kvmb Chapter 555 Do You Know (22)
Chapter 555 Do You Know (22)
With Wangyou around, how could she possibly do that? She would never use her own resources to strengthen the enemy.
The Ministry of Rites received instructions from the Emperor to ridicule the people from those small countries and then send them away with their trash.
Wangyou sent people out to investigate the situation. After figuring it out, he sent troops to attack them after the New Year and also took over their mines.
There was a small island nation that Wangyou disliked for some reason, so she ordered the men on that island to be physically castrated and issued a stern warning to the Song Dynasty that no one could marry a woman from that island, under penalty of execution!
"What did the people on this island do to you?" the official asked, amused.
"No, but I don't know why, I just really hate them, the kind of hate that makes me want to wipe them out completely," Wangyou said earnestly.
"Why didn't you say so earlier? I would have had them all killed. Since you dislike them so much, something must have happened." And so, the Emperor's actions were even more ruthless than Wangyou's.
The people on the island had just been castrated, and before they could even mourn the loss of their dignity, their throats were slit, and a great fire wiped out all traces.
Yuan Zhao had grown up and officially began to rule the court at the age of eight.
Those who had previously doubted the reliability of the Crown Prince of the Forget-Worry Sect were now completely convinced.
Yuan Zhao was only eight years old, but his demeanor was already comparable to that of the emperor. Moreover, his actions were swift and decisive, combining both firmness and gentleness, and his methods were so efficient that it was hard to believe.
The emperor was overjoyed to see such a son. He was certain that entrusting his son to Wangyou was the right choice, even though he had some reservations at the time.
But now, seeing such an outstanding son, the emperor was so excited he wanted to set off a string of firecrackers, but he managed to restrain himself and instead sent Wangyou a lot of good things.
In recent years, there have been more and more women in the imperial court. Not only civil officials, but also military generals have become more female, which can be considered as achieving a delicate balance.
However, the phenomenon of valuing sons over daughters still exists in society, but there's nothing that can be done about it; some people's mindsets can't be changed overnight.
In the middle of all this, Wangyou also got to gossip about Gu Tingye.
Gu Tingye had already taken a mistress before even getting married, and to make matters worse, she had a son and a daughter. What decent family would be willing to marry their daughter to her?
To make matters worse, Lord Gu suddenly passed away, leaving Gu Tingye penniless. His mistress then absconded with his valuables and his son.
This led the emperor to believe that Gu Tingye was not a capable person, and he later became a marginal figure.
Later, Wangyou met a girl who was the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Yu and a good friend of Minglan. This girl was initially very timid and was constantly suppressed by her stepmother's younger sister. However, with Minglan's encouragement and the support of the two elders, she also embarked on the path of taking the imperial examination.
Later, she also gained a place in the officialdom, not only getting back her mother's dowry, but also allowing the two elderly people to enjoy their later years in peace.
Ten years later, sensing his impending death, the emperor abdicated in favor of Yuanzhao and spent the remaining years learning to enjoy a carefree retirement.
"You're only a few years old, and I'm almost gone. How old are you? You're already retiring so early." The official looked at Wangyou, who was sunbathing, with a mixture of disappointment and frustration.
"I'm happy, I'm willing, isn't that good?"
"That's great, bring me another cup of that milk tea."
Mo Lan, Ru Lan, and Ming Lan ultimately couldn't resist their family's nagging and decided to find someone they liked to marry.
Mo Lan married Yang Qilang at the age of twenty-three, Ming Lan married General Di Qing's son at the age of twenty, and Ru Lan married a member of the imperial family at the age of twenty-two, the same young man they met when they rescued the old man.
As for Wangyou, Madam Yan was used to it. After all, her daughter had always said she didn't want to get married since she was a child, and another reason was that no one in Shengjing City dared to marry her.
The only one who had such thoughts was Zhao Yuanzhao, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. Putting aside the issue of age, if his father knew that he actually wanted to betray his master and ancestors, he would surely be punished by the family law.
Therefore, the first thing Yuan Zhao did after ascending to the throne, besides bestowing titles upon his father and his deceased mother, was to grant Wang You a higher title, directly appointing her as the Imperial Preceptor, placing her above him, the emperor.
Enraged, Wangyou chased Zhao Yuanzhao for three blocks with a stick before she could finally vent her anger.
As for the Imperial Advisor, let her take the position. She won't ask, so what can we force her to do?
Later, Wangyou took the old man on a trip. After two years, the old man became frail, so Wangyou took him back to Shengjing City.
Not long after, the old man passed away, and the whole country mourned. Yuan Zhao observed three years of mourning for the old man, and only after three years did he marry his empress amidst daily petitions from his ministers.
After their marriage, the emperor and empress treated each other with respect and had three sons and one daughter, which was quite remarkable.
As for Sheng Changbai and Sheng Changfeng, Sheng Hong, his wife, and the old lady planned for them to marry girls of equal social standing, and they lived a decent life.
As for the two of them, they originally had a maidservant, but before they could use her, she was scolded by Wangyou, whom they happened to meet, and they never dared to try her again.
Wangyou started taking her mother traveling again, showing her the vast landscape and the changes that had taken place in the Song Dynasty over the years.
It must be said that talent needs to be stimulated. Just like back then, Wangyou only created landmines and drew the basic blueprints for cannons. Later, the Ministry of Works recruited many talented people and they made great use of firearms.
There was also a car that Wangyou had modified from a wheelchair on a whim. After a little thought, a craftsman skilled in handicrafts in the countryside created a car that did not need horses. Later, it was learned that this person was a descendant of the art of mechanical devices.
Wangyou then created another mechanically powered vehicle and handed it over to the Ministry of Works for research. Later, all sorts of vehicles appeared.
As more people went out to sea, they naturally brought back more things. As long as there were things, there was never a shortage of people with an experimental spirit. Sure enough, tires were the first thing to be modified.
However, due to the large volume of trade, the Song Dynasty established a customs department to strictly control the import and export of goods. For this purpose, some people even developed a detection instrument.
Of course, with a large forest, there are all kinds of birds. A so-called longevity ointment made from poppies was brought into the Song Dynasty. This unknown substance, which was to be ingested, was subject to strict inspection by the relevant departments.
They then conducted experiments on some animals and discovered that after a period of time, these animals changed; this substance could become addictive to living organisms.
The customs officials thought this was a big deal and quickly reported it. When Yuan Zhao found out which barbarian country had sent it in, he gave them a good beating. Just then, the Song Dynasty's navy was looking for an opportunity to see the world.
Thirty years later, the phenomenon of valuing sons over daughters has greatly improved, and men and women have achieved a certain degree of equality. This situation has promoted the development of monogamy, because any woman with a bit of pride would not be willing to share a husband with another man.