Chapter 71: Establishing a Female Household
Wei Er didn't understand how things turned out like this.
Ma Sanniang and her men did not abduct Ji Changqing's widowed sister-in-law to Hua Manlou. Instead, they abducted him there. Not only did they rape him, they also turned the tables and almost put him in jail.
If he doesn't send people to hunt them down, does he keep them alive for the New Year?
Instead of running for their lives, they ran back to the pleasure boat, set it on fire, and voluntarily surrendered themselves to the officers and soldiers. Did they all get kicked in the head by a donkey?
My third uncle is such a capable person, but he actually fell into the hands of these little minions?
It's ridiculous!
"Just be quiet for now!"
Minister Wei gave him a glare.
"Don't get involved with those cousins from the Cen family, don't cause trouble, or no one will be able to protect you!"
Wei Er was dejected: "I know, Dad."
When he returned to his yard, he looked at the room full of rare antiques given to him by his third uncle, and he couldn't suppress the hatred he felt.
He listened to his father and did nothing, but what was the result?
Ji Changqing became even more aggressive.
My brother-in-law died, my third uncle died, so is it his turn next?
"We must not sit still and wait for death."
He gritted his teeth.
After sitting in the room for half an hour, he called the servant and said, "Bring me a golden monkey."
-
The fire on the pleasure boat caused a huge uproar. Afterwards, not only was the Cen family pleasure boat banned, but other pleasure boats were also thoroughly investigated.
Anyone who abducts or forces women into prostitution will have their property confiscated and beheaded.
Ma Sanniang and the six men assisted the tyrant in his atrocities and abducted more than a hundred women. After they surrendered themselves, they and the others from the Cen family's pleasure boat were all sentenced to death and beheaded in the streets for public display.
The people applauded.
With Ji Changqing helping to cover it up, no one knew what role Feng Qingsui played.
Feng Qingsui didn't care about fame or success, he only cared about the whereabouts of the rescued woman.
Some of them had been abducted not long ago, while others had been on the ship for several years; some were still healthy, while others were sick.
Whatever the circumstances, it is difficult for them to return to their original lives.
They also don't want to go home.
The secular world cannot tolerate their existence.
For them, the best place to go is to become a nun.
But if there were other choices, they would never want to spend their young years sitting on a meditation mat surrounded by green lamps and ancient Buddhas, eating vegetables and tofu.
Feng Qingsui and Aunt Xu discussed it and felt that they could provide them with another option.
She approached Ji Changqing and asked, "Second Master, could you please ask His Majesty to show mercy and amend the law to allow women to establish households?"
Ji Changqing: “…”
After not seeing him for two days, this guy has become bolder.
He even dared to dream of changing the law.
"I can submit a memorial, but there is no guarantee that His Majesty will show mercy," he replied.
Feng Qingsui smiled happily: "With the Second Master's help, there will be no worries."
Ji Changqing: ╭(╯^╰)╮
"Stop flattering me."
Allowing women to establish their own households is a major matter. Even if His Majesty nods, the ministers may not agree.
If the resistance is too great, it is likely to come to nothing.
He didn't dare to make any promises to Feng Qingsui.
Just with the mentality of giving it a try, he submitted a memorial. As he expected, when the emperor mentioned this memorial during the morning court, the ministers were outraged.
"A woman should obey her father at home, her husband after marriage, and her son after her husband's death. How can she set up her own household and overstep her bounds?"
"If a woman takes over the household, how will the family property be divided? How will the clan be passed down? How will customs be maintained? If we allow her to establish a household, the country will cease to be a country."
"Women are weak and have a hard time surviving. How can they support the family on their own?"
…
Almost no one agreed to establish a female household.
The emperor asked Ji Changqing, "What do you think, my dear Ji?"
Ji Changqing remained composed. "I believe that since Your Majesty ascended the throne, Daxi has enjoyed abundant weather, peace, and prosperity. Your Majesty's wisdom rivals that of Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang, truly a peerless emperor. How can simply allowing a woman to establish a household shake the foundations of Daxi? Your Excellencies' opposition is a gross underestimation of Your Majesty's virtue."
The ministers: “…”
You are so good, Ji Changqing.
Looking at the man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, he can flatter His Majesty with ease.
The title of “the greatest emperor of all time” has been brought up, what can they say?
Your Majesty will have to issue a precedent-setting decree for this "unique emperor in history."
Sure enough, the emperor was very pleased after hearing Ji Changqing's words, and he issued a new law on the spot, allowing women to establish households.
After the court was dismissed, the ministers chased Ji Changqing and scolded him, "Why did Lord Ji suddenly have the idea of asking a woman to establish a household? If the country is in turmoil because of this, Lord Ji, can you bear the responsibility?"
Ji Changqing said calmly, "If simply establishing a female household can shake the country, it only shows that I, Ji, am incompetent, you all are incompetent, and all the men of Daxi are incompetent and unworthy of living in this world."
The ministers: “…”
It has to be you.
When he gets angry, he even scolds himself.
Ji Changqing walked back home with a brisk pace and told Feng Qingsui the good news.
Feng Qingsui was indeed beaming with joy: "Second Master, your merits are immeasurable! All the women in the world will be grateful to you!"
Ji Changqing: "It is your majesty's holy virtue."
Feng Qingsui: "Yes, I also want to thank Your Majesty."
The rescued women became the first women to be established as female households in Daxi.
They can dispose of their property independently and decide whether to marry or not, without having to rely on their father, husband or children.
As long as they can support themselves, they can live in the world with integrity.
However, what these women worry about most is how to support themselves.
They have nothing and no special skills. They don't want to use the tricks of serving men that they were forced to learn on the pleasure boat for the rest of their lives.
The only jobs available to them on the market are heavy and low-paying jobs such as washing, sewing, and sweeping.
Even these jobs are not necessarily available.
When they were in dire straits, Feng Qingsui came to them and asked, "Would you like to work as helpers in a workshop? I'm planning to open a new workshop in Weicheng to make sweaters. If you're willing to go there, I'll provide you with food and lodging, and you'll receive excellent treatment."
After that, I talked in detail about the workshop's salary and benefits.
The women were overjoyed.
They are eager to leave the capital, a place of trouble, and go to a place where no one knows their past to start a new life.
The opportunity provided by Feng Qingsui was like a pie in the sky.
The workshop provides full food and accommodation, and they can save almost all of their wages. After working for three to five years, they can buy a courtyard house.
If you work for another three to five years and buy 10 to 20 acres of good farmland, you can live on the rent in your old age.
Who would refuse such a good opportunity!
"We do!"
Feng Qingsui sent Aunt Xu to take them to the Acropolis to prepare for the construction of a new workshop.
The Acropolis is right between the northern border and the capital, and the wool entering the country can be sent there directly. Now with the supply of goods from Zong Hebai's trade routes and the channels from A Yu, there is no need to worry about the lack of raw materials.
After this matter was settled, she breathed a sigh of relief and began to think about the Wei family's reaction.
The Wei family suffered such a heavy blow, but there was no reaction at all. Was it that Minister Wei was too patient, or was he planning a counterattack?
That afternoon, just as she was about to go out to walk the dog, a servant from Princess Shouyang's mansion suddenly came to her door.
"I am the servant of Master Xuan. Master Xuan went to play in the garden outside the capital. I don't know if he ate something wrong or what, but he suddenly vomited and had diarrhea. Please go over and take a look."
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