Chapter 316: Third-year education
However, Chen Zhongshun did not sell the old house and the restaurant. He also left two shares of Wu Gufeng, one for himself and one for his beloved grandson Chen Liu.
This was already very good. He raised his glass to toast Aunt Wu and the young lady, and asked the old man to buy horses and drink wine.
Aunt Wu said with a smile that her father asked them to move to Renhuai, where there are picturesque scenery and where every breath is very relaxing.
Zhao Yulin agreed. He promised that even when he stopped working in the future, he would go and live with them.
Chen Zhongshun laughed and told Zhao Yulin to forget it, as he might have been buried by then.
Zhao Yulin said seriously that our father is in good health, and as he gets older, as long as he drinks less, he will live a long life.
Chen Zhongshun was happy and picked up his wine glass, calling out "Drink, drink."
After dinner, he saw the old man off first and then went to the White Pagoda Cemetery to sweep Chen Xiaomin's grave. After repeated expansions, the cemetery has become larger and larger, surrounding the White Pagoda in the center.
He walked past his brothers' tombstones, wiped the tombstone for Ma Jin, and came to Chen Xiaomin's tomb. He found that Xiaomin's grave seemed to have just been cleaned. It must have been during the Qingming Festival when Chen Zhongshun and others brought Chen Liu here.
He still cleaned Xiaomin's grave carefully and sat down to talk to her. Zhao Yulin told Xiaomin that his father was still strong and married a young woman, and the Chen family's wine shop was getting bigger and bigger, and more and more were opened. They sold wine from Guanzhong in the north to Guizhou in the south, and the wine must have been shipped across the ocean to the farther west.
He sat in the cemetery for a long time and talked a lot with Xiaomin. She was less than 30 years old, but she was already nagging. She even doubted her age.
Two days later, Zhao Yulin returned to Chengdu. Lao Cao handed him Lu Youpeng's report. A jade-exchange weapons route had been opened from Lishu in Yue State to Cuiping Mountain. The raw jade had been delivered, and the purchased weapons were escorted back.
Lord Li was even more delighted to tell him that the Kingdom of Yue was much more sensible this time and even paid tribute with a large number of rare treasures such as corals, conchs and pearls.
He has arranged for the Ministry of Rites to register all of them and seal them up.
He said that small items like pearls were fine, but things like conch shells and large corals could be taken out and placed directly on the table for everyone to appreciate.
He suggested sending some to the offices of Mr. Ding, Mr. Li, Zhao Yan and other respected elders like Qiao Xingjian, so that all the officials passing by could have a look and take a glimpse of the exotic treasures.
Mr. Li was shocked that Zhao Yulin could say such words.
These treasures are tributes sent by the vassal states, so why are they just placed casually in their rooms?
Zhao Yulin looked at the dazed Mr. Li and laughed, saying, "We are a republic now, why can't you enjoy yourself? The treasure has been registered and it still belongs to the country. Let's put it in your office as a decoration."
Lao Cao was overjoyed and asked everyone to go and take a look. He stretched out his hand and grabbed a large conch, which was nearly one foot in size. He said with great joy that he had never seen such a large conch.
Zhao Yulin said that there would be many more rare things in the future, and the conch would belong to the general.
Lao Cao said with a smile that it did not belong to him, but was placed in his office for everyone to appreciate.
They both laughed out loud at the same time.
Zhao Yulin thought that in the future he could build a museum to display these rare treasures for future generations to visit and appreciate.
They returned to the flower hall and had tea with the gentlemen.
After a while, Cao Youwan and Cao Youliang walked in together. Ding Gong introduced them with a smile and said that now the three brothers of the Cao family have gathered in the temple.
The gentlemen immediately responded with laughter.
Old Cao asked Cao Youwan to speak first and report the situation of Guangnan West Road to everyone.
Zhao Yulin added that he would also like to talk about Guizhou's use of troops.
Lao Cao immediately said, "Yes, yes," and asked, "Let's talk about them all."
After Cao Youwan returned from the northwest, he led his troops from Renhuai, collected the tributary states along the way and entered Guangnan West Road. Going south to surrender to the tributary states was no different from fighting a bandit. After briefly introducing the situation, he said that the two places were too barren, the people had a hard life, and many people were willing to join the army to eat food and enter the barracks.
However, we had just taken over Guangnan West Road, and we did not rush to rectify the administration and carry out reforms. The envoy of pacification stayed in Chengdu again, and the people in the government office did their work step by step. Those landlords and bullies were still rampant in the countryside, bullying the people , and we brothers felt very uncomfortable watching this.
Lao Cao became anxious and thought that a pacifier should be sent to Guangnan West Road to stabilize the situation and promote reform.
The pacification envoy was the highest administrative chief of a route. Especially after the New Song Dynasty implemented reforms, the other parallel envoys were appointed as deputies, carrying out the tasks assigned by the Central Council and the decisions made collectively at the route level, and supervising the pacification envoy to do a good job in government affairs.
This centralized institutional form is more conducive to concentrating resources to get things done and reducing buck-passing, procrastination and delays.
But the use of people is very important. Who should be sent?
Mr. Ding looked at Zhao Yulin for help again.
Zhao Yulin pointed at Cao Youwan and said, "That's him. Brother Youwan has taken back Guangnan West Road. How can we not stay there and do good things?"
Everyone was stunned. Lao Cao looked at him puzzledly and asked: What do you mean?
He said that he would appoint Brother Youwan as the Pacifier of Guangnan West Road, shouldering both military and political responsibilities, and he believed that Brother Youwan would be able to do a good job.
Lao Cao said, how can that be possible?
What about Guizhou’s military affairs?
He said that Guizhou's military affairs would still be led by Brother Youwan, and he would arrange a deputy to take charge of it.
Cao Youwan refused to do it and made excuses repeatedly, saying that he was uneducated and had no chance to take on such a big responsibility.
Zhao Yulin said that no matter how difficult it is, we must bear it and take on the responsibility. He further explained that the one who is most familiar with the situation at the moment is Brother Youwan, who not only understands Guangnan West Road and the system of the New Song Dynasty, but also personally witnessed the reform of the Shenwei Army in Guanzhong. He is the one who can best combine the situation of Guangnan West Road to stabilize and carry out reforms.
If he doesn't do it, who will do it?
Everyone was silent.
Lao Cao asked him, even so, if it was just You Wan, he still couldn't handle the affairs of Guangnan West Road well. He still had to send officials from Chengdu to govern.
Zhao Yulin nodded and said: Of course.
There are currently two ways to organize talents: one is to draw them from the government office, but after previous draws, there are not many officials left in Chengdu.
The second is selection. When he came back and entered the city, he found that many students from all over the country came to Chengdu to take the exam. The Ministry of Personnel and the Department of Education could inform these students and immediately organize a selection exam to select young talents.
Zhao Yulin told everyone: We will select students with a solid foundation and who are familiar with and support our new social concepts and grant them the qualification of being a third-year university student at Caotang Academy. We will clearly tell them that they will go directly to Guangnan West Road for a one-year internship trial.
As long as these students do not make any serious mistakes in their official duties, they can get the university graduate diploma of Caotang Academy and be retained. If they do their official duties well and have outstanding achievements, we will grant them the status of Jinshi.
This was Zhao Yulin's way of promoting the diploma system and weakening the imperial examination system that determined one's entire life.
In the past, the imperial court did not have such a saying. Students only took the provincial examinations and continued to take examinations at all levels after obtaining the qualification of scholars. After obtaining the qualification, they took the palace examination organized by the imperial court to take the examination for Jinshi.
This time, because of the urgent need for manpower, Zhao Yulin proposed a method of selecting young talents in practice, which is definitely a fresh idea.
Everyone immediately became interested. This was a temporary change in the academic and employment systems.
Zhao Feiyan used her talent for shorthand and kept recording with her hands.
He believes that young people who want to do things but are worried that their learning is not solid will definitely be willing to take this path. What we need most right now is people who can do things, and this is exactly what we need.
Ding Gong was in high spirits. Zhao Yulin helped him find a solution to the problem of hiring people in Guangnan West Road. As the king, he immediately waved his hand and said: This is how it is done. Please ask the Ministry of Rites to lead the Ministry of Personnel to select a group of talents for the new Song State to go to Guangnan West Road.
Next, Cao Youliang angrily reported the situation on Jinghu South Road.
Since the New Song Dynasty did not take over the political power, Meng Gong did not accept the New Song Dynasty's offer of amnesty, but only acquiesced to the Shenwei Army's entry. This made Cao Youliang want to get involved in the mess, but he felt itchy but unable to do anything, and his anxiety and anger rose.
Cao Youliang knew very well that he was leading his army to live and eat in Jinghu South Road, and all expenses were transported from Chengdu, but he had made no contribution at all. He was just eating and doing nothing, and would be laughed at by the brother troops.
Cao Youwen was also worried about his younger brother and asked what to do?
Or should we just take over directly like we did on Guangnan West Road?
Lord Li immediately said no, because doing so would cause Lord Meng and the Lu people in the east who had not yet submitted to the New Song to think that our New Song was bullying the weak and engaging in expansionist infighting.
Zhao Yulin also nodded and said: The purpose of our going in was to guard the river and ensure its stability , and to gain the convenience of navigation to Lingnan.
Now that all these have been done, Brother Youliang has already accomplished a great feat. Don't dwell on the gains and losses.
He continued: In the future, the Jinghu garrison will fight against bandits and tyrants along the waterway, send work teams to help the people learn to read and fight lawsuits, organize a craftsman camp to complete the task of repairing and opening up the Lingqu Canal, and establish supply and marketing cooperatives along the route.
In this way, the Shenwei Army promoted the new social concept of the New Song State in the local area, established a good reputation, and eliminated all evil forces. The people will definitely like it. The Shenwei Army did not fight for power and profit, and the local officials had nothing to say. When the Zero Channel is opened to navigation, a supply and marketing cooperative is established, and a business is opened, it will be profitable.
Everyone nodded and started discussing .
Cao Youliang said that the army could spare some personnel to do publicity, but he still needed more people from Chengdu to help with publicity.
The Minister of Personnel Fan Zhong said: Then we will send a group of the talented people selected in this assessment to Jinghu.
Zhao Yulin gave Fan Zhong a thumbs up.
Mr. Ding glanced at everyone and decided to do it.
After returning, Zhao Feiyan excitedly asked him to continue talking about the selection of talents, as Lord Li asked her to preside over the selection.
Zhao Yulin was very helpless, knowing that the old man was going to pull his husband. He personally came to set the test questions for the students and told Feiyan that he would take charge of marking the test paper.
The couple worked all night to complete the task, and he didn't have to worry about anything else.
