After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Wang Dao sighed and said, "It’s clear your decisions align, but it’s all for profit. You must understand, besides profit, there should be virtue. How can all the benefits of this world belong solely to your family? As daughters-in-law, the honor should return to the husband’s family; as daughters, it should go back to the maternal family."

"Alas, sages empathize with others, using their hearts to measure hearts, emotions to measure emotions, and kind to measure kind. You are not sages, nor should you deceive your conscience by doing things that benefit yourself at the cost of others," Wang Dao sighed further. "As the Yangzhou Governor, I am deeply ashamed."

The people standing below flushed with embarrassment and felt deeply ashamed.

Among the onlookers outside, someone shouted, "My Lord, a humble citizen wishes to speak."

Wang Dao immediately invited the person inside.

The person who entered was a young man, patched all over but not timid, and knelt after reaching the main hall.

Wang Dao asked kindly, "What do you wish to say?"

The young man said, "A child, from birth to growing up, needs adults’ daily care for the first three years. After three years, guidance is needed for interpersonal conduct, and after four more years, the child must attend school to learn to read and write. But a student wanting to become an official cannot rely solely on three years of schooling; the family that raises them must invest the most effort, regardless of gender."

Wang Dao nodded.

"Since the biological parents invest the most, naturally, when a woman becomes an official, the honor of the title should prioritize her biological parents. This is filial piety. The societal debate is merely because in modern times, the public argues profit over loss, forgetting virtue. Today, I ask the Governor to petition on our behalf to establish this principle, correcting societal values."

The crowd outside agreed, believing the young man was right. Wang Dao waved his hand in agreement and immediately had someone bring pen and ink, and wrote a letter on the spot.

This incident was observed by the gentry in Yangzhou, and someone promptly wrote an article and sent it to the bookshop.

The bookshop, seeing it, published it instantly. The article was excellent, causing the author to become renowned nationwide, becoming a notable scholar, and even the young man became a moral exemplar.

Wang Dao accepted him and recommended him to the court.

Because of this article, the national debate leaned towards change. Fan Ying then wrote an article published in the official bulletin, thoroughly concluding the matter.

In the future, even when women marry, if female officials request honor for their elders, it should prioritize their maternal family. This is filial piety and reciprocates the nurturing of their maternal family.

With this statement, more people nationwide began to send daughters to school voluntarily, with fewer thinking of hiding girls away or forcing them to escape school to work at home.

Because when children skip school, parents are spared penalties. If a government official comes, they use the excuse that the child is unwilling to learn to evade sanction.

Now, such situations are greatly alleviated.

Chen Si Niang placed the written document aside and looked up, seeing shadows cast on the ground.

Fan Ying slightly smiled at her, shaking a wine jar in her hand, "Drink?"

Chen Si Niang subtly smiled, stood up, extinguished the lamp, and walked over. She had only taken the wine when she glanced over Fan Ying’s shoulder and noticed Zhao Hanzhang standing under the tree in the hall below. Her face slightly changed, immediately returning the wine back to Fan Ying’s arms and went forwards to salute.

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand, saying, "No need for formalities. Can’t you see? I’m wearing casual clothes now."

Fan Ying followed behind with wine, saying, "This wine is from Your Majesty."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Let’s find a quiet place to drink."

Chen Si Niang paused, "Your Majesty, it’s late. How can you leave the palace?"

"I often leave the palace. Besides, we’re still inside the Imperial City. What’s there to fear?"

A moment later, the three climbed onto the Ministry of Rites’ rooftop, naturally choosing it because they were already in the Ministry’s courtyard.

Fan Ying, having followed Zhao Hanzhang in campaigns for years, had also trained martial skills, so climbing the rooftop was easy. She was about to help Chen Si Niang, but Zhao Hanzhang had already supported her waist, lightly stepping over tiles to leap up...

Fan Ying looked at Chen Si Niang with some jealousy, deliberately shifting to let Zhao Hanzhang sit in the middle.

Zhao Hanzhang, not being shy, naturally jumped down from the rooftop, took three wine jars from the stone table, and lightly jumped back up, landing between the two and handed each a jar.

Chen Si Niang held her wine, asking, "Don’t you feel cold?"

Zhao Hanzhang and Fan Ying shook their heads together, "If cold, then drink wine. Look at the sky full of stars; the Imperial City is so quiet, it’s perfect for chatting and sharing tales."

Chen Si Niang smiled helplessly, "Your Majesty..."

She opened the wrapping of the wine jar, realizing it was warm, evidently heated beforehand.

Though meticulous, Your Majesty certainly wouldn’t have the patience to heat the wine.

Her gaze swept downwards, finally seeing Ting He and several female guards in the shadow by the courtyard gate, and quietly sighed in relief, knowing Zeng Yue and the guards must be nearby, though she hadn’t spotted them.

Fan Ying opened the wine jar, first taking a deep breath of the aroma, "Come, let’s clink jars first."

Zhao Hanzhang also opened her jar and clinked hers with Fan Ying’s, reminding Chen Si Niang, "Be careful not to get drunk."

Fan Ying said, "Tomorrow’s a holiday, what’s there to fear even if we get drunk?"

Zhao Hanzhang nodded in agreement, saying she didn’t need to attend court tomorrow.

Chen Si Niang lowered her head and drank a sip of wine. Not accustomed to drinking, she coughed twice, reaching to feel for a handkerchief but didn’t have one, so Zhao Hanzhang handed her one.

Taking it, Chen Si Niang wiped away her tears from coughing, softly saying, "Your Majesty needn’t worry for me; achieving such an effect, I would die a thousand deaths more happily than receive criticism just now."

"Back then, Your Majesty saved me from the chaotic army. Many would point and gossip about me; later, following Your Majesty away from Xiping, countless openly doubted and despised me, even my parents and siblings no longer recognized me. Now if people talk, it’s always behind my back; what fear do I have?"

Zhao Hanzhang drank wine, gazing at the stars overhead, saying, "Everyone debates but forgets this honor request was made by Marquis Xuande. It clearly represents Marquis Xuande’s intent, yet no one thinks to ask for the Marquis’s opinion."

She extended her wine jar, saying, "I hope one day, daughters across the world can freely choose to honor their family members based on their own will, not restrained by law."

Chen Si Niang and Fan Ying clinked their jars with her together, saying, "Your Majesty’s wish will certainly be realized."

The three joyously finished half the jar in one go.

This jar of wine was like a beverage to Zhao Hanzhang, but for Chen Si Niang and Fan Ying, it had a strong kick, leaving them wobbly when escorted down from the rooftop.

Zhao Hanzhang called female guards, commanding them to safely escort the two home, before she herself carried the jar, leisurely walking back.

Returning to Deyang Palace, a gust of wind brushed by. The sky was bright, casting a seemingly frosty layer on the ground. Zhao Hanzhang abruptly turned to look up and saw, above the firmament, the Milky Way pouring down, the sky full of stars seeming jewel-like and dazzling against the sunlight.

Among the myriad stars, one was extraordinarily bright, glaringly so, yet the stars surrounding it did not seem dim, twinkling and emitting radiance.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!