Chapter 969 - 965: Male Supremacy and Female Inferiority
Seeing Bai Qingyan nod, the Imperial College student gained the courage to continue after exchanging glances with his classmates: "The new policies issued by Your Majesty will surely make women think deeply, but elders in the family are unwilling to spend silver coins on women, so women will certainly resist within their families, potentially causing chaos in Zhou!"
"Therefore, in my humble opinion, men and women should fulfill their respective duties. Allowing women to enter schools is sufficient; this is currently the best and most stable approach for Zhou. Zhou is full of talented individuals, with new talents emerging in every generation. Even if we select only from men, there is no worry about lacking great talents. After all, historically... remarkable talents like Guan Zhong and Shang Yang were all men!"
The student hurriedly added, seemingly worried that Bai Qingyan might be displeased with his words: "I do not believe that women cannot achieve remarkable accomplishments. I have a mother myself, and I respect and love her; I never intend to belittle women!"
The student looked up at Bai Qingyan: "I only feel that... for hundreds of years, in Zhou, men have worked outside while women managed the household. If everyone fulfills their respective roles, families will be harmonious. Women support their husbands and educate their children, and men, without worries, can strive outside! Only when the people’s families are at peace can Zhou remain stable. Zhou is newly established... and is implementing new laws, so stability for the people and the royal court should be prioritized. Allowing women to take civil service exams might lead to chaos; I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"
"Well said! Women should indeed be content with their roles... Only by fulfilling their respective duties can Zhou achieve peace!" Xue Renyi added.
Cheng Yuanzhi and Shen Kunyang, who escorted Bai Qingyan along with the imperial guard, stood outside the small courtyard. Upon hearing this, Cheng Yuanzhi could barely restrain himself and almost charged inside again, but fortunately, Shen Kunyang stopped him.
"Don’t hold me back, let me beat that pretty boy to death! Damn it..." Cheng Yuanzhi said, his chest heaving with anger. "If it weren’t for our Young General Bai’s great victory over Yun Poxing on the southern battlefield, that pretty boy wouldn’t even be alive to speak! He would have been cut into hundreds of pieces by Yun Poxing. At that time, no one talked about fulfilling respective roles, and now they bring it up! If they dare... damn it, why don’t they take a blade to Yun Poxing! Why send our Young General Bai to the battlefield! Yet he cherishes his life and hides in Dadu City!"
Cheng Yuanzhi’s loud voice attracted the attention of students inside the Naxian Hall, who all looked toward him, as did the scholars watching the commotion outside the hall.
Yang Wuce glanced at the emotional Cheng Yuanzhi and couldn’t help but reflect inwardly, indeed, these are the loyal Bai family soldiers of Bai Qingyan, staunch in loyalty, unable to tolerate any opposition, not even considering... what kind of person is the Empress of Zhou, easily dismissed by anyone’s argument?
Yang Wuce had experienced Bai Qingyan’s eloquence... able to persuade a generationally loyal General like Zhao Sheng to Daliang; was that eloquence ordinary?
Zhao Sheng simply conveyed Bai Qingyan’s persuasion to him and even he, Yang Wuce, was convinced. That eloquence... extraordinary indeed?
Yang Wuce, holding his sword, glanced at Cheng Yuanzhi and caught sight of Xiao Rongyan standing out conspicuously in the crowd.