On this day, another group of students came here under the teacher’s guidance. The school organized a spring outing, and decided to set the spring excursion location here. A group of young and beautiful teenage boys and girls cheekily and playfully followed the teacher to this preserved residence. This was a stone house. Although it was made of stone, it looked very elegant. There was even a big yard outside, a stone table and several stone stools, and even a grape trellis above it.
“This is the place where Emperor Tianqi lived for 2 years, his longest travelling residence in historical records. Although it was destroyed once during World War II, fortunately, it had remained roughly unchanged. In addition, the country still preserved the paintings drawn by Emperor Tianqi at that time, and now it has been restored to almost as it was before.” The older female teacher who wore glasses, stood in front of the stone house and introduced it to a group of students who looked around curiously. “You can go in and have a look, but don’t touch anything. Although you are students, and you can visit, but if you break something here, you will have to provide compensation according to the law.”
Obviously, these words wouldn’t scare the students who were spoiled by their families since they were young, so they scattered to look around.
This place was directly enclosed as a protected scenic spot, and there were cameras and protection personnel standing guard everywhere. Therefore, the female teacher wasn’t afraid that these students would run away or go missing, and she also walked in. Some students would ask questions, and she would answer them.
There were twins among these students. Because they were the same age, the pair of brother and sister often fought. The two have the same vision, and as soon as the teacher said they were free to move around, they immediately went towards the grapevine with the same goal in mind.
“The Tianqi Emperor is quite good at living. There’s even a grape trellis. He was the Emperor at the time, but he still cultivated his own land!”
After listening to her brother’s silly words, the sister turned her eyes, “How is that possible? Didn’t the teacher say that he took servants with him wherever he went? It’s said that this place was a small village before, and the people here were simple and kind. Emperor Tianqi felt comfortable living here, so he lived here for a long time and was a teacher for 2 years.”
“I know. The TV drama showed that he was a good teacher at that time. Furthermore, there was a corrupt official in the local area who actually increased the tax, causing the people to suffer. There was also the magistrate who came to the village to arrest people and angered Emperor Tianqi. He showed his identity on the spot and directly took people to the corrupt official’s house and beheaded him!”
“This also alarmed Emperor Huian. It happened to be close to the imperial city, so he personally came to his father to invite him back. I think Emperor Tianqi must be particularly fierce. Otherwise, why would Emperor Huian still be so afraid of him? “
When he said this, his sister immediately became unhappy, “Don’t say that about Emperor Tianqi! He’s nice! In those days, if he hadn’t ordered women to go to school, and left a will to improve women’s status, how could girls in our country live so comfortably? I heard that when Emperor Tianqi ascended the throne, women still had to obey three laws and four virtues, and there were just noble ladies who only went out once in their lifetime, or were carried out in a sedan chair when they got married, and were simply imprisoned all their lives.”
As soon as the brother heard it, he knew that his sister had been stimulated again. He quickly surrendered and raised his hand, “Okay, okay, I won’t talk about it. I think you have been praising Emperor Tianqi every day since you came back from your trip to V country. How miserable are the girls in V country, making you dwell on it so much?”
The sister deflated, “They always preferred sons over daughters since ancient times. It’s already the modern era, but they still couldn’t get rid of that kind of culture. The last time I went on a trip, I wore a short skirt and short pants underneath, but I was scolded by an old woman, pointing at my nose for being shameless. Bah! I wear short skirts because they look good. Whoever thinks like her, is dirty-minded, thinking that women want to seduce men when they wear short skirts. If it weren’t for the fact that I can’t speak V very well, I would have fought with her all day…”
“Just because of a short skirt ah…”
The brother was a bit confused, “You know, they are a little conservative there. Each country has their own customs. Just don’t play there next time.”
The sister thought about it carefully and gave an example. “Let me put it to you this way. If I got married and then my husband slept with another woman outside, but he thought it was just a one-night stand and wasn’t going to continue with that woman. Should I care?”
“Of course, you should!” The brother imagined it and almost yelled his lungs out. “Sleeping together is sleeping together! You can sue him in this case! As long as it’ s confirmed that the partner is consciously cheating, the minimum sentence is 3 years!”
The sister pouted again, “I met a good sister in country V, who is very beautiful and gentle and kind. She caught her husband cheating. Yet, everyone around her advised her that since her husband vowed to not do it next time she shouldn’t hold on to it, or else be careful of losing both money and the person, or something…”
“Bah!” She sneered, “The guy was a soft rice man, and his salary was so small. Even the family still depends on the sister’s salary for support. She pays the mortgage, the car loan, and she pays for food for both parents. In the end, the man is like that. He thought that the sister was too busy at work and found a mistress. If this was in our country, the court would settle the bill, and he would have to stay in jail for 5 years.”
The brother was speechless. Apparently, there were no such laws there. Since their aunt lives there, he often travels to country V to meet his good brothers there, and they would play games together. Every time he talks about it, they felt that men in China were miserable, but he didn’t feel miserable at all.
China has always been for the equality of men and women, especially in marriage, and both sides have the protection of rights and interests. It doesn’t mean that men would break a law if they cheat, and women weren’t treated the same. Since they decided to get married, they have to live together all the time. Why do they have to find a mistress? Even if your feelings break down, couldn’t you divorce? Anyway, the court ruling on divorce will be based on the spending and earnings of both sides to figure out the division of property, and no one would lose. When they get divorced, they can return to a single life if they want to.
Thinking about it this way, the existence of Emperor Tianqi was indeed a good thing for girls. After all, it was clearly written in the history books. Before Emperor Tianqi ascended the throne, the status of women in China was very low. Imagining his sister being locked in the house for the rest of her life and not allowed to go out, the brother winced.
“You’re right, Emperor Tianqi was a good man.”
At least, he stabilized the then turbulent China and left many decrees. The obedient children and grandchildren followed each one of them and then were rewarded in World War II.
In the end, Emperor Tianqi was really a kind emperor, as written in the history books.
Side Story:
Lin Daniang knew from her childhood that her father was the most favored son of the Lins. In her grandpa’s words, he was very promising and filial; in her mother’s words, he was tall and mighty; in her uncle’s and aunt’s words, he knew a lot about having a grand future.
Therefore, although her grandfather didn’t love her very much as a granddaughter, Lin Daniang was very confident in bringing her younger siblings to play together. Her father was the best father. When her father comes back, she would be the happiest child in the world.
Lin Daniang would never forget that day.
Her father really came back, but he came back to sever ties with the whole Lin family, including them mother and daughter. She was so stunned at that time. She could only stand still and watch the man on the horse leave without looking back. Mother’s sobs rang in her ears, surrounded by angry and livid relatives. Lin Daniang was young, but she was sensible from an early age. She understood what her father had just said.
Father is not Grandpa’s own child, and he divorced her Mother.
Before that, Lin Daniang had a little friend who was in the same situation as himself. He was a boy. Although his father died young, he was cared for until his grandfather found out that his father was born from an affair his grandmother had. The grandson, who he had loved for so many years, wasn’t his own grandson. His grandfather took a broom to drive people out. He thought that he had raised other people’s flesh and blood for so many years in vain. How could they give it back? They could only stay and work. That boy’s status plummeted. He once mentioned that his grandpa wanted to send him to study, but after his identity came out, he had to work every day. He didn’t have enough to eat, and soon, he looked emaciated.
Then one day, Lin Daniang never saw the boy again.
After overhearing the villagers chatting, she realized that the boy was driven out of the house at night because he didn’t do a good job. He was cold and hungry, and the next day he was found to have frozen to death. At that time, there was chaos everywhere, people only cared about sweeping the snow in front of the door, and no one thought that his grandfather had done something wrong. At best, he sighed that he had been lied to half his life before he discovered it. It was also because of this knowledge that Lin Daniang was a little more understanding than children of her age.
But, she never thought that she would be in the same situation.
Lin Daniang cried when she was dragged by her mother to kowtow to her grandfather. No matter how intelligent she was, in the end, she was still a child. Now, with such a sudden change, her mind was blank. She could only follow an adult’s instruction and actions.
Grandpa told her that her father was dead. Lin Daniang kept this sentence firmly in mind.
Grandma still loves her as before, only holding her and crying, saying that her life was bitter. Not one of her uncles or aunts said they would drive her away. Instead, they all went to the streets and bought delicious food for her after Grandpa gave her some silver.
Lin Daniang knew that her grandmother, her aunts and uncles were good to her and her mother, and only Grandpa, who didn’t like them before, wanted to drive them away before. Now, although he promised to let her stay, Lin Daniang was still uneasy in her heart, fearing that one day she would anger grandpa and be driven away. She was no longer thinking about playing with her younger brothers and sisters, but doing her work obediently. She always tried to eat less when it was time to eat, thinking that, if she ate less her grandpa won’t kick her and her mother out.