Even if things were worse off, the royal factories and workshops could still accommodate many female managers.
The emperor had formally proposed allowing women to work outside their homes the year before last, and had given policy support. Women who worked outside were exempt from the head tax.
The emperor did not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to exempting the head tax, but used it as an incentive to achieve certain goals.
Children with a primary school diploma were exempt from one-third of their taxes; those with a junior high school diploma were exempt from half. If they were tenant farmers, the court would provide them with an appropriate subsidy called a "scholarship."
Judging from Xiaoye's age, she would be among the first batch of graduates and also among the first batch of female officials. She could work as a translator in the customs, the Ministry of Rites' welcoming department, or the Imperial Translation Bureau, so her career prospects were quite broad.
"I thank Your Majesty for your grace." Xiaoye bowed and thanked him. "I will live up to your expectations and study hard so that I can be competent for my future work."
The emperor nodded and said, "You really have to rely on yourself. Hard work is the best way. This is true for any subject."
Xiaoye bowed to accept the instruction, then stepped aside and looked at the two little princesses with a smile.
"Xiaoye is very capable and can speak several foreign languages!" The emperor held the two little girls by the hand, looked left and right, and introduced them with a smile.
Zhu Shu'e grinned and said, "Sister Xiaoye is amazing. I want to learn from her and become proficient in eight foreign languages."
To emphasize, the girl stretched out her little hand and made the number eight sign. Well, she likes this the most, she has done it since she was a child, it's very easy.
Zhu Shumei nodded vigorously to show her approval of her sister.
The twin girls had very different personalities. Zhu Shumei spoke less, but in the emperor's opinion, she was smarter.
The emperor loved all of them equally, no matter if it was the talkative Zhu Shu'e or the quiet and thoughtful Zhu Shu'mei.
"Your Highnesses are both intelligent and clever. They will definitely be much better than me in the future." Xiaoye bowed and said with a smile, "Your Highness is a famous teacher, and I am far more incomparable to him."
"That's not right." The emperor shook his head and said, "As I said before, you still have to rely on your own efforts. They may have fine clothes and delicious food, but they may not have the same motivation to study as you do."
After a pause, the emperor smiled and said, "Okay, go ahead. I'll just take a walk."
"I'll take my leave." Xiaoye bowed and stepped aside, watching the emperor and his party walk away.
Today is the day when the school is closed, and the emperor specially came here on this day.
It was not necessary to gather the students together, examine them, or offer them condolences. The emperor could tell how well the school was doing simply by observing their spirits.
Although the students were all orphans from the Young Masters School and had to live here, the school was not completely closed.
On weekends, students can leave the campus but must return within a specified timeframe. They receive a monthly stipend to see the world, learn about society, and buy things they like or need.
The emperor first went to the cafeteria, looked at the students' daily meals, and asked the staff. He was quite satisfied.
When children are growing up, eating well is the most important thing. The emperor suddenly remembered May, who was always thinking about what to eat, and couldn't help but pursed his lips and revealed a little smile.
In the principal's office, the emperor looked through the textbooks and found them much simpler than later junior high schools. However, at that time, being able to complete a junior high school diploma was considered a mid- to high-level professional.
As for the high school department, the emperor had no plans to establish one.
If you want to continue your studies, go to the Academy of Sciences, which has been expanded. These students who have laid the foundation since childhood will become the backbone of the Academy of Sciences in ten years.
You know, the backbone of the Academy of Sciences now are all latecomers who rely on their comprehension ability to make up for the relevant knowledge they have learned by cramming, and they do not have the solid foundation of the children of the Young Talents Academy.
Of course, this was a measure the emperor had to resort to. Although it might seem like forcing things to grow, if the system were to continue as it was, at least five or six years of education from elementary school to middle school would be wasted, and Ming technology would stagnate.
Fortunately, the level of science and technology at that time was still relatively low, so it was easy to catch up. Mainly in basic disciplines, the backwardness of the Ming Dynasty is not to be denied.
The emperor walked towards the library to see the number and variety of books inside. This is a window to broaden one's horizons, and translated books are the first to enter here.
"Long live the emperor, long live the emperor—" An anxious call sounded behind him. Sounding familiar, the emperor couldn't help but laugh.
May ran very fast with her skirt lifted up. When she got close, she knelt down and saluted, panting heavily and spewing out bursts of white mist.
The girl is already twelve or thirteen years old. Perhaps because she can eat delicious food, she is no longer short and her face no longer has the childish look of the past.
But the action was still the same as before, running over in a hurry and kowtowing in a hurry.
"Sister May..." Before the emperor could say anything, the two little princesses had already recognized her. They giggled, broke away from their father's lead, and ran over to get close to May.
"Stand up!" the emperor said with a smile, "Where have you been playing? You can tell you've just returned."
Wu Yue stood up, laughing, and took the little princesses in each hand, saying casually, "I went to eat hot pot. Long live the invention! It's really delicious!"
The emperor was stunned for a moment and asked, "Do you have money to eat hot pot? From what I understand, it doesn't seem to be cheap."
"Someone invited me to eat!" May said, "Actually, I don't eat much. I just like new ways of eating and new foods."
The emperor thought for a moment and then said, "Is it Zhao Dabao?"
Because Zhao Dabao was quite handy, he was assigned to the Academy of Sciences to work on machinery. He earned a salary, which was much more comfortable than the students who received subsidies. Although hot pot wasn't cheap, he could save up enough for two months to eat it.
Wu Yue chuckled twice and said, "Long live your wisdom. Nothing can be hidden from you."
After a pause, she explained, "It's not that I'm being treated to him for nothing. I've helped him a lot!"
The emperor doesn't want to know what Wu Yue has done to help Zhao Dabao. Whether Zhao Dabao treats Wu Yue as a sister or has other thoughts, it's all normal, and the emperor doesn't want to care!
Of course, the emperor still admired and loved May's superhuman intelligence and quirky ideas.
I have to admit, there are geniuses in this world. Wu Yue was able to skip a grade and enter junior high school. This means she is either more diligent or smarter than others.
The emperor smiled indifferently, not paying any attention to the little girl's flattery. He put his hands behind his back and continued walking towards the library.
May did not follow immediately, but chatted and laughed with the two little princesses. After not seeing each other for a long time, they became very close.
"Princess, what did you eat today?"
The emperor couldn't help but roll his eyes and stroke his forehead. "It's easy to change a country, but hard to change one's nature." This saying is truly true, and it was perfectly embodied in Wu Yue.
……………….
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