Chapter 782 - 374: Do Some Things_2
Huo Shuqin and Luo Susu were spoiled by the elders who educated them. Qian Yixiu also heard several stories about how difficult it was for daughters to find a good match for marriage because of their mean mothers. The reason given was that the "daughter resembles the mother."
Women like Lian Chuchu, who were intelligent, forbearing, and knew how to scheme, were too rare. In the end, the strategies they used involved becoming someone else’s mistress and sacrificing their own lives. Although Lian Chuchu got her revenge, the man who found out the truth about her was unlikely to love her as he had before, and she could only rely on her daughter to live a forbearing life for the rest of her days.
The ancient saying "daughter resembles the mother" stemmed from the fact that ancient women, apart from interacting with their mothers or other women in the household, had little opportunity to meet other people. Within large families, women even had scarce contact with the men in their own homes. Whatever the mother or the main educator was like, the girl was likely to grow up in the same mold. Although there were female instructors, they mainly taught skills and literacy, not character development.
The instructional book for ancient women’s conduct was "Lessons for Women," which seemed to be memorized by every woman. But in reality, no woman ever truly upheld it in its entirety. Otherwise, the harem wouldn’t have been so bloody, nor would the inner households harbor so many dark secrets.
Ancient women were unlike men. If men came from challenging backgrounds, they could still attend school or go out to broaden their horizons. They had the guidance of tutors and the knowledge from books, plus society acted as an extensive classroom.
Not to mention the distant past, speaking of the current Emperor only, even when he was less favored, he still was able to attend school and gain experience in the military. His tutors and books opened up a new world for him, and his exposure to the vast world allowed him to establish grand ambitions for himself, ultimately achieving the status of a great emperor.
Qian Yixiu thought of a possibility. The Great Qian Kingdom was more open-minded and less harsh on women than previous dynasties, with many women coming out to make a living. The several Emperors of the Great Qian Kingdom had been very progressive, encouraging people to engage in commerce and extensively welcoming candid advice, which wasn’t something all emperors of the past could do. Even though Prince Ning was strict, as long as the court officials made sense, however unpleasant their words, he would still accept them.
Moreover, Emperor Qianwu extremely disliked the many clandestine affairs in the harem. Even when he had been destitute, his inner court was very clear and orderly. This could be seen from the choices of brides he suggested for Zhu Sujin. Unfortunately, just because Huo Minglei fell from grace didn’t mean his women were upright; his women spoiled his daughter and disrupted the rules of the Eastern Palace.