Some men can't find a wife, while others have so many women in their households that they can't even recognize them all. The Benevolent Children's Hall, established by the Empress Dowager, clearly had a well-thought-out arrangement in place. Shen Yunyun realized that what she had learned earlier—about the Empress Dowager and the late Emperor ruling together as co-sovereigns—was true: her desire to elevate women's status was genuine. Most of those rescued by the Benevolent Children's Hall were female infants. Though it might be impolite, Shen Yunyun still asked, "Has the Empress Dowager ever considered allowing women into the court?" Ten years had passed; the court should be stable by now. The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "I've thought about it, but it can't be rushed. Back when we ruled together, I was young and ambitious, pushing through reforms with a heavy hand. That stirred up the interests of men, and I suffered the backlash." Shen Yunyun listened to the Empress Dowager's words without expressing agreement or disagreement. Society hadn't yet reached that stage; overly advanced ideals might not necessarily be applicable. For instance, advocating for gender equality now is itself unequal. Modern girls can work, support themselves, and live well without men. But women, living under rules set by men, survive purely by luck. Take the girl who was abused—she just got married, so how did she end up nearly losing her life? She wanted a divorce but couldn't get one; her marriage certificate became a cage and shackles, and she turned into her husband's punching bag. Those lucky enough meet a good man, growing old together in mutual affection. This is the result of generations of effort. In this era, though? Women in this era must rely on men to survive. The societal environment is like this, and change won't happen overnight. Given the unique background of the Great Li Dynasty, the Empress Dowager had already done remarkably well. Shen Yunyun had no issue with the Empress Dowager's approach, but she still needed to help solve the genetic problem of the Seti Galaxy. If the Seti Galaxy's genes weren't improved, extinction awaited them. She directly negotiated with the Empress Dowager: "I'll provide the funds. You help me set up more Benevolent Children's Halls, and I'll take a group of women with me." The Empress Dowager was taken aback and asked hesitantly, "What do you need women for?" Seeing the worry in the Empress Dowager's eyes, Shen Yunyun knew she had misunderstood and explained with a smile, "Don't worry, I'm not practicing any dark arts. I have a friend whose family's men have trouble finding wives, so I'm taking women to be their lawful wives." Hearing it was for lawful wives, the Empress Dowager quietly breathed a sigh of relief. "If they can't find wives, I can bestow a few upon them." "No need. They want wives to have children, so they should pay the price themselves. If it's too easy, they might not value it. Don't worry about the money; I'll send it over later." Gold and silver were hard currency, and she could gather them from the apocalypse. In the apocalypse, the hard currency was food. She could fully allocate these resources. "Alright, I'll find someone to oversee this matter soon." "Mm, draft a plan first. Once the funds are in place, start the project immediately." Though the Empress Dowager didn't fully understand what "start the project" meant, she could guess the gist of it. The two discussed more details, but before they finished, a young eunuch outside announced loudly, "The Emperor has arrived." "Fairy, Yuan'er is here. He's often mentioned you these past few years. Since you're here, why not meet him?" Shen Yunyun was about to leave, but the Empress Dowager, as if reading her mind, blocked her exit first. Shen Yunyun was also curious—what had Little Tangyuan grown into now? Would he be as handsome as in the portrait?