Yunzhu shook her head, "This servant doesn't know either, but the young master and young lady have been invited over now."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qinyu immediately put down her work and got up to go to the front yard.
Since the old man invited her, Shufan, and Pan'er to come over, they must be special guests.
Sure enough, as soon as she arrived at the entrance of the flower hall, she heard an old man's voice coming from inside.
"Excellent, excellent! This child is indeed gifted. Would you be willing to study at my Chengzhang Academy?"
Upon hearing the name Chengzhang Academy, Jiang Qinyu raised an eyebrow. Could it be the academy's teacher who has arrived?
Before she could think it over, she heard Shu Fan crisply refuse, "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but my elders at home may have other plans, so I dare not agree to your offer now."
"Hahaha...you sure know how to talk, kid. Do you know how many students would love to get into Chengzhang Academy but can't?"
"Chengzhang Academy is naturally the best academy, but I only wish to listen to the elders in my family. I hope you will not take offense."
Jiang Qinyu was quite surprised that Shufan could handle things so well.
With that thought in mind, she stepped into the flower hall.
"Oh, girl, you've come?" As soon as Grandpa Lu saw her, he immediately waved to her with a smile. "Come, come, let me introduce you to my old friend. He's a very important person..."
Jiang Qinyu stepped forward with a smile, nodded to the old man, and waited for Grandpa Lu to introduce her.
"Girl, this is Qin Ziyi, the headmaster of Chengzhang Academy, the best academy in Qinzhou. Shufan and Pan'er are of school age, right? I was thinking of asking this old man to do us a favor and let the two children go in."
He had gotten to know the two children well in the past few days and knew that Shufan really wanted to study, while Pan'er wanted to keep up with her brother in everything and didn't want to be separated from Shufan, so he had this idea.
"Two children?" Jiang Qinyu asked rhetorically, looking at Qin Ziyi with confusion. "But I heard that Chengzhang Academy does not accept female students."
Qin Ziyi smiled nonchalantly, "What the General's wife said is absolutely right. Chengzhang Academy does not accept women."
“Then…” Jiang Qinyu glanced at Pan’er, her meaning clear.
Qin Ziyi smiled and said, "The young lady can wear men's clothing to school. I still have to give Elder Lu face. Besides, she has an older brother who is extremely suitable for the imperial examination. Let me make an exception for her this time."
Pan'er was a little shy and was hiding behind Jiang Qinyu, only peeking out half of her body, looking curiously at the two old men.
Jiang Qinyu patted her back and said after a moment of silence, "Thank you, Confucian Master Qin, but if you want Pan'er to go to Chengzhang Academy in men's clothing, then there is no need."
Qin Ziyi's smile froze, and he turned to look at Old Master Lu, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of anger.
He did accept Pan'er as an exception out of respect for Lu Zhenting, but she didn't appreciate it at all!
This was the first time in Qin Ziyi's many years of life.
“Girl, you mustn’t say such things,” Old Master Lu first gave Qin Ziyi a reassuring look, and then said to Jiang Qinyu, “Chengzhang Academy is full of excellent teachers and students. There will only be benefits for Pan’er if she goes there, and there will be no harm.”
Jiang Qinyu shook her head, "Thank you for your kindness, Grandpa and Confucian Master Qin, but my purpose in sending Pan'er to the academy is not to teach her profound knowledge, but to let her experience and understand how to get along with different classmates. If she goes dressed as a man, this purpose will probably be..."
She paused for a moment, then added, "I still want to thank you both for your kindness."
After listening to Jiang Qinyu's words, the anger in Qin Ziyi's eyes suddenly disappeared, and he began to ponder.
Grandpa Lu wanted to continue persuading her, but seeing the determined look in Jiang Qinyu's eyes, he didn't dare to speak. Instead, he asked Shufan, "Boy, if your sister isn't going to Chengzhang Academy, you have to go, right?"
Shufan shook his head. "I also thank you for your kindness, but I want to be with my sister. I am the older brother, and I have to protect her."
Since we need to protect them, we can't separate them.
"Hey, you stubborn brat, why are you so narrow-minded? Your sister has your aunt to protect her, so what's wrong with you going to Chengzhang Academy to study?" Old Master Lu was so anxious that he almost stomped his feet.
However, Jiang Qinyu and her two nieces showed no intention of changing their minds.
At this moment, Qin Ziyi, who had been silent all along, spoke up.
“What you say is absolutely right,” Qin Ziyi bowed to Jiang Qinyu. “Students should not only learn the knowledge in books, but also learn how to get along with others and how to conduct themselves in society… We cannot just study books to death!”
Jiang Qinyu was caught off guard and forced to accept the courtesy of this rare Confucian scholar from Great Yue. Upon hearing his words, she quickly replied, "Elder Qin, you flatter me. I was merely expressing my views as a woman."
“Madam, there’s no need for you to be modest,” Qin Ziyi said with a relaxed smile. “What you’ve said is exactly what students need today. The old rule of Chengzhang Academy not accepting female students now seems to be a bad habit.”
Jiang Qinyu was completely taken aback by this unexpected turn of events and didn't know how to respond for a moment. She could only hold the two children's hands and smile awkwardly.
It wasn't that she looked down on Chengzhang Academy; it was just that her views were different from others. Even if Shufan studied there, she estimated that she and Shufan would become estranged in the future, so she didn't want to send her child there.
Qin Ziyi smiled at Pan'er and asked in a soft voice, "Little girl, would you like to become the first female student of Zhang Academy?"
Just now, Pan'er was a little afraid of him, but now she felt that this old man was so kind that she couldn't help but smile, revealing her dimples. She nodded sweetly and said, "I'm willing!"
Jiang Qinyu was confused by these words. What did they mean? Was Chengzhang Academy going to admit female students?
"Girl, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank Headmaster Qin!" Old Master Lu reminded her with a smile.
He hadn't expected his old friend to make such a decision.
Jiang Qinyu snapped out of her daze and immediately bowed deeply to Qin Ziyi, saying, "Thank you, Elder Qin."
Qin Ziyi waved his hand, "I should be thanking you. You reminded me that when students go to school, whether they are learning knowledge or getting along with others, they cannot only associate with men. In life, getting along with women is equally important."
This is what he and his wife have come to understand after so many years together. He used to worry about how to make his descendants understand this principle. Now, all he needs to do is let the academy admit both male and female students, and the problem will be solved.
Jiang Qinyu looked at Qin Ziyi with admiration, "Old Qin truly deserves to be called a great Confucian scholar of Great Yue. His vision and realm are truly lofty."
Looking to the future, isn't co-education the only option?
Moreover, the fact that he could say things like "it's just as important to get along with women" shows that he has truly come to his senses and is willing to recruit female students.
"Please don't praise me yet, Madam. We'll need your advice on recruiting female students, so please don't refuse!" Qin Ziyi said with a smile to Jiang Qinyu.
Jiang Qinyu: "..." So, after all this time, she's taken on another problem for herself?
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