I

Hangzhou, Jiaxing Prefecture, Jiashan County.

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), and judicial system officials.

Chen Yaojie took the official document issued by the court and said: "Your Majesty has promulgated the "Prohibition of Foot-Binding Order". I have had dozens of copies copied. You all 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 hurts 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, said with a smile: "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 just a draft, and it had to be handed over to the cabinet and the imperial edict office for polishing. The cabinet will add details and even convene officials to discuss it, and then submit it to Zhao Han for review after it is completed.

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 and 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's feet are bound, but men's feet are also bound, but with foot-binding cloth. An important reason for foot binding, regardless of men or women, is to look better. In ancient times, the uppers of shoes were soft and easily made 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.

How to tell?

It just depends on what kind of shoes you are wearing. Most women with bound feet wear bow shoes. As for the foot-binding method that damages the body, they wear pointy and small bow shoes, which can be recognized at a glance.

The county magistrate Chen Yaojie 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 there will definitely be trouble. The official document said that as long as the feet are released, the injured toes can be slowed down. Slow recovery 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 the feet down!"

At this time, it was not like the situation in the late Qing Dynasty, when the countryside was full of little feet. The "Prohibition of Foot-Binding Order" targets all the daughters of wealthy gentry and wealthy merchants. If they are not given a reason for "injury to filial piety" and coupled with severe punishment, there are many ways to fool these wealthy gentry and wealthy merchants.

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 what is the purpose of foot binding? At most, you can keep it at home and watch it by yourself. 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 is four or five years old. These girls have not yet gone to school. Lao Zhu and I, as well as the heads of various departments, personally visited the gentry's homes. The rest were arranged by Yang Dianshi. When we visit schools in the county, all girls must take off their shoes for inspection. Remember, call all the doctors in the county to treat them after removing their feet."

"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 administrative efficiency of the government is surprisingly high.

This comes from the authority of the founding emperor!

The next day, the county magistrate Chen Yaojie took the doctor and two county officials to visit Sun Dongqing, the richest man in the county.

There is no doubt that as the richest man in the county, Sun Dongqing already knows the intention of coming to the county. Last night, officials sent people to report the news.

Of course, you still have to pretend, Sun Dongqing bowed and said: "When the county magistrate comes to the humble residence, the common people are terrified!"

"Mr. Sun is so humble." Chen Yaojie followed suit.

While talking nonsense, he introduced 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, and even Sun Dongqing's old mother was helped.

Chen Yaoji glanced around and found that no one was wearing bow shoes. He was convinced that the news had been leaked. He was 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 Yaojie sneered and said: "If you don't take off your shoes, then I will take my leave. You will be responsible for the charge of disobeying the order and you will decide for yourself."

Everyone in the Sun family was silent.

The emperor's order was ruthless. The Sun family, a prominent family in Jiashan, not only had a large amount of land confiscated, but was also forcibly divided, and two-thirds of the family immigrated to the north.

Resist?

Someone resisted when the land was divided, and he was also 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 distribution.

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 didn't become deformed.

One of her daughters-in-law was trembling 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 for a while. 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 the girls under ten years old had small, deformed feet.

It seems that the custom of foot binding in Jiashan County existed ten or twenty years ago, but the number was very rare. In recent years, it has become more and more serious. Younger girls from the richest families are all entangled in this way.

After careful inspection, the doctor sighed: "The oldest lady's foot bones have been completely deformed. From now on, if the foot is put back, she may be able to walk better, but it is impossible to restore it to the original state. The other girls are still recovering. There is a possibility that foot binding must not occur 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 Yaojiao asked, "Why didn't you study at the age of ten?"

Sun Dongqing replied: "It's the same if you study at home. It's not good for your little daughter to be in public."

"You didn't force your daughter to go to an ordinary elementary school. You are the richest man in the county. Why don't you send your daughter to a girls' school?" Chen Yao scolded, "Ignoring the emperor's order is an unpardonable crime. Your Sun family does not have a salt business license." Got it!"

Sun Dongqing was stunned for a moment, and then cried out: "Your Majesty, please spare your life, please show me your noble hands. I will send my daughter to study tomorrow... no, today!"

Three years of compulsory primary school education has been very loose to be honest, and the government often turns a blind eye if they really don't send their children to study.

But since he was caught today, Chen Yaojie 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 land 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 richest man in a county was reprimanded to tears by the county magistrate because he refused to send his daughter to school, and his right to operate a salt shop was revoked. This should be kept in the Ming Dynasty, for fear of being laughed to death.

Moreover, the imperial decree supplemented by the cabinet is very interesting. It only punishes the foot-bound women and their husbands, but does not severely punish their parents. But this thing can be used as a complete set. Girls whose feet are bound to the point of injury cannot study. Parents who do not send their daughters to study will be punished.

What? You said the school won’t accept it? I don't care, I just know that you don't send your daughter to school. 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 taxed additionally." !”

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 officers have a new job.

Their eyes glanced at the woman's feet. When they saw the woman wearing bow shoes, they immediately rushed towards her. If the hem of the skirt covers the feet, let the skirt be lifted up by itself.

"Stop the sedan!"

Two patrol policemen stopped several sedan chairs.

The porter quickly got off the sedan, and a long attendant came forward and said, "Master Jun, these are the female relatives of noble families in the city. We have invited them to go to Qingliang Temple outside the city to offer incense."

A patrolman scolded: "Everyone comes out of the sedan chair for inspection. Your Majesty has ordered that you are not allowed to bind your feet or injure your body, and you are not allowed 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: "Take off your shoes, remove your socks, and check your feet!"

The female relatives felt insulted, so they said nothing or made no move, they just stood there with cold expressions.

The patrolman said: "Take them to jail and ask their husbands to take off their shoes and inspect them in person. If the husband is found to have violated the order, the husband who is an official 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: "You two military masters, please show your noble hands. Please accept your small thoughts."

The two patrolmen swallowed, hesitated for a few seconds, quietly accepted the silver coins, and warned: "You go home immediately and don't go out of the city to offer incense. This time it is really an imperial 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 wearing 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 across the board. When Zhao Han was alive, no one would dare to wear shoes like bow shoes. As for the round-faced pointy shoes that fit deformed feet, and other deformed styles, they had not yet been invented in this era.

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!"

Changsui quickly stuffed the silver coins and said to please him: "Master, 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.

Girls' schools, in particular, are key targets for investigation. The girls who study here are from rich or noble families, and they are the main group who have foot binding.

Dianshi Yang Zhen asked female teachers to check the feet of female students, and soon found that more than ten toes 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 the hair and skin of the body are received by the parents and do not dare to be damaged. This is the beginning of filial piety. Binding your feet and hurting your body is unfilial. Even if your parents ask you to bind your feet, you will not hurt your feet. It is also unfilial to lose one's body. Anyone who binds 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 still 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 from now on. That girl If you dare to bind your feet, report it to the government immediately! If you hide anything, the girls' school will be closed immediately!"

Under normal circumstances, grassroots officials implement whatever policies the central government has.

This ban is very special. It is a one-size-fits-all policy from the central government, but grassroots officials try to ease it. The reason is that the targets are all noble ladies. If there is a stalemate, it will cause unnecessary trouble. The local officials must leave some room.

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 it.

After all, those who refuse to change despite repeated admonitions are in the minority, so don’t blame the government for forcing them.