Chapter 129: Admonitions for Women

Chapter 129: Admonitions for Women

The emperor stopped Bei Jingchu from defying the natural order and reminded her that she would be late for school.

Bei Jingchu had no choice but to go to school obediently.

The teacher walked up to the lectern, put down his book, and said, "Today, we will discuss the *Admonitions for Women*."

As soon as he said this, there was an uproar among the students.

Zhou Huanjiu was the first to express her dissatisfaction. She raised her hand and, after being called on by the teacher, asked,

"I don't understand. Hongwen Hall is primarily attended by young nobles from various families. Moreover, the original purpose of Hongwen Hall was to educate the princes and princesses."

"Currently, there are no princes attending classes. Is the teacher lecturing on this to instruct the princess in proper feminine conduct?"

"Based on my understanding of His Majesty, he would not wish for his daughter to study such matters."

Bei Jingchu, sitting in the front row, nodded in agreement, almost imperceptibly, but she did not join in the discussion.

From her observations during her time at school, the teacher didn't seem like a narrow-minded person.

In response to Zhou Huanjiu's question, the teacher simply said, "Everyone, please calm down."

"The *Admonitions for Women* is undoubtedly a book that sets guidelines for women's behavior, but reading a book only for its content is one-sided."

"Do you remember what we discussed before? To fully understand a book, it's best to understand its era, history, and the author's experiences."

"Today, let's start with the author of the *Admonitions for Women*, Lady Chao."

The teacher explained, "The dynasty she lived in was ruled by the Empress Dowager. As a close friend of the Empress Dowager, she herself held significant power."

"At that time, women held high status, and many in her family, both men and women, held official positions."

"It can be said that her own life had nothing to do with the *Admonitions for Women*, so why did she write a book advising women in her later years?"

"Please share your thoughts on this matter."

There was silence in the school.

Bei Qian first shared his understanding, "Perhaps it was for the sake of her reputation?"

"By writing the book, she could show that her previous involvement in politics was not something she had desired."

"To distance herself and build a virtuous and upright reputation."

The teacher smiled and agreed, "What you said makes sense."

Bei Jingchu stood up and asked, "Teacher, you mentioned earlier that the Empress Dowager was in power at that time."

"Could it be that she wrote this to caution against the influence of the imperial family or relatives?"

"To encourage the Empress Dowager to step down and restore power to the emperor?"

The teacher nodded, "Princess, what you said also makes sense."

Lei Nian'er offered her opinion, "Teacher, you mentioned that many women in Lady Chao's family held official positions."

"Writing this might have been to restrain the women in her family?" "Concerned that a powerful family might draw unwanted attention, she may have wanted to maintain a lower profile."

Zhou Huanjiu's viewpoint wasn't that complicated. She said, "The teacher also mentioned that she wrote this in her later years. There have been many talented individuals in history who became confused in their old age."

"Maybe she was just confused in her later years," someone suggested.

The teacher chuckled and said, "It's not impossible."

After the students finished their discussions, the teacher continued.

"Everything you all just said makes sense. However, based on these historical records, we can't definitively know the true intentions behind the author's writing."

"But once this book was written, how it is understood is no longer within her control."

"This book became a tool."

"No matter her original intention, it has now become a tool to constrain women."

"It's an example of going too far in the opposite direction."

"And why is the 'Nüjie' (Women's Admonitions) widely praised, but there is no 'Men's Admonitions'?"

"Just like laws are made to constrain commoners, not the nobility."

"People are divided into different ranks, high and low, superior and inferior."

"You all stand at the top of Dayue and cannot feel this oppression."

"But I hope you understand that the weak are always oppressed and exploited."

"The privileges of the elite are built on the backs of others."

"Those in power tend to protect and reinforce the privileges of their own group."

"The nobility upholds the nobility, and men uphold men; it's just a matter of who has the greater influence."

"Whether it's class or gender, it's the same."

"After learning this, whether you choose to help or ignore it is up to you."

"Don't assume that what they endure is something they were born to suffer."

"Alright, class is dismissed."

Bei Jingchu's book box was being carried by Lei Nian'er as they walked out. Beiqin and Zhou Huanjiu were also at the door, and the four of them let out a long sigh.

We felt like we'd been drained.

"No wonder Father brought in Teacher Jiang—she's a real expert!"

Beiqin nodded weakly. "Every class feels like a soul-cleansing experience."

Zhou Huanjiu took out a pack of dried meat from the book box and started chewing.

Beiqin stretched out her hand. "I'm starving, toss me one."

"You didn’t bring any, so now you're mooching off me."

Zhou Huanjiu simply gave each of them two pieces.

When Lei Nian'er handed some to Bei Jingchu, she took them but didn't eat immediately.

Facing Zhou Huanjiu's question, Bei Jingchu replied, "Father said we need to test anything that goes into our mouths for poison first."

"I’ll wait until you’re all good this afternoon before I eat."

The three of them suddenly lost their appetite for the meat sticks in their hands.

Bei Jingchu explained, "It's not that I don't trust you, Jiu Jiu. But just in case someone else handled it and I run into problems, it would be troublesome for you."

Zhou Huanjiu understood but was still annoyed.

......

Because of attending classes with the Chancellor, the time for martial arts training at Xianfei's place was changed to noon, causing Bei Jingchu to lose her afternoon nap time.

Now she was still consolidating the moves she had learned, while Lei Nian'er had already been dragged to the side to stand on the plum blossom stakes.

Listening to the thuds of Lei Nian'er hitting the ground and her pained cries, Bei Jingchu winced and closed her eyes.

She could already feel the phantom ache setting in.

Would she be this miserable in the future too?

After the training, Lei Nian'er skillfully climbed onto Bei Jingchu's small sedan chair.

"Sister Nian'er, can you pull up your sleeve and show me?"

Lei Nian'er rolled up her sleeve, revealing bruises that made Bei Jingchu gasp.

She sincerely asked, "Did you give up?"

"This is as terrifying as torture!"

Lei Nian'er hugged herself pitifully.

If it weren’t for Xianfei’s promises of a future where she could one day punch Father, she would never have been able to hold on.

Having gone to bed a bit late the previous night, Bei Jingchu wasn't in great spirits when she went to the school in the afternoon.

Seeing her listless appearance, Haoyue was worried that the princess might lose focus.

How could she get the princess to perk up?

She thought about her skills and asked, "Your Highness, would you like to hear some gossip?"

Bei Jingchu perked up a little. "What gossip?"

Haoyue, who was great at gossip, knew that getting the latest scoop from her was much easier than sifting through official records.

"What did you hear?"

Haoyue leaned in closer to Bei Jingchu and whispered, "Do you know that Shangshu Ling of the Yu family recognized a daughter who had been lost outside three years ago?"

Bei Jingchu nodded. "Mhm, I know."

"It was that young palace maid who almost ended up in a situation where she and her lover almost became siblings. Her name is Yi Guo."

Haoyue wasn’t surprised that the princess already knew; after all, her sources were always reliable.

Although she didn't know the source of the information, it wasn't unusual for our master to have secrets.

She continued with what she had heard: "That girl might be bold because she once lived among commoners, and the Shangshu Ling indulged her."

"She's not your average noblewoman."

"Yu Madam wanted to arrange a marriage for her and asked what kind of man she preferred."

"She said she needed to try them out to see if they were a good match."

"So, she picked one and asked Yu Madam to set up a trial period for them."

After saying this, Haoyue paused, giving the princess a moment to process it.

To Haoyue's surprise, Bei Jingchu wasn't fazed and eagerly asked, "What happened next? What happened after that?"

Haoyue looked puzzled.

"Your Highness, aren't you shocked? In this world, people usually follow their parents' wishes and what the matchmakers say. They marry someone of matching social status without question. Who would ever 'test' a marriage like that?"

"That doesn't look good for her reputation—it's way too casual."

"There's all kinds of gossip about her in the capital right now!"

Bei Jingchu didn't care.

"What's the big deal? Isn't it like dating?"

She disagreed and discussed with Haoyue, "I actually think getting married directly would be too casual. What if the other person has erectile dysfunction?"