Chapter 1120: Character Standardization

Education lies in the teacher!

But, more importantly, it lies in the book!

This saying, these people, I have never heard before!

What is a teacher?

In these people's hearts, the accomplished are teachers, the virtuous are teachers!

There is also a saying: to believe everything in books is worse than having no books.

So.

Education itself is inherently complex. But Liu Zheng's Three Character Classic, Thousand Character Primer, and other enlightenment readers—jade before us—have made books obviously important.

These enlightenment readers have already sparked a craze in Longyan.

The children of poor families can play and jump while learning. Such easy-to-understand enlightenment readers also turn parents who only know characters into their children's first teachers.

Therefore.

What Liu Zheng just said.

Parents, family education is the first teacher; second, it is the book!

This is not intentionally lowering the teacher's status, but rather integrating everything well.

This theory...

These Hanlin Academy people are hearing it for the first time.

"Books..."

"Books?"

"Books as the first teacher?"

Here, books naturally mean not only books, but also poetry, songs! Things that let children read aloud easily, are easy to understand, and can likewise convey knowledge.

The Hanlin Academy people, one by one, fell into deep thought, sometimes pondering, sometimes excited.

Chen Qian, however, stared at Liu Zheng in disbelief.

Books.

Since we speak of books, we cannot escape characters!

Characters!

Chen Qian suddenly shuddered all over.

Liu Zheng laughed heartily and continued: "Liu Zheng admits that ancient character creation was vivid and imaginative, profoundly meaningful. It always makes us scholars linger, lost in various speculations. Today's characters also represent our Longyan, or even the entire Huaxia civilization's deep cultural foundation..."

This statement made everyone nod frequently.

This is also, in my past life, the strongest argument of those who attacked simplified characters.

Even someone said: "After Hanzi simplification, relatives are unseen, love is heartless, production bears no fruit, factories stand empty, no wheat in flour, no carts in transport, no Dao in leadership, no head in children, single-winged flight, no strength in surging, no rain in clouds, no door in switches, no gentlemen in villages, sages cannot hear or speak, buying becomes a knife with a head beneath, turning becomes a person below with a dagger, advancing is not getting better but walking into a well..."

Here, the main point is defending the concretization of Hanzi.

Yet they still failed to consider the importance of character standardization.

The importance of character dissemination for the common people to better grasp.

The importance of literacy rates, illiteracy eradication rates.

"Does Liu Sheren believe character reform is inevitable?"

Chen Qian directly seized the point.

Liu Zheng nodded heavily: "Just like enlightenment readers, it is inevitable!"

"Of course..."

He chuckled, scanning the room: "If everyone here is the type who wants to control education and knowledge in their own hands, then today's discussion is utterly meaningless!"

Boom!

This provocative remark instantly made everyone's faces change dramatically, furious beyond measure.

"What did you say!"

"Liu Sheren, stop spitting blood!"

"Our Hanlin Academy has not sunk to such depths!"

"Hanlin Academy, for the world..."

"People first, then the state..."

"Absurd!"

Liu Zheng listened to their curses, and instead relaxed, feeling no anger at all. He smiled faintly: Indeed, Xie Tianyao's wisest move was letting the Hanlin Academy keep their purity. The Outer Court handles academics, the Inner Court is the emperor's think tank.

The people in the Hanlin Academy

generally rarely engage in politics; put plainly, whether they read or study something, they are very pure.

They do not seek office or profit. Every era should have such a group. They can truly lead the times' development; these people are undoubtedly worthy of admiration.

Chen Qian understood Liu Zheng's intent. In the whole Hanlin Academy, Chen Qian is the one who better understands human affairs and official politics. He sighed: These Hanlin Academy children, how could they match Liu Zheng, that old fox? He gave a wry smile: "Liu Sheren, how do you plan to reform characters? Why not show us?"

Liu Zheng heard this and had no more words.

He directly took out paper and brush.

A group gathered around, faces full of curiosity.

Character reform...

This has hardly ever happened in Longyan.

In the past, Longyan at most unified characters, then set one style as official; character evolution was always spontaneous among the people...

But today.

What Liu Zheng plans to do is, however, official promotion of character reform!

First time!

This is definitely Longyan's first time!

Liu Zheng thought for a moment.

The first character written was "Long"!

"This is..."

"This character..."

"It looks like..."

A group of people stared at each other, not knowing what to do.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Long!"

"What?"

"This..."

"Is it this simple?"

Chen Qian's eyelids also twitched.

In the past, this "Long" character was rather complex... the strokes were quite numerous, and to write a good "Long" character required high calligraphic skill. Because of the unique nature of this character, what needed to be conveyed was an overwhelmingly imposing, dignified, yet vibrant dragon-like feeling. Therefore, everyone practicing calligraphy would find the "Long" character quite troublesome.

But when Liu Zheng's "Long" character appeared.

It directly stunned everyone.

Simple strokes, yet they directly captured the dragon's form—baring fangs and brandishing claws, imposing and awe-inspiring, soaring into the dance, gazing down upon the world—rendered vividly and completely.

"This..."

"Is this the 'Long' character? Awesome!"

Chen Qian also had his eyes light up, unable to help but ask: "Any more?"

Liu Zheng chuckled.

He deliberately brought out this "Long" character first, because he believed this character was a typical successful example of textual reform!

This "Long" looks, compared to "Long", even more imposing!

Simple, brutal, imposing!

It has both the concreteness the ancestors wanted and the simple, symbolic feel!

Everyone present were connoisseurs.

If characters must pursue symbolization, then this "Long" character absolutely achieves it!

Liu Zheng laughed heartily.

He continued writing.

"Da"!

"This is..."

"Da!"

Boom!

Everyone in the venue followed suit and became lively.

Continue.

"Qin"!

"Feng"!

"Qian"!

"Zhang"!

"Luo"!

One by one, simplified characters were written by Liu Zheng, and he annotated the corresponding traditional characters beside them.

The entire Hanlin Academy erupted.

Everyone rushed over, carefully studying the simplified characters created by Minister Liu.

Of course.

When new things emerge, it's impossible for everyone to accept them.

Some began to condemn, saying this is castration of traditional culture!

Heartbroken and indignant!

Others felt that the symbolization of characters truly aids cultural dissemination, and most importantly, illiteracy rates would greatly increase!

Liu Zheng continued writing here.

The people of the Hanlin Academy were arguing here.

The academic atmosphere immediately rose. Recently pop-up ads are severe, click to download to avoid pop-ups