Li Jianyi knelt on the ground, his knees already aching and numb, as if he had lost all feeling.
He felt the sharp, knife-like gazes around him and the emperor's chilling rage, and his body trembled involuntarily, like a leaf falling in the cold wind.
But his deepest obsession grew wildly like weeds, becoming increasingly firm.
In his mind, women were born to stay at home, manage household chores, support their husbands and raise their children, never step out of the house, and strictly adhere to the three obediences and four virtues.
In his hometown of Yongning County, women were not even allowed to show their faces in public, let alone participate in court affairs.
From his very first day as an official, when he stepped into the majestic court and saw so many female officials, he was filled with resentment.
Those thoughts surged in his mind like a tide, and he wanted to stand up and offer his advice, to express all his dissatisfaction.
But reason told him that the court was governed by strict rules and he could not act rashly, so he forced himself to endure it.
Now, the long-suppressed emotions have finally erupted like a flood breaking through a dam.
In his eyes, the fact that the Tianxuan court had female officials, female prime ministers, and even a queen was simply a violation of the established order and the rules left by the ancestors. What kind of behavior was this?
His upbringing instilled in him a deep-seated belief that he was upholding the right path and safeguarding the dignity of his ancestors and the stability of the country.
Even when faced with the emperor's anger and the accusations of the crowd, he was unwilling to easily back down.
He secretly hoped that the emperor would understand his good intentions, agree with his views, and correct the so-called "chaos" in the court.
Inside the Golden Palace, the solemn and dignified atmosphere was thrown into disarray by anger and astonishment.
The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, a symbol of supreme power, but the chilling aura emanating from him caused the temperature in the entire hall to plummet.
His gaze was like cold lightning in the night, shooting straight at Li Jianyi, who was kneeling on the steps. His eyes seemed to penetrate flesh and reach the heart.
At this moment, Li Jianyi was like a frightened bird, curled up in a ball, trembling on the cold, hard floor of the hall.
His breathing was rapid and disordered, and each tremor seemed to announce to everyone his inner fear and unease.
Under the emperor's all-seeing gaze, his every little movement was magnified infinitely, and the fear in his heart overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.
The Emperor has always been known throughout the court and the country for his benevolent and magnanimous image.
In ordinary times, he was always gentle and polite to his ministers, and he handled government affairs with wisdom and tolerance.
In the imperial court, regardless of whether it was a major or minor matter, he would patiently listen to the advice of his ministers and make a fair decision after weighing the pros and cons.
He implemented benevolent policies, reduced taxes, and allowed the people to recuperate and thrive. Such a wise ruler was by no means a cruel and bloodthirsty person.
However, Li Jianyi's remarks today were like an extremely sharp blade, piercing straight into the Emperor's heart.
Yongning County, a county recently recovered by the Tianxuan Kingdom, has been the subject of the court's utmost efforts in governance and education over the past two years.
The emperor dispatched his most capable officials to Yongning County to implement a series of new policies, encourage agriculture and sericulture, develop commerce, and gradually bring prosperity to the local economy.
They aim to spread the local ideas and culture of Tianxuan and break down outdated and corrupt local concepts.
The imperial court invested a great deal of manpower, material resources, and financial resources, all to ensure that Yongning County could keep pace with the development of Tianxuan and enable the people to live a better life.
However, the Li Jianyi before them was like a sudden storm, shattering the court's efforts and expectations.
The Emperor couldn't help but wonder to himself, which link in the chain went wrong?
Why, under such vigorous governance and education, could Yongning County still produce such stubborn, conservative, and pedantic people?
What enraged the emperor even more was that such a person, whose mind was full of corrupt ideas, had actually passed the rigorous and fair imperial examination.
The imperial examination was an important way for the country to select talented people. Countless scholars from poor families entered the imperial court through the imperial examination, realized their ambitions, and served the country.
But now, Li Jianyi is relying on fallacies and heresies that have come from nowhere.
They entered the imperial court, which symbolized the highest power and wisdom of the nation, with great fanfare, and participated in the discussion and decision-making of important national affairs.
This is a blatant trampling on the integrity of the imperial court and a tremendous irony of the country's talent selection system.
The emperor's anger burned fiercely, and he wished he could vent his anger immediately to rectify the atmosphere of the court.
All the civil and military officials in the court shared the same indignation.
Even the usually composed and learned civil officials could not contain their excitement at this moment, whispering among themselves, their faces filled with dissatisfaction and rebuke.
They were well-versed in literature and knew that the key to governing a country lay in recruiting talented people. Regardless of social status or gender, anyone with genuine talent should be given important positions.
They clearly understand that a country's prosperity depends on the joint efforts of various talents.
Li Jianyi's remarks were undoubtedly an attempt to transform the Tianxuan Dynasty into the same form as the Xuanyuan Kingdom of the past.
The female officials were even more indignant. They usually served in the court with their outstanding talents, extraordinary wisdom and perseverance.
He handled government affairs diligently, offering advice and devoting all his energy to the prosperity and strength of Tianxuan.
Upon hearing Li Jianyi's absurd and discriminatory remarks about women, they felt deeply insulted.
They stood tall, their eyes revealing determination and anger, as if in silent protest.
What about women? What about men? There are only two genders in this world: men and women.
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