In the main hall of the Ji Mansion, Ji Quan stood at the entrance. He was clearly a small and skinny old man, but he was like a huge lion blocking the entire Ji Mansion.
Madam Ji's hair was disheveled as she slumped into a chair. She continuously wiped her tears with a silk handkerchief while her maidservants gently massaged her shoulders.
The Eldest Young Master of the Ji mansion was dressed in scholar's robes. He stood beside his mother with a gloomy face, coldly looking at his beloved second sister.
The Second Young Master of the Ji Mansion was not present. The Young Master, Ji Can, was only thirteen years old, but he was even taller than Ji Quan. His left hand held the scabbard, and his right hand held the hilt of his sword. He was slightly bent at the waist, like a fierce wolf hunting for its prey. He stared at Second Sister in front of him, as if he could draw his sword and attack at any moment.
The second daughter of the Ji Family, Ji Yue, was twenty-six years old. She was wearing a simple, light blue dress. She had a round face and small eyes. Her appearance was dignified. She stood in the middle of the main hall with her head held high. She calmly looked at her father.
"I will definitely go to the County-Level Exam on the fifteenth of March!" Ji Yue straightened her back as she spoke.
Young Master Ji Can said angrily, "Second Sister, tell me honestly, how does Father usually treat you?"
"Take good care of her," Ji Yue said.
"After Second Brother-in-law died in battle, who was the first to take you home and prevent you from being humiliated by your in-laws?"
"Yes, Father."
"Then, what made you so rebellious and unfilial?!" Ji Can's eyes flashed with flames of anger.
Ji Yue said fearlessly, "Being a scholar doesn't mean I'm unfilial. Even if I become a scholar or a female scholar with a higher position, I'll still be filial to my father."
Ji Can pointed at Ji Quan, who was fuming with rage, and said, "Is this how you show filial piety to your father? How is it filial piety to make Father so angry? "
Ji Yue bit her lower lip, then gritted her teeth. Her gaze was firm as she slowly said, "What is it?"
"You …" Ji Quan, a dignified Hanlin Academy student, pointed at his daughter with a pale face, unable to say a single word.
Ji Can's eyes widened as he looked at his sister in disbelief.
Ji Yue's mother was so angry that she rolled her eyes. The maid behind her quickly patted her back.
"What is the meaning of this?" was an allusion to the Book of Filial Piety, one of the thirteen classics.
Zeng Zi once asked Confucius if a son could only be considered filial if he absolutely obeyed his father's orders.
Confucius, on the other hand, said, "What are you talking about?" It was the "He Yanyu" that Ji Yue had mentioned.
Confucius later added, "If the monarch does something unjust, then the courtier will advise the monarch to be loyal. If the father does something unjust and makes a mistake, then the child who advises the father will be filial. If a child blindly obeys his father's orders, how can he be called a filial son?
When Ji Yue said these words, it was tantamount to quoting Confucius.
Both Ji Can and his son had read "The Classic of Filial Piety". Even Mother Ji had read it, but they didn't expect her to use "Sages' Classics" to counterattack.
Can.......... Can.......... ........ Son a... Father ''s.............
Ji Yue was silent for a few breaths before she slowly said, "If I tell you, Father will be angry."
........ it.... I want to see what you can say! "Ji Can said angrily.
Ji Quan was unhappy, but he didn't stop his beloved son.
Seeing that her father didn't stop her, Ji Yue's eyes flashed with disappointment. She said decisively, "The human race is facing a crisis of extinction, and we continue to expand the number of scholars. As a woman, if I can become a scholar and serve the human race, wouldn't it be a good thing? Fang Sheng was a Half-Saint of the human race, and he was the leader of the human race. He issued an imperial edict to recruit female scholars, and we followed him. Was that a righteous act? I know Father doesn't like men and women to take the same exam, but I didn't hide it. Instead, I took the initiative to beg Father. Is it righteous? Little brother, I want to ask you. You always claim to be a scholar. Why are you so aggressive when you know I'm taking this year's exam? What happened to your manly demeanor? What happened to your scholarly spirit? Is it because you're taking this year's exam and you're afraid I'll steal your limelight? "
"You … You're slandering me! Father, look at sister. She can't win against me, so she's being unreasonable! "Ji Can turned to look at Fang Yun with tears in his eyes.
When Ji Quan saw that his youngest son, who resembled him the most, was crying, he flew into a rage and said, "You unfilial daughter, are you trying to anger me to death?!"
Seeing such a familiar scene, Ji Yue remembered that every time she had a conflict with her younger brother, she would be reprimanded by her father. Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked, "Father, in your eyes, do you think that I, as your daughter, am not worthy of studying and being a scholar?"
Ji Quan looked at his daughter's red eyes and snorted. "If I didn't think you were worthy, I wouldn't have taught you how to read and write. I wouldn't have let you fool around with the women in the Women's Society. It's a rule that women can't be scholars. This rule can't be broken now! "
"Who set the rule? Was it Kong Sheng? "Ji Yue asked.
Ji Quan was stunned. "Of course it was Kong Sheng! If Kong Sheng allowed women to become scholars, he would have bestowed talent to them. Why did he only give it to men? Why only men are admitted? This isn't just Kong Sheng's rule. It's the rule of all the saints! "
"Then now, Fang Sheng has set his rule!" Ji Yue said.
Ji Quan's blood boiled. "The Ji family can't mention that villain's name! He harmed the Ji family, Gyeongo, and Qing Jun. Isn't that enough? If it weren't for him, Qing Jun wouldn't have died so tragically! If it weren't for him, the Ji family wouldn't have fallen to such a state! Everything the Ji family has is because of him! He will definitely be opposed by all the saints. His rule shouldn't exist! "
"Then father, you're saying that you can deny Half-saint's rule?" Ji Yue asked.
Ji Quan suddenly took a step forward. He swung his right arm and slapped Ji Yue's face.
Ji Yue covered her face and looked at her father in shock.
Mother Ji and Eldest Young Master Ji looked at Ji Quan in disbelief. Ji Can sneered, his eyes full of pride.
Ji Quan watched his daughter's tears fall like pearls from a broken necklace. He suddenly turned around and walked out.
While walking, Ji Quan said, "Come, chain Yue 'er up and lock her in her room. She's not allowed to leave the Ji family before the fifteenth! If anyone dares to let her go, I'll break their legs! This Gyeongo, this Ji family, is not surnamed Fang! "
Ji Can chuckled and said, "Second Sister, now you know what it means to not listen to the advice of your elders and suffer losses, right? I already said that you women don't deserve to study, but you didn't listen. Now look at you? Hide in your room and embroider. Wait until I become a scholar. If you dare to bully me again, I'll use my talent to teach you a lesson! Hahahaha … "
Ji Can strode away.
"Second sister, let's go." Eldest Young Master Ji gave a look to the servants and pushed Ji Yue into her room.
Ji Yue sat on the edge of the bed and secretly took out a book from under the mattress. She gently stroked it.
《New Notes to the Analects of Confucius》
On the morning of the tenth, the Ji family's door was slammed open.
A Grand Scholar walked in with two other High Scholars.
The Ji family didn't know what was going on. They saw the Grand Scholar holding up a token and loudly saying, "The Punishment Hall has received a report. Ji Quan obstructed the imperial edict and secretly set up a prison. Arrest him immediately!"
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