Realistic governance games for both male and female audiences

Chapter 28 Women should not be soldiers!

Meanwhile, in the Great Liang Dynasty.

Since Gu Xiaoxiao's defeat at the hands of Prince Su, Gu Suyue, although Gu Xiaoxiao remains the emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty, the atmosphere in the court has become somewhat delicate.

For Gu Xiaoxiao, the young emperor sitting on the dragon throne, this subtle feeling had evolved into an indescribable sense of oppression and unease.

She always felt that there was a pair of eyes watching her from the shadows with a magnifying glass, scrutinizing her every move, trying to find faults in her that made her a "qualified emperor".

The owner of those eyes was none other than her younger brother, Prince Su, Gu Suyue, who held considerable military power and was a formidable figure in the western frontier!

Gu Xiaoxiao sat at the desk in the Imperial Study, holding a book in her hand, but her gaze was not on the pages. Instead, she looked out through the half-open window at the ginkgo forest.

She recalled the court assembly she had attended before—it was the first grand court assembly held after Gu Suyue returned to the capital!

In the imperial court, civil and military officials lined up on both sides, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

At that time, Gu Xiaoxiao was in high spirits, confident that she had appeased Prince Su. Knowing that although the Great Liang Dynasty was prosperous on the surface, it was always plagued by internal and external troubles, Gu Xiaoxiao immediately decided to reform!

The first step in the reform was to mobilize the military!

The reason for mobilizing the army is that Gu Xiaoxiao felt that the reason she was unable to defeat Prince Su before was because her female army was not fully trained. However, now that the palace maids have been organized and have learned the modern training knowledge she brought, the female army is beginning to show its strength!

Feeling confident, Gu Xiaoxiao immediately decided to change the patriarchal mindset in the military!

Gu Xiaoxiao has always felt that it was precisely because of the patriarchal ideology that the military talents of many women were buried. Otherwise, in the ancient history of her previous life, there would never have been only two female generals, Mu Guiying and Hua Mulan!

Just think about it, only two women joined the army and both became generals. Just how high is that ratio?

This also indirectly proves the fact that women are far more likely to be soldiers than men!

If even more women joined the army, the sheer scale of it would be unimaginable!

It's easy to imagine that when that time comes, there will be many brave and skilled female generals!

As for male generals... Heh... It's not that Gu Xiaoxiao looks down on men, but throughout history, so many men have joined the army, and in the end, how many of them have become generals?

Anyway, the proportion is definitely much, much smaller than that of women!

Therefore, in order to break the ideological shackles of "women are inferior to men", Gu Xiaoxiao decided, after careful consideration, to expand the size of the female army.

The reason for expanding the organization is that, in Gu Xiaoxiao's vision, this female army is not only to fill the vacancies of the harem guards, but also to serve as a surprise force to participate in the defense of the border, intelligence gathering, and even the execution of certain special missions!

Gu Xiaoxiao believes that women's meticulousness, resilience, and forbearance far surpass those of men in many aspects.

However, to Gu Xiaoxiao's dismay and resentment, when she passionately proposed this idea, the court was in an uproar.

"Your Majesty! This is absolutely unacceptable!"

"A woman commanding troops—this is unprecedented! This is a violation of moral principles and the law!"

"Leaving aside the fundamental principles of morality and etiquette, Your Majesty, I ask you, how can we compensate for the physical limitations of women soldiers, and their adaptability to different equipment?"

"Warfare relies heavily on strength, endurance, and explosive power. A standard suit of armor weighs over 50 kilograms, and male soldiers can carry this weight for extended periods. However, women, with their lower average muscle mass, find it difficult to withstand the same load for long periods. If women were to serve in the military, it would directly impact battlefield mobility and sustained combat capability!"

"Furthermore, in close combat, male soldiers can use chevaux-de-frise several meters long to create a formation advantage, while women, due to their weaker upper body strength, may find it difficult to effectively operate heavy weapons, making them a weak point in the battle line during a charge!"

"In addition, a woman's menstrual cycle also has a significant systemic impact on combat effectiveness!"

"The synchronicity of menstrual cycles among women can lead to periodic combat effectiveness gaps in organized female military units. If most of the women in a 10,000-strong female military unit are menstruating at the same time, their combat effectiveness may drop sharply in the short term, which could easily cause them to miss opportunities on the ever-changing battlefield!"

"Furthermore, the severe lack of privacy and sanitation facilities in military camps means that women's physiological needs significantly increase the complexity of logistical management and may even lead to non-combat casualties!"

"More importantly, women bear the responsibility of procreation for the population. While male casualties can be replenished through recuperation, mass female casualties would lead to a population gap, directly impacting post-war recovery capabilities!"

"Finally, there's the issue of prisoner-of-war treatment... The plight of female soldiers after being captured will be extremely tragic!"

"As 'resistance fighters,' they will most likely face targeted retaliation, possibly public humiliation, or even forced into prostitution. Their survival rate is extremely low..."

…………

Hearing the court officials' collective opposition, Gu Xiaoxiao's face flushed red with anger.

Looking at the scene where many men were collectively opposing her, Gu Xiaoxiao, who felt that she was the only woman present, became even more determined to develop a relationship with more like-minded women.

So she decided to argue her case!

"Prince Su, I... I simply believe that women also have a heart for serving their country and the talent to lead troops..."

Unfortunately, Gu Xiaoxiao had barely started when she was reprimanded by Prince Su, Gu Suyue.

"Absurd!" Prince Su Yue interrupted Gu Xiaoxiao sharply, speaking coldly, "A woman's talent lies in virtue, speech, appearance, and action! In ensuring the continuation of the family line! Leading troops into battle is a man's business! It's what upright men should do! Until all men are extinct, there's no need for women like you to serve as soldiers!"

As soon as Prince Su Yue uttered these words, he immediately won the approval of all the court officials in the hall.

"His Highness Prince Su is absolutely right..."

"For a woman to lead troops is against the natural order..."

"Your Majesty, please reconsider..."

…………

A chorus of agreement rose and fell.

Looking at the indignant court officials before her, Gu Xiaoxiao felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness and anger welling up inside her.

From the reactions of these courtiers, she realized that these people only wanted women to be obedient and did not want women to enjoy the rights of men!

"Prince Su..." Gu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, still unwilling to give up, "As the emperor, can't I even decide on national policies that benefit the country?"

"Beneficial?" Gu Suyue couldn't help but sneer. "Your Majesty, forgive my bluntness, but besides countless disadvantages, I really haven't seen any benefits whatsoever for women in the military!"