"Just splitting up the clan, they're planning to build a school, and now they're arranging a marriage for the prince. What kind of luck is this?"
"It must be just shit luck!"
"The palace seems to be paying too much attention to the Xinmin Sun family."
"Instantly, I became a relative by marriage. If it were me, I would also split the clan and set up a separate ancestral hall."
"That old scoundrel Sun Zhuangyuan must have anticipated all this, which is why he's so eager to divide the clan."
"There must be something shameful going on."
"There's an inside story!"
"The Life Show is still reporting the split seriously, not realizing it's clearly a deal."
"This old man is so wicked! I thought he was senile and confused, but it turns out he's more cunning than anyone else."
It seems that the Sun family’s popularity will not subside for a while.
Sun Zhuangyuan is busy all day long and can always feel everyone's eyes that say everything.
I understand, we all understand.
The inside story!
Sun Zhuangyuan looked as if he had lost all hope in life.
He was clearly being roasted on the fire, but everyone believed that he had taken great advantage and was involved in shameful activities with the palace.
Even the people of the Sun family think so.
The second and fourth rooms secretly ran over and found him, "You are so dishonest!"
"If you want to build an academy, tell everyone! Why do you have to split the sect?"
"If you need any help, just let me know. Even though we've split up, we're still one family."
"Submit yourself. We will plead for you with the clan leader, and you can use the clan's resources as you wish."
"This academy must bear the mark of our Sun family and spread our Sun family's academic thoughts."
"Building an academy isn't cheap! We also have to provide free education to students, which is a huge expense every year. Only the Empress has the courage and financial resources to open several academies in succession."
"With the Queen's financial support, we can recruit as many students as possible. This way, our Sun family's prestige will also grow!"
After listening to the words of the second and fourth wives, Sun Zhuangyuan only wanted to do one thing.
Pooh!
"Are you treating the Empress as a fool?"
"The Empress built the academy, and the Sun family is vainly trying to smuggle in their own goods and replace it. I really don't know how to write the word 'death'."
"This is the Empress's academy, the imperial academy, not the Sun family's academy."
"The Sun family can run their own academy, no one can stop them."
The second and fourth wives were very anxious when they saw that Sun Zhuangyuan was angry.
We are all family, can you be a little more friendly?
Even though she is highly valued by the Queen, she cannot turn her back on her.
After becoming a relative by marriage, the cursing became louder than before.
The second and fourth wives earnestly advised:
"If we could charge tuition fees to run an academy, that would be fine. However, the academy would be limited in size, and I estimate it could only admit 100 to 200 students at most. After all, only a few people can afford the tuition fees and buy pens, inkstones, and paper."
"Only by doing what the Empress does, where everything is free for anyone who can get into the academy, can we expand the academy."
"However, providing everything for free would be very costly. We still have so many people to support in our family, so we can't let outsiders get away with it."
"Only by using the Empress's academy can we spread the academic thought of our Sun family on a large scale."
"After the academy is built, teachers will be needed. We, the Sun family, are fully capable of this, and this will also help relieve the Empress's worries."
"Although your three branches have separated, we all share the surname Sun and are still one family. We should be united in spirit and share weal and woe."
"Building a college is such a good thing, brother, you must not eat it all by yourself and leave us all out."
Scholars who fight for power and profit are equally materialistic and disgusting.
Sun Zhuangyuan immediately said "Pooh".
"Look at your faces, it's really disgusting."
"In the first few years after Shanhe Academy was founded, before it had even gained a good reputation, if I remember correctly, Shanhe Academy once extended an invitation to the Sun family. They invited the Sun family to give lectures at Shanhe Academy. Have you forgotten what you said at the time? It doesn't matter if you forgot, I remember it all clearly."
"A shabby, unknown academy dares to invite people from our Sun family to give lectures. They are truly clueless. That's what you said, right?"
The second and fourth wives felt embarrassed and ashamed.
Words spoken are like spilled water, they cannot be taken back.
I still have to defend my family.
"It's different times now."
"Who could have imagined that Shanhe Academy would have the scale and achievements it has today, and could even surpass the Imperial College?"
"Later, we all wanted to teach at Shanhe Academy, but the academy refused to invite us. We are members of the Sun family after all, so we can't go to the academy and recommend ourselves. That would be so embarrassing."
"Now that you are planning to build the academy, it just solves our problem. We are all willing to teach at the newly built academy. As long as the salary is comparable to that of Shanhe Academy, that will be fine. Our requirements are not too high."
hehe!
Even with this, you still dare to say that your demands are not high.
Did you know that Shanhe Academy pays its teachers at least five hundred taels a year?
Food and accommodation are provided, and the food and drink expenses for my wife and children are basically also covered.
If you can write an article and publish it successfully, you will also receive a generous fee.
The academy will give extra rewards during festivals.
All in all, the teacher of Shanhe Academy can earn at least 600 to 700 taels a year.
Most people can earn over a thousand taels of silver a year.
Top figures like Yang Yuanqing, the Three Yuan Gong, and Zhou Shi'an had an annual income of at least four or five thousand taels, and at most tens of thousands of taels.
The year Zhou Shi'an published "Officialdom", he received 20,000 to 30,000 taels of silver as a writing fee alone, making him a definitely wealthy man.
Moreover, this book continues to bring him income every year.
On weekdays, he contributed articles to the "Shanhe Academy Newspaper" and earned at least dozens of taels a month.
As for Sanyuan Gong, he is even more amazing.
The series of books "Sanyuan Gong Lectures on the Analects" are all must-buy books for the imperial examinations.
Relying on the fees from these books, Sanyuan Gong has topped the income list of Shanhe Academy every year.
The Yang family was able to live a wealthy life and buy houses and properties thanks to the fees from Sanyuan Gong.
It means that Sanyuan Gong alone supports the entire family.
You can imagine how high his income is.
The income of the teachers at Shanhe Academy was absolutely high in that era.
This is also why the mobility of Shanhe Academy is very low.
Anyone who entered Shanhe Academy, even if they were just ordinary staff members, would never resign.
Many students at Shanhe Academy aim to stay in the academy one day.
Even if I don't teach, I can be an ordinary office worker.
Many students of Shanhe Academy who passed the imperial examinations and became Jinshi also dreamed of returning to the academy one day to teach and educate and retire.
The attraction of Shanhe Academy is so strong.
And it is getting stronger year by year, and the threshold is getting higher year by year.
In the first few years after Shanhe Academy was founded, it cast a wide net and looked for people to teach everywhere.
Those who were indifferent to Shanhe Academy in the past are now out of reach of it.
Ask the Sun family if they regret it?
Of course I regret it.
If I had known that the King of Qin could ascend the throne and Gu Jiu could become the Empress, I would have humbled myself and come to Shanhe Academy to teach.
Let’s move forward a little further in time.
The year that the Empress Dowager invited Sun Zhuangyuan to teach at Shanhe Academy, everyone should have followed her to teach at Shanhe Academy.
In this way, the Sun family also has a place in Shanhe Academy.
What a pity!
There is no medicine for regret in the world.
Fortunately, there is another opportunity.
Sun Zhuangyuan's plan to build a college was an opportunity for the Sun family.
Split sect?
Does not exist.
You can't write two grandchildren with one stroke, broken bones are connected by tendons.
Good things should not be given to outsiders, so Sun Zhuangyuan must take care of his own family.
The second and fourth wives are so confident.
Sun Zhuangyuan sneered.
What a bunch of arrogant guys.
Why do you think he will still remember our old relationship?
Why don’t you think about this? No matter how generous the Queen is, she can’t tolerate the imperial academy becoming the Sun family’s academy.
Do you really think that the literary world will stop moving without the Sun family?
However, he knew the nature of his people very well and knew they were not so easy to deal with.
Especially when it comes to academies and academic thoughts, the Sun family will definitely argue for their rights.
If you can't win the argument, you have to use force.
Sun Zhuangyuan tried to get rid of the man. "The academy is still under construction. It's too early to say anything now. Once the academy is completed, I will have my own ideas."
"With your words, everyone feels relieved. You must remember that one stroke cannot write two grandchildren. We are all family. Such a great thing must not be given to outsiders."
"I know my limits!"
Seeing that Sun Zhuangyuan looked impatient, the second and fourth wives tactfully left.
When he left, he also promised that he would help the third branch speak well of them in front of the clan leader.
Sun Zhuangyuan remained silent and looked very disgusted.
Are scholars aloof?
That's because there's nothing that can move them, so they can act aloof.
Once interests and reputation are involved, scholars don't care about their nobility.
When it comes to fighting, they are no more picky than street shrews.
After sending off the people from our sect, Sun Zhuangyuan called his eldest son over and said, "I will move out tomorrow. If anyone from our sect comes, tell them that I'm away on a long journey and won't be back for an unspecified time."
"I wonder where my father has moved to?"
Sun Zhuangyuan thought for a moment and said, "Let's move to the Imperial College. Ask someone to buy a house there, and I'll move in tomorrow."
The new academy is located along the railway line, halfway between Shanhe Academy and the Imperial College.
Comparatively speaking, it is closer to the Imperial College.
In order to avoid people from his own sect, Sun Zhuangyuan secretly moved to a small house with two entrances at the foot of the Imperial College Mountain.
Every day he took the double-track carriage to the construction site, or met people for drinks and took the opportunity to invite them to teach at the academy.
One mile away from Pingba Station is the construction site.
The new academy is located here.
The construction site is bustling with activity and extremely busy.
Looking closely, the huge construction site is actually divided into two parts, separated by hundreds of meters.
The construction site welcomed a distinguished guest today.
The old Zhuguogong took a carriage to the construction site and took a tour. His cloudy eyes were shining with stars.
"The construction site on the right is the new college. The construction site on the left is the future military academy."
"Why build the military academy next to the academy? Aren't you afraid of a fight between the two sides?"
"Your Majesty, you're worrying too much! Military academies also require cultural learning. It would be mutually beneficial for the two schools to be next to each other."
Ma Xiaoliu stayed beside Duke Zhuguo and explained the planning of this place to him.
The Duke of Zhuguo did not see much mutual benefit.
What he was more worried about was that the students on both sides disliked each other and fought every few days.
He wasn't worried about the students from the military academy, as he was sure he could beat a bunch of nerds.
The only worry is that the Queen Mother will take sides and protect the students in the academy.
"The Military Academy covers nearly 1,500 acres and has three training grounds for convenient training. The Empress said that the hills behind will be assigned to the Military Academy in the future, and we can do whatever we want. As long as they are not dead or disabled, the students of the academy are free to train to death. The goal is to create a team of elite soldiers and generals."
Ma Xiaoliu was very proud of it, and his words were full of excitement and pride.
Duke Zhuguo did not comment. He asked the driver to take him around the construction site.
Where there was no road, he would get off the car and walk by himself.
Even at such an old age, I still have to climb the mountain.
The servants were very worried and reached out to support him, but he still looked disgusted.
"I'm not too weak to walk. It's just a small hill. It won't be a problem for me."
There is no road on the mountain and it is very difficult to walk.
Duke Zhuguo was still strong and climbed to the top of the mountain without any help.
It was winter and I was so tired that my head and face were covered in sweat.
The servants quickly put the cloak on him, warning him to be careful not to catch a cold.
The Duke of Zhuguo was particularly disgusted with it.
Ma Xiaoliu quickly advised, "You still need the cloak. The Duke's health is of paramount importance. He absolutely cannot be sick and bedridden at this moment."
Upon hearing this, Duke Zhuguo thought it made sense, so he did not refuse the cloak brought by the servant.
The view is stunning!
The huge construction site is like ants moving.
"Sir, please see. The Military Academy has completed its building structure. By the beginning of next spring, the first batch of classrooms will be ready for use."
Zhuguogong's heart was in turmoil, but he said, "I am too old to do this anymore."
"You are too modest! Both His Majesty and the Empress have high hopes for you. You must be the first dean of the first military academy in the Great Zhou Dynasty."
The Duke of Zhuguo stroked his beard and said, "I am not the only one in the court who is qualified to be the president of the Military Academy. Moreover, I have not made any achievements in these years, and my descendants are also mediocre. Why did Your Majesty and the Empress choose my name? I would like to ask for your advice, eunuch."
Ma Xiaoliu smiled, a smile that was unfathomable.
"Sir, if you want to know the reason, why don't you go down the mountain and ask the queen in person?"
"Oh? The Queen is also nearby?"
"Exactly!"
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
Here comes the third update.
Yuanbao will come early tomorrow!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com