But I was also worried that the court would not treat me well. I wondered if I could be like an official, where I would not only be given housing but also receive a high salary.
But after a moment, he said confidently, "The court now attaches so much importance to science that it will certainly not mistreat educators. I am a Jinshi and have devoted myself to education. I will probably start directly as a principal, and the salary will not be too bad."
"Then I wish Brother Liu many students all over the world."
Everyone gave their blessings.
In fact, it didn’t take long for the Ministry of Education to issue a new notice.
For the newly-minted Jinshi who are willing to go to various places, they all start as vice principals of primary and junior high schools in various places. They all start at the seventh rank, which is equivalent to the rank of local county magistrate.
The principal of Yilu High School is not a newly-minted Jinshi, but a doctor selected from the Academy of Sciences, with the rank of fifth grade.
At this time when science was just beginning to emerge, the principals of primary and junior high schools who taught new subjects had to have at least a Jinshi degree, and the teachers had to be Juren. This shows how much the court valued education.
In the restaurant at this moment.
In addition to a few newly admitted Jinshi, there were many businessmen in the restaurant. They were actually very concerned about the court's policies and bought newspapers to read.
There was a table next to them. The Ma family, who made paper in Bianliang, were hosting a banquet for the Meng family, who were in the grain and oil business. The eldest son of the Ma family was in his thirties, about the same age as the eldest son of the Meng family, and it was time for him to take over the family business.
When Boss Meng saw in the newspaper that the imperial court was opening up industries such as steel, cement, and textiles, he excitedly said, "Brother Ma, the imperial court has finally allowed us to operate steel and cement."
Boss Ma asked in confusion, "Brother Meng, given your family's relationship with the prefectural governor, did you only find out about this from reading the newspaper?"
Many people in the Bianliang business circle knew that the Meng family was originally just a middle-class grain merchant family. Later, they clung to the support of the governor and invested in a state-owned commercial bank. This is how they became rich overnight and squeezed into the top circle.
Boss Meng shook his head and said, "The chancellor has always been upright, and my second uncle is not one to be scheming. He only knows that the court will only favor us if we contribute, even if it means bankrupting us. How could he have been given inside information in advance?"
Boss Ma said with admiration: "Uncle Meng is truly the modern-day Lord Mengchang."
"Since the imperial court wants everyone to build these steel and cement plants, then our Meng family must not lag behind. I plan to register a business of my own to respond to the imperial court's call."
Boss Meng said righteously.
Boss Ma thought for a moment and said, "Brother Meng, you are brave enough to take the lead, which I admire greatly. Since you are so enthusiastic, I cannot just sit back and watch. I am willing to invest with you. What do you think?"
"That's a good feeling."
Boss Meng nodded repeatedly.
In fact, although many businessmen have been inquiring about the steel mills and cement plants, most of them are still waiting and watching.
Everyone can see the profits of steel mills, there is a huge demand for steel among the public, and there will be no shortage of sales in the future.
But the cost of setting up such a factory is unknown. Ordinary businessmen certainly cannot afford it. Only wealthy people are qualified.
Cement factories don’t know whether there will be a market in the future or whether they will make losses.
However, business is inherently risky for businessmen. The imperial court has already given the future development direction for the cement factory, so naturally there will be people willing to be the first to try it out.
Soon after the news came out, many businessmen in Bianliang planned to go to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to inquire about the establishment of these factories.
It caused quite a stir in both the education and business communities.
Compared with many scholars who studied science and businessmen who value steel and cement, the situation among the people is quite different.
In fact, there were not many lower-class people in Bianliang who actually read newspapers. Most of the readers were citizens of Bianliang.
These Bianliang citizens were just like the Beijing citizens of later generations. They owned properties and industries in the local area and had some wealth, so they were able to recognize words and understand newspapers, and their literacy rate was high.
But the lower-class people couldn't understand this. Most of them didn't live in the inner city, or even in the outer city, but lived outside the city.
At this moment, the area outside the city is no longer the wilderness it once was.
In recent years, Bianliang has been undergoing large-scale construction. A large number of houses have been built in the east and west suburbs outside the city, and are now filled with people.
The lowest housing prices are in the eastern suburbs, which are close to the city and to canal docks such as the Bian River, Cai River, Wuzhang River, and Jin River. It is very close to the docks on foot, so it should be the most sought-after place.
However, the housing prices outside Xincaomen are as low as less than 300 wen per month, which is more than 100 wen cheaper than the public housing built by the government, and five times cheaper than the rent in the outer city near Xincaomen.
Rent outside Chaoyang Gate and Datong Gate was slightly more expensive, around 500 wen a month, roughly equivalent to two or three days' wages for a dockworker. However, compared to the houses within the city near Chaoyang Gate and Datong Gate, it was still very cheap.
The reason why the rent in the eastern suburbs is low is that, in addition to the fact that most of these houses were built by the imperial court for people outside the city to live in, the most important reason is that tens of thousands of people died outside the eastern city.
When Zhao Jun dealt with Wuyou Cave and Guifan Tower, he also investigated the filth in the entire Kaifeng. Whether they were corrupt officials or evil forces, they were all arrested and imprisoned in the Imperial City Prison and Kaifeng Prefecture Prison. The prison was overcrowded for a period of time, and there were more than ten prisoners in a six-square-meter cell.
Then, after being interrogated by the Imperial City Bureau, batches of prisoners were taken to the outside of the East City for execution. This process lasted for more than half a year. The area outside the East City was still a wasteland at that time. At one point, the grass there turned red, and the small hills there became mass graves.
As a result, in just seven or eight years, the urban circle of Bianliang began to expand outside the city, the mass graves outside the east city were razed, and it was transformed into a new urban area with a large number of buildings rising from the ground.
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