Qin Chuan shouted into the megaphone: "Why abolish girls' schools? Why boycott indecent clothing?"
The students were making a ruckus, chattering and chattering, creating a noisy atmosphere.
The noise seemed to overwhelm Yang Zhaoting's megaphone, causing it to suddenly emit a piercing buzz.
Qin Chuan covered his ears, then pointed in Yang Zhaoting's direction and shouted, "Quiet down! Let him speak!"
The students all shut their mouths, not daring to say another word.
"What's your name?" Qin Chuan pointed at Yang Zhaoting again.
"Your Highness, I am Yang Zhaoting, a selected student of the Imperial Academy and also a student receiving stipends from the Imperial Academy," Yang Zhaoting replied calmly.
The term "Bagongsheng" is equivalent to "Youtuisheng". These are outstanding individuals who are selected by the prefectural and county schools and then undergo provincial-level testing or are sent to the capital for unified testing by the Ministry of Rites. They are the ones who successfully enter the Imperial Academy.
The term "廪膳生" refers to outstanding students who receive government stipends to support their living expenses. The Imperial Academy had an annual quota of one hundred 廪膳生.
Yang Zhaoting felt a little proud when he announced these two titles, after all, he was the only one in the entire Imperial Academy who could hold both of these identities at the same time.
At the Imperial Academy, many students greatly respected him and called him "Senior".
However, he saw that His Highness the Prince of Yan did not react, but instead coldly asked, "Tell me your reasons, why do you want to abolish girls' schools?"
Yang Zhaoting prepared a pre-prepared excuse and confidently replied, "Your Highness..."
To his surprise, Qin Chuan interrupted him as soon as he opened his mouth: "There is no Your Highness here. I am also a doctor from the Imperial Academy. Let's treat this as a teacher-student debate. You can just call me teacher. Please continue..."
These words stirred up a huge storm in Yang Zhaoting's heart.
Yes, how could I forget? The man before me is not only the Prince of Yan, who holds absolute power, but also a Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy, a Doctor of the Imperial Academy, and the greatest scholar in the land…
Thinking of all this, Yang Zhaoting suddenly felt ashamed of his earlier smugness and was at a loss for words. All the responses he had prepared vanished, and he stammered, "In reply to...in reply to teacher, this student thinks...thinks..."
The students next to him elbowed him twice, and he finally managed to speak fluently.
"Women should stay at home to support their husbands and raise their children. If women are allowed to study, they will not think about supporting their husbands and raising their children. Instead, they will want to take the imperial examinations and become officials. Secondly, they will become lazy and not do housework. Thirdly, they will be arrogant and unwilling to marry or have children. Women's education will have a hundred disadvantages and no advantages. It goes against the principles of nature."
Qin Chuan felt a sense of familiarity upon hearing this. Why was a country's low birth rate caused by women being unwilling to have children despite their education?
This seems to be a viewpoint expressed by a famous female professor from a top-tier university.
That's pure nonsense. People don't want to have children simply because they are struggling themselves and don't want their children to suffer along with them. If conditions were better, who wouldn't want to have children?
This is a typical example of shifting class conflict onto gender conflict.
Of course, things are different in modern society; whether or not a woman gives birth is not a decision she can make.
Thinking of this, Qin Chuan said, "How is it against the natural order? I'll ask you three questions."
"First question: Are women human beings?"
Upon hearing the question, Yang Zhaoting was stunned, completely at a loss for words. He had already anticipated that His Highness the Prince of Yan's questions would become increasingly sharp...
"In my opinion, women are human beings too, teacher."
After Yang Zhaoting finished answering, Qin Chuan continued to ask:
"The second question is, can women hold official positions?"
Upon hearing this question, Yang Zhaoting's back began to break out in a cold sweat. There was no room for him to choose. If women cannot hold office, then how did empresses and female officials in the palace come about?
"Of course women can hold official positions."
After answering, Yang Zhaoting had a vague premonition that the next question from His Highness the Prince of Yan would likely be a bombshell, leaving him caught off guard.
As expected, His Highness the Prince of Yan asked, "Then, shouldn't men and women be equal?"
This question stumped Yang Zhaoting and all the students of the Imperial Academy.
For a moment, everyone was so shocked that they opened their mouths but couldn't say a word.
I kept asking myself, are men and women equal? Should men and women be equal?
It's fair to say that it was unequal, since women weren't allowed to participate in the imperial examinations.
That's true in the sense of equality, since the reigning emperor was an empress.
But something seems off...
They couldn't explain it either.
Qin Chuan didn't give them a chance to refute, and then said loudly, "Since women are also human beings, and women can be officials or even emperors, what's wrong with women studying?"
"Well……"
"That seems to make sense."
The students were successfully swayed by Qin Chuan and began to nod in agreement.
Qin Chuan seized the opportunity, preventing them from shifting the topic of gender equality to "why men and women are unequal in class," and without giving them too much time to think, continued, "Since you approve of women's education, then what's wrong with women wearing school uniforms to study?"
This single sentence sparked a discussion among the crowd.
The students shouted and yelled, their voices rising and falling.
"These school uniforms are too revealing and indecent!"
"Yes, it's an insult to civility!"
"This is what a slut would wear! It has no sense of propriety whatsoever!"
At that moment, several female students from a nearby girls' school peered over the wall and secretly looked down into the street.
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