In mid - April, Xue Yusong, who had been investigating the case, returned. He gathered the investigations from all parties, sorted out the testimonies of the woman he had brought back as a witness, and cleared Rongchang Commercial Firm of its charges. Naturally, Miss Cen was also released.
Perhaps because the Zhu family had won a great victory and the emperor was in a good mood, he issued several decrees to reward Shen Yuning. After hearing about Xi'er's story, he even sent an oral edict, saying that Xi'er had guarded her heart, strived for self - improvement, and was a good example.
Even though it was just verbal praise, praise from the emperor's own mouth was by no means ordinary. However, this statement was received differently among the court officials. The stubborn group of civil officials thought this move inappropriate. If a woman who had lost her chastity was commended, wouldn't all women follow her example in the future and not take their honor and purity seriously?
Another group believed that women should be encouraged to be strong. There were many cases of women in the Great Zhou committing suicide. Clearly, it was the work of rapists, but the women lost their lives because of it. How unfair! Promiscuity was unacceptable, but being overly concerned about one's honor was also not advisable.
Finally, King Jing'an stood up to support the emperor's commendation of the poor woman. He was the oldest prince in the royal family, over sixty years old. He didn't usually need to attend court, but since the Zhu family was about to return in triumph to celebrate the victory of the Great Zhou, King Jing'an had also come to the court meetings in recent days.
He trembled uncontrollably and knelt on the ground, wailing loudly.
He used to have a fifteen - year - old legitimate daughter, who was as beautiful as a flower and of noble status as a princess. Unfortunately, she was harmed by a villain by accident. Although the then - emperor was extremely angry and executed the villain, the princess couldn't bear the rumors and took the opportunity to commit suicide.
The Princess of Jing'an fell seriously ill. After waking up, she was not quite right in the head and passed away a few years later.
King Jing'an was a man of deep emotions. After that, he raised his two sons and neither remarried nor took concubines. But he never dared to think about that nightmare again.
Many officials present at that time clearly remembered what had happened back then and naturally understood King Jing'an's love for his daughter. Even though the conservative faction still thought it inappropriate, they didn't dare to say anything in front of King Jing'an.
After hearing the eunuch's exaggerated oral edict, Xi'er wasn't overjoyed. Instead, she tightly held her good friend Miss Cen's hand. Miss Cen had suffered, but it was she who was being commended. She couldn't even accept this herself.
Fortunately, Miss Cen had always regarded Xi'er as her own younger sister. After this incident, she seriously reflected on herself and thought that she should learn from Xi'er's determination and straightforwardness. She had been too weak before, which was why others had taken advantage of her.
Xi'er and Miss Cen said goodbye to Shen Yuning and then left in a grand manner with their entourage.
The next time Shen Yuning saw Xue Yusong, she took him to see the thick files on her carriage. There were nearly a thousand of them in total, all about the countless women Shen Yuning had rescued in various parts of the Great Zhou over the years. Among them, nearly a hundred were women who were in trouble, either in the low - status register and couldn't get out, or were being tortured by their in - laws and husbands day and night and couldn't break free.
Xue Yusong was stunned for a long time and then asked, "Yuning, what do you want to do?"
Shen Yuning said seriously, "After experiencing so many things, I've found that the reason why women have a hard time is that the current laws almost treat women as appendages. Women from wealthy families are relatively better off, but poor women are like livestock. It's really pitiful. For example, those women in the low - status register, even if they manage to get out of it, they're not accepted by their families. And for many women, even if I want to buy back their deeds of sale, their families won't let them go. Moreover, my commercial firm only has limited capabilities. I can't take in everyone. I can't afford to support them all."
Xue Yusong looked at the petition paper Shen Yuning had given him. She had summarized the cases below and then detailed that if they wanted to change this situation, they needed to allow women to establish their own households independently and allow women not to marry.
He frowned tightly and said, "Yuning, have you ever thought that if this happens, many women in the Great Zhou will be unwilling to get married and have children. This goes against human ethics and is not suitable for the development of the Great Zhou."
Shen Yuning shook her head and said, "What is human ethics? Is human ethics that men control everything and women depend on them? Does Prince Xue still remember the joke I told you when we were young, saying that I would enter the court as an official with you in the future?"
Hearing the word "joke", Xue Yusong was quite helpless. He whispered, "Yuning, I know you've been smart since childhood, but men and women are different. Why do you have to be so competitive?"
"I'm not being competitive. I used to be the daughter of a marquis's mansion and could get whatever I wanted easily. But what about the women in the folk? Prince Xue, during your investigation of my case in the folk these days, didn't you notice how pitiful the women in the folk are?"
Xue Yusong was silent for a long time. He took a deep breath and said, "You said that you used to be the daughter of a marquis's mansion. With your wide knowledge from these cases, you should also know why there was a law in the previous dynasty that if a woman didn't get married by the age of twenty, her parents would be guilty. I've seen all kinds of cases big and small since I was a child. How can I not know that what you said is reasonable? The current system is indeed male - dominant and female - subordinate. But Yuning, the Great Zhou is much better than the previous dynasty. In the previous dynasty, women couldn't even leave their homes before marriage. Appearing in public would be punished by law. Our Great Zhou..."
"Just because we're better than the previous dynasty, does that mean our Great Zhou has no flaws?" Shen Yuning interrupted him and asked seriously. "Progress and development do happen step by step, but Prince Xue, if everyone just stands still and adheres to the old ways, where will progress and change come from?"
Xue Yusong held the petition paper in his hand. Although it was only a few pages long, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in his hand.
He looked at the young girl in front of him and remembered this stubborn and smart girl from his childhood. She was younger than him but smarter. She always joked back then that in the future, if she became an official, she would be promoted faster than him.
The girl he had doted on since childhood, even though she was no longer his sister now, the feeling seemed to remain the same.
He sighed. Yes, she was stubborn. Since childhood, he, as the elder brother, had always let her have her way. "Go back and revise the petition paper. Let's do things one by one. First, report the matter of allowing women to establish their own households. Put the matter of allowing women to choose their own marriages aside for now."
As soon as Xue Yusong finished speaking, he saw the bright and smiling eyes of the young girl in front of him. He had been tricked by her again. She never really intended to report the request for women to choose their own marriages. He reached out his hand, wanting to pat her head like he used to, but his hand hung in the air and then he silently put it down.
She had grown up and was no longer his little sister.
Shen Yuning nodded like a chicken pecking rice. She hugged the petition paper in her arms and asked, "Before, I asked the second master of the Chen family to inquire about my younger brother who joined the army. But maybe he was too busy with his official duties. Every time I met him, he said there was still no news. I wonder if Prince Xue could help me inquire? Now that the army is about to return to the capital, there's still no news of my younger brother. I'm really worried."
Xue Yusong knew about this matter. He also knew Yuning's personality, so he didn't hide it anymore. He just told her the news Chen Wenpo had found out. "Could it be that something happened to your younger brother on his way to join the army and he didn't go?"
Shen Yuning thought for a moment and immediately shook her head. "No, Xuanzhi wrote many letters to me after he left. It was only last summer that we lost contact. He must have encountered something he couldn't help but do, which is why this happened. Prince Xue, is it true that Jiang Xuanzhi's name is not on the casualty list?"
Xue Yusong nodded. "It's really not there..."
Shen Yuning relaxed instead. "That means he's not in trouble. It's good that he's safe."
Xue Yusong hesitated and asked, "You care about him a lot?"
"Of course. He's my younger brother."
As soon as Shen Yuning said this, she suddenly remembered that before Xuanzhi joined the army, they had had a similar conversation. At that time, she had said firmly that he was her younger brother. But why did she feel a hint of melancholy when she said this today?
The Zhu family returned in triumph. The people in the capital city hung red silk on their doors and bought firecrackers. When the generals passed by, the people along the way set off their own firecrackers to show their celebration.
The house Shen Yuning rented was on the route the soldiers would pass. Old Man Zhang had bought the firecrackers early and was waiting at the door with Huzi. Weirui was sitting in the yard, craning her neck to look and chatting with Shen Yuning.
"Auntie, could Brother Xuanzhi be among them?"
Shen Yuning shook her head. "He should go back to Xitian Town. After he gets back, his family will send us a letter."
Weirui propped her face up. "But maybe he's become a great general and will also enter the capital with the Duke's Mansion to meet the emperor."
Shen Yuning's heart skipped a beat. Yes, could it be that Xuanzhi had made military achievements and been promoted to a junior general? But if so, why didn't he write to her anymore? Did he forget about them after becoming an official?
A sour feeling welled up in her heart. Even though she knew Xuanzhi wasn't such a person, just thinking about it made her feel wronged.
Weirui climbed onto the wall and widened her eyes, trying hard to see the generals in front. But because they were quite far away, she really couldn't see clearly.
She simply took her aunt's hand. "Auntie, let's get closer to take a look. Maybe Brother Xuanzhi is among them. Maybe if we go there, he can see us."
Shen Yuning opened her mouth, wanting to say that it was impossible, but somehow she was looking forward to this impossible thing happening.
The two of them walked outside. Just then, Old Man Zhang set off the firecrackers. Huzi jumped up happily. He didn't know what the return of the generals meant. He just thought it was lively and fun.
Amid the rumbling of the firecrackers and the smoke of the fireworks, Shen Yuning only saw people sitting on tall horses. In the front and most imposing was the heir of Duke Zhu, whom she recognized. The heir was in his prime, but even through the hazy smoke and dust, one could still see his haggard appearance. However, there was also a murderous aura in his haggardness that others didn't have.
In a daze, Shen Yuning remembered the news about the Zhu family. The Zhu family was a foreign - related clan and founding heroes. Generations of them had served as generals to defend the Great Zhou. But in a fierce battle a few years ago, Duke Zhu had injured his leg and couldn't walk. The original heir of the Zhu family and his two younger brothers had all died on the battlefield. The current heir of the Zhu family was the second son. All his brothers were dead, and he was the only one left in this generation.
Shen Yuning's eyes turned red. The Zhu family was full of loyal martyrs, dedicating their whole lives to the country. Fathers died and sons took over; elder brothers died and younger brothers stepped up. Moreover, in the current generation of the Zhu family, there was only him left. She had heard that in the next generation, there were only two young men left. The youngest one was only eleven years old and was a sickly child who couldn't go to battle.
She looked up. Behind the heir of the Zhu family were two horses. One of them was ridden by Zhu Bin, the eldest grandson of the Zhu family. The other one was a bit far away, and Shen Yuning couldn't see clearly. In a daze, it seemed as if there was something faintly reflecting light.