Chapter 1083: Building Schools

This morning, the three Misses of the Sheng family—Rulan, Molan, and Minglan—all arrived at the Wang residence to play.

Regarding Wang Yan, this eldest sister's husband, their fear of him naturally outweighed any other feeling. Although their status in social circles stemmed mostly from being Wang Yan's sisters-in-law, they still could not withstand his notorious reputation.

Of course, this was also due to Sheng Hong's tireless admonitions during their childhood, warning them not to act under Wang Yan's name. Sheng Hong truly feared that when Wang Yan got struck by lightning, the backlash would sweep up the Sheng family as well.

In the past, they were still young; in fact, only Rulan had ever visited their previous house. This visit, however, gave them a new understanding of Wang Yan.

Although this eldest sister's husband kept many concubines, mostly women from barbarian tribes, he treated women quite well, and he treated children even better.

In the vast compound, a specific courtyard had been set aside exclusively for the children to play. Many novel toys had also been prepared to add to the children's enjoyment.

However, the household was not very luxurious; it could even be called simple. There were many works of calligraphy and painting, and numerous inexpensive curiosities, but nothing else revealed any sign of extravagance.

They all knew clearly that since Wang Yan became an official, his family business had grown increasingly robust, so money was never lacking. Yet, his food, clothing, and daily expenses showed nothing particularly special.

Nevertheless, everyone was having a wonderful time; there were many children and many activities.

While Rulan and Molan played outside with the children, Hualan pulled Minglan aside to talk.

"I heard from my mother that my Sixth Sister and Qi Heng, the only son of the Duke of Qi's mansion, were mutually affectionate, but due to my Da Da Guanren's actions, this good match was ruined for no reason. I mentioned this to Da Da Guanren, and he told me to ask Sixth Sister's opinion; if you are willing to marry, he will go to the Duke of Qi's mansion to speak of it, and it will surely succeed."

Minglan pondered for a moment, then still shook her head: "Forget it, Eldest Sister. Little Sister knows that if Eldest Brother-in-law intervenes, the Duke of Qi's mansion will surely save face. But that Young Lord of the Duke's mansion never really intended to marry Little Sister. I am born of a concubine, while he is the only son; even without Eldest Brother-in-law's involvement, marrying into that family would be extremely difficult. Even if I did marry in, the Princess Lady would surely use me to establish her rules.

Moreover, with Eldest Brother-in-law here now, if the Young Lord truly wanted to marry me, even if his parents were terrified of Eldest Brother-in-law, they would not dare to block it with their lives. Otherwise, would that not be slapping Eldest Brother-in-law in the face? How could Eldest Brother-in-law let the Duke of Qi's mansion get away with that?"

Hualan understood; Sixth Sister was truly angry. It was only natural; previously, they had been all lovey-dovey and heart-stirring, but when put to the test, the man had no resolve at all. Marrying such a man would be meaningless. In this world, a man like her own Da Da Guanren probably did not exist a second time.

But she asked once more: "Sixth Sister, have you truly decided? Do not worry about troubling your Eldest Brother-in-law; that man of ours fears nothing more than having no trouble to deal with. Look at how many people he has offended since becoming an official? Your matter counts for nothing."

"Thank you, Eldest Sister. Little Sister has truly made up her mind and does not wish to have any further entanglement with that Young Lord. This matter is not Eldest Brother-in-law's fault; after all, without Eldest Brother-in-law here, I fear I would have suffered even more difficulties."

"Since Sixth Sister has made up her mind, I will say no more. I will ask your Eldest Brother-in-law to see if there is a suitable young man for Sixth Sister to meet."

"Then I must thank Eldest Sister first, and Eldest Brother-in-law as well," Minglan said with a nod and a smile.

"Come over and sit whenever you have nothing else to do. You know your Eldest Brother-in-law's situation; usually, I have nothing interesting to do, so you all can come keep me company and chat."

"Eldest Sister speaks incorrectly; countless titled ladies outside wish to get close to you, but it is only because Eldest Sister maintains her purity and does not mix with those people."

Hualan laughed: "Sixth Sister understands reason. Actually, Eldest Sister used to socialize with them, but one by one, they were truly too difficult to deal with. Your Eldest Brother-in-law said that if I don't want to see them, I shouldn't go; it is happier to stay home and read books or go out and listen to songs. So now, I only visit the families of Lord Fan, Lord Bao, and Lord Ouyang occasionally; for other invitations, Eldest Sister does not go, as it is too meaningless.

Recently, a theater has opened, and it will hold its grand opening in a few days; by then, Sister will bring you all to see it."

"How did Eldest Sister decide to open a theater?"

"Your Eldest Brother-in-law suggested it, wanting the common people to enjoy themselves too. The price is not high; skip a few cups of wine and you can afford a seat; you will know when the time comes."

"Eldest Sister, Sixth Sister, with such fine weather, what are you two doing inside? Come out and chat..." Rulan called from outside.

Hualan and Minglan smiled at each other, stood up, and walked out. Seeing that it was nearly noon, they began arranging for delicious food to be prepared to treat their sisters from their maiden home...

By evening, Wang Yan returned from the office and heard from Hualan about Minglan's intentions.

He said: "Since she does not wish to marry into the Duke of Qi's mansion, let us look again. She is only fifteen; there is no need to rush. She will certainly not have trouble finding a husband, though finding a good husband is not easy."

"Da Da Guanren, please pay attention to this. Minglan is a pitiful child. Although all three of my sisters have reached marriageable age, Rulan has my mother, and Molan's mother enjoys my father's favor, but Wei Shi's side lives a bitter life. Lady Lin still makes things difficult for them, causing trouble every day; it has been very hard for so many years. Finding a good husband for her will likely not be easy."

Hualan still possessed a kind heart; having lived with Wang Yan for ten years, she was no longer the bullied figure from the original story, but had become very generous, and her wisdom was sharp. After all, having traveled north and south, east and west with Wang Yan from his days as a Prefectural Judge to the present, she too had progressed.

The matter of Minglan's marriage would need further observation. Because the current background was not quite right, with the crucial issue of the Emperor looming, even if there were a coup or an assassination, Gu Tingye would have no chance to step forward. Minglan's original good match as a principal wife was likely uncertain.

As for Wang Yan choosing a husband for Minglan, that was a minor issue; if he truly made introductions, he could casually pull out a huge crowd of candidates to line up and date Minglan. Moreover, Wang Yan could guarantee the man's character and ensure Minglan's married life would proceed smoothly.

It was precisely because things developed too quickly when he intervened that he was in no hurry, thinking to let Minglan look for herself.

As for the idea of bringing Minglan to his side, he had no such thoughts, and regarding the others like Rulan and Molan, that was even more absurd. Minglan was indeed the female protagonist of this drama, but he was not the type to sleep with every woman he encountered; he was far from reaching that stage.

Moreover, reality did not allow it; Sheng Hong would never agree, even if beaten to death, and even if Wang Yan were the Emperor now, it would not work. Unless one held a knife to the necks of the Sheng family men and killed them all if they disagreed, only then could it be achieved.

Such a reputation would be too terrible; looking across the Great Song, absolutely no family would agree to such a matter...

"Good, your husband will pay attention to it."

This was just a small interlude in life; serving as an official in the capital, he inevitably had to frequently contact some plots that were already a complete mess.

During this period, he went to the Policy Council three times, discussing the expansion plan for the Imperial Academy in detail and depth with everyone, along with discussing some changes to the imperial examinations. They would generally abandon the frivolous and flashy literary style, abolish the various specialized subjects and literary subjects, and in the provincial examinations, abolish the recitation of classics and interpretation of meanings, prioritizing policy essays first, and poetry second.

A preliminary adjustment was made to the imperial examination system; further splitting would occur in the future, simultaneously separating the examination system from official appointment. That is, establishing a system like modern university entrance exams, with a separate examination for those wishing to become officials. After all, the Imperial Academy under Wang Yan's administration was developing in the direction of a university. But nowadays, people studied solely to become officials; even in modern times, studying was to rise above others, which was clearly contrary to the true meaning of education.

This counted as a small change, proposed by Wang Yan and refined by the various ministers of the Policy Council. His proposal was naturally very radical; Fan Zhongyan and others moderated it slightly, and the specific arrangements basically met Wang Yan's expectations; it was necessary to skillfully use the Overton Window theory.

Just as when he initially requested funds, he spoke of amounts that were quite enormous, but what was finally approved was only three academies, plus two government schools established in each county, one capable of holding two thousand students, of which one thousand spots were reserved for girls' elementary education. The other could accommodate one thousand students, providing advanced education after elementary schooling.

Of course, these numbers were not fixed, after all, the population in many counties did not require such large schools, as there were not that many students.

As for subsidies, arrangements had also been made. Elementary education would not require tuition fees; paper and brushes would be distributed free of charge, and students only needed to provide their own food and drink. For the advanced education academies, tuition fees would not be charged, but other miscellaneous fees, food, and drink would be self-funded; in plain terms, it was simply providing a place for students to attend classes and study, with no concern for how well they learned.

This was a true welfare benefit for the common people, greatly reducing the cost of studying. Children from wealthy families would naturally go to the academies established by famous teachers themselves. Even children from small landlord families in the capital accumulation stage, who had to eat chaff and swallow vegetables, would mostly not choose to go to the official welfare academies.

Between large-class teaching and small-class teaching, between famous teachers with proven track records and unsuccessful scholars with no reputation, people naturally knew how to choose.

For the Great Song, this was already a significant expenditure. However, Wang Yan provided a solution: local areas could seek donations from wealthy families to build schools. As for the long-term expenses for brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, donations could also be sought for those. Wang Yan believed that local wealthy families would give him this face.

On the other hand, he also intended to open factories for brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones to conduct mass production and drive prices down. Quality was not the pursuit; as long as it was not too terrible and was usable, that would suffice.

The official document had now been issued; before next autumn, every county town must build these two academies. Whoever failed to complete this KPI would have to see just how hard their fate was at that time...

"Establishing the Military Academy here, what does Lord Di think?"

Outside Xicheng in Bianjing, Wang Yan waved his hand, pointing at a vast expanse of land before him. Beside him stood Di Qing, once again relieved of duty and idle in the capital; behind them was a crowd of officials. There were those from the Imperial Academy, the Kaifeng Prefecture, and county magistrates, as well as civil and military officials from the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Three Offices, plus the Ministry of Works, the Directorate of Manufactories, and so on—a huge group of people.

Wang Yan stood at the very front, shoulder to shoulder with Di Qing; with a wave of his hand, he exuded a spirit of commanding Jiangshan.

"Is it not a bit too large?" Di Qing asked, somewhat uncertain.

"A military academy naturally needs to be large. One must run horses and conduct military drills; if it were small, how could one operate freely?"

Di Qing nodded: "That makes sense. Then let us settle on this location; literature in the Dongcheng, martial arts in the West City; indeed, they complement each other perfectly."

"Did you all hear? Within seven days, submit the construction plan for the military academy to this official's desk. You must heed Lord Di's opinions and consider all circumstances to avoid future shortages."

"Yes, Prime Minister."

Wang Yan turned his head to look at the spirited Di Qing: "Has Lord Di recently organized a set of military strategies?"

"In front of you, Wang Xu Ziyan, how could this old man speak of military strategies? It is merely that I have lived long, experienced many battles, and gained some insights." Di Qing stroked his beard and laughed, "Since you recommended me some days ago to serve as the Chancellor of the Military Academy, I have already been writing. I have also written letters to some generals in the local regions, asking them to organize their thoughts as well, so that in the future they can all come to the military academy for everyone to exchange ideas, saving us from fighting wars all our lives and leaving nothing behind."

His current state was truly excellent; he no longer needed to worry about horns growing on his dog's head, because after fighting the Western Xia and then the Khitan, Wang Yan now stood ahead of him.

Moreover, Wang Yan vigorously protected him, allowing him to enjoy a peaceful life in the capital. From time to time, he could even attend meetings at the Bureau of Military Affairs to discuss how to thoroughly annihilate Western Xia, Khitan, Dali, Tubo, Jiaozhi, and others, sweep away the four barbarians, and achieve even greater accomplishments.

It must be said that after crushing Western Xia and Khitan, the Song Emperor and his ministers became much more composed, more tolerant toward military generals, and their ambitions rose exponentially. This was genuine confidence born of victory; compared to its state before the campaign against Western Xia, the atmosphere in Great Song could be described as fundamentally overturned. Military generals grew bolder, while civil officials became increasingly ruthless in their methods across the regions.

After Fan Zhongyan sent Wen Yanbo out of the capital, purged a large number of people, and took control of the administration, this feeling became even more pronounced. The current Great Song was truly wild...

The chief culprit behind all this was, of course, Wang Yan.

The Song Emperor and his ministers had naturally noticed this long ago, but once the floodgates were opened, they would only widen further; trying to plug them again and return to the original state would require a tremendous price. This is what is called the momentum of the times.

Wang Yan understood Di Qing's current mindset perfectly; he smiled and said, "Then Duke Di, please devote your efforts to recruiting the first batch of military officers as soon as possible."

"This old man will stay here to oversee it from now on."

The two men laughed heartily, while the large group of officials behind them could only force smiles to stay in sync with their leaders...

The process of approving funds was slow, but Wang Yan acted quickly; as soon as the money arrived, he had already finalized the plans. Just as Di Qing had said, the new grounds for the Imperial Academy would be built outside the Eastern City, including government offices and schools. Additionally, a Hundred Crafts Institute would also be established in the Eastern City, functioning essentially as a high-end research institute to absorb talent for training and conduct specialized research and development.

Building these two academies together outside the Eastern City would create a cluster effect, allowing for further economic development in the area, which would be beneficial.

Of course, Wang Yan could not wait until the academies were completed before taking action; that would be absurd.

His proposal to jointly establish a medical college with the Imperial Medical Office was not approved, because the government could not afford the cost of opening official hospitals across various regions to treat common people without generating profit. Therefore, Wang Yan used his own funds to find a plot of land outside Nancheng and established a medical college. His move was reasonable enough, after all, since he had already opened many hospitals himself.

This was also the delightful scenario Fan Zhongyan and others had envisioned: since Wang Yan already possessed so many hospitals and was willing to concede profits to the common people, he might as well pay for it himself; he clearly had more money than he could spend. Spending this money to build a medical college, treat the sick, and win the hearts of the people was far better than using those funds to forge armor and weapons in preparation for rebellion.

Wang Yan, of course, did not care; it was only a matter of time, and it made no difference whose money was spent.

Apart from this, he expanded enrollment at the Imperial Academy from the original two hundred students to one thousand. Of course, the later eight hundred students did not attend classes together with the original two hundred, after all, those spots were one of the welfare benefits the Emperor granted to officials, which he could not easily disrupt.

He arranged separate accommodations for the newly added eight hundred students, all of whom were selected through examinations with papers graded by himself. Many remained in Jingcheng waiting for the provincial examinations the following spring, since the imperial examination was still held only once a year, many were unwilling to leave.

Since Wang Yan provided housing here and personally taught the classes, there was no shortage of students.

He also used this opportunity to begin spreading his Dao, determined to stir up this wave of thought; once his theories became the topics for the imperial examinations, that would mark success...