Chapter 300 The Diligent Emperor Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 2, Extra Chapter) Murong...

Murong Yu also subtly mentioned to Nangong Rou that it was one thing for a teenage girl to want to wear pink and floral patterns.

But the Empress, Consort Shu, and Consort Xian are all quite old; such ostentatious behavior is somewhat frivolous.

It wasn't that he disliked his wives and concubines dressing young and beautiful, but it wasn't a matter of his personal aesthetic sense. "The main problem was that such flamboyant attire was not in accordance with etiquette and would be impeached for being improper."

There are no trivial matters in the royal family. Murong Yu was not exaggerating. There are always some idle ministers who nitpick and make a big fuss about trivial matters.

Although Murong Yu would not punish the women in the harem for these people, if it happened too often, it would inevitably affect the reputation of the women in the palace, and they would be said to be frivolous.

This was the first time Nangong Rou had associated thirty years old with being quite old. Among the three, Consort Shu was the oldest, at thirty-two, the Empress would only be thirty in two months, and Consort Xian was only twenty-seven.

In modern times, it would be perfectly normal for someone not to be married, but in ancient times, they would be considered middle-aged or elderly.

Although we know that people in ancient times did not live long and that there were differences in the classification of age, isn't this difference a bit too big?

"Your Majesty, have you ever heard that one's state of mind can affect one's physical condition? For example, some people are over thirty years old but still feel like children. They remain innocent and carefree, and have the demeanor of youth."

If you feel you're already old, you'll appear older than others, and may even seem to age faster.

Murong Yu seemed somewhat unconcerned. How could a woman of her age and dressed in a more dignified manner have such a significant impact?

Nangong Rou also knew that it was almost absurd to expect the ancients to value women's physical and mental health, so she could only persuade them from another angle:

"Your Majesty doesn't think that I'm just playing around with the ladies, does he? You know my identity. In our time, many things were investigated and researched in detail."

Some people have specifically studied the best age for women to give birth, and found that the period from 23 to 29 years old is when a woman's body is at its best and it is also the best age to give birth.

Having children between the ages of thirty and thirty-five is a very good time, much safer than trying to conceive and give birth at fifteen or sixteen, or even younger, which is the case for you now.

In your eyes, twenty-seven or twenty-eight is already considered old, but this is actually the peak of a woman's physical maturity.

Murong Yu knew that Nangong Rou came from another world and was quite different from others, but he did not expect her to be so unconventional.

If a teenage girl talks about childbirth in such a bland way that it's like discussing what to eat for lunch, he feels a little embarrassed.

“It’s rare for a woman to have a child before the age of fifteen; most women get married and have children around the age of sixteen or seventeen,” Murong Yu couldn’t help but explain in a low voice.

"But getting married before the age of fifteen is not forbidden." Nangong Rou gently shook her head, her expression more serious than ever before.

"Your Majesty, have you heard that the fruits that grow in the first year are mostly sour and bitter? This is because the fruit trees have not grown up yet. If smaller fruit trees are forced to bear fruit, it may even cause the entire tree to wither."

The same applies to people. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, their bodies are not yet fully developed. Even if they can get pregnant, the mother's body will likely be damaged, resulting in a weak offspring. In severe cases, it can even lead to the death of both mother and child.

Even if the child is successfully conceived, most of them will be weak and sickly, and less than 30% will survive to adulthood. The mother's body will also be damaged, making it even more difficult to give birth to a healthy child.

I know that bringing women into marriage earlier is to increase the country's population, but rather than letting a sapling bear fruit prematurely, only to have it turn out sour, astringent, and bitter, it's better to wait a few more years until the sapling is fully grown before it bears fruit.

Murong Yu truly took it to heart this time. He now only has four children in his harem. It's not that he's only conceived four children over the years, but rather that too many have died young.

Whether it was the Empress, the two concubines, or even the concubine who had died young, they had all lost children. At first, he thought it was a palace intrigue or turmoil in an enemy country, but after investigating for several months, he found nothing unusual.

Looking back now, the empresses and concubines of that time were probably conceived when they were teenagers.

"This matter is of great importance. I will have the Imperial Hospital examine it in detail before discussing it with the ministers." Murong Yu had little doubt about Nangong Rou's words.

To be precise, he had a deep-seated affection for the immortal lord Lin You, who had already left. Since the immortal lord had said that these two visitors from another world would bring great help to the country, he would seriously adopt the suggestions put forward by the two.

Nangong Rou also mentioned the effects of consanguineous marriage, the harm foot binding caused to women's health and fertility, and the need for sufficient food and nutrients for the mother during pregnancy.

She wasn't saying this to encourage women to have more children, but rather that in ancient times, it was things like childbirth that made men pay attention to women's health.

It may be somewhat sad, but reforms in this area are not suited to sudden and forceful changes; they can only be implemented gradually and subtly.

"Besides, what's the use of women giving birth if we want to increase the population? There are so many families that they can't even support their children, and countless people are starving or freezing to death. If we want to increase the population, let's solve the problem of food and drink first."

Nangong Rou's words left Murong Yu silent for a while, and in the end he just went back without saying a word. He had asked Li Tianle and Nangong Rou before, but neither of them had any research on agriculture.

Because of this, Murong Yu once regretted not showing a strong desire for it when the evil creatures were still around. Otherwise, those evil creatures that wanted his energy might have actually gotten one for him.

Some crops in the planting space cannot be used for reseeding, while others can. With the evil creatures no longer lurking, Murong Yu has now unlocked many good things, including high-yield crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes.

There are various planting method tutorials in the space, so Murong Yu doesn't need to find someone to study planting methods; he only needs to cultivate seedlings and sow seeds.

By the time Murong Yu's sweet potatoes were ripe and ready for breeding, Li Tianle had already put together the flying shuttle and the spinning jenny.

However, what he made was based on a version that had been improved many times in later generations, and the yarn spun from it was more durable.

The spinning jenny is used to increase the speed of spinning yarn, and can spin multiple yarns at the same time, several times that of ordinary spinning machines.

The shuttle is used to increase the speed of weaving and the width of the cloth, making the woven cloth stronger and more durable.

These two machines can set up textile factories and produce high-quality and inexpensive fabrics, which can not only free many women from the endless spinning work, but also enable more people to make clothes.

The lives of ordinary people are nothing more than food, clothing, shelter and transportation. With these two events, Murong Yu was so busy that he barely had time to breathe. Even so, he still found time to discuss the results from the Imperial Medical Academy.

For ministers, food and clothing are important, but they are not things that can be recorded in a short time. The succession of offspring is indeed of paramount importance.

Murong Yu, under the guise of an imperial physician, smuggled in a lot of his own agenda, which Nangong Rou had given him, and also added some more palatable facts:

"Research by imperial physicians shows that children born to women who do not bind their feet are more likely to be strong and healthy, making them good candidates for martial arts!"

"Research by imperial physicians shows that children born between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-nine are more intelligent and quick-witted, making them excellent students!"

"Research by imperial physicians shows that pregnant women who have sufficient food are more likely to give birth to healthier children, and children born to women who are frequently beaten and scolded during pregnancy will also be affected by their mothers."

………

Following Nangong Rou's suggestion, Murong Yu specifically ordered that these words be compiled into simple and easy-to-understand rhymes and sung in the streets and alleys.

Li Tianle, who had been specially pulled out to attend the court session, secretly conveyed a coded message of admiration to Murong Yu.

Indeed, no matter where you are, the issue of children's growth and education is always the most crucial, and everything else must give way to it.

Li Tianle, who was being pestered by Murong Xu to no end, had found the best way to avoid him. When he was at home, the Seventh Prince would urge him to update his work, but as soon as he went out, the prince would stop following him.

Murong Xu wasn't like the Fifth Prince, who was reckless and wouldn't stoop to throwing a tantrum in the street.

Moreover, he had to try his best to conceal Li Tianle's identity, so he couldn't be too close to Li Tianle in public.

Li Tianle no longer needs to clock in on time. He just goes to work every day for a stroll, and the rest of his time is his own.

When Li Tianle overheard the jingle he'd heard during the court assembly that day, the Emperor officially announced to the world that women were forbidden from marrying before the age of sixteen.

Besides listening to the gossip with his hands tucked in, Li Tianle also secretly fueled the flames by finding several storytellers to create some convoluted and bizarre tales about this subject.

The saying goes, "Three men can make a tiger," meaning that rumors, repeated often enough, can become the truth, especially when these things are based on facts and evidence.

Many people secretly unbound their daughters' feet, and those who were engaged postponed their weddings for a year or two, thus sparing many women from suffering.

As time went on, Li Tianle gradually developed formulas for cement, alcohol, smallpox prevention, drug purification, and refined iron forging.

Because every time something new appeared, it took him and the Seventh Prince several days to work on it, people soon noticed some clues.

But this was no longer the case with just one or two issues. With so many important prescriptions presented, few ministers dared to insist that there was something wrong with them.

On the contrary, because this incident was exposed, Li Tianle's merits were listed one by one by the emperor, who directly promoted him three ranks and rewarded him with money and a house, ensuring Li Tianle's comfort and sense of security to the greatest extent.

At the same time, Nangong Rou was also granted the title of Consort. As for her merits, it was simple: she made the Empress and the other four Consorts feel comfortable and at ease, which led to them all becoming pregnant one after another.

No one can have too many children, and once this fact spread, more people began to care about the woman's feelings.

Although some people may have a specific purpose at the beginning, over time, some will maintain this habit.

As soap factories and textile factories were established in various places, and women were able to participate in work and earn money, the number of abandoned infants among women in rural areas gradually decreased.

Murong Yu naturally realized Nangong Rou's purpose, but for an emperor, regardless of gender, they were all his subjects.

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Author's Note: [Three-colored cat head emoji], a little anti-theft measure.