I'm sure of the prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong!

Chapter 277 Public opinion
Foot binding can be banned by government decree, but chest binding cannot, or it is difficult to ban.

In ancient times, corseting was not as "famous" as footbinding. The fundamental reason was that it was too obscure and almost impossible to check.

Just the mere sight of a woman's ankles by a strange man would taint her innocence, let alone something as intimate as corseting.

Moreover, in ancient times, corsets, like footbinding, were mostly used to modify the body shape and show off the soft curves of women.

However, there is a high probability that it will harm the body, and better ones will also affect female development and cause insufficient breastfeeding.

However, those who bound feet and bound breasts were generally rich and wealthy families. Even if the breast milk was not enough, professional wet nurses could be hired.

In those costume dramas, wealthy families often hire wet nurses to raise their children, mostly for this reason.

Otherwise, they are all normal women, and the nutrition of rich families is even better than that of poor people, so how can they not have enough milk?

Nanjing.

Palace, Royal Garden.

"Your Majesty, do you think it's okay for my concubine to write like this?" Queen Wu Alan asked, holding a brush in her hand.

Wu Alan was originally illiterate, but after becoming a queen, she began to learn to read and practice calligraphy, and she could be regarded as chatting in the inner courtyard of the palace to relieve her boredom.

Zhu Yijiong carefully checked the draft of "Female Commandments" written by Wu Alan himself, and nodded slightly: "Well... that's good, just write it like this. Thank you Queen for your hard work."

Wu Alan pursed his lips and smiled softly: "As long as I can help His Majesty, I won't have to work hard!"

Let the queen write the prohibition of foot binding and breast binding into the "Female Commandments" to form a commandment.

This was the cabinet's idea.

The emperor can be shameless and directly issue an order prohibiting women from binding their feet or corseting their breasts, but they, the courtiers, cannot really make the emperor shameless.

It's easy to say that foot binding is banned, but if word about chest binding spreads, it will easily spread the emperor's lustful reputation throughout the world.

Moreover, corseting is really difficult to check. It’s impossible to really ask an official to take off a woman’s clothes in public!

Just foot-binding has already caused widespread criticism among the people, and it will be even worse if word of chest-binding spreads.

In this case, we can only borrow the Queen's hand.

Defeat magic with magic!
The queen is the mother of the country. As long as the queen comes forward, she personally adds the commandments prohibiting foot binding and breast binding to the "Girls' Commandments".

Unless the Ming Dynasty is destroyed in the future, foot binding and breast binding will be forbidden areas for women in the next few hundred years, and the imperial court will also stand on the moral high ground.

It's just that this will inevitably bring some infamy to the queen, and even the infamy of a woman.

Zhu Yijiong didn't care, it was just a little infamy. From the time he ascended to the throne to the present, he, the emperor, had no idea how many times his spine had been poked by those civilian gentry?
Moreover, the cabinet's approach also inspired Zhu Yijiong.

After Zhu Yijiong instructed the queen how to write the "Female Commandments", he immediately said: "It is my decree that from now on there will be another rule in the inner courtyard of the harem. All women entering the palace are not allowed to have their feet or chests bound. If there is any foot binding, , All those who bind their breasts will be expelled from the palace!"

This was mainly said to the concubines who had recently entered the palace, and the purpose was to get them to spread the news beyond the palace walls.

Behind these concubines are powerful families from various provinces, as long as they spread the news.

It won't be long before at least the big families in those places will know that the emperor doesn't like concubines with bound feet or corseted breasts.

In this way, there is almost no need for government orders, and those wealthy families will spontaneously ban foot binding and breast binding.

There is a saying that the King of Chu had such a thin waist that many people died of starvation in the palace.

Nothing more than that.

In the inner city of Nanjing, there is a painted boat on the Qinhuai River.

In the painting boat, the high-priced servants from the Qing Dynasty were playing the harp behind the curtain to add to the fun, while a group of literati were changing cups and drinking wine to have fun.

At this time, someone suddenly said angrily under the influence of wine: "Your Majesty is really out of his mind. He has issued an edict for no reason to ban women's feet. You should know that women's small feet are a matter of elegance. This is simply an insult to elegance!"

Nearby, another scholar not only did not dissuade, but also echoed: "What Brother Zijing said is true. Not only the little feet, but also the aphrodisiac, are also elegant things. But the imperial court banned them completely. This incident has resulted in the loss of many vagabond poetic talents in our literary world, which is a pity..."

"If you ask me, this must be a traitor in the court to deceive Your Majesty. Otherwise, such a stupid government can be carried out. It is a joke that we, the educated people, have to pay taxes and silver together with that untouchable. !” “There are also untouchables who don’t have to do corvee, which is unheard of...”

A group of literati were drunk and crazy in the boat, and the gossip became more and more outrageous. Not only did they involve drugs, but they were even accused of being incompetent.

But what’s interesting is, if nothing else, none of these people have ever smoked or been exposed to Ameron.

These people are here now to criticize the current affairs of the court under the influence of wine, not for class interests, but simply because of their youthful anger.

Also, their honors were abolished, not because of this foot binding, but because they were abolished after the last imperial examination.

Now, they not only have to wait for the triennial scientific examination like everyone else.You have to start from the beginning, and there is a high probability that the papers in the next subject will only become more difficult as the exam gets closer.

These angry young people in Huafang used alcohol to criticize current affairs, but they were limited to oral pleasure.

There were actually people outside who gathered in front of the palace gate and kowtowed, begging the imperial court to take back the decree.

Zhu Yijiong, who was in charge of the imperial study's review of the memorial, didn't even raise his head when he learned about it, and said directly: "Bounce them all out, and those who refuse to reform three times in a row will be directly dismissed from their jobs and will never be hired. Don't they like Xiaozu? Then let them all understand it deeply. A little harm from this little foot."

The emperor struck hard, and those courtiers who had always paid attention to this matter were not surprised by this. They just sighed: "You are still too young. You are the founder of the country. How can you make concessions just because of knocking on the que?"

If this is really the case, then does the imperial authority still need to be strict?
Of course, Zhu Yijiong did not rely solely on high-handed government orders, but also knew that he must also master the weapon of public opinion.

It was rare for Jiang Jingqi to be summoned by the emperor: "I am here to pay homage to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

Zhu Yijiong said: "Don't talk nonsense. Now I want you to write an article about the harm of women's foot binding and breast binding. Do you dare to write it?"

When Wang Jingqi heard this, he immediately understood that this was his opportunity for promotion.

In the past two years, Wang Jingqi has also written many articles for the Ming Dynasty. Today he criticizes this for the country, and tomorrow he criticizes that.

Even Xing Shenggong himself was criticized, only Confucius was not criticized.

It's just a mere woman with feet bound and breasts tied, nothing compared to her future!

Wang Jingqi looked serious: "Why don't you dare?"

Zhu Yijiong nodded: "Very good. You can start polishing your pen as soon as you get back. After you finish writing, you can review it with me. If your writing is good, you will be the Zuo Shilang of the Propaganda Department."

This is nakedly using promotion as an inducement. As for the original Zuo Shilang, he can be promoted openly or secretly.

Anyway, they are all demoted officials with little ability. There will be no shortage of demoted officials in the Ming Dynasty.

Wang Jingqi was excited, but he still bowed respectfully: "I obey your decree!"

With a big troll like Wang Jingqi here, the literati among the people alone will never be able to troll him.

Little did they know that even a good-tempered man like Yong Zheng was sprayed and killed by Wang Jingqi.

Moreover, even if there are such angry young people who can compete with Wang Jingqi on the same stage, that would be a good thing.

Just like the traffic of later generations, ordinary people who have little entertainment activities often like to watch the excitement the most.

The harder these people can spray, the more attention the people will pay to them.

If the imperial court listed the dangers of women's foot binding and breast binding in it, then foot binding and breast binding would be natural and imperceptible, and they would be banned.

Footbinding and chest corseting are essentially based on the so-called wealthy concept, because women with bound feet and corsets cannot leave the house, do not step outside the door, and do not need (cannot) breastfeed themselves.

As a result, it gradually became a consensus among the so-called rich people, and then they began to compare with each other.

The Manchu Qing Dynasty repeatedly banned it, and ultimately there are some deformities caused by the so-called foot binding and chest binding, which are orthodox in the Han family.

Men can't keep their braids, but women must at least keep their little feet. I can only say it's sad.

Zhu Yijiong, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, would certainly not have this problem, and the people would not be able to resist the imperial decree for this reason.

　Happy Chinese Valentine's Day
　　
　
(End of this chapter)