newbobooks Chapter 1438: Same crime as adultery
Chapter 1438: Same crime as adultery
Murong Yan's voice suddenly rose a few decibels!
"The laws of our Great Qian Dynasty must be changed!"
"Our Great Qian's marriage system must be changed!"
boom--!
Her words shocked everyone present!
This is a matter of utmost importance that could shake the very foundation of the nation!
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" An elderly man who appeared to be quite prestigious stepped out from the crowd and knelt down.
"Yes, Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
More people stood up and knelt down.
However, Murong Yan sneered.
She looked down at the stubborn man below who was still clinging to the old rules and refusing to let go, a hint of disdain flashing in her cold phoenix eyes.
"The rules of our ancestors?"
"I am the rule!"
"From this day forward, I will promulgate a new marriage law in my Great Qian Dynasty!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"First, all citizens of our Great Qian Dynasty, regardless of gender, have the right to freedom of marriage! Arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers should only be taken as a reference, not as a means of coercion!"
"Secondly, if there is no conjugal relations within three months of marriage, it shall be considered a divorce! The woman shall return all the betrothal gifts to the man!"
"Third, anyone who commits adultery during marriage, regardless of gender, shall be punished for bigamy! The punishment shall range from caning and tattooing to drowning in a pond or being submerged in a pig cage!"
"Fourth, anyone who obtains money in the name of marriage, regardless of gender, will be prosecuted for fraud upon verification! All illegal gains will be confiscated, and the offender will be sentenced to imprisonment for ten years or more, or even life imprisonment!"
Every word Murong Yan uttered was like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's heart!
This is hardly an amendment to the law.
This is not changing the law; this is clearly uprooting the Great Qian Dynasty!
"Your Majesty, this..." The leading elder pointed a trembling finger at Murong Yan, shaking with anger, "Where does this place the women of the world? Where does it place the dignity of parents? If women can marry freely, wouldn't everyone be like Pan Jinlian, fickle and fickle?"
His words immediately drew agreement from many men.
"Exactly! Women are all talk and no action, what do they know? If we let them choose for themselves, they'll just get scammed by some pretty boy and won't even be able to find their way home!"
"What's most infuriating is the crime of adultery! Why should men also be drowned or thrown into pig cages? Since ancient times, it has been considered natural for men to have multiple wives and concubines and to engage in casual relationships."
Immediately, public sentiment was agitated, and voices of opposition rose higher and higher.
These voices, however, elicited a completely different reaction in another group.
At the back of the crowd, the women and girls who had come to watch the spectacle were straining their ears, afraid of missing a single word.
When they heard "freedom of marriage," their eyes lit up, and when they heard "adultery is punishable by law," they screamed with excitement.
Is what Your Majesty said true?
Will these women ever have a day when they can truly make their own decisions?
Lin Zhen took in all of this, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
interesting.
He turned his head and looked at Murong Yan with great interest, wanting to see how she would deal with this almost out-of-control situation.
Instead of getting angry, Murong Yan smiled.
Looking at the people kneeling below, it was like watching a group of clowns.
She raised her hand and pressed it down.
A simple action instantly silenced the noisy lobby.
"Finished?"
She spoke calmly, her gaze sweeping over the men who were shouting the loudest.
"I thought you could spout some grand principles of governing the country and ensuring its stability, but after all this time, this is all you've got?"
"One is afraid he won't be able to control his wife."
"And another one," Murong Yan's gaze fell on the fat man who was shouting that "it's only natural for men to have three wives and four concubines," "Do you think my imperial consort should also give you his opinion?"
boom!
The fat man's legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground with a "thud," his crotch instantly soaked!
Her Majesty the Empress's husband is none other than the prince standing to the side!
In front of the prince, he said that men can play along.
This is like lighting a lamp in an outhouse—it's suicidal!
Murong Yan glanced at them, then ignored them and continued speaking in a cold voice.
"This law shall be promulgated throughout the land from this day forward!"
"Anyone who disobeys or shows disrespect shall be punished as a traitor!"
Like a sharp knife, it cuts off all dissenting voices.
The entire lobby fell silent.
After a long while, a thunderous cheer erupted!
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
"Long live your Majesty! Long live! Long live!"
The onlookers, especially the women, were moved to tears!
They knew that from this day forward, their fate would be completely changed!
No longer are they goods to be bought and sold at will!
They are flesh-and-blood, thinking, and free citizens of the Great Qian Dynasty!
Looking at the grand scene before him, with thousands of people kneeling in worship, Lin Zhen smiled with satisfaction.
From this day forward, Empress Murong Yan's prestige will truly resonate with the people.
She will become the faith of all women in the entire Great Qian Dynasty!
And he will always stand behind her.
Clear away all obstacles for her.
The uproar surrounding the Dali Temple trial was like a Category 12 hurricane, sweeping across the entire Daqian Dynasty in just a few days.
Murong Yan's promulgation of the "New Marriage Law" was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves throughout society.
In teahouses, restaurants, fields, and boudoirs...
Almost everyone was discussing the new law that could change their lives.
"Have you heard? His Majesty has issued a new law! From now on, when we marry off our daughters or wives, it has to be consensual on both sides!"
"That's right! I've also heard that if a wife won't let you touch her for three months after marriage, it's considered a divorce! And all the betrothal gifts have to be returned!"
"Really? That's great! Now I don't have to worry about being scammed into marriage anymore!"
"That's not all! I've also heard that from now on, if someone cheats on their partner, whether it's a man or a woman, they'll be caught and drowned in a pig cage!"
"My God! Your Majesty, this is absolutely brilliant!"
The public's reaction was supportive.
In particular, the common people and women who had been oppressed by feudal ethics for many years regarded Murong Yan as a living bodhisattva who saved them from suffering.
Countless women spontaneously set up longevity tablets in their homes to pray for her day and night.
However, contrary to the widespread approval from the public, the situation was quite different.
It was the scholars who considered themselves disciples of sages, and the aristocratic families who were already accustomed to male superiority, who strongly opposed and resisted it.
The capital city, the Imperial College.
This is the highest institution of learning in the Great Qian Dynasty.
It is also a sacred place that all scholars in the world yearn for.
Today, the Imperial College is unusually bustling.
Hundreds of students gathered at the gate of the Imperial College, their emotions running high and their indignation palpable.
They held aloft white banners that read, "Abolish the new law, restore our moral order."
"A wicked empress is in power! She is bringing disaster to the country and its people!"
"The laws of our ancestors must not be altered!"
"We scholars vow to defend the great path of the sages to the death!"
They shouted, their voices merging into a wave that echoed endlessly over the Imperial College.
The leader was a young student who possessed a certain leadership quality.