Hearing what Guard Qi said, Gu Yuzhi's eyes lit up. He jumped off the chair and tugged at his hand: "Guard Qi, Guard Qi, do you have a way to get Chief Secretary Xie to agree to open a girls' school?"

He puffed out his cheeks and said, "I don't mean for women to learn the Four Books and Five Classics, or poetry and prose to participate in the imperial examinations. Why does Chief Secretary Xie disagree?"

Actually, Gu Yuzhi disagreed when Teacher Shu first proposed establishing a girls' school.

Since ancient times, there have been no schools for girls. Even those as noble as the Empress Dowager learned to read and write at home under the guidance of a tutor. Their studies focused more on managing household affairs.

The traditional division of labor, with men handling external affairs and women managing the household, has always been the case.

He remembered that Teacher Shu was particularly angry at the time, pointing at herself and saying, "Young Prince, look at me. Can't I represent that women are no less capable than men?"

Gu Yuzhi shrank his neck in grievance: "I didn't say you were inferior to men. But Teacher Shu, we are not the modern society you described. We don't have girls' schools here, let alone women's imperial examinations."

He puffed out his cheeks and argued, "Even if my elder brother proposed this, those aristocratic scholars wouldn't agree, let alone someone like me, an unfavored prince."

Gu Yuzhi was well aware of his own position, even though his elder brother and sisters-in-law seemed to like him very much.

But if he does anything that threatens his elder brother, they will definitely withdraw their preferential treatment of him.

Shu Xiaohan felt it was very unfair and wanted to fight for it, but when she saw the little prince looking at her with his puffed-up cheeks and an innocent expression, she knew that she was making things difficult for him.

In this feudal ancient era, it was almost impossible for women to take the imperial examinations.

Shu Xiaohan remained silent for a long time before finally coming up with a compromise: "Your Highness, if we establish a girls' school, isn't it to enable women to participate in the imperial examinations? It's to provide them with a proper place to learn a skill."

"For example, textiles, cooking, and general affairs..."

Gu Yuzhi scratched his head. It seemed like it was possible to not have to study the Four Books and Five Classics or take the imperial examinations.

Most importantly, he didn't want to see Teacher Shu so upset.

Gu Yuzhi immediately agreed to Shu Xiaohan's request. When he turned to Xie Changshi and mentioned the establishment of a school, he brought up the matter of a girls' school.

But to his surprise, Xie Changshi refused.

The reason for his refusal was the same as his initial thought: there had never been a girls' school since ancient times, and it would certainly be very difficult to establish one.

As for textiles and other general affairs, there was no need to establish a special girls' school; they could learn these skills in textile factories or at home.

After Xie Changshi said that, Gu Yuzhi felt that it made sense, so he didn't say anything more.

But after Chief Secretary Xie left, Teacher Shu continued, "Has Your Highness considered that women in this world already face hardship, and many poor families sell their daughters or simply abandon them in order to have sons? These women don't even have the opportunity to attend a family school or learn textiles..."

If Shu Xiaohan had said anything else, Gu Yuzhi might not have understood, but when it came to abandoning the child, Gu Yuzhi understood.

When the emperor was still alive, a concubine in the harem became pregnant. She secretly consulted the imperial physician, who said that the baby was a princess. The concubine then used this child to frame another concubine.

After his mother revealed the truth, he asked her, "Isn't it said that all parents in the world love their children? Why did this concubine abort the child?"

Later, when he was a little older, he realized that there was no other reason than that the child was a princess, not a prince.

Every time Gu Yuzhi thought about this, he felt a little sad, but he didn't know how to express it.

Now, Teacher Shu said that establishing a girls' school would not only provide a place for girls who had been abandoned and discarded, but also give them a skill. His heart was instantly strengthened.

However, no matter what he said, Chief Secretary Xie remained ambiguous about the establishment of a girls' school and refused to give a specific answer.

But at this moment, Qi's words gave Gu Yuzhi a glimmer of hope.

He stared at Guard Qi without blinking, only to hear Guard Qi shake his head: "I'm not really sure either. I was just thinking that if I married a girl who could ride a horse and fight, I would make her my teacher, so that girls who like martial arts could learn from her."

Guard Zhang's brow twitched, and his gaze toward Guard Qi carried a hint of unfamiliarity.

He hadn't expected that Guard Qi's ideas would be so unconventional...

Gu Yuzhi stared wide-eyed at Guard Qi, feeling as if he no longer recognized him.

Shu Xiaohan couldn't help but scream, "My God! No wonder I had such high hopes for Guard Qi from the beginning! He actually had such thoughts! In this feudal ancient times, a man like him is one in a million!"

"I wonder whose daughter is so lucky to marry Guard Qi!"

Gu Yuzhi covered his ears and shrank his neck. After Shu Xiaohan finished screaming, he sighed like a little adult: "Teacher Shu, you scared me to death!"

He patted his chest as he spoke, and after a while said, "Guard Qi, how could you have such a thought?"

Guard Qi scratched his head and smiled somewhat sheepishly: "This isn't an idea that just came to me today."

He glanced at Gu Yuzhi and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Your Highness, before going to Jingxiang, General Lu had a talk with me. He asked me what my thoughts were after Xinliang was completed."

At first, Guard Qi hadn't really thought about these things in depth. His duty in coming to the Northern Desert was to protect the young prince. His later thought was that he would do whatever the young prince asked him to do.

So when he heard General Lu's question, his first reaction was that he would probably be appointed as a garrison commander.

But looking into General Lu's eyes, he simply couldn't bring himself to say the word "defense."

General Lu said he hoped that I could join the army and become a member of the Northern Desert Army.

As Qi the guard spoke, his head drooped lower and lower, and his voice grew softer and softer, full of guilt as he said, "General Lu said that I am highly skilled in martial arts and come from a noble family. It would be a waste of my talents to serve as a city garrison commander. He wants me to be the vanguard of the Northern Desert Army."

Gu Yuzhi's expectant expression gradually froze on his face, his heart pounded, and his face was filled with panic.

He involuntarily took two steps back: "I don't know what you're talking about."

Weren't we talking about the girls' school? Why would Guard Qi mention that General Lu sent him to be the vanguard of the Northern Desert Army?

Especially since he said it in such an expectant tone.

Gu Yuzhi pouted, the grievance of his mother's absence welling up again.

General Lu is a bad guy, and he doesn't want to like General Lu anymore!