Chapter 547: Happenings in the World (XVII)

Yang Si snorted. “Women should just keep their mind on supporting their husbands and raising their children. Why should they be on the battlefield? Men will protect their homes and defend the country… In my opinion, it’s better to take advantage of this incident and dissolve the female battalion. The commoners aren’t grateful because they don’t know how to appreciate what’s good.”

It was not that he looked down on women, but he felt that things were already very tough in those days. There was no need to treat women that harshly.

Li Yun shook his head in disapproval and responded, “I don’t agree with your opinion. Just like what the lord says, it’s precisely because things are tough and everyone is busy enough with their own affairs that women must step forward bravely. Be it supporting their husbands and raising their children or protecting their homes and defending the country, it’s their own choice. Some like embroidery, and of course, there are also some who like military outfits and dislike feminine attire. Their choices should be respected.”

Yang Si looked sidelong at Li Yun.

The silly man appeared impressive and babbled on and on when talking about such matters. “I think the lord has done the right thing. Knowledge is the best charity. Rather than finding ways to protect women who are treated as fragile glass, it’s better to teach them how to protect themselves. Nowadays, many people can’t look after themselves. How could they have the time to care about women who are seen as weak in the eyes of others?”

Hearing the word ‘glass’, Yang Si could not help but think of the day when the boy servant accidentally broke Wei Ci’s glass teacup, which had been really fragile.

In terms of reason, Yang Si agreed with what Li Yun said. It was indeed true.

Along his journey from the south to the north, he had seen far too many refugees.

He had seen a man forcing his wife to become a prostitute and did not care that his wife was crying. He collected money from passers-by. As long as the passers-by gave the man some money, they could do anything they wanted to his wife. He had also seen a man selling his young daughter to a trafficker. His daughter wailed by the side. He struck a deal with the trafficker, just to earn a few pennies. He had seen people exchanging their children and eating them. They exchanged their daughters with someone else for human flesh just to assuage their hunger.

The world was very unfair towards people. It was even more unfair towards women.

Yang Si sighed and shook his head. “Your lord is a person who has compassion for womanhood.”

However…

He continued, “This is what the world is like today. Even if your lord means well, people are ignorant and stupid. They only care about their interests and their hearts are full of greed. Taking the incident this time as an example, wasn’t your lord summoned in a hurry just because of such a trivial matter?”

Jiang Pengji formed a female battalion and the female soldiers could receive their pay. She gave the little girls and babies who were maliciously abandoned by their families a shelter by setting up a foundling hospital. How many lives had she directly or indirectly saved? Would the people be grateful to her? In Yang Si’s opinion, they might not. She might invite trouble instead.

Li Yun was dejected, but there was nothing that he could do.

“People are all ignorant. One is really pissing himself off by arguing with a bunch of people who are stupid like vermin.”

Yang Si said cynically, “The female soldiers have already defied the common customs. They’re not as good as the male troops in every aspect. I really don’t know why your lord bothers. He’s sincerely doing this for the good of the female troops, but are they and their families willing to appreciate his kindness?”

At that moment, Jiang Pengji was facing a group of ‘vermin,’ as Yang Si had called them. More than ten people were kneeling on the ground. There were boys under the age of six or seven, and there were old women who were above the age of 60. Two female soldiers who were neatly dressed were kneeling on the ground behind them. They looked stupefied, their heads lowered.

Jiang Pengji remembered the two female soldiers. They were among the troops who performed outstandingly in the siege and were promoted when the troops were rewarded some time ago. One of them was promoted to become a centurion and the other oversaw the trivia of the logistic medical unit. She was considered an official.

Coincidentally, these two female soldiers were also sisters.

Jiang Pengji heard from Jiang Nongqin that these two were quite talented. Jiang Nongqin was planning to train them well and promote them to higher positions in the future.

She had rushed back this time because of these two women.

Jiang Pengji had already had a grasp of the situation when she arrived. She shot an unfriendly glance at the people who looked somewhat mean.

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“Are you saying that you want to take your daughters back and not let them stay in the female battalion anymore?” she asked.

The oldest woman replied, “Yes. I pity my granddaughter. She’s getting older. It’s time for her to get married, so her time won’t be wasted.”

Jiang Pengji snorted and said, “But I remember that the two sisters were the first to enter the female battalion. At that time, there were many rumors floating around. The people rumored that the female battalion was a military brothel. You took them here, beating them up and scolding them along the way. Aren’t you embarrassed for saying such words now?”

The old woman’s face stiffened.

She did not expect the district magistrate to not respect the old and cherish the young at all. Jiang Pengji just tore their skin off and threw it on the ground.

How was it different from cursing at someone?

“Filial piety is one of the virtues to be held above all else. The old woman is their grandmother…”

Jiang Pengji said coldly, “I remember that I’ve formed a law. Even biological parents don’t have the right to force their children into prostitution.”

There was some ominousness in her gaze. She made people feel greatly pressured just by sitting there.

The audience in the streaming room had also understood the course of events. They could not help but sigh and feel sorry for Jiang Pengji. They were also looking forward to the development of the story.

In this era, filial piety was sacred above all else. By supporting the troops of the female battalion, the streamer was defying filial piety to a certain extent.

Their families wanted the female troops to go back, get married and have children. If they did not do so, they would not be filial.

Jiang Pengji knew about respecting the old and cherishing the young, but if they had no sense of shame, she would not be considerate to them.

“Stop the empty talk and nonsense. Do you really think that I don’t know what you’re thinking? Don’t you just want to cling onto them and suck their blood now that your daughters show some promise? Don’t think I know nothing about you taking away all their money. Face your conscience. Do you have the nerve to ask for the money? Forget it. You’re just animals, like tigers and wolves. How can you be considered human?”

She rebuked the people kneeling below her mercilessly. She shifted to a comfortable posture.

“You’ve come over this time to marry off your daughters. Is there really a good match? It’s just because of the tens of taels of betrothal gifts. You’ll marry off your daughters at a high price and take the betrothal gifts. Moreover, your daughters are promising in the female battalion. It doesn’t matter if it’s against filial piety because they’ll provide you with money every month. One of your daughters is a centurion and the other is the person in charge of the medical troops. Their wages are quite high and will be higher in the future. You’re really selfish and calculating.”

It was nonsense when the old woman said that she took pity on her granddaughters and was afraid that no one would marry them at an old age. It was just for the sake of the tens of taels of silver.

As people said, one should not hit someone in the face and expose one’s shortcomings, but Jiang Pengji attacked them where it hurt.

“Ma’am…”

The woman who was kneeling below wanted to speak, but Jiang Pengji told her off impatiently, “Shut up. You have no say in this.”

Her recent good mood had been crushed by this family. It would be weird if she could manage to be good-tempered.

She shifted her gaze to the two female troops and said, “Do you remember signing a document before joining the female battalion?”

The two female soldiers replied, “Yes.”

“Are you willing to go back to your family, get married and have children, or stay in the female battalion? Say what you have in mind. I’ll support you.”