Hearing this, Shen Qing and Yuan Zhao stood still, stunned.
Jiang Zhiyun, who was confused, frowned and complained discontentedly, "What? Does Your Majesty not trust me? Most of the medical practitioners in our Qingmu Sect are women, and even the sect master is selected from among women. If the young sect master were not extremely outstanding, the elders would not have recognized him and allowed him to ascend to the position of sect master as a man.
"Now that we're in the mortal world, does Your Majesty look down on women instead?"
"Your Majesty, don't forget that most heartless people are men. Those who stir up trouble in the court and take bribes are mostly men. Those who take concubines and are fickle are also men. We women have endured so much and still haven't developed a hatred for men. This is enough to show our magnanimity and kindness. How can one judge a person's ability by gender?"
Jiang Zhiyun's tirade left Xiao Chengye stunned on the dragon throne for a moment.
Yuan Zhao and Shen Qing looked at Jiang Zhiyun in surprise.
Especially Yuan Zhao, who looked at Jiang Zhiyun with admiration in her eyes.
In the Nine Desolate Continent, Jiang Zhiyun had never seen anyone look down on others because of their gender.
Especially since she held a position in the Qingmu Sect and had always been by the side of Elder Lianshan and Qing Qing. Even cultivators with higher cultivation levels than hers wouldn't dare to be impolite to her. When had she ever been looked down on because of her gender as a woman?
In her anger, Jiang Zhiyun almost flicked her sleeves and left.
After hesitating for a moment, Shen Qing still secretly reminded Jiang Zhiyun, "Zhiyun, after all, this is the Human Emperor of the mortal world. It's better to show more respect."
Of course, she wholeheartedly agreed with what Jiang Zhiyun had said just now. She just wanted to save face and give both sides a way out.
Jiang Zhiyun pouted and reluctantly lowered her head slightly. "Your Majesty, the cultivators in our Nine Desolate Continent have no class distinctions. We all respect the strong. So, I..."
"Forget it. Feel my pulse for me."
Xiao Chengye's head was buzzing. Afraid that Jiang Zhiyun would say another long speech, he quickly stopped her.
Hearing this, Jiang Zhiyun also closed her chattering mouth. She took out a few thin threads from her storage bag. With a flip of her fingers, the thin threads were firmly wrapped around Xiao Chengye's wrist.
When the thin threads were wrapped around Xiao Chengye's wrist, Shen Qing clearly saw a flash of surprise in Xiao Chengye's eyes.
But seeing that Jiang Zhiyun had closed her eyes and was carefully diagnosing, he didn't say anything.
Jiang Zhiyun's fingers moved slightly, and then she murmured to herself, "Who administered this poison? It's so complex. The hot and cold qi in the body are in conflict, overexhausting the internal organs. The poison has penetrated deep into the bone marrow. Over time, it will make people seem to die of overwork."
"The person who made this venom is truly a genius!"
The more Jiang Zhiyun talked, the more excited she became. There was a hint of admiration in her tone for the person who made the poison.
Xiao Chengye's face turned darker and darker. Yuan Zhao didn't dare to raise her head or look Xiao Chengye in the eye when she heard this.
Xiao Chengye was angry. Anyone would be furious if they were plotted against by their own daughter.
But, forget it. He wasn't clean - handed either in order to ascend to the throne.
It was an expected thing...
Yuan Zhao's face turned green. She quickly pulled on Jiang Zhiyun's sleeve, hoping she would say less.
Jiang Zhiyun didn't know that it was Yuan Zhao who had administered the poison. She just thought that Yuan Zhao didn't want her to say too much and worry her father.
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore. I can cure this poison. Later, I'll prepare all the medicinal materials and give your father a few acupuncture treatments. It won't be long before your father recovers."
Hearing that Jiang Zhiyun could cure the poison, Yuan Zhao heaved a huge sigh of relief.
Hearing Jiang Zhiyun casually say that she could cure the poison, Xiao Chengye felt mixed emotions.
After Jiang Zhiyun and Shen Qing withdrew, Yuan Zhao shuffled at the door but didn't want to leave. Finally, it was Xiao Chengye who spoke first and kept her. Father and daughter were locked in the imperial study and talked for a long time.
Shen Qing didn't know what they were talking about. She only knew that Yuan Zhao's eyes were red when she came out, but her expression was okay.
After returning to Li Tianyun's mansion, Li Xian's eyes lit up as soon as she saw Shen Qing. She quickly walked to Shen Qing's side, took her hand, and led her into the room.
Xue Ling hadn't even swallowed the tea in her mouth when she saw the two of them leaving in a hurry. She couldn't even say a word.
Seeing Hong Chaoyang come back too, Xue Ling felt excited as if seeing an old acquaintance. She quickly pulled Hong Chaoyang and talked a lot.
But mostly she listened to Hong Chaoyang talk about what happened when they stayed in the palace. When she learned that it was Yuan Zhao who had poisoned the emperor, Xue Ling was so shocked that she quickly picked up her Buddhist beads and chanted "Amitabha".
Jiang Zhiyun stayed in the palace to take care of the emperor's health and didn't come out with them.
Another half - month passed. When the emperor's poison was almost cured, good news finally came from each town. The people of the Ling family had successfully resolved all the issues.
The people arranged by the Third Prince either shrank back in the face of the demons or only cared about enjoyment. Not only did they take bribes, but they also put on airs all day long and proposed some impractical plans.
When the Third Prince learned that the emperor intended to let Yuan Zhao compete with him, his first reaction was to find it ridiculous.
He led many court officials to submit memorials, angrily scolding Yuan Zhao for being a woman but not staying in the inner chambers and disturbing the court.
But the emperor neither refuted nor accepted these memorials. He piled them aside as if he hadn't seen them.
When Yuan Zhao learned that the Third Prince was leading the court officials to cause trouble, she snorted. She took the lead in opening the private treasury of the princess mansion and provided relief to the victims in the suburbs. She even went to the fields in person and cultivated with the farmers, bringing the damaged farmland back to life.
The common people didn't care whether the person in that position was a man or a woman. They only cared whether the person in the high position could make their lives better.
So Yuan Zhao's prestige among the common people rose rapidly.
Behind the Third Prince were noble families. There were quite a few prodigal sons in their families who bullied the common people. The common people had long resented the sons of these noble families.
Seizing this opportunity, Yuan Zhao even joined hands with ministers from humble backgrounds and did many things beneficial to the common people.
Finally, with Xiao Chengye's tacit approval, Yuan Zhao opened a girls' school in the capital, allowing women to study and gain knowledge. She also made the chamber of commerce recognize female merchants, giving women the qualification to do business independently.
These policies greatly impacted the noble - family ministers who deeply believed in male superiority.
Resisted by most people, these policies beneficial to women couldn't be fully implemented smoothly. They encountered a lot of obstacles during the implementation process.
But Yuan Zhao became more courageous in the face of setbacks. She didn't become dejected under the suppression of the Third Prince and the noble families. Instead, she showed her abilities even more.
Driven by Yuan Zhao, the matter of the Ling family was investigated clearly. All the Ling family members were released, and their innocence was restored.
Seeing this, Shen Qing was relieved. All things had settled down. Although she hadn't seen Yuan Zhao ascend the throne, Shen Qing still decided to return to the Nine Desolate Continent first.
But before setting off, she met someone unexpected yet expected.