The intellectual upheaval that occurred in the Golden Palace spread to every corner of the capital with unimaginable speed.
If the previous rumors about "the emperor loving princesses more" were merely gossip and popular speculation, then this time, the emperor's own revolutionary "Princess Declaration" is like a real imperial edict, stamping this city-wide carnival with the most authoritative official seal!
The capital city was in complete turmoil!
"Have you heard? His Majesty's words are law, spoken by his own mouth! If he obtains a princess, she will be a role model for all women in the land!"
"More than that! I heard that His Majesty wants to establish a girls' academy for the princess and allow her to participate in political affairs! This... this is simply unprecedented!"
"My God! What does this mean? It means that we women will also have the opportunity to study and enter officialdom in the future?"
In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, in boudoirs and embroidery rooms... everywhere you go, you can hear people's suppressed excitement and boundless enthusiasm in their discussions.
Especially the women in the capital, whether they were sheltered ladies from noble families or struggling young women from humble backgrounds in the city, all felt something unprecedented called "hope" from the emperor's shocking words.
For a long time, they were bound by the shackles of "a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent" and "the three obediences and four virtues." The greatest value in their lives seemed to be marrying into a good family, being a good wife and mother, and living out their lives.
However, now, the reigning emperor, the most powerful man in the world, has personally told them: Women can also study, participate in politics, have their own guards, and stand between heaven and earth without depending on anyone, relying on their own talents!
These words, like a lightning bolt piercing a thousand-year-old darkness, instantly illuminated the long-forgotten wasteland in the hearts of countless women, a place yearning for self-worth.
"Miss! Miss! Have you heard?"
In the backyard of the Prime Minister's residence, a young lady who was usually the most dignified and composed was now flushed with excitement, tightly gripping the hand of her personal maid. "His Majesty said... His Majesty said that women can also participate in politics!"
Her eyes shone with a light she had never seen before. From a young age, she had been well-versed in literature and poetry, and her talent was no less than that of any of her brothers. Yet, simply because she was a girl, she was destined to be confined to the inner quarters of the house for her entire life. But now, she seemed to see a completely different path in life.
Meanwhile, in a small embroidery workshop in the south of the city, several young embroiderers gathered together, chattering excitedly.
"If a girls' academy could really be established, could we...could we go too?" a timid embroiderer asked hesitantly.
“Why not?” another outspoken embroiderer immediately retorted. “His Majesty didn’t say that only noble ladies could go! Is the world about to change?”
This wave of fervor first impacted the betting odds of major gambling dens in the capital.
The moment the news broke, the huge "Dragon Heir Guessing Game" signboard at the entrance of the "Sihaitong" gambling den was almost bursting at the seams by the frenzied crowd!
"Princess! I'm betting on the princess! I'll bet everything I own on the princess!"
"Me too! I'll sell everything I own to support His Majesty!"
Countless people, especially women, poured in their savings or pawned their jewelry, flocking to the "Princess Party" betting sites. What they were betting on was no longer a wager, but a belief, a fervent anticipation of a new era!
The casino manager, witnessing the overwhelming scene before him, turned pale with fright. He immediately ordered a frantic adjustment of the odds.
The odds for the "Princess Party" have plummeted at an unprecedented, precipitous rate!
From an initial 1.3 odds, it instantly dropped to 1.1 odds, and then almost fell below the principal, becoming 1 to 1!
The betting odds have completely collapsed!
Even so, the crowds of people placing bets continued to come in droves.
Countless supporters of the "Princess Party" celebrated wildly at the entrance of the casino, as if they were supporting not a vague possibility, but an empress who had already been born and was about to ascend the throne!
This wave then swept across the entire cultural market.
The stories that were previously filled with speculation and romance are no longer able to satisfy the public's enthusiasm.
The storytellers worked through the night to create a series of entirely new stories with a broader scope.
"The Making of an Empress" tells the story of how a princess, under the guidance of her enlightened father, learns both civil and military skills, and eventually becomes a wise and virtuous ruler.
"The Royal Female Tutor" depicts the heartwarming daily life of the Empress personally teaching the princess and imparting all her extraordinary talents to her.
There's even a bolder one, "The Princess's Female Guard," which tells the legendary tale of a princess and her valiant female army fighting on the battlefield to protect their country.
These brand-new stories spread throughout the capital at an unprecedented speed. Storytellers' performances were packed to capacity; the sales of the storybooks repeatedly broke records.
The most direct reaction was seen at the registration desk of the "Shanggong Academy" previously established by the Empress.
This institution, which was originally just for training female officials in the palace, was instantly given a completely new and incomparably lofty meaning after the "Princess Declaration".
It was seen as the prototype of the future "Women's Imperial Academy" and the only hope for all ordinary women to change their fate and realize their self-worth!
In no time, the once spacious registration area of "Shanggong-Academy" was completely packed with women and their families who came to register, with the queue stretching from one end of the street to the other. Its popularity even surpassed that of the imperial examinations held every few years!
The entire capital was immersed in a huge celebration brought about by the liberation of thought.
Of course, amidst this sea of citywide celebration, there were also some people sitting in their own mansions, filled with worry and sighing deeply.
"Absurd! Utterly absurd!"
Minister of Rites Zhang Chengzhi paced back and forth in his study, furious. "A woman participating in state affairs and organizing an army? This is like a hen crowing at dawn, a sign of the nation's impending doom! Your Majesty... Your Majesty has been bewitched by the wicked empress, you've gone mad! Utterly mad!"
Many conservative officials shared his views. They watched the fervent wave of popular fervor with trepidation, as if they were witnessing a terrible future of moral decay and social upheaval.
They were deeply worried, yet powerless to do anything about it.
Because this time, what they are fighting against is no longer a single person, but the unstoppable will of the people, ignited by the emperor himself.
...
Amidst this city-wide revelry, there was one place that stood out as particularly... desolate.
The residence of Wang Xiude, a Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy.
Inside the study, the old man who had just a few days ago spoken eloquently for the "Princess Party" in the imperial palace and even presented a letter written in blood was now slumped in his chair, his face ashen, on the verge of tears.
In front of him lay a thick stack of gambling tickets and his "blood letter," the handwriting of which was still wet.
One of his students was standing cautiously to the side, calculating the accounts for him.
"Teacher...you...you placed a bet of three thousand gold coins at odds of one to three..." The student wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling, "According to...according to the current odds of one to one and a half, even if...even if we win...you...you will only get back three thousand one hundred and fifty gold coins..."
The student paused, then spoke with an almost sympathetic tone, revealing the cruelest reality: "After deducting... after deducting the gambling den's cut... Master... you... you lost... over two thousand eight hundred gold coins on this bet..."
"puff--!"
Upon hearing this number, Elder Wang Xiude could no longer contain himself and spat out a mouthful of blood.
He won.
By "remonstrating to the death," he successfully rallied support for the "Princess Party," driving down the odds and winning the bet.
Then... he lost 90% of his principal.
He looked at the "petition" stained with his own blood, then at the stack of gambling tickets that had almost turned to waste paper, and felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, trembling with rage.
His finger trembled as he pointed towards the palace, letting out a desperate wail:
"Your Majesty...this old minister...this old minister did this for you..."
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