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nChapter 841: A Great Commotion

nEditor: Henyee Translations

nChu Qingzhi asked Qin Yuming, “Did you record all the terms I just mentioned?”

nQin Yuming nodded, “Yes, all have been recorded.”

nHe handed the paper to Chu Qingzhi.

nAfter carefully reviewing the terms, Chu Qingzhi passed them to Xia Zongxian, “Announce that from now on, the relationship between husband and wife will be governed by this ‘Marriage Law’. It can be flexibly applied based on the actual situation. If there are circumstances not covered by the regulations, add them as needed to strive for perfection.”

nXia Zongxian took the paper and responded, “Yes.”

nChu Qingzhi then turned to Xu Fuzhu, who had reverted to her original name,

nXu Fengzhu, after the divorce, “Do you have any money?”

nXu Fengzhu took out her purse, which contained three taels of silver, “This is the money I’ve saved over the years. It was originally intended for saving my child, but I never expected the child could not be saved.”

nTears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, and it took her a while to calm down. Everyone respected her space, understanding the feelings of a mother who had just lost her child.

nWith a hoarse voice, Xu Fengzhu asked, “How much is the consultation fee? I’ll pay the fee and use the rest of the money to rent a room in the village for temporary accommodation.”

n“The consultation fee is five qian of silver,” Chu Qingning said, then kindly asked, “Aren’t you going to take backyour clothes?”

nXu Fengzhu shook her head, still terrified, “I dare not go back.

nChu Qingzhi said, “I’ll have someone fetch them for you and deliver them directly to your home. You go and settle down first.”

nKneeling before Chu Qingzhi, Xu Fengzhu kowtowed, “Miss Chu, thank you.

nWithout you, I’m afraid death would be the only escape from that hell.”

nChu Qingzhi helped her up, “Take care of yourself. Let’s not dwell on the past.”

nNodding, Xu Fengzhu agreed, “Yes.”

nWith the help of kind people, Xu Fengzhu started a new life in Chu village.

nAfter the “Marriage Law” was announced, it immediately caused a stir in the fief.

nA group of women gathered together.

n“Fortunately, our feudal lord is a woman. Otherwise, who would stand up for us like this?”

n“Now getting married won’t be as scary. Men won’t dare to hit us easily.

n“Exactly, women always suffer. We can’t fight back or talk back; otherwise, we’d be divorced without a way out. Now, we have someone to stand up for us.”

nA group of men also gathered.

n“What is our feudal lord thinking? Allowing women to divorce so easily, what if they want to leave over every little dissatisfaction? This is not conducive to family stability.”

n“Indeed, women are supposed to serve men and the household. Now that the feudal lord backs them up, will they still serve us men obediently?”

n“With these rules, women will surely become more unruly.”

nThe fief was buzzing with discussions. People coming to Chu Qingzhi’s fief for business increased, and soon the “Marriage Law” spread across several counties and even reached the capital, as well as nearby cities like Wancheng.

nOpinions were polarized.

nWomen, naturally, were very supportive since it prevented them from being wronged, but no woman wanted to divorce.

nMost men opposed it, though a few rational men viewed the issue objectively.

nYunfei School.

nBeside a lake, the sound of a Guqin melody drifted gently, pleasing to the ear.

nAfter finishing a piece, Fang Mingyi looked over the tranquil lake surface, then turned to Xu Guannan, “Brother Guannan, what do you think of Miss Chu’s ‘Marriage Law’?”

nAfter pondering for a moment, Xu Guannan said, “It’s very good.

n“Very good?” Fang Mingyi raised his voice slightly, disagreeing, “Don’t you think it’s too harsh on men and too lenient on women?”

nXu Guannan countered, “Then what do you think it should be like?

nFang Mingyi said, “After a woman marries a man, she becomes his private property. How can they dictate their own destiny? Only if the man no longer wishes to continue the marriage and initiates the divorce. Conversely, it’s not permissible.”

nXu Guannan didn’t voice his own opinion but continued to question, “In your eyes, what is your wife to you?”

nFang Mingyi couldn’t answer that question. If considered as property, then it would justify their statement. If considered as a person, no one would want to be the kind of woman he described!

nAfter a while, Xu Guannan lowered his head and resumed playing the Guqin, his lips curling into a slight smile.

nPeople haven’t realized that men who treat their wives better have more harmonious families, and such men tend to have smoother and further careers.

nConversely, those who suppress their wives never end well.

nThe Palace.

nAfter seeing Chu Qingzhi’s “Marriage Law,” the Emperor frowned slightly and took the paper to the Empress, “Empress, take a look.”

nThe Empress, puzzled, set aside the letter from the Phoenix Guard… The letter also mentioned Chu Qingzhi’s “Marriage Law,” then took the Emperor’s paper and read carefully.

nAt the first sentence, the Empress couldn’t help but laugh, finding it a coincidence.

nSeeing the Empress laugh, the Emperor disapproved, “Do you think Chu Qingzhi’s ‘Marriage Law’ is good?”

nThe Empress reined in her smile and countered, “Does Your Majesty think it s not good?”

nThe Emperor huffed, “With such regulations, I doubt any household will find peace.”

nThe Empress ignored the Emperor’s displeasure, feeling that Chu Qingzhi’s “Marriage Law” was truly beneficial for women. But since the world undervalues women, strong opposition was expected.

n“Men think wives are unimportant, right? How does the tranquility of a household concern women?”

nThe Emperor frowned, “Empress, are those words fitting for you to say?”

nThe Empress furrowed her brows, “Since Your Majesty doesn’t want to hear my opinion, why ask? But I still want to speak my mind. As the Empress, I might not openly support Chu Qingzhi’s views, but as a wife, I truly appreciate them.” Fortunately, the Emperor was not one to ignore advice. After hearing the Empress’s words, he pondered seriously and gradually relaxed.

nHe understood the Empress’s perspective.

n“I see your point.”

nHe took the Empress’s hand, “Although we can’t implement Chu Qingzhi’s ‘Marriage Law,11 promise, during my reign, to do my best to improve the status of women, to protect them from such oppression.”

nThe Empress smiled, not holding any grudges, “Your Majesty, Chu Qingzhi’s ■Marriage Law’ aims to make the relationship between husbands and wives more equal, which is not bad at all. It’s just that, in the current society where men dominate, such a law is bound to face opposition.”

n“Having understood you, perhaps we could visit Chu Qingzhi’s fief someday. Her thoughts are so progressive; she must manage her territory well, and the scenery must also be beautiful.”

nThe Emperor, after a moment’s silence, said, “I will arrange it as soon as possible.”

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