Chapter 116: Obstacles

Yan Ning said, "As for that, tuition must certainly be completely free. We shall establish Official Schools in villages and counties, with teachers being scholars who have passed the county or provincial exams. Like the current County Schools, one can attend a County School after three years of Private School, and moving from a County School to a Prefecture School will require an examination."

Yan Ze nodded, "Not bad, this can also provide employment for scholars. However, if we provide the silver, it might be a significant expense. Furthermore, at most we can only provide schooling for boys right now; girls are even conditioned not to study the Four Books and Five Classics."

Yan Ning pondered for a moment, "Father, these can all be solved. Let me think about how to make them willing..."

"How about dangling money in front of them? Each semester lasts half a year, and the top three in each semester's exam receive a reward. As for letting girls study, that is not difficult either. Our Daxia dynasty currently collects taxes based on the head count; scholars can have their taxes and Corvee reduced. For every girl who studies, one person's tax and Corvee can be further reduced."

Xiao Huaijin reminded, "If that happens, tax revenue will decrease significantly, and the national treasury will face a deficit."

Yan Ning said, "That is not a difficult matter; the business from the Glass Factory and the Brewery is already more than enough."

The father and daughter calculated together and felt this matter was feasible.

Thus, early the next morning, Yan Ze brought up this matter.

"We discussed it yesterday and decided to establish Official Schools so that students under Heaven can all receive an education."

Yan Ning also told the assembled officials the ideas she had discussed yesterday.

"Do you all feel this method is feasible? If there are any omissions, we shall think of ways to patch them together."

Chen Yuan said, "I previously opened a Private School, so I can be considered experienced. It is already not easy to send boys to study, let alone girls."

"We are waiving the tuition fees, so I estimate some people might send their boys to study with the goal of entering officialdom through the Imperial Examination, but as for girls..."

The words were not finished, but everyone knew that apart from the young ladies of wealthy families, basically no one could manage it.

Yan Ning said, "What is difficult about this? If we let women take the exams and enter the court as officials, wouldn't that solve it?"

Quite a few officials stood out:

"Absurd! How can women enter the court as officials?"

"Your Highness, this must absolutely not be done!"

Yan Ning glanced at them, "Do you have some opinion about me attending court every day?"

Once these words were pointed out, all voices of opposition ceased.

Since there is already a Crown Princess, what does it matter if there are female officials?

Some people looked at the Emperor with hesitation, hoping he would stop Yan Ning's idea.

Yan Ze nodded, "I also feel it is feasible. Women may also participate in next year's Imperial Examination."

Yan Ze issued an Imperial Edict, and before long, someone sent this decree to all parts of the Daxia dynasty, not even sparing a place as remote as Lingnan.

The officials did not want women to study, and even the poor could not understand it.

At this moment, someone stood out and said, "I hope Your Majesty will reconsider. Furthermore, even if tuition is waived, it is still hard to get people to send girls to study."

Yan Ning said, "Easy to handle. Girls studying can have their Head Tax waived; I expect many people will be willing."

These problems actually all had ways to be solved.

Someone still would not give up, "But this is very costly, and the national treasury is currently in deficit..."

Yan Ning impatiently interrupted, "The national treasury is not in deficit; it is just that we do not want to waste money repairing imperial palaces that we cannot live in for more than a few days a year."

"Moreover, besides the money in the national treasury, the profits from the Glass Factory and the Liquor Workshop will also be used to run the Official Schools."

Yan Ze continued to nod, "Correct, my daughter is right. No matter how poor we are, we cannot be poor in education."

He had long been dissatisfied with the atmosphere of officials shielding one another in the court, so he needed some students from humble backgrounds to enter the court as officials.

Yan Ning and Yan Ze sang in harmony, and just like that, the matter of running Official Schools was finalized.

Yan Ze asked, "Do you ministers have any other opinions? If so, follow me to the Imperial Study."

A group of ministers looked around hesitantly, not knowing for a moment whether they should follow.

But in the end, they gritted their teeth and went.

With someone taking the lead, the rest who had opinions or dissatisfaction all prepared to go together.

Yan Ning turned her head and saw the string of ministers following; she was very satisfied in her heart.

Let's see what other opinions they can raise so we can check for gaps and fill them.

Thus, after arriving at the Imperial Study—

Yan Ning faced more than twenty ministers alone, while Yan Ze was in the back frantically taking notes.

Some had solutions, some did not. Those without were recorded on a separate sheet of paper to be perfected later with Grand Tutor Chen and the others.

The Minister of Rites looked pained, "Now the rites are collapsing and music is ruined! Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Yan Ning looked at his bitter face, her mouth twitching, "How does letting women study mean the rites are collapsing and music is ruined? Do not misuse words."

The Minister of Rites said painfully, "Even if you let them study, poor families have no silver to provide for them, so it is useless and a waste of so much silver. It would be better to use it on repairing the imperial palaces."

Yan Ning said with dissatisfaction, "Does how I use the silver I earned need your management?"

The ministers:...

What she said was not wrong.

It was just that Yan Ning, who was usually gentle, why did she have such a deep obsession with running Official Schools?

At this time, the Vice Minister of Personnel hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I know you have good intentions in running Official Schools, even if you have to pay huge fees for teachers, even if you have to rack your brains to make them willing to squeeze money from their teeth to provide for their children's schooling..."

"But what about during the busy farming season? When the time comes and there is no one to farm, what will the imperial court's tax revenue do?"

Yan Ning remained very insistent, "That is not a big deal. Why not just have a break during the busy farming season? That way, both can be taken care of."

The Minister of Rites thought of a brilliant point of attack and hurriedly said, "What if someone intentionally takes advantage of the Official Schools to avoid Corvee and taxes?"

Yan Ning thought for a moment, "That is also a problem. Let me think..."

The Minister of Rites' bitter face finally had a smile; he knew this question would definitely be hard to solve.

But soon, he turned back into a bitter face.

Yan Ning thought of a way, "How about this: one can study in an Official School for at most three years, and the County School is also three years. Getting into a Prefecture School requires real ability. Besides, if their performance is truly too poor, we can let them go back."

The Minister of Revenue hurriedly said, "They certainly have no money to buy brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

Yan Ning calculated an account, "I can have people make Bamboo Pens to replace writing brushes. By then, I will also make Glass Pens to sell to the foolish and wealthy. The monthly income from the Glazed Glass is high, so the brushes and ink can be provided by the school."

Minister of Revenue: He shouldn't have asked that question; fine, that's another expense.

Yan Ning pondered for a moment: "So that women can study, I think the school can provide paper for women. I will pay for this money as well."

Prime Minister Ji frowned and asked: "These are all nothing more than talk on paper... putting them into practice will be difficult. Promoting high-yield Seeds is already very hard, let alone running an Official School?"

This was also a major problem.

Yan Ning thought it over and looked at her father, "Father, do you have a way?"

Yan Ze sighed: "Then how about we take it slow?"

Yan Ning shook her head; taking it slow was impossible.

She thought for a moment: "I can send people to supervise, and if that really doesn't work, let's hold the Imperial Examination every year."

The officials:???

How many officials would have to be dismissed for that, holding the Imperial Examination every year.