Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 144, Section 143: Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang
Princess Wen was indeed unconvinced: "Born with yin and yang, and further divided into male and female, only in this way can all things be in harmony."

"When the sun shines brightly but the earth's strength is weak, food will not be plentiful and the people will suffer from hunger."

"When the earth's energy is strong but the sun's energy is weak, seedlings will grow excessively and millet will not produce ears."

"This is the ultimate principle of heaven and earth!"

"Men should farm, fight, and serve in the military, while women should weave and manage the household. Only in this way can they work together with one heart and one mind. Otherwise, can men alone handle everything, both domestically and internationally?"

"If the contributions are so equal, why do women have so much less say in marriage?!"

Qin Shi smiled even more deeply: "I don't know either. But when the princess takes power and participates in politics in the future, she can amend this law to give women in the world more protection."

Princess Wen, abandoning her previous stubborn resentment, gritted her teeth and said, "Why must I be in power and involved in politics before I can raise this issue? I'm going to raise it!"

"When I return to Xianyang Palace, I will present this to my father!"

Qin Shi immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Princess, you are dedicated to the well-being of all women in the world. I admire your heart and your actions the most!"

"Thank you princess!"

She bowed respectfully. Princess Wen had never received such respect from Qin Shi before, and hearing her speak of "for all women in the world," her cheeks flushed red, and she stammered.
"I...I haven't presented my credentials yet..."

Qin Shi laughed and said, "This is already a commendable character."

Wang Ziqian didn't feel these things so deeply. He just frowned and pondered: "Since this husband is having an affair, why doesn't he take a concubine? Such behavior shows that he doesn't care about his original wife. He is disrespectful and unkind. He is not a real man."

His thinking was simple: if divorce might mean he couldn't survive, then why not just stay married? Just like his father, who also had several wives.

General Yan also had a concubine like Ning Ji.

Yan Cong solemnly said: "In the past, the Wei State's 'Miscellaneous Laws and Laws' stipulated that 'if a husband has one wife and two concubines, he will be punished.' After Shang Yang's reforms, he also learned from Wei State, and thus the Qin law stipulated: 'One husband, one wife.'"

"If a husband has two wives, he shall be beheaded and his head displayed to the public."

"If a man has one wife and two concubines, his ears must be cut off."

Only in this way can we ensure that the female resources are not completely exploited and that the population of Qin can grow rapidly.

Of course, this only applies to ordinary people; royalty and nobility actually have their own privileges.

At this point, Yan Cong added, "As for why Madam Ma's husband didn't take a concubine and instead chose to abandon his wife, it's probably because his family was of modest means and couldn't afford to support a second person."

Wang Ziqian frowned and pondered: "If he is so poor, it is clear that he has no outstanding military rank and did not dare to risk his life for merit during his military service. In that case, Madam Ma can boldly fight for the property. He is probably not a fierce or daring person."

Yan Cong shook his head: "Your Highness does not know, there are many people in this world who are as timid and fearful as snakes and rats when dealing with outsiders, but as ruthless as jackals and wolves when dealing with their wives and children."

The reason why such people do not beat their parents is that the Qin law now stipulates that it is a serious crime for parents to sue their children for filial impiety.

If a person over sixty years old reports this, there is no need to verify the information; arrest them directly!
Upon realizing this, Yan Cong quickly came to a conclusion:
"In my opinion, Madam Ma should try to separate some of the property as soon as possible. After the government registers the property, she should spend a lot of money to find a good man to remarry quickly."

"Only in this way can we find peace."

Qin Shi never expected that just by giving the opening of the story, the three of them could generate so many topics.

In fact, the story was set in the 20th century, when the status of women in Europe and America had not been fully secured and they were still in a vulnerable position.

[Mrs. Ma] Mary's husband, who is also the town's police chief.

However, the current system cannot explain the true meaning of "one husband, one wife," and the background information from foreign lands is too complicated to explain, so she simply omitted it.

Unexpectedly, the three teenagers, from different perspectives, also managed to analyze so many seemingly plausible details.

But that's okay. The story itself isn't important; what matters is their values.

Princess Wen is usually tactful, but now that she has heard these words, she is willing to speak out bravely.

Prince Qian may seem reckless, but he is able to make careful deductions and hopes that women will fight boldly.

And Yan Cong, despite his young age, has a keen understanding of the ways of the world and can even empathize with vulnerable women, planning safe routes that meet public standards in the fastest and least harmful way.

that's nice!

Surely, young people should avoid rote learning and participate in more discussion groups to learn more.
Princess Wen listened silently to Yan Cong's opinion, then looked at Qin Shi: "Are we just going to let this husband get away with this? What happens next in the story?"

Qin Shi continued, "Mary was devastated. Given the situation in foreign countries at that time, she could hardly find a job. Even if she did, the salary was pitifully low."

"Most importantly, they were once in love like in the Book of Songs, and what pains her most now is her husband's betrayal of their love."

"She had even just taken a leg of lamb out of the snow to reward her hardworking husband."

"That really shouldn't have happened," Wang Ziqian said casually.

“A true man, if he is fickle, should be frank and not make promises to his wife. If he truly loves her and falls for another, then he shall obey the law—for having one wife and two concubines, he shall have his ears cut off!”

"He can cut off one and still take two concubines!"

His phoenix eyes, like Ji Heng's, had long, narrow corners, and he was as mischievous as a fox: "How about it? Isn't this a good deal!"

"Moreover, women can also get tax deductions for textiles. Who knows, with one wife and two concubines, he might be able to support a cripple like him."

Qin Shi couldn't help but chuckle: "Yes! Good idea! Since you've fallen for someone else, it must be true love! It's just one ear, it's worth it."

Yan Cong also tried to open his eyes wide, his face clearly saying: What's next?
The story of Qin Shi really got interesting; it was no longer just about telling a story.

“Mary broke down, argued, and fought… In the end, she wiped away her tears, pretended nothing was wrong, so as not to be laughed at by the neighbors. She even roasted a leg of lamb and then hurriedly went out to buy ingredients with her basket.”

When she returned, her husband was lying on the ground, already dead.

Princess Wen's eyes immediately sparkled.

Wang Ziqian also got excited: He knew that someone who couldn't even fight for a military rank like this was really not capable!

Qin Shi continued:

"Mary became increasingly distraught and finally reported it to the village head—based on experience, in such a murder, one should immediately suspect relatives."

“But Mary wasn’t strong, the neighbors saw her go out, and...the murder weapon wasn’t found anywhere.”

"The village head is carrying the [Seeking Thieves]—"

"What is 'Seeking the Thief'?" Prince Qian interjected.

Yan Cong quickly replied, "He is a minor official specifically responsible for chasing down thieves."

"The village head and his 'Thief Seekers' spent the entire night searching, but to no avail. Mary was devastated and incredulous, and in the end, she treated everyone to a roasted lamb leg..."

"After that, she became a widow."

"Now—" Qin Shi looked around at everyone and saw that they were all excited: "Guess how your husband died? And what was the murder weapon?"

(End of this chapter)