Although the social status of women during the Qin Dynasty was not particularly high, their rights were still given a certain degree of protection under the law.
As for women in the Song Dynasty, before the rise of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, their status was quite favorable. They could engage in commerce and start businesses, and the law protected their property rights and rights of inheritance.
After the advent of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, however, their status plummeted, plunging women in subsequent dynasties into what could only be described as a dark age.
Chapter 60