The winter of Shaowu's 31st year came faster than before, catching people off guard.
Not long after returning to Beijing from Chengde, the emperor's seventeenth son, King Cao Zhu Cunzhi, and the emperor's nineteenth son, King Guo, were summoned by the emperor.
The two of them came tremblingly wrapped in fur clothes, braving the wind and snow, with doubts in their hearts but some understanding at the same time.
"Father!"
The two stood with their hands folded.
Zhu Yixi nodded and sighed: "Now it is suitable for your vassal."
After saying this, the two of them felt their heads and hearts tremble.
"Old rules, draw lots!"
As he spoke, two paper balls came into view: "One is in Ladakh, which is in the northwest of Tibet, on the other side of the Himalayas, adjacent to India."
“The other country is near Qi Country in Old Port, it’s also a good place to go!”
The two of them were helpless.
One is in the southwest, which is a cold and barren land; the other is in Nanyang, where everything is covered with rain and trees.
I can't say whether it's good or bad, it's just the same.
Drawing lots, King Cao is in Ladakh, and King Guo is in Sumatra Island in Southeast Asia.
The two brothers looked serious, and their hearts were shaken.
"Very good, let's go to the domain next year!"
The emperor waved his sleeves, and the two kings could only leave reluctantly.
This is customary.
Seeing that they were gone, Zhu Yixi crossed out two more names from the screen.
Having more than forty sons is really a headache.
King Cao and King Guo walked side by side, their steps slow.
"Brother Seventeen, when will we leave Beijing?"
"It will be at least three years later!" King Cao cheered up: "The Prime Minister has been in charge for three years, and we can take advantage of these three years to recruit civil servants and generals to prepare for the future!"
"This is customary!"
After three years of preparation, the young King Guo breathed a sigh of relief.
The carriage of the two kings left the palace, left the capital, and arrived in Donghe County.
The capital, especially the inner city, has a narrow terrain and so many princes and nobles that it is difficult to find a place that conforms to the regulations of the palace.
Even if the palace is reduced to thirty acres, it cannot be used.
Therefore, as early as a few years ago, the imperial court planned to build the palace in Donghe County between Tongzhou and Beijing, forming a unique Wangfu Street.
In the huge Wangfu Street, fifteen palaces were built at one time, allowing the princes who had reached the age of twelve to move out of the palace and live together.
When they leave the vassal in Beijing, the mansion will become the vassal residence of their younger brothers again and will not be wasted easily.
The wide streets are patrolled and monitored by people from the patrol headquarters at both ends.
"Your Highness!"
Two patrol policemen wearing tight-fitting soap uniforms with wooden sticks at their waists immediately stepped out of the way when they saw the prince's carriage.
After saying that, the people on the side picked up the book and recorded the time when the carriage and horse entered.
This is to keep an eye on the behavior of the princes, so that they will not be indulged and become a dandy when they leave the palace at the age of twelve, which will not be good for them and lead to vassalage.
"In this huge capital, there are only twenty to thirty thousand patrol policemen. We only have thirty or fifty of them here."
Opening the curtain, King Guo sighed: "Brother Seventeen, this life is really uncomfortable."
"It's good that you didn't leave anyone at the door of the room!" King Cao said casually: "Don't worry, you just get used to it!"
Not long after the two returned home, the imperial court appointed Wang Fu to teach them the way to be kings.
"The art of Shen and Shang can be used as a guide, the theory of Zhenguan can be referred to, and the general guide of Zizhi can be read..."
In fact, the princes read a lot when they were young and understood almost all the Confucian classics. Only political books read by emperors such as Shang Jun Shu, Zizhi Tongjian, Qunshu Zhiyao, and Difan were specially explained by teachers.
Politics is useless just by reading, you need to be taught by a famous teacher.
In the pre-Ming Dynasty, it was considered good for the vassal kings to read through the Four Books and Five Classics, but political books were not covered at all.
As the year drew to a close, bad news came from the capital: former chief assistant Zhao Shu was critically ill.
This critical illness came very quickly.
First he fell down and suffered a stroke, then became paralyzed and had slurred speech. In just two or three days, the former chief assistant was left gasping for air and inhaling less.
Zhu Yixi heard about it and went to visit him personally. When he saw that the latter could only babbling and shouting, unable to speak, he was filled with emotions for a while.
But there is no other way, this is destiny.
The former cabinet members in the early days of Shao Wu, including Zhang Shenyan, Wang Yingxiong, and Lu Daqi, have all died of illness for many years. When Zhao Shu left, the picture of the decline of the founding heroes began.
Immediately afterwards, news came from his hometown that former chief assistant Du Yinxi was critically ill.
This immediately made the atmosphere in the capital become solemn.
Just one day before the winter solstice, Zhao Shu died of illness at the Duke's Mansion at the age of seventy-four.
The emperor was in great mourning and gave him the title of King of the East China Sea, with the posthumous title of Wenzhen, the second-class posthumous title. He also rewarded him with 10,000 pieces of gold and silver for mourning purposes, and ordered his son to ascend the throne.
A few days later, before the Chinese New Year, news came from Jiangsu that Du Yinxi had died of illness at the age of seventy-six.
The emperor personally gave him the posthumous title of Wencheng, gave him five thousand yuan to treat mulberry trees, and named his son the son of Yixing.
In the blink of an eye, time came to the thirty-second year of Shaowu.
The emperor spent the day at Yuquan Mountain, and even the Zhengdan Dynasty stayed at Yuquan Mountain, making the capital much empty.
It was obvious that he was not feeling well.
But for the Zhang family in Tongcheng, Anqing, last year was a happy year.
Last year, Zhuang Ying was promoted to the Chief Envoy of Shandong Province and participated in politics. He entered the third-grade official rank and became a veritable senior official.
Then if you take one step forward, you will become a provincial official, majestic and majestic.
Zhang Yao was very happy that her husband was out there bringing glory to the family, but at the same time, she couldn't help but have a headache.
Although she and her husband Zhang Ying got married early, they had difficulty in having children, and their eldest son was born around thirty.
Next, the second son was born at the age of thirty-five, and the third son was born just two years ago.
Now it is her turn to worry about her second son Zhang Tingyu's studies.
Children must be enlightened not too early and not too late. Five years old is the right age, but for Zhang Yao, the choice is a bit difficult.
First of all, it was naturally the private school of her father Yao's family, where the environment was comfortable and the distance was close.
But the best private school in Tongcheng is none other than the Fang Family Private School.
The head of the Fang family, Fang Yizhi, was extremely famous in Qin studies. He was a representative figure of the Jiangnan school, and he even reached the position of governor of Jiangxi.
Now he is studying knowledge at home and teaching his children. It can be said that he is famous all over the world.
Unable to do so, Zhang Yao asked his cousin Zhang Keyou at home.
Zhang Keyou and Zhang Ying have the same grandfather. His father, Zhang Bing, was an official in Shandong Province. He defended the city to the death during the Chongzhen period and died in the city. He was highly praised by scholars.
Later, Zhang Keyou passed the imperial examination in the first year of Shaowu and was promoted to the governor of Henan Province. Two years ago, his mother died of illness and he went home to observe mourning for twenty-seven months. He is still in the period of mourning.
Zhang Keyou, who was in his early fifties, was in good spirits. He still read books during his filial piety period. When he learned of his sister-in-law's confusion, he stroked his beard and said:
"If I hadn't been in the period of filial piety, I could have enlightened Tingyu."
"However, if you want to study, the Fang family is the one to belong to."
"I hope brother can clear up my doubts!" Zhang Yao also read books and was quite puzzled by this.
"Your Yao family's literature is quite good, but it is an old eight-legged essay with a lot of staleness. Tingyu has been smart since he was a child, how can he let him lose his aura?"
Zhang Keyou chuckled and said: "Gong Lu Qi of the Fang family is a master of Qin studies. He has many disciples of the Jiangnan School, and there are many officials in the imperial court among them. How many scholars in the two provinces and three places of Jiangnan believe his words?"
"Young boys are trying to take the eight-part essay test, while the provincial and national examinations are testing Qin studies!"
At this time, Zhang Yao was persuaded and sent his son to the Fang family private school.
Zhang Tingyu was confused and felt that this year was passing by so fast, and he suddenly had to go to school.
At the age of five, he had been taught to read and recite poems by his mother at home, and he already knew hundreds of words.
Sitting in a four-wheeled carriage and dressed neatly, he arrived at Fang's house.
As soon as I arrived at the door, I heard the sound of reading loudly.
There were nearly a hundred Confucian boys who arrived with him.
However, not everyone will be admitted, because the space in the private school is limited, and it is difficult for those who are too stupid to enter.
"How many words do you know?"
"More than three hundred words!"
"Can you recite poetry?"
"Meet, climb the Stork Tower, Tang Dynasty, Wang Zhihuan..."
"alright!"
Zhang Tingyu read aloud and got hired easily.
The little guy behind him was not so lucky. He only knew a few words and no poems.
"Sorry, your child should go to social studies!"
These words completely disappointed the father and son.
Zhang Tingyu ignorantly knew that the boy next to him, who was the same size as him, would not study with him.
On the carriage, he couldn't help but ask: "Mom, why can I enter a private school but other children can't?"
"Because Tingyu is smart!" Zhang Yao touched her son's little head and said with a smile, "Tingyu can even recite twenty poems!"
"Yes!" Zhang Tingyu puffed up her little chest and said proudly: "I want to memorize all three hundred Tang poems!"
On the other side, the shabby father and son held hands and left the Fang family private school.
"Dad, I don't know anything he asked!"
The child was crying with tears in his face and his nose was bubbling.
"I have never memorized poems, nor can I read Chinese characters. Those ten characters are from couplets at home..."
"It's okay!" The young father, wearing white washed clothes, said with a smile: "We can still study without going to the Fang family private school!"
Although he said the words, he was filled with helplessness.
Whose child is five or six years old, can read hundreds of words, and memorize Tang poetry and Song lyrics even before he is educated?
This is simply too embarrassing for children from poor families!
After bringing his son home, his father did not rest, but took Shu Xiu to the social school in the county.
According to Shao Wu's new system, every township must have a social school, and the county will provide money and food to teachers. The annual salary is equal to that of the three elders, ten shi rice and ten yuan a year, and they are exempted from corvee.
They are not allowed to collect tuition fees, chicken rice, wine and food from students without authorization.
In counties, the limit is 1,000 households, and one social school is established for every 1,000 households.
This is different from the Yuan Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty, which stipulated that fifty schools should establish one school. That unrealistic idea was simply impossible to realize, but the Shaowu New Deal was easy to realize.
Social Studies is a government school. Unlike private schools, Social Studies has no requirements for students. Anyone under fourteen can enroll, and only two pieces of bacon are collected every year as a supplement.
It is precisely because it is so cheap that the level of social studies education is not high.
Those who serve as teachers are basically children and have very few talents. They only know the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as contemporary texts, and have conservative and outdated ideas.
In private schools, there is no shortage of scholars, and there are many people who have been promoted to Jinshi, and there are also many local officials who have become officials.
These valuable experiences in imperial examinations and official service cannot be learned in a lifetime of social studies.
A private school is a school run by a private person. It is used for studying with the children of the family and can be exposed to outsiders through cracks, which is considered good.
Its private schools are divided into three types.
One is a private school for some wealthy families, which is called a school; the other is a local school (village), where clans donate money, farmland, hire teachers and set up schools to teach poor children, which are called village schools or clan schools (ancestry schools).
Third, private schools set up by private schools to teach students for a fee are called gate schools, home schools, schools, and bookstores.
For thousands of years, the combination of private schools and official schools has allowed culture to continue to take root.
Therefore, no one wants to study in a society unless absolutely necessary, but they have to go.
Only here we don’t pick people!
Unless poor people can stand out through real intelligence, ordinary people can only stand out from the crowd.
Among the people, it often takes three generations of hard work to produce a scholar.
But as long as a scholar is born, the family can turn around; if a scholar is born, the family will benefit for three generations.
If a Jinshi is born, the whole family will benefit for three generations.
Education costs money, so there are many village schools and clan schools. In the hope that their descendants will make a living, they donated a lot of land and silver, and thus there was public property among the people: school fields.
Therefore, in rural areas, many families use their efforts to support scholars, and after becoming officials, they in turn take care of their in-laws.
This is part of the reason why corruption continues.
"Absolutely not!" The man sighed, looking at the laughing and playing students of different ages in social studies, with a complicated expression for a moment.
If your children enroll in such a school, will they still have a future?
Gritting his teeth, the man went to the home of Dai Mingshi, a celebrity in Tongcheng, and asked his son to worship this Confucian disciple who also came from a poor family.
Although Dai Mingshi had not yet been selected as a scholar, because of his poverty, he had to recruit students at the age of twenty to support his family, and he became quite famous.
“Although it’s a bit more expensive, it’s better than social studies!”
…
After entering the thirty-second year of Shaowu, the entire Ming Dynasty showed a vast white scene.
This heavy snow covered most of the Ming Dynasty from the north to both sides of the Yangtze River, freezing many people in the south to death.
The power of Little Glacier is evident.
At this time, Duke Wu Sangui could not bear the cold weather and died.
In this time and space, Wu Sangui personally led the army to counterattack in time, and also personally led the army to enter North Korea and raid Liaodong, so his reputation is mixed.
Zhu Yixi, on the other hand, gave 3,000 yuan to the Prince of Lelang County for funeral expenses, and ordered his son Wu Yingxiong to inherit the title.
In April, Duke Chen Yongfu died of illness at the age of seventy-two. He was given posthumously to the Prince of Huaiyang, and his son Chen Qinghuai succeeded him as Duke of the Restoration.
The fifty-four-year-old emperor felt quite emotional that he had accepted two more concubines and showed off his power.
Among the cabinet members, Liu Xiangke and Yan Qiheng directly retired from office because of their age.
Zhang Tongchang, the Minister of Industry, and Zhao Langxing, the Minister of Rites, entered the cabinet successively.
As the chief assistant, Yan Yingyuan is already sixty-six years old and will be serving as an official in less than two years.
"Time really flies by!"
While fishing on the lake, Zhu Yixi lamented the gray hair on her temples, and for a moment the fish in her hands lost all taste.
The prince has been practicing for many years, and it’s time to return to the capital.