Chapter 72 The Two Prime Ministers Take the Stage Personally
Da Niu looked at his younger sister with a pained expression. His sister studied hard at school and was more talented than him, but she was working too hard. He couldn't help but worry: "Sister, don't worry. You should take care of your health."
Don't force yourself to endure it just to graduate early...
Da Hua knew her brother felt sorry for her, but people were willing to risk their lives for a good future, so what was a little hardship? She stared at the sky and said urgently, "Brother, look quickly, the image on the sky has changed."
The three siblings sat around a wooden table in the courtyard, their hands resting on the dictionary, politely offering and interlacing their hands, looking perfectly harmonious. Their parents watched them with satisfaction, saying nothing.
In their shallow understanding, if their sons and daughters went to school, they would have a much broader perspective than them, and if their daughters didn't drop out of school, they would be even more quick-witted.
So, besides matters related to farming and daily life, Dahua's opinions are also very important in this family.
The three siblings looked up at the image hanging in the sky. The scene that originally looked like the interior of the royal palace had changed.
****
Taishu Jiu squatted between heaven and earth. Since Qingjiu School became more formalized, the teachers of the new students were directly taken by the previous graduates. Since there was no shortage of teachers, he had not taught a class for a long time.
This was the first time he had ever given a lecture to farmers across the land. He cleared his throat and saw Qin, who was standing not far in front of him, give him a thumbs-up.
He then began to introduce himself, facing roughly the direction of the camera: "I am none other than the current Left Prime Minister, of the Taishu clan, named Jiu. Since I have decided to teach you all farming skills in the celestial realm, I will shamelessly assume the role of your teacher..."
To prevent people from not understanding, Taishu Jiu first introduced the grain variety he had researched, which is currently the most widely cultivated variety in the Qin state.
After introducing the plant's preferred environment, Taishu Jiu then talked about how to use farm tools more effectively.
With the scheduled time fast approaching, he hurriedly mentioned the benefits of deep plowing and field fertilization, but since other programs were scheduled to start later, his agricultural channel had to end.
As is customary, the closing remarks were: "Those interested in further cultivation and fertilization can tune in to this channel at the same time tomorrow."
After Tai Shujiu finished speaking, Zhu Qingai immediately cut off the video feed.
****
The common people who were looking at the sky exclaimed in surprise. It had only been a short time, and it was already over. They hadn't had enough of it yet.
In just a short while, they felt it was less than the time it takes to eat a meal, and the agricultural channel ended.
They may not care about those major national affairs, but they cannot ignore things that are closely related to themselves. Not to mention, this is a skill taught by the current Left Prime Minister, so how could it be bad?
Many people ask those around them if they have memorized the complete techniques, but ultimately, only a few people have such good memories that they can remember everything after hearing it only once.
The saying "a bad pen is worse than a good memory" applies everywhere, which is where the importance of literacy comes into play.
The students of Qingjiu School, including those who were expelled for failing the exams, all listened and took notes of what was said in the sky. The former were definitely literate, and the latter were literate to some extent.
Although they may not necessarily need it, those who own land will find it useful; otherwise, giving it to a neighbor as a favor is also a good idea.
This results in Qingjiu School students often being surrounded by many people, with those who are not familiar with them scratching their heads and eagerly wanting to know what is being said on the screen.
A familiar neighbor patted them on the shoulder and said, "Later, you'll have to tell your uncle/mother what the Left Prime Minister taught you again."
Having grown up under the watchful eyes of the surrounding neighbors, and perhaps even having eaten at many homes, I naturally agreed without hesitation. It wasn't a difficult matter anyway, and I considered it a contribution to the friendship among my neighbors.
The reason for saying "wait a while" is that the sky has not yet disappeared.
They were all craning their necks, waiting to see what else would be displayed on the sky.
****
According to Zhu Qing'ai's idea, the news broadcast would be followed by the weather forecast, and then Tai Shujiu's agricultural channel would follow. Since they had already taught farming, they might as well teach some simple characters as well.
Giving lessons on the dome is really convenient; one teacher can do the work of countless others, and this unique position even requires competition for the job, so there's no worry about not being able to find good teachers.
The time spent teaching people to read is not long, because the previous three news broadcasts already took up more than an hour. The time spent on the so-called literacy channel is shorter, mainly because not many people have time to watch this at home. It is enough to teach some commonly used characters, and the requirements are not too high.
Even though the requirements weren't high—anyone who had a basic understanding of simplified Chinese characters could teach there—the competition was still fierce. In the end, Lü Buwei won because of his position as Right Chancellor. Of course, he himself felt that it was because of his own ability, and had nothing to do with power!
Meanwhile, several knowledgeable old men backstage were furious. They also wanted this opportunity to spread their teachings to the world!
No matter what people say in life, their ultimate goal is nothing more than fame and fortune. Even those who claim to be noble are still seeking fame. How can a reputation for nobility not be considered a form of fame?
Therefore, even for those who are 'aloof', this move by the Sky Curtain would be a fatal blow.
When Lü Buwei saw 'Qin' appear before him, he knew it was his time. He introduced himself, just like the others before him, and greeted the people he had imagined with kindness and gentleness.
****
Those in Qin who were watching the celestial display gasped in amazement once more. How many important figures had they seen today?
The "Qin" refers to the Qin state itself, King Zheng of Qin, and the Left Prime Minister. The official who reported the weather earlier didn't introduce himself.
I saw the Right Chancellor again!
What they saw today was enough for them to brag about for a long time, especially after people discovered that the King of Qin did not host the news broadcast every day, and the character 'Qin' never appeared except during the New Year. The two prime ministers, the Left and Right Prime Ministers, were always on their respective channels, but in the end, they could not compare to the King of Qin and 'Qin'.
To be frank, though not very respectful, they genuinely found the appearance of the King of Qin and the "Qin" entity even more astonishing.
I couldn't help but feel curious, yet also filled with awe.
Da Niu was also quite shocked by the appearance of the Right Prime Minister. When he enrolled in school, the Left Prime Minister, who was also their principal, was giving speeches at various branch schools. So he had seen the Left Prime Minister before. Seeing him again in the sky was surprising but not strange.
After all, in his mind, the Left Prime Minister was such an approachable official, while he had never had the chance to meet the Right Prime Minister. However, he couldn't understand why the Right Prime Minister looked so much older than the Left Prime Minister...
These words were muttered aloud, and Da Hua, the second oldest among the younger generation in the family, naturally replied: "The Left Prime Minister is indeed a head taller than the Right Prime Minister. Our Great Qin has always revered the left, so doesn't being younger further demonstrate that the Left Prime Minister is young and promising?"
Da Niu agreed wholeheartedly: "Indeed, no one can match the Left Prime Minister's talent."
****
Lu Buwei sat in his private room, unaware that he was being subtly criticized without his knowledge, but even if he had known, he probably wouldn't have cared much.
He now thinks being the Right Chancellor is pretty good. If one day the King of Qin becomes suspicious of his ministers, the Left Chancellor will be the first to suffer. He is just a weak, pitiful, and helpless Right Chancellor.
Lü Buwei: Fake Crying (jpg)
He brings his own teaching materials when he teaches literature. The one he brings is his newly compiled Lüshi Chunqiu, which was compiled a little later than the historical version. The reason for this is simply to translate a simplified Chinese version first.
Lü Buwei had a keen political sense. After the simplified characters appeared and were promoted among the common people, he realized that the characters were not created for the literate nobles. The simple characters, along with the improved paper and pen, were intended for the illiterate common people.
No matter how painful it was for someone who had studied seal script, it was not within the scope of his colleague Taishu Jiu's consideration. People never expected that the powerful and wealthy would obediently learn simplified characters.
But it doesn't matter. Although those powerful and wealthy people say they won't study, they are eventually forced to study by their subordinates. So it's reasonable for their Lüshi Chunqiu to be published in simplified Chinese.
Lü Buwei understood the importance of seizing the first book in people's minds. If everyone learned to read using Lüshi Chunqiu, then...
Lü Buwei: Hehe.
Just thinking about this future makes me feel comfortable, and the power in my hands doesn't seem so important anymore.
He even wondered when the King of Qin would take back some power, so he would have more free time each day, and with less work, he could prepare his lessons carefully every day.
Lu Buwei rubbed his hands excitedly to himself, his smile growing even more genuine. Of course, considering the general level of common people, he chose the simplest and easiest-to-understand chapters, much like teaching a lesson in later times. He only taught some words from the text and then incorporated those words into the story so that the common people listening to the lesson could understand what he meant.
After he finished speaking, he added, "Today's lesson is over, but you can practice drawing characters on the ground with twigs in your spare time. I wish you all can learn to read..."
Lu Buwei was cut off from the scene before he could finish his sentence because he had exceeded the allotted time. He clicked his tongue in regret, feeling that he hadn't said enough.
Being a lecturer on this literacy channel feels so good! Even if it's just to prepare lessons and free up this time, I'm willing to work overtime at other times!
The platform used by Lü Buwei was actually the same table that Ying Zheng and the others had used before, and the room specifically used for live broadcasting was also the same. Only Taishu Jiu's agricultural channel was broadcast outdoors.
****
After Lü Buwei's channel was cut off, although the common people in various places felt regret, not everyone liked reading so much.
Those who could read already had the New Qin Dictionary, so what Lü Buwei said was just icing on the cake and not that important. Those who couldn't read listened with great interest to the 'story' told by the Right Chancellor himself, but the area they could access with each New Qin Dictionary was limited.
Not many people felt regret about the end of this channel. Most of those who did feel regret thought that the stories told by the Right Chancellor were really interesting and they wanted to listen to them again tomorrow.
I can't say how many words I actually learned, but I definitely remembered the book Lüshi Chunqiu.
Lu Buwei, unaware that he was being used as a storyteller: Feeling good about himself. (jpg)
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The author's note: The public: Talk more, we love to hear it!
Lü Buwei: My lessons will definitely be very good!
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Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-05-19 22:40:00 and 2024-05-20 11:41:05!
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Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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