Back to the Beginning of Ming to do Charity

"Old Zhang, come here, good shredded tobacco." The middle-aged man handed old Zhang a small bag of shredded tobacco.

Old Zhang happily took it over: "You actually got shredded tobacco."

The man smiled and said, "My eldest son is running a business with a merchant, so he brought me some along the way."

Old Zhang: "Your life is getting better and better."

The man's family had three sons and one daughter, all of whom have survived into adulthood. One of the three sons followed a merchant to travel south and north across the empire, and the other two went out to build bridges. His daughter and wife stayed home to weave cloth. So the family's income was quite large.

The man's name was Zheng Liu. Although he was the sixth among his siblings, none of the five brothers in front have survived into adulthood.

"That's all due to the emperor's wisdom." Zheng Liu smoked a cigarette and sat with old Zhang and started smoking, "Putting aside when it was chaotic, just talk about last year, how could one expect to have a life like today?"

Old Zhang took a smoke and exhaled: "Is your daughter going to marry into another family or recruit a son-in-law?"

Zheng Liu said, "Marry, she has her own thoughts, she fell in love with the son of the widow Zhao in the east of the city."

Old Zhang said in surprise: "Huh! Your daughter really has her own thoughts."

Zheng Liu: "That widow Zhao said that when my daughter marries over, she will treat my daughter as her own daughter."

Old Zhang listened.

Zheng Liu added: "It's alright if she treats my daughter badly. There is still the choice of divorce. It's no big deal. The way I see it, that family's reputation will become bad after she divorces him. If he wants to find a wife again? In his dreams."

"Nowadays, women don't worry about getting married, it is men who worry about getting married."

Old Zhang sighed: "Who would have known in the earlier years that life would become so good now….."

"I left my eldest daughter and my second daughter at the base of the city wall."

People come and go by the city wall, and he abandoned the children there, hoping that some officials or nobles would pass by and the child would have a chance at survival.

The adults in the family couldn't get enough to eat, let alone raise the children.

Not to mention girl children.

Whoever abandoned a child abandoned the girls first.

Don't know how many girl babies and girl children died during the war.

Now the retribution had come.

There were more bachelors and fewer women every day.

What was more, since the garment factory was established, women would rather go to work than marry.

Women didn't have to worry about getting married, even widows over forty had people asking for marriage.

They would rather make more money while they were young and strong.

Old Zhang massaged his own leg: "The roads are about to be built. When the roads are built, we can drive to the town. Ten miles and eight townships are connected together, and it will be convenient to visit relatives in the future."

"The road will be wide and flat, it's very good!"

Zheng Liu smiled and said, "When the time comes to go to the market, I will go to the town to sell some knick-knacks, and also subsidize the household."

Old Zhang laughed at him: "Your family still lacks money?"

Zheng Liu said seriously: "I have three boys. In the future, they can't all squeeze in the current house when they get married. When my daughter gets married, I have to prepare her dowry. This expense cannot be saved. So we have to save some more money for daily expenses."

Old Zhang: "That's right, you're lucky to have raised four children alive."

Old Zhang had only one son.

The two girls in front were abandoned under the base of the city wall, and one of the four boys born later died in childhood, two were sold to rich people as slaves, and only one was left.

When the world was in chaos, human life was worthless.

After selling two boys, the food they got barely even lasted half a month even while eaten sparingly.

"Save some more money and find a wife for your kid. As long as they can have children, the more the better." Zheng Liu said to him.

Old Zhang also smiled: "Exactly, my old bones can't rest just yet, I have to see my grandchildren being born, then I can close my eyes."

The world is good now, so the girls from all villages have survived in recent years.

Now some boys don't even earn as much as the girls.

Even if the girl married into another family, she would still think of her natal family.

Now, many people in the village rely on their daughters to work in garment factories to survive, and they never urge their daughters to marry.

Anyway, if there was no need to worry about getting married, it was better to earn a few more years of money.

The girls also had more speaking power and insisted on marrying the one they liked.

"Speaking of, the daughter of Aunt Zhao's family in Xiaohe Village secretly went to the government to register a marriage certificate with her man." Old Zhang still looked incredulous when he talked about this, "Her parents dislike that the man's family is poor and want her to marry an old man over fifty and become a second wife. But she has her thoughts, she took her papers to register with the man, and her parents have no choice about it at all."

"They just carried out the wedding ceremony a few days ago."

Zheng Liu: "Her parents are unreasonable. If they don't want their daughter to marry a poor man, they should try to persuade her. Instead of insisting on her marrying an old man over fifty, isn't that ruining their daughter's life? Now, as long as you are willing to work hard, one can earn money. Life has become very good now, yet they still want to sell their daughter for riches, their daughter did a good job."

"Besides, if people send their daughters to school in the future, maybe they can even become officials!"

Speaking of this, everyone now knew that His Majesty had appointed a female official, the Yuanshi of the Court of Censors. The common people did not know what position this was, but they all know that it was definitely not a minor official position as she could attend court and see the emperor!

Although she was the only one, people couldn't help but think that if both their sons and daughters were sent to study, then the probability of having an official in the family was even higher.

After all, even if there were free government schools now, people were still more willing to let their sons study and their daughters work at home.

After hearing that there was now a female official, the common people on the one hand thought it was absurd, but on the other hand it did not stop them from hurriedly sending their daughters to school.

Maybe their daughter would be able to honor the ancestors in the future?

The matter of the female official was abuzz among the people, and Lin Yuan's desk was also piled with many "loyal and straightforward" memorials, all of which were admonishing him, hoping that he could take his decree back.

According to rumors, there were a few not-so-minor officials who cried and fainted at the palace gates after they exited the imperial palace.

There were also officials who wanted to commit suicide by hitting the wall with their heads——they were stopped by the guards guarding the palace gate.

Here's what the guard said: "It's easy for you to die, but don't forget your family."

So the man walked away crying.

But it was impossible for Lin Yuan to take back his decree.

The first reason was that he was indeed preparing to improve the status of women, so as to ensure the survival rate of newborn girls. The current ratio of male to female population is still not optimistic, and many areas still have the habit of drowning female infants. He must give the common people the reassurance that baby girls surviving was only good, not bad.

The second reason was that he was the emperor. If he withdrew his decree because of the pressure of his officials, then his words would gradually lose their prestige. Everyone would feel that this emperor was weak and easy to bully, and then they would always be ready to overstep themselves.

How many officials really think that it was wrong for him to appoint a woman as an official?

They didn't even know what the Court of Censors did and what kind of powers it had.

But they'll pressure him because it didn't conform to conventional traditions.

Because they had reason on their side.

Their admonishment seemed justifiable, their reputation was not hindered, the fault was on the emperor.

If the emperor didn't listen, they could also gain the reputation of being a loyal and good official.

If the emperor listened, then they could get more benefits.

When the emperor lost the first time, there would be a second time.

Lin Yuan said to Chen Baisong, "It just so happened that you came back, send some imperial edicts for me."

Chen Baisong was enjoying his meal. Hearing this, he stopped his movements and put down his chopsticks: "I go?"

Lin Yuan said with a smile: "You now hold the military power of 300,000 troops. I will give you a token for unhindered travel. You are allowed to kill first and then report. Whoever refuses to accept the order, you can cut them down."

Chen Baisong didn't refuse, just wiped his mouth and left.

It was Lin Yuan who sighed and said, "Don't be in such a hurry, rest overnight and go tomorrow morning, the people won't be able to run away."

Chen Baisong sat back again and finished the meal. His appetite was better than Lin Yuan's, and he ate more than Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan now ate like he was taking medicine, and he couldn't even enjoy the taste even if it was fine delicacies. He only ate to fill his stomach, but he had a good figure from it.

Chen Baisong actually didn't quite understand why Lin Yuan would appoint a woman to be an official, so he asked: "There is no such precedent."

This was said by everyone outside.

Lin Yuan took his hand, had him sit beside him, and explained the reason to him.

"I'm afraid that the foundation I've finally laid down would be wasted." Lin Yuan sighed, "I don't expect everywhere to be like Gaoyou, I just want to create more vitality for women, there is no shortage of women in Beijing, but what about other places?"

Chen Baisong understood: "There are very few soldiers under my command who have married wives."

He was not talking about personal guards and deputies, but ordinary soldiers.

Lin Yuan patted the back of his hand: "Learn gradually."

Chen Baisong suddenly asked, "Do you think I'm too stupid?"

He could only fight, and he couldn't see the twists and turns in the imperial court.

"You are the emperor, and they should all listen to you."

Lin Yuan shook his head: "You're not stupid, you just don't use your mind in these areas, but you don't have to, I just want you to do what you want to do."

"As for them….." Lin Yuan's gaze suddenly became sharp, "Officials are also people, and people have their own selfishness and want to strive for greater interests. If it fails once, there will be a second time, but these people are not useless. Yes, some of them are also loyal and dutiful in their positions, and even if I can kill them all, can the promoted newcomers be able to stand on their own?"

Chen Baisong suddenly became angry: "You gave them all their power, how dare they disobey you? I'll go tomorrow and kill all those who disobey."

Lin Yuan was amused by him: "Murder is simple, but wjat is not simple is to govern others, this is a kind of skill. You go ask them tomorrow if they still remember whose officials they are, if they dare to resist the order, you can then use the knife again."

Chen Baisong nodded, his brows furrowed, his aura full of murderous intent.

The eunuch outside asked Er Liang who was guarding the door: "Brother, shall this white fungus soup still be sent in?"

Er Liang said with a solemn face: "Give it to me, you step back."

The eunuch gave the white fungus soup to Er Liang and then withdrew.

He rolled his eyes and thought to himself, "We're all servants, what are you acting so proud of? It's just luck, you've just been with His Majesty for a longer time."

"I don't believe it. That His Majesty will only use you as a servant. Don't know who will be calling who brother in the future."

AN: Er Liang: "I am a winner in life! You little goblins get out of the way! (ノ｀Д)ノ"