At the summit of Tianyu Divine Mountain, Yu Luo, dressed in a golden divine robe, exuded divine power. She looked down at the land below that had been changed because of her, her gaze piercing through the clouds to see the people of various prefectures and counties.
Their laughter and contentment transformed into the purest power of faith, flowing gently into her divine realm.
"Living life..." Yu Luo murmured softly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Just getting by requires giving it your all.
So, what she wanted to give them was more than just a simple life together.
Her gaze turned to the distant capital.
…
In the capital city, in front of the Zhuque Gate.
Today, the place is packed with people. Imperial guards are maintaining order, and the people are standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, all wanting to see the legendary figure on the high platform.
Right Chancellor Liang Shu was standing quietly on the high platform.
She wore a light purple official robe embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns, her long hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, she wore no makeup, her face was calm and serene, and she had an indescribable air of composure.
In front of her was a sound amplification array provided by the Shenzhou Laboratory, ensuring that the sound could be clearly transmitted throughout the entire square.
"Ahem." Liang Shu cleared her throat, and the entire square instantly fell silent.
All eyes were on her.
"By order of Her Majesty the Empress and the deity of Tianyu Mountain," her voice was clear and firm, spreading throughout the surrounding area through the magic array, "from this day forward, our Great Liang will set a precedent never before seen in history."
She paused, each word spoken with conviction.
"Firstly, establish women's academies in all prefectures and counties! All women of our Great Liang, regardless of social status, may enroll! Elementary education, classics, arithmetic, and physics—anything that men can learn, women may also learn!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a small commotion arose in the crowd.
"What? Women can study too?"
"Did I hear that right? This is nothing like the girls' schools of the past!"
Before they could finish their discussion, Liang Shu's voice rang out again, carrying an undeniable authority.
"Secondly, we will establish a special imperial examination for women! Graduates of women's colleges will be allowed to take the exams alongside men! Those who pass will be eligible to serve in the imperial court, be granted official positions, and participate in national affairs!"
"boom!"
This time, the crowd completely erupted in uproar.
A man selling steamed buns dropped one of his buns to the ground with a thud, but he didn't even notice. He just opened his mouth wide and stared blankly at the stage.
"This is insane! Insane! Women can become officials? Is the world going to descend into chaos?" An old scholar was so angry that his beard trembled.
However, what Liang Shu said next made everyone gasp in shock.
"Thirdly, promulgate the Infant Protection Law! From this day forward, anyone who intentionally abandons or drowns an infant will be punished more severely! In particular, those who abandon or drown female infants will, once verified, have their ringleaders paraded through the streets and beheaded on the spot!"
"Execute immediately?!"
The square, which was bustling just a moment ago, is now so quiet that you can't even hear a breath.
Three days later, in front of the Qingzhou government office.
The same high platform, the same notice, was read aloud word by word by a young woman dressed in a brand-new light blue female official's uniform.
After hearing the first two points, the people were still shocked and discussed them, finding the matter novel and outrageous.
But when the third law was heard, Zhang San, a butcher who usually had the loudest voice in the crowd, couldn't help but shout.
"Sir! Oh no, Lady Official!" He looked at the pretty lady on the platform, unsure how to address her. "Isn't this going too far? It's just throwing away a worthless girl, why is it punishable by death? The Li family in the east of our village just threw away one two years ago..."
Before he could finish speaking, an old woman selling tofu next to him stomped on his foot hard.
"You idiot, shut up!" The old woman lowered her voice, but her face showed a hint of awe. "Have you forgotten that the one on our mountain is called the Mountain Goddess? She's a goddess! Would she like you grown men to just throw little girls around like that?"
Upon hearing this, those around him immediately understood.
"That's right! The Mountain Goddess is a goddess, so naturally she protects us women!"
"If you dare to throw away the baby girl, aren't you going against the Mountain Goddess? Isn't that courting death?"
"Zhang San, you pig-brain! Do you want to be punished by the Mountain Goddess?"
The butcher, Zhang San, was stunned by what he was said. He shrank back and dared not utter another word.
He had personally witnessed the divine power of the Mountain Goddess, and he wouldn't dare to offend her even if he had ten lives.
But in the crowd, a man with a worried expression muttered to himself, "That's true, but my family really can't support us. If we have another mouth to feed, the whole family will starve. What can we do?"
His words resonated with many people.
The female official on the platform had clearly heard this. Her cool gaze swept over the crowd, and she said loudly, "Fellow villagers, there is no need to worry! His Majesty and the Mountain Goddess have already considered this! From today onwards, welfare homes for girls and infants will be established in each county! Any female infant whose family is unable to raise them can be sent to the welfare home, where the imperial court and Tianyu Divine Mountain will jointly fund their upbringing, teach them to read and write, and teach them skills! We will ensure that no female infant is ever left homeless!"
At this point, everyone was speechless.
I've even thought of a way out for you if you can't afford to raise them, so what reason do you have to abandon them?
In the crowd, a woman who had just become pregnant subconsciously touched her belly, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
She was praying that she would give birth to a son, otherwise her husband and mother-in-law would definitely look very unhappy.
But now, she suddenly feels that having a daughter might be a good thing.
"Mountain Goddess, have mercy!"
"Her Majesty the Empress is wise!"
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