Time flies, and ten years have passed since the end of the livestream.
After the system confirmed that the good deeds in ancient times were completed, Gu Sang held a perfect farewell ceremony with everyone.
In those thousand-plus days and nights, when the Ancients spoke of that final livestream, their faces were still filled with nostalgia.
They no longer envied the life of later generations, because here, many people were also striving to create an equally free and equal life like that of the future.
Just as the sun was setting, commoners who had been busy all day returned home to start cooking.
A four-year-old little girl ran in from outside and glanced at the food on the table: "I don't want to eat at home. I want to go to the night market when it opens and buy food there."
The child's father grabbed the little girl: "You're being picky now? In the past, you couldn't even get a full meal when you wanted one."
"You're not allowed to go to the night market today. You must eat at home."
The little girl asked innocently: "Dad, why didn't you have food to eat before? Would people starve to death during famines? What's a famine? If there's no food at home, can't you just buy some at the night market?"
The child's father patiently explained: "Before you were born, there were no night markets, no free schools, and girls couldn't even go out on the streets like they can now."
"You must remember, every grain of rice in your bowl is the fruit of hard work."
"Our happy life today didn't come easily. It's the prosperous era created by Her Majesty the Empress, Miss Gu, and many others. It was paid for with the blood of Concubine Zhao. It was because many, many women fought and bled on the battlefield that girls can now study..."
"You are very fortunate, more fortunate than your mother."
-
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace.
Pei Weiqi's aura had become increasingly gentle and restrained. Sitting on the throne, she exuded the dignity of a ruler to the fullest.
Looking at the pile of memorials that had once again grown into a small mountain, she rubbed her temples in discomfort: "The last time there were this many memorials was when I had just become empress."
"In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed. Everything has changed in these ten years, except these ministers who still like to submit memorials at the drop of a hat."
Pei Weiqi called out softly to the Shadow Gate outside, and a Shadow Gate expert immediately appeared before her.
"Go find out if these ministers have any recent troubles."
"I don't believe they're all so idle every day that they have time to meddle in my private affairs."
Before midnight, the Shadow Gate expert had already gathered information about the private matters of many ministers.
So, during the court session the next day.
When Pei Weiqi once again faced the ministers' joint request to expand the male harem.
She sat calmly on the dragon throne, unmoved and even somewhat amused.
The ministers knelt on the ground, pleading: "Your Majesty, now that the country is prosperous, for the sake of the empire, you must select a consort soon and give birth to a prince."
"Your Majesty, I have served three emperors, and you are the only one who has shown no intention of having offspring. This is not right. If you do not give birth to a prince or choose an heir, after a hundred years, the empire will fall into chaos!"
"Your Majesty, if you do not agree to select a consort today, I will kneel here and refuse to rise."
"Your Majesty..."
Pei Weiqi calmly raised her hand, stopping the ministers from continuing.
The empress, high above, showed no change in expression and responded composedly: "My beloved ministers, your concern for my private affairs makes me both grateful and ashamed."
"So I must also show concern for you. Minister of Personnel, I hear that your young master seems to be..."
"Deputy Minister Zhang, I hear you've been worried about your daughter lately, they say she..."
As Pei Weiqi mentioned each name, the corresponding minister's face changed slightly.
This... having their private affairs exposed publicly, how was it any different from defecating in public?
The only difference was that everyone's privacy was being exposed by the Empress, so was this a collective social death?
After Pei Weiqi had silenced them using their own tactics, she smiled gently.
She continued: "Actually, I understand your fear of the country falling into chaos."
"However, I think we can learn from future generations. It doesn't have to be my own flesh and blood who inherits the throne."
"I can select several outstanding heirs from all over China and personally educate them from a young age."
"When the time comes, whoever is more capable of leading this country to prosperity will sit on this throne. How does that sound?"
"The throne is not a symbol of power, it represents responsibility, the responsibility of a ruler."
"I would prefer to entrust the empire to someone capable, regardless of gender. Let the strong rule, rather than insisting it must be my direct descendant."
Boom!
These words struck the court officials like lightning, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.
What was their Empress saying?!
She actually wanted to give up the throne!
Heavens, this severely contradicted age-old traditions.
But it completely aligned with the ideals of future generations.
"Your Majesty, do you really intend to never marry?"
"When you see the lights of ten thousand homes and families reunited, don't you feel lonely in your heart?"
Lonely?
In this life, except for the extremely rare few lucky enough to find a soulmate to accompany them for life.
Everyone is lonely.
We come alone.
In the end, we also leave alone.
Pei Weiqi smiled faintly and looked at the court full of officials, her words resonating powerfully: "I have always known the path I chose, and I have never regretted it."
"I can swear in front of the entire court that I will never regret it!"
"I am the Empress of a nation, my heart holds the world, and I bear the weight of all people. In this lifetime, I will never take a husband, nor will I become pregnant or give birth."
"As a dignified ruler, I absolutely cannot allow myself to fall into a life-threatening crisis. Continuing the bloodline is fine, but it is not my intention."
"The lights of ten thousand homes are heartwarming, but that is not what I desire."
In the end, the entire court of officials could not win this debate against Pei Weiqi.
Even with the introduction of medical techniques from the future.
Childbirth was still a matter of life and death, unavoidable.
A dignified empress would not allow herself to fall into such danger, even if the possibility of difficult labor had become very low due to medical advancements, it was unnecessary!
Her ability, talent, and strength.
Did not need to be highlighted by giving birth to an heir!
The following year.
Pei Weiqi selected a boy and a girl from among the common people and brought them into the palace to personally nurture them.
Another three years passed.
Pei Weiqi, as the Empress of a dynasty, ate meals with her adopted son and daughter just like ordinary people.
In her leisure time, Pei Weiqi would take them horse riding and hunting, or teach them how to treat the common people by example.
"Your Majesty, Principal Ge praised me today." The little boy raised his head, happily waiting for Pei Weiqi's praise.
The little girl rolled her eyes and exposed him: "Your Majesty, Principal Ge asked him to run errands today and said he ran fast."
"Who knew he'd turn around and tell you that Principal Ge praised him."
The little boy wasn't convinced: "That counts as praise. If you're not convinced, let's compare who gets first place in the next exam!"
The little girl smiled confidently: "That goes without saying, I'll definitely be first."
The little boy retorted: "Last time I misread one question, that's why you got first place. This time, I definitely won't be careless. This time, first place is mine for sure."
"How about this, whoever gets first place, the loser has to grant one request from the winner."
"Fine! You're going to lose for sure. Just wait to see what I'll ask for." The little girl agreed immediately.
Pei Weiqi watched them with a smile, and she didn't interfere with this kind of bet.
There was still a long road ahead. The real test would begin when they grew up.
From beginning to end, Pei Weiqi's goal had always been clear: whoever was stronger, whoever could better develop the country and improve the lives of the people, would become the emperor.
The other one would enter the imperial court and become the emperor's most trusted minister.
Taking a step back, if an emperor couldn't even handle this level of competition, couldn't make opponents submit, and needed the throne to be handed over safely without any scheming or tactics, then they wouldn't be able to sit securely on the throne, and the country would eventually perish.
In the imperial court, there was no distinction between men and women.
The imperial throne belonged to the capable.
Gender should not be a limitation, nor should limitations be based on gender.
This was the prosperous era that Gu Sang spoke of.
Ten years later, the Little Girl was crowned as the Crown Princess with outstanding achievements and abilities. She ascended to the throne, establishing equality between men and women for generations to come, fulfilling the saying that if given a chance to rise, women will work harder and cherish it more than anyone else.
"Father Emperor," she said.
"Look, Pei Weiqi, though a woman, is no less capable than Pei Changying. I have lived up to the name you gave me."
"Once, because of my gender, no matter how excellent I was, I could never compete with the princes. No matter how suitable I was for the throne, you never wavered in your decision not to let me succeed. I felt resentful, pained, and powerless. But now, that's no longer the case. I have become strong enough to give the girls I raised the fairest competition."
"Father Emperor, Pei Weiqi is excellent. Even as a woman, she should be your pride."
