Although many people disagreed and very few supported it, the Empress didn't cancel the policy. When Mira found out, she was incredibly relieved.
So when Riyo suggested going to Phoenix City, she agreed.
Besides those laws, the Empress also strictly cracked down on organizations that harmed women or trafficked people. No matter if the person was a noble or a commoner, as long as someone reported them and they were caught, they would lose all their titles and be sentenced to death.
Over the past three years, many such groups were completely wiped out. Some of the more extreme bachelors, after witnessing brutal punishments, no longer dared to harass women on the streets.
Young women no longer needed to be surrounded by bodyguards just to leave the house. Now, they could take a stroll with their husbands and build their relationships. In these three years, even the public's happiness level had gone up. The birth rate also increased.
Everyone deeply admired the Empress. What made them even happier was that since the Empress took the throne, more men were getting the chance to find a partner and start a family.
Before the current reign, the gender ratio was even worse than it is now. The current 10:1 ratio is based on the latest national census, which only improved because the Empress came to power. Many foreign tribes and smaller nations were now willing to join the country.
Under the previous dynasty, the whole country was often in chaos. There were constant conflicts with nearby small countries, and it was always the emperor who provoked them.
The former emperor wanted to take over several smaller nations just to seize their female population.
Those small countries had more balanced gender ratios, and the former emperor thought, as a great empire, it would be easy to conquer them.
But he failed.
Even though those small countries had fewer people, they were united. Their men were tall, strong, and used to rough environments. They knew their homeland's terrain well. The empire's armies couldn't even break through and lost many soldiers in the process.
Still, the emperor didn't admit his mistake. Instead, he drafted even more soldiers to continue fighting, which only made the people suffer more. They were angry and struggling to survive.
Eventually, the rulers of those smaller countries couldn't tolerate the constant harassment. They began to send people undercover into the empire.
Because of all this, the Empress fell in love with a prince from one of those small nations. Later, they worked together from inside and outside the empire, overthrew the old dynasty, and founded the new one. The small countries agreed to negotiations and joined the empire.
The Empress and her five husbands became legendary. Their love story is now told in teahouses, taverns, and by street storytellers. Mira had heard it at least a hundred times when she lived in that little county town.
Now, city streets have even more guards, and some of them are women.
These women are powerful fighters, many of them former comrades of the Empress who helped bring down the old dynasty. Their presence brings a strong sense of safety.
Thanks to the Empress, Mira was able to travel here with her father, joining the army and a merchant caravan, after a flood destroyed their village.
Back to the present, it's no surprise that the passersby were hesitant. Mira wasn't yet an adult. Her face was still childlike, and she wore a dirty, patched-up gray outfit. She looked so androgynous that unless she spoke, no one could tell if she was a girl or a boy. That's why they kept hesitating, unsure whether they should 'rescue' her or not.
She had been dressing like a boy for almost seven years. During those years, it was both for her safety and for her father's safety.
Because it was illegal to force women to work.
If someone saw a woman doing heavy labor in public, the man with her would draw a lot of scorn and anger. Some would even report him, and officials would come to investigate whether the woman was being abused.
Xiguo, Fenglai City.
After nearly three months on the road, Mira and her father Riyo finally reached their destination. Both of them let out a sigh of relief.
It was a hot summer day. The sun had just risen, and already the air was thick with heat. The ground still held onto some coolness, and many men wearing light clothing sat on the ground, unwilling to move, enjoying the last bit of cool air.
Fenglai City was busy and full of life in the early morning. As soon as they entered the city gates, Mira heard the lively sounds of vendors shouting and carts moving, mixed with cheerful chatter. The city's energy made her feel uplifted.
Mira was only about 1.55 meters tall, with a sun-kissed tan and baby fat still on her face. She was carrying her father, Riyo, who was almost 1.8 meters tall, on her back. The scene looked a little funny.
She carefully avoided the crowd as she walked, making her progress slow and difficult.
Their pushcart had already fallen apart, and their belongings and crutches had rolled down a slope. For the last part of the journey, they had relied on a makeshift wheelchair to drag themselves to the city gate.
But just as they reached the gate, the wheelchair broke down too. Luckily, someone helped steady Riyo so he didn't fall. That left Mira with no choice but to carry her injured father on her back.
Riyo was still a grown man. Although he had been sick and bedridden for years and was thin and weak, he still had weight. Mira was already sweating after walking with him for just a short time.
Feeling sorry for her, Riyo gently wiped her sweat and said in a soft, weak voice, "Mira, maybe you should put me down. Let's walk slowly. I don't want you to hurt yourself."
Mira felt she could still carry him a bit further, so she answered casually, "It's fine, Dad. I'm not tired yet. Let's keep going for a bit, and then I'll put you down."
Almost everyone walking along the road was male. The rare women passing by were mostly middle-aged, and even they were surrounded by several men.
The men, whether old or young, stayed close to the women, acting caring and attentive. They even stood up straighter, and their eyes showed pride as they looked around at other men on the street.
The single men looked at them with jealousy, clearly wishing they could take their place beside one of the women.
A handsome young man ran past Mira, dripping with sweat and holding a bag of freshly bought buns. He carefully handed them to a woman and said in a flustered voice, "I'm sorry, Madam Lis. There were so many people in line at Chen's Bun Shop. I came back late. These are your favorite meat buns. Please take them."
Because he blocked her view, Mira couldn't see the woman's face, but she heard her complain in a sweet, spoiled voice.
She stamped her foot and said with a pout, "Why did you take so long? I've already finished eating. Now you want me to eat more? Are you trying to make me fat?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry, Madam Lis, I didn't mean to make you wait so long."
A middle-aged man suddenly stepped in and glanced proudly at the young man, saying, "You're too slow. It's rare that Madam Lis comes out to shop with us. You should've done better. Luckily, I saw a pastry shop and bought her some snacks earlier."
The man walked away, and once Mira saw the woman's face clearly, she quickly looked away, refusing to watch what was coming next.
Even after being in this world for years, she still couldn't get used to seeing a woman in her thirties acting all cute and spoiled like that. It reminded her of watching a drama where the female lead was described as a breathtaking beauty in her twenties. Excited, she watched on, only to see a middle-aged woman with chubby cheeks and heavy makeup appear on screen.
That kind of contrast was unbearable and made her feel uncomfortable.
Still, the people around her didn't seem to find anything strange about the scene. Some even sighed in admiration. "How nice. They're so lucky. Their wife is willing to take them shopping."
Mira felt nothing at all.