"Grandfather, please pose a question; your grandson is willing to answer."
An Huaishou was not blindly confident; he simply believed that opportunities must be seized. Even if it was a trap, and he might not be able to answer the question, he would miss the chance if he didn't make a choice.
Grand Tutor An stroked his beard, somewhat satisfied with An Huishou. Instead of backing down in the face of difficulty, he rose to the challenge – this was the courage and ambition expected of a man of the An family.
However, the Grand Tutor did not show it on his face. He said, "Today, we will not discuss the Four Books or the Five Classics. You only need to answer your grandfather: In addition to establishing the royal academy, Tiansheng Kingdom has also set up private schools in various prefectures. What is the purpose of establishing so many schools?"
An Yuan'er thought about it for a moment. The purpose of establishing schools was to cultivate talent. But her grandfather would never ask such a simple question.
This question seems simple, but it's incredibly difficult to answer it brilliantly.
An Yuan'er looked at her father with pleading eyes, but her father showed no sign of favoritism.
An Huaishou did not answer immediately, but thought about it carefully.
About half an incense stick later, the elder brother nodded and said, "Grandson already has the answer."
Grandfather gestured, "Speak freely. Chao Li is listening from the side, so your opinion will be considered whether you can answer satisfactorily."
The older brother's voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
"In retrospect, I believe that the purpose of establishing schools is threefold. To enable people to become self-reliant and to cultivate talent, schools must be established to teach them; to cultivate people's virtues of kindness and loyalty, schools must be established to teach them; and to enable people to become wealthy and to revitalize industry, schools must also be established to teach them."
As soon as he finished speaking, An Yuan'er took the lead in applauding.
"My brother is the best!"
In just a few words, he has analyzed the benefits of establishing schools in a very logical and reasoned manner. Even a royal descendant might not be able to provide a better answer than my brother. Moreover, my brother has never received a formal school education, yet he has such insights, which is truly remarkable.
Grandfather nodded in satisfaction: "Hui Shou's opinion is also what I was thinking. At such a young age, Hui Shou has the ability to assist a minister. I hope he will live up to your expectations in the future."
An Yuan'er tugged at her dazed brother: "Brother, don't stand there. Grandfather has already agreed to let you go to school."
After looking back, An belatedly realized, "Grandson thanks Grandfather for his kindness. I will certainly work hard in the future and live up to your expectations."
*
An Huaishou's reply was quickly spread.
Outsiders now have higher expectations and more praise for An Fu's eldest son, who has been away for many years.
The second branch of the An family has risen from its previous decline to its current rise in just a few years.
An Chaoli was promoted to the position of Minister of Rites, a second-rank official, which greatly enhanced the prestige of the An family.
Wealthy families are the most opportunistic; they fawn over the powerful and look down on the weak. With the decline of the first branch and the rise of the second branch, those who used to flatter the first wife have all come to the Liting Garden to flatter An Yuan'er.
An Yuan'er listened to the praise and flattery but didn't take it seriously. In order to cultivate her relationship with her brother, An Yuan'er hadn't returned to Chenyang Palace since returning from Nanwu Town.
Yi Chenli had not sent anyone to urge her to return. The two seemed to be secretly competing, each waiting for the other to speak.
An Yuan'er always had a doubt in her heart: was that wheelchair boy really Yi Chenli?
Even after rubbing her face vigorously, An Yuan'er still felt embarrassed and annoyed whenever she thought of that kiss on her cheek.
An Yuan'er gradually realized that, without her noticing, the disabled boy from back then had become very strong at a very fast pace, and perhaps he no longer needed her?
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