Crossing the East Palace

"...what the people want and what the people want are not important to the crown prince?"

Seeing Tang Luojin being aggressive at such a young age, Ning Junchi couldn't sit still and wanted to stand up, but Emperor Tianyuan took a look.

Ning Junchi froze and stopped.

Tang Luojin was not intimidated.

Although he was young and small in stature, he was not intimidating, and he was not at all intimidated by the other party's sneaky change of concept.

"What do the people want?" Tang Luojin said, "Guan Zi said, 'Those who eat and drink, those who enjoy themselves are also what the people want. Surplus food; second, peace in the world, brocade clothes and purses walking on the street, no one dares to snatch them; third, family health and safety, parents healthy, innocent and happy children. Dare to ask a few adults, what kind of life do the people want to live? One, is to make his mother, daughter and wife suffer from the pain of broken bones and bound feet?"

When Tang Luojin said this, some people who were taken away by the words of Han Junma and others suddenly realized, yes, think about it, what the people want is to live a peaceful life with enough food and clothing Nuan, is the family happy?Where did it come from that it is the people's wish to let women's feet be bound?After figuring it out, Judu looked at Han Junma and the others with an unkind expression.

Ma Qiang of Hanjun defended himself and said: "I have a petition from thousands of people here. The petition will never be fake. How can the crown prince explain this?"

King An heard that Han Junma was so unsatisfactory, and the prince forced him to lose his composure after a few words, and closed his eyes slightly, just pretending that he was out of sight and out of mind.

Tang Luojin directly recruited the master of Yizhou: "The petition of thousands of people came from Yizhou. Let me ask you, why did the people of Yizhou issue this petition? Among the people of Yizhou, there really are such Many men can read and write, and can write petitions for their wives and daughters at home? Are their wives and daughters really willing to be written by their men in this way? Did Han Junma give these petition writers benefits or promises?"

Han Junma's eyes flickered slightly, and he became visibly irritable.

The master of Yizhou knew about this incident a long time ago. It was a fight between gods and mortals.Poor people in Yizhou didn't know anything, so they were pushed above the court.

The master of Yizhou calmed down, bowed and replied: "His Royal Highness, this petition is indeed from Yizhou. Footbound women in Yizhou account for more than half of the total number of women. Whether they are men or women, most of them They all agree with foot binding. Although foot binding will make women suffer from broken bones and foot binding, but in Yizhou, only girls with small feet after foot binding can marry a better man. Therefore, Han Junma’s petition will be It's no surprise that some people agree."

"As for the scholars in Yizhou..." The chief secretary of Yizhou hesitated for a moment, not wanting to participate in the court dispute, so he hesitated and said, "The number of scholars in Yizhou should be less than a thousand. Han County Ma found those men who were willing to write petitions, and he probably found ghostwriters, which makes sense. Hanjun Ma is an upright person, and when he called the people to write petitions, he did not give any money or promises to the people who wrote the petitions. "

Jun Ma of Han breathed a sigh of relief, and said proudly: "Look, prince, with the witness of Yizhou master, this minister is just and honest, and has not committed any scandal of bribing people! How can I do such things even if I don't care about them?" ?”

Tang Luojin didn't even look at him, but only stared at Yizhou's master book and said, "Before Han Junma wrote the petition, he never gave a promise or money. So, what happened after that? After the petition was written, did Han Junma Has it benefited those people? Did those people who wrote the petition suddenly have extra money in their families? As the governor of Yizhou, you should always be aware of the slightest bit, and you are not in the court, in front of your father, and honestly say the truth?"

After Tang Luojin spoke, his voice immediately rose, and the entire Zichen Palace was filled with his voice.

The master of Yizhou was shocked, and before he could think of a suitable reason to evade, his knees bent uncontrollably, and he knelt on the main hall.

The master of Yizhou has a bad heart, and after hearing the prince's confident words, he knew that the little prince knew everything, and he just pulled him over to nod to testify.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and finally he kowtowed and said: "What I said is true. If your majesty and His Highness don't believe it, you can go to Yizhou to inquire. If I make a false statement, you will be struck by lightning! Just Wei Now that I am getting older, I only feel that my memory is not as good as before. If His Royal Highness hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten that the people of Yizhou who wrote the petition did indeed have a much better family afterwards. If my guess is correct... ...Han Junma should have pity for the common people, so he donated some silver taels."

Hanjun Ma was frozen in place, opened his mouth to explain, but couldn't speak.

Marquis Anyang stood up and went out, saying: "I originally thought that Han Junma was young and promising, so he dared to directly refute what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said about the foot-bound women as 'unfilial, loyal and unkind'. However, what happened today See, not to mention filial piety and unfilial piety, the number of children born to women with bound feet is indeed more than that of women with natural feet, but the number of children who can actually survive is not as good as that of women with natural feet. It can be seen that women with natural feet are healthy and give birth to more children It can be supported. When it comes to kindness and unkindness, it is obvious that His Royal Highness is correct. A woman with bound feet is indeed unkind to her children.

Besides infidelity, women with bound feet are weak, although they can farm, but the feet of bound women are already deformed, and the feet of adult women are only the size of palms. Small?Even if they could, girls with little feet couldn't do enough compared to girls with Tianzu. Obviously, girls with little feet were not as loyal as girls with Tianzu to the imperial court, and they could contribute more to Datang. "

Prime Minister Li also stood up: "I thought before that if women with small feet can really give birth to more healthy offspring, then any unfilial and unkind things can be put aside for the time being and ignored. Population is the most important aspect.

However, from what I saw today, it was clear that the report of Han Junma was wrong, and the woman with small feet could not bring healthy heirs to Datang.They can neither bring healthy offspring, nor contribute less to the court than women with full feet, and it is even more difficult to take care of the field work and serve their parents-in-law and children well. Then, these little-footed women are only for the reason of "pleasing their husbands". What's the use of coming?The Holy One loves the common people, so how can he watch countless women make himself as if he is disabled, unable to even walk normally?It can be seen that footbinding must be banned among the people, so that my Taitang will become richer and more populous in the future. "

Everyone saw that the "evidence" presented by Han Junma was refuted one by one. The crown prince had made preparations early on. Although Emperor Tianyuan was fair on the surface, he supported the crown prince inwardly. He sighed in his heart, thinking of what Prime Minister Li said, They felt that it was not a big deal for ordinary women not to bind their feet, so they all stood up one by one and agreed.

Emperor Tianyuan finally showed a smile on his face.

Tang Luojin was still not satisfied.

What the courtiers said was to prohibit the footbinding of female family members of ordinary people, and the methods used were simple, such as footbinding tax and regular inspections, tax evasion and tax evasion, double taxation.

So among the common people, the matter of foot binding may be alleviated.

Tang Luojin wanted more than that.

"Being effective from top to bottom, ordinary people will also like things that high-ranking officials and nobles like. Once high-ranking officials and nobles seek good girls who are all women with bound feet, then the news will also spread among the common people. The common people will also feel that, Marrying a wife should marry a girl with small feet. Marrying a girl with small feet is a beautiful thing in the world. This will not only look down on women with natural feet, and make the people's families unhappy, but also there will be bold people among the people who secretly bind small feet, etc., so toss, For Yu Datang, what good is it? I have seen the three-inch golden lotus alone, it is ugly and disgusting, and it is not half beautiful, so if all these things are banned, so what?"

Many courtiers who especially liked the "Three Inch Golden Lotus": "..." Your Highness, you are still too young, okay?How does His Highness understand the beauty of the golden lotus now?

"It's not urgent." Prime Minister Li said implicitly, "Nowadays, in the homes of high-ranking officials and dignitaries, almost every household has a few concubines with concubines or even regular wives and concubines. Feeling resentful. Besides, since the foot-binding tax has been collected, and such things are regarded as exclusive to high-ranking officials, as time goes by, the common people will naturally know not to bind their feet."

As soon as Prime Minister Li's words fell, others echoed: "What Prime Minister Li said is very true. Although it is effective, the people should follow the orders of the imperial court. His Royal Highness, there is no need to worry about footbinding. It is popular among the people again. "

But Tang Luojin shook his head and said: "If I can't help it today, I'm afraid I can't help it in the future." Then he said to Emperor Tianyuan, "Father?"

Emperor Tianyuan nodded slightly, and glanced at Xu Youwei. Xu Youwei left the hall with small steps, and soon turned back, holding a golden empty parrot stand in his hand.

Emperor Tianyuan put the parrot stand on the table and asked: "Everyone loves you, but there is also such a parrot stand at home. There is water and food on the parrot stand, but why is there no parrot?"

All the people in the hall, some who didn't react, naturally bit the bullet and bowed to say yes.

Those who reacted finally understood the reason why Emperor Tianyuan placed an empty parrot stand under the corridor.

——It's not for any special reason, it's not that the empty parrot stand has any special benefits, but Emperor Tianyuan wants everyone to understand that the words "upper and lower effect" are beyond their control.

It is in nature for the inferiors to try their best to imitate the superiors in order to please the superiors.

If the matter of foot binding is only banned among the common people and ignored among the dignitaries, then sooner or later, the ban will no longer be a ban.In order to marry a more desirable "little-legged girl" like a high-ranking official, the common people will inevitably bind their feet secretly in private.

If this wind is banned, it must be from top to bottom, and everyone should be banned.

Of course, whether it was Emperor Tianyuan or Tang Luojin, they naturally knew that this matter must be banned, but they couldn't be banned completely.

Therefore, after the foot-binding tax was imposed, another article was added to the household marriage law. From the 15th year of Tianyuan, all women with bound feet shall not be wives or concubines. One hundred, three thousand miles.

Those who let go are not included in this list.

Many officials' faces were stiff.

You must know that the foot-binding problem does not happen in a day or two. They also have wives, mothers and daughters with little feet in their family.The previous foot-binding tax may be useful to ordinary people, but it is nothing to them, but now that this household marriage law comes out, other things will be fine. Their daughter's feet must be released.

Otherwise, not only the wife can't do it, but the concubine can't do it too, and can only be reduced to the like of Tongfang. Who can bear such things?

Those ministers who especially like small feet feel relieved, it is nothing to them if their wives and daughters do not bind their feet.There are still those divas around, aren't they?Diva, but she can neither be regarded as a wife nor a concubine.

As soon as the new laws of foot-binding tax and household marriage law came out, Datang was in an uproar.Those people who wanted to bind their feet, they heard that foot-bound women are not even qualified to be concubines, what else do they think?Immediately let the daughter in the family let go, and only wait for a year or two before marrying her.

Although there are some women who happen to be of the right age, they don't need to let go of their feet when they get married this year. The family hastily married people for gift money, but they are a minority after all.

Tang Luojin is not a god, and she can't control so many people.He can only do his best and do what he can do.

Of course, as the edict prohibiting footbinding spread throughout the country, there was also the name of the prince.

The common people have heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is extremely opposed to women's foot binding, and even fought against the officials in the court for this, and he was so heroic. Someone deliberately asked the storyteller to explain the whole story of the prohibition of foot binding. Although most of the people did not understand the deep meaning, they felt that this It is very likely that His Royal Highness is the reincarnation of Emperor Wu, indeed, he is worthy of being a prince.

When the first prince heard this, he only felt resentful.

"It's the Jiang family." The Eldest Prince's face was uncertain, "It must be the Jiang family who are behind him to help him."

It should be Tang Luojin who tried every means to abolish the foot-binding wind, but the things after that, such as the stories told by those storytellers, such as those literati who took the lead in saying good things for the prince, etc., must be the work of the Jiang family for Tang Luo. Jin operated one by one, so that Tang Luojin's reputation did not drop at all, but even increased a bit.

Concubine Xiang naturally knew the reason for this, and while sighing in her heart, she only hated her natal Prime Minister Li's family, why they refused to help her eldest prince.

"Wait a little longer." Concubine Xiang had no choice but to say, "Although the Li family is unwilling to marry your cousin to you, you can choose from other families. For example, the family of the left and right guards..."

The eldest prince slapped his hands twice in the air as if venting, and said: "What is he? A person who has just risen from a poor family, mother concubine, how can you promise me his daughter? Even if it is a side concubine, In my mansion, there will be no such people in the future!"

Concubine Xiang was stunned, and persuaded: "My son was wrong. Although his family was born in a poor family, the Holy Majesty valued this general very much. Although the mother and concubine are female, I can roughly guess that the Holy Majesty actually wanted to let him go. The general went to the border to earn military merits. In this way, wouldn’t my son have military power in his hands?”

Since the military power is the most important thing, the poor concubine Xiang took great pains to choose a general who could barely compete with the Ning family.

However, the eldest prince didn't appreciate it: "Even so, how can a person with a mud-legged background be my father-in-law? If my mother and concubine insist on marrying his daughter, then his daughter can only be my son's side concubine!"

The first prince thought that after Tang Luojin, there were both the Ning family holding the military power and the Jiang family of the aristocratic family, so angry, he held back his anger and bowed to the noble concubine Xiang, and then strode away.

Concubine Xiang suddenly had a headache.

That's all for nothing, the general is from the second-rank official position, and has only one daughter under his knees, or a daughter from the first line, how can he be a concubine?Even if it is to marry into the royal family, I am afraid that the general who protects his weaknesses will not agree.

Like the eldest prince, there was also the queen of Qingning Palace who was filled with anger.

After the queen heard the news that the prince's reputation was more prosperous than before, she only hated herself for being hesitant and confused.

If she hadn't hesitated at that time, and directly prevented Tang Luojin from marrying the Jiang family in the name of her mother, how could Tang Luojin be taken advantage of in vain?

"Jiang's family..." The queen's eyes were cold, "They thought that if they supported him, he would definitely be able to sit in that position? I always have a way to make him lose everything he has gained now!"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Yuehou had no choice but to put the incident and the news of Ning Junchi's participation back into her stomach.

Ning Junchi didn't know the truth of this, and it was normal for him to help his sister's son; but Huan'er hated Tang Luojin so much, and it was inevitable that he would blame others.So, she needn't talk about it.

"It's not urgent." Mrs. Yuehou said calmly, "Huan'er is calm and calm. The most important thing for you now is to get your body in order and give birth to a son soon. When you have your own son, what are you going to do now? Prince, why do you need me to do it?"

The queen was taken aback.

Mrs. Yuehou was also confused by the queen before, and she didn't turn her head around. This time I went home and thought about it for a few days before I figured it out: "When you give birth to a son, you will have the real blood of the Ning family. If you and I tell my father about the matter directly, how can my father not help his grandson? When the time comes, the third and fourth brothers will grow up, and they can help us get rid of Tang Luojin. Our family should work together to get rid of Tang Luojin. A Tang Luojin, isn't it an extremely simple matter?"

When the time comes, once Tang Luojin dies, only the queen's legitimate son will be left alive.The Ning family has been loyal for several generations, as long as Emperor Tianyuan is not confused, he will appoint the queen's son as the reserve.

Of course, the premise is that the queen can give birth to this son early.And before this son grows up, Emperor Tianyuan still has time to live well.

Otherwise, the son was born too late... Mrs. Yue Hou didn't know if their father would still be willing to help.

How can a child in a vertical bun be able to sit on the throne?

The queen must give birth to this son, and give birth soon.

The queen also understood this matter in her heart, but, "I used to refuse to believe the words of Master Zhishan. But since I gave birth to the sixth princess and the seventh princess..." The queen thought of the two young daughters who died young, and felt a dull pain in her heart. "I felt that my next child would definitely be a princess. And my last son should be 35 years old."

Mrs. Yue Hou had no choice but to persuade: "Even so, you have to conceive the child first, and then give birth to the child. There is also the old doctor. I brought him here today. Huan'er, you, do you want him?" Diagnose and treat you?"

Of course the queen wants it.

In the past, no one reminded her that the empress only thought that she was grieved because of the loss of two daughters in a row, so she changed her temper. Now when the elder sister reminded her, the empress also found out that something was wrong.

After all, imperial physicians work in the palace all the year round, so it is not as good as the old doctors who walk around outside and see as many strange things.What the imperial physician could not find out, perhaps the old doctor could.

The old doctor has white beard and hair, and he had heard about the queen's "disease" before he came.

Originally, he thought that the empress had lost her two daughters in a row, was depressed, had a "heart disease", and had nowhere to vent her anger, so she even changed her temper.

Now I have checked the empress's pulse and looked at its color. The old doctor is old but has a keen sense of smell. He suddenly said: "Dare to ask the empress, what kind of fragrance is it smelling here?"

The queen said: "It's a strange fragrance for tribute, and I don't often use it in this palace. What's wrong with that?"

The old doctor sniffed carefully for a while, and then said: "That's true. The queen once lost two daughters in a row. Under the great joy and sorrow, her character was damaged. I smoked the mixed sandalwood again after a while. Fortunately, the queen I don’t use it much, so I’m just like an ordinary person, only my temper becomes more irritable and I can’t think quietly.”

Mrs. Yue Hou said: "What is mixed with this incense? If it is smoked every day, what will happen?"

"If you smoke it day and night, one day, your mind will be completely confused, you will not be able to control your temper, and you will get angry everywhere like a crazy woman."

The queen's eyes were stunned, and she almost knocked down the teacup.

Changle Palace.

Princess Ningyang brought her little granddaughter to visit the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.

After Tang Luojin heard about it, she decisively skipped class and came over.

Princess Ningyang looked at the appearance of the two children feeding the fish together by the pool, and she was both happy and worried: "What should I do? I just feel happy when I see their mutual understanding. But again Thinking about the fact that His Royal Highness skipped class, I feel like a cat in my heart, I don't know what to do."

The Empress Dowager looked at the two children, and smiled lovingly: "What is Ning Yang afraid of? Xiao Qi has always been smart, and he skipped class for a day or two. He can skip class and come to see Han Yi, it is obvious that Han Yi Yi took it to heart. What's wrong with being such a childhood sweetheart?"

Princess Ningyang was happy in her heart, but she still said on the face: "I just don't know what the two children have to say."

Tang Luojin and Jiang Hanyi were feeding the fish.

Jiang Hanyi was three years older than Tang Luojin, so she was a whole head taller than Tang Luojin.

Tang Luojin: "..." His face became more and more like an ice cube.

Jiang Hanyi smiled slightly, her eyebrows and eyes curved.

Between the two, Jiang Hanyi was almost the one talking, talking about her boudoir anecdotes, about riding a horse and learning how to play polo, and at the end she asked Tang Luojin if she wasn't chaste enough?

After hearing this, Tang Luojin said with a blank expression: "My cousin likes it, so I'll study hard. I happened to get a docile pony, and I'll have someone take it to the princess mansion and give it to my cousin to play with. There's also polo, if Someone told me that my cousin participated in the game, but I have never seen my cousin playing polo."

When Jiang Hanyi heard this, she smiled so much that her eyes looked like crescent moons.

The Changle Palace is full of harmony and joy.

During lunch, a little eunuch hurried over and whispered beside the empress dowager.

The Empress Dowager's complexion suddenly changed.

"The eldest prince is confused! How can a daughter of the Li family be a concubine for losing her virtue and chastity?"