in2ebook Chapter 327 Academy Enrollment
Chapter 327 Academy Enrollment
After the academy was built, it was named Liping Academy.
Master Zhu and his colleagues were eager to get started, but they didn't expect that there were no students at all.
Zhu Jin teaches mostly children between the ages of three and seven. These children can't help much at home, so it's better for them to learn a few words and get free clothes and meals.
But Liping Academy only recruits older students, who are the family’s labor force, and their families simply do not agree to let them go.
Cheng Jiuyuan and others tried hard to promote the benefits of reading, but to no avail.
"Our ancestors didn't know how to read, but they still managed to survive, didn't they?"
"Now we don't have to pay taxes, we get what we sow, so why would we have the time to go to academy?"
"My daughter is almost twelve years old. In three years, she can get married. Why should she learn to read? It would be more practical to go to the needlework shop and embroider a few handkerchiefs and sell them."
"They say that scholars are good for nothing. What's the point of learning? Can you become the top scholar? Can you become an official? Can a golden phoenix really fly out of our poor village?"
At night, the stars and the moon are bright, and the bright river is in the sky.
Everyone in the room sat together in silence.
"Nowadays, people are busy reclaiming wasteland and planting crops. It is impossible to let young people come to the academy. What should we do?" Yan Gongdu sighed.
"Yes, today I went to several people's homes to persuade them, and they were very polite, but they just wouldn't give in."
Chu Heng said, "The common people don't believe that they can make a name for themselves by attending the academy. They think it's a waste of time."
Jiang Miaoduan said: "We can't guarantee that they will have a bright future after coming to the academy. It all depends on them."
At this time, Yan Guihong pushed the door open and walked in: "What's the difficulty?"
Everyone looked at her, waiting for her opinion.
"The people of Liping are much better off now than when I first arrived. At least they don't think about getting something for nothing. But ideological awareness is something that comes after life becomes prosperous. Now they are still struggling to make ends meet, so they need to be lured with enough benefits."
"Once their ideological awareness is improved, even if these benefits are gone, they will know the benefits of studying, and naturally, no need for everyone to come to the academy."
Cheng Jiuyuan nodded: "Master is right, they said their ancestors could live without knowing how to read, so let's let them know that there are differences in life. There should be scholars who have left Liping, let's find a few who have made a name for themselves and return home with wealth and glory."
Chu Heng praised: "This is a good idea. Today, I heard from the people that their children went to the academy and there is no one to do the housework. I have decided that as long as they come to the academy to study and their performance meets the standards, everyone can take home 20 kilograms of food every month."
"Also, who says that women have to wait until they reach a certain age to get married? It will be announced tomorrow that students from the academy who perform well can enter the government office in three years, regardless of gender."
"After they have learned well, I will personally write a letter to recommend them to the officials in the court. Or I will let them go to the capital to take the imperial examination. Whether they can win the first place and become an official depends on themselves."
Zhu Jin also said, "Also, we can publicize my father, Uncle Yan and Master Jiang. They are the living signs of the academy. In the capital, they are valuable teachers. Many officials in the court are my father's students!"
Chu Heng nodded: "Alright, let's do it."
With a solution in place, the atmosphere became relaxed.
After chatting and laughing for a while, everyone went their separate ways to get back to work.
Cheng Jiuyuan returned to the north courtyard and saw that her grandmother's room was still lit, so she walked in.
"Grandmother, aunt."
Sheng smiled and said, "I was just talking about you and you came back."
"What did you say about me?" Cheng Jiuyuan sat down next to her grandmother and rested her head on her shoulder.
Madam Pei smiled and touched her granddaughter's face and said, "We were just saying that if Prince Rui hadn't caused so many problems, you and Prince Chen would have been married."
"It's good like this now. Yuan'er can accompany her grandmother every day."
"Yes, that's good too." The old lady smiled.
Sheng also said: "Everyone says that Liping is so difficult. Before I came here, I was very nervous. But now I feel pretty good. Look at your grandmother. With you by her side, her body has become much stronger. And I go to the women's needlework workshop to help every day. I feel more fulfilled than in Gusu."
"And the second oldest brother, who used to be so unreliable, now seems to be quite responsible. Your third cousin is also rarely seen all day, but when I see him occasionally, he smiles a lot more than before."
Madam Pei said: "That's because everyone has something to strive for."
The three of them chatted for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, Cheng Jiuyuan urged the two to go to rest, and she also returned to her room.
After washing up, Cheng Jiuyuan sat down at the desk, spread out the rice paper, and ground the ink.
Today she heard from Chi Zhang that a lot of iron ore had been mined, and asked Chu Heng what he was going to use it for.
Chu Heng was talking about refining weapons first.
Now we have an army, but it relies on the scrap metal shipped from the court and cannot go to the battlefield at all.
It is indeed necessary to refine weapons first.
She picked up the pen and moved it across the paper, and the shapes of various advanced weapons in Jiang Shiyuan's world emerged in her mind.
The conditions in this era are limited, and we cannot create powerful weapons like those in Jiang Shiyuan's world, but there are many things we can borrow.
For example, bows and arrows in this era are too large and heavy. Is it possible to make a weapon that is the size of a pistol with an arrow in the muzzle?
Spears and halberds are both used in close combat. If you can install a retractable iron claw on the spear head...
There are also muskets and cannons, and the shells made can be added with various medicines. Isn’t this a poison gas bomb?
When she went to Jiang Shiyuan's world, she specifically looked up a lot of information about weapons. Relying on her outstanding memory, she drew all the weapons in her mind.
Outside the house, there were the sounds of cicadas and crickets, and inside the house, the only sound was the rustling sound of rice paper being blown by the wind.
When she stopped writing and heard the night watchman's sound outside, it was already the fourth watch (1 a.m.).
Looking at the drawings in her hands, her eyes were filled with excitement.
She wanted to go find Chu Heng, but was worried that he had already gone to bed.
He suppressed his excitement, put away the drawings, and went to bed.