Chapter 1286: Composition
This time, Zhang Yuelu did not bring her secretary when she came to Jade Capital because the Nine Halls Joint Council was top secret. Secretaries were not allowed inside and could only wait outside, so there was no point in bringing one along.
The Nine Halls Joint Council finally concluded, so Zhang Yuelu did not need to rush to Beichen Hall early in the morning. Instead, she had the leisure time to read a book. Of course, it was not a novel but a Western text. Ever since Great Sage Shi had required her to strengthen her Western studies, Zhang Yuelu had been steadily reading related materials over the past two years. After all, she either did things properly or not at all, never half-heartedly.
On the other hand, Qi Xuansu was quite busy today. Since he had finally made the trip to Jade Capital, besides meeting Sage Donghua, he also needed to visit others, like Great Sage Jiang of Zixiao Palace.
Given Qi Xuansu’s status, he was certainly qualified to directly request an audience with a Virtuous Great Sage. However, he could not be too casual about it.
This morning, he had been debating whether to go in an official capacity or a more personal one. Qi Xuansu preferred the latter, since it implied a closer relationship between both parties. But if Great Sage Jiang did not see it that way, Qi Xuansu would come across as presumptuous.
On matters like this, Zhang Yuelu would not offer advice.
Qi Xuansu was not a child, nor someone who needed a partner to control every aspect of his life. He disliked the notion that only one’s mother or wife should hold ultimate authority. What happened to equality and mutual support? Why should someone need to dominate him just to prove he was a “good man”?
If “virtuous wife and loving mother” was a form of conditioning and discrimination against independent women, then “good man” was hardly praise for men either.
To put it bluntly, strength was not an objective standard but a subjective one. If one willingly kneeled and abandoned equality, then no matter how powerful or wealthy one was, some would still see one as weak and spineless. Betrayal and humiliation would then follow.
Even the ancients had a saying that kind people were bullied, while the gentle horse was ridden.
That was why Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu had jokingly labeled each other “bad” yesterday.
In the end, Qi Xuansu decided to go in a personal capacity. Thus, he removed his lotus crown and hechang and dressed in ordinary robes. He bade Zhang Yuelu farewell and headed out to cultivate connections.