Chapter 20 Patrolling the Streets: This King is Still a Novice
Audacious rogues like Chen Wu were a minority. Most people were still somewhat afraid of Prince Jin, who was a prince. As soon as they saw him coming, they would either disperse immediately or shut up quickly. Only after he left would they dare to gather together and continue their discussion.
Qi Jingxuan knew that the person hiding in the shadows couldn't have only hired Chen Wu to spread rumors; there must be other people nearby secretly stirring up trouble in the crowd.
It's impossible for him to find everyone using his current method; those people can simply go around in circles with him. They can avoid wherever he goes and then come back to continue once he's gone.
Qi Jingxuan frowned as he watched the crowd scatter upon seeing him approach. After a moment's thought, he gave a few instructions to the people around him.
The servant agreed and soon brought over several men, women, and children who looked honest and simple.
They were dressed in all sorts of different outfits, clearly from various professions and backgrounds, but without exception, none of them came from wealthy families; they were just ordinary people from the neighborhood.
Qi Jingxuan had just sent someone to call them over. They didn't want to come, fearing they might get into trouble, but after hearing about the reward, they hesitated for a moment and came anyway.
I heard that the Zhang family only lent their washroom to this prince once, and they received a full three taels of silver. If they could do something for him, could they also get a few taels of silver?
Upon seeing these people, Qi Jingxuan abandoned his usual rudeness towards the hooligans, smiled and looked them over, grinning to himself in a seemingly kind manner. He gently greeted one of the old women, "Auntie."
But perhaps because he rarely showed such a smile, his "kindness" went a little too far for a moment. The old woman was so frightened by his narrowed eyes and his gleaming white teeth that she trembled and almost knelt down.
"Your Highness... what business do you have with this old woman?"
Qi Jingxuan chuckled twice: "I remember you. When those scoundrels were smearing Miss Shen this morning, you spoke up for her and said a few words of justice."
Seeing that he brought this up and seemed to have no intention of making things difficult for her, the old woman felt a little relieved and said, "That...that's only right. Miss Shen is not the kind of person they describe."
"The old woman has lived in Liu'er Lane all her life, making a living by selling vegetables at the market. Miss Shen often patronizes my business. A while ago, a scoundrel got drunk and caused trouble, overturning my stall and ruining all my perfectly good vegetables."
“Miss Shen is kind-hearted. When she came to buy vegetables, she saw me wiping away tears while tidying up my stall, so she bought all the vegetables that had been smashed, saying that she wanted me to charge her a little less so that she could get a good deal.”
"But the old woman knew that although many people said Miss Shen's family was poor, that was only compared to those officials. Compared to us ordinary people, her family was still much better off."
"Although some of those vegetables are still edible, at least half of them will have to be thrown away after we buy them, and we'll have to go through a lot of trouble to pick them out. Even when I have money, I don't want to buy them. The Shen family doesn't need to take advantage of this. She's just saying this to help me out."
Although several months had passed, the old woman still remembered the incident vividly and spoke of it clearly. She concluded by saying, "Later, that scoundrel was arrested by the yamen and given a few lashes. He even came back to apologize to me."
"Although Miss Shen didn't say it, I know she must have gone back and told Lord Shen, and Lord Shen had the yamen arrest that scoundrel."
"Otherwise, those street thugs would just bully us all the time, and they would never come back to apologize."
"Let me tell you, ever since Lord Shen and his family moved here, life in this area has been much more peaceful than before!"
Although the Shen family came from humble origins and had an ordinary background, and Shen Mingshan was only a sixth-rank lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, compared to ordinary people, he was still an official, and one who was highly regarded by the emperor. He had been promoted from a compiler in the Hanlin Academy to a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy in just half a year after arriving in the capital.
Don't underestimate the difference between being a compiler and a lecturer; it's just a matter of going from the sixth rank to the sixth rank. Many people spend years or even decades trying to get past that "junior" rank. This person, however, went from "junior" to "professor" not long after arriving in the capital. This shows that he enjoys the Emperor's favor, and as long as no major problems arise, his future is sure to be bright.
It's impossible for such a person to make any big moves in the court right now, but he can just deal with a few scoundrels and make a call to the local constables. They're willing to help with such a small matter.
Qi Jingxuan listened patiently, nodding repeatedly: "I knew the Shen family were all good people. Miss Shen is Lord Shen's only daughter, and she has surpassed her father in every way, which is why I took a liking to her at first sight!"
As he spoke, he glanced at a young man next to the old woman and asked with a smile, "I heard you also spoke up for Miss Chen."
The young man was a little nervous, gripping his sleeves tightly with both hands, and replied, "I am from Yangshu Hutong. I have a younger sister who is younger than Miss Shen."
"My sister was being harassed by some hooligans on the street earlier, and someone even forcibly grabbed her hand. Many people saw it."
“My little sister cried terribly when she got home, and even threatened to kill herself. I was furious, so I went to find those hooligans and tried to beat them up, but... I couldn't beat them, and they beat me up instead. In the end, I went home covered in injuries.”
"But I think my sister did nothing wrong. The ones who are wrong are those scoundrels. It's not worth it for my sister to commit suicide for those scoundrels!"
Fortunately, my younger sister came to her senses and stopped thinking about suicide.
"When I heard about Miss Shen's situation today, I thought of my younger sister, so... so I said a few words in her defense."
There are many poplar and willow trees in this area, so most of the street names contain the characters "poplar" or "willow". This young man's family has lived here for generations and they know all the neighbors. They already know what happened to his family, so they spoke up without any reservations.
Qi Jingxuan nodded vigorously: "That's right, those scoundrels are clearly in the wrong. They haven't even shown any shame and tried to kill themselves, so why should your little sister die?"
"Who are those scoundrels? Tell me later, and I'll have them arrested and taken to the yamen. After we find out who they are, we'll punish them severely!"
"I can't stand people like this who only know how to bully the weak! They have to be taught a lesson so they'll know what the law is!"
When the young man heard that he was willing to help punish those hooligans, his eyes lit up, and he thanked him repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!"
Qi Jingxuan waved his hand dismissively: "No need to thank me! Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. I was impeached by the censor for bullying Miss Shen, and I don't know what kind of punishment I will receive. Why do these scoundrels live a more comfortable life than me, bullying people and getting away with it without any punishment?"
These words left the young man speechless, unsure whether he was genuinely advocating for the people or simply resentful that those hooligans hadn't been punished like him.
Regardless of the reason, he was finally able to get justice for his younger sister, and he was very happy.
Qi Jingxuan asked the two men, but didn't ask anyone else in detail. He just glanced at them all and said, "I called you here because I heard that you both spoke up for Miss Shen when she was wronged, so I wanted to express my gratitude."
"This is a thank-you gift. It's just some small token of my appreciation. Please keep it safe, and I hope you can help her in the future if something like this happens again."
He then instructed his servants to present several purses, giving one to each of the men.
When the group heard that there was silver in the purse, their eyes lit up, but no one reached out to take it right away, and the old woman waved her hands repeatedly.
"No, no, I was just telling the truth. How could I accept the prince's money?"
“Yes,” the young man replied, “I am already deeply grateful that Your Highness is willing to help my sister punish the villains. How could I possibly accept Your Highness’s money?”
Seeing that the two of them said that, the others did not dare to reach out.
Although they were all eyeing the silver in the purse, they also knew that the old woman and the young man were right. They had only spoken a few words of truth casually, and they hadn't done anything to help the Shen family. They hadn't even lent the Prince of Jin a washroom, so how could they just take their money for nothing?
Qi Jingxuan chuckled and said, "As the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. Miss Shen is an only daughter with no brothers or sisters to help her."
"Lord Shen is currently serving as an official in the court and is very busy. Madam Shen is also pregnant and cannot take care of her all the time. So only you neighbors can help out."
"I'm giving you this silver not only out of gratitude, but also in the hope that you'll help Miss Shen more in the future. Also..."
He drew out his words, finally revealing his true purpose: "If possible, could you please find out for me who else in the neighborhood is talking badly about Miss Chen when you go out lately?"
"If you find out, then tell me, and I will go and scold them!"
The group exchanged glances, finally understanding each other's intentions. It turned out that Prince Jin wanted to know who else was spreading rumors about Miss Shen and asked them to help him find out.
When the old woman saw that he had called them over just for this, she laughed and said, "I thought it was something important, Your Highness. Don't worry, although I'm old, my hearing is still quite good. The market is bustling with people; if I hear anything, I'll definitely come back and tell you!"
The young man replied, "I work as a waiter at Fusheng Restaurant, which is a well-connected place. Although I can't come out often, our restaurant is very close to Yangliu Hutong, so I can find an excuse to send you a message when I have some free time."
The others also said they had no problem with it, and Qi Jingxuan smiled so broadly that his teeth were showing. He was very satisfied and handed over the purses again.
The men still refused to accept the money, so Qi Jingxuan deliberately put on a stern face and said, "I'm not one to do things for free. If people find out that I asked you to help me gather information but didn't give you a single tael of silver, what kind of person will I be? What will others think of me as a stingy miser?"
"Besides, you all have your own things to do every day. When you help me, you will inevitably be distracted and may even delay your own business. It is only right to give you some silver as compensation."
He then forcefully stuffed the purses into their arms, one for each of them, leaving no one short.
Seeing his resolute attitude, the others stopped refusing and agreed with smiles.
Although they didn't know exactly how much silver was in the purse, judging by its weight, it was at least five taels, enough for their family to live on for half a year.
Qi Jingxuan nodded and said, "You just need to help gather information. Don't get into any conflicts with anyone. Just report anything to me."
"As for those who are just joining in the fun and saying nothing of substance, ignore them. Just tell me the ones who say the most offensive things."
People love to watch the excitement, and he himself, when he had nothing to do, also liked to listen to the gossip of his brothers and officials. He couldn't possibly scold all the people watching the excitement.
The group nodded in understanding and happily left with their purses.
As Qi Jingxuan had predicted, soon after, news spread that several people had received rewards from him for saying a few good words for Shen Yan, and soon more people on the street began to speak up for Shen Yan.
After learning that he had asked people to help find out who was spreading rumors about Shen Yan, more people joined in, in addition to the few he had originally asked to help.
Qi Jingxuan was generous with his rewards for any useful information that came back, and within half a day, the rumors and gossip around Yangliu Hutong almost disappeared.
As for other places, Qi Jingxuan couldn't manage them all, nor did he bother to care.
The people behind the scenes are spreading rumors and causing trouble in order to drive Shen Yan to her death. As long as the rumors don't reach Shen Yan's ears, then what they're saying is just useless nonsense.
Doing useless things is like wasting money. To achieve the same effect as in Yangliu Hutong, you have to spend a lot of money. But if you spend too much money, you'll inevitably expose your flaws.
The people behind the scenes aren't that stupid, so they had no choice but to give up.
Qi Jingxuan felt a surge of satisfaction just thinking about it. Standing on the street, he sneered, "It's just hiring people, you can do that, so can I!"
He could spend money openly and honestly, however he pleased. But the other party dared not act openly, and could only hide their identity and secretly hire a few hooligans to spread rumors.
No matter how eloquent a rogue is, he can't outmaneuver so many ordinary people. If they talk too much, people will find out that they've been bribed and have ulterior motives, making it easier for Qi Jingxuan to find the culprit.
For the past half day, he had been attracting attention by banging drums and gongs in the street, while Xu Jinyu was secretly watching those hooligans. She had already discovered three people who were spreading rumors about Shen Yan, and they had all been sent to the yamen, including the first one, Chen Wu.
With several people being taken to the authorities, the person behind the scenes had probably realized that he and Xu Jinyu were working together and dared not make any further moves.
………………
As dusk approached, Qi Jingxuan finally put away the gong and let out a long sigh of relief: "Let's go find a nice restaurant and have dinner! It's on me!"
Upon hearing that he was treating, the imperial guards were overjoyed. They immediately found the most expensive restaurant nearby and went in with Qi Jingxuan, ordering all the restaurant's signature dishes.
As luck would have it, this restaurant was the very Fusheng Restaurant that the young man had mentioned earlier.
Although the restaurant's decor couldn't compare to the famous restaurants in the capital that Qi Jingxuan frequented, it had the advantage of good cooking skills and generous portions. It was nothing special for Qi Jingxuan, but just right for the imperial guards.
These men had often been sent by the emperor to "capture" Qi Jingxuan in the past, so they were old acquaintances of his. After taking their seats, they didn't stand on ceremony, offered Qi Jingxuan a few cups of wine as a token gesture, and then began to eat heartily.
As the group was enjoying their meal, the young man who had previously accepted Qi Jingxuan's purse suddenly went upstairs and knocked on the door of their private room, saying he had something to discuss with His Highness Prince Jin.
Qi Jingxuan called him in, and after hearing what he said, his face darkened, and he slammed his chopsticks on the table.
After waiting all day, the words he least wanted to hear finally came.
With a gloomy face, Qi Jingxuan strode downstairs and headed towards the tavern next door. When he arrived at the tavern, he did not rush in immediately, but stood by the door listening to the sounds inside.
Just as the young man had said, the people inside were talking about Shen Yan.
The speakers were not scoundrels, but rather a group of scholars dressed as Confucian gentlemen.
“It is indeed a pity that such a thing happened, but His Highness Prince Jin is of noble birth and His Majesty will certainly not be willing to punish him severely. I estimate that he will be confined to his quarters for a few days and fined one or two years’ salary.”
"Yes, this kind of thing is neither a big deal nor a small deal. If the Prince of Jin had humiliated a noble lady from a powerful family, there might have been some trouble. But the woman is just from a poor family. She can't fight city hall. I guess in the end she can only prove her innocence with her death."
"Death," one person chuckled, "A whole day has passed, and there hasn't been the slightest movement from the Shen family. I heard they even invited Prince Jin inside for a talk last night."
"If Miss Shen really wanted to die, she would have done it long ago. Why would she wait until now? I think she might be secretly pleased right now. It was His Highness Prince Jin who humiliated her, and she can take this opportunity to become Princess Jin."
"I can't be. I've heard that Lord Shen is a very upright person, and Miss Shen is his only daughter. Logically speaking, she wouldn't be the kind of person who tries to climb the social ladder."
"Aren't there plenty of cases like good bamboo producing bad shoots in the world? Lord Shen is upright, so his daughter must be the same. If Miss Shen were truly as noble and flawless as Lord Shen, how could she have attracted someone like Prince Jin? You don't actually believe Prince Jin's story about falling in love with her at first sight, do you?"
"Although Prince Jin is unconventional, he is still a member of the imperial family. For someone of Miss Shen's status, even if he falls in love at first sight, it would be fine for her to be a concubine. Making her a secondary consort would be a great honor. But now Prince Jin wants to marry her and offer her the position of principal consort."
"If the two had not had a prior relationship, why would the Prince of Jin be so deeply in love with her? Who knows what tricks she used behind the scenes to bewitch the Prince of Jin, who not only wanted to marry her, but also willingly claimed that yesterday's events were all his doing and had nothing to do with her, bearing all the bad reputation for her."
The others at the table nodded in agreement, finding some truth in what they said.
Those who had previously said that Shen Yan could only prove her innocence by dying now looked righteous and awe-inspiring: "I've heard that Miss Shen also studied under Lord Shen and is quite talented. If she really has such thoughts, then she would be disgracing Lord Shen."
"A woman who loses her virginity before marriage is already impure. If she chooses to die to prove her innocence, I might still respect her. But if she refuses to die and shamelessly marries into the Prince of Jin's household, she will have utterly disgraced all women in the world!"
"That's right. If I were to have a daughter or a sister like that, I would personally send her off to avoid bringing shame to the family."
"It's a pity that Lord Shen only has this one daughter, whom he has personally raised for more than ten years. Even if he is angry at her lack of ambition, he probably wouldn't be able to bring himself to punish her. If he had other children in the family, Lord Shen wouldn't have to let such a daughter tarnish his reputation."
The group chatted enthusiastically, their words filled with the idea that a woman's chastity was paramount, and that once she lost her virginity, she should die to preserve her reputation.
Qi Jingxuan, who was listening outside, was so angry that he was about to explode. Unable to suppress his anger any longer, he slammed the gong and rushed inside.
"You pedantic scholars, what nonsense are you spouting? I can smell your stench all over the street!"
Several scholars, having finished their studies all day, agreed to meet at this tavern for drinks in the evening. On the way, they heard people talking about Prince Jin and Miss Shen in the streets and alleys, so after sitting down, they joined in the conversation.
Just as they were getting into the conversation, a loud bang suddenly came from outside, making their heads shake.
They looked back and, although none of them recognized the Prince of Jin, they recognized him only from the rumors circulating on the street and the bronze gong in his hand.
Besides Prince Jin, who else would carry a gong around the streets, rushing over to bang it and hurl insults at anyone who speaks ill of Miss Shen?
They didn't expect that, even though it was dinnertime, the Prince of Jin was still busy, patrolling the streets with his gong.
Caught red-handed gossiping behind people's backs, the group blushed with embarrassment, and some even shrank back, not daring to look directly into the fiery eyes of the Prince of Jin.
Qi Jingxuan slammed the gong he was holding on the table, and after another deafening roar, he angrily said, "What were you saying just now? What do you mean that a woman who has lost her chastity should die to prove her innocence?"
"I see you're all getting on in years, aren't you all married? Have you ever touched a woman's body? Surely you're not all virgins."
"She's not married and isn't a virgin, so she's also lost her chastity. How dare she drink and make merry here? Why doesn't she go find a rope and hang herself?"
The men were all scholars, and they were already extremely embarrassed to be cornered in the tavern in public. To be yelled at with such vulgar words only made them more ashamed and angry, their faces turning purple.
“Your Highness is joking,” someone boldly spoke up. “Since ancient times, the husband has been the head of the household, and a woman should cherish herself before marriage and preserve her virginity for her future husband. If all women were like…”
He wanted to say that if all women were like Miss Shen, but then he remembered that Qi Jingxuan had always claimed that he had abused Shen Yan while drunk, and it wouldn't be appropriate to use Shen Yan as an example now. So he changed his words and said, "If all women in the world were to have casual relationships with men and lose their virginity before marriage, wouldn't that disrupt the moral order?"
"It is precisely because of these ethical principles that female chastity is of utmost importance. We have no intention of humiliating Miss Shen; we are merely stating the facts."
Qi Jingxuan realized that he originally wanted to use Shen Yan as an example, and he tightened his grip on the wooden mallet, wishing he could hit him with it.
"Seeking truth from facts has been a principle since ancient times."
He sneered, "So, since ancient times, only women have been chaste and have a sense of shame, while all men in the world have no shame, huh?"
A crowd had already gathered around to watch the spectacle because of his gong-striking. Now, his voice was quite loud, and his words carried out, drawing laughter from the surrounding crowd, especially from the women.
The scholar blushed and said, "Your Highness clearly understands what I mean, why do you deliberately distort it?"
What did I distort?
Qi Jingxuan said.
"Didn't you say that if a woman loses her virginity before marriage, it disrupts the ethical order? That shows how important chastity is."
"Such an important thing shouldn't be something only women have and men don't, right? Since both have it, why don't men care about it, but only women do? Aren't you saying that men are shameless and that's why they don't care about their chastity?"
Several scholars had debated classics and history with others before, but those were exchanges between literati. Even when they argued until they were red in the face, they still quoted classics and expressed their own opinions. No one had ever been as unreasonable as the Prince of Jin, who started with a bunch of nonsense and sophistry.
Distracted by his twisted logic, the scholar blurted out, "I've heard that once members of the royal family understand matters of the heart, they have maids assigned to their rooms to teach them about men and women. Your Highness is already seventeen or eighteen this year, so you must have already lost your virginity. Therefore, what you just said, weren't you also insulting yourself?"
"Pooh!"
Qi Jingxuan spat, "Do you think I'm like you, someone who's interested in just anyone, someone who'll sleep with anyone who comes crawling to me?"
"I'm not afraid to tell you, there have been countless women who have tried to climb into my bed over the years, but I haven't taken a liking to a single one of them. I'm still a virgin!"
He raised his chin as he spoke, looking quite proud.
These words drew laughter from the crowd outside, and someone couldn't help but say, "The Prince just had that kind of thing with Miss Shen yesterday, how can he still call himself a...?"
The person didn't say the middle word aloud, but everyone understood, and there was another burst of laughter.
Qi Jingxuan was taken aback, only then realizing that what he had just said was indeed inappropriate.
Although he knew there was nothing between him and Shen Yan, others didn't know. To outsiders, it seemed as if they had consummated their marriage.
Thinking of this, Qi Jingxuan's face flushed slightly, and he changed his words, saying, "Before yesterday, I was still a novice!"
Few people believed this, but it didn't affect Qi Jingxuan much, as he didn't care about such things.
The reason he hasn't touched another woman all these years is because when he first became a man, a palace maid wanted to climb into his bed.
The palace maid probably wanted to have a place by his side while he was still young, so that when he grew up, he could be given a title in return for the years she had served him.
Unfortunately, Qi Jingxuan was just a child at that time and hadn't figured things out yet. The palace maid's flirtatious glances were like casting pearls before swine; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't win his attention. In his eyes, the beautiful palace maid was less interesting than mud.
In order to achieve her goal, the palace maid tried to obtain some aphrodisiacs from others, thinking they were harmless, but she did not expect to be used by others and poison Qi Jingxuan.
If it weren't for a twist of fate, Qi Jingxuan would have died that day if he hadn't eaten something bad and had vomited up the cup of tea the palace maid had given him.
Even so, he suffered quite a bit and it took him two or three months to recover.
After that, Qi Jingxuan avoided women like the plague, especially those who eagerly climbed into his bed; he showed them no kindness whatsoever.
Consort Shu replaced all the servants around him with eunuchs, leaving no palace maids behind. Even after he left the palace to establish his own residence, he was still served by eunuchs. Maids were only allowed to do other tasks and were not even allowed to enter his living quarters.
The emperor deliberated for a long time before finally deciding to establish a crown prince. After the crown prince was chosen, all the attempts to harm Qi Jingxuan disappeared. At most, some people disliked him and would occasionally cause him trouble, but no one wanted to kill him anymore.
Now, six or seven years have passed, and he thought he was safe. But recently, someone has suddenly come to harm him again, and they are eager to take his life.
To save his own life, Qi Jingxuan would naturally spare no effort to protect Shen Yan. It would be strange if he didn't give a good look to these people who kept telling Shen Yan to die to prove her loyalty.
Seeing that these people were using his words to refute him, he immediately struck the gong again and said, "So what if I'm not a virgin? I'm not like you, valuing chastity so much."
“I don’t care about my own chastity, nor do I care about others’. I don’t value it, so it naturally doesn’t affect my reputation.”
"On the contrary, you value female chastity so much, so why don't you care about it when it comes to yourselves?"
Seeing that he had brought the topic back, the scholar's lips twitched but he didn't know how to refute it, so he could only look at his companion with pleading eyes.
None of them wanted to confront the Prince of Jin, but given the current situation, if they fled without a proper confrontation, they feared they would become the laughingstock of all the scholars in the capital the next day.
After a moment of silence, one of them stepped forward and said, "Your Highness need not concern yourself with the distinction between men and women regarding chastity. Throughout history, various dynasties have erected numerous chastity arches to honor women who remained chaste."
"These memorial arches were all built by the imperial court specifically for women; I have never heard of any man receiving a chastity arch."
"The only chastity memorial arch in this dynasty was also bestowed upon Lady He of Qingzhou, in recognition of her chastity for her deceased husband. It has never been given to a man."
"Does Your Highness believe that all dynasties, including this one, think men are shameless?"
Upon hearing this, his companions clenched their fists and secretly cheered.
Let's defeat the Prince of Jin with his fallacies and heresies, and see what he does then. Does he dare to criticize the court then?
The memorial archway commemorating Madam He's chastity was personally bestowed by Emperor Gaozu when he was alive. If he dared to question it, it would be to criticize Emperor Gaozu, and he wouldn't dare even if he had eight hundred lives.
Everyone thought they had it in the bag, but to their surprise, the Prince of Jin laughed and pointed at the scholar's nose, cursing even louder.
"You useless, pedantic scholar, how dare you mention the imperial court and Old Madam He here? What gives you the nerve?"
"Our dynasty has always encouraged widowed women to remarry, and has never bestowed a chastity archway upon any woman for remaining chaste for her deceased husband."
"The reason why Madam He received this unique chastity memorial arch is because she was General He's second wife. After General He passed away, she not only raised her and her late husband's three children with great care, but also raised General He's two children with his first wife very well. All five of her children were quite accomplished, and even her daughter once led troops on the battlefield and made great contributions to the court."
"Madam He's virtuous reputation was so widespread that the imperial court bestowed upon her a memorial archway to recognize her chastity. Yet, in your mouth, she claims she received the archway because she remained chaste for her deceased husband."
"So in your eyes, Madam He's success today is entirely due to her deceased husband, while all her own contributions are wiped out?"
"Do you dare to say that to the imperial court? Let's see if the court will agree with you and say that the chastity arch was bestowed upon Madam He because she remained chaste for her husband."
"If you're so capable, go and say those words to the He family again, and see if they won't slap you across the face and drag you back to the capital from Qingzhou!"
"Chastity, chastity, what exactly is chastity? Chastity means steadfastness. Chastity means integrity. The word chastity means upholding one's integrity, never about a woman's purity. But in the mouth of you pedantic scholar, you've reduced it to nothing more than matters of men and women."
"The reason why the court only bestows chastity arches on women and not on men is simply because men can enter officialdom and have many opportunities to make meritorious contributions and be promoted, while women cannot enter officialdom and can only receive ordinary rewards even if they make great contributions."
"The imperial court specially bestowed the chastity archway to commend those women who were exceptionally virtuous and accomplished. But you, on the contrary, make it sound as if the imperial court does nothing all day long and is just like you, only concerned with the purity of women."
"Even someone like me who hasn't even finished reading the Four Books and Five Classics knows what chastity is and understands the purpose of the court bestowing chastity arches. You, a scholar who has studied for countless years, don't understand this at all. I think you've wasted your time!"
The scholars froze, none of them able to utter a word.
Indeed, the reason why Madam He received the chastity arch was mainly because she raised five exceptionally outstanding children, all of whom made great contributions to the court. The He family can be described as a family of loyal martyrs.
But as time went by, what people remembered her for was that she remained chaste for her deceased husband, did not remarry after General He's death, and raised his five children.
When talking about "keeping chastity for her deceased husband," it's as if that's the main point, and that's why the chastity arch was created.
The scholar who had just spoken turned pale, knowing that if word got out about what had happened today, even if he achieved great success in his studies, it would be difficult for him to make a name for himself in the officialdom.
He tried his best to argue, but in the end he could only weakly say, leaning on the corner of the table, "But... that's what everyone says."
"That's what everyone says."
Qi Jingxuan sneered: "Naturally, it's because it's the easiest thing to do to remain chaste for one's deceased husband. Those who want their daughters-in-law to also have a chastity memorial arch are only eyeing this, aren't they?"
The scholar was struck dumb, and ultimately succumbed to defeat, covering his face as he left.
Seeing this, the other scholars hurriedly followed, leaving in a very disheveled state.
The onlookers cheered loudly for Qi Jingxuan, who then spat at the retreating figures of the scholars as they fled in disarray.
"I don't know which dynasty or which era this sauerkraut came from, it's so pungent it made me want to vomit up my food from last month!"
Everyone burst into laughter, and someone shouted, "Last month's food has already been excreted and can't be vomited up."
This made everyone laugh even louder, especially those who knew that Qi Jingxuan had once borrowed a bathroom from Old Zhang's house in Yangliu Hutong. After laughing, they didn't forget to tell the joke about Qi Jingxuan's toilet habits to the people next to them.
The crowd was too noisy, and Qi Jingxuan didn't hear what they were saying at all. Thinking of what the scholars had just said, and still afraid that it would reach Shen Yan's ears, he immediately banged the gong a few more times.
"Since the topic has come up today, I'll tell you all about it right now."
"The imperial court has always hoped for a large population and a prosperous nation, and strongly advocates for women to remarry. Whether they are widows or divorced, as long as they are willing, they can find a good husband again, without having to adhere to the requirement of remaining chaste for their deceased husbands."
"As for the idea that one should commit suicide to prove their innocence after losing their virginity before marriage, that's even more ridiculous."
"Are there more men or women who lose their virginity before marriage? So many men have slept with other women before marriage, and they don't seem to be making a scene or committing suicide. They even brag about it as a romantic affair. Why is it considered a huge sin when it happens to women?"
"If you have daughters, never teach them those virtuous and chaste women. Teaching them such useless things will only lead to their demise if they happen to encounter someone like me."
Some men initially scoffed at his earlier remarks, but when he used himself as an example, they couldn't help but laugh.
Qi Jingxuan pressed his advantage, saying, "If your daughters are really unlucky enough to encounter something like this, then advise them to think positively and just consider it as being bitten by a rabid dog. If you're bitten by a dog, are you going to pay with your life for that dog? That's not worth it!"
"If I were them, I wouldn't hurt myself for this mad dog; I'd grab a stick and give it a good beating!"
“If we run into that really fierce mad dog,” he said, pointing to himself, “even if we can’t beat him, we should try to fight to the death. We absolutely cannot die while that mad dog lives on and continues to enjoy himself. Otherwise, dying would be a wasted life, wouldn’t that be a huge loss?”
The crowd burst into laughter again, and it was unclear how many people actually took his words to heart.
Qi Jingxuan, however, felt that what he said made perfect sense, and immediately after speaking, he asked the servant beside him, "Did you write down what I just said?"
The servant exclaimed in surprise, not understanding what was going on.
This... this needs to be remembered? Your Highness didn't mention it earlier.
But he dared not admit that he hadn't remembered it. He glanced at the storytellers on the street who were writing furiously with paper and pen, and nodded, saying, "I...I've remembered it."
I can always just ask someone to buy me a copy later.
Qi Jingxuan nodded: "You must find a way to spread those last few words, the wider the better! Especially around Yangliu Hutong, make sure everyone knows about them!"
The servants were even more puzzled, but they did not refute it; they simply nodded in agreement.
Qi Jingxuan was very satisfied and turned to walk towards Fushenglou Restaurant to continue his meal.
He suddenly realized that if Shen Yan ultimately sought death because of losing her innocence, wouldn't it be good to incite her desire for revenge?
If she wants to take revenge on the person behind it all, she must find them first; she will not attempt suicide before that.
If she were to retaliate against someone who had implicated her, Qi Jingxuan would have many guards around him, and he himself would know some martial arts. Shen Yan, a weak woman, certainly wouldn't be able to kill him. As long as he lived, Shen Yan would also live.
Qi Jingxuan thought the idea was brilliant and that he was incredibly clever!
He became happier and happier as he thought about it. After returning to Fushenglou, he ordered several hot dishes and ate two more bowls of rice. Only after he was full did he return to Yangliu Hutong.
-----------------------
Author's note: I'll be taking a break tomorrow, so the update will be at 11:30 PM tonight.
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
