On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

In the warm pavilion, the charcoal fire burned brightly, dispelling the severe cold of winter. The snow outside the pavilion sparkled with tiny rays of light under the warm sun, like a ground of silver frost.

Lin Zhen sat on the stone bench calmly.

Murong Wushe bent his body, holding the teacup respectfully in both hands, took small steps forward, and gently placed the teacup on the stone table in front of Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen raised his hand slightly, touched the tea lid with his fingertips, and slowly pushed away the tea leaves floating on the water. His movements were elegant and calm, and the fragrance of tea rose up and instantly filled the entire warm pavilion.

"Husband, please stop keeping me in suspense!" Murong Yan became anxious when she saw Lin Zhen still looking calm.

She really wanted to improve the status of women.

Lin Zhen spoke slowly but with complete confidence, "The first step is, of course, to use newspapers to ignite public opinion. These days, newspapers are quite influential in the capital and even in the surrounding towns, with a large circulation and wide readership. We can publish various articles in them, citing a wide range of sources, explaining in simple terms that women can also be literate. There's no need to publicly promote women as officials right from the start, as that could easily cause a backlash. We just need to give the people a preconceived notion that this policy might seem useless, but then, on closer inspection, it seems to have some benefit, especially for merchants."

He paused slightly, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and looked at Murong Yan through the curling hot steam, as if observing her reaction.

Murong Yan nodded slightly, her eyes full of thought. She was obviously attracted by Lin Zhen's words and was waiting attentively for his further explanation.

Lin Zhen put down his teacup, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as he continued, "Merchants have always had a keener sense of smell than ordinary people. They struggle daily in the marketplace and are adept at seizing business opportunities. Once they learn that a literate daughter might open up new avenues for the family business and showcase the family's heritage in social situations, they will realize this is a prime opportunity to cultivate their children into talented individuals. At that point, in their eyes, having a daughter will no longer be a loss, but a pillar of support that can be carefully nurtured and held in high regard. You have to know that the classes of scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans are strictly registered. The greatest hope for merchants in their lives is to have someone in their family who can become an official. So they will never miss this opportunity."

Speaking of this, Lin Zhen seemed to have seen the lively scene of merchants competing to send their daughters to school. He estimated that Chu Xiling would be very happy at that time.

With the addition of male disciples, within a few years, Daqian Academy will be the most powerful academy in the world, and the small Xuanhemen will be no match for it.

Murong Yan frowned slightly, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes. "But the people are indifferent to schooling, especially girls. They have a deep-rooted belief that girls' education is useless and that they only need to learn how to manage the household and raise children. How easy is it to change this concept?"

Lin Zhen smiled softly, as if anticipating this question. He calmly explained, "This requires skillful guidance. What do ordinary people seek when they study? Simply to enrich themselves, broaden their horizons, or perhaps hope to one day enter the government and change their family's destiny. For women, we can emphasize the importance of literacy as a means of supporting their husbands and raising children. Imagine a well-educated, intelligent woman who will be more adept at educating children and assisting her husband, ensuring the family's prosperity. This approach will not only align with the people's aspirations for a happy and prosperous family, but also subtly change their inherent notion that 'virtue lies in a woman's lack of talent.'"

Murong Yan's eyes gradually lit up, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had appeared, and she saw a glimmer of hope: "My husband, what you said is very true, but I don't understand newspapers or public opinion. How should we guide this in the newspapers? We can't just preach empty words, right? We have to make the people happy and willing to accept it."

Lin Zhen nodded slightly, his fingers unconsciously circling on the table. After a moment's thought, he said, "We could open a special column in the newspaper and invite some renowned scholars and great Confucian scholars to write articles about women from ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad, who have excelled in talent and knowledge and contributed greatly to their country. If there aren't any, we can invent them. I know a great example. Have you heard of Hua Mulan?"

"No, what does she do?"

"If not, let's use Yan Yan as an example. Yan Yan is currently a military commander, but her position is low. We can promote her first. Surely the ministers wouldn't reject such a commander with such illustrious military achievements? Besides, with the prince's encouragement, they wouldn't be able to refuse even if they wanted to. Then we can invent some more stories, such as a woman from the previous dynasty who, with her knowledge, provided advice and resolved a crisis for her family; or a woman from a foreign country who studied and entered politics, bringing prosperity to the country. Using these real and vivid examples, let the people directly feel the power of women's talent and knowledge."

Lin Zhen continued, "At the same time, we can also publish some easy-to-understand popular science articles that explain the many benefits of literacy for women in their daily lives. For example, they can understand account books to assist their husbands in business, write letters to communicate with distant relatives and friends, and study medical texts to take care of their families' health. Let people truly understand that literacy for women is not an unattainable luxury, but a real skill that can enrich their lives."

Murong Yan nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with admiration and agreement. "That's excellent, but have you ever considered, my husband? Are those scholars and great Confucian scholars willing to speak up for women? After all, this traditional concept has been constraining us for so long, and I'm afraid they have their concerns. Furthermore, the world is so patriarchal right now that if we suddenly raise the status of women, even if other countries hear of it, they'll definitely try to stop it."

Lin Zhen frowned slightly, then pondered for a moment before saying, "This is indeed a difficult problem, but it's not unsolvable. We can start with those scholars with more open minds and a strong desire for innovation, offering them generous rewards or high-ranking positions. In short, if we're willing to put in the effort, there will definitely be people willing to write. As for those who are stubborn, we don't have to force them. We just need to find a few more scholars from different schools and backgrounds to diversify public opinion and spark discussion and reflection among the people. Once the discussion heats up, public opinion will naturally push more people to change their minds."

Murong Yan patted her chest lightly, as if relieved: "This is a good idea, but we can't afford all the funds, right?"

Lin Zhen looked at her with a smile.

This girl is clearly a money-grubber.

They want to improve the status of women, but are reluctant to spend money.

But there is no way, because she is the most important woman to him.