The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 847: The Fate of the Ma Family (4)

Chapter 847: Chapter 847: The Fate of the Ma Family (4)

"Enough." Chu Suifeng bellowed, becoming especially irritated when the matter was brought up.

"Not enough," Si Jinhan continued, "You fools actually dare to push people away. Now tell me, would you resort to violence against someone who simply asks for help?"

Many faces on the ground turned red; they had never thought so much about it. More importantly, they didn’t realize how formidable the Princess Consort was.

"The third question, I ask you, if it were your daughter who was captured by the Tatars and even lost her innocence, what would you do?" Lin Ziyin looked at the elder on the ground, as he was the leader of this group of scholars, then she turned to the officials, "And what would you do?"

Many officials began to sweat, but the elder still responded with an air of righteousness, "If that happened, I would certainly put an end to her myself."

As soon as he said this, whispers erupted among the bystanders.

A woman and two girls in the crowd started crying loudly, their eyes fixed on the elder, filled with resentment.

"You are not fit to be a father," Lin Ziyin said calmly to the elder, "Children should respect the elderly, but elders should also protect their children. Every year at the border, our sisters from Northern Land are harmed by the Tatars, but did they ever wish for such disasters? They suffer immensely, both physically and mentally, but no harm can compare to the mockery and indifference from their own kin and friends. Such men are worse than beasts, for even beasts protect their young."

Her words resonated with many women present, though some remained unconvinced.

"To earn fame at the expense of hurting your own children and countrymen, and yet proudly act as a hero and role model, you truly are as low as beasts," Luo Yanlan supported the Princess Consort.

"You, you..." The elder, having never been publicly humiliated like this, was overwhelmed by anger and spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Prince, Mr. Situ," Lin Ziyin solemnly proposed, "I request that two more laws be added to the Northern Land’s legal code: one, anyone who forces a woman against her will should be punished, and the severity of the punishment should be determined by the specific situation. Particularly, those who harm young girls should face severe penalties. Secondly, no one should sell daughters unless they themselves agree in the presence of officialdom, including their parents."

"Women are also ’half the sky’ of our Northern Land. I believe as long as women are confident, self-reliant, and respectful of themselves, they will perform no less capably than men. Women can do everything men can do, and sometimes women are even more formidable since at least women can bear children, which men cannot."

The last remark had a teasing tone.

Laughter erupted among the crowd, a sound of good humor.

In fact, Shili Village’s regulations had long been this way, and though men had heard of it and felt a bit sheepish, there was no strong opposition. It was said that marital relationships in Shili Village were solid—truly a relationship where men plowed and women wove. Moreover, with officialdom providing free education, many girls really learned useful skills. With the appearance of wool yarns and knitting factories, many women earned as much silver as men, establishing a financial foundation that made everyone recognize the truth in her words.

"Once we successfully cultivate cotton in the southern part, factories will arrive needing many female workers, so girls must strive to excel. To ’strive,’ you must first respect yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, who else will?" Lin Ziyin encouraged everyone.