The county magistrate Chen Yaojie convened a meeting of officials. Those present included the county magistrate, Dian Shi, heads of various departments (at the county bureau level),
Justice system officials.
Chen Yaojie took the official document issued by the court and said: "Your Majesty promulgated the "Prohibition of Foot-Binding Order". I have asked people to copy dozens of copies. You can take it and take a look."
After the official document was sent, the chief of the business department once asked: "The "Prohibition of Foot Binding Order" clearly states that only foot binding that damages the muscles and bones is prohibited. But how can we tell whether there is any damage? Should women be asked to take off their shoes to see?"
Zhu Honggang, the county magistrate, laughed and said: "On the fourth line of the third page of the official document, bows and shoes are banned! The court has already made it clear...
"I see, Zhu Cheng is really attentive." All the officials immediately flattered him.
The imperial edict that Zhao Han asked Li Xiangjun to draw up was only a draft, and it had to be handed over to the cabinet and the imperial edict office for polishing. The cabinet would add details, and even convene officials to discuss it, and then send it to Zhao Han for review after it was perfected.
When the "Prohibition of Foot-Binding Order" was implemented, there were two key words: one was filial piety, and the other was bow shoes.
"Filial piety" is the theoretical moral basis for prohibiting foot-binding from harming the body, while "bow shoes" are the core of the specific implementation of the prohibition of foot-binding.
Not only women bind their feet, but men also bind their feet, but they use foot-binding cloth. Regardless of men or women, an important reason for foot-binding is to look better, because in ancient times, the uppers of shoes were soft, and it was easy to make the feet look thick and flat when worn.
The imperial court could only ban footbinding that was harmful to the body, and it was impossible to ban normal footbinding as well.
So how to tell?
Just tell what kind of shoes you are wearing. Most women with foot binding wear bow shoes. Women who have foot binding that damages the body will wear pointed and small bow shoes, which can be recognized at a glance.
County magistrate Chen Yaohai said: "Most of the people with deformed foot binding are the gentry and wealthy businessmen in the county. They cannot directly prevent their daughters from getting married, otherwise they will definitely cause trouble. The official document said that as long as the feet are released, the injured toes can slowly recover.
, is also a way to compensate for filial piety. After the little feet are restored, an unfilial daughter will have a filial daughter. So,
The key is to put your feet down!”
This was not the situation at the end of the Qing Dynasty, when the countryside was full of small feet. The "Prohibition of Foot-Binding Order" targeted all the daughters of gentry and wealthy businessmen. If there was no reason for "injury to filial piety" and severe punishment, these
The gentry and wealthy merchants had plenty of ways to fool them.
However, the specific implementation must pay attention to the method. It would be smoother to change the prohibition of foot binding to the prohibition of arched shoes.
Foot binding is done by men who do not allow women to wear bow shoes for the sake of face, so why do they do it? At most, they can be kept at home and watched by themselves. Do you think men like to look at red, swollen and pus-filled feet?
Chen Yaojie said: "Women's foot binding begins when the youngest are four or five years old, and these girls have not yet gone to school.
Lao Zhu and I, as well as the heads of various departments, visited the gentry's homes in person. Yang Dianshi arranged for the rest to visit schools in the county. All women's slippers must be inspected. Remember, summon all the doctors in the county.
They have to be treated after their feet are placed."
"Yes!" The officials stood up in unison.
It has to be said that although corruption cases continue in various places, as long as the emperor issues an order, local officials will complete it quickly, and the government's administrative efficiency is surprisingly high.
This comes from the authority of the founding emperor!
The next day, the county magistrate Chen Yaohai took a doctor and two county officials to visit Sun Dongqing, the richest man in the county. There was no doubt that as the richest man in the county, Sun Dongqing already knew the purpose of the county. Officials sent people last night.
Of course, he had to pretend to be a messenger all night long. Sun Dongqing bowed and said, "When the county magistrate comes to my humble residence, the common people are terrified!"
"Mr. Sun is so humble." Chen Yaojie followed suit.
While talking nonsense, he led the magistrate into the inner hall.
After sitting down, Chen Yao said directly: "Your Majesty has decreed that foot binding is forbidden to harm the body. Mr. Sun, please call all the female relatives at home. All females will come, regardless of age."
Not long after, all the women from the Sun family arrived, including Sun Dongqing's old mother.
Chen Yaojie glanced at it and saw that no one was wearing bow shoes. He was sure that the news had been leaked, and he felt slightly angry and said with a smile on his face:
“All slippers!“
Sun Dongqing's expression suddenly changed and she hurriedly said: "How can a woman's feet be seen by outsiders at will?"
The old lady of the Sun family even hit the ground with her walking stick and angrily shouted: "Mr. Chen, you are also a parent, are you here to humiliate me today?"
Chen Yaojiao sneered and said: "If you don't take off your shoes, I will take my leave. You can decide for yourself the charge of disobedience."
Everyone in the Sun family was silent.
The emperor's order was ruthless. The Sun family was a prominent family in Jiashan. Not only did they have a large amount of land confiscated, but they were also forcibly divided and two-thirds of the family immigrated to the north.
Resist?
Someone resisted during the land division, and he was the richest man in Jiashan. As for the result of the resistance, the richest man in Jiashan changed his surname and became the Sun family who cooperated with the land division.
The old lady of the Sun family immediately put on a smile and said to her daughter-in-law, grandson-in-law, and granddaughters: "Since it is the emperor's order, you must obey it. You all take off your shoes. I also take off your body. You must not disobey the emperor's order."
The old lady took off her shoes first. She also had her feet bound, but she did not become deformed. One of her daughters-in-law was shivering there.
Chen Yaojie walked over and took a look, and saw that except for the big toe, the other four toes were unrecognizable, which made people feel sick. Such small feet have a sickly and fragile beauty when walking, but
After taking off the shoes, there is no beauty at all.
"What does her husband do?" Chen Yaojie asked.
Sun Dongqing said: "This is the wife of Cao Min's second brother, Cao Min's second brother is doing business."
Chen Yaojie said to the accompanying officials: "Go back and check whether there is a franchise license in your husband's name. If so,
Take it back immediately!"
Sun Dongqing was shocked. This was serious. Fortunately, the license was in his name.
I also checked the girls in the younger generation and found that all those under ten years old had small, deformed feet.
It seems that the custom of foot-binding in Jiashan County existed a decade or two ago, even to the point of injury, but the number was very rare. In recent years, it has become more and more serious, and girls of the younger generation from the richest families are all bound in this way.
After careful inspection, the doctor sighed: "The oldest lady's foot bones have been completely deformed.
From now on, if you let your feet go, you may be able to walk better, but it is impossible to restore them to their original state. There is still a possibility of recovery for the other ladies, and they must not bind their feet again in the future."
Chen Yaojie called the girl over and asked: "How old are you?"
The girl replied: "Ten years old."
Chen Yaojiao asked Sun Dongqing again: "Is this your daughter?"
Sun Dongqing said in a flattering tone: "That's right. I ask the county magistrate to be tolerant and let the common people give their daughter some slack immediately."
Chen Yao asked, "Why didn't you study at the age of ten?"
Sun Dongqing replied: "It's the same when you study at home. It's not good for a young daughter to be exposed in public."
"You're not forcing your daughter to go to an ordinary elementary school. You're the richest man in the county, so why don't you send your daughter to a girls' school?"
Chen Yaojiao scolded, "Ignoring the emperor's order is an unforgivable crime. Your Sun family's salt business license is gone!"
Sun Dongqing was stunned for a moment, and then cried and said: "Your Majesty, please spare your life, please show me your noble hands. The common people will send their daughter to study tomorrow... no, today!"
Three years of compulsory primary school education has been very loose to be honest. If children are not sent to study, the government often turns a blind eye.
But since he was caught today, Chen Yaohai will definitely establish his authority.
More than 60% of the officials in the new Datong Dynasty now belong to the wild class, and they are not from serious imperial examination backgrounds.
With the forced division of fields and relocation of families, the deep-rooted local order has long been broken, and a county magistrate can suppress the gentry and noble families to death.
Local officials at all levels also like to do this. As long as the procedures are legal, the greater the influence of the suppressed family, the higher the official's reputation for being selfless.
The chief minister of a county was scolded by the county magistrate until he cried bitterly because he did not send his daughter to school, and his right to operate a salt shop was revoked. This should be left to the Ming Dynasty, and he would not be laughed to death.
Moreover, the imperial edict supplemented by the cabinet is very interesting. It only punishes women and their husbands with bound feet, but does not severely punish their parents. But this thing can be used as a supplement. Girls whose feet are bound to the point of harming their bodies cannot study. If parents do not send their daughters to study, they will be punished.
What's the punishment? You said the school won't accept it? Then I don't care. I only know that you don't send your daughter to study. You must be severely punished!
Chen Yaojie continued to reprimand: "Both men and women must complete three years of elementary school. This is an imperial order that cannot be violated. Today I just cancel your right to operate a salt shop. If you do it again, your other businesses will also be subject to additional taxes."
!”
Sun Dongqing was still crying bitterly, but after hearing this, she was too busy to nod her head: "I will never do it again, I will never do it again!"
On the streets of the county town, the patrol police have a new job.
Their eyes glanced at the women's feet, and when they saw the ones wearing bow shoes, they immediately rushed up to them. Those whose skirts covered their feet were allowed to lift their skirts on their own.
"Stop the sedan!"
Two patrolmen stopped several sedan chairs.
The porter quickly got off the sedan, and a senior attendant came forward and said: "Master Jun, these are the female relatives of a noble family in the city. We have invited them to go to Qingliang Temple outside the city to offer incense."
A patrolman scolded: "Everyone got out of the sedan chair for inspection. Your Majesty has ordered us not to bind our feet or injure our bodies, nor to wear bow shoes anymore!"
If you disobey the emperor's order, you know what will happen!"
The ladies of the noble family who were impatient at first did not dare to have any dissatisfaction when they heard the word "emperor's order" and obediently left the sedan and stood there.
Of the five women, four wear bow shoes, and only one wears normal shoes.
The patrolman pointed at the four people wearing bow shoes: "Compromise, remove socks, check feet!"
The female relatives felt insulted, said nothing or made any move, and just stood there with cold expressions.
The patrolman said: "Take them to jail and ask their husbands to come and inspect the slippers in person. If the husband is found to have violated the order, the husband will lose his official position, the businessman will have his license revoked, and those who do not have a license will be taxed heavily!"
The female relatives were frightened, but they did not want to take off their shoes in the street to save their face.
The chief attendant came over, quietly handed over the silver dollar, and said in a low voice: "Two military masters, please show your noble hands. Please accept it with a small smile."
The two patrolmen swallowed, hesitated for a few seconds, accepted the silver coins calmly, and warned: "You should go home immediately and don't go out of the city to offer incense. This time is really the emperor's order. The county magistrate will keep a close eye on him. After returning home,
Those who have bound feet should put their feet down quickly. Also, bow shoes are not allowed to be worn in the future. If you wear them, your family will be in bad luck."
A female family member who wore bow shoes said angrily: "Why are you not allowed to wear them? The emperor has no control over heaven and earth, so does women have to bind their feet? I just bound my feet, and it didn't hurt my body!"
This woman's feet were bound in an ordinary way, even in the northern style of foot binding. Apart from her slender feet, there was nothing unusual about her.
There are many types of bow shoes, and most of them are not harmful to the body. There are even men's shoes that are also bow shoes.
But the imperial court wanted to cut it across the board. When Zhao Han was alive, no one would dare to wear bow shoes. As for the round-faced pointy shoes that fit deformed feet, and other deformed styles, they had not yet been seen in this era.
invented.
When the patrolman heard that the woman dared to refute, he immediately threw the silver dollar back and said sternly: "I can't tell you clearly, but I'd better go to jail!"
Chang Sui hurriedly stuffed the silver coins away and said flatteringly: "Master Jun, please don't be angry, we will go home immediately."
It is impossible to stop corruption and bribery by officials and the police. The larger the territory, the more complicated the situation becomes.
Fortunately, the group targeted by the "Prohibition of Foot Binding Order" is not such adult women, but poor developing girls.
At this moment, schools across the county were in a state of uproar.
In particular, girls' schools are a key target for investigation. The girls who study here have rich or noble families, and they are the main group for foot binding.
Classical historian Yang Zhen asked female teachers to check the feet of female students, and soon found more than a dozen toes that were deformed. He summoned all the students in the school and lectured on the spot: "Your Majesty said, "The Book of Filial Piety" says that if the body is hairy and skin is damaged, it will be damaged.
Don't dare to hurt your parents, this is the beginning of filial piety. If your parents bind your feet and hurt your body, it is unfilial. Even if your parents let you bind your feet and hurt your body, it is unfilial. Anyone who binds their feet is an unfilial daughter and will not be able to marry in the future..."
There were already girls who were so frightened that they cried loudly.
Yang Zhen added: "It's not too late to relax now. As long as you relax enough and no longer damage your body, you will be filial. The principal and teachers of the girls' school have reminded me to check regularly every month in the future. That girl
Dare to bind feet,
Report it to the government immediately! If there is any concealment, the girls’ school will be closed immediately!”
Under normal circumstances, the central government has policies and grassroots officials implement them one-size-fits-all.
This time the ban is very special. It is a one-size-fits-all policy from the central government, but grassroots officials try to soften it. The reason is that the targets are all noble ladies. If there is a stalemate, it will cause unnecessary trouble. Local officials must leave room for leeway.
.
Therefore, in girls' schools, there is no punishment for the time being if someone is found to have bound feet, they just let them go and that's the end of it.
After all, those who refuse to change despite repeated admonitions are in the minority, so don’t blame the government for forcing them.