"How could I not have heard of such a big thing?" the friend replied with a smile. "Besides, I heard that the knowledge taught in that academy is extraordinary."
"Oh? What's unusual?" the middle-aged man asked curiously.
"I heard that what is taught there are not the sage books that we usually study." My friend deliberately kept me in suspense and paused for a moment before continuing.
"It's the craftsmanship of the artisans, such as how to build the magical steam engine, the sturdy steel ship, and even the hot air balloon that can fly into the sky!"
"This... isn't this a mess? We are studying the books of sages!" The middle-aged man widened his eyes and said in disbelief.
"Hmph, what do you know? This is the little princess's will. Who knows, maybe this will become a new science in the future!"
The conversation between the two attracted the attention of the people around them, and many people came over to listen.
The little princess's edict and the enrollment of Mingda Academy undoubtedly injected new vitality and topics into the city of Chang'an this winter.
…
At the same time, the textbook compiled by the little princess has become a hot commodity in Mingda Bookstores in major cities.
The book cost ten cents per copy, which was very affordable and had novel content, attracting countless people to buy it.
The aristocratic families who had just experienced a dispute naturally knew about the decree issued by the little princess.
At the beginning, they were still wary, thinking that Li Shimin wanted to dig up the roots of their family through this method.
But when they learned that the academy would enroll 5,000 students and teach craftsmanship, their doubts quickly dissipated.
In the Tang Dynasty, the education of children from aristocratic families was highly valued. They usually received elite education through family private schools to maintain the family's honor.
They believe that this kind of education cannot be compared with their family education, and will not affect their social status.
Some enlightened families even encourage non-core members or children with average qualifications to try it, seeing it as a new investment in the family.
The reaction to the little princess's edict was the most complicated among the scholar community.
On the one hand, those scholars who were deeply influenced by Confucian classics and devoted themselves to reading the books of sages expressed disdain for this.
They believe that the so-called simplified characters, pinyin and mathematical addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are all unorthodox and far from orthodox knowledge.
However, some scholars also showed great interest in this novel way of education.
They saw this as an opportunity to break out of the traditional framework and gain access to new knowledge. Those scholars who had failed in the imperial examinations repeatedly especially saw this as a possible way out.
For the poor children and ordinary people in the world, the little princess's edict was like a timely rain.
In the past, they were often unable to receive a good education due to their poor family background, let alone have the opportunity to enter officialdom or become social elites.
Today, the Little Princess not only provides cheap teaching materials, but also provides extensive teaching through the radio and the opportunity to obtain further education through examinations.
This undoubtedly opened a door to a new world for them.
Although they don't know what they can do after graduating from this academy.
But many ambitious young people still sign up enthusiastically, hoping to change their destiny through this channel.
On a country road, snowflakes were falling, and a young man was walking on the snow, hurriedly heading home.
He held tightly in his hand a textbook he had just bought from the bookstore, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"Father, I'm back!" The young man pushed open the door and shook off the snowflakes on his body.
Inside the house, an old man was sitting by the stove, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand.
He looked up at the young man, his eyes filled with confusion: "Why are you in such a hurry? What's the matter?"
The young man handed the textbook in his hand to the old man and said, "Father, look, this is the textbook compiled by Her Royal Highness the Princess Protector of the Nation.
I heard that by studying this book, you might be able to study at Mingda Academy!"
The old man took the textbook and flipped through a few pages. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. "This... this content is indeed unique. What do you think of it?"
The young man took a deep breath and said firmly, "I want to give it a try. I don't want to stay in this country all my life. I want to see the outside world."
The old man was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, you have ambition! Since you are so determined, then Aye will support you."
In general, the little princess's edict caused a huge response in the Tang Dynasty society.
People from different classes react differently to this because of their different backgrounds, positions and expectations.
However, no matter what, this decree injected new vitality into the education field of the Tang Dynasty and provided more people with the opportunity to change their destiny.
Time flies like an arrow.
It seems like we are still in the cold winter of yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, we have entered the Lantern Festival of the eighth year of Zhenguan.
And what followed was the highly anticipated palace examination.
On the day of the palace examination, at dawn, the main streets of Chang'an City were already bustling with people.
Candidates rushed to the examination hall in various ways, some riding tall horses, looking very excited;
Some rode in exquisite carriages, calm and composed; others walked, their steps hurried but their eyes determined.
Their clothes are also different, ranging from gorgeous brocade robes to simple cloth, all of which show their respective identities and personalities.
"Look, that's the examination room of Mingda Academy!"
One candidate pointed to the building in front with a huge red banner hanging on it and excitedly said to his companions.
The banner was embroidered with the words "Mingda Academy Palace Examination" in gold thread, which sparkled in the sun and looked very imposing.
Around the examination room, officers and soldiers were on high alert, maintaining order, their expressions serious and solemn.
Candidates arrived at the examination room one after another. Each of them held an examination card and could only enter the examination room after strict identity verification.
In the examination room, the tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and each table was equipped with a complete set of study tools and a blank answer sheet.
The bell rang and the exam officially began.
The examination room suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of candidates writing furiously.
Some of them were concentrating on thinking, while others were writing with a brush. Everyone was trying their best to cope with this exam.
The little princess also came to the examination room in person. She was dressed in gorgeous palace clothes and sat in the examiner's seat.
Her eyes scanned the examination room, looking at these young faces, her heart filled with anticipation.
She knew that this exam was of great significance to these candidates, and perhaps it was the turning point that would change their destiny.
As time passed and the sun rose higher, the atmosphere in the examination room became more and more tense.
However, the candidates seemed to have forgotten the passage of time.
They devoted themselves to the exam, writing their own future with their pens.
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