The men reacted strongly, and so did the women. In dynasties where women faced fewer restrictions, they cheered when they saw the wife stand up to the other party.
They might not make the same choice in such a situation, but that did not stop them from believing the wife had done the right thing. They refrained only because they could not do the same.
All the men under Heaven were the same. After leaving one, the next might be the same, unless a woman stopped marrying altogether—but how could she do that? Therefore, unless things went too far, they would not seek marital separation.
However, some worried about how the woman would live after seeking marital separation.
“We don’t need to worry about that. She must have something to rely on if she can bring up marital separation so easily.”
“That’s true. Her brothers treat her well, she’s beautiful, and her family is wealthy. I imagine she won’t have trouble remarrying.”
Meanwhile, the women of the Song Dynasty and later dynasties had endured suppression for so long that they were utterly shocked. They had never imagined a woman could act this way.
It was only another woman, and she seemed to be an outside mistress. How could she be so relentless? Even if he brought her into the family, it would be fine as long as she did not threaten the position of the principal wife.
“She’s so foolish. After seeking marital separation, what man would dare marry her?”
“Exactly. Did she expect a man to have only her?”
“She’ll understand how wrong she was once she suffers for it.”
“Her brothers support her, so there’s no need for us to worry.” A graceful-looking woman looked mockingly at the jealous women voicing their concern.
The others immediately fell silent. The other woman’s brothers supported her so strongly—what did they have to worry about?
Although they voiced their disapproval, they were envious deep down. They lacked the courage and confidence to say such things, and their families would not support them as that woman’s brothers supported her. If they sought marital separation, their maiden families would be the first to oppose them.
Not long after An Ran sent it, her best friend, Lin Xue’er, sent her a video call.
People from the Various Dynasties watched as the woman in Heaven tapped the screen. Another woman then appeared before them.
What was this? It allowed two people to communicate as if they were face-to-face. How miraculous.
Was this the Future Era rather than the Immortal Realm?
【Lin Xue’er answered the call, her face filled with excitement.
“Wow, this is thrilling! What was the ending? Don’t tell me the young miss forgave the scumbag man!”
The video was too long and the file too large for An Ran to send, so she clipped one of the more explosive sections and sent it to Lin Xue’er.
“Don’t worry. It’s the kind of ending that leaves you feeling satisfied. That young miss drove the scumbag man out and even said she wanted a divorce. The child would belong to her.”
“Wow, amazing! That’s exactly how it should be. Men only behave themselves when they’re hanging on a wall. A cheating scumbag man like that deserves a proper lesson. I really don’t understand what those women who know their partners are cheating on them are thinking when they refuse to leave. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but are two-legged men really that hard to find? There are plenty of men. If this one doesn’t work, replace him with the next. There’s always one who suits you.”
“Exactly. Everyone should learn from you. When you discover a man has turned into a dog, dump him at once. Thank you for not making me a Best Friend driven to fury every day by a Love-Brained Person.”
“Hahaha, no problem. By the way, shouldn’t you be at work today?” Lin Xue’er asked while looking at An Ran’s pajamas.
“Don’t mention it. I almost died yesterday.” An Ran patted her chest.
“What happened?” Lin Xue’er asked.
An Ran explained what had happened the previous day. Then she said, “I’m going to resign when I get to the office tomorrow. I’m exhausted. I want to take some time off, then find a less tiring job.”
“That’s what you should do. You worked far too hard before, even though the salary was high. After you resign, I’ll take you out for some fun. I’ve met a few handsome men recently. I’ll introduce one to you.”
“Don’t—” An Ran refused. “I’m not interested in men, and I couldn’t handle the men you know. Let’s drop it.”
Lin Xue’er loved socializing and making friends wherever she went. She often went to bars and knew a great many people.
“All right~”
The two chatted for a while longer before ending the call.
An Ran put down her phone and planned to sleep a little longer, and then the Heavenly Screen closed.
But their conversation stirred up enormous waves.
The ancient-era men, especially the scholars, were outraged by the two women’s attitude toward men. They cursed angrily, directing most of their abuse at Lin Xue’er and calling her loose and immoral and shameless.
“How could the parents of such a loose and immoral woman have neglected her discipline so badly?”
“If I had a daughter like that, I would strangle her with my own hands.”
“Hmph. Let her indulge in temporary pleasure. We’ll see what man dares marry her in the future. She’ll know regret then!”
The women, meanwhile, were shocked by their boldness. Could women really behave this way? How could they marry after this?
A few rebellious women felt enlightened by Lin Xue’er’s words. They thought she was right and greatly admired her.
Wu Zhou.
Wu Zetian approved of the two women’s conversation. Men were merely embellishments. As long as one possessed power, one could find someone who suited one’s heart.
“It seems that the status of women in the later generations is not low.”
Shangguan Wan’er said with a smile, “It certainly seems so. Judging from the marital separation incident and their attitude toward men, women in the Later Generations face far fewer restrictions than women do now.”
Some people focused on the work An Ran had mentioned.
“Work? It probably means employment or making a living.”
“That should be it. Could this woman really not be Nobility? Would she need to work as someone else’s servant or attendant?”
“Forget nobility—even people with some money would not work as attendants!”
“Could she be an ordinary Common Person?”
“Have you ever seen an ordinary common person wearing such fine clothes and eating such good food?”
“If she isn’t one of the common people, why would she work as a servant?”
“Who knows? Perhaps she has some unusual preference, or perhaps the other family wields even greater influence?”
“Stop guessing. We’ll know tomorrow, won’t we?”
“That’s true.”
The common people did not think much of it; they were watching for entertainment. Those in power, however, thought much further ahead.
After the livestream ended, they swiftly formed a department dedicated to researching and recording what appeared on the Heavenly Screen, including the history of their own dynasty that occasionally surfaced and things that did not belong to their current era.
Then they looked forward to tomorrow’s arrival.
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