TPITWOHEF

Chapter 96

"Your Majesty, this is against the rules!"

The next day at the morning court session, the officials who had heard the news protested.

"Since ancient times, women have not held official positions, let alone women from the harem!"

"Our Jing Country has no such precedent!"

The civil and military officials, along with some elderly and conservative scholars and soldiers, could not accept this.

Traditionally, men handle external affairs, women handle internal affairs!

"Does this mean that harem women will join us in court sessions from now on?"

Even martial arts masters like Duke of Dingguo opposed it!

Originally, these warriors did not object much to the Emperor's choice of Crown Prince.

Now, they were enraged that Xiao Yunzhou wanted to appoint a female official.

If women could attend court, where would the men stand?

"Concubine Liu has been sewing clothes for the refugees, but Your Majesty, even lowly concubines have assisted Concubine Liu in making winter clothes. Does this mean we can become officials too?!"

Duke of Dingguo was seventy years old, still energetic, a rough man who practiced staff exercises daily.

"Not only the lowly concubines, but also this old man's daughters-in-law, granddaughters-in-law, and granddaughters all helped!"

"Does this mean my entire female household should be given official titles?"

"Your Majesty, please don't mind my blunt words, but if we follow what you say, does that mean all who participated in making clothes should be given official ranks?"

"We risked our lives for the people, our necks bearing scars as big as bowls, while they were still suckling at their mothers' breasts!"

Disagreement!

The warriors strongly disagreed.

Sewing clothes and getting official ranks, what did that make of their life-and-death struggles?

Emperor Xiao Yunzhou took a deep breath.

He hadn't even said a word yet!

These old folks...

Even without Xiao's consort's reminder, he knew these people were clearly not absolutely loyal to him!

He could hardly get a word in before they talked back for hours!

Xiao Yunzhou had a headache.

The warriors disagreed, and the civil officials also disapproved.

But the civil officials were cunning, letting the warriors take the lead in opposing.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider the hardships of the soldiers. After all, they had to kill five enemies on the battlefield to gain one rank in the past."

Since the founding of Jing Country, military merits were still calculated by the number of enemy heads taken.

One could only be promoted step by step after accumulating battle merits.

The case of Pang Rusong, who captured ten thousand rebels directly, was an exception.

Most soldiers had to fight bloody battles time and again to be promoted from common foot soldier to commander of hundreds or thousands.

"Lord Liu, what do you think?" Duke of Dingguo turned to Liu Wenchang angrily, "Do you also think your little girl should be given an official rank—"

"Hey, that's nonsense!"