Chapter 295 The Female Prime Minister
In the autumn of the second year of Zhaoming, Su Qing declined the purple ribbon and gold seal and was appointed as the second prime minister of the new dynasty.
Her career progressed steadily, rising from the first female official to the first female prime minister in just over three years.
When the bright yellow imperial edict was read aloud in the court, the officials, though they had long anticipated this, were still shaken to their core.
This is the first female prime minister in the more than two hundred years since the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty... no, in all of history.
A prime minister at the age of twenty-two!
Not to mention women, there has never been such a young prime minister among men throughout history.
The story of Gan Luo becoming a high-ranking official at the age of twelve is already a legendary tale, but Su Qingci's rise to power at such a young age breaks the dual constraints of gender and age, creating an unprecedented legend.
However, Su Qingci's political achievements are also undeniable.
Her most outstanding achievement was presiding over the revision of the new "Great Qi Law".
She personally examined all the legal classics and decrees of past dynasties, visited the criminal justice departments, and investigated public opinion. After more than a year, she finally completed the compilation of the new law.
The new law has now been implemented nationwide, and the enthusiastic response from the public has exceeded everyone's expectations.
In Jiangnan, a widow sued her clan for misappropriation of her property and won a great victory.
In the north, a woman used the new law to divorce her alcoholic and abusive husband, receiving half of his property and regaining her freedom. Her husband was sentenced to ten years in prison.
In teahouses and taverns, storytellers would weave together cases that occurred after the implementation of the new laws into tales, and whenever they reached an exciting part, the audience would cheer.
After serving as the Director of the Trade Office for three years, Xue Nanzhi was also appointed as the Minister of Revenue.
This official, whose identity as a businesswoman was once questioned, silenced all criticism with his solid achievements.
During her tenure as the Director of the Trade Office, she overcame opposition and vigorously promoted trade with neighboring countries such as Tibet and Nanzhao.
They transported silk and porcelain from the Central Plains to other countries, and introduced fine horses, medicinal herbs, and jade from the Western Regions to the Central Plains.
In just two years, tax revenue from border trade increased by 70%, greatly enriching the national treasury and bringing unprecedented prosperity to the Great Qi.
After taking office as Minister of Revenue, her first task was to reorganize the Grand Canal transport system.
The Grand Canal was the lifeline for transporting goods between the north and south of the Great Qi Dynasty. However, for many years, corruption was rampant among the officials in charge of the canal, with layers of exploitation causing not only great harm to the people but also heavy losses to the national treasury.
She personally inspected the canal for three months, uncovered more than 20 corrupt officials, eliminated the old problem of "30% loss in the canal transport", and saved the national treasury one million strings of cash in just three years.
Liu Liniang, as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, submitted a memorial requesting the implementation of the "Enlightenment Decree".
"I observe that the decline of the previous dynasty began with the ignorance of the people; the rise of the current dynasty must be due to the enlightenment of the people. I request Your Majesty to issue an edict that all children under the age of ten, regardless of gender or wealth, shall be supported by the court for education."
Li Yuanzhao readily agreed.
The "Enlightenment Edict" was implemented nationwide.
Schools began to be established in various prefectures and counties, and the imperial court allocated silver and grain according to the number of students.
In just three years, the number of official schools increased from seventy-two to more than three hundred.
Nowadays, in schools, boys and girls sit together and study together, learning the "Four Books and Five Classics" and "Instructions for Women" compiled by Tu Qingxin. The tests are on the interpretation of the classics, policy essays, and practical arithmetic.
The newly compiled "Four Books and Five Classics" retains the essence of the wisdom of the ancients, but removes those extreme interpretations that promote "male superiority and female inferiority" and adds annotations on "the world belongs to all" and "all beings are equal".
The newly revised "Rules for Women" and "Instructions for Women" completely abandoned the constraints of "Three Obediences and Four Virtues" and instead advocated "independence, talent, responsibility, and patriotism".
The book records stories of women who made great contributions, such as Nuwa mending the sky, Fu Hao assisting in governance, and Emperor Shengwu Zhaolie, so that girls can understand that they can also contribute to their country and family just like men.
The study of classical texts is no longer limited to rote memorization, but requires students to discuss their insights in light of the current national situation.
Policy essays further encourage students to put forward their own proposals on practical issues such as border defense, people's livelihood, and official governance.
Practical arithmetic teaches practical skills such as bookkeeping, measurement, and statistics, laying the foundation for future careers in government or business, truly realizing "learning for practical application".
By the time of the imperial examination in the third year of the Zhaoming era, more than half of the successful candidates were women.
The woman named Qin Liang proposed the strategy of "using commerce to support the border" in the palace examination. Li Yuanzhao personally selected her as the top scholar and appointed her as the director of the Military Equipment Bureau.
In the present Great Qi, His Majesty is diligent in governing and the court is united in purpose.
Once the decree was issued, the six ministries worked together efficiently, and local officials acted swiftly and decisively, with none of the previous buck-passing and shirking of responsibility.
This clear-minded and efficient court atmosphere not only made the country's development vibrant, but also brought about tremendous changes in the social landscape.
The market was brightly lit, with a constant stream of merchants and travelers. Foreign merchants and scholars walked side by side, chatting and laughing.
The woman, carrying her young child, was returning home at night without worrying about the safety of the journey.
Business travelers staying at guesthouses don't need to carry their luggage.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Criminal Law, there were fewer than 100 reported theft cases nationwide last year, and serious crimes such as murder and arson were even rarer, truly achieving the goal of "no one picking up lost items on the road and no one locking their doors at night".
People live in peace and contentment, the elderly are cared for, children are educated, the poor are supported, and the wealthy are at ease...
This prosperous and peaceful era, with its abundant resources and thriving people, has long since silenced all the critics of that time.
Even the most stubborn old ministers, after witnessing the mountains of grain piled up in the granary, had to admit that the Zhaoming era, which involved women and promoted gender equality and shared governance, had indeed created an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity.
In the fourth year of Zhaoming, as Li Yuanzhao had been on the throne for some time, the political situation gradually stabilized.
Therefore, insightful people in the court began to join forces to submit a memorial demanding the rectification of cruel officials.
Several memorials impeaching the Grand Censor Du Cong were submitted one after another, directly pointing out his past crimes such as fabricating charges, framing colleagues, and abusing private punishment. The memorials earnestly requested His Majesty to cleanse the court and restore order to the court and the world.
Over the past four years, there have been many such impeachments, but Li Yuanzhao has suppressed them all.
This time, however, Li Yuanzhao did not protect Du Cong.
Ultimately, under the supervision of Prime Minister Su, seventeen major crimes were personally investigated, and the Emperor ordered him to be beheaded and his head displayed to the public.
The execution ground was set up at the West Market entrance, and on the day of the execution, the streets were deserted as everyone flocked to the city.
"I heard this is 'King Du'? I heard he harmed a lot of good people?"
"That's right! My aunt works in the government office, and she says that any official who falls into her hands will be severely punished, if not killed..."
"That's truly despicable! His Majesty is indeed a righteous emperor who acts on behalf of Heaven and rids the people of evil!"
The Imperial Censor, who once struck fear into the hearts of all officials, knelt on the execution platform. Although he had a limp, he still knelt upright.
As the executioner read the imperial edict, he remained calm throughout, only bowing deeply towards the palace when he heard the words "execution immediately."
Perhaps Du Cong had long anticipated this day, as he wrote in his petition to the emperor: "Thunderous measures were all my intention; all merits and demerits throughout the ages are attributed to Your Majesty's wisdom."
He bore all the infamy himself, while all the praise went to the king.
The fact that he was ultimately spared the confiscation of his property and only beheaded was the emperor's final act of mercy.
At the end of his petition, he wrote: "If there is an afterlife, I will again be an upright minister of the emperor."
This once-powerful and feared ruthless official has thus come to an end.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to deal with Du Cong, Li Yuanzhao promoted a new civil service law, strictly prohibiting officials from abusing their power and engaging in corruption.
In an instant, the people's hearts were with the emperor, and the atmosphere in the imperial court was cleansed.
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