Chapter 171 No swearing, and definitely no violence...
Looking at Xiao Qiluo, You Lingyi couldn't help but recall her childhood when she had asked her mother why there were only boys in the academy and why girls couldn't study the same books as boys.
She had forgotten how her mother answered.
But there's always a lingering sense of unease in my chest.
She disguised herself as a man to avoid her father and went to school, where she studied with the men.
Helpless, her mother still tried to cover for her.
You Lingyi didn't find those books difficult; she actually learned them better than the men. However, when her father found out, he still whipped her.
The more this was the case, the more resentful she became.
Why shouldn't women be allowed to study? She was clearly doing very well.
Her mother pleaded on her behalf, and only then did her father relent and agree to let her stay in the school.
The more books she read, the more distressed You Lingyi felt watching those people take the imperial examinations, and the stronger that thought became.
She told her father that she also wanted to participate in the imperial examination.
But her father told her that she was getting old and it was time for her to get married. He said he had already arranged a marriage for her and that she should rest easy and not cause any trouble or do anything a woman shouldn't do.
She asked what women should do and what women shouldn't do.
Her response was a ruler in her father's hand.
Her disguise as a man and her presence at the school were eventually exposed, and the family that had arranged the marriage came to cancel it.
Those people accused her of being a rebellious woman, saying she spent all her time with men and her reputation was already ruined.
It was as if all the world's faults had been placed on her alone.
What awaited her was either to cut her hair and become a nun, spending her days in solitude with only the flickering lamp and the ancient Buddha, or to hang herself with a white silk ribbon, thus preserving her chastity.
She didn't want to choose any of them.
Later, her current husband asked her father for her hand in marriage, and everyone praised her husband as a good man.
He was indeed a good person; he knew her preferences and secretly bought her many books.
But this was not what You Lingyi wanted. She wanted to sit openly in the school and study, instead of hiding in the back courtyard and secretly watching.
Upon hearing that the princess had founded a girls' school and wanted women to participate in the imperial examinations, her deepest thoughts were stirred up again.
She knew she wasn't some weirdo, and she wasn't the only one with this thought.
This time, no one can stop her.
When she learned of this news, she stayed at home for three days before visiting.
She has been observing for the past three days, afraid that this is all a dream, and that when she wakes up, things will go back to the way they were before.
Fortunately, this was not a dream, and she immediately came over with her youngest daughter.
Xiao Qiluo looked at You Lingyi and nodded in agreement.
All she did was to create a way out for women everywhere, and now that someone has come with the same idea as her, she naturally won't refuse them.
There are many more You Lingyi in this world, they are just waiting for an opportunity.
The news that the wife of the Imperial Academy Chancellor had become a teacher at the girls' school spread, sparking much discussion in the capital.
When You Lingyi returned home, her mother-in-law smashed her teacup at her feet and pointed at her, cursing loudly.
Even some elders from the Chen family came over, and they did not approve of what You Lingyi had done.
No matter what they say, they can't change You Lingyi's mind.
She's determined to be a female scholar.
Xiao Qiluo promoted girls' education quite a bit in the capital, and eventually some bold women came to enroll, whether to study or learn a trade.
The women were hesitant and uncertain, but their gazes hardened when they heard the girls reciting their lessons in the classroom.
Who says women must stay at home to be good wives and mothers? Who says women are inferior to men?
They also had the opportunity to read and write, and they could achieve success just like men.
Xiao Qiluo let everyone choose according to their own circumstances.
There were still not enough teachers in the girls' schools, and very few women like You Lingyi had formally studied in the school.
The initial teaching went well, but regarding the imperial examinations, we still need to invite those teachers over.
You Lingyi was aware of Xiao Qiluo's concerns. "Why don't I go home and ask my father to persuade some teachers to come and give lessons?"
Xiao Qiluo shook her head. You Lingyi was determined to enter the girls' school. She already had enough pressure on herself, so why add more trouble for her?
"No need. This matter originated with me, and I can resolve it myself."
Even though the master refused to come, Xiao Qiluo did not give up.
Xiao Qiluo did not believe that women in the world could not forge their own path.
She wanted those who were willing to teach those women to read.
They came over reluctantly, and Xiao Qiluo was worried that they would corrupt the students.
However, after observing the situation, Xiao Qiluo did indeed select several teachers and visited them several times.
"Your Highness, this is utterly absurd. I cannot do it," the teacher said angrily.
Xiao Qiluo also felt a little annoyed, "If that teacher hadn't been unable to come, why would I have bothered to invite you over?"
She felt that Master Jiu was much better at teaching than the others, but unfortunately, Master Jiu was specially invited by the Empress Dowager for her, and could only teach her and not others.
Master Jiu's skill level far surpasses that of these people; all the strange things she knows were taught to her by Master Jiu.
"There has never been a case of a woman taking the imperial examinations before, from ancient times to the present."
"There has never been anyone like this before, but there will be others in the future. If women could participate in the imperial examinations just like men, there would be female teachers everywhere. Why would I have bothered to visit you all several times? Is it that you don't want to, or that you are afraid? Are you afraid that the women will achieve better results than the men you teach?"
“Princess, there’s no need to provoke us. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.” A teacher saw through Xiao Qiluo’s intentions.
Xiao Qiluo looked at them, stood up and said, "Since that's the case, gentlemen, I want to have a debate with you. Are you willing to accept?"
We can't just drag these people out and behead them; we have to reason with them.
The teachers gathered together and discussed it. They felt that it was fine for Xiao Qiluo to open a girls' school, but they thought it was absurd to let women take the imperial examinations with men.
Therefore, they planned to take this opportunity to dissuade the princess from this absurd idea, and that the girl could learn some words and some skills.
Xiao Qiluo also wanted to take this opportunity to put down these arrogant old men.
“Very well, then this old man will debate with the princess.”
Xiao Qiluo looked at them and said, "No, I want you all to join me in debating this princess."
"There are so many of us, but the princess is all alone. It's like we're ganging up on her."
"I don't see any problem with the small amount, so why should you complain about the large amounts?"
"In this way, even if we win, it will be an dishonorable victory."
"Master Lin, you may not necessarily win."
Xiao Qiluo smiled as she looked at the teachers. Although she appeared to be alone, there were actually three people, including her mother and the ninth teacher.
Xiang Bei: No, actually there are only two people, plus a manager.
To be more precise, Xiang Bei had no intention of playing at all.
"System, the rest is up to you." Xiang Bei patted the system and said earnestly.
The system proudly puffed out its chest, "Don't worry, host, leave it to me."
It's not an exaggeration to say that it's incredibly knowledgeable; who can match its vast knowledge base?
Princess Qiluo's debate with the teachers of the Imperial Academy about whether women should participate in the imperial examinations caused a great sensation.
Most people found it absurd, but some women were deeply moved, believing that Princess Qiluo was fighting for the rights of women.
When Xiao Qiluo returned to the princess's residence, she saw someone waiting for her by the roadside. "Princess Qiluo, you must win!"
"Princess Qiluo, we support you."
Although there weren't many people, at least Xiao Qiluo saw that her efforts were worthwhile. If she succeeded, she could start in the capital and then gradually expand to other places.
If it doesn't succeed in the capital, then naturally nothing can be done afterward, and outsiders will only question whether it's even possible to do it.
Ruan Rou'er was hidden in the crowd.
Seeing the words float by, Xiao Qiluo chuckled softly, "She couldn't possibly be here to support me, could she?"
They took back everything Cui Fang had given her. The secret guards were keeping an eye on them. Now Cui Fang was living in a dilapidated temple with his mother and sister.
Ruan Rou'er abandoned Cui Fang and ran away; even the guards lost track of her.
The bodyguards would tell him what they were doing.
I heard that Cui Fang is still very confident, saying that he is just playing hard to get, bragging to a group of beggars that he is the prince consort and that the princess will beg him to come back sooner or later.
Xiao Qiluo didn't know where his confidence came from. This kind of person was not worth her attention. Her mother also reminded her to be careful of Cui Fang. If it weren't for the fact that he could bring meteorite iron, which is why she had the secret guards keep an eye on him, why would she have specially transferred the secret guards over for Cui Fang? She would have killed him long ago.
Given Cui Fang's situation, imprisonment would actually be the best option. The problem is that he would attract meteorites. If he is imprisoned in the capital, innocent civilians will die.
Xiao Qiluo was also worried about imprisoning him in the suburbs, fearing that he might cause other trouble and she might not be able to deal with it in time.
He was still kept in the capital. The secret guards, having received orders, would definitely not let him leave the city and would protect his safety, ensuring he didn't die. After that day, Xiao Qiluo had the secret guards test it again. When others killed Cui Fang, it didn't trigger the meteorite to fall; only when Xiao Qiluo killed him did it trigger the meteorite.
Cui Fang's guardian spirit is really strange; it seems to target only her.
Xiang Bei had the system check Cui Fang's information again, and his protagonist aura hadn't diminished much. It was still at 162%, even after he had fallen so low, the aura was still so strong.
In this situation, there is a high possibility of turning the tide, so I reminded Xiao Qiluo to be careful.
Fortunately, she had given the princess a strong female lead aura beforehand. Although Cui Fang's aura diminished, the princess's aura always remained firmly ahead of Cui Fang's.
Once Cui Fang's male lead is defeated, the princess's halo can be taken back; her own halo is enough for her.
Following her mother's directions, Xiao Qiluo spotted Ruan Rou'er in the crowd.
She must have been disguised; she was completely unrecognizable from her former self. But the hatred in her eyes still caught Xiao Qiluo's attention.
She was naturally perceptive of emotions, and that person's emotions were exactly the same as Ruan Rou'er's.
There was clearly no enmity between them, so I don't know why Ruan Rou'er hates her so much.
Ruan Rou'er, who was hiding in the crowd, saw Xiao Qiluo looking over and quickly moved back into the crowd. Of course, she wasn't there to support Xiao Qiluo; she just hadn't expected Cui Fang to be so useless, now reduced to living in a dilapidated temple.
Ruan Rou'er couldn't stand it for more than two days and ran away. However, without the nourishment of those precious medicinal herbs, her heart ailment flared up frequently. She had to obtain Xiao Qiluo's Seven Apertures Exquisite Heart as soon as possible, or she would die.
Since the princess is unwilling, we can only force her to agree.
According to legend, the owner of the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart must personally agree to hand over the heart; otherwise, the extracted Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart will be broken and unusable.
Ruan Rou'er didn't quite believe it, but for the sake of her health, she had no choice but to do it.
It's all that good-for-nothing Cui Fang's fault. He kept saying he'd tell Xiao Qiluo to go east, and she wouldn't dare go west. All that effort he put in for her was wasted, and this is the result.
Ruan Rou'er felt a dull pain in her chest and quickly covered it, then quietly left the crowd.
Unbeknownst to her, Xiao Qiluo had already spotted her and ordered her guards to follow her again. With the guards watching, Xiao Qiluo focused on preparing for her debate with the teachers.
This debate was open to the public, not only in the imperial court but also among ordinary people, especially women.
Xiao Qiluo had prepared many things. Although her mother and Ninth Master were there, she wanted to win on her own. When she couldn't hold on any longer, she asked Ninth Master to come out.
Xiang Bei said she would cheer her on from the sidelines and encourage her to work hard.
When Xiao Qiluo arrived, the large place was already packed with people.
It is said that Princess Qiluo is going to debate with the Master whether women can participate in the imperial examinations and become officials like men. Some people came to watch the spectacle because they thought it was novel, some came to oppose it because they thought it was absurd, and some came to support Xiao Qiluo.
Each of them had their own goals, and the places they stood in were clearly distinct.
Xingzhi has been diligently learning to read recently and has learned many characters. This is probably because he has been following Xiao Qiluo around and listening to her talk about all sorts of strange things. He even wrote the words "Princess Qiluo will definitely win" on a red cloth strip.
She didn't write the character "赢" (win); it was too difficult for her. She asked her sister Qiuyan to write it for her.
Upon seeing Xiao Qiluo step onto the stage, Xingzhi immediately ran to the side supporting Xiao Qiluo, took out the banner, and raised it above his head with both hands, shouting, "Princess Qiluo will win! Princess Qiluo will win!"
Everyone else was stunned; they hadn't expected such a thing to happen.
The students on the other side of the academy were not to be outdone. They felt that the women's imperial examination was simply outrageous and shouted, "Master will surely win! Master will surely win!"
Some students even went back, wrote banners, and brought them over, holding them up and shouting.
Xingzhi felt that they had copied her idea and angrily cursed, "You bunch of annoying copycats, my Princess Qiluo will definitely win."
The two sides immediately started arguing, making a lot of noise. It took several reprimands from the officers and soldiers above to quiet them down.
However, when Xiao Qiluo sat face to face with the teachers, the crowd couldn't help but cheer.
Those caught in the middle are people who support neither side and are just there to watch the show. One minute they're shouting that Princess Qiluo will win, the next they're shouting that the Master will win; their main purpose is to cause trouble.
The debate was chaired by the emperor and several other important court officials.
Hearing the shouts from below, the ministers were on the verge of losing their composure. They were shouting some nonsense, but they couldn't very well send the people away.
Someone banged a gong, and the scene instantly fell silent.
Xiang Bei watched with great interest, feeling that this was just like the debate competitions she participated in during her university years.
One side is the stubborn conservatives.
One side consists of those who insist on innovation.
Everyone has their own opinion.
However, Xiang Bei is now an innovator and is eager to try her hand at it.
[Go, daughter! Go, daughter!]
Upon seeing her mother's words, Xiao Qiluo immediately burst into laughter.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please."
The teachers looked solemn, but they were still very polite, bowing to Xiao Qiluo and saying, "Princess, please."
Two platforms were set up in a proper manner on the ground, with many teachers sitting on one side and Xiao Qiluo sitting on the other.
No one dared to speak; they listened quietly.
The rules were set by Xiao Qiluo: each person would state their own viewpoint, and the emperor and his ministers, as judges, would support whoever made the most sense.
Whoever gets the most votes at the end wins.
The teachers were naturally very confident, and the rules of the debate were not difficult. The teachers could find various reasons to refute Xiao Qiluo's words, and Xiao Qiluo could also refute the teachers' words.
But you can't swear, and you absolutely can't hit people.
If you can't win an argument, admit defeat; don't resort to sophistry.
Master Lin stood up first, cupped his hands to the emperor, and then said, "I believe that women should stay at home to support their husbands and raise their children, and should not show their faces in public. This has been the case for thousands of years, and we should not change the current situation."
Xiao Qiluo said, "Who stipulated that women must be good wives and mothers? I don't think women will be struck by lightning even if they don't. Since even the heavens don't object, why should they be judged by others? Throughout history, haven't there been enough broken rules? Why is it that when it comes to women, it becomes a heinous and unforgivable crime?"
Another teacher stood up and said, "Princess, this is just sophistry."
"I was just refuting Master Lin's words. Master, you can't say things like sophistry and unreasonable arguments. You've broken the rules."
The teacher's face twitched, and he finally had to leave with a dark expression, and a substitute teacher took his place.
“Women are inherently less intelligent than men; that is a fact.” Another teacher stood up.
“You keep women confined at home, not allowing them to go out, not allowing them to show their faces in public, and in some families even not allowing them to read and write. So in your understanding, women are good for nothing except getting married, having children, and managing the household.”
Xiao Qiluo glanced at the teachers who had stood up and sneered, "The conditions are not equal, so women are inferior to men. You are using a newborn baby and an adult as examples, saying things like, 'Look, this child can't even speak, so he must be inferior to that adult.' This teacher's example is invalid."
Xiao Qiluo didn't give them a chance to speak, and continued, "Who stipulated that women are not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations? And who stipulated that women must be good wives and mothers?"
The scholars were still unconvinced and raised many objections, all of which were stubborn ideas, citing various examples from their ancestors.
It seems they've put in a lot of effort for this debate. Even the imperial family has contributed significantly, as women could inherit the throne if they could participate in the imperial examinations.
Xiao Qiluo refuted all the examples one by one, and the other side began to show signs of weakness.
Xiang Bei kept sending comments.
Go! Go! Go!
Victory is certain! Victory is certain! Victory is certain!
My darling daughter, your mother will always love you!
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