On the day of rest.
It was rare that Quan Wanji didn't go to court, but he didn't relax. Instead, he wrote furiously at home, preparing to contact his old friends to criticize Mo Jiazi's absurd behavior. After writing more than ten letters, he put down the brush in his hand, rubbed his sore arm, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Steward, send these letters to the addresses on the envelopes. Also, bring this issue of the Mo Journal," Quan Wanji said.
Although Quan Wanji despised Meton's behavior, he was very satisfied with the Mo Journal. It had become the largest newspaper in Guanzhong. Although there were still some small newspapers, they couldn't compete because they didn't have as extensive a source of information as the Mo family.
Every time the Mo Journal was published, anyone in Chang 'an who could read would choose to buy a copy. No one would refuse the feeling of being able to know about the world's major events without leaving the house.
Furthermore, the Mo Journal's content was extensive and the quality of the news was excellent. Every time there was a major event that the entire city would discuss. Even if one went out to chat with others, they would have something to talk about.
"This!" Steward Quan hesitated, then said, "Replying to Master, the Mo Journal has already been delivered. I saw that Master was busy, so I didn't disturb you."
Quan Wanji nodded and took the Mo Journal from the steward. He picked up a cup of hot tea and prepared to read the Mo Journal in his most comfortable way.
However, when he saw the headline on the front page, his expression changed. He flew into a rage. "Mo Jiazi dares to bully me like this!"
The headline on the front page of the Mo Journal read, "The Mo Family's Marriage Test!" The author was Meton.
This was the first time Meton had published an article in the Mo Journal, and he had chosen to use this as the topic at the heart of the storm. His intentions were clear.
"It is natural for men and women to marry. In the secular world, one of the reasons for marriage is mutual love. The Book of Songs says, 'The ruffian Chi Liang hugs cloth and trades in silk. Bandits come to trade in silk, and they come to scheme against me. '" Meton used the opening of the Book of Songs, Wei Feng, to describe the scene of an ancient woman and a man falling in love before marriage and discussing their wedding date.
The Book of Songs was one of the Four Books and Five Classics of the Confucian school. It was something that all scholars had to read. Meton used the Confucian school's spear to attack the Confucian school's shield, using the Confucian school's classic to break Quan Wanji's accusations.
Confucianism revered ancient rites. However, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Wei Kingdom, it was common for men and women to meet before marriage. They could even discuss the wedding date by themselves. Why was it that during the Tang Dynasty, it became an immoral thing for men and women to meet before marriage? Compared to the scene in the Book of Songs, Meton's behavior on the night of the Lantern Festival could not be more normal.
"Alas, the ancient people were still in love with each other. But now, the ancient customs of the Tang dynasty have been cut off. It's easier to guard against the love between men and women than to guard against the river. The matters between men and women are nothing more than being taken care of by parents. We young people are like marionettes, at their mercy." Meton loudly criticized the arranged marriages, child brides, and the phenomenon of men and women not knowing each other before marriage.
Quan Wanji looked at the words that were like sharp arrows piercing through his heart. His face flushed red and he felt dizzy. He fell into a chair and let the ink magazine fall from his hands.
At the same time, as the ink magazine spread to thousands of households, Meton's article was like a bucket of cold water being poured into a pot of oil. In an instant, the entire city of Chang 'an exploded with heated discussions.
"The second reason is the arranged marriage. The boys are brothers and the girls are husband and wife. It seems like they have deep feelings for each other and keep their promises, but in reality, they are the most irresponsible parents in the world. In order to fulfill their own promises, they disregard the other party's character and personality and give up their children's happiness with a marriage contract. "
In the Pan Family Restaurant, Scholar Sun read Meton's article and sighed, "Mo Jiazi really dares to say this!"
Every time someone arranged an arranged marriage, it would become a popular topic of discussion. However, no one cared about the opinions of their children. On the contrary, if one party broke the marriage contract, they would be condemned by the public and even sued by the government. In the end, they would have no choice but to fulfill the marriage contract. Meton's words directly broke the beautiful facade of the arranged marriage and exposed the bloody cruelty behind it to everyone.
Think about it, if someone arranged an arranged marriage and the other party was a fool, at that time, with a marriage contract in hand, would they marry or not?
Many people who had arranged an arranged marriage had ugly expressions on their faces when they read the article. The little bit of satisfaction they had from the arranged marriage had long disappeared, leaving behind only endless self-blame.
"The third reason is the child bride. When she is ten years old, the son-in-law's family will take her in and raise her as their daughter-in-law. This is a child bride. They live and eat together from a young age and are not like husband and wife, but more like siblings. There is only affection and love. The girl is just a tool to carry on the family line. She is not a close relative but more like a close relative. This is the tragedy of human relationships."
Although child brides were popular in the Song Dynasty, it was not unheard of in the Tang Dynasty. Some families had too many children and were worried that they would not be able to find a wife when they grew up. Therefore, they would adopt a girl from childhood and raise her until she grew up.
This mostly happened in poor families, but it was not unheard of in Chang 'an.
"Child bride! She is not a close relative but more like a close relative. "Many people from Mo Jiazi had ugly expressions on their faces.
Marriage between close relatives was a concept proposed by the School of Medicine last year. Once close relatives married, the chances of their children being handicapped would multiply. Although child brides were not close relatives by blood, it was still a marriage between close relatives.
"Fourthly, arranged marriages are also acceptable. The order of the parents and the words of the matchmaker were the secular etiquette, namely, "accepting the gift", "asking the name", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift", "accepting the gift".
However, nowadays, men and women are very cautious. Men don't know women, women don't know men. It's all up to the parents to decide. That day they met for the first time, and now the marriage is already set. Whether the other party is pockmarked or crippled can only be decided by the Heavens. "
"Haha, haha, pockmarked, crippled." Li Shimin was overjoyed as he held the newspaper.
Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Shimin reproachfully and said, "You're still in the mood to laugh?"
Li Shimin quickly said sternly, "If this kid was a coward, I would look down on him. I didn't expect him to show up and take the initiative to fight back. This made me think highly of him. However, it's impossible for me to forgive him because of this."
Li Shimin was now angry when he thought of Meton seducing his daughter under his nose.
"You're still talking about others. What about you? Who was it at that time? When you just got married, you often leaned on the wall and peeped at me. "Empress Zhangsun thought of the past and said shyly.
Li Shimin suddenly showed a proud expression. He recalled the scene of the first time they met. Suddenly, a warm feeling flowed between the two of them.
Empress Zhangsun leaned on Li Shimin's chest and asked softly, "Do you think there would be parents who would treat their children like this? Would they give their daughter pockmarked or crippled?"
Compared to others, Empress Zhangsun could be said to be extremely lucky. Although her parents died early, she was lucky enough to meet a kind uncle. Not only did he adopt them, but he also chose the best husband in the world for her.
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