Chapter 1165 – Cutting Down Xu Pei, The First Kill Among Princes (35)
In his past life, he had little interaction with Bai Yuexia, but he was aware of her mysterious affection and closeness to His Majesty.
Bai Yuexia’s gaze toward the emperor always stirred his displeasure.
Looking back now, that gaze held not only admiration and worship but also deeper meanings.
Wei Ci maintained a calm expression while his heart surged with emotions.
Bai Ning chuckled, “Aside from her appearance, A’xia is exceptional in every way, deserving of the finest man under heaven!”
Upon saying this, Bai Ning subtly hinted at Wei Ci—
“How about changing your mind and marrying his daughter?”
Wei Ci awkwardly smiled and replied, “What you say is true, Bai Yishi; Bai Niangzi will surely find the best husband in the future.”
If it were back then, Wei Ci wouldn’t have worried much.
Ever since he learned of his lord’s mysterious background, his unease had grown.
With his lord’s enigmatic origins and a world that must have been quite open in his past life, it was no wonder she regarded male affection as ordinary.
So—
Wei Ci couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild.
If male affection is normal, then is female affection also quite common?
The very thought of it made the pressure on his shoulders feel tenfold heavier.
With this new perspective, he suddenly realized he was surrounded by rivals in love!
Among this vast sea of competition, Bai Yuexia posed the most considerable threat.
If it came to a confrontation, Wei Ci felt he wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
In her past life, Bai Yuexia was a remarkably low-profile woman, but no amount of modesty could conceal that she stood tall in the court as a woman, reaching the rank of Minister of Works, and later becoming a chancellor at Golden Scales Pavilion, retiring after sending her portrait to the Heavenly Craftsmen’s List—an incredibly formidable woman!
Just looking at her standings on the Golden Scales Pavilion’s martial arts rankings, which Wei Ci had no place on in his past life, he felt under immense pressure.
Later on, when His Majesty proposed the “Two Heads in One Family” policy, Bai Yuexia was the first to stand up in support.
In contrast, Wei Ci hesitated due to the political dynamics in court, reacting slower than Bai Yuexia’s boldness.
What does “Two Heads in One Family” mean?
In simple terms, it allowed two heads of a household to coexist within one family.
Children born to women could inherit both their mother’s and father’s assets, and the last names and household registration could be negotiated.
Many officials believed this policy was specifically established to ensure the longevity of the female emperor.
At the outset, hardly anyone opposed it.
To oppose “Two Heads in One Family” would mean indirectly supporting the notion that female emperors could be treated like ordinary women, marrying into a family.
How absurd!
Anyone opposing it must have water in their brains!
However, this was merely the view of the ignorant; Wei Ci understood that “Two Heads in One Family” actually aimed to support the female head system.
After the establishment of Jiang Zhao, the world was at peace, leading to fewer independent female households, with some regions even developing a disdainful attitude toward women’s households.
It wasn’t that women didn’t want to establish their households, but simply that there were too few good men willing to marry in, and the pressure was overwhelming.
Many women had no choice but to compromise.
Even if they married someone and earned more money, their income would only be viewed as “supplementing the household” rather than “supporting the family.”
To address this situation, His Majesty proposed the “Two Heads in One Household” suggestion and established a series of new marriage laws.
With the new laws in place, Jiang Zhao clearly defined the concept of “joint property after marriage.”
Of course, concubines and illegitimate children were not counted as “joint property,” and their daily expenses and marriage housing were solely managed by the male.
This point made many principal wives applaud in approval, feeling grateful to His Majesty.
Before this system was implemented, many principal wives not only had to manage their husband’s properties and households but also had to look after the daily expenses and various matters of the concubines and illegitimate children. When faced with a husband who favored his concubines over his first wife, the principal wife might not even be able to protect her own and her children’s interests.
Though “Two Heads in One Family” was designed to maintain the female emperor’s continued reign, they were also beneficiaries of the new law.
Initially, men in Jiang Zhao didn’t take this new law seriously since they had no desire for their wives’ wealth.
Even if someone did covet their wife’s dowry, who would dare admit it?
The court’s decree aimed to protect the female emperor’s royal family and uphold the rights of legitimate wives—there was nothing wrong with it.
However—
Before long, many men began to stir up trouble; they found this situation intolerable.
One story stuck in Wei Ci’s mind.
A certain official paid a hefty monthly salary to have his principal wife manage his illegitimate children and a house full of concubines.
You read that correctly; the husband was paying his principal wife to help take care of the concubines and their children!
According to Jiang Zhao’s laws, concubines couldn’t infringe upon the steward’s authority. In civilian life, if it were found that a concubine took away the principal wife’s rights, the most that could happen would be her reputation might be tarnished; if an official were caught with their concubine encroaching upon the steward’s authority, they’d be demoted at best or dismissed at worst.
To manage a household in chaos, one must understand the proper order—if not, what kind of official are you?
If the principal wife didn’t handle the affairs of the concubines and illegitimate children, then it fell to the husband alone.
He could go out to earn a living by day and then count the expenditures on cosmetics and fabric for his concubines by night—
The men were done with it!
Numerous court officials began to raise their voices against this, saying that traditionally men were the breadwinners while women managed the household, and the responsibilities of concubines and illegitimate children belonged to the principal wife!
In the end, His Majesty and the noble families swiftly silenced the noise.
With Jiang Zhao newly established, most of those who took concubines were either upstarts or common folks who had just gained power.
Once they gained power, they became arrogant, casting aside their wives or neglecting them to take in beautiful concubines—this phenomenon was rampant among the common folks.
The noble families, being historically successful, proudly considered themselves defenders of tradition. Their rules around taking concubines were strict, so they were minimally affected by the new policies. Instead, it was the common folks and upstarts who jumped up and down in protest, giving the noble families the chance to solidify their stance alongside His Majesty against them.
As the leader of the female officials, Bai Yuexia was the beacon and role model for all women striving for success.
She upheld the new laws and served as a great role model.
She had one son and one daughter; her son followed in his father’s footsteps, while her daughter became a trusted confidant of the Tai Nu, Jiang Yan.
From a rational perspective, Wei Ci admired Bai Yuexia immensely; reaching such heights in a world that scorned women was truly beyond compare. Emotionally, however, he found it hard to force himself to like Bai Yuexia, and not considering her as a rival was already a challenge.
But if given the chance to start over, he would still seek to recruit Bai Ning.
After all, the interests of his lord came first; personal feelings were secondary.
“From this conversation, it seems Bai Niangzi holds my lord in high esteem.”
Wei Ci smiled warmly, like spring flowers gently blooming, bright and inviting.
Bai Yuexia spoke quickly, “In this unjust world for women, yet Lord Lan Ting has reached heights that leave everyone else far behind—surely he is a model for all women? I have admired him for some time. In my excitement, I may have made a fool of myself. If my father is allowed to serve him to bring peace to the world and clear the heavens, it would indeed be a blessing for both my father and me!”
Wei Ci: “…”
I just wanted to recruit your father—didn’t account for you—
He wanted to quietly reflect!
