"My wife listens to me! She's a person of the Chen Family in life and will be a ghost of the Chen Family in death. Of course, all the money she earns belongs to my Chen Family!"
A tall, muscular man with dark skin, still holding a blacksmith's hammer in his hand, his arm as thick as a bowl, pulled his young wife who dared not make a sound and trembled in fear. He glared at Aunt Pei.
"So what if she's a concubine from the palace? Even if the honorable magistrate came, he couldn't interfere in our private family matters!"
"Husband, I'll give you the wages when I get them, please don't be angry. Let's go home," the timid wife pleaded, on the verge of tears.
At the entrance of the sewing courtyard, there were already many women - wives, mothers-in-law, and young girls - who wanted to sign up, as well as men watching the commotion.
She was being dragged and scolded by her husband, unable to lift her head, just wanting to escape.
"You'll give it to me later?" The blacksmith clenched his fist. "You wench, you've got the idea of hiding money for yourself. Who knows if you'll secretly stash some away, and how much!"
"I'm the only one who can collect the money when it's paid!" The man glared at Aunt Pei, threatening with his fist.
Aunt Pei was so angry she was panting. "Chen Dazhu, you're really something, coveting even a woman's hard-earned money..."
"Ask my wife," Chen Dazhu glared, dragging his timid wife in front of him. "Does she dare? Isn't she afraid I'll beat her?"
As he spoke, his fist turned into an open palm, about to slap the woman's face.
The Ji sisters watched, almost trembling.
Is this what married life is like for women?
Parents' orders, matchmakers' words.
When a woman is told to marry, she has no choice but to obey.
But after marriage, who will guarantee their married life?
If they are beaten and scolded at will, with no autonomy, losing both their person and property, will their parents and brothers come to their rescue?
Where is the responsibility of the matchmaker's words?
The Ji sisters felt anxious and uneasy.
"What? Jing Country is like this too! I thought it would be different..." Yuan, the maid, turned pale.
"Chen Dazhu, if you dare hit her, I'll report you to the authorities right now!" Aunt Pei and two other sewing aunts rushed forward.
"Go ahead, report me!" Chen Dazhu was fearless, clearly not the first time he had raised his hand against the women in his family.
"Oh, isn't that Constable Xu drinking tea over there? Constable Xu, are you going to arrest me? I'm disciplining my own wife, come and arrest me! Which law have I broken?"
At the neighboring teahouse, an officer with a large sword at his waist, who was about to sit down, heard this and looked embarrassed. "Chen Dazhu, take your family matters home. If you cause trouble on the street and it gets out of hand, don't blame me for being impolite!"
"Alright, I'll listen to you, Constable. I'll go home right now to teach this disobedient wife of mine a lesson!" With that, Chen Dazhu dragged away his now crying wife.
Aunt Pei and the surrounding women were so angry their chests were heaving.
The Ji sisters closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight.
"Miss, it seems the world is equally dark everywhere!" Yuan was indignant.
But just as she said this, the burly blacksmith dragged his wife past them. Ji Chunyue's face darkened, and she gritted her teeth as she stepped forward, "Stop!"
"Where did this pretty boy come from? Get out of the way!" The blacksmith's hand swung towards Ji Chunyue.
"Miss—"
"Sister!"
Ji Qiuyue and Yuan were terrified and about to cry.
Ji Chunyue, watching the hand as big as a fan about to land on her, closed her eyes in fear.
It's over.
But as she braced herself for the intense pain and the miserable fall to the ground, she heard the rapid sound of approaching hooves!
Ji Chunyue couldn't help but open her eyes.
In that instant, she saw a gold-threaded soft whip, like a magical weapon from the heavens, glinting golden, crack against the tower-like body of the burly man.
"Ouch!" The man cried out in pain.
Ji Chunyue turned to look, holding her breath.
She saw a plain carriage stop, and the whip-wielding guard jumped down, bowing respectfully.
His hands presented the gold-threaded soft whip that had just struck the burly man.
"Your Highness, the Golden Dragon Whip is here."
Soon, to Ji Chunyue's astonishment, the seemingly plain curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a woman in elegant palace attire gracefully stepped down.
"Concubine Liu! Her Highness is here!" Aunt Pei and a group of needleworking women instantly rejoiced.
So this is Concubine Liu?
Ji Chunyue's eyes widened.
"Ouch! Who hit me? Can palace women just whip commoners at will? Is there no justice? No law?"
The blacksmith, Chen Dazhu, wailed dramatically, "Even the constable won't arrest me, saying I've committed no crime. But a palace concubine hits me? I want to appeal to the Emperor for justice!"
Hearing this, Ji Chunyue's eyes immediately dimmed.
This vulgar man was right.
In Chu State, even her grandfather could at most lecture a husband who beat his wife, but could never seriously punish him.
Since ancient times, upright officials don't meddle in family affairs. The Emperor is a man, and so are the officials.
Men helping men!
There are no laws that would imprison a man for beating his wife.
Ji Chunyue, having narrowly escaped danger, felt utterly disheartened.
But just as she was feeling low, she saw Jing Country's Concubine Liu, beautiful in appearance and extraordinary in bearing, look towards Chen Dazhu.
The next moment, she extended her hand to the maid beside her.
The maid in attendance immediately raised her head and took out a yellow silk imperial edict from her sleeve!
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees—"
Her clear yet resounding voice startled the Ji sisters.
Since ancient times, it had always been eunuchs or officials who read imperial edicts. There had never been a palace maid reading an emperor's edict!
How could Jing Country have a palace maid reading an imperial edict?
They looked over in shock to see the maid standing tall, her voice strong and forceful.
"Last winter, the refugees of Jing Country were fortunate to have winter clothes made by women. This New Year, we are again fortunate to have women sewing fur-lined garments for the border troops, keeping them warm and boosting their morale.
The contributions of women are outstanding and far-reaching, and cannot be ignored."
"Three days ago, Concubine Liu practiced the art of suturing, saving the lives of fierce generals from our Jing Country and Wu Yun Country, earning a gift of five hundred cattle and sheep from the Khan of Wu Yun Country."
The Ji sisters listened, entranced, as did the other women on the street.
So the rumors were true.
What exactly was this art of suturing?
But the maid reading the edict didn't explain, continuing to recite, "I now know that women are no less capable than men, only their strengths differ!
Therefore, I appoint Concubine Liu as a seventh-rank female official, specially recruiting those skilled in embroidery and needlework to sew winter clothes, make fur-lined garments, and learn the art of suturing and healing, to serve the realm!"
"All who join will be contributing to the welfare of the common people and soldiers, serving the nation!"
"I respect them, and so should all under heaven!"
"Thus, I bestow upon Concubine Liu the Golden Dragon Whip, to protect the women of the realm who busy themselves with great public works, and to discipline their violent husbands, brutes, and savages, and all who obstruct the great public works of the realm!"
"Your Ladyship."
The palace maid Qiu Li finished reciting, tears glistening in her eyes. She raised her head proudly, tucked away the imperial edict, and glared at the wailing brute.
"This whip is for beating savages!"
"Even if you scream your throat raw, no one will come to save you!"
Well said!
Ji Chunyue and Ji Qiuyue listened, their bodies trembling with excitement.
At this moment, the entire street was eerily silent, as if it were a deserted place in the dead of night.
But the sunlight poured over the women, warm and comforting, as if dispersing the mist and darkness, illuminating their vast path ahead.
The timid wife beaten by her husband, the fearful women watching from the roadside, the Ji sisters who dreaded marriage... even Aunt Pei, who had been pushed and hurt at the door of the sewing courtyard, all held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Because they were afraid of missing a single word!
How could it sound so good?
The words in the imperial edict, the words spoken by the palace maid, how could they be so pleasing to the ear?
They had never heard anything like it before.
"How many times did you hit her?" Liu Chaniang pursed her lips and walked up to the burly man.
"Today, I'll whip you just as many times!"
The man stepped back, hardly able to believe his ears.
"You're right, there's no law to govern you. So today, I'll whip you as many times as I want! Because there's no law to catch me either!"
Liu Chaniang met his gaze without backing down, clearly adopting a 'fight fire with fire' stance.
"I'll leave you with just enough life, but not crippled. That should do!"
"!!"
[Oh my, the allegiance of the Chu State sisters to our great Jing Country has risen to 59% amidst the man's miserable cries...]
[Ah, it's still rising!]
Xiao Yunzhou, holding his daughter, stood up, then sat down again.
His hand trembled slightly, but he dared not make a sound.
Ahem, Concubine Liu... hit him... well.