Chapter 32 032 I am pleased.
The brawl witnessed by the Imperial Academy was quite unpleasant, but Zhao Jialing and Xie Lanzhao strolled around Chang'an and quickly forgot about the unpleasantness.
If you keep dwelling on your troubles, aren't you just asking for trouble?
"The flowers aren't blooming well, I'll come again next time." Zhao Jialing gazed intently at Xie Lanzao, his eyes filled with longing and anticipation.
Xie Lanzhao smiled gently, neither agreeing nor refusing. When it was time to send Zhao Jialing back to the palace, she ordered someone to fetch a long box from her residence.
Zhao Jialing guessed, "Could it be a short sword?" She stared at Xie Lanzhao, delighted, but still deliberately snorted and said, "Is this the birthday gift you made up for for me? It's no different from the one I gave for my birthday celebration. You're trying to fool me!"
Xie Lanzhao said, "If Your Majesty does not want it, then return it to me."
Zhao Jialing grew anxious: "How can you take back something you've already given away?!" She clutched the box tightly, afraid Xie Lanzao would snatch it away. Weighing the box in her hand, she muttered to herself, "It's not a sword either. It's rather light."
Xie Lanzhao remained noncommittal, saying, "It's getting late, Your Majesty should return to the palace."
Zhao Jialing drawled, "I know."
As autumn and winter approached and the days grew shorter, coupled with the thieves from the Imperial Academy, her good times were gone forever. However, she did gain something; on the way back to the palace, Zhao Jialing forbade the palace servants from touching the box, carrying it herself, her smile barely concealed.
Upon returning to his bedchamber, Zhao Jialing eagerly opened the box—
Huh? A scroll?
Could it be that Xie Lanzhao found some ancient paintings and calligraphy to tease her? She is indeed good at calligraphy, but to say she's obsessed with ancient artifacts and bronzes is a stretch. To waste her birthday gift on paintings—Zhao Jialing felt utterly cheated!
【Host, why don't you open it and take a look?】The Wise Ruler System couldn't stand Zhao Jialing's hesitation. He was laughing one minute and worried the next. Luckily, the palace servants had strong mental fortitude.
[Fine, even if it's an ancient painting, I'll accept it. Alas, what can I do, being so compassionate and magnanimous? I can't bear to blame Xie Lanzhao.] Zhao Jialing thought to himself.
The melancholy lingered on her face for a moment before vanishing. Zhao Jialing's eyes widened, her joy practically overflowing! It was indeed a painting, but not one of those priceless antiques in the eyes of scholars; rather, it was a priceless treasure in Zhao Jialing's heart! It wasn't a painting of flowers, birds, or landscapes, and the figures were not ordinary either—after all, it depicted her!
Zhao Jialing: [She painted me from when I was four to when I was twelve. Xie Lanzao truly adores me! She's so thoughtful.]
[I wasn't this chubby when I was a child! I don't believe it!]
"Yin'e." Zhao Jialing beckoned to the female official who was taking care of her, and carefully pointed to the unfolded scroll. She asked, "Look, who does the person in the painting look like?"
Without hesitation, Yin'e replied, "Your Majesty."
"Really?" Zhao Jialing asked again. Seeing Yin'e nod seriously, she said slowly, "You are probably afraid of my authority and dare not speak frankly. It's alright, I will go and ask the Empress Dowager."
Wise Ruler System: [。]
Let her do it; if you really say it "doesn't seem like it," then she'll just sulk.
No wonder Xie Lanzhao hid the scroll in a box.
Zhao Jialing acted immediately, heading straight to the Empress Dowager's palace. She usually ignored the little cats who swaggered around in the palace, but this time she had eunuchs clear the way, and even after arriving at the Empress Dowager's palace, she asked all the little furballs to leave before finally taking out a painting and showing it to the Empress Dowager like a treasure: "Mother, this was painted by Xie Lanzhao."
The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow and teased, "Why doesn't Lanzao paint some embarrassing things? Like getting stuck on a branch and not being able to get down? Or like getting a tooth broken from eating too much?"
Zhao Jialing gazed at the Empress Dowager with a wistful expression: "Mother!"
Who exposes someone's shortcomings like that?
"I still have a beautiful image in Xie Lanzhao's heart," Zhao Jialing said happily, her eyebrows dancing with pride.
"Yes, Sixth Sister is the most beautiful," the Empress Dowager said with a smile. She leaned back on the couch and then asked, "How is Aci's research going?"
“Not bad,” Zhao Jialing said. “Every two days, someone from the Duke of Qin’s mansion sends over the progress report. It seems they’ve discovered some gadgets during the research process. The Duke of Qin says they’re like fireworks that can be sold for money. We’ll have to wait for Li Zhaoci to tell us the specifics.”
"Hmm?" The Empress Dowager was somewhat surprised. "If it can generate profits, then the matter should fall under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department?"
"No, I don't think so," Zhao Jialing shook his head. "They might say something like that about moral depravity or competing with the people for profit."
"If you can't make up your mind, you can ask Lanzao. Last year I saw you looking at her like she was your enemy."
"No way." Zhao Jialing smiled sheepishly. Wasn't that just a little tantrum? She denied her past behavior and shamelessly said, "Xie Lanzhao and I are doing very well."
Empress Dowager: "Alright, take the gifts and go."
Zhao Jialing's eyes flickered: "Of course, my mother and I are the best."
She was in a great mood because of the trip and the gifts, and she didn't even complain about the "early bird dance" brought about by the "quality of the ox".
Many in the capital, however, stayed up all night, truly wanting to beat their unworthy descendants to death. What seemed like a mere "elementary school class" affair had leaked out of the Imperial Academy; the Emperor ordered his eunuchs to take away all the exam papers and coursework from the Imperial Academy and the National Academy, even Prime Minister Xie couldn't dissuade them. Some believed their children were the best in the land, but others knew better, aware of the true nature of those studying at the Imperial Academy.
But what exactly does His Majesty mean by moving those assignments away? Shouldn't they be kept to sell as waste paper to subsidize the Imperial Academy's expenses?
Zhao Jialing certainly wouldn't spend the night by candlelight reading those scrambled-for "garbage" articles; naturally, someone else would handle it for her. The palace officials were all literate, some exceptionally talented and capable of drafting imperial edicts in place of the Grand Secretary. Upon receiving the emperor's order, they immediately began their inspection.
Upon closer examination, some clues emerged.
Some people's handwriting differs between exams and their daily homework! The question is, which one is the real person's handwriting? Or is it neither?
The essays and poems were so poor that Yin'e and the palace maids frowned repeatedly as they read them.
It's so unfair to my eyes!
It's just toilet paper!
The courtiers' confusion was resolved earlier than expected. Usually, during court assemblies, His Majesty would let the civil and military officials speak first, but this time, before the censor could even use his eloquence, Zhao Jialing spoke up. She said, "The ancients said that the greatest way to cultivate scholars is through the Imperial Academy; the Imperial Academy is the place where virtuous scholars reside, and it is the origin of education. ① Yesterday, I visited the Imperial Academy and saw some interesting things, which I would like to tell you all."
Upon hearing the words "Imperial Academy," the court officials knew that what was coming was bound to happen.
Sigh, it's all the fault of the young master from the Pengcheng Marquis's family. Can't we just let him take the blame?
This is a severe slap in the face to the Marquis of Pengcheng.
It's hateful that the Marquis of Pengcheng has no official duties and doesn't need to come to court at all!
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Academy's discipline is lax, and this is my fault." Zheng Shiyan said with a bitter face. The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy was an academic official, highly respected by scholars, so why was his position so difficult? First, there was a problem with copying books, then the academic atmosphere... Was this year just an unlucky year? Zheng Shiyan groaned inwardly.
Zhao Jialing ignored Zheng Shiyan completely. Her gaze met Xie Lanzhao's, and she cleared her throat: "Read it!"
Start with the worst, one at a time!
For the next half hour, I listened to the students' essays one by one.
The civil and military officials were initially bewildered, then they understood, and occasionally revealed a hint of schadenfreude as they mocked their colleagues.
Is this kind of garbage article your descendant wrote?
Didn't they pride themselves on a family tradition of poetry and propriety? Nonsense is their ancestral teaching?
Tsk, all that convoluted and bizarre language, all that showing off.
...
These officials' eyes could speak volumes, but when the eunuch reciting poetry with dramatic intonation reached the "masterpiece" of his own relative, the smug official froze. His face then turned a riot of colors, like a vat of dye, a truly spectacular display. Yet, looking at his colleagues, he felt a strange calm, as if they weren't all from the same family who had committed adultery.
Of course, there are also those who remain uninvolved, but if they were to laugh at this moment, it would be particularly irritating. Laughing at someone's face now will only get you kicked by a donkey tomorrow.
"The Imperial Academy leads the literary trend. I think it should be entrusted to the Huangyong Printing House to publish the 'Collection of the Imperial Academy,' printing several hundred sets for scholars from various prefectures to read. What do you all think?" Zhao Jialing said slowly.
Although the tone was calm, even a fool could hear the sarcasm in it. If they thought His Majesty was praising them, they'd better go back to their hometowns and farm. The military officers had a rudimentary understanding of literature and wouldn't offer opinions on matters outside their expertise. However, they were good at reading faces, and a few scattered cries of "Your Majesty is wise!" further humiliated the court officials. It was only thanks to the equally unworthy sons of the military officers that the civil officials weren't utterly defeated by the thunderous roar of their voices.
After the mocking voice faded, an eerie silence fell over the court. A moment later, the remonstrating official said, "The Imperial Academy is a place of rites, music, law, and education. The professors and assistant professors are merely officials in name only, lacking the substance of true scholarship. This is why the Imperial Academy is so corrupt! I beseech Your Majesty to punish these officials!"
The Imperial Academy scholar was also in court, and his face immediately turned a deep purplish-red.
If teaching is not strict, it is the teacher's laziness.
What can they refute? That high-ranking officials are trying to fill the Imperial Academy and that they dare not interfere?
Zhao Jialing asked, "There are one or two usable essays from students of the Imperial Academy. However, these one or two mostly come from the four academies. The Imperial Academy and the National Academy both teach the classics, so why are they worse? Some students of the Imperial Academy even hire others to write their essays and take the exams for them. How can this be explained?"
What could court officials do when their descendants were implicated? They could only bow down and admit their mistakes: "Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty to educate my son. Please forgive me."
[Congratulations, host, you have completed the achievement "Pulling out the radish and bringing out the mud." One bad apple, and they're all bad apples. This is truly a blessing for the Great Yong Dynasty.] The Wise Ruler System dutifully came out to broadcast the news, walking on the path of Yin and Yang.
[Don't be discouraged, host. The Daydreamer doesn't have achievement rewards, but it does. That pile of junk still created some value.]
[What reward?] Zhao Jialing wondered.
[High-performance soap formulas are available, capable of creating a variety of fancy products to empty merchants' pockets, while also offering basic versions for everyday use to remove stains and reduce the likelihood of contracting diseases due to unkempt appearance.]
"Am I not working on school reform?" Zhao Jialing asked, puzzled.
[Yes, it's okay if the reward is off-target. As long as the host is willing to work hard, there will be another one.]
The court officials looked ashen-faced.
No wonder His Majesty did this; it turns out it was orchestrated by this system deity called San San!
School restructuring? How should it be done?
I don't understand, but I'll suggest making changes.
The courtier who heard the sentiment even took a moment to glance at Xie Lanzhao.
Yesterday, Xie Zhongshu went on a trip with His Majesty. How much does she know about the reform?
His Majesty must have thought of this terrible idea of reading students' essays aloud in class without consulting her!
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