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Chu Qingzhi asked Qin Yuming, “Did you record all the terms I just mentioned?”

Qin Yuming nodded, “Yes, all have been recorded.”

He handed the paper to Chu Qingzhi.

After carefully reviewing the terms, Chu Qingzhi passed them to Xia Zongxian, “Announce that from now on, the relationship between husband and wife will be governed by this ‘Marriage Law’. It can be flexibly applied based on the actual situation. If there are circumstances not covered by the regulations, add them as needed to strive for perfection.”

Xia Zongxian took the paper and responded, “Yes.”

Chu Qingzhi then turned to Xu Fuzhu, who had reverted to her original name,

Xu Fengzhu, after the divorce, “Do you have any money?”

Xu Fengzhu took out her purse, which contained three taels of silver, “This is the money I’ve saved over the years. It was originally intended for saving my child, but I never expected the child could not be saved.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, and it took her a while to calm down. Everyone respected her space, understanding the feelings of a mother who had just lost her child.

With a hoarse voice, Xu Fengzhu asked, “How much is the consultation fee? I’ll pay the fee and use the rest of the money to rent a room in the village for temporary accommodation.”

“The consultation fee is five qian of silver,” Chu Qingning said, then kindly asked, “Aren’t you going to take backyour clothes?”

Xu Fengzhu shook her head, still terrified, “I dare not go back.

Chu Qingzhi said, “I’ll have someone fetch them for you and deliver them directly to your home. You go and settle down first.”

Kneeling before Chu Qingzhi, Xu Fengzhu kowtowed, “Miss Chu, thank you.

Without you, I’m afraid death would be the only escape from that hell.”

Chu Qingzhi helped her up, “Take care of yourself. Let’s not dwell on the past.”

Nodding, Xu Fengzhu agreed, “Yes.”

With the help of kind people, Xu Fengzhu started a new life in Chu village.

After the “Marriage Law” was announced, it immediately caused a stir in the fief.

A group of women gathered together.

“Fortunately, our feudal lord is a woman. Otherwise, who would stand up for us like this?”

“Now getting married won’t be as scary. Men won’t dare to hit us easily.

“Exactly, women always suffer. We can’t fight back or talk back; otherwise, we’d be divorced without a way out. Now, we have someone to stand up for us.”

A group of men also gathered.

“What is our feudal lord thinking? Allowing women to divorce so easily, what if they want to leave over every little dissatisfaction? This is not conducive to family stability.”

“Indeed, women are supposed to serve men and the household. Now that the feudal lord backs them up, will they still serve us men obediently?”

“With these rules, women will surely become more unruly.”

The fief was buzzing with discussions. People coming to Chu Qingzhi’s fief for business increased, and soon the “Marriage Law” spread across several counties and even reached the capital, as well as nearby cities like Wancheng.

Opinions were polarized.

Women, naturally, were very supportive since it prevented them from being wronged, but no woman wanted to divorce.

Most men opposed it, though a few rational men viewed the issue objectively.

Yunfei School.

Beside a lake, the sound of a Guqin melody drifted gently, pleasing to the ear.

After finishing a piece, Fang Mingyi looked over the tranquil lake surface, then turned to Xu Guannan, “Brother Guannan, what do you think of Miss Chu’s ‘Marriage Law’?”

After pondering for a moment, Xu Guannan said, “It’s very good.

“Very good?” Fang Mingyi raised his voice slightly, disagreeing, “Don’t you think it’s too harsh on men and too lenient on women?”

Xu Guannan countered, “Then what do you think it should be like?

Fang Mingyi said, “After a woman marries a man, she becomes his private property. How can they dictate their own destiny? Only if the man no longer wishes to continue the marriage and initiates the divorce. Conversely, it’s not permissible.”

Xu Guannan didn’t voice his own opinion but continued to question, “In your eyes, what is your wife to you?”

Fang Mingyi couldn’t answer that question. If considered as property, then it would justify their statement. If considered as a person, no one would want to be the kind of woman he described!

After a while, Xu Guannan lowered his head and resumed playing the Guqin, his lips curling into a slight smile.

People haven’t realized that men who treat their wives better have more harmonious families, and such men tend to have smoother and further careers.

Conversely, those who suppress their wives never end well.

The Palace.

After seeing Chu Qingzhi’s “Marriage Law,” the Emperor frowned slightly and took the paper to the Empress, “Empress, take a look.”

The Empress, puzzled, set aside the letter from the Phoenix Guard… The letter also mentioned Chu Qingzhi’s “Marriage Law,” then took the Emperor’s paper and read carefully.

At the first sentence, the Empress couldn’t help but laugh, finding it a coincidence.

Seeing the Empress laugh, the Emperor disapproved, “Do you think Chu Qingzhi’s ‘Marriage Law’ is good?”

The Empress reined in her smile and countered, “Does Your Majesty think it s not good?”

The Emperor huffed, “With such regulations, I doubt any household will find peace.”

The Empress ignored the Emperor’s displeasure, feeling that Chu Qingzhi’s “Marriage Law” was truly beneficial for women. But since the world undervalues women, strong opposition was expected.

“Men think wives are unimportant, right? How does the tranquility of a household concern women?”

The Emperor frowned, “Empress, are those words fitting for you to say?”

The Empress furrowed her brows, “Since Your Majesty doesn’t want to hear my opinion, why ask? But I still want to speak my mind. As the Empress, I might not openly support Chu Qingzhi’s views, but as a wife, I truly appreciate them.” Fortunately, the Emperor was not one to ignore advice. After hearing the Empress’s words, he pondered seriously and gradually relaxed.

He understood the Empress’s perspective.

“I see your point.”

He took the Empress’s hand, “Although we can’t implement Chu Qingzhi’s ‘Marriage Law,¹1 promise, during my reign, to do my best to improve the status of women, to protect them from such oppression.”

The Empress smiled, not holding any grudges, “Your Majesty, Chu Qingzhi’s ■Marriage Law’ aims to make the relationship between husbands and wives more equal, which is not bad at all. It’s just that, in the current society where men dominate, such a law is bound to face opposition.”

“Having understood you, perhaps we could visit Chu Qingzhi’s fief someday. Her thoughts are so progressive; she must manage her territory well, and the scenery must also be beautiful.”

The Emperor, after a moment’s silence, said, “I will arrange it as soon as possible.”