Chapter 81 Self-Deception: Many seemingly "fair" orders in the world...

The autumn wind blew, stirring up the withered grass and fluttering the hem of Prefect Li's robe.

He gazed into his daughter's clear eyes, at the ordinary literacy book in her hand, his throat bobbed a few times, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He suddenly remembered that many years ago, on a similar autumn day, the osmanthus trees outside his study window were in full bloom.

At that time, Li Siyin was only five or six years old, wearing an apricot-colored jacket, and was being held on his lap.

He held his daughter's chubby little hand and carefully wrote the character "人" (person) on the paper, stroke by stroke.

The daughter looked up, her eyes sparkling, and asked, "Daddy, what's the pronunciation of this word?"

"Thinking of 'human beings,' the most precious thing in the world is human beings." That was his answer at the time, but a secret regret welled up in his heart.

If only this were a boy, so intelligent and studious, he would surely achieve fame in the imperial examinations and bring glory to his family.

It's a pity she's a girl. No matter how many books she reads or how many principles she understands, in the end she'll just be a married woman, wasting her talents in the backyard of a secluded mansion, at most becoming a topic of conversation among "talented women" during their leisure time.

The late Mrs. Li loved listening to her daughter read aloud.

Whenever Li Siyin recited "Guan Guan Jujiu" or "Qing Qing Zi Jin", the lady would put down her needlework, lean against the corridor and listen quietly, her eyes smiling, yet seemingly filled with melancholy.

She once sighed to Prefect Li, "My lord, if our Siyin had been born a boy, with her temperament and intelligence, she would surely have become a top scholar in the future."

He remembered that when the lady said these words, her gaze drifted to the window, as if she were looking through the layers of rooftops at some distant place that she could not reach.

Only then did he remember that before marrying him, his wife was also a young lady from an official family, and she and several close female friends had organized a poetry club and held regular gatherings.

Once, while sorting through old things, he accidentally came across a yellowed old book containing poems written by a group of girls. The handwriting was either delicate or unrestrained, and there were red dots next to it, indicating which poems were rated first and which were rated second.

The lady proudly added a small note next to a poem about orchids: "Today at the poetry gathering, I won first place again, but unfortunately I didn't get any prizes, only a handkerchief embroidered by Xiangyun."

Later, during a casual conversation, the lady recalled this incident, her eyes sparkling: "Back then, we imitated the literati outside. In spring, when we went on outings, we would write poems on the theme of willows, and in autumn, when we admired chrysanthemums, we would compose poems with specific rhymes. Those who couldn't write one would be punished with a drink! Once, I wrote three poems in a row, beating them all!"

When Prefect Li heard this, he simply smiled and casually remarked, "The games you young ladies play are quite elegant and interesting; you've even started arguing about who's the best."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the bright light in the lady's eyes suddenly dim.

She remained silent for a long while, gazing at the birds hopping on the branches outside the window, and sighed softly: "Yes... it's just some low-class pastime, ultimately no match for the serious poetry and prose of the men outside."

At that time, Prefect Li vaguely felt that he had said something wrong, but he couldn't figure out what he had done wrong.

In his mind, the world was orderly, and men and women each had their own roles.

Men study to understand principles, take the imperial examinations, and govern the country; women who can read and understand some principles are already considered very good if they can support their husbands, raise children, and manage the household.

He provided his wife and daughters with a comfortable life and a respected position, believing that this fulfilled his responsibilities as a husband and father.

He never felt there was anything wrong with the world.

He even tried to comfort his wife: "Men and women in this world are destined to have different roles. You are doing good deeds by managing the household and raising the children. Why compare yourself to others and create trouble for yourself?"

Suddenly, his wife turned her head and asked a question he had never thought of before: "But my husband, if I gave you a chance to switch places with me, you could be the mistress of this inner quarters, spending your days with trivial household chores and never stepping out of the courtyard; while I could be like you, studying for the imperial examinations, traveling outside, and seeing the vast world. Would you be willing?"

Prefect Li shook his head without hesitation: "How can this be allowed? It's absurd!"

A faint smile appeared on the lady's lips, a smile that contained no blame, only sorrow.

She said nothing more and turned to instruct the cook to prepare dinner.

Only now, standing before his daughter, did Prefect Li suddenly understand the profound meaning behind his deceased wife's question from years ago.

It's not about the specific hardships, but about the deprivation of "possibility".

It's like asking someone living in luxury to switch lives with someone starving and freezing; the former would certainly not want to.

Many seemingly "fair" orders in the world are actually built on injustice.

As a beneficiary of this order, he has long been nothing but burying his head in the sand.

"Father?" Li Siyin's voice pulled him back from his chaotic memories.

When Prefect Li came to his senses, he realized that, without him noticing, several heads had quietly peeked out from under the windows and by the door of the dilapidated temple.

The women looked over cautiously, their faces filled with worry for Li Siyin.

They feared that in a fit of anger, the official would take away the "teacher" they had finally found, extinguishing this hard-won glimmer of hope.

Prefect Li's gaze swept over the faces, some filled with fear and others with anticipation, before finally settling on his daughter.

The daughter stood straight, her eyes clear and calm, awaiting his judgment.

There was absolutely no regret.

He suddenly felt a wave of fatigue.

Prefect Li recalled the triumphant moment many years ago when he had studied diligently for years, passed the imperial examination with flying colors, and paraded through the streets in high spirits.

At that time, he did have ambitions, thinking that he should speak up for the people, be a just and upright official, and ensure that the people under his rule could live and work in peace and contentment.

When did it start to change?

Was this the first time you were reprimanded by your superior for sticking to your own opinions? Was it witnessing your colleagues being ostracized for being "ignorant"? Or did you gradually realize that pandering to superiors was far more likely to win their favor than working diligently?

He learned to read minds, to weigh the pros and cons, and to find the most advantageous position for himself within the cracks of the rules.

His eyes, without him even realizing it, shifted from the common people and focused intently on the official hat on his head and the steps beneath his feet.

In retrospect, his worldly and sophisticated heart, tainted by officialdom, was not as clear-headed and insightful as the daughter teaching people to read in the dilapidated temple before him.

He suddenly lacked the strength to uphold those "rules" that even he himself had begun to waver over.

He turned around, his back to his daughter, and waved his sleeve: "That's enough, you'd better take care of yourself."

After taking a few steps, he stopped again without turning around, and added stiffly, "Since this is a lecture, it needs to be conducted properly. This place is too desolate and is not a place to stay for long."

"The family has enough money for a carriage, so you don't need to sneak around anymore."

There was complete silence behind me.

Then, he heard his daughter take a soft breath, her voice slightly choked: "...Daughter, thank you, Father."

Prefect Li did not turn back or say anything more; he simply walked straight to his carriage.

He knew that his daughter's eyes must be shining like stars at that moment.

On the way back to his residence, Prefect Li closed his eyes and leaned against the carriage, his mind churning with emotions.

He did not explicitly endorse girls' education, but in fact he tacitly approved of his daughter's behavior and even provided financial assistance.

This undoubtedly violated Governor Fang's strict orders.

If it is discovered later, how should we deal with it?

He had a terrible headache.

But then I thought, my daughter is now focused on something, which is better than her being seduced by some unknown playboy and getting into an elopement scandal, which would be truly unmanageable.

Teaching... though it may seem shocking, upon closer examination, is ultimately a righteous thing that guides people toward goodness.

When I was a student, didn't I often encourage myself with the motto "to educate and enlighten the people"?

He never imagined that the targets of his "education" would also include these women who had been neglected for so long.

Oh well, the child is grown up and has her own thoughts. As long as she doesn't go too far, let her be.

As for Governor Fang... we can only take it one step at a time.

Upon arriving at the governor's mansion, Li saw that both Prefect Zhang and Prefect Wang looked equally gloomy. After exchanging a few words with each other, Prefect Li realized that he was not the only one whose mind was troubled.

Prefect Zhang sighed and said that in his jurisdiction, the literacy book seemed to have grown legs, circulating not only among women in the city but also in the surrounding towns and villages.

They began to meet privately at one of the sisters' homes, close the door, and teach each other using that book, exchanging ideas and techniques. They called it a "women's needlework exchange meeting," but in reality, they were secretly learning to read and write!

He sent people to investigate twice, but the women either pretended to be stupid or actually took out their embroidery frames and needles, leaving him unable to vent his anger.

Prefect Wang could only manage a wry smile, saying that something even more outrageous had recently happened in his area.

Having heard the news from somewhere, a group of young women gathered together, clamoring that the princess in the north was waging war, and that they could organize some kind of "women's logistics team" to help out.

The three exchanged helpless glances, all feeling that the world was gradually changing and that a single ban could no longer contain it.

When I meet that rigid Prefect Fang later, this "peaceful and uneventful" report will probably be difficult.

----

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in the Luzhou government office, Prefect Lu Hongguang was also gazing out the window in a daze.

He had been in this position for more than half a year, and the initial pride and satisfaction he felt when he took the top position had long been worn down by the complicated administrative affairs.

Luzhou was not originally a land of fish and rice, and its taxes were always low.

Lu Hongguang prided himself on being shrewd, seeking no merit but avoiding mistakes, only wanting to pass his term peacefully, accumulate enough seniority before seeking promotion, and never thinking of making any new achievements like Su Lin.

The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.

News of the stalemate in the northern border war continued to arrive, and the imperial court issued urgent edicts urging all prefectures and counties to hand over grain and fodder.

Today, he summoned the Minister of Agriculture to inquire about this year's autumn harvest forecast, so as to plan the amount to be paid in taxes.

But when several officials from the Ministry of Agriculture presented him with their estimated harvest figures in booklets, Lu Hongguang's hand holding the teacup suddenly froze, almost thinking he had misheard: "How much? Say it again?"

The chief official in charge of agriculture swallowed hard, his face beaming with barely concealed excitement, and repeated, "Sir, based on the reports from the farms in various counties, the autumn grain harvest for the entire prefecture this year is expected to increase by more than 50% compared to previous years when the weather was favorable."

He glanced at the booklet in his hand and added, "High-quality paddy fields that have adopted the complete new method may even see their yields double."

"Is this really true?!" Lu Hongguang suddenly stood up, staring intently at the Minister of Agriculture.

This number is staggering.

“It’s absolutely true, Your Excellency!” The Minister of Agriculture bowed and nodded hurriedly. “We couldn’t believe it at first either, and we checked it several times.”

The other man beside him was also beaming with joy: "My lord, this is the good deed that Lord Su sowed during his tenure by vigorously promoting the new laws. Now that the time for harvest has come, we can see the miraculous effect!"

It's Su Lin again!

Lu Hongguang's heart skipped a beat.