A few days later, Chu Anping and the six ministers each brought teaching books in the areas that their departments were good at and compiled them into books. These books were rich in content and covered professional knowledge in various fields. They handed these books to Chu Fan one by one for review.
Because everyone was writing in their own areas of expertise, the writing speed was very fast. In addition, there were other officials working together to compile the book, so even if Chu Fan asked to write a book divided into three stages, it did not take too much time with the help of a large number of officials.
The Royal Government Affairs Office also ordered Sikong, who was in charge of the agricultural department, to write some books on agricultural knowledge and submit them to Chu Fan for review. These books introduced in detail various techniques and methods of agricultural planting.
After Chu Fan received the books handed over by Chu Anping and the six ministers, he said to them, "Put these books here first. I will check them one by one."
After receiving Chu Fan's order, Chu Anping and the six ministers left the imperial study. After Chu Anping and the others left, Liu Ruyan, Qiu Ya and others entered the room to serve Chu Fan. When Liu Ruyan saw Chu Fan reading a book about farming, she asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, why are you reading a book about farmers?"
After all, Liu Ruyan herself had handled government affairs during her time in the Canglan Empire, alongside her mother, the Empress. She had never heard of an emperor personally studying how farmers grew crops. She was deeply puzzled and bewildered by Chu Fan's behavior.
Chu Fan replied, "These books are what the students of Wei will need to study in the future. I must personally review them. This is the only way to ensure that the students of Wei will not go astray and take the wrong path."
Liu Ruyan asked in confusion, "Aren't students in a country supposed to just learn the Six Books and Five Classics and the Confucian classics? Why do they need to learn agricultural knowledge? After all, many students who have attended academies and learned some Confucianism look down on ordinary people, let alone let them learn agricultural knowledge."
Chu Fan put down the book in his hand and said slowly: "You are wrong. The status of any person is actually given by power. Those students who have studied Confucianism look down on ordinary people. It is not because Confucianism itself is bad, or it is not because Confucianism taught them to be like that.
Rather, it was because on the Shengwu Continent, as long as they studied the Six Books and Five Classics and the Confucian classics well, these students would have the opportunity to enter the court as officials. Because they believed that they would definitely be able to enter the court as officials in the future, they believed that their status was higher than that of ordinary people.
This has fostered their mentality of believing that all others are inferior, and only those who study are superior. As long as they can't gain power simply by studying the Six Books and Five Classics and Confucian classics, do you think they will still be so arrogant?
For a moment, Liu Ruyan felt that what Chu Fan said was very reasonable, but it was not easy to change such a concept. The idea that everyone in the world is inferior except for those who have studied well has long been deeply rooted in people's minds. How could it be so easy to change?
Liu Ruyan said, "Your Majesty, aren't you worried that once you issue the order to print these agricultural books, students won't be willing to learn them? After all, the idea that studying means reading the works of sages is deeply ingrained and cannot be shaken.
Those students obviously won't easily change their studies just because of your order and start learning agricultural knowledge that has nothing to do with Confucianism. Furthermore, on the Shengwu Continent, Confucian scholars hold such a high status that if Your Majesty forced these students to study books outside of Confucianism, they would likely strongly resist and might even choose to leave this country to serve as officials in other countries.
Chu Fan said, "If they leave, they leave. Do I still require them to serve as officials in Wei? You know, Wei is now able to print books in large quantities, which means that more ordinary people can learn knowledge. Then, will Wei still care about a few people?
Wouldn't it be enough if future Wei scholars seeking official positions were required not only to take exams on Confucianism but also on knowledge of agriculture and military tactics? After all, fame, wealth, and power are very tempting to anyone. If they knew that studying agronomy and military tactics was the only way to gain official positions and power in Wei, they would naturally flock to them and study them voluntarily.
Chu Fan wasn't worried about Liu Ruyan and the others leaking his thoughts. After all, Liu Ruyan, Qiu Ya, and the others who followed him knew exactly what to say and what not to say. Chu Fan's status among the Wei royal family and court officials was unparalleled. If his personal maids weren't careful with their words and actions, they would have brought disaster upon themselves long ago.
Liu Ruyan also understood the logic behind this, but such a policy was not something that every country could implement. It required absolute leadership in one's own country to stabilize the situation within the court. After all, such a reform would affect the interests of many aristocratic families, and they would not allow their interests to be harmed in the slightest.
Therefore, if the emperor did not have absolute control over his country, he would propose that students study agronomy. When agronomy was tested in the imperial examinations in the future, the ministers and aristocratic families in the court would stand up to oppose this policy.
Liu Ruyan couldn't help but sigh that Chu Fan's control over the Wei State had reached the point where he could use it as easily as his own arm. Any reform could be implemented calmly, and no court ministers or aristocratic families would dare to stand up and oppose the policies proposed by Chu Fan.
Liu Ruyan witnessed Chu Fan picking up the books on the desk and continuing to read. These books were rich in content, covering not only arithmetic knowledge but also military strategies and weapon forging techniques.
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