The sound of Lang Lang reading came from the Guozi Prison.

Huang Zongxi and Fang Yizhi walked out side by side, and the students avoided them from afar.

Fang Yizhi is the dean of the academy, but the scholar is more afraid of Huang Zongxi, who has a straight face all day long

The wide sleeves swayed with Fang Yizhi's walking pace, and there was an indescribable chic: "You are finally willing to come out to help me"

Huang Zongxi snorted: "Help you? ”

"Haha," Fang Yizhi laughed, "I'm the dean of Suzhou Academy, aren't you opening a school in the world, Suzhou Academy will not be Suzhou Academy when it moves to Beijing, but Tianxia Academy, which can establish branches in various places." ”

Huang Zongxi stopped, his dark eyes staring at Fang Yizhi: "Aren't you having a bad brain, the academy doesn't even have the money to buy coal in winter, and you still want to open a branch academy?" ”

"Money is not an issue" is wise.

He beckoned to a carriage parked not far from the gate of the National Prison, and the coachman drove to the door. Fang Yizhi walked closer, lifted the curtain of the car, and turned his head towards Huang Zongxi; "It's spacious enough for two people."

Huang Zongxi saw Fang Yizhi's ill-intentioned smile, stretched out his head to take a look inside, and was sure that he had not been deceived, so he climbed up and asked, "Where are you going?" ”

Fang Yizhi followed him into the car, lowered the curtain, and said, "Go and meet Prime Minister Zong." ”

"What are you looking for him to do?" Huang Zongxi's face was quite disdainful, "It's just an executioner." ”

Fang Yizhi sat opposite Huang Zongxi, and said lazily: "A few years ago, I drafted a charter for the reform of the scientific examination system to Your Majesty, and Your Majesty has not replied.

He seemed to be saying something ordinary, but he couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes.

"The gate of Shangshu Province is not easy to enter, in order to increase face, I specially borrowed this carriage," he pointed up and down, and waved towards Huang Zongxixian: "Not bad"

The interior of this carriage is indeed very luxurious, the cushions sewn with colored silk are soft, and there are fluffy cushions, and you can see that the owner knows how to enjoy it.

Huang Zongxi didn't speak, he was not interested in this carriage.

Although Fang Yizhi is dormant in the impoverished academy, his connections in the capital are unimaginable, after all, he has been in charge of the General's Mansion and has been a deputy to the emperor

"What do you think?"

"What I think is what you think" Fang Yizhi put away his joking look: "The opening of the academy is divided into two parts, one is the Guozijian in Nanjing and Beijing, and the other part is the government school and county school in various places, but the key is the scientific examination system. ”

"The scientific examination restructuring is divided into three steps, and this year there are still eight shares, and next year we will start to abolish the eight shares of the examination strategy, and five years later, we will add another thing."

Huang Zongxi listened silently, since he heard that the regent had ascended the throne in Beijing in Suzhou City, Fang Yizhi had been painting cakes for him. Like poisonous cakes sweeter than honey, he hated Zhai Zhe for rebellion, but he still couldn't help but follow him to Beijing, the desire to display his ambitions trumped everything.

He knew that now he and Fang Yizhi were already notorious in the Donglin Party, even those people would participate in the imperial court scientific examination, but he didn't scold them behind their backs, and it was difficult to understand the hatred in his heart.

Suzhou Academy has 452 students, all of whom are children with high hopes from prestigious families in the south of the Yangtze River. They were forcibly relocated to Beijing by the imperial court's soldiers and horses, what will the various families think?

This is also a means of the imperial court.

After the regent ascended the throne, many people felt that the emperor had changed and was no longer as benevolent as before. Many people wishfully put the blame on the head of the brutal Prime Minister Zong Mao, but figures like Fang Yizhi and Huang Zongxi would not make such mistakes.

The carriage engraved with the seal of the Governor's Mansion of the Chinese Army flowed unimpeded in the city of Beijing until it stopped at the gate of Shangshu Province.

The guards saw the appearance of the carriage clearly, and although they had doubts about the two cloth-clothed men who came out of the carriage, they did not dare to offend.

"The academy seeks to see the prime minister with wisdom", and the party is neither humble nor arrogant with wisdom.

Huang Zongxi admired his friend very much, without him, he would have married a grass house at most and taught three or five disciples. Thinking that his knowledge could be spread all over the world, his heart was like a little mouse drilling around.

If it weren't for the carriage, the guards would probably have whipped away such a person who had no credentials. A group of Mongols came to the door and shouted, and that's what they did, this was the order of the prime minister.

"Academy? The academy there? ”

Fang Yizhi looked up at the sky and ignored him.

His Majesty's decree does not consider the difficulties of cloth people like them, if they don't ask Xiao Zhiyan to borrow a carriage, how can they meet the prime minister of the dynasty.

"Fang Yizhi?" The guards hadn't heard the name.

Huang Zongxi is going to be angry again, they all have the status of jinshi, and it is really embarrassing to be stopped by a soldier.

The military general who was sitting on the side of the carriage came over and showed the soldiers the token of the Chinese Military Governor's Mansion that he had just issued, and said: "I am Li Daqing, the Governor of the Chinese Military Governor's Mansion, and Mr. Fang is a friend of the Zongxiang. ”

The guard carefully identified the token before reporting it with a puzzled face.

At this point, a sedan chair stopped at the door, and a chubby civil official got out of the sedan chair, saw Fang Yizhi at a glance, and came up to greet him: "Brother Fang is here." ”

Fang Yizhi turned his head to look, and he recognized the person who came as Peng Bin, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, who was also a member of several societies.

It is good to have a wide range of contacts, and acquaintances can be foreseen everywhere, so he hurriedly bowed and saluted: "I came to meet the prime minister, but I was stopped at the door." ”

Peng Bin didn't dare to accept his etiquette, and dodged and said, "You are killing me." He originally wanted to take Fang Yizhi into the door, but when he heard that he came to visit Zong Mao, his face was embarrassed: "Zong Xiang is majestic, I will go to Shangshutai to deliver a message, Mr. Fang will wait for a while." ”

Fang Yizhi smiled: "Don't worry, don't worry" muttered to himself in his heart. He hid in the Guozijian for half a year, and did not interact with the courtiers, but he never expected that Zong Mao's might would be like this.

The guard saw that the two cloth clothes and the waiter of the Ministry of Rites were acquaintances, so they were relieved and boldly went to Shangshutai to report.

Peng Bin sat back in the sedan chair and walked leisurely into the gate of Shangshu Province.

Huang Zongxi sneered: "Zong Mao's shelf is so big, even the waiter of the Ministry of Rites doesn't dare to guarantee it." ”

When the guards heard him speak, their faces changed, and this time, Fang Yizhi did not refute him.

After waiting for a cup of tea, a waiter came out of it, and Lao Yuan bowed his hand: "Mr. Fang, the prime minister is invited." ”

Li Daqing saw that someone came out to pick him up, and said to Fang Yizhi: "Mr. Fang will go in first, and I will wait outside." ”

"Thank you"

Fang Yizhi took Huang Zongxi and walked to Shangshu Province with the attendant who picked him up.

Several people didn't speak on the road, and they waited for another quarter of an hour at the door of Shangshutai, and all Huang Zongxi's impatience was written on his face.

Finally, someone came to announce: "The prime minister is invited." ”

The two walked into the quiet Shangshutai, and the officials they saw along the way were all in a hurry, with focused expressions. It is here that rules the entire empire, and so far, as far as Fang Yizhi knows, the emperor has not dismissed Zong Mao's performance.

The Zong Mao that everyone sees is always the busy Zong Mao, and he is in the prime of his life.

The attendant led the two into the desk, and Fang Yizhi and Huang Zongxi both bowed down to Zong Mao. They have the fame of the former Ming Jinshi, and according to the new law of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the fame of the former Ming can be continued, and they have the right to see the official without kneeling.

Zong Mao ordered the attendant to take a seat and said with a smile: "Mizhi, if you don't appear in front of me again, I can't even think of you." He didn't look at Huang Zongxi, and there was no need for the prime minister to force himself to give smiles to people he didn't like.

Fang Yizhi also replied with a joke: "Xiangguo, Your Majesty probably thinks so, so he ordered me to come to Shangshutai." Compared with him, Huang Zongxi is a complete fool when dealing with people.

"Your Majesty's reply has been sent to Shang Shutai" Zong Mao turned around and took out a thick stack of official documents from the shelf behind him: "This is the charter drawn up by the inner servant according to the secret note, and ordered Shang Shutai to implement it." ”

He handed over the official document and said: "The two of them have special identities, they are not officials in the court, and this charter is for the two of them to read it in Shangshutai, and they can't leave." ”

Fang Yizhi took it with both hands.

"The secret thought that the scientific examination reform was announced to the world, and the academy could be run all over the world without the need for money from the imperial court. But just like Donglin Academy back then, whoever the academy took money would be influenced by whom, so the academy still had to be under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. Zong Mao pointed to his desk and said, "The official school is set up in Shangshutai, and it is specially raised by the secret, and the household department and the local government can allocate the silver." ”

His Majesty's decision was not like this, but he persuaded His Majesty.

"The scientific expedition was restructured, Your Majesty agreed with your statement, and six years later, half of it was divided into strategy and half of Gewu."

As soon as Huang Zongxi made a gesture to speak, Fang Yizhi secretly pulled his sleeve: "Your Majesty and Xiangguo have a long-term vision, and they have been taught." ”

"Mizhi, you really don't want to be an official?" Zong Mao smiled very sinisterly, "Official learning is the foundation of the world, and private learning can exist, but if you want to change the habits of the world, you can only rely on official learning." It's like you know the power of scientific research, so why hide your ears and steal the bell. ”

Fang Yizhi was extremely conflicted in his heart, and the prime minister could not tolerate the academy breaking away from the control of Shang Shutai.

Zong Mao said: "Your Majesty has agreed to your proposition, do you believe that others can do what you want to do well?" ”

Fang Yizhi is no longer easy, and he can't disguise it easily.

"If you think about it, I had other candidates who could take on this important task, but His Majesty said that this matter can only be left to you, and he can rest assured. To be so trusted by His Majesty, I have never seen a second person. ”

This time, Huang Zongxi didn't want to speak.

Either this matter is under the control of Shang Shutai, or they are excluded, this is the decision of the prime minister. Fang Yizhi understood that His Majesty did not summon him directly, but asked them to come to Shangshutai, indicating that His Majesty had made a decision, and he was not an indispensable person.

He suddenly felt that he had insisted on it for so many years was so naïve, and he was even more naïve than Huang Zongxi beside him.

"Take the money of the imperial court, use the majesty of the imperial court, and do your own thing? It's stupid. ”

Zong Mao said the last sentence: "Mizhi, Your Majesty asked me to pass on the message and ordered you to think for ten days, and he will summon you after ten days." Also, I have good news for you, the eldest son of the emperor is ready to get married in October. ”

Fang Yizhi understood that the emperor's eldest son had a good time to get married, and the Restoration Society was about to disappear under the suppression and co-optation. Everything is like a big net covering the world, and the Shilin who controlled the world's voice in the previous dynasty suddenly became so small.