Use a substitute on your wedding night to scatter the ashes of your entire family

The ministers were arguing and kneeling on the ground. Some old ministers burst into tears and said, "Your Majesty, please think twice, think twice!"

"Your Majesty, this is not possible. Our ancestors' rules cannot be broken!"

"How shameful! How shameful!"

"Your Majesty, how can women serve in the court like men? Isn't that reversing yin and yang, causing chaos in the court and the world?"

"Your Majesty, this is a provocation to the secular etiquette and ethics, and it will cause chaos in Daliang!"

This new emperor is too bold. Since ancient times, it has never been heard that women can sit on an equal footing with men in the court, let alone enter the military camp. It is ridiculous, extremely ridiculous!

There is no distinction between men and women. Does that mean men will be the ones taking care of the affairs at home, taking care of their wives and raising their children in the future?

Except for Ou Jianglin and Gu Xingyan, everyone in the hall knelt down.

Even Duke Shu and General Liang found it unbelievable. Your Majesty had just ascended the throne and was already challenging secular etiquette. What should they do?

Chen's mother and son are eyeing the country covetously, and the Zhao army seems to be about to invade. At this critical juncture, stabilizing the court is the top priority. How can we do such a rebellious thing? No matter how short of people Daliang needs, women should not be allowed to serve as officials or generals like men.

Moreover, before this, His Majesty had not revealed any clues at all. When did he start to have this idea?

Duke Shu sighed deeply. He wondered whether the Empress Dowager knew about His Majesty's actions.

A hint of sneer and complacency appeared in the depths of Gu Xingyuan's eyes. "Gu Xingcheng, you are courting death. Don't you know what the most important thing you should do now that you have just ascended the throne?"

Oh, so what if you have been a crown prince for more than 20 years? You really think you are the chosen one by God. How foolish!

Chen Tinghua and Gu Xingyuan, although they also knelt like the other ministers, they exchanged glances with each other.

This imperial decree was well-made. They could make good use of it. Wasn't it to allow women to serve as officials in the court?

Oh, then they will see, Gu Xingcheng, whether you can still sit firmly on the throne when the court is in chaos and the people’s opposition is growing louder!

"I did not discuss this matter with you ministers, but it was an imperial decree!" Gu Xingcheng glanced at the ministers kneeling below and said in a deep voice.

The old imperial censor Ding Huayun stood up suddenly and looked directly at Gu Xingcheng who was sitting on the dragon throne: "Your Majesty, if women enter the court as officials or the military camp, what can they do? Do they even dream of becoming the prime minister of the cabinet or a general?"

Without waiting for Gu Xingcheng to answer, Gu Xingyan turned to Ding Huayun and said, "I will answer this question for you, Mr. Ding. Women can be any official that men can be. Women can be any general that men can fight in battles and make meritorious deeds!"

Old Censor Ding was so angry that his beard was about to stand up. A farmer prince is a farmer prince. He has no vision and is not worthy of being in public!

"In ancient times, Qin Liangyu was appointed as the Grand Master of the Imperial Household, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and was later granted the title of Marquis. Shen Yunying was appointed as the General of Zhaowu and the General of Guerrilla. Such examples are everywhere. Elder Ding knows a lot about the past and present, and I think he knows more examples of women serving as officials and generals than Gu Xingyan."

Old Censor Ding flicked his sleeves and snorted coldly: "Humph, ridiculous!"

"How ridiculous?"

"It often takes a woman one or two years to get pregnant and give birth. During these one or two years, will the official position be left vacant and government affairs pile up, waiting for her to take over in a year or two? Or do you, Your Highness, have three heads and six arms, and can you do all these things for them? In our great country of Daliang, there are so many women who get pregnant and give birth every day!"

"It is a woman's duty to take care of her husband and children, manage all the affairs of the house, and respect her parents-in-law!"

Gu Xingyan was not annoyed, and said calmly: "Six ministries, major government offices, and government offices in Daliang, is it possible that everyone has been sitting in the same position since the beginning?"

Old Censor Ding turned his face away and didn't look at Gu Xingyan.

"Everyone can be promoted or demoted. During the one or two years when the woman is pregnant and giving birth, you can let someone else take over. When the woman returns, you can arrange for her to do something else. As your majesty said, Daliang is short of talent now. How can there be nothing for her to do?"

Old Censor Ding's rough throat made heavy wheezing sounds, his sharp eyes turned suddenly, and his wrinkled face was full of anger.

"Then may I ask, Your Highness, what about opening a girls' school? Even if a girl can start school at the age of five, she will have to get married after she reaches the age of fifteen. Giving her a rich dowry is already a great favor to her daughter. What can they learn in just ten years? It's a complete waste!"

“Who says you can’t learn anything in ten years? A talented person can surpass countless people in three to five years instead of ten years.”

Old Master Ding's beard was curled up: "Who in the common people's family is willing to spend a lot of money to raise their daughter well, only to end up marrying her to her husband's family, becoming an official or joining the army, and all the credit she has earned will go to her husband's family. Would the girl's family be willing to do that?"

Gu Xingyan smiled faintly: "Then, may I ask, old sir, is your daughter illiterate?"

Old Imperial Censor Ding snorted coldly, "Of course not. She has been able to read since she was young. Her mother has taken care of needlework, chess, calligraphy and painting for her. My daughter is a famous and talented woman in the entire Forty-Nine City."

"So, old man, why do you want to train your daughter to be a talented woman? Isn't marrying into the husband's family also making wedding clothes for others?"

Old Censor Ding was choked by these words, his face flushed, and after a long while he managed to utter one sentence: "That, that's different!"

"What's the difference?"

"In short, it's different. Although I, Ding Huayun, am penniless and don't have much money, I am still well-off compared to ordinary people. It's no problem for me to raise a daughter. It's not like ordinary people who can't even afford a full meal."

"That's why Your Majesty wants to recruit talented people. If a woman has talent, and wins fame and receives a salary, wouldn't that also improve the family's life?"

"You, you are just making up stories!"

"Okay, there is no need to discuss this matter any further. I have made up my mind on this matter. Regarding opening schools, we can first select a few wealthy prefectures for trial, and then slowly spread them to all parts of Daliang. Women's entry into the court, officialdom, and military camps will take effect from today. The Ministry of Rites will draft the regulations, the cabinet will review them, and finally I will approve them."

Gu Xingcheng made the final decision.

There are also court officials who want to object.

However, just as Gu Xingcheng finished his words, he heard a hurried report from outside the hall. A man in military uniform and covered in dust almost fell into the hall on his knees. His lips were chapped, and his throat was almost on fire when he spoke. As soon as he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood foam.

Seeing that it was the military messenger, Gu Xingcheng immediately ordered someone to fetch water.

The man took it and drank it in one gulp, not caring about the water dripping from the corners of his mouth, and swallowed hard: "Report, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, speed up the eight hundred miles. Zhao State suddenly launched an attack on our Daliang border late at night two days ago. The 100,000-strong army was wiped out, and now Rangcheng has been lost. After the Ava army occupied Rangcheng, they immediately burned, killed, looted, and tens of thousands of civilians were massacred. The general guarding Rangcheng, Tang Shi..."