I will never be Renzong

Chapter 227 Ministry of Education

The next day, Zhao Zhen got dressed under the wait of the maid, and then had a simple breakfast, and then went to the Xuanzheng Hall to go to court. This was also the last court meeting in the ninth year of Tiansheng.

After a night of fun, Zhao Zhen was refreshed, but Cao Danshu was exhausted. It was not until after Zhao Zhen went to court that she left Funing Hall with weak legs and the support of the maid.

In the Xuanzheng Hall, all the courtiers gathered together. As the year approached, there were no major events in the court. It was just that there were minor disasters in various places, but there were routines to be found, so the court meeting was still going on in an orderly manner.

After the disintegration of the dynasty, Sun Xun, a Hanlin scholar and director of the Education Department, asked to see him, and Zhao Zhen summoned him in Chongzheng Hall.

Sun Shi studied the classics when he was young, and became a talent after studying hard.During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, he entered the Imperial Academy as a direct lecturer.During the reign of Zhenzong, he was a servant of the kings, and tired of officials went to Longtu Pavilion to wait for the system.After Zhao Zhen ascended the throne, he was selected as a scholar of the Imperial Academy under the name of Confucianism, and then concurrently served as the Minister of the Ministry of Officials.

He became famous for his Confucian classics and adhered to Confucianism all his life.He is the author of "Classic Huiyan", "Interpretation of Five Classics", "Yue Ji Tu", "Five Service Systems", etc.

When Sun Shi narrates the meaning of the classics, he always combines the classic history with the actual situation of governing the country and bringing peace to the people at that time.It is an admonishment for rulers at all levels to take the example of "rebellious kings and the destruction of the country" in previous generations as a warning, and to sympathize with the sufferings of the people in order to consolidate the rule of the Song Dynasty.

In the early years of Dazhong Xiangfu, Zhenzong will welcome the "Book of Heaven", and Sun Xun bluntly remonstrates, "I only heard Confucius say 'what can the sky say', how can there be a book!" He clearly opposed the saying that heaven has a will.He also often remonstrated Zhenzong's worship of mountains and gods everywhere.

When Sun Shi gave lectures to Zhao Zhen, he always "repeatedly satirized" when he "talked about the chaos of the previous life and the collapse of the country".Because he had been teaching for a long time, many officials in the central government and local government were his students, so Sun Shi became an influential educator at that time.

Since the establishment of the Department of Education four years ago, Sun Xun has been concurrently serving as the head of the Department of Education. Four years later, the literacy rate of the 6000 million people in the Song Dynasty has reached 20.00%. I believe that Zhao Zhen can see the enlightenment of people's wisdom in his lifetime.

But now that Sun Shi is seventy years old, he can't do anything anymore. Today, after he came down to court, he met Zhao Zhen alone in order to resign from office and enjoy a peaceful old age.

In the Chongzheng Hall, Zhao Zhen agreed to Sun Shi's resignation, and allowed him to become an official as the crown prince, and also hired him as a lecturer of the Song Dynasty Official School, and gave a lecture at the Song Dynasty Official School in his spare time every month.

Seeing that the officials agreed to his letter of resignation, Sun Xun said again: "Officials! The old minister wants to give the last light to the education of the Song Dynasty, but the old minister's health does not allow it. It is a good thing that Confucianism has penetrated into the common people, it is a benevolent government, and it is the work of a wise king.

But officials need to know that it takes ten years to grow trees and a hundred years to cultivate people. The Song Dynasty has a population of more than 6000 million. If everyone can read and understand the government's decrees, our dynasty must pay for education year after year. It may not be just a matter of one or two generations of monarchs, so I think that the promotion of primary schools, county schools, state schools, and government schools should be persevered by the court, and even officials should compile education into regulations to prevent future generations from tampering at will. ! "

Zhao Zhen thought for a while, and then said: "Your opinion agrees with me. I believe that education is the foundation of the country, the pillars of nurturing the country, and the prosperity of the country is the stability of the country! Once I am in power, I will be unswerving. To implement the policy of education, not only that, I will also treat education as a top priority, and form a custom, so that the kings of future generations cannot just abolish the education system I set."

"The officials are wise! Although I am far away from the court, I still firmly believe that in the hands of the officials, the Song Dynasty will definitely surpass the prosperous Tang Dynasty!"

Sun Xun's words entered Zhao Zhen's heart, that is, the power of the ancient county kings was very great, wise and wise kings would like to educate, but if the monarchs are foolish or have too much desire for power, then they will definitely not choose to be wise. A small number of scholars also choose to continue to fool the people. After all, the people who do not know a single word are more in their interests.

"Report to the official family! The three ministers are asking to see the official family!"

Zhang Mao, the servant, suddenly walked in from the outside.

"Quick announcement! It just so happens that I have something to discuss with them!"

Zhao Zhen said hurriedly.

"The minister waits to meet the official!"

The three of them came here not for other things, but for the relocation of the capital after the year of the imperial court. Although it has been decided to move the capital to Luoyang in the spring of next year, the specific time has not been agreed, and the purpose of coming together today is this matter.

After discussing with the court ministers, they checked the auspicious days with Qin Tianjian, and selected three days in total, which are January 26, February [-], and March [-] next year.

Zhao Zhen finally decided on March [-]th, because Wuzang Heiyun, Ren Qing'er, and Yelu Yanran were all pregnant in the palace, so Zhao Zhen chose a relatively warm day.

After the monarchs and ministers had finished discussing the matter, Zhao Zhen said again: "Sun Shi, the head of the Department of Education, is old, and I allow him to take office. Can the three ministers recommend suitable candidates?"

Wang once saw this memorial and said: "Report to the officials, Zhang Shixun, the prefect of Xuzhou, is proficient in Confucianism, and can be promoted to the head of the Education Department."

Seeing this, Zhao Zhen hurriedly said: "The Ministry of Officials is in charge of all the officials in the world, so it is understandable that the Department of Education is assigned to the Ministry of Officials, but when I established the Department of Education, it was not just to let scholars all over the world go to the exam to get fame and become an official. It is to make people from all walks of life in the world able to read and write, so as to promote the development of all kinds of industries. Therefore, I want to separate the Department of Education from the Ministry of Officials, establish a Ministry of Education, set up a minister, and a second-rank official , what do the three ministers think?"

Lu Yijian didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in Zhao Zhen's gourd, so he hurriedly asked, "Then who is in charge of the newly established Ministry of Education?"

Seeing this, Zhao Zhen said: "Naturally, it is under the jurisdiction of Zhongshumen, but there is one thing that must be written into the laws of the Song Dynasty, that is, no one can abolish the education mechanism formulated by this dynasty for the monarchs of the later generations of the Song Dynasty, and the education funds are very high. Special moments, no cuts."

No official in the imperial court would object to Zhao Zhen's promotion of education, because everyone is a scholar, although they know that if there are more scholars, it may affect their family's prosperity and wealth.But after all, Confucius also said that there is no discrimination in teaching, so this sentence made them dare not speak out against it.

Zhao Zhen established the Ministry of Education in the name of a saint, so all scholars in the world agree and dare not disapprove.

Now that the Ministry of Education has been established, the first minister of the Ministry of Education is very important.

Wang once recommended Zhang Shixun, but Zhang Shixun had made mistakes before, so it would be okay if he was the head of the fourth rank. Now the head of the Ministry of Education is the same as the real power faction of the six majors, so it is natural to be cautious in the selection.

The person Wang Zeng recommended was Li Ruogu, the left servant of the Ministry of Households, the person recommended by Lu Yijian was Wang Sui, a scholar of the Imperial Academy, and the person recommended by Yan Shu was Shi Zhongli, the left servant of the Ministry of Rites.

Li Ruogu is good at politics, Zhao Zhen plans to send him to Qinghai Road as the governor.Although Wang Sui, a Hanlin scholar, is talented, he likes Buddhism. Zhao Zhen doesn't want someone who likes Buddhism to be the minister of the Ministry of Education.

Therefore, Shi Zhongli was finally selected. Shi Zhongli was the son of Shi Xizai, a famous minister of Wenzhong Pavilion.

(End of this chapter)