Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

Seeing that the crowd was getting angrier and angrier, they actually wanted to execute Kong Yingda on the spot.

Their expressions changed drastically.

Yu Shinan hurriedly stepped forward.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, please calm down! Although Kong Yingda has made a grave mistake this time, he has also rendered many meritorious services to Your Highness over the past year, hasn't he?"

"Nowadays, the people of Tuyuhun are more inclined to support our Great Tang Dynasty, and the Turkic herders are becoming even more determined to be Tang people after seeing the propaganda in those newspapers."

"In just one year, official schools have been established in all the prefectures of Taiyuan, and county-level official schools have also been established in each county. Your Highness, Kong Yingda is guilty, but his crime does not warrant death!"

Li Gang hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, it seems the Kong family is not capable of handling this matter. Fortunately, these things have not yet been directly invested, and the girls' school has not yet started. A major mistake has not yet been made."

"Your Highness, perhaps you could spare Kong Yingda for now, considering the Kong family's hard work these past few days..."

Li Chengqian's gaze was icy as he stared intently at the pale, almost bloodless face.

Kong Yingda was clearly terrified of himself.

He snorted coldly.

"Wang De!"

Behind him, Wang De, trembling with fear, hurriedly stepped forward.

"Send someone to Chang'an and have my father, the Emperor, remove Kong Yingda from his position as Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and find me another suitable person!"

Kong Yingda's body trembled again.

The Crown Prince replaced the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince... This might be unimaginable in other dynasties, since positions like Grand Tutor and Grand Preceptor were used by the emperor to reward veteran officials and demonstrate his virtue.

Other princes would be lucky if they didn't treat these people like royalty.

Still want to replace them?

However, the Crown Prince Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty in front of us is really that relaxed!

The reason Wang De is being sent on this trip is simply to follow etiquette and give face to his own emperor.

In fact, the moment Li Chengqian spoke, Kong Yingda, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, was no longer related to him. Even if Li Shimin forbade it, no one in Bingzhou would acknowledge it.

"Your Highness, I thank you for your kindness!"

Even though Kong Yingda was in tears, he could only console himself that at least the current crown prince hadn't actually allowed him to be beaten to death.

"Burn all this garbage!"

Li Chengqian snorted coldly, and Gao Hai beside him hurriedly directed the eunuchs to move the materials compiled by the Kong family out of Xiande Hall.

I glanced at Kong Yingda, who was standing nervously to the side, constantly wiping away cold sweat.

Li Chengqian snorted coldly and looked at Yu Shinan and Li Gang again.

"Teacher Yu, Teacher Li, who should we consult for compiling the curriculum for this girls' school? Without a systematic curriculum, the vastly different educational levels of women and men in our Great Tang Dynasty will be a serious problem once the girls' academy is established."

"Not only is the teaching progress slow, but the return is also pitifully small despite the large investment."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shinan and Li Gang both frowned and pondered.

"How about we invite more renowned scholars to come and brainstorm ideas?"

Li Chengqian sneered: "And then, like that old dog Kong Yingda, you'll bully your inferiors and fawn over your superiors?!"

"Thump!" Kong Yingda knelt on the ground once again.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; I misjudged his intentions.

Li Chengqian's idea of ​​improving women's knowledge and abilities to increase the Tang Dynasty's labor force and talent was misinterpreted.

Now they've suffered such a crushing defeat.

But no one could say anything in his defense; it was good enough that he was spared.

"Alright, alright, you can all go back and rest! I'm not destined for a peaceful life!"

Li Chengqian was in a bad mood and waved for everyone to leave.

Inside Xiande Hall, Qian Yingying, who had just returned from the Taiyuan Military Factory, noticed the extremely heavy atmosphere in the hall today. After quietly inquiring about Wang De's situation, she...

But he smiled faintly.

He arrived before Li Chengqian, who was standing silently with a frown, facing a group of officials from all over Bingzhou who were presenting statistical documents on women's education.

"Your Highness, since you always say that women are not necessarily inferior to men, why are you now showing favoritism towards women?"

Li Chengqian was puzzled.

Qian Yingying sighed and walked behind Li Chengqian. As always, she gently massaged his shoulders from behind.

"The people were already suffering, and now that life is better, it is only men who can be supported to study. Your Highness has shown mercy by allowing women to also be enlightened and wise. If they are not content with being ordinary, they will naturally have to put in more effort."

"Whether they become wealthy merchants or traveling doctors in the future, these are things they should strive for themselves."

"Your Highness only needs to provide them with a path."

Qian Yingying smiled gently, and in her bright eyes, it seemed as if candlelight was flickering.

A pair of delicate hands were kneading Li Chengqian's shoulders.

"Why should women be inferior to men? Your Highness's ability to hold such a view is already a source of gratitude on behalf of all women in the world. However, proving to the men of the world that we women are superior is our own responsibility..."

The next day.

The grand court assembly of Bingzhou Road was held at Xiande Hall.

"What?! Women are allowed to study in government schools?! Even the Imperial University is open to them for entrance exams?!"

Inside the Xiande Hall.

The buzzing of voices drowned out the gurgling sound of the fishpond in the center of the main hall.

Apart from Wang Ming, the governor of Bingzhou, Sima Wang Qingyun, and Xiao Rui, Pei Lawyer, Xiao Yu, Li Gang, and others brought by Li Chengqian, everyone present was astonished.

"The harvest of farmland in Bingzhou has been tallied this year. Last year, in the ninth year of the Wude era, the total farmland output of all the provinces in our Great Tang was about 34000 million shi. However, this year, the winter wheat output of Bingzhou alone reached 8700 million shi."

"Gentlemen, 87 million dan of grain is the yield of one season's grain in many parts of Bingzhou, where water conservancy improvements are insufficient. With the expansion of winter wheat cultivation, the yield will only increase in the future!"

"The people will surely have even more children. I ask you..."

Li Chengqian's voice was calm, yet it was filled with majesty in the Xiande Hall.

In the side halls on both sides, the female officials of the Eastern Palace Secretariat were already craning their necks, nervously and excitedly crowding around the hall doors.

Listen to the sounds coming from inside the main hall.

"You are all well-read people, and you were all born of your mothers who carried you for ten months. I ask you, in your eyes, are your mothers lowly and inferior?"

Today, there are already quite a few officials from humble backgrounds, even those from ordinary families.

They have all reached this point through solid political achievements in Bingzhou.

Upon hearing the question posed by Crown Prince Li Chengqian, they all lowered their heads in deep thought.

"Prefect Wang!"

Wang Ming hurriedly stepped forward: "Your subject is here!"

"I ask you, was Madam Wang, when she was alive, only someone who knew how to serve tea and water and take care of her parents-in-law?"

Wang Ming was well aware of Li Chengqian's plan, and immediately spoke up.

"Your Highness, when my mother was born, the world was still in turmoil, and the previous dynasty had only just been established. Even Bingzhou was often in turmoil at that time. My mother followed my maternal grandfather from a young age, and was taught by him to understand principles and to read and write."

"Even before she married into the Wang family, she already possessed a keen understanding of business and managed her maternal grandfather's family property in an orderly manner."

“When my mother married into the Wang family and gave birth to me, she was also involved in the previous dynasty’s eastern expedition against Goguryeo. During the war, soldiers were conscripted and money was collected in various places. It was my mother who managed the clan and protected many male members of the Taiyuan Wang clan, saving them from the ravages of war.”

"Afterwards, my mother urged me to learn martial arts and taught me literature. When the world was in turmoil, and I led troops into battle, it was my mother who, carrying a large army, led our relatives to stabilize the surrounding counties and villages, and to provide relief to the disaster victims, so that I would not be attacked from both sides..."

Li Chengqian's lips twitched almost imperceptibly twice.

Wang Ming is quite the actor.

Although Li Chengqian hadn't deliberately had anyone investigate the events surrounding the late Madam Wang's life, the fact that this fellow mentioned the Wang family's disaster relief efforts and their role in stabilizing the area surrounding Taiyuan Prefecture at the end of the Sui Dynasty...

Have you forgotten, my father, Li Shimin, was once the famous Second Young Master Li of Taiyuan?

Do you think my Li family doesn't know how many disaster victims your Wang family has helped?!

Seeing Wang Ming suddenly burst into tears and wail, crying out that he missed his mother, Li Chengqian had to restrain himself from the urge to send him to see his mother.

"Inhale...exhale..."

"Madam Wang is so wise and righteous, maintaining peace among the people of the countryside and raising a loyal and virtuous minister like Governor Wang. I am deeply moved... Wang De!"

Wang De hurriedly bowed, but Li Chengqian waved his hand.

"Prepare to draft an imperial edict. I wish to request my father to grant the posthumous title of Lady Wang a title of Imperial Noble Consort!"

Wang Ming, the old fox who had brought glory to the clan by striking while the opportunity presented itself, suddenly let out a whimper and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Highness is so benevolent! Your subject, on behalf of my mother, thanks Your Highness and His Majesty!"

"Woooooooo..."

Wang Ming cried uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face. This made Li Chengqian, who had been holding back tears for a long time, thinking about several sad things but unable to squeeze out a single tear, quite curious.

Even a beauty like Wang Yuyan would probably cry out if punched, right?

I just don't know whether her dad or she can cry more....

"Ahem... There are countless outstanding women like Madam Wang in the world. My aunt, Princess Pingyang of the Great Tang Dynasty, and my mother are also exemplary women."

"Therefore, if anyone dares to say today that women cannot attend school or become officials, don't blame me for being impolite to them!"

In the side hall.

Although one could only see Li Chengqian's direction in the main hall through the gaps in the screen.

Looking at Li Chengqian, who seemed to be surrounded by the aura of dragons and tigers, exuding majesty and possessing an aura that seemed to soar to the heavens, Wang Yuyan couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

beside.

"Sister Yuyan, His Highness really intends to allow women to serve as officials in the court? Is this really true?"

"Didn't you see? The ministers in the hall are all silent. If His Highness wants to do this, no one can stop him!"

These women were extremely excited.

Although they are now considered female officials.

However, the female officials of the Eastern Palace were a special existence, somewhere between officials and servants.

If it weren't for the Crown Prince's current power and his ability to intimidate the court officials...

How could these female officials be qualified to be treated so politely by those ministers?

Wang Yuyan nodded gently.

"Your Highness's ambition is unprecedented..." In her mind, she couldn't help but recall the incredulous yet regretful expression on Li Chengqian's face when he asked that question in the carriage that day.

Her jade-like hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, clenched involuntarily.

in the hall.

Li Chengqian waved his hand.

"I don't care if any of you still harbor any ulterior motives. From this day forward, no county or prefecture in Bingzhou shall obstruct a woman who wishes to enter a school to study literature!"

"Furthermore, by my decree, all colleges of the Imperial University are permitted to admit women who have passed the basic examinations!"

"All professors with doctoral degrees must not be treated differently!"

A few days later.

As soon as the government offices of various prefectures and counties in Bingzhou received the order, brightly colored notices were immediately posted.

Taiyuan Prefecture, West City.

Lying comfortably on the recliner his daughter had just bought, Duke Yingguo Wu Shihuo had been living in Taiyuan Prefecture ever since he resigned from his official post after recovering from his illness at the end of the year.

He sent his two sons and Xiangli back to their hometown in Wenshui, just as Yuan Tiangang had instructed.

He himself, along with his three daughters and Lady Yang, settled in Taiyuan Prefecture.

"Father, Father"

Amidst a series of hurried footsteps, Wu Shihuo looked up and saw his second daughter, Wu Zhao, and his third daughter, Wu Si, two maids, one big and one small, running towards him.

With a blush on her slightly chubby face, Wu Zetian stuffed a copy of the "New Tang Dynasty Gazette" into his arms.

"Father, look! His Highness the Crown Prince has allowed women to study at the official school and even become officials in Taiyuan Prefecture!"

"I want to go to school! I want to be an official like my sister!"