Chapter 1349 – Raising a Daughter (Five)
In the eyes of the common people, a diligent Emperor is a good Emperor.
In the eyes of the officials, a physically healthy, clear-headed, dedicated, and long-lived Emperor is a good Emperor.
When it comes to childbirth, a woman’s role is irreplaceable; the heir to the country must be birthed by the Empress herself.
You think what if something unexpected happens during childbirth? Difficult labor, hemorrhage, or the child suffocating in the womb leading to the mother’s death…
The Emperor, who has been nurtured for decades, could just disappear like that…
Imagine how frustrating that would be for the civil and military ministers!
In her past life, Jiang Pengji faced numerous obstacles from officials, not because they believed a woman on the throne was a bad idea… After all, the tyrant sitting atop clawed his way out of chaos, and how the royal line is passed down was none of their concern… Their opposition stemmed from considerations for the stability of the nation; frequently changing Emperors can be harmful! With ancient medical technology being so limited, many sick children would die young, and the dangers and inefficiencies of a female Emperor’s childbirth process posed significant issues.
She had never considered it before, but now the problem was right in front of her; ignoring it was not an option.
Qi Chaolan pondered seriously; Huang Song’s concerns were indeed difficult to resolve.
“Well…”
Just as she was about to speak, Huang Song interrupted, “That’s just her temperament; as long as she’s alive, no one can oppose her.”
No matter how much outsiders say a daughter heir is not ideal, would Jiang Pengji listen to their nagging?
Huang Song was also enjoying the spectacle—if it really came to setting a daughter as the successor, he would be one of the beneficiaries, so opposing it made no sense.
Qi Chaolan said, “Therefore, we should make thorough preparations.”
Her preparations naturally involved raising her daughter as if she were a son; there was no room for slack in the education that should be provided.
Huang Song nodded and suddenly thought of the exam results for his two sons.
He had endured an entire afternoon of torture; if those two idiots didn’t pass, wouldn’t he be embarrassed?
“How did the entrance exam for Golden Scales Academy go this afternoon?”
Qi Chaolan smiled brightly, “This Golden Scales Academy is even better than the rumors say; it surpasses the clan schools of those high families.”
Initially, she had thought about shamelessly begging her parents to let the children attend the clan school to avoid delaying their enlightenment, but since she couldn’t find a decent teacher in the entire Xiangyang County, she changed her mind after visiting Golden Scales Academy and was determined to send her children there.
The two kids also performed well, their brains better than their father’s, easily passing the entrance exam.
Huang Song was astonished, “Is it really that good?”
Noble families typically favor clan schools and rarely look favorably on private academies, yet his wife was singing praises for Golden Scales Academy.
Qi Chaolan elaborated on the differences.
While clan schools may have their merits, the atmosphere is worse, and the key point—children from downtrodden families are sometimes allowed to attend.
Dragons give birth to dragons, and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes—mouse children can dig holes.
Children from downtrodden families often carry annoying habits; some don’t like studying and enjoy forming cliques to bully others.
In terms of exposure and upbringing, they can’t compare to those raised in respectable families.
Due to these reasons, teachers at clan schools seldom rigorously demand high standards of their students, which means those bad habits in children can’t be corrected quickly.
When Madam Qi found out that students at Golden Scales Academy were orphans of fallen warriors, she was somewhat reluctant.
However, after seeing it all firsthand, she discovered there was a significant difference between reality and her preconceived notions.
Without digging deeper, who would know that all those charming, polite kids from the academy came from common households?
She wasn’t aware that the Golden Scales Academy now implemented full-time education.
Aside from a few “second-generation” students who had the privilege of day schooling, most kids lived on campus, and there was an additional course on language etiquette.
This change happened because someone noticed children were using foul language like “fk your mother” while quarreling.
Where did they learn such words?
Naturally, they picked it up from the neighbors’ brawls when they temporarily stayed at home.
Even though it was a small matter, it was quite disgusting for those dedicated scholars who considered Golden Scales Academy their pride and joy.
Scholars steeped in the belief of bloodline superiority thought it was due to the students’ origins.
One hot-headed scholar exploded on the spot, feeling strongly that Golden Scales Academy shouldn’t admit children of common backgrounds.
The academy offered the best education; which teacher wasn’t a well-known and respected figure?
With such rich resources, teaching a pig could make it bow and scrape, yet students were cursing “fk your mother”?
Utterly hopeless!
Mr. Yuanjing believed that a child’s bloodline wasn’t the most important factor; what mattered was the influence of their environment.
To teach children well, harmful environments must be isolated, and a suitable atmosphere for learning must be cultivated.
Otherwise, why did Mengmu move three times?
Mr. Yuanjing’s influence was undoubtedly formidable, overpowering all opposing voices.
Given Mr. Yuanjing’s prominent status in the education field, that respected scholar could only swallow their pride.
A group of people urgently discussed and finally decided on a rule—children entering the academy could stay home for seven days every six months (one semester), and parents could visit for half a day each month to avoid losing emotional connection; if there were special circumstances at home, temporary leave could be granted.
Aside from those stipulations, students must reside at the academy full-time!
After a year or two, the environment indeed improved compared to before; children studied earnestly, satisfying the nitpickers among the scholars.
Naturally, Madam Qi was also pleased.
“Well, that’s why I sent my kids for the exam, and they managed to secure two spots.”
The only thing Qi Chaolan regretted was the boarding system at the academy; parents could only see their children once a month, making it feel like a prison visit.
Huang Song chuckled, “No wonder they’re Lan’er’s kids; they’re truly capable.”
Qi Chaolan rolled her eyes at him with a laugh.
Noble families typically pamper their daughters; although the education is strict, the content has nuances.
If they wanted to condition their daughter for a career in the officials, initiating her education should be put on the agenda.
The couple worried about this, but in the end, Huang Song came up with a solution—he handed their daughter over to Feng Jue.
Feng Jue: “…”
As if he’s her teacher!
Huang Song wasn’t a fool; he knew Cheng Jing was likely to be sent over to Mr. Yuanjing’s place to gather some talents.
Since he was sending her to Feng Jue’s father, Feng Ren, who was still that same temperament, definitely a free man, he might as well let him take care of their daughter.
If Feng Jue knew his true intentions, he’d surely want to pound him into the ground.
But Huang Song was a master at dramatics, able to hold his own against Jiang Pengji in sparring, and Feng Jue held a vague sense of guilt about him.
In the end, he became the teacher to Huang Song’s daughter.
“Neither the father nor the daughter are easy to deal with.”
Feng Jue sighed, thinking he might as well teach the child to pass the time.
Huang Song’s analysis had its merits; nurturing this daughter could still let her shine in the court in the future.
“Don’t let the Teacher down.”
Patting the little girl’s head, she seriously nodded in response.
When they left, her parents repeatedly instructed her, and with her obedient personality, coupled with Feng Jue’s decent looks, of course, she could take a liking to him.
