Chapter 47 047 I am mute.
According to the system's plan, "General Knowledge" is merely a book used to cultivate children's interests during the early childhood education stage, as naturally reflected in the preface. Furthermore, since literature, mathematics, and calligraphy already exist as subjects, their related content is no longer included in "General Knowledge." Thus, "General Knowledge" becomes a book completely unrelated to current academic pursuits.
"Its content is rather simplistic. Although it is broad in scope, it does nothing to enhance our writing. 'Smelting and casting,' 'boats and carts,' and 'silk reeling' are the work of craftsmen and women. What do they have to do with us scholars?" In the tavern, the scholars, who had been talking loudly, couldn't help but show their arrogance. After pausing for a few breaths, they raised their voices again, "For example, is brewing wine something that requires us to take off our long gowns and learn to serve wine at the counter?"
"May I ask how much you've read, sir?"
“One book is enough. The preface already says it is something for children to play with, not for scholars like us. With the time approaching, if you continue to focus on useless things and delay your studies of the classics, it will be too late to regret it later,” the scholar earnestly advised.
...
At this moment, Zhao Jialing, who had followed Xie Lanzhao to the tavern to observe the people's livelihood, looked rather unhappy. The scholars' character... well, you can't entirely blame them. The social atmosphere is like this, valuing only Confucian classics and scholarly pursuits. Aren't the Confucian officials in court and the scholars yet to enter officialdom all educated the same? What original insights can you expect from them?
Of course, according to the system, as long as the base is large enough, you can always find some "unconventional" individuals. To the scholars, the other party is going astray and acting madly, but to her, they are precisely the outstanding talents she desperately needs.
"Are the subjects at Mingde Academy really that bad?" Zhao Jialing asked Xie Lanzhao in a low voice. Despite the fine wine before her, she hadn't touched a drop, while Xie Lanzhao sipped a small cup, her cheeks flushed slightly.
“The scholars who come to the capital are all seeking fame and fortune. The imperial examinations test knowledge of the classics and poetry, which are the main focus. The subjects in the academies are unrelated to the imperial examinations, so they are naturally overlooked,” Xie Lanzhao said softly. She was also afraid that Zhao Jialing might suddenly have the idea of reforming the imperial examination subjects, so she added, “The Imperial Academy and the imperial examinations are one. You value Mingde Academy, but Mingde Academy is still under construction and has not yet become a benchmark school. It will probably not be easy to change the imperial examination subjects.”
Zhao Jialing nodded, understanding the reasoning behind it. The system still couldn't handle the corresponding tasks, which suggested it felt the initial step was too radical. However, keeping the subject unchanged didn't mean other aspects couldn't be altered. If the research yielded results, what was wrong with awarding an official position based on merit? "The position of clerk is considered lowly by self-important scholars, and even those who passed the imperial examinations would likely be unwilling to hold it. If the selection were from outstanding students of Mingde Academy, the protests would probably be less vocal," Zhao Jialing remarked.
As for whether those people will feel wronged—
If someone truly has such feelings, they would insist on distinguishing right from wrong in everything and be unable to endure loneliness; therefore, they are not the kind of talent she seeks to select.
Xie Lanzhao pondered for a moment and said, "Officials in prefectures and states are selected from the local area and have served for many years. Their positions are complex and difficult to clarify."
Year after year, how many laws and regulations have been passed down? How many prefectural and state officials can memorize all the relevant materials? When they arrive at their posts, they have to rely on those inconspicuous but knowledgeable clerks who are familiar with the local laws and regulations. However, these clerks have always been despised by civil officials. Their own lack of competence is one problem, but the lack of career advancement and low pay are also reasons.
Doesn't the court want to punish those corrupt officials? It's just that there are too many obstacles, and they don't know where to begin. Xie Lanzhao wouldn't have cared about the fate of such corrupt officials before, but since His Majesty wants to blur the lines between right and wrong, she has to consider this matter.
“Governing the bureaucracy is not easy either,” Zhao Jialing said, resting his chin on his hand. “We’ll try it out in Chang’an first, and then extend the academy to prefectures, states and counties. In the future, we’ll try to get all the clerks to come from schools.”
Xie Lanzhao nodded. These things cannot be implemented immediately; it may take years to see results.
Zhao Jialing looked up and saw Xie Lanzhao pour herself another full glass of wine. She snorted and said, "You tricked me last time."
Xie Lanzhao raised an eyebrow: "I only said that I am not good at drinking, not that I cannot drink. How can you say I lied? Besides, I drank the wine when it was presented to me. You should know that."
Zhao Jialing retorted, "...You're playing word games!"
Xie Lanzhao chuckled and countered, "Why isn't Your Majesty drinking? Didn't you want to drink at my house last time?"
“That was then, and today is today,” Zhao Jialing said. Although she said that, she didn’t refuse when Xie Lanzhao pushed the wine cup towards her. After taking a small sip, she suddenly became alert and asked warily, “Why are you being so attentive today? Do you want to get me drunk and watch me embarrass myself?”
"Your Majesty is innocent," Xie Lanzao said. It was just that she had encountered all sorts of things, big and small, when she went out of the palace before, and His Majesty had not been able to enjoy himself to the fullest. She thought of His Majesty's little grievances, so she indulged herself a little today.
"Really?" Zhao Jialing glanced at her. She took a sip of wine, blushed, and said, "My chastity is as pure as pine, bamboo, and orchid. You can't take advantage of me when I'm drunk and weak."
Xie Lanzhao: "..." She was confused. She insisted on inviting His Majesty to drink, and after only a few drinks, she's already rambling on and on. Shouldn't this be her true feelings? Why did she say it so bluntly?
She remained silent.
His Majesty's bright, sparkling eyes made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
She coughed lightly, took a sip of wine to cover her embarrassment, and said, "Even if you gave me a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare."
Zhao Jialing pressed on with the topic: "If you wouldn't dare even if you had a hundred, what about the one hundred and one?"
Xie Lanzhao gazed at Zhao Jialing, inwardly sighing. His Majesty's ability to argue and be unreasonable was growing stronger every day. If she said she dared not, wouldn't that be an endless stream, piling up to hundreds and thousands? But if she said "dare," it might take on a completely different meaning in His Majesty's ears. Xie Lanzhao didn't pour any more wine. She thought for a moment and said, "Which way do you wish?"
Zhao Jialing shut up this time. Even after leaving the tavern, she kept tugging at her sleeves and tucking in her fur coat. After a while, she couldn't help but ask, "If I express my hopes, will they come true?"
The oncoming wind brought icy snowflakes, and Xie Lanzhao opened her umbrella.
Zhao Jialing turned to look at Xie Lanzhao, her fingertips brushing against Xie Lanzhao's cold fingertips as she took the umbrella. She decided not to let go, instead cupping Xie Lanzhao's fingers in her palm.
If she doesn't say anything, then she'll just stay here and not leave.
Xie Lanzhao didn't struggle. She said, "You have to say it, don't you?"
Zhao Jialing pursed her lips, her eyes brimming with tears.
[Why is the host mute?] The Wise Ruler System went online to watch the drama unfold. If the host were really asked to say something, all traces of his arrogance would vanish.
[Damn it, shut up!] Zhao Jialing said angrily.
She met Xie Lanzhao's calm gaze, opened her mouth, and finally said, "The world is at peace."
Xie Lanzhao stared intently at Zhao Jialing for a few moments before looking away. She said, "It will be as you wish."
After listening to the scholars' discussions, Zhao Jialing was not in a hurry to go back. He went to An's shop for a while and finally went to Huangyong Bookstore.
The scholars gathered there were more discerning than those who only knew how to drink; they didn't denigrate "General Knowledge" to the dust.
When they arrived, the scholars were composing poems about snow. At the Huangyong Bookstore, poems could be exchanged for books. Those with outstanding talent but limited funds could exchange their poems for books, while those who were not short of money also liked to join in the fun and attend this elegant event.
Zhao Jialing didn't interrupt the group's enjoyment. She looked ahead with a smile on her face: "It was suggested by Madam Zheng and Madam Chen, and I think it's quite good."
Xie Lanzhao said softly, "They will be grateful to you."
Zhao Jialing then asked, "And what about you?"
Her inner thoughts stirred again: "After these past few months of effort, your impression of me should have changed, shouldn't it? How do I compare to my elder sister and brother?"
[Host, you're being way too concerned. How many times have you asked already?]
[I have breakfast and lunch, and food can be digested. Why can't I have kind words? Why do you always think about the next meal after eating the previous one?]
The Wise Ruler System ignored the host's trembling and proceeded to issue the following task: [A bookstore is, after all, a bookstore; it can never replace a library. How can such a vast capital city be without a public library? Please complete the main quest—Governance—Civil Administration III—Library Construction—as soon as possible.]
Zhao Jialing: "..."
The imperial library possessed a vast collection of books, none of which were shown to the public. As for the common people, books were extremely precious, and only a small number of people could own them. Scholars who wanted to read either bought copies from bookstores or copied them from the homes of those who had books. Copying books was prone to errors; even scrolls bought from the same bookstore might contain different contents.
Books were rare, and libraries were even more of a pipe dream. But now, with the mastery of basic woodblock printing, the construction of libraries has become possible.
“Although the price of printed books is very low, they are still unattainable for many poor families,” Zhao Jialing told Xie Lanzhao.
Xie Lanzhao nodded in agreement upon hearing the task. The mountain people and fishermen earned no more than a hundred coins a day, barely enough for a family's daily food. Where would they get the extra money to buy books? Their young children wanted to study, but they had neither money nor access to education.
Zhao Jialing then said, "A bookstore is, after all, a bookshop. Although it provides seats for scholars, there aren't many. The palace has the Lantai (Orchid Terrace), so could a similar place be built in Chang'an?"
This task is relatively easy to implement; all that's needed is to build the "library." The palace has a vast collection of books, initially in copies, but printed copies will soon follow. Besides, this won't bother the court officials much; some officials don't even have books at home, as many were copied out by officials from the Secretariat during their spare time.
Xie Lanzhao nodded.
Zhao Jialing then asked, "Where would be a good place to build it?"
Without hesitation, Xie Lanzhao replied, "Near Mingde Academy."
As Zhao Jialing had anticipated, since their interests were not directly involved, the court officials showed little resistance to the construction of the library. At most, the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Treasury grumbled about the cost, but Zhao Jialing simply ignored them. For them to complain about every penny they were asked to part with was practically an ineradicable part of their nature.
However, a few days later, a strange voice began to circulate. The nobles and military officials secretly complained that this was a classic case of slapping one hand and then offering a sweet treat; after all, His Majesty values literature. Look, he's already handing out money to the civil officials in the blink of an eye. So where are these "sweet treats" for the nobles and military officials?
Civil officials also have titles, but they earn less than military officials and nobles. Your Majesty is pleased with this reform of the title inheritance system, but is that all? Have those who cooperated with Your Majesty been abandoned?
And for His Majesty's "factory," they poured both money and their hearts into it, yet His Majesty didn't even offer a token of appreciation. Is it only the Duke of Qin's mansion that can benefit from such advanced weaponry? Speaking of which, does that mean civil officials can also go to the battlefield in the future? It's a huge blow to foreign powers; do we still need generals to charge into battle?
Zhao Jialing: "?"
Are there no military classics in the library?
Besides, don't they know why they shouldn't be given important positions? They're not used because they're useless! The capable military officials are still stationed on the frontier. These good-for-nothings would be thrown off their horses if they tried to mount one.
These whispers weren't particularly serious, but their sudden emergence still bothered Zhao Jialing. She sent her secret guards to investigate and discovered that the gossip originated from the Prince Zhong's residence.
Was it wrong to allow the crippled King Zhong to recuperate at home and avoid outsiders? Was it wrong to let his son serve him at his bedside, allowing them to enjoy the warmth of father-son relationships?
She got away with it just because of "General Knowledge" and glassware? Why is her third brother so petty?
"How can we send Prince Zhong away without leaving a trace, without drawing criticism?" Zhao Jialing asked Xie Lanzhao, his lips pursed, after the court session ended. Alas, common people value family harmony, and the royal family should set an example. If she were to do anything to Prince Zhong, people would soon say she couldn't even tolerate a crippled brother. Was Prince Zhong so emboldened by this?
"The rift has been formed, and disaster is about to strike." Xie Lanzhao's eyes were cold and stern. She had spared no effort in suppressing the followers left behind by Princess Zhongshan who were not entirely on her side, let alone Prince Zhong! She exhaled a breath of turbid air and said solemnly, "If the ancestors are watching, Your Majesty should send Prince Zhong to the tomb of the late emperor."
For members of the imperial family, this was an extremely cruel exile; doing so would be recorded by historians and condemned for eternity. What court official would be foolish enough to believe in such supernatural manifestations of ancestors? But things are different now. His Majesty is possessed by deities, and as for the ancestral miracles in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, you tell me, isn't that true?
Those who could hear His Majesty's thoughts dared not refute him, but what could those who could not hear him do but feel fear?
Xie Lanzhao then said, "Hasn't Lady Li already made 'Fire Tree and Silver Flowers'? Your Majesty might as well send someone to transport some over and set them off."
[If the host needs it, the system can add some special effects for you free of charge.]
【add! 】
Why push something that's free?
Zhao Jialing glanced at the dignified Xie Lanzhao.
[Isn't my prime minister... a little... inflexible?]
Wise Ruler System: [。]
In the host's mind, it is spotless.
No, it's also "involved," but since the host regularly does a thorough clean-up of bad impressions, the messy piles of it in a corner form a "Disagreement Handbook," which is only taken out and flipped through when needed.
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