A WOMAN SHOULD BE PROUD AND CONFIDENT

Xia Qiao was a calm girl, and even when the other girls continued to treat her badly, she rarely reacted and would only listen to their harsh words quietly.

However, when she heard that Duan Shuchun didn't even want to give her the opportunity to participate in the competition to select the last dancer to perform in the Imperial Palace, she immediately walked past the other girls before stopping right in front of Tiantang's boss.

"Why don't you want to give me a chance to appear in the Imperial Palace, jiejie?" Xia Qiao rarely spoke to the boss in person, and she would mostly listen when the boss wanted to talk privately with her, but she immediately asked the question as soon as she stood right in front of the older woman.

Even the other girls were surprised by her straightforward attitude, but they didn't say anything.

"I have no ill intentions for you, Ah Qiao," Duan Shuchun replied firmly. "I just don't want you to cause more trouble in the Imperial Palace. Last night, two people from the palace came here and witnessed what you have done to Master Fang, and even if I don't know the identity of the two people, I believe they have reported the matter to the Emperor."

The Emperor was the number one person in the empire. It could be said that he was the most powerful dragon in the empire, and humans depended heavily on him even if they might never have met the Emperor.

It was the power of the Emperor that managed to maintain stability within the empire, and no one dared to offend him.

"But I don't think I did anything wrong last night, jiejie," Xia Qiao confidently refused to admit that she was wrong, and the other girls in the hall immediately sneered at her upon hearing those words.

Even Duan Shuchun could only helplessly shake her head, but Xia Qiao was still unwilling to admit that she was wrong as she said, "The first time we met in Tiantang, you told me that Tiantang was not a place that would sell girls. You said that Tiantang is not a place that sells female bodies, but it is only a place that will sell talent. That principle is something I admire about you and Tiantang, jiejie. I also don't want to sell my body, and that's why I rejected Master Fang last night. Am I wrong for that?"

Xia Qiao was a calm girl who mostly hid behind her black veil without saying too many words every day, but she suddenly spoke at length when she wanted to fight for her rights in front of the Tiantang boss.

Duan Shuchun's facial muscles tightened, and it seemed that she was torn apart after hearing the young girl's statement.

"Aiyah... I didn't want to sell you either, Xia Qiao," replied the boss helplessly. "I just wanted to save Tiantang, that's all. Last night, you heard that some officials in the Imperial Palace wanted to shut this place down a few years ago, right? It was because those officials wanted to invite me to their bed when I was younger, but I rejected them. At that time, they weren't officials in the palace, so they couldn't do anything to me. But as soon as they became officials in the palace a few years ago, they immediately wanted to use their authority to harass me."

Finally, Xia Qiao heard the detailed story of what had happened to the boss all those years ago, and she couldn't help but stare at the woman who wasn't even looking at her.

Even the other girls didn't say anything, and it seemed that they could understand Duan Shuchun's feelings at the moment.

"So, Master Fang is the only shield you have, jiejie?" Xia Qiao finally returned. "I can understand that Master Fang has money and power, but don't you think that you have lowered your dignity too much just because Master Fang has helped you in the past? You have always taught us to be proud and confident girls, and you also told us to stand tall even if we were in front of men, so why did you decide to lower yourself?"

Xia Qiao was so bold in front of the Tiantang boss, and even the other girls in the hall could only hold their breath as they could feel the tension between the young girl and their boss.

A woman with courage and principles like Duan Shuchun was extremely rare in the empire. Most women still thought that they were less worthy than men, and that was why they were willing to be stepped on by men.

Women couldn't even hold their chin up high when facing a man, and they were even willing to let men use their bodies because they didn't even value themselves.

Most women in the empire still thought that they had no value and that they would forever live under men.

However, Duan Shuchun was different from most women in the empire. She was bold and confident, and she didn't want to put herself under men. It was an admirable character, and the girls in the Tiantang House greatly admired her for it.

Now, Duan Shuchun seemed to be contemplating her mistake after she heard Xia Qiao's bold statement, and after two full minutes of silence, the boss finally laughed, and the voice echoed in the great hall.

"If you didn't remind me, then I wouldn't have noticed that I've been putting myself down all this time, Ah Qiao," Duan Shuchun surprisingly showed her gratitude even though it was only indirectly, and Xia Qiao suddenly saw hope after the older woman no longer blamed her for what happened last night.

However, to her surprise, the boss once again crushed her hopes by saying, "But I still can't let you perform in the Imperial Palace no matter what, Ah Qiao."