Long live Emperor Wu!

Chapter 289 Donation
She walked through the corridor where everyone was standing, walked all the way to her seat, lifted her clothes, straightened her shawl, and sat down dignifiedly. When she raised her head, the palace maids opened the ceremonial fans in time, and the ladies entered. seats.

"His Majesty is in the front discussing matters with the courtiers, and we should discuss ours as well." Wu Rou said with a smile, took the tea cup, put it to her lips and took a sip.

The ladies all laughed when they heard this, and the atmosphere was obviously much more relaxed and casual.

The weather was a bit hot, so she deliberately spoke in a relaxed manner while holding a tea cup, and also gave others the opportunity to drink water at will.

Wu Rou put down the tea cup and continued:

"What happened to what I told you last time? I have to collect money this time."

Li Ji's daughter Li Xiangyun came in place of her mother. She smiled and asked directly:
"I don't know how much the Queen will donate for the students in this world, but we don't dare to go beyond you."

Wu Rou glanced at Li Xiangyun gratefully, and then said softly and loudly:
"It's more or less your intention. You don't have to force yourself. It's not that Tang Dynasty is short of donations from a few people. It's just that as a woman, I can do my best.

If the soldiers on the front line are fighting bloody battles, we will sew clothes and armor, and donate food and grass. If the scholar-officials on the front line open more schools to promote our Tang culture, we will add more issues and prints, and donate books.

Although we can't make the final decision on this important matter in the court, we have contributed to every step of the Tang Dynasty. No one can say that we women are ignorant, right? "

"The Queen is right. After I went back last time, I told my family and he was very supportive." Someone said with a smile.

Another military commander’s wife said:
"I don't understand national affairs, but I think what the Queen said is right. Only when there are more scholars and educated people in the Tang Dynasty can we have the opportunity to hire husbands for our daughters.

When it comes to studying, people with family backgrounds don’t need to ask others, their own mother teaches them at home. What should families like ours do?
I can’t strangle myself to death and give my daughters a stepmother like King Choi Lu Zheng, right? "

She spoke exaggeratedly, and made a stranglehold gesture with her hand on her neck, then turned to look at Cheng Yaojin's step-wife, Mrs. Cui.

Cheng Yaojin's first wife had the same reckless background as him. Unfortunately, she died of illness during the Zhenguan period. She was only thirty-one and was unlucky.

Xu Xian married a woman from the Cui family in Qinghe. She was very young and always pretended to be from a high-ranking family. She could be said to be well-educated or arrogant. She has not yet been granted a title.

Cui heard that the person was nodding at her, straightened her back unconsciously, turned her head and glanced at the person, then bowed slightly to Wu Rou respectfully, and said elegantly:

"Queen Qi, I also think your Majesty is right, and after returning, I spent a lot of time in front of the general to convey what I meant.

He understood and said that as long as it was His Majesty's intention, he had no objection. "

When the wife of the military commander who spoke earlier seemed to be stimulated by her contemptuous eyes, she asked directly with a smile:

"What do you think is wrong? Do you think your knowledge is not good and you need to hire another master to teach your daughter?"

Wu Rou could also understand their grievances. There were many famous officials and generals in the court. Because the Tang Dynasty was in its infancy, many wives suffered hardships and were worried.

Life has finally gotten better, but when I turn around, these people are all pursuing women from high-ranking families with the fifth surname. Those who have lost their wives will marry them again, and those who have not lost their wives will raise money for their children and grandchildren. They are all proud of being able to marry women from high-ranking families with the fifth surname. .

In the early years, during the reign of Emperor Taizong, this trend was so popular that the supply of these high-ranking women exceeded the demand, the amount of betrothal gifts increased, and their social status was raised to a fictitious position that transcended reality.

I heard that several mothers-in-law from meritorious families went to great lengths to bring their daughter-in-law in, even looking at their faces. Later, the imperial court directly suppressed this trend and suppressed it.

Things are much better now, but these despised ordinary women are still full of resentment and grievances towards women from high-ranking families. And because of the support of the imperial court, they can finally express their grievances.

Wu Rou raised her eyes and glanced at the audience, and saw that Ms. Cui still maintained her arrogance and contempt and did not answer.

She turned around at the right moment and asked her niece who was accompanying her:
"Qingjue, how much are you going to donate? You are my mother's family, so you can't be too picky and lose my face."

Hearing this, Holland Qingjue took a step forward, bowed and said with a smile:
"How dare Qingjue embarrass my aunt? I told my family before that my mother-in-law and my brother donated a share, which has been handed over to the treasurer and registered."

"Bring it to me and take a look." Wu Rou smiled lovingly and stretched out her hand towards her.

Helan Qingjue turned around, took the booklet held by the palace maid and presented it with both hands.

Wu Rou took it and unfolded it, looked at each catalog carefully, nodded and said with a smile:

"It can be seen that it is not forced, it is my intention."

After hearing this, Qingjue glanced at the faces of the nobles present, then asked with a smile:
"Auntie thinks we don't donate enough, how about we donate more?"

Wu Rou joked:
"That's good...you say that as if I'm trying to rob you."

She stretched out her hand and handed the booklet out gently and said:

"Take it, and use this to make a copy of the donation for the ladies. Remember the names, the wives of which families, and the daughter-in-law of which family. This is also a credit, and I might be able to ask for a reward from His Majesty in the future. "

After hearing this, the female officer of the pen and ink was followed by two palace maids, holding the pen and ink and the tray, and went out. According to the order of the titles of the married women, from high to low, they asked.

Wu Rou said something to Xiao Qu, the chamberlain beside her, and Xiao Qu took up her breath and sang loudly:
"Open~the~banquet~"

As soon as the sound came out, the entertainment program that had been arranged earlier began. At the same time, the maids filed in carrying food boxes and filled the tables of the nobles with various exquisite snacks and pastries.

The atmosphere that had been awkward and tense just now suddenly came alive.

The first old lady who was about to enter the donation entry clearly felt that the eyes of the people around her were gone. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked carefully at the record at the front of the booklet.

Not only the members of the Wu family were recorded, but there were also donations from the concubines in the harem. At the front was the catalog of Queen Wu Rou, with only one entry:
Five hundred taels of gold.

It suits her status and saves enough face for the people below her.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, took out the prepared paper from her arms, handed it to the palace maid, and watched her copy out each item.

Wu Rou glanced at the crowd and found the wife of Zhongshu Ling Li Yifu. She saw her with her neck raised and a simple look as if she was concentrating on watching the show. She said to Caiyi beside her:

"Go and call Mrs. Li Yifu over. I have something to say to her."