in2ebook Chapter 292 Chongning Promotes Education
Chapter 292 Chongning Promotes Education
Lin Ke continued, "Let's continue. As mentioned before, Emperor Huizong of Song admired his father's reforms. So, shortly after Cai Jing became prime minister, Emperor Huizong brought his reform policies with him."
Emperor Huizong of Song (|?'-'?)??): Let's go! Let's implement reforms!
Cai Jing (*ˊ?ˋ)????): You're about to get a good look at me!
"Although Cai Jing served as prime minister for seventeen years, he was not without opportunities to serve as prime minister. However, Emperor Huizong of Song may have gotten used to him, and Cai Jing was quite indulgent towards Emperor Huizong in some aspects. Therefore, Cai Jing's career was constantly on the rise and fall of his career."
"So, on the other hand, what would reforms look like under the leadership of an emperor who was also an artist, and Cai Jing, the prime minister who held immense power?"
The optimist Su Dongpo: He brought about the downfall of the Northern Song Dynasty!
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: You talk too much!!!
"Ahem, let's talk about this reform now! A lot of it is for making money and boosting the economy."
"For example, when we mentioned that Emperor Shenzong had just come to power, he wasn't even very happy yet, and we could already see that the national treasury was empty. So some of Wang Anshi's reform policies did indeed boost the economy of the Northern Song Dynasty quite a bit."
"It would be the same here. Old Wang, the key figure of the New Party's reform movement, although he's no longer in that world."
"But for decades afterward, this new party continued to operate under his name, just as the saying goes, 'Some people, though no longer active in the martial world, still leave their mark everywhere.'"
Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty: Thank you for the invitation! I feel offended again!
A spoiled young man from the Song Dynasty: Leaving my legend everywhere, hahaha, it's kind of funny!
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: We can see that the Song Dynasty was mostly about factional strife, which was really annoying!
A farming expert from the Tang Dynasty: Putting everything else aside, the Song Dynasty was indeed quite good at making money!
……
Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty
Why is Zhu Yuanzhang mentioning his Ming Dynasty again while he's cursing and swearing?!
But you know what, the Song Dynasty was really rich to send hundreds of thousands of coins to the Jin and Liao dynasties!
They're still poor, and they don't even bother to share their methods for making money!
Alas! How did our Great Ming Dynasty become like this?!
I wonder when Miss Lin will be able to talk about his Ming Dynasty (???︿???)
……
The live broadcast continues.
"Ahem, we've digressed. Let's talk about Cai Jing's reforms first. He started by setting up a reform agency similar to Wang Anshi's—the Lecture Office."
"Then they reinstated the abolished labor service law, market exchange law, and so on."
"For example, in terms of educational reform, Cai Jing's movement was called the Chongning Education Restoration, and he revived the Three-Tier System from Wang Anshi's time."
"In Wang Anshi's vision, the Imperial Academy was divided into outer dormitories, inner dormitories, and upper dormitories, and specialized schools such as medicine and law were also newly established."
"Well, this specialized school is actually quite commendable. It offers relevant majors and trains specialized talents. The existence of such a discipline may be a step forward."
"After all, there were also such specialized schools in later generations, but the Song Dynasty did have a lot of talented people in science, such as Shen Kuo, Su Song, Bi Sheng and so on."
"I haven't mentioned this before, but an asteroid 2027, which was discovered in later generations, was named after Shen Kuo in honor of Shen Kuo, a scientist and reformer from the Northern Song Dynasty."
"Of course, there are other planets named after ancient people, such as Zhang Heng, who invented the armillary sphere and seismograph during the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Zu Chongzhi, an outstanding mathematician and astronomer during the Northern and Southern Dynasties."
Shen Kuo of the Northern Song Dynasty (excitedly): (?￣??￣??)??！！
Zhang Heng of the Eastern Han Dynasty (excitedly): ('-'*)!!!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty exclaimed: "Wow! Why doesn't our Ming Dynasty have this?! This would be so prestigious!"
A scholar-official from the Han Dynasty: Is this the meaning of developing science?
Big Han Liu Zhuzhu: We Han people have them too, hahaha!
Liu Xiu, the Chosen One of the Great Han Dynasty: ...Our Great Han Dynasty is awesome!!!
First Emperor: It seems I haven't rolled enough scrolls!
……
Upon hearing this, Shen Kuo from another timeline instantly became so excited that he danced with joy!
This is saying that among the stars in the sky, there is one named Shen Kuo, hahaha!
I never imagined that Shen Kuo would be remembered by later generations!
People from other Han and Song dynasties were also extremely excited; these were people from their own era!
Lin Ke, unaware of these details, continued, "Cai Jing extended this three-stage system from the Imperial Academy to schools throughout the country."
"If you are talented and good at studying, you can be admitted to the Imperial Academy. This system is quite promising for scholars, especially those from poor families."
"Therefore, Emperor Huizong's reforms in the early years of his reign were quite successful. Building on Wang Anshi's work, he added specialized disciplines such as mathematics and painting, with the aim of cultivating more talent."
"Even during this period, Cai Jing abolished the imperial examination system, and officials were selected from the Imperial Academy."
"This model is actually quite modern, which shows how impressive the culture of the Song Dynasty was."
"Sometimes I can't help but imagine what would have happened if the Song Dynasty hadn't had any external enemies, had a more virtuous ruler, and had stronger military reserves."
"Even though it will eventually perish, I'm really curious to see what the Song Dynasty would have become under these conditions!"
A student preparing for the imperial examinations during the Tang Dynasty: Indeed, this system gives scholars more hope!
A bystander in the Ming Dynasty commented: "Those who want to learn to paint, learn to paint; those who want to study, study. This really cultivates talent!"
A scholar-official from the Han Dynasty: The Ming and Qing dynasties relied on rote memorization, with rules and regulations governing everything!
Ming Dynasty scholars: ...
"However, besides Cai Jing and Wang Anshi, there was actually another education promotion movement, which was led by Fan Zhongyan during the reign of Emperor Renzong."
"Because it was presided over in the fourth year of the Qingli reign, it is also known as the Qingli Education Promotion."
"Its main contents included ordering the opening of schools in prefectures and counties, reforming the content of the imperial examinations, focusing on policy essays and classical studies, establishing the Imperial Academy, and establishing subject-based education, etc."
"Although these three movements to promote education were interrupted by the conservatives, they still promoted the development of education."
"Let's also talk about the imperial examination system. In its early stages, it was mostly controlled by powerful clans and aristocratic families. There was no shortage of cheating in the examinations. Children from poor families and noble families did not have equal access to educational resources."
"For example, during the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Muzong had such an experience. The chief examiner at the time was Qian Hui, who was then serving as the Vice Minister of Rites. Most of the candidates he selected were sons of noble families. Although they came from high social standing, they didn't have much real talent or learning."
"Therefore, many of the scholars who participated in the imperial examinations were dissatisfied. Eventually, they were reported, and the emperor ordered a re-examination. As expected, all thirteen sons of noble families from the Ming dynasty failed to pass."
"So, who wouldn't be furious if someone with no real talent was chosen just because of their high social standing! The one who got in later was actually related to this too, but I won't spoil it here!"
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: !!!
"Furthermore, compared to scholars from the north, scholars from the south have a far greater advantage, and over time, most of those who entered officialdom were scholars from the south."
"Perhaps for this reason, Cai Jing and others believed that abolishing the imperial examination was the best option."
A bystander in the Song Dynasty: If they're selected from the Imperial Academy, they must be top-notch!
An official from the Ming Dynasty: Actually, the starting point was good, but unfortunately Emperor Huizong only lived for a little over twenty years...sigh...
A romantic and talented scholar from the Tang Dynasty: So this is what the late Tang Dynasty was like?!
A strong, farm girl from the Han Dynasty: If it were me, I wouldn't be happy either, I'd definitely want to punch someone!
……