He has always been a good boy, so he must not be let off!
The old emperor really doesn't know.
——Even if the Jinyiwei investigates further, they will not bring such a matter to the table.
Looking at Xu Yanmiao's reaction... Is there any other secret behind this foot binding?
"My dear, tell me."
"First, the four toes except the big toe are bend down with force, and then the four toes are bound with foot binding strips, which are applied to the instep, over the heel, and then on the instep, layer by layer, and pulled towards the sole of the foot. Finally, needle and thread are used to wrap it hundreds of times to fix it at the sole of the foot."
Even the battle-hardened generals gasped: "Isn't this torture!"
Xu Yanmiao hated the evil practice of foot binding, but he still tried to calm himself down so that he could convince the emperor and the officials to ban it.
"Indeed. Foot binding is torture."
Xu Yanmiao said, "In addition to the toes, the ankles must also be folded down. Every time the foot binding cloth is changed, some festering flesh will be torn off - bones and flesh are falling apart, deformed, festering, and rotting, these are the current conditions of bound feet under the foot binding cloth."
Everyone felt a chill and shudder.
This -
people who like bound feet must be crazy and perverted!
This kind of practice of forcibly bending people's toes down, not caring whether the foot owner will go crazy because of the pain, no normal person can bear to watch.
Xu Yanmiao: "Gentlemen!"
"Most of you here have daughters! Please think about it, if many people in the world are advocating foot binding, considering small feet beautiful, marrying a wife only if she has small feet, and taking a concubine based on small feet, can you really resist the secular world!" "Even though
you are ministers, high up in the temple, can you find that if my daughter does not do this, it will bring shame to the family? Can you really insist on doing your own way and doing things that are heretical in the eyes of the world?"
"What's more--"
"Do you really want your daughters and granddaughters to suffer like this? Break their toes. Damage their flesh and bones, and make them feel pain all their lives?!"
The young man's words were like knives, his eyes were sharp, and each sound was louder than the last, like thunder breaking through dark clouds, accumulating momentum, and finally, a blow piercing the sky, igniting a raging fire all over the plain.
The men were so shocked that their faces turned pale and they stood there like puppets.
They had never seen the so-called "beauty" after foot binding, and they had no impression of being weak and graceful, but they were already forced to experience the disadvantages of foot binding.
The lover of his daughter was more anxious than before, from his expression to his actions, and stood up to meet Xu Yanmo's words.
Those who are just ordinary people who raise their daughters and have no hatred towards them, and are not sadists or perverts, also expressed that it would be better if the world does not become like that.
Even officials who do not have daughters or do not care about their daughters are anxious - we really don’t want to sleep with women with stinky feet in the future!
If they had the idea of not caring about the ban on foot binding the day before yesterday and wanting to protect the beasts, now they really want to implement the ban.
Xu Yanmiao felt relieved.
[Fortunately it succeeded...]
He could actually realize very clearly: [He took advantage of the fact that it was just the beginning and the trend was not strong.]
If it was later, foot binding would have become popular in society, and even if he put forward the view that "foot binding affects fertility", it would be difficult to achieve the current results.
Xu Yanmiao bowed to the head of the court: "Your Majesty, I say that Prince Fu is endangering the country and the people."
"If foot binding becomes a trend, one out of every two or three women will die in childbirth. Is this endangering the country?"
"Forcing women to bind their feet, millions of people are forced to cut off their feet. Is this ignoring the people?"
"Killing the living things for beauty, doing useless things for benefit, is the worst form of instigation. The ancient sages looked at our dynasty and ridiculed it as a barbaric city!"
"I ask Your Majesty to ban foot binding, punish Prince Fu, and correct the trend!"
The summer wind swept across the ground, lifting the corners of the official robes.
On the golden platform, the emperor lowered his eyes, as if looking at him: "Yes."
Xu Yanmiao bowed again in a serious manner.
But the voice in his heart revealed his unstable side.
【Wuhu! 】
【I succeeded! 】
【The disgusting bad habit of foot binding should be eliminated! 】
The old emperor showed a little smile and said: "In this case, you can discuss how to deal with this matter?"
＊
The order to ban foot binding must be implemented. Even if this trend does not seem to have appeared, it is just a precautionary measure. However, who knows if it will be like cockroaches. You only found one, but there is actually a nest of them.
Prime Minister Dou suggested: "Why not connect this matter with the performance of local officials? Finding foot binding..."
Xu Yanmo interrupted: "After foot binding, you can still unbind your feet."
Prime Minister Dou nodded slightly and added: "Those who find foot binding and help women unbind their feet can be counted in the assessment score."
- That is, additional points.
Immediately, an official stood up to express his disagreement.
"The Prime Minister is wrong." The Minister of the Ministry of Rites said with a smile: "This is to instigate Your Majesty to do something stupid."
Prime Minister Dou's face suddenly sank: "Zheng Qing, just speak frankly."
The Minister of the Ministry of Rites lowered his eyelids and said slowly: "The Prime Minister has good intentions, but he has forgotten human nature. If this matter becomes an extra achievement, will local officials force women to bind their feet for the sake of achievement, and then let them go after their feet are bound to pieces, and take credit for it?"
Prime Minister Dou's face was as gloomy as water, and he said nothing.
Of course, he knew that any decree, with good intentions, would be mixed with sand and loopholes after it was issued - but this should be put in a small court meeting and discussed by the officials.
To put it more clearly, this is just a first edition, a draft. Every decree has to go through many discussions before it is issued.
——The Minister of the Ministry of Rites and he are not from the same faction. People from that faction have almost become accustomed to finding his mistakes and criticizing him. It's just that it was the Minister of the Ministry of Rites who spoke out this time.
However, the reason why the Minister of the Ministry of Rites dared to bring it up is because this problem does exist.
It is not that simple to implement a decree. It is not that the court issues a document and the officials in various places are like NPCs, who execute it meticulously.
Prime Minister Dou had no way to refute it - he couldn't say, I plan to bring this up at the court meeting.
It makes sense, but bringing it up would make it seem like you don't care about it.
After swallowing this humiliation, Prime Minister Dou smiled and asked in return: "Does Zheng Qing have any good ideas?"
The Minister of Taichang Temple pondered for a moment and said: "First, send clerks with documents to inform people in various places of the harm of foot binding so that they will not blindly follow it. Then, tell them that women with bound feet are forbidden to marry or become concubines, and let the government search every household..."
Before he finished speaking, an official from Prime Minister Dou's faction immediately stood up and retorted: "Zheng Qing has made a similar mistake. Deceiving the superiors and lying to the subordinates has always been a common problem for local governments. Let the government search every household. What if some officials use this to extort people? If you don't show filial piety, they will say that your daughter has bound feet, and you will be talked about by people in the surrounding area, and be called a beast who murdered your daughter."
The Minister of Taichang Temple: "..."
He felt like he was being called a beast.
Another third party official came out and said, "Your Majesty, I think the Prime Minister's words are reasonable, and the words of the Minister of the Ministry of Rites are not necessarily unwise, but both sides need to proceed slowly. Why not first publicize the harm of foot binding, and then discuss how to prevent local officials from ruining the government..."
Xu Yanmiao stood aside, almost holding his chin in his hand.
After two years, he was used to it. If there is any policy, they will argue about it first, and some of them can be argued out, while others can only be discussed later.
However, publicizing the harm of foot binding...
[Alas, it's a pity that this suggestion cannot be made. ]
[Otherwise, I really want to say that if you want people to recognize the harm, it is best to have a model, but the girls are already suffering, and it is not good to dig their flesh and blood. 】
【Why not bind Prince Fu's feet, and then take him out to show the harm of foot binding...】
【It would be best to take him to a busy big city, a hub of the world, a major transportation route or something like that. 】
The old emperor at the top: "!"
Absolutely not! This is too much. Although the third brother's foot binding was a bit disturbing, it didn't cause any consequences. He has always been a good boy...
【But if I say he wants to seize the throne, does that mean...】
"Bang——"
Xu Yanmiao raised his eyes blankly.
He saw the old emperor on the golden stage slap the armrest of the dragon chair, and the sound... to exaggerate a little, it was so loud that the door of the council fell dust.
"I have an idea..."
Foot binding is impossible, but Xu Yanmiao inspired him.
——Since the prince has thoughts that he shouldn't have, just break his legs.