perhaps regarding certain official positions, we can give women some opportunities.”

Gu Qing shook her head. Giving women official positions was part of what she wanted, but it was not the ultimate goal of her visit. “I hope women can have equal qualifications to attend school and sit for the top imperial examinations. They do not need a back door. Just give them an equal starting point, and they will earn the remaining honors and official positions themselves.”

If they could not obtain the same educational resources, then even if they were given the same official posts, they might not necessarily do well. What Gu Qing wanted was not special treatment for a disadvantaged group, but fairness.

Xie Zhibai pondered for a moment. He did not rush to deny Gu Qing. Instead, he proposed a new perspective. “Gu Qing, I understand your idea and support it. But you must realize one point. Even if I give them the equal qualification to attend school and sit for the examinations, they may not necessarily have the chance to enter the schoolroom.”

Studying had never been cheap. For the aristocratic families, they possessed abundant wealth, but they had sons to inherit the family business. As for women, they were only required to be educated and sensible enough to be the mistress of a household. For ordinary families, supporting one male in his studies already exhausted too much money; they likely could not afford to support a woman’s education as well.

Gu Qing naturally understood Xie Zhibai’s meaning. She had thought about modern compulsory education, but she knew that asking the imperial court to provide funds for the entire world to read and write would face not only the sectarian prejudices of the aristocracy but also a significant financial burden for the court.

“I understand. Just give them a chance for now; the rest can come slowly.” When women from humble backgrounds could hold a place in the imperial court, that would be the opportunity for this vision to move a step closer.

Gu Qing smiled faintly. “Actually, letting women of humble origins enter the court can, to a certain extent, suppress the aristocratic families.”

The aristocratic families had accumulated prestige for a long time, which was something no Emperor wanted to see. Since men of humble origins could already enter the court as officials to suppress the aristocrats, it was also time for women of humble origins to enter the court.

When Gu Qing came out of the palace, she saw a street vendor selling candied haws. Thinking that Xie Zhizhen had been eating less today because of the heat, and that the sweet and sour candied haws were delicious, she figured Zhizhen would enjoy them.

With this thought, Gu Qing bought a stick of candied haws and returned to the manor.

Learning from Su Juan that Xie Zhizhen was in her room, Gu Qing went straight there.

Even though it was still daytime, the room was very dark. Layers of thin gauze blocked out the sunlight. Gu Qing was somewhat puzzled. “Zhenzhen? Why have you blocked out the sun?”

It was very quiet inside. Gu Qing received no response and thought Xie Zhizhen had fallen asleep. Otherwise, why would she block out the sun for no reason? She closed her lips and walked in. Sure enough, she saw a small bulge on the bed.

However, seeing her wrapped up so tightly on such a hot day, Gu Qing was stuck between tears and laughter. Although ice had been placed in the room and it was not that hot, she could not hold out against Xie Zhizhen wrapping herself in a quilt like that.

Gu Qing walked to the bedside and tried to pull the quilt down. Consequently, she saw Xie Zhizhen with her hair loose. Due to Gu Qing’s movement, her hair was a bit disheveled. A pair of clean, beautiful eyes looked at Gu Qing, and her pink lips were tightly pursed, appearing somewhat nervous.

At first, Gu Qing did not quite understand why Xie Zhizhen was nervous. But when her gaze moved downward, she saw Xie Zhizhen wearing a gauze robe as thin as a cicada’s wing, revealing her shapely curves. The water-red undergarment made her skin look as white as snow, which was heart-stirring.

Gu Qing’s speech became a bit clumsy. “Zhen, Zhenzhen, what is, what is wrong with you?”

Xie Zhizhen was very satisfied with Gu Qing’s reaction. She tried hard to set aside her shyness. They had been married for three months, and it was time to take another step forward. Since Gu Qing was afraid of offending her, this time, she would take the initiative!

Xie Zhizhen tried to give herself some courage. After taking a deep breath, she reached out her arms to wrap around Gu Qing’s neck. Before Gu Qing could react, she kissed her.

Due to years of training, Gu Qing’s body was very strong, but her lips were unexpectedly soft. They carried a faint scent of fresh grass, bringing a bit of refreshment to this summer day.

Xie Zhizhen was shy after all. Making this move had exhausted all her courage. So, she simply pressed her lips against Gu Qing’s and closed her eyes, waiting for Gu Qing’s response. However, what she felt was Gu Qing pushing her away.

Pushed away.

Away.

Xie Zhizhen was a bit dazed, while Gu Qing’s face was full of concern. “Zhenzhen, has something happened?”

The last time Xie Zhizhen had been this proactive was when the old Emperor was still alive and her request to marry the Princess had failed. So, regarding Xie Zhizhen’s initiative this time, Gu Qing almost subconsciously thought something had gone wrong.

Having her rare initiative misunderstood, Xie Zhizhen felt like slapping the life out of Gu Qing. But when she met Gu Qing’s eyes, which were filled with care, she turned her head away. She was a bit unhappy, but she still told the truth. “No.”

But the more she acted this way, the more worried Gu Qing became. She wanted to hold Xie Zhizhen’s hand tightly, but she was still afraid of causing her revulsion. She could only squat down to look her in the eye. “If something has happened, you must tell me. Do not hide it by yourself; I will be very worried.”

Xie Zhizhen was truly a bit angry this time. She tore off the thin quilt that was making her sweat from the heat, revealing her beautiful figure, snowy skin, exquisite collarbones, and white arms. Her beautiful eyes widened. “Can’t you see that I am seducing you?!”

Gu Qing was stunned. This was an answer she had not expected. But…

“Why are you seducing me?”

Ever since Zhizhen saw Xiao Mei’s portrait, her condition had clearly worsened. Even Su Juan touching her could cause her to vomit. Under such circumstances, why would Zhizhen want to seduce her? Gu Qing was puzzled.

Xie Zhizhen grabbed Gu Qing’s collar. Even though her face was completely flushed with shame, she still forced herself to explain to Gu Qing. “It, it is because you have been so distant with me lately!”

Otherwise, she would never have condescended to dress like this.

Xie Zhizhen’s words made Gu Qing even more confused. “When did I become distant with you?”

“You! You still say that!” Xie Zhizhen suddenly felt extremely aggrieved. “You used to always like to, like to kiss, kiss… I am not talking to you anymore!”

How could she possibly say such words? It made it seem like she enjoyed it very much! She did not want to!

Gu Qing suddenly realized the situation and knew Xie Zhizhen had misunderstood. She quickly explained to her. “Was I not afraid that you would feel disgusted?”

Through Gu Qing’s explanation, Xie Zhizhen finally understood what a significant impact the scene of her vomiting in front of Gu Qing had made on her, to the point where even after three months, she did not dare to touch her.

For a moment, Xie Zhizhen was also stuck between tears and laughter. She grabbed Gu Qing’s hand and placed it against her cheek. “I am already better, Gu Qing.”

She was completely better. This matter was fundamentally a sickness of the heart, and now, that heart sickness had been erased by Gu Qing.

Gu Qing carefully looked at the expression on Xie Zhizhen’s face. Confirming that she had no revulsion toward her touch, her heart felt a surge of excitement. She placed one hand on the back of Xie Zhizhen’s head and kissed her fiercely.

This kiss was not gentle like Xie Zhizhen’s. Instead, it carried a bit of ferocity. Their lips and teeth intertwined. Gu Qing tasted Xie Zhizhen’s flavor, her hand moving down from the back of her head to touch that soft, smooth skin.

The one-piece undergarment left Xie Zhizhen’s beautiful back completely exposed to Gu Qing’s hand. The delicate sensation was something that one would yearn for. Gu Qing’s other hand threaded its fingers through Xie Zhizhen’s dark hair, feeling her temperature and her breath.

The scents of peach blossoms and fresh grass were tightly entangled. The dim room was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere. The two, who finally had no barriers between them, were at last tightly embracing at this moment.

Gu Qing temporarily lost control of her strength. Her fierce movements seemed as if she wanted to tear Xie Zhizhen into her very bone and blood. Whenever she faced this side of Gu Qing, Xie Zhizhen was always defenseless. At this moment, her mind was a complete blank. All her movements followed Gu Qing’s lead. Her limbs were limp, and she relied entirely on Gu Qing to barely support herself, until a hint of the taste of blood spread between their lips.

A slight sting also woke Xie Zhizhen. She pushed Gu Qing away, her voice soft and lacking strength. “You, you bit me; it hurts.”

Gu Qing looked down at the trace of blood on Xie Zhizhen’s lips, which added a touch of brightness to her white and delicate face. She gave a light chuckle. It was a tingling sound that made Xie Zhizhen’s heart itch even more.

“Yes, it is my fault.”

While admitting her mistake, she kissed her again. But this time, Gu Qing extended her tongue, gently licking Xie Zhizhen’s lips and swallowing those droplets of blood.

In a gentle posture, licking the blood bit by bit, Gu Qing’s eyes looked brightly at Xie Zhizhen without closing.

At this moment, there was only the other person in their eyes, and nothing else. Inexplicably, Xie Zhizhen felt that Gu Qing was very alluring like this.

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