On the morning of March 15, Zhang Xiang received a letter from Yuan Shen, telling Qin Elegy and the time he was leaving.

Subsequently, after eating breakfast, Zhang Xiang called Lin Feihong to accompany him and went to Huating Academy.

Now that Lin Feihong is by his side, Zhao Hanyan is not too worried about the safety of him when he goes out.

After Zhang Xiang left, Zhao Hanyan called the slave to the west room to accompany her for breakfast.

"Slave, I'll listen to the donkey, this Lin Feihong is going to follow the donkey on your way back from Congrong County?" Zhao Hanyan asked casually.

The slave nodded his head: "Yes, it was in a forest at the time, it was terrifying, and then those Jianghu people wanted to kill the horses, but they were blocked by those guards and families, if there was no him, the slaves and horses would probably not escape death." Princess, don't you know that those two bad guys scared the slave when they chased after them... Not... In fact, slaves and maids are not afraid, really... Well, princess, don't look at the slave like that, the slave admits that she is a little afraid. But the princess asked the slave and maid to take care of the horse, and of course the slave and the maid could not let the horse take the risk, and then the horse ran and ran in the carriage, and the forest was dark, and it was so dark that nothing could be seen, and the slave and the maid did not know where the horse was going, so she could only keep holding on to the horse, for fear that he would suddenly disappear... Welcome."

As soon as this girl spoke, she couldn't stop, and when she thought of Yuan Shen, she hurriedly said: "Also, princess, there was a man in black who appeared at that time, he went to chase the person who was secretly shooting arrows, the slave maid didn't know if he had caught it, the man in black and the slave maid had seen it, it was the one who saved the horse when he was assassinated in Pingzhou City." ”

"You and I were the one who showed up and saved the pony?" Zhao Hanyan asked.

The slave nodded: "Later, the colt told the slave maid that the man in black was hired by the colt with silver, and it turns out that for so long, there has been such a person secretly protecting the pony!" ”

Zhao Hanyan lowered his head and smiled, continued to eat snacks, and didn't say anything more.

On the other side, Zhang Xiang's carriage had already arrived at Huating Academy.

After returning to Pingzhou so much, it's time to come and see Su Shaoyuan.

And when he went to the Ming Society before, Qian Ziang talked to him, and Huating Academy had asked the Ming Society to print a batch of story collections, by the way, let's take a look at the results of these story collections.

Listening to the sound of the children reading aloud from the school in the academy, Zhang Xiang seemed to return to the days when he was a gentleman, which was very comfortable.

Hearing the reports of other gentlemen in the academy, He Yunzhang hurriedly came out to greet him.

"See the colt." He Yunzhang saluted him.

Zhang Xiang stepped forward to help him up: "Mr. He, don't be polite. ”

After He Yunzhang got up, he said: "The horse has proposed a method of teaching with a collection of stories for my academy, and now the children's enthusiasm for learning is much higher than before, and their understanding ability has also strengthened a lot, this is the credit of the horse, the teacher, if the horse comes back, let Yunzhang come to thank him." ”

Zhang Xiang smiled and waved his hand: "These story collections are all written by Qianruo's girl!" ”

He Yunzhang nodded: "Ke Qianruo, these are the stories of the horses, and they are introduced to the academy in this way, which is also the meaning of the horses." ”

Zhang Xiang said: "As long as it is helpful to the academy, this is not enough to worry about, after all, I was a gentleman here, I haven't done anything before, and now I can do something useful, I am still relatively happy." ”

"I'm ashamed." He Yunzhang showed a trace of guilt: "At the beginning, Yunzhang had no eyes, he didn't know how to learn from the horse and despised the horse, Yunzhang was a teacher for so many years, and he never thought of changing other methods to teach, until he was taught by the teacher, and after these methods of the horse were effective, Yunzhang had only thought about it these days, and figured out the way to teach and learn, whether it was to teach here, or in his own talent, the horse should be Yunzhang's teacher." ”

Zhang Xiang Khan, this He Yunzhang is ten years older than him, and it is really awkward to let him call himself a teacher.

He hurriedly waved his hand: "Mr. He, Ming Heng just used some cleverness, where did he come from?" Mr. He taught people to learn and cultivated pillars for me in Nanchu, that is the real master, a man of merit. ”

He Yunzhang shook his head: "The horse doesn't have to be modest, in terms of learning, regardless of identity, regardless of age, the master is the teacher, the horse makes Yunzhang finally understand that the reason why it has been difficult to achieve fame for so many years is that Yunzhang is too stubborn, and it is difficult for him to learn well, let alone teach others." In the future, if Yunzhang encounters difficulties in stupidity, he also hopes that the horse will ignore the past suspicions and guide one or two, and when Yunzhang understands the real teacher, he must be famous. ”

At this moment, Zhang Xiang really admires a reader like him.

Knowing that mistakes can be corrected, and good is great.

A Rao excellent does not care that he knows his strengths, but that he knows his shortcomings and corrects them.

Previously, He Yunzhang was not only a person with low knowledge, but also put his status as a scholar quite high.

He has the backbone and arrogance of reading, but he just doesn't have the knowledge to match, and once compared with other people who are really knowledgeable, he will inevitably have a lot of jealousy.

For example, Yang Li, Zhou Yi, Wu Yuxiang and other outstanding scholars in Pingzhou, as the gentleman of Huating Academy, he will often come into contact with these Rao in the Pingzhou study circle, and in the eyes of these people, he is particularly humble.

It's like a person who pretends to be rich, and he is mixed with a group of real rich people, and others know that they won't take him seriously, just treat him as an ugly, then he will have all kinds of strange problems in his psychology.

He loves vanity, he doesn't learn or know, in short, he has no dignity.

As a scholar, He Yunzhang is a person who feels undignified in his heart in such an environment.

Now, he just wants to face up to this problem and correct it with a correct attitude.

If you want to read good books and be a good gentleman, you must first learn to be yourself.

He Yunzhang can have such an awareness, Zhang Xiang believes that fame is indeed not far away for him.

While the two were talking, He Yunzhang also took him to the courtyard at the back of the academy, and then said goodbye and left.

Zhang Xiang asked Lin Feihong to wait for him outside the door, and knocked on the door himself to enter.

Earlier, He Yunzhang had asked other gentlemen in the academy to report it, so this door was also specially reserved for him.

This is Zhang Xiang's second time to come to the courtyard at the back of the academy, the first time he came, and it was also the first time he met Su Shaoyuan, Su Shaoyuan opened a painting for him, and gave him the hidden mystery of this painting, and Su Shaoyuan also persuaded him not to enter this painting at that time.

But now Zhang Xiang has already walked into this painting.

In less than a year, the things in this courtyard have basically not changed.

Su Shaoyuan sat in that pavilion, writing something.

Zhang Xiang walked from behind, and the old man seemed to have heard the movement, stopped his pen, and turned to look at him: "Ming Heng, here." ”

"Su Lao." Zhang Xiang stood below and bowed his hand to him.

"Come up." Su Shaoyuan smiled slightly and stretched out his hand.

Zhang Xiang walked up, and Su Shaoyuan handed him the unfinished thing in his hand: "Take a look." ”

Zhang Xiang picked it up curiously.

It turned out that this was an admonition, and after Zhang Xiang read it, he looked at him in surprise.

Su Shaoyuan's exhortation is to write to the emperor and promote the teaching methods of Huating Academy today.

Seeing Zhang Xiang's surprised look, Su Shaoyuan said with a smile: "Yunzhang has already told you the current situation of the academy!" ”

Zhang Xiang nodded.

Su Shaoyuan was pleased: "I didn't expect this suggestion made by Ming Heng to work so well, at first I just thought it had a little effect, try it, but after half a month, the situation is surprisingly good, this teaching method has almost improved the teaching efficiency of the past about five times, five times, does Ming Heng know what the concept is?" That is to say, my Nanchu scholars from the age of five, can learn the things that seven or eight year-old children learn, usually five-year-old children, can not learn anything, those books for their age, like books, can read and read although there are many people, but can combine these words into sentences, and understand the meaning of very few, at least until seven or eight years old, as they grow older to gradually understand these truths. ”

"After the age of seven or eight, the accumulation of knowledge, the things they have learned are difficult again, at that time, they have to spend a lot of time to apply what they have learned, so that they have to study for two or three years to fully understand, according to this learning efficiency, at the age of eighteen, nineteen years old, there are not many people who have the knowledge to participate in the imperial examination, and one failure will reduce the enthusiasm for learning, and another failure, one less percent, and in the end, except for those who are the first jinshi, the rest of the people are basically covered in the dust, After all, not everyone can have the perseverance of Yunzhang, and some people may not want to participate in the imperial examination again in this life after failing once. ”

Zhang Xiang nodded clearly, the method of the imperial examination system is to eliminate the survival of the fittest, although this method selects those scholars at the highest level, but it is also the same, and it has the opposite effect of the same effect.

The system, the 'system' is the foundation, is the framework of the general principles, determines the purpose and purpose of the 'system', has relative stability, and is the basis for the 'degree'. At the same time, the 'degree' is controlled so that it does not harm the 'system'.

The "degree" is the condition for the existence of the "system", the quantification of the "system", the detailed rules, the specific standard, the operability, and the relative flexibility. It can be adjusted and improved over time.

The system and degree are the best when they have the same harmonious unity. When the 'degree' deviates from the framework of the 'system' and contradicts the purpose and fundamental purpose of the 'system', or the 'system' restricts the flexibility of the 'degree' that changes with the times, the disunity between the "system" and the "degree" will destroy the role of the system, produce undesirable effects, and even serious consequences.

Any policy has two sides, and this is the case with the system of the imperial examination, which is based on the 'system' and defeated by the 'degree'.

The imperial examination takes Confucianism as the core, which is the theoretical basis and model for measuring and selecting officials, so as to achieve the goal of selecting officials through examinations, realizing the political goal of governing the country by meritocracy and elite domination, and opening up a channel for the flow of people from the lower classes to the upper class, so that the public and selfish desires of scholars who have made meritorious contributions and become prosperous and wealthy can be realized, which meets the needs of social development, conforms to the will of the people, and plays the role of talents under the cage.

This is reasonable.

Through continuous improvement from generation to generation, a set of strict official selection system has been formed. There are strict regulations on the selection level to the level of subject names, from the year and month of the examination to the number of places admitted, from the establishment of seats in the Gongyuan Academy, to the entrance search, from the performance of their duties inside and outside the curtain division, to the procedures for judging the names of the papers, transcribing, and reading them, to the punishment for fraud, including the issuance of travel expenses for the examination. The "system" of the imperial examination is interlocking, like an iron bucket, which is meticulous and not negligent, ensuring that everything in the selection of officials in the imperial examination is carried out in accordance with the procedures and ensuring the quality and fairness of the selection of officials.

This is tightly controlled.

Abandon the hereditary disadvantages of the gate valve, everyone is equal in front of the grades, and the survival of the fittest is selected for the best, so that the dynasty is Tian Shelang and the twilight Dengzitang has become a reality. It has opened up a channel for the flow of talent and maintained social stability.

This is the justice of the system.

And its principle of equality and merit has the characteristics of surpassing the feudal era. It has become a consensus that the selection of officials by examination must be open, fair, and just. Making this "system" a subordinate public is no longer monopolized by any privileged class or individual emperor. From top to bottom, it has formed a powerful supervisory force of public opinion, so that the emperor does not dare to slack off in the slightest, and the princes and nobles do not dare to defy the law, and it is the first to open up a precedent for democratic consciousness.

This is the system of democracy.

Of course, it is precisely because this 'system' is too superior, and the establishment of an effective "civil bureaucracy" has caused a deviation from the harmony with the 'degree', and imprisoned the negative effect of the scholars' thoughts.

The existence of such a system cannot keep pace with the times, cannot be inclusive, and vigorously excludes the entry and integration of foreign advanced ideas and advanced technologies, and restricts the self-improvement mechanism of "degree", which is the fundamental reason why the imperial examination fails to "degree".

The content and style of this "degree" seriously imprisoned the spiritual thinking of scholars, regarded the ideology that conformed to the trend of social development as heresy, and suppressed and persecuted them, resulting in the selection of officials who were full of wealth, but because they lacked the ideological consciousness to keep pace with the times, they were overwhelmed and unable to undertake the heavy responsibility of governing the country and making it strong. It deviates from the purpose of the "system" of meritocracy and meritocracy, and has resulted in the result of harming the "system" with "degree".

It is precisely because of this that the imperial examination system has finally become a scapegoat for the loss of power and humiliation of the country and the payment of land reparations.

As a modern person with advanced ideas, Zhang Xiang is well aware of the drawbacks of this system.

He wanted to change, but he also understood that with the current state of affairs, he simply could not achieve it alone.

The transformation of the way of education is a very long road, and this road is much longer than that of the Southern Chu Imperial Power Alternate Temperance Envoy.

So he didn't dare to tell Su Shaoyuan about this idea at all now.

We can only do one of the first changes in education that are in line with this era.

As for how far he can go in the future, he doesn't know, but if he can use his whole life to make a foundation, he also thinks it's worth it.

Su Shaoyuan was able to understand these things in such a short period of time, and he was very high-minded.

As a Confucian scholar, the transparency of seeing problems is not comparable to ordinary people.

Zhang Xiang said to Su Shaoyuan deeply: "If Su Lao thinks this method is feasible, then Su Lao will master it himself." ”

"Hahaha..."

Su Shaoyuan became more and more energetic, the happier he became, and he couldn't help but pat Zhang Xiang on the shoulder: "Ming Heng, you are really a talented person, your method seems simple now, but in fact it implies a very profound way of teaching, if the old man expects it to be good, what you are proposing now is only the tip of the iceberg." But as far as this is concerned, the old man can also understand that at the age of five, he can learn the things of the fifth year old, and at the age of six, he can learn the things of the sixth year old, and so on, and the time spent on the study of the scholar is specific to the standard, which greatly saves the age of learning, and in the future, the hundred people who could have the strength to participate in the imperial examination have now become five hundred, or even more..."

"The most important thing is that in this way, countless poor students will have the ability to come to the academy to study, even if they are fools and stupid, they will also improve their learning efficiency, and they are not afraid of wasting the money at home, and there are gentlemen in those places who have the ability to open academies and schools, so that more poor students can have the ability to read and write, and the imperial court will have a greater choice of the range of meritocracy, and in time, a hundred years, two hundred years later, it will not be difficult for me to achieve learning for all people in Nanchu..."

Seeing Su Shaoyuan's more and more excited appearance, Zhang Xiang smiled bitterly in his heart, this seemed to be the highest heart he had seen Su Shaoyuan, happier than when he had celebrated his seventieth birthday before.

But only he knows the bitterness in his heart, he can't instill the idea of 'nine-year compulsory education' in Su Shaoyuan now!

It was too advanced, and he was afraid of scaring the old man.

After all, if you want to achieve such an educational way, the most fundamental reason is to first solve the concept of social class division.

The social structure of feudalism could not have achieved this way of education.

Zhang Xiang laughed dryly: "Old Su, if you like it, you can do it yourself!" ”

"Alas, how can I do it." After being happy, Su Shaoyuan saw that Zhang Xiang wanted to push it all to him, so he hurriedly waved his hand: "Ming Heng, the old man has decided, and he will follow your train of thought in the days to come, this is what you proposed, how much can the old man understand?" So if there is a problem in the future, you have to go into battle yourself. ”

Zhang Xiang smiled and nodded: "If Su Lao has a place to get juniors in the future, the juniors should do their best." ”

After finishing, Zhang Xiang looked at the admonition in his hand and thought, "Old Su, you haven't finished writing this admonition..."