eurekapd Chapter 399 The Buddha-Hearted Crown Prince
Chapter 399 The Buddha-Hearted Crown Prince
In the end, the eldest grandson, who hadn't been sold, ran barefoot to the government office to report the case.
Hearing this, even the second sister, who disliked Sister-in-law Jiang, showed a look of pity and sighed, "A mother's love is strong... Even if she has a thousand faults, she is truly impeccable when it comes to her three children."
"Yes, in a way, she was only able to survive thanks to you, Second Miss," Laiqian said.
The second sister asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Lai Qian said, "In the past, it wasn't a big deal for someone in the village to beat their own wife to death. But later, your suggestion that this should be considered domestic violence and included in the law was adopted by the imperial court, and various places also issued relevant policies."
The second sister thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's true, but because domestic violence policies are not yet perfect, it's very difficult to implement them. I've heard that there aren't any good policies in various places."
Lai Qian replied, "Yes, but because you used to live in Fenghuang County, Fenghuang County was the first to respond, and its domestic violence policy was implemented more strictly than in other places."
It was because of this that Jiang Jianchun was arrested and imprisoned for domestic violence, and soon after, he was sentenced to caning and exiled.
Moreover, as a result, Sister-in-law Jiang was ordered to divorce Jiang Jianchun and was no longer required to stay in the Jiang family. She had long since lost her maternal family, but she could establish her own household. However, she had no money and nowhere to go, and wandering outside would not end well.
And although her two younger sons were sold, she still had an older son.
Jiang's sister-in-law hesitated, but was persuaded to leave by her eldest son.
He said, “I am a member of the Jiang family, I can’t leave. And even if Grandpa is not well, he won’t do anything to me. I will be stronger than him soon. Mother, don’t worry about me. I’m all grown up and can support myself. Just be careful, Mother.”
These words melted Sister-in-law Jiang's heart.
She burst into tears and told her son that she needed to find her two younger brothers first, and that once she found them, she would definitely find a way to take them away.
……
Hearing this, the second sister sighed and said, "Yes, although the court allows women to divorce and allows them to live independently, if a woman leaves her husband's family and has no family to take her in, she has nowhere to go."
Moreover, men and women are different; it is common to see men wandering the world, but you never see beggars as women. Female beggars, regardless of age, are taken away by someone within a few days.
There are always those poor men who can't afford to get married, and they'd love to pick up a woman from outside the marriage.
"What if there was a place specifically for women who had nowhere else to go?"
Si Muyan looked at her second sister and suggested, "It must be organized by the government, so that we can receive the government's protection. Otherwise, women are not as powerful as men, and unless we gather a large number of women, it will be difficult to make a difference."
The second sister nodded: "When I go back to Dali Temple, I will discuss with them whether we can promote this women's shelter."
The idea is good, but putting it into practice is extremely difficult. Leaving aside women who are determined to leave, there are far more women in the world who are abandoned, yet they are often only discarded when they have no further use to the other woman.
For example, they may be too old to walk, or they may be seriously ill and have no access to medical care.
If such a women's shelter were to be established, the government's funding needs would be even greater, and the pressure from all sides would be immense. Whether it could be implemented and how it could be implemented were all questions.
Of course, with her stubborn nature, my second sister will find a way to do things no matter how difficult it is.
Si Muyan had never returned to the capital, but she knew quite a bit about the city. Most of the people who came to visit the estate were high-ranking officials and nobles. She rarely appeared there, but she was willing to accept visits from young women with whom she had previously been on good terms.
For example, Du Shangge would frequently visit the manor to talk to Si Muyan.
Zhao Ning, having nothing else to do, had come here a few times as well.
Zhao Ning's marriage to Feng Zizhou was arranged, and she would be getting married in the spring. Both families were happy, and Zhao Ning herself was also very happy. She became more talkative, chatting endlessly with Si Muyan.
The most widely discussed topic in Kyoto right now is the changes that have occurred since the Crown Prince's wedding.
"Because of Gui Yuan's matter, I didn't have a good impression of Gui Shan. But now, I think she's quite good, and she has a great influence on the Crown Prince."
Si Muyan asked curiously, "What kind of impact?"
"Don't you know? The people are praising the Crown Prince now, saying he is a Buddha-hearted prince, and many scholars have written poems to praise him. He burns incense and chants scriptures every day, and he also follows the monks of Wuxiang Temple to preach and promote compassion. He has also funded the construction of temples and supported eminent monks."
"Did this happen in the last two months?"
Si Muyan frowned. A person's character is not like food; it doesn't spread quickly through word of mouth. If someone is truly compassionate, they would never let their reputation for compassion spread throughout the entire capital so quickly.
Unless he had ulterior motives.
Of course, the Crown Prince's purpose was irrelevant to her; her only worry was her younger sister in the palace.
Zhao Ning continued, "And another thing, I heard that there was a child who was beyond medical help and was sent to Wuxiang Temple. The high monks there said that his lifespan had not yet ended but there was nothing they could do. His Highness the Crown Prince obtained a secret recipe that said the blood of a dragon's heart could cure all diseases, so he personally cut his heart's blood to use as a medicinal ingredient for the child, and the child really did survive."
Such absurd things are now highly revered in temples, and many people believe in them.
Zhao Ning sighed, "Besides His Majesty, the only one left in the Heavenly Dragon is the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is truly kind; he's willing to harm his own body for a child he doesn't even know."
Si Muyan didn't speak, but asked Zhao Ning to go to the palace and tell her younger sister about this.
Zhao Ning did go, and he told his younger sister the legend of the Crown Prince, but his younger sister listened absentmindedly.
"Is Consort Wan troubled by something?"
The younger sister paused, lowered her eyes, shook her head, and didn't say anything more.
Zhao Ning didn't want to linger, so he said, "It's my fault for disturbing you. But the other day when I went to the estate, I talked to the young lady about His Highness the Crown Prince. She was worried that you might be bored in the palace, so she asked me to come and tell you about it. Just for fun."
"Thank you, Your Highness." The younger sister covered the dark circles under her eyes and smiled. "My elder sister is worried about me, but I've been a bit tired these past few days. Once I've recovered, I'll send someone to visit her."
Zhao Ning smiled and said, "Although you sisters live far apart, you remember each other. That's wonderful."
After seeing Zhao Ning off, Madam Tian said with some worry, "Your Highness, even the eldest young lady noticed something was wrong. His Highness the Crown Prince is making such a big fuss; he doesn't seem like a well-behaved person. Besides, His Majesty has said several times that the Crown Prince has grown up and become sensible, and knows how to care for the people. You…"
The younger sister was unable to conceive, yet she refused to cultivate a relationship with the Crown Prince, causing Madam Tian great anxiety.
"I know," the younger sister waved her hand, "but with the Empress Dowager so seriously ill, how could I have any other thoughts?"
Her eyes were slightly red. She used to be able to handle everything with ease, but after returning to the capital, apart from her family, the Empress Dowager was the only outsider who truly cared about her. How could she not worry?