Therefore, it seems that a separate government office needs to be set up to specifically help some rural households and those in the "five categories" of neighborhoods and towns escape poverty!
This method of poverty alleviation is similar to the agricultural crash course that Zhao Huan set up, teaching rural households some knowledge that they did not understand but that was of practical use to them.
There's a saying that has been passed down through the ages: Knowledge is power.
Help them enhance their capabilities and create a positive social environment.
Xu Churen said, "I also agree with what Prime Minister Zhao said. This is the way of the sage. We should set up a separate government office to teach the people agriculture, engineering or commerce. Even the university should not be limited to young people. As the saying goes, one should learn until old age. As long as one wants to learn, the court should not impose age restrictions."
Zhao Huan asked, "What does Minister Tang think?"
"I agree with what Minister Zhao and Minister Xu said. We can make two preparations. First, we should encourage people who can go to school to go to school, regardless of age. However, the poorest households, especially the fifth-class poorest households, may not be able to afford to go to school. Second, we should open more simple schools such as agricultural crash courses and teach them free of charge, which will be enough to meet the needs of the people."
Zhao Huan nodded. In this way, they would have to reverse-engineer the Song Dynasty's teaching system.
Following Zhao Huan's idea, Shi Ziming divided the Song Dynasty's education system into three levels: primary, intermediate, and advanced, in order to improve people's knowledge level.
But there are still many unresolved issues, such as the level of universities and whether graduates should enter government service or settle down in the countryside.
What can be done by going into the community?
The commercial sector in the Song Dynasty was still too weak, with few job opportunities.
Moreover, the problem of redundant officials accumulated from the previous imperial examination system has not been fundamentally resolved to this day.
Zhao Huan killed a lot of people, but compared to the number of 500,000 civil servants, what were the ones Zhao Huan killed?
Currently, a large number of officially employed personnel are idle and supported by the imperial court.
Now that the imperial court is opening free crash courses in various places, these people will come in handy.
Zhao Huan remembered that last year he had Xu Churen print out Chen Fu's "Agricultural Treatise" and distribute it. He wondered how the matter was progressing.
"Minister Xu, what stage has the printing and teaching of the 'Agricultural Treatise' reached?"
Xu Churen said, "Your Majesty, 3,000 copies of the Agricultural Treatise have been printed and distributed to various towns in the capital region, where the town supervisors will oversee each town."
"Minister Xu, you need to give me a result on this matter. I want a result that I can see, proving that the people are really learning the 'Agricultural Treatise' and have learned practical things. The 'Agricultural Treatise' is to be promoted throughout the country. If it can't even be promoted in the capital region, let alone the whole Song Dynasty."
Xu Churen said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will personally go to inspect the area."
"I am deeply grateful to my Grand Chancellor," Zhao Huan said. "I cannot rest easy until the agricultural problem is solved."
"Your Majesty cares deeply for the people, and we, your subjects, should share your burdens."
After a moment's thought, Zhao Huan said, "In that case, the agricultural crash courses will be set up in various towns and villages, while the handicraft and commercial crash courses will be set up in the city. Also, calling them crash courses doesn't sound very good, so let's call them folk schools."
It just so happens that the Song Dynasty's civil service is also bloated. Even if Zhao Huan wanted to cut them down, it wouldn't be possible to do so in a short time. It would be better to make good use of these people.
Zhao Huan continued, "Regarding the matter you mentioned today, I will have someone handle it. Among these four policies, the loan policy for rural households and the fifth-class households in urban areas still needs to be discussed. I believe that it is not impossible for rural households and the fifth-class households in urban areas to borrow money from the Great Song Bank, but they need to work in textile factories, craft bureaus, or other places built by the court for at least five years, master some skills, and obtain the court's approval document. With this document, they can borrow some money from the Great Song Bank for their business purposes."
"Furthermore, we will rigorously investigate and punish those who engage in usury in the private sector!"
Zhao Ding said, "Your Majesty is wise. By doing this, the risks remain within control, and it can also encourage more people to engage in various crafts."
Zhao Huan continued, "This matter was originally entrusted to Tang Ke by me, to have him support a group of private merchants in the countryside. Tang Aiqing will handle it. You and Xu Aiqing will discuss the annual quota for the court. He is tasked with completing the mission I gave him. He will negotiate the quota with you based on the income of the fifth-class lower-class households."
Tang Ke inwardly groaned, "Your subject obeys the decree!"
Zhao Huan was secretly pleased. He thought, "Let Xu Churen and Tang Ke fight it out. Just give me the result."
Thus, Zhao Ding was sent back to revise and reconsider the "Four Policies on Banking and Trade in the Great Song Dynasty," just as the other ministers left.
Zhao Huan then summoned Liu Yanzong.
Liu Yanzong had been living a very comfortable life in Tokyo for some time.
Why?
Because the emperor wasn't there, no one was looking for him.
So he took advantage of this free time to talk to the young girls about life and ideals every day.
When he learned that the emperor had returned, he knew that his good days were over.
So he sharpened his knife again and began preparing to help the emperor kill people once more.
"Your subject pays respects to the Emperor."
"Minister Liu, I haven't been able to sleep lately."
Liu Yanzong said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to share your worries, even at the cost of my life."
"I don't need you to die, I just need you to do one thing for me: let me get a good night's sleep."
"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."
"Go and help Shi Ziming properly punish those arrogant scholars with screws in their heads."
Liu Yanzong's heart pounded with fear; surely someone had once again acted recklessly, and the news had reached the emperor's ears.
I need to go down there and find out if anyone in Tokyo has recently thought they've been reading too much classical Chinese literature and their brains are starting to malfunction again.
This was very common in the Song Dynasty, which had valued literature for over a hundred years.
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