Chapter 261: Academic Affairs Need Change
The two beggars were the ones who specialized in gathering information in the Beggar Gang. They slowly moved over and the fat man quickly recognized them as Shi Jiajun from Hebei. He began to be responsible for following and covering them. The skinny monkey nimbly moved closer to the cart, carefully pried open a large box, reached inside to take a look, grabbed a handful of black powder and put it in his pocket.
When he came to the second truck and touched the things in the box, he found that they were round and looked a bit like a watermelon.
The skinny monkey didn't know what it was, so he stretched out his hands to pick it up. Unexpectedly, the lid of the box fell off with a snap, which immediately attracted the attention of the soldiers. The skinny monkey took the big watermelon out.
This was a thunder bomb made by the Hebei Army, which contained five pounds of new gunpowder. He had no idea it was a thunder bomb, and he felt the watermelon all over, but it was round and round and he couldn't find any cracks, so he didn't know what it was.
Seeing that the soldiers were surrounding them, the skinny monkey raised the big watermelon high up and pretended to throw it over.
This frightened the soldiers and they immediately fled in all directions.
Seeing that the skinny monkey was getting excited, he threw the big watermelon in his hand out with all his might. Immediately, there was a loud bang and he himself was dizzy and fell down.
This alarmed the entire valley.
The fat man rushed over and helped up the skinny monkey covered in blood. The monkey took out the black powder from his pocket and stuffed it into his pocket, shouting, "Run away, there's no money."
The skinny monkey pushed the fat man away desperately, climbed onto the cart and tried to pick up the thunder bomb, yelling fiercely: "Where's the money? I'm going to fight you, who told you to cheat me?"
The soldiers around were already shooting arrows at the skinny monkey, so he picked up the thunder bomb and threw it into the box. A violent explosion resounded throughout the valley. The fat man successfully escaped from the scene while the Shi family army was in a panic...
At the dock of Jiading Prefecture, as soon as the sky was getting light, Zhao Yulin boarded a ship and set off for Chengdu.
When he arrived at the south city gate, he saw a few young men distributing handwritten leaflets and explaining theories to passers-by.
When Feihu heard these people boasting about the emperor's grace again, he immediately stepped forward and stopped them.
Zhao Yulin waved his hand and walked over to take a look at a leaflet. It was a leaflet that the students of the provincial school were spreading to people passing by, demanding that the Shenwei Army obey the dispatch of the small court in Lin'an and go north to rescue the emperor and restore the Song Dynasty.
Feihu cursed these students for having nothing better to do than to go back and clean up the statue of the Master. Several students and his guards glared at each other, clenching their fists as if they were ready to fight.
Zhao Yulin said with a smile that he was the commander of the Shenwei Army, also known as the Third Young Master. He had seen everyone's petition and would go back to the prefectural school first. Tomorrow he would go to the school in person to discuss how to save the emperor's family.
When the students saw Master Zhao Yulin, they immediately packed up their things and went back happily.
Zhao Yulin entered the city and stepped into the mansion chosen for him by Dongmei. Ma Linger immediately came up to him and threw herself into his arms. The couple supported each other and went in to sit down.
Ma Linger sobbed and said that it would be better to be in Chang'an. What's wrong with Chengdu? Why is it clamoring to restore the monarchy instead of living a good life?
Before Zhao Yulin could even sit down, Lao Cao showed up.
He suspected that someone was instigating and instigating the students of the academy to take to the streets to besiege the newspaper office, shouting that they wanted to attack Huanglong and rescue the officials.
Lao Cao told him that recently a large number of former officials from Lin'an had flocked to Chengdu, and had been sitting in groups of three or five in taverns near the post station to discuss state affairs. Voices demanding submission to the small Lin'an court were heard one after another, and the peaceful situation that had been hard to come by was messed up by these people.
Zhao Yulin could totally imagine it.
Dongmei came in to report that according to repeated tracking by Shunfengchu, the academy's professor Zeng Wudao was the mastermind behind these students who took to the streets to distribute leaflets.
Relying on his status as a professor, this man often invites students to his place for tea and discussion of state affairs. In recent days, students suddenly took to the streets to distribute leaflets, shouting for submission to the Lin'an court. It was he who planned to attack Huanglong and rescue the emperor.
Yang Daquan, an official from the capital Lin'an, was very active. He drank with officials from the capital every now and then, and encouraged these people to ask Ding Gong for official positions. He spread the word that the country cannot be without a king for a day and there cannot be two suns in the sky, and he wanted the Ministry of Control to convene a council to recognize the small court of Lin'an.
Haha, the clues to the problem are gradually becoming clear.
When Zhao Yulin smiled and said that they were all Xiaokai, everyone was immediately confused.
He suddenly woke up and used words .
Zhao Yulin covered his mouth and smiled very relaxedly, saying that they were all trivial matters, and there was no need to worry. Tomorrow we will have a big debate in front of the provincial school and make everything clear.
He asked Dongmei to prepare more trumpets and go to bed early.
Lao Cao asked him blankly: Is it that simple?
Zhao Yulin asked: What else do you want to do?
Lao Cao didn’t know what to do next. He said “this is too stressful” and stood up to say goodbye and go back.
Zhao Yulin hugged Ma Ling and went back to the room to take a bath and rest. The couple focused on farming. When the sun rose, he pinched the woman who had used up all her energy last night and told her to go to sleep well and watch how her husband would argue with those pedantic scholars.
Zhao Yulin arrived at the provincial school on East Street in high spirits. The students had actually set up a meeting place at the entrance and formed a large circle with a huge crowd.
Is this an intentional attempt to confront Zhao Yulin in front of the people?
He walked over happily and saw that Mr. Ding had already arrived. The old man introduced him to the professor in charge, Wu Yong. Zhao Yulin immediately saluted and then saluted Zeng Wudao.
He said this is his first time visiting the academy, how about taking a tour?
Wu Yong immediately led the way, and the two followed behind into the academy.
As you enter the gate you will see an ancient Confucius Temple, which shows that Chengdu’s provincial school was converted from the Confucius Temple.
Professor Wu was very happy to introduce that the government school had experienced the continuous expansion of Wen Weng Stone Chamber, Gao Gong Li Hall and Fan Wenzhenggong Stone Chamber, and it was still quite large in the whole country of Song Dynasty. This time, the government office allocated funds for repairs, and there were blue brick walls outlined with lime everywhere. The old professor was also excited to thank them for their care.
Zhao Yulin said that these were all minor matters, and he was still thinking about how to expand the prefectural school in Chengdu. Cuiping Academy in Yibin has already accepted more than a thousand students, and the classrooms are full. May I ask how many students are there here, sir?
The old professor immediately felt ashamed and said that it was not a lot. Usually there were only three or four hundred students, and a large number of students would move in when the imperial examinations were approaching.
Zhao Yulin looked at the old building thoughtfully and said "hmm." Then they walked out of the academy together.
In the meeting hall outside, the academic officials and students were already seated, waiting for them. More and more ordinary people gathered around, surrounding the small meeting hall tightly.
A group of people walked into the conference room and sat down. Professor Wu picked up the exquisite copper microphone but didn't know how to use it. Dongmei told him to just speak close to the speaker. The old man was startled as soon as he opened his mouth.
"What is this? It's so loud."
At ease, the old man calmed himself down, and then he praised the merits of the government office in supporting the repair of the government school into the microphone, and then asked the prefect Ding Gong for a lecture.
Mr. Ding already knew the wonderful uses of the copper trumpet. He skillfully picked up the microphone and spoke to the students, encouraging them to learn how to manage their families, govern the country, and bring peace to the world so as to serve the country. He then immediately handed the microphone to Zhao Yulin.
Zhao Yulin took the microphone and said that he had just visited the provincial school and saw the inscriptions and calligraphy of sages and masters of all dynasties. He felt that the provincial school had a profound historical and cultural heritage and was a good place to study.
However, Chengdu city has a population of more than two million, but the provincial school can only accommodate a thousand people, and there are less than five hundred students on a normal day. This is totally inconsistent with the development of today's society.
He believes that there must be many children who dream of studying and becoming successful, right?
Zhao Yulin's resounding voice echoed throughout the venue, and the people around him immediately responded, "Of course, whose child doesn't want to study? The provincial school is too partial, why can't our children be enrolled?"
"The Cuiping Academy in Yibin accepts anyone who has good conduct. I have never heard of anyone being rejected."
Some ordinary people took the microphone prepared by Dongmei and started to speak. Mr. Ding and Professor Wu on the stage looked over in confusion.
Zhao Yulin signaled the people to be quiet before continuing his speech, asking everyone to be patient.
He said that the government office would immediately discuss everyone's concerns about children's education, and he would be the first to support the expansion of the government school and the construction of academies at the four gates of Chengdu in the southeast, northwest, northeast and southwest so that more children could go to school.
The people immediately cheered and shouted, "Third Young Master, Third Young Master, thank you very much, Third Young Master."
The next topic is easy.
He said: The school buildings of the prefectural school are too old, and some of the walls are seriously tilted. There is a risk of collapse and injury on rainy days. Please pay attention, Mr. Wu, such houses cannot be lived in, and the safety of every student must be guaranteed.
These words touched the hearts of the students. The young men shouted repeatedly: "Thank you, Third Young Master. Thank you, Third Young Master." Even Professor Wu, who was living on the stage, nodded with tears in his eyes.
Because, just last summer, a building collapsed in the government school due to heavy rain, and people were killed.
Zhao Yulin went on slowly: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Sichuan Provincial Education Department needs reform . He asked, how did the provincial schools maintain their operations in the past?
Is it because they collect rent from the thousands of acres of land given by the court and the row of shops in front of the door?
Everyone immediately started to whisper. It was the same in all prefectural schools. The court allocated 1,000 or 3,000 acres of land to the academy, and the academy relied on collecting rent to maintain daily expenses. In good years, the rent was sufficient, and life was better. If it was a year of famine, there would be nothing to eat.
How can this be possible?
The academy is not a big landlord, it is a place for teaching and educating people.
Zhao Yulin told everyone that Cuiping Academy's food was supplied by the Shenwei Army, and everyone was given food money every day to ensure that every student could eat their fill. The same should be true for the future prefectural school. He proposed to take back the prefectural school's land and give it to the people to cultivate, and all the expenses of the prefectural school would be allocated by the government office.
This made the academic officials sitting in the front excited.
Zhao Yulin wanted to reform the school-running system and let the government treasury bear all the expenses of the government school, so that the school affairs would have sufficient silver to guarantee, which was definitely a good thing.
Everyone at the scene was excited, not only the students and school officials, but also the people around were cheering.
Professor Wu Lao's lips trembled with excitement, and Lord Ding was even more delighted, both looking at him with a happy face.
