PDLP Chapter 82 Please, Your Highness, take me in!
Chapter 82 Please, Your Highness, take me in!
Peace and tranquility reign throughout the land!
These four words might not resonate much with scholars from Jiangnan or the capital.
But for the people of Beining City, these four words are of paramount importance.
"Well said, Your Highness's words are absolutely right!"
"For more than a decade, we have been beasts kept by the Jurchen barbarians. It was only after the prince came here that we began to live like human beings!"
"Yes, if it weren't for the Prince and the Shence Army, would you scholars dare to come to Beining City?"
"If you're dead, what's the point of studying? Our prince is a god descended from heaven, not a teacher. This would be a waste of his talents."
"..."
At this moment, scholars and ordinary people alike shouted loudly.
Zhao Qixuan stared in astonishment at the excited crowd around him, feeling a chill run down his spine.
He dared not provoke them any further, fearing that he might say something wrong and incur the wrath of the crowd, only to be torn apart alive by this group of people who regarded Qin Xuan as a god.
“Assistant Zhao, although I am just an ordinary scholar in Beining City, there are some things I still want to say to you.”
An older scholar suddenly stepped forward. He looked to be almost forty and had an ordinary appearance.
Many residents of Beining City recognized him and couldn't help but call him "Scholar Zhang" or "The Bookworm".
He smiled and waved to the crowd, seemingly unconcerned about the sarcastic nickname others had given him. Then, his smile faded, and he said solemnly:
“I am a student from Beining City. I have been studying for thirty-three years, but I still have no official rank or title.”
"It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't."
"Do you know how many people there are in Beining City? Fifteen years ago, it was two million; ten years ago, it was one million two hundred thousand; and five years ago, it was eight hundred thousand."
"Do you know how many schools and private academies there are in Beining City? There are only eleven schools, and they are short of funds every year. There are twenty-eight private academies, all of which are controlled by wealthy families."
The Great Qi Dynasty placed great importance on education, so schools were established in every prefecture and county, funded by the imperial court, and the people only needed to pay a small tuition fee to study.
However, the schools in Beining City suffered from a lack of funding every year due to previous official corruption, to the point that they could no longer continue operating.
“You come from a prominent family and live in the prosperous Jiangnan region, so you don’t understand how heavy the burden of education is for the people of Beining City.”
"If I were exceptionally talented and wanted to travel to the capital for the imperial examination, do you know how much it would cost me along the way? At least twenty taels."
"And these twenty taels are the total income of an ordinary family of three in Beining City for ten years without eating or drinking."
“I know that you scholars from other places look down on us Confucian scholars from Beining City, but is it because we are born inferior? We are all citizens of Daqi, so why do we suffer so much from the ravages of war?”
"Our fathers and grandfathers held fast to this land, sacrificing their sweat and blood to prevent the Jurchen cavalry from advancing south. And what about you? You are nothing but a bunch of opportunists!"
At this point, many scholars from Beining City nearby felt a pang of sympathy and shared the sentiment.
"It wasn't until the King of Chu arrived in Beining City that he led the Shence Army to fight against the Jurchen Tulan Army, and at the same time had to fight against the 150,000-strong allied army sent by the Daqi Dynasty. Only then did Beining City, which is as prosperous as the capital, come to be what you see today."
"Such a magnificent achievement, I would like to ask Assistant Instructor Zhao on behalf of the 800,000 people of Beining City, and also all the scholars in the world, and that Confucian sage..."
"Why is my Beining City a city of sin?"
"How is my prince an unfaithful and unfilial person?"
"Have you, the court officials and great scholars of our time, who speak eloquently, travel in fine horses and carriages, and feast on delicacies, ever done a single thing for the people of Daqi in this northern land, not even shed a single tear?"
The old scholar's words were like a sharp knife, each one piercing Zhao Qixuan's heart.
His visit to Beining City this time was due to two reasons: first, he was acting on orders from the imperial court, and second, he was dissatisfied with Qin Xuan.
You, a commander who leads troops into battle, have actually produced two masterpieces that will last for ages, suppressing all the Confucian scholars in the world. As a "mad Confucian scholar," how could I, Zhao Qixuan, let you have your way?
So he not only came in person, but also specially invited his friend Yuan Huai to come, with the aim of humiliating the King of Chu and the entire city of Beining.
But when he heard the nearly forty-year-old scholar finish speaking with a numb expression, Zhao Qixuan knew he was wrong.
If a person can't even save their own life, what's the point of studying?
"Mr. Xie's words of wisdom today have made me realize my mistake."
Suddenly, Zhao Qixuan, who had been incredibly arrogant before, bowed deeply to the old scholar.
He raised his head, his face full of shame, and bowed to Qin Xuan again: "Your Highness, I was foolish before, so I repeatedly provoked you. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
“Zhao, you are too kind. Yaoyue Tower is a place where scholars compose poems and exchange verses, and everyone can speak freely.”
Qin Xuan smiled and helped him up, then his gaze fell on the old scholar.
This Confucian scholar, who had studied for nearly half his life, may not have possessed extraordinary talent, but those words still moved him deeply.
"Would you be willing to serve as the headmaster of my Beining Academy?"
Qin Xuan asked.
The surrounding people instantly became excited. Beining Academy? Is this an academy established by the prince? I've never heard of it before.
Nearby, not far away, Zhuge Xuan gave a wry smile and muttered, "Our prince really does things on a whim. Beining Academy? He probably hasn't even decided on a location yet!"
However, upon further reflection, given Beining City's current financial resources and industrial capabilities, a mere academy could be easily acquired if desired.
Zhang Shuhai looked bewildered and quickly shook his head, saying, "I thank Your Highness for your kindness, but I am not qualified to be the head of the academy."
Zhang Shuhai had no official rank and could only refer to himself as a commoner, unlike Zhao Qixuan who referred to himself as a student.
"Besides imparting knowledge and teaching skills, the most important thing for a teacher is his character. You may not have the talent to manage the world, but your character is enough to make you a dean of the academy."
Qin Xuan valued Zhang Shuhai's character, believing that someone who could persevere for over thirty years and still diligently study was a truly rare and precious person.
However, Zhang Shuhai declined the offer as strongly as possible, and Qin Xuan could only settle for second best, making him an ordinary instructor at Beining Academy.
"Your Highness, I also wish to join Beining Academy. Please accept me."
Zhao Qixuan said sincerely.
Qin Xuan was surprised. After glancing at him a few times, he asked with a smile, "You don't regret it?"
Zhao Qixuan is an assistant instructor at the Imperial Academy, with an extraordinary future and the opportunity to enter the Six Ministries and the Cabinet.
"No regrets."
Zhao Qixuan laughed heartily, his gaze sweeping over the onlookers: "This is the place I should be, not the high-walled, magnificent Imperial Academy. I want to do my part for the countless ordinary scholars in this world."
"Your Highness, please accept me as your student, Yuan Huai."
Suddenly, Yuan Huai, who had been unconscious, woke up and bowed.
"Have you really thought this through? Once you enter my Beining City, you will face oppression from the imperial court."
Qin Xuan emphasized this point.
"Please grant me your blessing, Your Majesty!"
"Please grant me your blessing, Your Majesty!"
Zhao Qixuan and Yuan Huai said in unison.
"Alright! Since you two are willing, I, Beining City, will naturally not refuse."
Qin Xuan burst into laughter.
Zhao Qixuan and Yuan Huai are considered the best of the younger generation in the Confucian world. With these two joining, it will naturally attract more scholars to Beining City.
"From today onwards, you are the Doctors of Beining Academy."