What happens in the fields is not something you can just take a look at. What if Second Miss Xue has an accident in the fields and loses her child? What will she do then?
Miss Xue Er's husband obviously didn't want her to take risks with the child. He was not afraid that she would have a miscarriage, but if something happened to her, how could the other women continue to stay in the fields?
"You're not alone, and this isn't about the child either," Miss Xue's husband said. "You also have to think about this. If something happens to you, people will say you're overestimating your abilities. And if other women want to study this topic in the future, how will they proceed? It's not that you can't go, you can go, but don't go until you're pregnant."
They still have to consider the future; they can't lose the big picture for the sake of small gains.
Miss Xue Er's husband accompanied her to Hainan, and their family also hoped that Miss Xue Er could research something.
"If I don't go now, I'll have to go through the confinement period after giving birth. And later on, I might get pregnant again. What should I do then?" Miss Xue Er was not very satisfied.
"You can't have children every year," said Miss Xue's husband. "If it really doesn't work out, you have to make a good choice. Study more and stay active for the first few years. Once you have children, you can do whatever you want. You should also do that to let others know that women can work in the fields and have children, and that they don't have to give up either."
Miss Xue's husband said that because he was thinking of other things. It wasn't that he didn't want his wife to do those things. If he didn't want to, then he wouldn't have accompanied his wife to Hainan.
It is not a good thing for a grown man to follow his wife, especially in this era. Most of the time, women follow men, but how many men follow women?
"I……"
"Think about it carefully," said Miss Xue's husband. "I'm not forcing you, but since you are pioneers, you should do even better."
If there are problems with women giving birth to children at the beginning, what will happen in the future?
Miss Xue Er understood this truth very well. The child was already here, and she couldn't let him die. But she still felt unwilling to give up. She wanted to go to the fields and take a look.
But Miss Xue Er's husband did not stop her, so she could go if she wanted to.
However, once, twice... Miss Xue Er finally had an accident. Although Miss Xue Er did not have a miscarriage, she had a miscarriage and could only lie down.
This also makes people feel that Miss Xue Er doesn't understand anything. She ran away even though she was pregnant and didn't know how to take care of the baby. Then this can't be blamed on anyone else, but Miss Xue Er herself.
Miss Xue Er's family was also helpless. Things had come to this point, so they could only let Miss Xue Er lie down.
Someone wrote a memorial to the capital, saying that Miss Xue was not considering the overall situation and was acting recklessly because she was the cousin of the director of the research institute. Miss Xue was pregnant, but instead of taking good care of the baby, she was running around in the fields.
If Miss Xue Er could have researched something, that would have been fine. The key point was that Miss Xue Er hadn't researched anything, and she had let others delay their work because of her.
There were some men who were dissatisfied with Liu Yulian and wanted to cause trouble.
After Xue Er arrived in Hainan to study rice, the research team there wasn't necessarily impressed. They thought she was a bit of a fool. They thought she was a woman, and that women weren't suited to being constantly immersed in water. Others were supposed to work in the fields, even planting rice themselves, but Xue Er wasn't cut out for that.
After Miss Xue went to the fields a few times, the maidservants around her said she shouldn't go to the fields. Then, Miss Xue sometimes went to the fields with her shoes on because the mud would get into her toenails, making her feet look unattractive.
Miss Xue Er mostly watched others planting rice seedlings. Occasionally she would go down to the paddy fields and come out for a while.
This is also the point that those people are dissatisfied with, mainly because Miss Xue Er has an inner conflict. Although Miss Xue Er is sometimes careless, she has also learned a lot from her family and knows that women are not suitable for going into the water all the time, as they are afraid of uterine cold.
Miss Xue Er still wanted to have a baby, but she was also worried that her feet and other body parts would be too ugly.
Many women are like this, they don't want to make themselves look ugly at all.
Miss Xue Er had originally made up her mind to come to Hainan, but after arriving there, she realized how terrible the conditions were. She wasn't a real farm girl, so even if she found a farm girl and asked other farm girls to help her with the work, it wouldn't work if she didn't go to the fields as much as she did.
You can't always stand on the edge of the field and watch. If you go to the field occasionally, are you really going to the field?
After Miss Xue Er became pregnant, this incident gave those people something to hold against her.
The memorial was handed to the emperor, who put it aside after seeing it. He asked Liu Yulian to come into the palace and read the memorial.
Liu Yulian really didn't know about this matter. She had very few opportunities to interact with Miss Xue Er.
When Miss Xue Er was going to Hainan, Liu Yulian had repeatedly asked about it. Liu Yulian didn't want a woman to be afraid of this and that after arriving in Hainan.
If Miss Xue Er was like that, Liu Yulian would never let her go.
"I... asked someone to go to Hainan to take a look." Liu Yulian did not say that she was going to Hainan, and she was not suitable to go to Hainan.
Liu Yulian doesn't know how to study rice, so is she going to look for rubber?
A few days ago, someone brought rubber, saying they had found it in the south. Liu Yulian naturally asked those people to find a way to plant rubber and see if they could get it from other places.
Liu Yulian didn't want to go alone. She didn't like long journeys, and her hands weren't very nimble. She let others do these things. Liu Yulian liked to play to her strengths and avoid her weaknesses. She didn't like to have others always point out her shortcomings. She just couldn't do it.
"If it's really as the memorial says, then let her rest and take care of her baby first." Liu Yulian couldn't let Second Miss Xue return to the capital just like that. "It's certainly not easy for women to get pregnant and give birth. They need to be allowed to rest. But if these people disregard the overall situation and insist on doing those things, then they should also be punished."
It doesn't mean that Miss Xue Er is holding on, so she is good.
That won’t work. That’s Miss Xue Er’s individualism, and it will harm other women’s ability to do things.
Even though the maids and servants continued to work even though they were pregnant, Second Miss Xue was not one of those servants. She had never worked so hard before, and how could a wealthy lady's body compare to those people?
"She is your cousin," said the emperor.
"When a prince breaks the law, commoners are equally guilty. It doesn't matter whose cousin she is," Liu Yulian said. "First, suspend her from her duties. She won't be allowed to do research for a year. Let her reflect on her actions. During this period, there's no need to pay her salary."
Liu Yulian couldn't shield Second Miss Xue. Besides, research itself takes time. Rice research wouldn't yield anything in a few years. Liu Yulian suggested giving Second Miss Xue a year to reflect. Firstly, she wanted her to have children, and secondly, she wanted her to think carefully about how to balance family and career.
Liu Yulian thought, if she were...if she were a selfish person, she might prioritize her children over her own. She wasn't someone who would sacrifice her family for scientific research. She always knew what she wanted, and she admired those who sacrificed their families for scientific research. Their dedication moved her deeply.
But when it was her turn, Liu Yulian found it difficult to do so.
Moreover, if they succeed, the sacrifices are worth it. If they fail, they will be seen as foolish in the eyes of others.
Miss Xue Er is now considered stupid in the eyes of others. She herself has not accumulated enough knowledge about rice. Although she went to the fields, in the eyes of some people, she did not do enough.
In the eyes of the noble lady, Miss Xue Er is very good. Miss Xue Er goes to the fields every once in a while. During the busy farming season, she goes to the fields three to five days a month. Isn't that great?
In the eyes of those who specialize in rice research, Miss Xue Er has not done enough.
This time, Miss Xue Er was caught with something wrong.
Liu Yulian couldn't pretend she knew nothing. She had to deal with this matter. Especially after the emperor asked her to read the memorial, she had to make a decision. She didn't want to control the entire institute, nor did she want to have her people in the main research group. This was completely necessary for Mei Yu.
"Every year means she's missed at least two rice planting seasons," Liu Yulian said. "She can only watch at best, and can't ask anyone else to do anything. Unless she spends her own money to do the research herself, if she does that, it's fine if she finds something, but if she doesn't, then there's no need for her to stay at the institute."
Liu Yulian was not afraid that Miss Xue would misunderstand her, so she would write a letter. If Miss Xue could understand, then she would understand; if she couldn't, then forget it.
When Liu Yulian came out of the palace, she went to the home of Master Xue Er. Liu Yulian directly told Master Xue Er and his wife about the matter of Miss Xue Er. She had seen Miss Xue Er so determined at the beginning, and she thought that this cousin could achieve something, but she did not expect that her cousin would fall so quickly.
Liu Yulian sympathized with the woman and knew how difficult it would be for her to do those things while pregnant. However, she couldn't just let Second Miss Xue continue her research. That would be cruel to others, and she couldn't let people think she was protecting Second Miss Xue.
So far, the one who had done the best was the woman from a commoner family. She knew how to till the soil, sow seeds, and do other things. She worked very efficiently, and when she was asked to do research, she would try her best to seize the opportunity.
In fact, as early as when Miss Xue said she was going to Hainan, Liu Yulian had a premonition that some problems might arise. If there were no problems at all, it would be a lie.
"After all, your cousin doesn't have your courage, and she won't burn her boats." Mr. Xue sighed.
"No, I wouldn't burn my boats either." Liu Yulian looked embarrassed. "When I was in the northwest, I just let others farm and told them to do it according to my instructions. But my cousin went to Hainan. She doesn't know how to farm, and she's not the only one doing the research, so she can't expect everyone to do it according to her instructions."
Those who study rice still have to go to the fields, they have no choice.
Liu Yulian studied those culture fluids mainly because she had a cheat. As long as she could prepare the culture fluid and understand the scientific management of the fields, she could let others do it. Liu Yulian had farmed in the game before, and she had also watched those scientific farming videos in real life and visited the field.
So Liu Yulian was different from those little girls who had been raised in seclusion. Some people thought it was easy when they saw her doing things. But in fact, those things were not easy at all.
That's because Liu Yulian has accumulated other knowledge, which makes her feel relatively relaxed.
"Cousin, you don't have any relevant knowledge, so how could you expect those peasants to listen to you?" Liu Yulian said. "They must think you're talking nonsense. They think she, a rich lady, knows nothing. Even if it were the imperial court's experimental fields, let alone the common people, the research team wouldn't let you do whatever you want."
Then Miss Xue Er would definitely encounter many problems. Even if Miss Xue Er didn't say much before, Liu Yulian could guess it with her toes.
"Let's take this incident as a lesson." Master Xue said, "Your cousin is quite strong-willed. She just wants to come up with something."
Mr. Xue once heard his daughter say that she hoped that one day when people talked about Hainan, they would mention her name.
At that time, Mr. Xue didn't say much. It didn't matter that his daughter had big dreams. What mattered was whether she could research something. As long as she could research something, she would be remembered.
"You don't have to worry about her blaming you. She made her own mistake, so she should take the responsibility." Master Xue said, "After what happened this time, she will know better what to do in the future."
"Yes, your uncle is right." How could Mrs. Xue say anything wrong about Liu Yulian? They couldn't blame Liu Yulian for coming to their house specially.
The emperor knows about this matter, so it cannot be taken lightly.
Liu Yulian did not stay at the Xue family for dinner. She returned to the Jingning Marquis's Mansion. The emperor rewarded Liu Yulian with a princess's mansion. Liu Yulian planned to live in the princess's mansion after getting married and spend more time with her parents before she got married.
After returning to the Jingning Marquis Mansion, Liu Yulian went to her mother's place. Miss Xue Er was her mother's niece, so Liu Yulian had to come and tell her.
"Could it be that someone else is making this up?" asked Liu's mother.
"Regardless of whether it's just nonsense, there must be something wrong with my cousin," Liu Yulian said. "It's a good time to have someone take a look. I'll just take care of my pregnancy first."
Before, some people had said that Second Miss Xue was not a good person, but Liu Yulian had not taken it seriously. But this time, those people submitted a memorial, and several people submitted it together, so Second Miss Xue's matter would be even more difficult to resolve.
Liu Yulian hopes that Miss Xue Er can think about what to do while she is pregnant. If Miss Xue Er really wants to research something, she will have to work twice as hard.
Even though Miss Xue Er has read some of the books that Liu Yulian has read, the knowledge in Liu Yulian's mind mostly comes from later generations and external plug-ins.
"That's right, we need to take good care of the baby first." Mother Liu nodded. "Will this delay things?"
"Not really. Originally, it didn't matter whether my cousin was in the research group or not." Liu Yulian stated the harsh truth. This was the reality. Miss Xue went to Hainan mainly to learn from others. "My cousin still needs to gain some experience. After she gives birth, we can take it slow."
Liu Yulian didn't know what it would be like for a woman to have a child. She had never been pregnant, had never given birth, and couldn't empathize. Even when she was pregnant and had children, she had so many research results in hand that she didn't need to consider so many problems.
"Why do so many young women become officials? It's because of this: they need to have children." Liu's mother sighed. "When a woman becomes pregnant, her physical condition changes, and her temperament may also change. Your cousin now... she has changed a bit too."
Liu's mother had originally thought that Miss Xue would work hard to do those things and that she would be very rational. But now that Miss Xue had done something like this, what could Liu's mother say? She only hoped that Miss Xue could keep the child.
Women can do research, but they cannot arbitrarily deprive a child of the right to be born into this world.
"There are changes," Liu Yulian said. "My personality may become more sensitive. I may like things I didn't like before, and I may not like things I liked before. My thinking may also be different. I think whatever I want."
When Liu Yulian watched TV dramas in the past, she saw pregnant women in various conditions on TV.
"Are you a little scared?" asked Liu's mother.
"What am I afraid of?" Liu Yulian said, "I'm not afraid. The research institute won't be unable to function without me. When the time comes, I'll just take a two or three-month break. Even now, I don't go to the research institute every day."
Liu Yulian now has a flexible job and does not go to work every day. The emperor has given her so much power, so of course she has to use it.
In this ancient time, she didn't have to write papers, didn't have to think about evaluating professional titles, and didn't have to suppress those people.
Liu Yulian wants to allow the people in the research institute to flourish and give them more freedom.
"If I go there every day and keep an eye on them, they'll get nervous easily, and they might not be able to research those things so quickly." Liu Yulian said with a smile, "My cousin isn't having any problems, so she can continue to stay at the research institute."
"That's all." Liu's mother said, "But you don't have to protect her just because she is your cousin."
"I'm not protecting her, I'm protecting all women in the world," Liu Yulian said. "If I asked my cousin to leave the institute because she was pregnant, how would other women dare to come? Even if this incident was the result of many conflicts, all others see is that my cousin was pregnant and was forced to leave the institute."
If other people spread the word, it would become that women cannot enter the institute, and even if women enter, they will be fired sooner or later.
Liu Yulian thought that the problems she would encounter in the future would definitely not just be the ones she encountered today, there would be more problems.
In later generations, women encountered various problems when seeking employment. Men and women were relatively equal in later generations, but in ancient times, men were superior to women, and it was even more difficult for women to become officials.
"I can't go out and tell women what to do, but as long as they work hard in the research institute, I have to give them the same opportunities as men." Liu Yulian said.
In the northwest, a fire broke out in a corner of the Rongning Temple, but it was soon discovered. The fire did not grow bigger and the arsonist was quickly caught.
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