My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 89: The Anger of the Imperial College

Lu Youwei really didn't expect that the moving pictures would become so widely circulated.
Nowadays, any craftsman in the Industry Department who has not seen those moving pictures and the long legs of the ladies will be ridiculed as unworldly.

Facing this group of curious and naive students, an inexplicable sense of superiority arose in his heart.

Of course, Lu Youwei had long since gotten used to it after getting over his initial shock. Back then, everyone followed the masters in the pictures to learn shipbuilding, steelmaking, and gunmaking...

He was curious about everything and studied hard, and today he is able to teach others.

"There are moving pictures and pretty ladies, too."

Seeing the students below showing their yearning expressions, Lu Youwei smiled and said:
"If you want to see it, work hard, pass the assessment and go to the Industry Department, and see it for yourself."

The students below suddenly had their eyes lit up and burst into enthusiastic cheers.

After signaling everyone to calm down, Lu Youwei turned to the first page of the book and said loudly:
"Now, we are going to learn something completely new, which is also the foundation of industrial manufacturing. Let us first understand what centimeters, decimeters and meters are..."

……

However, although the Capital Academy was widely known among the people and had a good reputation, it angered another group of people.

The scholars of the Ming Dynasty were all deeply saddened by the establishment of the Beijing Academy of Craftsmen and criticized it verbally and in writing.

At this time, in the Imperial College, the students were still studying hard. The students in the Ju Academy were preparing for the next spring examination, while the students in the Gong Academy were studying even harder for the upcoming autumn examination.

However, an inexplicable emotion spread among all the students, and everyone's hearts were filled with anger.

Suddenly, a student stood up and said with great sorrow:

"Everyone, please listen to me!

The capital city established the Academy of Craftsmen, and actually required craftsmen to study in official schools. This was simply a humiliation to the scholars!

We have studied hard for many years to get this honor, how can we allow others to easily get involved? "

As soon as these words were spoken, the anger in the students' hearts was instantly ignited. Everyone put down their books and began to discuss loudly.

"Well said! This move by the court is a complete disgrace to the way of the saints!"

"It is not the way of learning to be a craftsman, and it is a disgrace to Confucius and Mencius to enter the official school. How can the dignity of a scholar be tolerated by such blasphemy!"

Another student stood up and spoke passionately, "Brother Anzhi is right. Asking craftsmen to study in government schools is simply putting the cart before the horse!

Scholars learn literature, and craftsmen learn art, each has its own way. The court's move is an insult to the saints and corrupts the style of study. We scholars will never tolerate such absurd things! "

The students were outraged and their emotions were burning like fire.

They were young and full of vigor, and their dissatisfaction and anger about the craftsmen entering official schools reached its peak at this moment!
At this time, someone shouted, "My fellow students, why don't we go to the Beijing Artisan Academy and teach those craftsmen what the way of a sage is!"

"That's right! Let those people know what qualifications they have to enter the official school."

"This is intolerable. I'm going too!"

"Let's go together, everyone!"

More and more people gathered, and the students' emotions became more and more excited. In a short time, the news that they were going to the Imperial Academy of Craftsmen to teach the craftsmen a lesson spread throughout the Imperial College.

The students marched in a mighty procession, shouting slogans, and the academic supervisor couldn't stop them. Seeing that the students had already left the gate of the Imperial College, he hurriedly ran to Qian Hongming's study.

"Qian Jijiu, it's bad, something big has happened!"

Qian Hongming was resting with his eyes closed. When he saw the school supervisor barging in rashly, he immediately said in displeasure:

"How can you be so reckless in the Imperial College? A gentleman should focus on the basics. Once the basics are established, the Way will come into being. Don't panic when facing things. Be calm and speak the truth. Then act with courtesy. How did you learn the words of the saints?"

The school supervisor gasped for breath, and finally caught his breath. He bowed to Qian Hongming and then spoke:

"Master Jijiu, all the students have gone to the Imperial Academy of Craftsmen. They said they want to teach those craftsmen what the way of the sage is!"

Qian Hongming then opened his eyes, but there was a smile on his face.

"What did I think it was? Such a small matter makes you so flustered?" "Sir, it's a big deal. If the students cause any trouble, His Majesty will have to punish us for not disciplining them properly!"

"Don't worry, the students are teaching the craftsmen what the way of the saints is. Is this a disturbance? This is clearly a good thing!"

Qian Hongming waved his hand and said, "Let's wait and see what happens. You can leave now."

"Yes, my lord!"

Since the chief academician of the Imperial College had said so, the academic supervisor had no choice but to take his leave.

After the school supervisor left, the smile in Qian Hongming's eyes became even more intense.

He was already dissatisfied with His Majesty's establishment of an official school for craftsmen, but he thought more long-term about this matter than the students of the Imperial Academy.

From ancient times to the present, the court's methods of recruiting officials have not remained static.

The hereditary nobility in the pre-Qin period, the selection of filial and honest officials in the Han Dynasty, the Nine-Rank System in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the combination of imperial examinations and family background in the Tang Dynasty, and now the imperial examination system for recruiting officials.

The literati are moving step by step towards the center of power. This is a victory for scholars all over the world!
Nowadays, all the people in the court are literati. It is the way of sages to let literati govern the country.

The literati are gradually realizing the ideal state of the sage's great harmony.

But Your Majesty opened that official technical school, saying it was to train workers for factories. So in the future, will craftsmen also be able to take the imperial examinations?
Then, can the craftsman be allowed to enter the court openly?

Absolutely ridiculous!
Your Majesty, this is destroying the foundation of literati!
He is not afraid of students making trouble. The bigger the trouble, the better. He wants it to make the whole city go crazy and everyone in the world will know about it. He wants all the scholars in the world to criticize the craftsman and the official school!
Just when the students were about to teach the Imperial Academy a lesson, two people walked in from the city gate of Yingtian Prefecture.

One of them was older, dressed in the robe of a university scholar, and looked elegant and easy-going. He was none other than Wu Chen, the university scholar of the Dongge.

Next to Wu Chen was a tall scholar with a handsome appearance and dignified and serious manners. However, his eyes were always squinted, as if he could not see clearly what was in front of him.

"Xizhi, this time His Majesty wants to choose a teacher for several of the emperor's grandchildren. After the death of the great scholar Song Lian, there has been no suitable candidate. You are the most proud student of the great scholar Song, and you are also a fellow student of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I think you are the most suitable person to teach the emperor's grandchildren."

"I would like to thank Mr. Wu for the recommendation. I will definitely not let you down."

The scholar called Xi Zhi said respectfully.

Wu Chen smiled and said, "You know a lot about astronomy and geography, and you are well-read. I am not worried about your knowledge, but your temper. You need to change it when you teach in the royal family.

If His Majesty is pleased, he can give you a pair of glasses to cure your blurred vision."

The scholar straightened his chest and said, "Mr. Wu, Xizhi is cultivating a righteous spirit. This pair of eyes can distinguish right from wrong, and can also distinguish between ugliness and evil!"

"Hahaha, you are just like your handwriting, too straightforward." Wu Chen laughed.

"Mr. Wu, I heard that a new government school was recently established in the capital, called the Imperial Academy of Craftsmen, which is specially designed to train craftsmen. I am curious and want to take a look at it."

"Xizhi is also interested in the craftsman's skills?" Wu Chen asked curiously.

"The sage teaches everyone. Your Majesty's move is deeply in line with the sage's way. Xizhi naturally yearns for it." The Confucian scholar answered sincerely.

"Okay, okay, I'll take you to the Craftsman Academy. The dean of the academy is currently the Minister of Industry Li Min. Li Min is also my good friend. Let's go visit him first."

After the two entered the city, they were talking and laughing when suddenly, a man rode past them at full speed and almost knocked Wu Chen down.

The scholar held Wu Chen in his arms, and seeing that the man was about to run away without even turning his head, he opened his mouth and shouted:
"That reckless man, why was he so impatient that he bumped into someone without caring about anything, without any words of apology, and even wanted to run away to avoid blame. It was really rude!"

The man got off his horse, and Wu Chen saw him clearly. He hurriedly said, "Greetings, Fourth Prince!"

Then he pulled the scholar and said, "Be careful with your words, that's the current Fourth Prince!"

Zhu Di looked at the two of them and said quickly, "Master Wu, I have something urgent to do. I am really sorry for what I did just now. Who are you, scholar?"

The scholar was not afraid of Zhu Di. He straightened his chest and raised his head and said:

"I will not change my surname when I sit down, nor will I change my given name when I stand up. I am Fang Xiaoru from Ninghai!"

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(End of this chapter)