The queen must start from the head

Chapter 172 Royal Secrets
The next day.

The Northern Qi monarch ordered to reform the taxation system, changing the national land tax to one out of [-], and paralleling the policy of light corvee and light taxation.

For a time, the people all over the country called the king wise.

But immediately afterwards, the monarch issued another decree, requiring at least one women's academy to be opened in every major city in the country, and those who are both good in character and academics in the women's academy are eligible to take the imperial examination.

You must know that this year's provincial examination has just passed. The monarch's decree is undoubtedly telling the junior high school students that maybe next year they will have to take the examination with a group of women.

After hearing the news, many scholars were very dissatisfied.

After nightfall, brothels and taverns all over the country became extremely busy.

Numerous scholars gathered in groups of three or four to discuss the edict promulgated by the monarch today.

"What's the matter, Your Majesty? Why do you want to build Nao Shizi's women's academy? Is there any reason in this world for me to wait for a seven-foot man to be the same age as a group of women?"

On a round table, a middle-aged scholar with a pockmarked face was drinking muddy wine indignantly.

Several young people sitting with him also nodded in agreement.

A sloppy alcoholic at the next table, after hearing the middle-aged scholar's words, also picked his ear and said, "Brother next door, what you said is really reasonable. According to me, a woman, They should just stay at home, wash and cook, do sewing, and take care of their husbands and children. Let them go to school? Can people like them with long hair and short knowledge still go to school? Even if they study for ten years, How many big characters can you recognize?!"

The proprietress who came to deliver wine to the table of scholars just heard this, she immediately rolled her eyes at the sloppy drunk and said, "Old man Li, have you brought money for drinking today? Don't let me Go to your house and ask for the drink money from your long-haired but short-sighted person?"

Old man Li didn't want to listen to what the proprietress said. Holding a small wine jar, he said drunkenly, "No, what's the matter if you don't bring money? Can't you drink without money?"

A virtuous man like old man Li has always been the type that the proprietress hates the most.

Drinking and having fun outside all day, and not looking for a serious job to do.I have never supported my family, not to mention, and I have to reach out to my wife for money all day long. I really don't know how Aunt Li's family can stand this old alcoholic!

She was thinking about how to deal with this old drunkard, when four scholars came in outside to order wine and food, and there were no empty tables in the tavern.

"Old man Li, you are lucky today. If you are willing to empty this table, I will give you the jar of wine in your arms at a loss!"

Hearing this, old man Li immediately stood up holding the wine jar staggeringly, "Then, that's a deal! I, I'm leaving. I'm leaving with the wine..."

The proprietress was already cleaning the table, and invited the four guests who just came in to sit down.

Without raising her head, she said, "I know, I know, let's go!"

Old man Li looked at the four scholars who were close in front of him, stretched out his greasy claws, patted one of the scholars on the shoulder, and said, "Young students, the country of Northern Qi will depend on you to guard it in the future." !"

The scholar frowned and patted off his hand, shook his sleeve and said, "You still need to talk about this?!"

Under a pile of messy hair, old man Li's eyes were almost narrowed into a smile, and he grinned with yellow teeth and said, "Okay, have ambition! Good, good!"

After he finished speaking, he hugged the small wine jar in his arms and stumbled out of the tavern.

When he went outside, he was blown by the cool night breeze. He seemed to be awake for a while, then looked back at the bustling tavern behind him, and said to himself, "Did I talk to that scholar? It’s gone already... Hey, I already said that, right?”

Blowing the cool breeze, old man Li walked all the way back to the broken tile house where he lived.

Seeing him push the door open with a small wine jar in his arms, Aunt Li was still calmly threading the iron needle in her hand by candlelight.

"Look at what I brought back today! A jar of wine is free!"

As soon as he sat down at the table, he started to show off, and then waved his hands to ask Aunt Li to prepare some appetizers.

After hearing this, Aunt Li put down the needle and thread in her hand, turned around and went to her small back kitchen, got a plate of salted peanuts, a plate of stewed pork offal, and a plate of stir-fry, and served them to him. come up.

So old man Li began to drink a sip of wine happily, and then ate a mouthful of vegetables. As he ate, a peanut missed and fell from his chopsticks.

He looked at the peanut that rolled to the ground and said, "Old woman, my throne is gone."

Aunt Li was mending her clothes. When she heard this, she didn't even raise her eyelids. She just replied, "There are more on the table."

Old man Li glanced at the plate, there are a lot of peanuts in it!
When he finished eating and drinking, he fell on the table contentedly and fell asleep.

At this time, Aunt Li put down her needlework, boiled hot water, and began to wipe the face of Old Man Li, brush his teeth, wash his feet, comb his hair, and change his clothes.

During this period, old man Li kept his eyes closed, but he was very cooperative during the whole process, as if he was used to others serving him like this.

After finishing all this, old man Li was supported and fell asleep on the bed.

Aunt Li pulled back a thin quilt, shook it off, covered him up, and then she started tidying up the dishes and cleaning the house again.

It wasn't until she finished all these things that she washed up, turned on the lamp, went to bed, and got into the same bed with old man Li.

With the silver moonlight coming in from the window, she saw the almost white hair on Old Man Li's head.

She reached out and gently hugged the thin old man in her arms, and said in a voice that she could only hear, "Your Majesty, don't worry, this servant will take good care of you for the rest of your life."

-

Tonight is not destined to be a peaceful night.

Scholars and students are arguing over the opening of women's colleges and allowing women to take the imperial examination.

Generally speaking, when it comes to allowing women to study, some people are neutral, a very small number of people are in favor, and the vast majority of people are against.

And their reasons are as follows:

One is that it is useless and a waste of money for women to study, and the other is that women will marry sooner or later, and it is not worthwhile for people with daughters to spend money on their daughter's education. This is tantamount to subsidizing money for their future husband's family; If you read the book, if you get enlightened and become an official, and your status climbs to the head of your father, brother and elders, which messes up the ethics, then what's the matter?

After thinking about it, in the end, what our ancestors said is right: a woman’s lack of talent is a virtue!

At this time, deep in the palace, Li Tianming had just sent away several important court officials.

These courtiers came to persuade him to withdraw the decree of opening a women's academy and allowing women to participate in the imperial examination.

These ministers are all civil servants. They almost refuted the will of the monarch from the law of their ancestors, the principles of ethics, and the quotations from the scriptures. The process of debate is also very exciting.

Of course, in front of the emperor, they were very careful with their wording.

For example, they would not directly say "Your Majesty, your will is not good", but accuse the person who gave the emperor this idea a heinous crime.

When all these ministers were talking dry, their monarch took a sip of tea and said, "This matter is actually Mu Sheng's intention. The people in the city have done some things before. The widow went to ask Mu Sheng for forgiveness on behalf of the common people, and Mu Sheng only gave me these two conditions. What do you think, how should the widow refuse?"

"This..." When the ministers heard this, they all looked at each other.

Among them, Taigong Qian and Taigong Lin were veteran ministers who personally welcomed Mu Lian into the city yesterday.

It is not the behavior of a gentleman to thank Mu Sheng yesterday, but today he speaks ill of Mu Sheng behind his back.

The newly promoted Lin Taigong was Feng Lao Hanlin who had made great contributions in resisting the Great Qin army in Hongcheng in the past. Later, he was invited by the monarch to come to the imperial city and granted him a title, and then he was ranked among the three princes.

In fact, he did not object to the fact that women should study. What he objected to was the right for women to take part in the imperial examinations.

After all, one radish is one hole, and every year there are so many people who take part in the imperial examinations alone, and very few people win the imperial examinations. If you bring in a team of women's soldiers, isn't this just adding to the chaos?
Taigong Lin expressed his thoughts, but the monarch said that he had told Mu Sheng all the things they could think of.But on this matter, Mu Sheng has made up his mind.

The ministers saw that there was nothing they could do, so they had to stand up and resign one after another.

After sending these ministers away, the monarch knew that he had not yet reached the time to breathe a sigh of relief.

Next, he rushed to the palace where the Supreme Emperor lived, and greeted his father as soon as he entered the door.

In fact, when the world was staring at the second decree he promulgated, but only Li Tianming knew that he was more worried about the first decree.

Because of the tax reform system at the beginning of last year, it was actually his father's idea to ask the people to pay grain and cloth for money.

At that time, the Supreme Emperor knew that the country had just experienced a war and the amount of money in the treasury had plummeted, so he sent people around to search for a good way to save the country, and finally got this strategy from an unborn strange person.

Li Tianming himself knew that if this policy was implemented well, the treasury would be filled within three to five years.

However, there are policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom. During the implementation of this policy, many problems occurred. On the way back, Emulian saw the scene of the farmers crying about the hardships of life.

Originally, Mu Lian hoped that Li Tianming could be exempted from agricultural tax for three years, but she also knew that the Northern Qi Kingdom had just experienced a war last year and needed a lot of tax revenue to restore its vitality, so she asked the monarch to reduce or exempt taxes.

In the palace, there is a curl of sandalwood in the gilded copper furnace.

All the maids and attendants have retreated, and only the father and son, the monarch and the Supreme Emperor, are in the hall.

The Taishanghuang Li Gang sat cross-legged on a futon, holding a dust whisk in his hand, and wearing Taoist robes, like a hidden master.

After hearing the sound of the monarch saluting, he opened his eyes and said nothing, but only invited the monarch to sit down and drink tea.

After drinking a cup of hot tea, the monarch felt that his whole body was much more relaxed, as if a lot of dirt had been dissipated from his body.

"Good tea, really good tea!"

The Supreme Emperor smiled and said, "If Your Majesty likes it, drink more. I also obtained this tea by accident. After frying and cooking, I discovered that it has the effect of calming the mind and invigorating the mind."

After hearing this, the monarch drank a few more glasses.

At this time, the Supreme Emperor began to ask him why he came, and the monarch told him that he had promulgated two new decrees because of Mu Lian's request.

After listening to these words, the Supreme Emperor pondered for a while before slowly opening his mouth and said, "Tax relief is just a trivial matter, and allowing women to take the imperial examination is not a serious problem. My only worry is that Mu Sheng may be tempting you, Your Majesty." !"

The monarch was slightly startled, "Test me? Why did Mu Sheng test me?"

In front of his own father, the monarch sometimes directly addresses him with "I".

Such a title would always remind him of the time when he could act like a spoiled child in his father's arms as a child, recalling the affection between father and son.

"Mu Sheng is not a member of the imperial court, she is only the head of a sect. Later she became the first saint in my Northern Qi Guoming's face, so the people have a lot of support. But now, I heard that there is another one in her sect. Saint. This is a family of two saints. Emperor, think about it carefully, among the remaining nine countries, which country has two saints?"

The monarch was shocked, it was Wei Guo!
Wei State was originally a country with two sages, and the Wei family sat on the throne because of one of the two sages in the family.

Although Saint Wei Han was beheaded during the battle on Mulian Changjie, even though there was only one saint left, Wei Wen, Wei Guo still managed to take down Nanyue Kingdom half a month ago.

I heard that the monarch of the state of Wei has recently been sharpening his sword again, preparing to continue to attack the state of Nanzhao.

What is the reason why the king of Wei State dared to attack other countries?It's not that there is a saint behind him!

The Supreme Emperor said again, "If Mu Sheng is really interested in power, if she asks you, the emperor, to allow women to participate in the imperial examination, I am afraid that she is not only testing you, the emperor, but also paving the way for herself in secret."

Li Tianming was shocked by this guess.

If Mu Lian really wanted his throne, what should he do?
Immediately condemn her across the country?Send someone to kill her?No, she is already a saint, who can kill her?
Li Tianming, who was in a daze for a while, suddenly remembered something. He looked at the Supreme Emperor and said, "Father, you just said that Mu Lian is the number one in my Northern Qi Guoming's face." A saint! This means that there are other saints in Northern Qi, right?!"

At this time, he no longer called "Mu Sheng" in his mouth, but directly called Mu Lian's name.

In his expectant eyes, the Supreme Emperor finally nodded.

"This matter is a secret passed down from generation to generation by my royal family. I originally planned to tell you the matter before entering the coffin. But now that something happened suddenly, I can't care so much anymore. Mr. Black and White, please Show up!"

Following the words of the Supreme Emperor, two figures, one black and one white, immediately appeared behind Li Tianming.

"Hey, what's going on? Black and white elders, aren't you masters at the master level? How can you be a saint?"

Li Tianming had an expression of disbelief on his face, and he opened his eyes wide to see the two people behind him who almost grew up with him.

This is like an ordinary person who always thinks that the people living next door to him are of similar circumstances to his own.But one day, he suddenly discovered that the person living next door to his house was actually the richest man in the world.

"The second child in black and white is exactly the two saints of my Northern Qi Dynasty, but I, Northern Qi Dynasty, have never announced it to the outside world."

After what the Supreme Emperor said, after many years, Li Tianming carefully looked at the black and white elders in front of him again.

Hei Lao has long black hair, his face is very thin, and looks a bit dry, but both the hair color and the luster of the skin have not changed for decades, which is obviously not something that a great master can do.

Bai Lao's facial features are very delicate, his complexion is fair, and he looks young, with long snow-white hair hanging behind him.

Li Tianming remembers that when he saw Bai Lao for the first time when he was a child, he thought he was a big brother with white hair, but when he looked at it now, his face had hardly aged, only a slight change, but the change very small.

Seeing Li Tianming looking at him intently, the black and white elders slightly released the slightest bit of holy power.

Although it was only a trace, the oppressive force was exactly the same as the force he had felt from Mu Lian.

Only then did he look happy, it turned out that he had his own saint in Northern Qi!And there are still two!

And these two saints have been guarding him by his side since he was a child, and his father kept this secret, so he never told him about it.

At this moment, Li Tianming only felt that his heart was full of touch and warmth.

He is a man in his forties, looking at his father at this time, his eyes are already slightly moist.

Just like when he was a child, the Supreme Emperor stretched out his palm and stroked his head and said, "Your Majesty, the existence of the black and white elders is what I told you, the real reliance of my Northern Qi Kingdom! As long as they are together for a day, my Li Shi The royal family will not fall!"

After hearing this, Li Tianming nodded heavily.

There are two saints standing behind him, so what else is there to be afraid of?How could the royal family of the Li family fall?

Even if Mulian really wanted to do something outrageous, he wouldn't be afraid anymore!
"Emperor, you should have made a decision about Mu Lian earlier."

"Yes, Father!"

　There is an interesting question that has not been included in this chapter for the time being.

　　That's why scholars who opposed women's participation in imperial examinations did not object to pursuing those talented women in brothels?

　　The author thinks of something temporarily:
　　That is, the women in the brothel are far lower than ordinary people in social status. No matter how talented or outstanding they are, they can only be accessories and foils of men, and they cannot pose a threat to the social status of scholars. .

　　But once women gain a high social status and have the right to truly participate in politics, it will pose a threat to men's superior social status and political discourse.

　　Just like some modern countries, they still shout slogans such as "Let women return to the family".Whether it is about the division of labor between men and women, or about the distribution of benefits, it is all about balance in the final analysis.

　　So it is really remarkable that Wu Zetian can become the first female emperor in history.

　　But the power of one person cannot change a dynasty, nor can it change an era.But at least you can change your own destiny!

　　So if you want to live the life you want, you have to work hard for it~

　　The epidemic is about to pass, and I hope everything will be fine!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)