45. Chapter 45

"none"

After completing the filial piety, the decision to go to Shunyi will be finalized.

Qi You cannot put all his hopes on Kangxi's fatherly love.

In terms of fatherly love, he doesn't deserve it. He is even worse than the eldest son, the eldest prince.

Being thorough in everything he does and never fighting unprepared battles is Qi You's consistent principle.

"Khan Ama, I understand how you feel. You want me to be a friendly and respectful brother to you and assist the Crown Prince in the future." Qi You said calmly.

Kangxi turned his head and stared at Qi You, his expression changing slightly.

The paper money in the brazier was about to go out, so Qi You put a few more gold ingots in. The flames suddenly swirled up, casting a red light on his face.

Qi You's expression was calm. He nodded solemnly and spoke slowly, "Every brother is the same to me, without distinction of kindred or kin. My loyalty is to the land of the Great Qing and its people. They have provided for me and our Jueluo clan, ensuring we have no worries about food and clothing, eating the finest food in the world and wearing the most luxurious silks and satins."

After a slight pause, Qi You raised his head, staring at Kangxi with his clear eyes, and asked, "Khan Ama, do you think my idea is stupid and inappropriate?"

Kangxi had never heard such a statement before. In his opinion, it was he, the father, who raised Qi You.

Unexpectedly, Qi You attributed all these achievements to the people of the world. To be honest, Kangxi's feelings were really complicated and difficult to discern.

Qi You continued, "Actually, what I said is not entirely correct. The ones who support us are the people of this world who toil and pay taxes. Since we enjoy their offerings, we should do something for them. Everything is mutually reinforcing. I proposed to establish the Jueluo Brothers School so that the people can see that the Jueluo family is not an ungrateful family. Give them five points, and they will give back ten points."

Kangxi thought about it carefully and his expression gradually became serious. Although Qi You's words were not so clear and understandable, how could Kangxi not understand his implied meaning?

The powerful did not have to pay taxes, and they also enjoyed the offerings of the people. However, the real support of the Qing Dynasty was the hardworking people at the bottom who were like ants.

The powerful and wealthy can ignore conscience, but the Gioro clan cannot. Because in the Qing Dynasty, the surname Gioro was the only one.

Thinking that the relationship between Manchus and Han people had not been eased, Kangxi was always worried about Jiangnan.

After placing his trusted aides, the Li and Cao families in Jiangnan, the Li and Cao families became another unspeakable pressure deep in his heart.

The Li and Cao families are extremely powerful in Jiangnan.

The people became richer, which was generally more beneficial than harmful to the Qing Dynasty, the imperial court, and the Gioro family.

The benefits are self-evident, but the biggest disadvantage is that broadening people's knowledge will be detrimental to governance.

From the Tang and Song Dynasties to the Yuan Dynasty and then to the Ming Dynasty, the court changed hands for a short period of dozens of years and a long period of hundreds of years.

Although Kangxi wanted the Qing Dynasty to last forever, he knew that it was just wishful thinking.

In the past, when people were not enlightened, the throne under them would still be unstable and would be overthrown one day.

Maybe if we give it a try, there might be another possibility, leaving a significant mark in history books. Even if future generations were to edit history books, they would be embarrassed to make such an ugly revision.

Qi You stopped there, and now it was time to get down to business. He pulled out a plan from a cloth bag in front of him, handed it to Kangxi, and said, "Khan Ama, this is the plan I started working on when I first thought about the academy. After writing it out, I carefully thought about it from beginning to end, revised it, and tried to improve it. It's still not completely finished, but the general idea is almost there."

Kangxi was stunned for a moment, then reached out to take it and carefully read it. Just as Qi You said, the plan had many revisions and additions. The handwriting was neat and peaceful, just like him.

Just by looking at the words, one can imagine Qi You's face as he wrote them. Focused, serious, with gentle and delicate features, his expression as resolute as ever.

As for the content of the plan, Kangxi was fascinated by it.

Similar to Qi You's own work style, he never used flowery language. At the beginning, he briefly summarized the reasons for establishing the school.

The reason is simple. He just wrote: "The country is peaceful and the people are prosperous."

Next come the specific details, from the area of ​​the school to the style of the buildings.

Detailed drawings were drawn for everything from the dining hall to the dormitory, the training ground, underground drainage, and the cesspool. Each department was built differently according to its specific characteristics.

For example, in the medical department, Qi You left behind a laboratory room and ice cellars for preserving bodies. Separated from other departments like textiles, the medical department was located in a corner, with separate sewage and drainage systems.

Kangxi didn't understand for a moment, so he moved closer to Qi You, held the paper in front of him, and asked, "Why did you set it up like this?"

Qi You took a look and explained, "Studying medicine requires making medicines, researching various diseases, and dealing with infectious diseases or toxic drugs. If it rains heavily and drainage isn't done in time, sewage backflows and spreads to other places, which can be troublesome. A separate sewage pipe allows the discharged dirt to be disposed of on site first, and protective measures are taken."

Kangxi immediately understood, looked at Qi You, and said approvingly, "You've thought it through very thoroughly. Hey, why are weaving houses built so high?"

Qi You said, "To accommodate large spinning racks. Some looms for weaving and washing yarn require people to stand very high up, nearly fourteen or fifteen feet high, which is higher than the house we live in. The house must be built high, and the roof is mostly made of glazed tiles, so that there is enough light inside and good lighting, which makes it easier for them to see clearly. To keep warm in winter, the walls are twice as thick as ordinary walls and are hollow in the middle to provide insulation, so as to avoid placing charcoal braziers in the house, as open flames are unsafe."

Kangxi didn't know much about weaving, so he asked curiously, "How tall is a spinning machine?"

Qi You had seen information about textile machines in his previous life. At that time, he saw a large textile machine that was five meters tall.

Converted to modern dimensions, it would have been about ten feet tall. The complexity of the design was truly breathtaking. The brocade and other fabrics woven on the looms were worth a fortune per piece.

Qi You replied, "I've read in books that the largest looms have several layers, and the embroiderers have to stand very high up to operate them. It's very complicated."

Kangxi immediately thought of the dragon robe, which was woven on a Hualou loom in Jiangnan, which was also more than ten feet tall.

If everyone could learn how to weave a loom that could make a dragon robe...

Seeing Kangxi's hesitation, Qi You sighed and explained, "Different looms produce different fabrics. I read in 'The Exploitation of the Works of Nature' that this type of loom mainly weaves fabrics like brocade, which are different from the tribute fabrics sent by the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau. For example, the clothes worn by Khan Ama, in addition to the fabric, are more important, as are the color and the dragon patterns embroidered on them."

Kangxi looked embarrassed, coughed dryly, and said, "I am considering that if more people can weave, more cloth will be woven, and I won't be able to sell it for a good price in the future."

Qi You did not expose Kangxi's fault and said, "Don't worry, Khan. First of all, to weave this kind of cloth, you definitely need high-quality yarn, and the supply of yarn is a hurdle. Weaving a piece of cloth like this requires a lot of financial resources, manpower, and time. With more people who know how to do it, there will be more cloth on the market. But it won't cause an oversupply, it will just make the price of this kind of cloth slightly more reasonable. Merchants know what they are doing. If they can't make money, they will definitely stop making it. Ordinary people can't afford such expensive cloth, so there is no need to worry if it is left in the hands of merchants. The court will come forward to underwrite it all."

Fabrics are difficult to preserve. They will get infested with insects if left for too long, and the patterns will no longer be fashionable after a year.

Kangxi frowned slightly, pondering for a long time, but still couldn't figure out the reason why the court would underwrite the sale of such cloth. He asked, "Why does the court store so much cloth?"

Qi You replied, "Trade with Westerners. As soon as they see expensive and rare fabrics like this, they'll rush to buy them. Of course, the court can't just focus on making money. They also want them to exchange for rare products from their own country, such as seeds, their spinning machines, new agricultural tools, nautical compasses, ships, and even the latest firearms and cannons."

Qi You did not explain the trade deficit and surplus. He remembered that during the Qianlong period, a large amount of silver poured in, causing severe inflation. This was definitely not a good thing for people's livelihood and the people.

Kangxi's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but feel excited. What interested him most were Western guns and cannons.

Merchants are profit-driven. As long as they can make money, the things they trade in are much better than the congratulatory gifts or even tributes exchanged between two states.

According to Qi You's plan, a fixed portion of the taxes collected by the customs should be allocated to military expenses every year, such as for building a navy.

It is too early to talk about these things now. The current plan is only the starting point for the next ten to twenty years.

What's more, the first step he took was difficult.

Kangxi took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and continued reading. He particularly agreed with Qi You's idea of ​​offering language courses, having suffered the loss of language barriers himself.

In Qi You's plan, the allocation of teachers and students, classroom desks, expenses for books, pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, etc., all the required initial investments were listed one by one according to the individual amounts, and all were calculated clearly.

The planned completion deadlines are clearly marked, so anyone can understand what results the school will achieve by when.

After reading it, Kangxi's chest felt swollen, sad, excited, and a myriad of other feelings intertwined. He stared at Qi You without blinking.

Qi You looked calm, meeting Kangxi's gaze with a peaceful heart.

Before leaving your fate to fate, do your best.

He has tried his best and can accept the results, whether good or bad.

If it works, then everything is fine. If it doesn’t, then try to find a breakthrough.

Never give up.

After a long moment, Kangxi carefully considered the paper in his hand, tightly grasped it, and did not return it to Qi You. He asked, "Did you make plans long ago, so you brought this document with you?"

Qi You replied, "Mr. Nan and Ukuma Ma passed away recently, and I've been thinking about this more. Life on earth is only a few short decades, and I really don't want to waste every day of it, so I brought these with me and will add a few more when I think of them. We live well and peacefully, and our lives are not in vain. Their spirits in heaven will feel at ease when they see them."

Kangxi was stunned for a moment, looking at the gradually extinguishing brazier in front of him. He gestured to Qi You to put some more paper money in and said, "You are absolutely right. The living should live better and cherish every day."

The flames in the brazier shot up again, warming people's faces. But the mourning hall was too cold. Although the face was warm, the back was still cold.

Kangxi summoned Liang Jiugong and instructed, "It's snowing outside. Let's all stay until midnight and then go back to rest. Arrange for people to take turns guarding the mourning hall." He stood up on his knees and looked at Qi You, "Follow me."

Qi You heaved a sigh of relief, stood up, and followed Kangxi out of the house. Snowflakes were already falling outside, swaying and drifting under the light.

At this time of year in previous years, the palace would already be ablaze with joy, bustling with celebrations for the Lunar New Year. This year, however, the air was filled with white hair, a sense of desolation and sadness. After the snow fell, I feared the yellow tiles and red walls of the Forbidden City would turn pure white.

Arriving at the eastern warm room of the Qianqing Palace, Kangxi went to wash up. The eunuch brought hot water, and Qi You just got up and put a cloth in the water when the prince followed.

Qi You put down the cloth and stepped forward to greet the prince. The prince was visibly stunned, turned around and looked around, and said, "Seventh brother is here too. Where is Khan Ama?"

"Khan Ama went to wash up. Prince, you wash first. The water is clean and I haven't used it yet." Qi You stepped aside and said.

The prince was already very cold, so he didn't hesitate to step forward and put his hand into the hot water, sighing with comfort.

Qi You stood aside, waiting for the eunuch to fetch more water and bring it back into the house. Kangxi came out after washing up, saw the two of them, glanced at them, paused slightly, and said nothing.

After Qi You finished washing, Liang Jiugong led the eunuchs into the house with food boxes and brought a few bowls of hot ginger soup to the people.

Kangxi picked up the bowl and said, "Drink a bowl first to drive away the cold."

The ginger soup was hot and spicy, and after one bowl, Qi You finally regained some warmth. He put down the bowl and saw that the prince and Kangxi had not finished their drinks yet, so he drank some hot tea and waited.

Kangxi looked at Qi You and asked with concern, "Seventh Brother, would you like another bowl?"

Qi You replied: "Thank you, Khan Ama, I am warm now, so I don't need to drink anymore."

Kangxi hummed, didn't try to persuade him any further, lowered his head and drank the ginger soup in a few gulps.

The prince just put down his bowl and glanced at Qi You and Kangxi. Seeing that no one spoke, he lowered his eyes and picked up the tea to rinse his mouth.

Kangxi finished half a bowl of hot tea, exhaled, put down the tea bowl and said, "The Crown Prince said earlier that he wanted to go to Shunyi to supervise the school. Do you have any ideas or plans these days?"

The prince was stunned by the question and subconsciously glanced at Qi You. Seeing him sitting there with a normal expression, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

Earlier, Kangxi summoned Qi You to the mourning hall, and the prince naturally saw it. He was now feeling very uneasy.

Although it was unknown what the two men had said, the prince was certain it was related to the school. Otherwise, Kangxi would not have summoned him and asked about the Shunyi School right away.

As for how to supervise the school in Shunyi, the prince had really thought about it carefully. Referring to the school settings of Qi You, he had some ideas and plans.

After gathering his thoughts briefly, the prince replied, "My dear Khan, I have some rough plans. The courses we will offer must be prioritized, with the main focus being on academic achievement and examinations. I plan to hire renowned scholars to teach. With their fame, perhaps the wealthy families of Zhili will send their children to the school. The more wealthy children the school enrolls, the less we will have to worry about the school's expenses in the future, and we can provide appropriate subsidies to poorer students."

Qi You listened carefully. The prince's idea was not without merit. The more children of wealthy people there were, the more money they could make from them.

Using the rich to support the poor is a way to balance school expenses.

But this kind of school is no different from other academies. Academies have always provided subsidies and support to students from poor families with excellent academic performance, so this is nothing new.

Moreover, according to the prince's idea, there was no need to build the school in Shunyi, it could be built directly in the capital.

There are more rich people in the capital, so there is no need for rich people from around the capital to contribute money.

The most important thing is that Qiyou’s school does not focus on the imperial examination at all.

Kangxi didn't comment. When he saw the prince stop, he looked up at him and asked, "Is that all?"

The prince suddenly became even more nervous. He shifted his body, and his hands, hidden in his sleeves, tightly grasped the armrests of the armchair. He said, "Khan Ama, these are all I can think of for now. I'm keeping vigil recently, and I'll sort things out in detail after Ukuma Ma's funeral."

Kangxi pondered for a moment and asked, "According to the rules, you must observe a year of mourning and cannot leave the palace for at least a year. Have you considered this?"

The prince replied, "Khan Ama, I have already thought about it. A year is not too long. It is just enough time to make thorough preparations."

Kangxi looked indifferent. He took out Qi You's plan and said to the prince, "Take a look at it."

The prince hurriedly stood up and walked forward, took it in his hand and started to read it.

Kangxi looked at the prince's ever-changing expression, sighed lightly, and finally made a decision.

The author has something to say:

Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2022-10-15 21:00:01 and 2022-10-16 20:05:30~

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