The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 334 Conferred the Title of Lord of Suifeng Township
Prefect Yao exclaimed in praise.

These words were interpreted differently by different people.

People like Gu family patriarchs Xu Yong and Xu Kun, who believed that girls attending private schools would bring bad luck, heard Prefect Yao's surprise.

Prefect Yao, being a scholar who valued etiquette and tradition, would certainly not accept a woman entering a private school.

They hoped that Prefect Yao would rectify the atmosphere of Qinghewan Private School, reprimand Tong Huaqiong, and ideally, publicly expel Man'er from the school.

However, they were destined to be disappointed.

Prefect Yao said, "It is excellent that girls are educated and reasonable."

The head of the Gu family couldn't hold back any longer and boldly said to Prefect Yao, "Lord Yao, it is against ancestral rules for girls to attend private schools. It will ruin the boys' academic luck. There is no rule for girls to attend private schools anywhere."

Prefect Yao smiled and said, "Old man, there are ancestral rules and matrilineal societies where children follow their mothers and don't know who their fathers are. So-called ancestral rules are all man-made, and since they are man-made, they can be broken. If a girl entering a private school can ruin a boy's academic luck, then it means that the boy is not suited for studying. Studying is inherently a difficult process that requires strong perseverance to persist. The difficulties encountered are far more than just a girl having bad luck."

Prefect Yao paused for a moment and then said, "Furthermore, you may not know this, but wealthy families in Shengjing all have schools for girls. Girls, like their brothers, are required to study and learn manners. Our late Empress advocated for girls' education, not only establishing schools in the palace to teach palace maids to read, but also selecting intelligent and willing girls from the common people to attend these schools."

However, this rule was abolished after the current empress passed away.

Of course, there was no need to tell the Qinghewan villagers about this.

Prefect Yao looked at Tong Huaqiong and said, "Aunt Tong has the same thoughts as the late Empress, which is truly admirable."

Tong Huaqiong bowed to Prefect Yao humbly and said, "This humble woman is terrified. How can I compare myself to the late Empress? The late Empress was dedicated to the country and its people. I only thought that it would be better for a girl to know a few words so that she wouldn't be cheated when she went out to buy things."

The late empress, meaning the empress who has already died.

Tong Huaqiong certainly doesn't want to get involved.

Prefect Yao smiled and said, "Aunt Tong, don't underestimate yourself."

Aunt Tong is being too modest. It's just a pity she was born in the countryside. If she had been born into a wealthy family in Shengjing, her extraordinary knowledge and achievements would have been no less than those of the late Empress.

Thinking of the late Empress, Prefect Yao glanced at Xiaolong in the classroom, then quickly looked away.

The Gu family patriarch and Xu Yong and Xu Kun's plan to use Prefect Yao to drive Man'er out failed, and they felt dissatisfied with Prefect Yao.

If Prefect Yao had stayed in Ningcheng for a few more years, women would not only be able to do business and study, but they might even be able to turn the tables and dominate men.

Take Tong Dajiao for example. She used to have a bad temper, but she couldn't outdo Old Man Gu. Now, Tong Dajiao is practically dominating all the men in Qinghewan.

When it comes to issues involving men and women, they erased all the contributions that Prefect Yao made to the people of Ningcheng.

The Gu family patriarch looked at Tong Huaqiong's increasingly irritating smile and thought to himself, "Let you be smug for a while longer."

She wondered in her mind when Tong Huaqiong's parents-in-law would receive the letter.

Tong Huaqiong was very pleased to receive Prefect Yao's approval.

With the late empress's endorsement, even if the private school changes teachers in the future, it will be impossible to expel Man'er.

Han asked Tong Huaqiong, "I heard that a child from outside returned home during the Great Cold. Did you send him to the private school?"

Tong Huaqiong pointed at Xiaolong and said, "How can we not let him come?"

Han squinted and observed for a while.

Before Han could speak, Magistrate Liu said, "Regardless of whether they are illegitimate or patriarchal, since they have come into our home, we should raise them well."

Tong Huaqiong said, "Lord Liu is right."

Then Han took out a longevity lock made of pure gold and handed it to Tong Huaqiong, saying, "Yaozu and Man'er have already given it to each other last time. Please give this one to the child for me."

Tong Huaqiong didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it for Xiaolong.

“Now that the opening ceremony has already been held, there’s no need for us to disturb the children’s studies here,” Magistrate Liu said.

Then everyone left the private school accompanied by the children's clear reading voices.

Tong Huaqiong kept the important matter that Prefect Yao had mentioned in her mind. Since Prefect Yao had started and stopped talking, she couldn't ask him, let alone Magistrate Liu and Madam Han.

As soon as we arrived at the village road, we heard the sound of horses' hooves.

Tong Huaqiong glanced over and saw that the horse was obviously very valuable. The three horses stopped in front of Prefect Yao, and a man in a purple robe dismounted from the lead horse.

He had no beard and a fair complexion.

Tong Huaqiong couldn't tell his age.

"Lord Yao, which one of you is from the Tong family?" the purple-robed man asked, his throat sounding like it was stuffed with a walnut.

The Tong family?

She is the only one in the entire Qinghe Bay with the surname Tong.

Thinking about her father-in-law's behavior, Tong Huaqiong's mind went blank.

Could it be that their plan to harbor remnants of rebels has been exposed?

Just as nervous as Tong Huaqiong was Lord Liu, who stood beside Lord Yao, breathing heavily.

Lord Yao smiled and said, "Eunuch Ming, this is Aunt Tong."

Eunuch Ming approached Tong Huaqiong with a smile, took out a roll of bright yellow silk paper from his robes, unfolded it, and announced loudly, "Tong, receive the imperial decree."

Tong Huaqiong was stunned and didn't know how to react.

It shouldn't be a crime of harboring remnants of evil; otherwise, why would they let her receive the imperial decree? They would have dragged her away and beheaded long ago.

"Receive the imperial decree? How am I supposed to accept it? I'm a person who came from modern civilization and I've never experienced anything like this before."

After quickly searching through Tong Dajiao's mind, she realized that she had been ordered to prepare an incense table. Was she supposed to go home to prepare it?
Seeing that Tong Huaqiong was stunned, Eunuch Ming coughed a few times.

The country woman had never seen anything like this before; it seemed that Lord Yao hadn't given her advance notice of receiving the imperial decree.

The first to react were Prefect Yao and Lord Liu, who knelt down, followed by Madam Han.

Gu Jingzhe knelt down, and Lu Zhaoyang and Master Su also knelt down.

The village head and several village chiefs were completely blank and didn't understand anything. Anyway, when they saw Magistrate Liu kneeling down, they knelt down as well.

The villagers followed suit and knelt down in unison.

Only Tong Huaqiong remained standing.

Tong Huaqiong's knees were stiff. She knew that she had to kneel to receive the imperial decree, but she just couldn't bring herself to kneel.

Prefect Yao said to Tong Huaqiong, "Aunt Tong, the imperial decree from Shengjing is for you."

Tong Huaqiong gritted her teeth and reluctantly knelt down.

"The Tong family of Qinghewan has made great contributions to agriculture and sericulture. They are hereby granted the title of Township Lady and the honorary title of Abundant Harvest. This is the imperial decree."

Tong Huaqiong quickly followed Gu Jingzhe's example, touching her head to the ground and excitedly shouting, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

In his heart, he thought to himself, "Your grandson is still in my hands."

Tong Huaqiong originally thought the old emperor had come to his senses and that the decree was for her to take in his grandson, but she didn't expect it to be a commendation for her bumper corn harvest.

Tong Huaqiong wasn't quite sure what the title of "Xiangjun" meant.

However, with an imperial edict, with the emperor's personal seal of commendation and conferment, no matter what the title was, it was an honor.

Tong Huaqiong was happy after figuring this out.

"Lord of Suifeng Township, please accept the imperial decree."

Ming Gonggong, stroking his non-existent beard, proclaimed countless imperial edicts, but the Tong family's procedure almost failed to proceed.

Being from the countryside, no matter how clever she was to concoct a medicine that would bring a bountiful corn harvest, she had never witnessed the grand spectacle of an imperial decree.

He was probably terrified when he heard the words "imperial edict".

This is also why he agreed to the suggestion from Prefect Yao not to allow the Tong family to prepare an incense table or anything like that.