Chapter 28 028 I am suffering so much.
The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and the Vice-Chancellor of the Imperial Academy were both highly respected officials, responsible for the instruction of Confucian scholars and the administration of government. They were mostly selected from among learned and knowledgeable Confucian scholars. However, despite their high rank, their actual authority was less than that of the heads of the Three Departments or the Vice-Ministers of various ministries; these were essentially sinecure positions. Zhao Jialing was not interested in Zheng Shiyan and his group, and unless he made a token visit to the Imperial Academy to inquire about their studies and the classics, he would not summon them individually.
Zheng Shiyan himself was quite bewildered, not understanding why the emperor had summoned them at this time. A while ago, they might have felt a surge of joy, thinking they could try to secure the printing press, but after some time, they realized there was no way they could obtain it. The Imperial Academy would eventually have its own printing press, but its authority in finalizing official documents would inevitably be subordinate to that of the Imperial Yong Printing Press. In that case, it seemed pointless.
The orthodox academic tradition was not found in the Imperial Academy.
Zhao Jialing's mood plummeted because of that word "bad," but she still treated the two elderly Confucian scholars with ample courtesy. She had no intention of saying anything superfluous and asked directly, "Where is the rhyme book copied by the student?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Shiyan felt relieved. His Majesty was only concerned about the progress of the books being copied by the Imperial Academy. He said, "They have been copied and sent to Xie Zhongshu."
Zhao Jialing frowned. Given Xie Lanzhao's style, it was impossible for her to remain silent after receiving the document. Since the Imperial Academy hadn't delayed the copying, the only "bad" thing could be a problem with the copied material itself. She stared silently at the two high-ranking officials of the Imperial Academy for a long time before finally asking calmly, "Has the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy seen it?"
Zheng Shiyan was uneasy in the emperor's silence, and his heart skipped a beat when he heard this indifferent question. It was just a matter of copying rhyme books; the Imperial Academy Doctor could handle it, how could he possibly supervise it personally?
It's not surprising that he thought that way. As a master of Confucianism and a trendsetter in literature, he could simply delegate the task of repeatedly checking rhyme books to his subordinates.
However, the scholars at the Imperial Academy also looked down on the minor art of "copying," and having spent too long in such a leisurely job, they developed a kind of "detached air." Once they received a copy, they would simply pass it on to Xie Lanzhao of the Secretariat.
Could it be that there's something wrong with what they copied? Zheng Shiyan belatedly realized this possibility, and exchanged a glance with the Imperial Academy Vice Director, who was also unsteady on his feet—it was like a basket of icy snow had been poured over him, sending a chill down his spine from beginning to end.
That's not right either.
If there were any problems with the rhyme book, given the cautiousness of the Grand Secretary, it would never have fallen into the hands of the Emperor.
What exactly happened?
Looking at the silent old minister, Zhao Jialing could guess the outcome.
An old man.
She mimicked the curse from the Wise Ruler System, but her expression remained impassive. She instructed Yin'e, who was standing beside her, "Have someone fetch the things."
Yin'e said "Yes" and withdrew from the hall.
The eunuchs diligently carried out the Emperor's orders. A short walk from the main gate led to the Hall of State Affairs. Xie Lanzhao wanted to send the rhyme book back for recopying, but the Emperor's intervention meant she couldn't cover for the people at the Imperial Academy. Without further ado, she handed the item to the eunuch.
Zhao Jialing, sitting in the hall, had already prepared herself for the worst, but as soon as she flipped through the pages of the book copied by the students of the Imperial Academy, her face darkened. Looking at the riddled-with-errors, she wished she could smash the rhyme book over the heads of these two old ministers.
Smash those two idiots to death!
Rhyme books are required for the Ministry of Rites examinations. Is it ridiculous to print out such a poorly written book that's worse than what a street kid copied? If students fail the examinations because they don't know the rhyme, whose fault will it be?
The hand that was gripping the paper suddenly loosened. In the terrible and heavy silence, Zhao Jialing let out a sigh and handed the rhyme book to Yin'e, indicating that she should pass it on to the two literary masters of the Imperial Academy.
In the brief silence, Zheng Shiyan and his companions heard neither lively voices nor the Emperor's urgent tone. Silence and repression spread silently, and the fear and trepidation they felt when facing the Emperor gradually surfaced deep within them.
Until the students handed over the copied material.
Zheng Shiyan's breath hitched, and his expression went blank. He was a seasoned writer, no longer needing rhyme dictionaries, which was why he could spot the problem at a glance. The characters were neat enough, but the copyist lacked care and attention to detail.
It shouldn't be this bad, right?
Zheng Shiyan stared blankly at the paper in his hand without saying a word.
Zhao Jialing sneered: "During the reigns of our ancestors, scholars throughout the land considered it an honor to enter the Imperial Academy. At that time, literature flourished, and most of the successful candidates in the imperial examinations came from the Imperial Academy. But since the reign of the late emperor, students of the Imperial Academy have been inferior to those from prefectures and counties, only knowing how to pursue superficiality! This has made scholars ashamed to study at the Imperial Academy. If this book is engraved and published for the Ministry of Rites examinations, are you preparing to be laughed at by scholars throughout the land?"
Zheng Shiyan swayed precariously, while the Director of the Imperial Academy was drenched in cold sweat.
Those unambitious people have really caused them a lot of trouble. This is something that can be done without using your brain! It is indeed somewhat different from the scroll books of the past, but they've already provided paper of the appropriate format and size; at most, they just need to copy it and then create a new table of contents based on the content!
Zheng Shiyan felt ashamed upon hearing the emperor's sarcasm.
Deep down, he cursed the careless student in charge of copying the text a hundred times over.
That's so embarrassing.
Zhao Jialing said, "Copy it again."
Trembling with fear, Zheng Shiyan and the Director of the Imperial Academy withdrew from the hall, wiping the sweat from their brows.
The two looked at each other for a while, then shook their heads and smiled bitterly.
Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has been lazy and indifferent to affairs. While he hasn't been absent for years, his presence at court has been largely pointless. The ministers have arranged everything meticulously, while His Majesty has essentially ruled by doing nothing, thoroughly embodying the principle of "non-interference." Recently, His Majesty has begun to inquire about matters, but this brings a different kind of unease.
"What did the Right Chancellor say?" As they left the palace gates, the Director of the Imperial Academy whispered to Zheng Shiyan. The reform of the imperial examination system had generated considerable discussion within the Imperial Academy. Feng Mi's actions had affected the descendants of high-ranking officials within the academy, and the establishment of the Temple of Martial Arts and the Imperial Academy of Martial Arts was a slap in the face to the Academy's doctors. Could this be the reason for their laxity?
Zheng Shiyan shook her head: "I don't know."
His Majesty now has divine assistance, and he reveres Heaven and Earth. Those who used to be with him have fallen silent, no longer concerned with the affairs of the Martial Temple and the Martial Examinations. It's hard to say now; if there are no further results, someone will suggest abolishing them. As for sealing and copying, he doesn't care much. His children and grandchildren will have their own way of the future.
After Zheng Shiyan and the others left, Zhao Jialing pulled a long face and cursed, "Idiot! Moron!"
If you can't even do this little thing right, what's the point of studying?
The glaring "bad" hadn't even faded from the "small screen" when Zhao Jialing saw it, and his anger surged.
It wasn't until the eunuch announced that Xie Lanzhao was requesting an audience that she calmed herself down and managed to suppress her anger.
Xie Lanzhao deliberately avoided the positions of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and the Vice-Chancellor, partly to save face for their relatives, and partly out of dissatisfaction with the Imperial Academy's negligence. However, criticizing the Imperial Academy was pointless; copying and printing books was a first for them. So be it; they should take this opportunity to discover errors and clarify the rules and regulations.
"I summoned them to discuss the matter of carving and printing the rhyme book," Zhao Jialing said proactively.
Xie Lanzhao lowered his head and said, "This matter was not handled well; it is my dereliction of duty."
"What does this have to do with you?" Zhao Jialing snorted. "With their crooked and rotten character, if ten bad things happen in Chang'an, they're responsible for eleven of them."
"The act of copying also requires proofreading. One might easily overlook things when reading one's own work. The Secretariat has three levels of proofreading for classical texts; perhaps the base texts for future printed scriptures can be modeled after this. One doesn't need outstanding literary talent, but rather diligence and meticulousness," Xie Lanzhao added. The *Essentials of Woodblock Printing* describes how people first copy the text and then paste it onto prepared blocks, which are then carved by craftsmen. If even a single character is wasted without being noticed, the entire block is rendered useless. It seems simple, but in reality, it requires considerable effort.
"Does Your Majesty intend to have the students of the Imperial Academy copy all the printed scriptures, or will you hire other people to do it?"
"You can decide this matter," Zhao Jialing said.
It doesn't matter where people come from, but in any case, the imperial court must not be made a laughing stock.
"When are you free?" Zhao Jialing asked again, looking at Xie Lanzhao expectantly, eager to turn the plan into reality.
The topic jumped so quickly that Xie Lanzhao was stunned for a moment before helplessly asking, "Has Your Majesty already figured out how to appease the remonstrating officials?"
"Do I need them to ask me when I go to the Prime Minister's house for a drink?" Zhao Jialing scoffed.
Xie Lanzhao stared at Zhao Jialing. If it were merely a matter of going to the Prime Minister's residence, no one would say a word. But judging from His Majesty's intentions, it was clear that it would not stop there.
Zhao Jialing frowned: "The Imperial Academy is in Wubenfang, and your family is also in Wubenfang. I'll take this opportunity to see what kind of scoundrels are hiding in the Imperial Academy." She had spoken on a whim, but since she had already started, she went along with it. She said, "I remember your cousin is also studying at the Imperial Academy? I'll go there under the pretext of caring for her."
Xie Lanzhao pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Does Your Majesty intend to reorganize the Imperial Academy?"
Zhao Jialing blinked.
Rectification?
Was the Imperial Academy worse than she thought?
“I have no such intention,” Zhao Jialing said. She simply wanted to leave the palace and ride with Xie Lanzao down Chang’an Street to fulfill the dream she had never realized back then.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the voice of the Wise Ruler System rang out.
[Sensing the host's strong desire for reform, a new main quest has been triggered. Please complete "Main Quest: Governance, Civil Administration II: School Reform." Given the difficulty of the quest, to prevent the host from being overwhelmed, a "Curriculum Reform Guide" is hereby issued.]
Zhao Jialing: "???"
Where did she have such strong desires?
[I went out to have fun! Do I still have to do a mission?] Zhao Jialing protested loudly in his heart.
"No, the host is going out to observe the people's conditions." The Wise Ruler System said ruthlessly.
Zhao Jialing remained silent.
Even if you don't want to go to the Imperial Academy, you have to go.
Xie Lanzhao's eyes were deep and unfathomable.
Even the system says it's difficult, so what kind of changes will it bring to the Great Yong Dynasty? And how should it be changed? Should the regulations of the Imperial Academy be revised? But that might not be very effective. A curriculum reform guide—does that mean changing the subjects? But the Imperial Academy is the foundation of education; once it's changed, it will have a ripple effect, and the subjects for the imperial examinations will also have to be drastically altered!
Having already completed several tasks, Zhao Jialing quickly convinced herself.
There's no time limit, so the system doesn't care when she does it.
She stared intently at Xie Lanzhao, noticing her unpredictable changes in expression and her brows furrowed into a deep frown.
Oh no, look at that expression! Could Xie Lanzhao have changed her mind?!
Did she say something wrong?
She changed her tune, saying, "The students at the Imperial Academy have a frivolous academic atmosphere. They are proficient in everything from dice to liubo. They drink heavily and quarrel, and associate with all sorts of people. What's more, some of them disrespect the officials and disregard the law. It is time to rectify this situation."
[How wicked, Imperial Academy! How utterly useless, Imperial Academy Doctors! All the blame lies with you. You have stolen my joyful life!]
If she could copy a book properly, would she have had to carry such a heavy burden while traveling?
Can't an emperor have moments when he can forget all worldly affairs?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
