Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 958

Chapter 958: Chapter 954: Unparalleled Meritorious Deeds

Xiao Rongyan gazed calmly and deeply at Bai Qingyan and spoke genuinely: "Allowing women to study, take the imperial exams, and serve as officials... this must be done! But not now, and certainly not by you as the emperor of a nation! Your goal is to unify the world, and at this time the greatest caution must be taken to avoid internal instability. Should the Zhou be thrown into chaos and disintegration over this matter, it will lose the opportunity to compete for dominance with the Yan Kingdom."

Logically, Xiao Rongyan, as the Ninth Prince of Yan, shouldn’t be saying such words to Bai Qingyan, yet he did.

His mother, Empress Ji, was a lifelong pain in Xiao Rongyan’s heart, so he too wished to allow women to study, take exams, and hold office, but the resistance was enormous...

Thus he chose to wait until after the unification of the world and national stability to observe and analyze before acting.

After all, once this matter is done, it will surely cause a national uproar.

Xiao Rongyan adjusted his posture: "In my view, at least the Zhou currently does not have the conditions to do this!"

Even the Yan Kingdom possesses such conditions more so than the Zhou, for now, A Yan, who ascended to the throne of Emperor Yan, cannot directly rule, waiting for the unification of the world where he, as the Regent Prince, can issue such decrees, and once implemented, allow Ah Li to handle him, his own uncle, with ruthless measures, claiming sorrow in his heart and staying away from the court, avoiding ministers pressuring him to retract the edge of allowing women to study, take exams, and hold office.

Once he, the scapegoat, "dies," the ministers will surely not push Ah Li too hard anymore.

Then, drag it out until everything has become settled, until citizens and officials are accustomed, Ah Li will inform the world... that the matter of allowing women to study, take exams, and serve as officials is feasible, without overly stirring backlash.

This... is what Xiao Rongyan considers the most prudent method.

Xiao Rongyan looked at Bai Qingyan’s weary bloodshot eyes, saw the dark circles beneath them, and felt a surge of emotions: "Enacting new policies, elevating women’s status, and also waging war on Xiliang... each is a major affair, Kid, you’re pushing yourself too hard."

Bai Qingyan knew Xiao Rongyan was concerned for her, a faint smile on her lips: "I’ve considered everything you said, Commandant Lu and others have also advised me, but I still want to do this. I never thought that this law, upon promulgation, would immediately elevate women’s status, just as you said... changing the traditional male public, female domestic roles, and altering centuries-old beliefs that daughters marry out and become someone else’s woman, requires time! But... someone must first propose, relying on a strong law to force change!"

"Many new policies initially face strong opposition, but if one endures, over time more people will comply. However, if one retreats upon being opposed, any future proposals of this policy will face even harsher opposition! Because people will know opposition works!" Bai Qingyan smiled gently at Xiao Rongyan, "And if this matter succeeds, the talents of the Zhou... will no longer be limited by gender, obtaining all kinds of talents will surely surpass Yan Kingdom’s!"

Bai Qingyan dares to dream, and also dares to act.

All beneficial paths progress with time.

She has made up her mind to allow women to take exams and serve as officials, and she will surely not retreat.

Xiao Rongyan could only say: "If because of this matter, the Zhou falls apart and Yan reigns supreme... Kid, do you not regret it?"

The unification of the two nations is not merely an affair between him and Bai Qingyan, or even between the Murong family and Bai family, but a major matter between Yan Kingdom and Zhou.

Even if he understands Bai Qingyan does not wish to see the loss of lives and pointless sacrifices of soldiers... merely for territorial disputes from their mutual ambition of world unification by their powerful nations, hence seeking this contest method to determine victor, he dares not agree.

He is indeed the Ninth Prince of Yan, yet Yan is not solely his Murong family’s nation, but the nation of Yan citizens.

The greatest difference between the Yan Kingdom and the Zhou is, Yan’s Murong family has ruled Yan for generations... their descendants are born knowing they are masters of Yan, learning and mastering the arts of governing people and nation, they are innately born to rule Yan.

Yan’s accomplishment of the unification grand task is for the people... but more for establishing achievements that will be remembered forever, allowing the Murong family name to remain permanently in history.

Whereas the newly established Zhou, with Bai Qingyan as the first Emperor, was born into the Bai family, a lineage of ministers, taught from childhood under the knees of the King of Zhen to take unifying the world as their mission indeed, but as a minister, the Bai family’s ambition learned since childhood... is to protect the rivers and mountains, return peace and prosperity to the people, received guidance is to protect and support the people.

Perhaps Bai Qingyan initially aimed to ascend the supreme throne due to personal motives, wanting to announce to the four seas... allowing the Bai family sons from the Xuanjia period’s Southern Border battle to come home, to avenge the corrupt Jin Kingdom’s Imperial Court and Family.

Yet later, she also rebelled for the sake of the people, sincerely investing in how to govern the nation, studying various philosophies, reading "Shangzi," reading history...