in2ebook Chapter 275 Chastity Arch
Chapter 275 Chastity Arch
People before the Song Dynasty (including the Song Dynasty) were also puzzled. They didn't understand what was so wrong with stopping someone from remaining chaste!
Moreover, they are not some famous people who have remarried. Not to mention the wives of high-ranking officials, even empresses have remarried!
Thinking of this, they felt a little proud. Judging from what Miss Lin said, she must deeply hate the chastity arch. Look, their Emperor (dynasty) is still the best!
.........
Back to the live broadcast room.
Lin Ke's actions of blocking and prohibiting others caused those sour grapes to curse and complain, but with people around pointing fingers and gossiping, he could only slink away in disgrace!
"The status of women during the Qin and Han dynasties was relatively good compared to other dynasties; they were not subject to many restrictions."
"During the Tang and Song dynasties, due to the prevalence of Confucian culture, although there were some beginnings of restrictions on women, they were not too extreme."
"However, during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism was widely promoted, which distorted certain ideas and led to the oppression of women, especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties."
"The chastity arch I mentioned earlier is one such example. Although it originated with Qin Shi Huang, it was during the Ming and Qing dynasties that it truly came into being and even evolved into a 'bonus' for officials."
A bystander from the Qin Dynasty: What kind of thing can add points?!
A certain scholar-official from the Han Dynasty: Do you really think your political achievements are outstanding just because of this?!
A noblewoman from a prominent family in the Tang Dynasty said: If officials promote these women, then it is worth pondering whether they are acting voluntarily or under duress!
A skilled farmer from the Song Dynasty: Holy crap! This is a bit scary. Who came up with this piece of junk?!
Zhu Bajie of the Ming Dynasty: (||?_?)
……
Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty
Empress Ma stared intently at the comments on the screen, feeling a chill run through her body.
If what she says is true, then how many women were driven to their deaths? And how many were forced to remain widows for the rest of their lives?
She couldn't imagine that the truth might be even more cruel than what she had read. She had to send someone to investigate immediately!
On the other hand, Zhu Yuanzhang also realized this, but he didn't take it seriously.
He refused to believe that anyone under his rule would still be oppressing innocent civilians!
……
Back to the live broadcast room.
Lin Ke sighed and continued, "The Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books records 51 virtuous women from the Zhou to the Five Dynasties period. In the Yuan Dynasty, there were only a little over 300, but by the Ming Dynasty, the number had increased to 36,000."
"Such a ratio is alarming, which also shows that the status of women in the Ming Dynasty was very low compared to other dynasties."
“Let me give you an example. In the Veritable Records of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, there is a story that Pan Asi’s mother from Xiaolingwei was thirsty because she was drunk and wanted to drink tea, but there was no tea at home at the moment, so her daughter-in-law brought her soup.”
"Unexpectedly, the mother-in-law got angry and hit her. The daughter-in-law could only dodge and shoo, but such actions only added fuel to the fire. So the mother-in-law went to the government office to complain that her daughter-in-law had insulted her."
"And the Ministry of Justice's final sentence was death for the daughter-in-law. Of course, this daughter-in-law had to plead her case, and all the neighbors testified on her behalf. Even Emperor Xuanzong of Ming felt that being a daughter-in-law was too difficult, and that she had to be executed for such a small matter!"
Li Qingzhao of the Song Dynasty: Fine, fine, fine! I'm so angry I could die! This woman…! ? %…
A noblewoman from a prominent family in the Tang Dynasty: ...Is it only right for a daughter-in-law to be wrongfully killed?! Who set this ridiculous rule in the Ming Dynasty?!
A bystander from the Han Dynasty: Oh, were the laws of the Ming Dynasty really that strict?
……
The women from other timelines fell silent. Why was it that, in comparison, they actually felt their emperor wasn't so bad after all?!
As expected, I'm not outstanding at all; I only owe my success to the contrast with my peers!
Sigh! I hope what Miss Lin said can help them!
……
"Back to the topic of the chastity arch, as mentioned before, the First Emperor once did it. At that time, there was a widow named Ba Qing who, with her outstanding business acumen and dedication to her career, made her family the richest family in the world."
"Her contribution to the large amount of mercury in Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum is undeniable. In addition, her relationship with Qin Shi Huang is also a source of speculation. After all, Qin Shi Huang built the Nu Huaiqing Terrace for Ba Widow Qing in order to praise her, which was Qin Shi Huang's original idea."
"However, in subsequent history, very few emperors built platforms to praise women."
"However, they were both innocent. It is estimated that Widow Ba was already in her fifties or sixties at the time! And for a career-driven man like Qin Shi Huang, he didn't have as many scandalous stories about women as Zhu Zhu!"
First Emperor, Ancestral Dragon: ...
Big-Handed Liu Zhuzhu: What's it to you?!
"After Ba Qing's death, the First Emperor, in order to commend her for her chastity, specially conferred upon her the title of Chaste Woman."
"This is probably one of the earliest records. In the Qin and Han dynasties, and even earlier, people had no objection to widows remarrying. For the rulers, population was a very important thing, so it was impossible for them to stop it."
"Before discussing the issues of the Ming Dynasty, we actually need to mention three people here—Zhu Xi, Cheng Hao, and Cheng Yi of the Song Dynasty. Their Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism would flourish in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and reach its peak."
Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty: ?!
Cheng Hao of the Great Song Dynasty: ? ?
"Two of these sayings are particularly harmful: 'Preserve heavenly principles, extinguish human desires'; 'Starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's integrity is a great one!'"
“Let me give you an example from the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the ‘Biographies of Virtuous Women’ in the History of Ming, there is a woman named Hu. She was no different from ordinary women. When she reached the age of marriage, she got married.”
"But her husband tragically passed away when she was twenty-seven, and she remained a widow ever since, never remarrying. To uphold her chastity, she did not have any contact with men for over twenty years."
"She fell ill at the age of 51, and because she felt that a widow's hands were not something others should see, she refused the doctor and eventually passed away."
A bystander from Da Qin: ??? Is she sick? What's wrong with her that she'd rather die from illness than see a doctor?
The daughter of a high-ranking official in the Han Dynasty: Now I finally understand what "losing one's chastity" means!
Li Qingzhao of the Song Dynasty: ...They really are quite harmful! These two...?!...Are the people behind them out of their minds?!
……