There are only a few people in charge of rituals, there are not many houses, the ostentation is not big, and there are no little eunuchs with flattering smiles standing on the eaves, ready to listen to the orders of the big eunuch above and rush forward to do various chores.
Zhang Shou walked from the door to the deepest east wing door and met three people including Lu Chan, including a sweeper, a gardener, and a dog.
It was not a snow-white poodle squatting at people's feet and taking a nap, but a fierce dog with smooth and oily fur, black and shiny eyes, and sharp teeth visible when it grinned. It was almost as tall as more than half of itself. Although it was not a mastiff, it was
Zhang Shou has no doubt about the dog's fighting ability, so he will not reach out to tease it without overestimating its capabilities.
And the dog followed him smartly all the way, until he followed Lu Chan to the door of the east wing and stopped, then it wagged its tail as if bored, then left Lu Chan and Zhang Shou, and went straight
Go to the outer courtyard.
Seeing Zhang Shou turning around to look at the dog with great interest, Lu Chan whispered: "This is our ancestor's favorite black moon. It usually only moves around within the scope of the Li Jianwai Yamen. Previously, Dr. Zhang
It's a good thing you didn't come in when you were at the door, otherwise it would definitely pounce on you and bite you. Only our ancestors can bear it."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Hu and Yang Hao suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. It's not like they had never raised dogs in the countryside, but where had they seen such a tall and powerful dog that was more ferocious than a wolf! The thought of breaking in without permission just now
, then they would definitely be chased by dogs with no way to go to the sky and no way to the ground. The two of them felt their calves trembling.
Fortunately, I have always known that breaking into empty doors is against the law, and I stopped these two reckless little guys!
Zhang Shou also had this thought in his mind, and then he couldn't help but admire him. At this time, Chu Kuan's somewhat familiar voice came from the room: "Xiao Lu, you
Who did you bring outside?"
"The ancestor is Dr. Zhang."
After the sound, Zhang Shou heard a burst of footsteps coming from the house. After a while, the door was opened in front of him. Seeing Chu Kuan who opened the door himself smiling and nodding at him, he bowed
It was considered as a return gift.
Immediately afterwards, he said bluntly: "I have nothing to do without going to the Three Treasures Palace. Yesterday the emperor came to the Imperial College. There were many people talking and I couldn't ask Eunuch Chu. Now I'm here to ask you for students in person."
Lu Chan didn't expect that Dr. Zhang, who had been so polite to him just now, would be so straightforward and unceremonious when facing Chu Kuan, the director of etiquette who was more than one level above him.
To his surprise, Chu Kuan was only slightly stunned, and then he smiled and pulled the person into the room.
"This is easy to talk about. Come on, come and sit in Dr. Zhang's room...Xiao Lu, go find some good tea to entertain guests!"
Although there didn't seem to be many people in the office outside the Ritual Supervisor, it wasn't like there weren't even people serving tea and water. Lu Chan, the attendant, needed to do it himself. Therefore, Lu Chan was stunned when he heard this and waited.
When he heard Chu Kuan whistle and saw Hei Yue wagging her tail and squatting at the door, he realized that Chu Kuan really had something important to talk to, so he only let his confidant go in to deliver tea.
So, he immediately agreed, and quickly ran to the central hall to rummage through the cabinets and found a small pot of tea that was said to be a tribute. He then went to the small kitchen to scald the purple clay pot with boiling water, and watched a young eunuch who was very agile and specialized in making tea.
After the tea was brewed, he rushed to the study with the tea tray. When he pushed the door open with his shoulder and went in, he heard Chu Kuan's voice.
"Dr. Zhang, tell me, is this disgusting?"
Just after hearing Chu Kuan complaining and scolding his mother, Zhang Shou remained calm, but he understood completely in his heart.
"What Eunuch Chu means is that the students I asked you to find, that Yan Fang who claimed to have worked as an accountant for several terms but was kicked out, were because every time he exposed others' false accounts and enriched his own pockets.
, the rest include a few extremely poor and unworthy scholars who make a living by writing letters for others, and most of the rest are servants of several nobles or officials?"
Hearing this, even Lu Chan, who didn't know why, couldn't help but tremble slightly with his hands, and the tea cup on the tray made a slight noise. He quickly stepped forward to put the things down, and then concentrated on pouring the tea.
"Nowadays, all the prison students in the Imperial College only focus on reading the books of sages, and fewer and fewer of them are willing to learn arithmetic. However, the families of those high-ranking officials and dignitaries have a group of servants who have learned arithmetic and looked at accounts since childhood! This is also true.
Forget it, if you hadn't dealt with it properly in front of the Ge Mansion before, the news that your dignified Gemen disciples were fighting with a group of poor and servants would have spread all over the capital in an instant!"
Speaking of this, Chu Kuan couldn't help but sigh deeply: "You have to know that the profoundness of the Ten Books of Calculation cannot be learned by just reading. You must have qualified teachers to teach by words and deeds... More than ten years ago, the Imperial College was still
When there was an arithmetic subject, those supervisors who came out of the arithmetic subject all had bad career paths, and where did they go? They were all recruited with high salaries to become teachers!"
Zhang Shou took the tea from Lu Chan, bowed and thanked him, and then said with a smile: "In other words, the civil and military adults in the court are letting the servants practice arithmetic, so
Their accounts are calculated, and their properties are managed and managed, right?"
Chu Kuan immediately agreed: "That's right, they just think that an elegant place like the Imperial College doesn't need math at all!"
Zhang Shou was not surprised by such a result. Even in Europe, lords and nobles initially only kept accountants to serve their own treasury and accounts. It was not until financial speculation became popular that people who were proficient in calculation began to become
These are the great countries that once dominated Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. The minister of finance picked them up, and they were all proficient in mathematics.
Pure mathematics can only attract a small group of enthusiasts. Only when it is connected with finance will mathematical talent become precious and important. Otherwise, how can those complex financial derivatives and insurance products be calculated?
Therefore, under Chu Kuan's expectant gaze, Zhang Shou put down the tea cup: "So, when Eunuch Chu told me this, does he mean to say that the student I want is hopeless?"
Chu Kuan saw Zhang Shou's clear eyes and sincere expression, and for a moment he didn't know whether he was pretending to be confused or if he really didn't understand.
He could only say in a more serious tone: "In this important place of the Imperial College, among those supervisors who pay tribute to the county schools, provide favors, or donate to the prison, who would be willing to be listed with the servants? Dr. Zhang, I have the names and whereabouts of all of them.
I can tell you all, but these people, even if I really rack my brains to come, I still can’t get into the Imperial Academy!"
"Then let's get rid of these people first." Zhang Shou seemed to really not understand what Chu Kuan meant, and sighed helplessly, "First let's get rid of Yan Fang, who was the first to confess that he was instigated by others, and a few others who haven't.
Just find scholars with good reputations. As for admissions, I will ask three questions and ask the teacher and Mr. Qi and Mr. Chu to post them for me. Anyone who can answer the questions can go to the Imperial College for an interview."
"What do you mean by asking about the interview? Of course it's to prevent someone from using questions that others have done to get through."
"Compared with poaching people from the homes of dignitaries, it's easier to recruit people from all over the city, isn't it?"
"If those servants really wanted to learn, I told them when I delivered the books that they could go to the teacher's house for advice. There are no teachers, no matter what, the teacher or I are willing to answer questions, not necessarily It must be the Imperial College..."
It wasn't until Zhang Shou expressed his attitude to Chu Kuan sincerely and politely, and thanked him for looking for someone before, that he stood up and left. Before leaving, he politely declined Lu Chan's farewell, and followed the line with a smile on his face. Lead the dog out as if no one is around.
Chu Kuan stood at the door of the study room and saw the young Dr. Guozi walking with two servants calmly. He couldn't help but squinted his eyes, and then asked Lu Chan beside him: "What do you think about this Zhang?" How is the doctor's temperament?"
"Tempers..." Lu Chan suddenly thought of the previous title of uncle, and couldn't help but said cautiously, "He seems to be quite easy-going, gentle and kind, and he doesn't seem to have a bad temper?"
"Has no temper? That's because when you didn't see the Yuehualou Literary Club, he was so tough on Xu Fengyang, the guy who claims to be the first literary anthologist in Gyeonggi Province, that he couldn't come to the stage."
Chu Kuan laughed, but there was no joy in the laughter: "You probably don't know that today he was sitting at the same table as Qi Jingshan Chu Ying in the private seat on the third floor of the Zhi Gong Building opposite the Shuntian Mansion Office. Lu Wan, the Minister of War, made a special trip to see him. , I guess that the secret messages between the spy in the Ministry of War and those in Linhai Camp may have been solved."
"Ah?" Lu Chan couldn't believe it. "Didn't the two old gentlemen Ge Taishi and Qi Chu calculate the results yesterday?"
"So, those who are wise come first, regardless of age." Chu Kuan took an irritated breath and said,
I wanted to complain to the Ge family first, and then try to collect all those people and send them to Zhang Shou as students. He was sure that those who dared to allow the servants to go to the Ge family to make trouble would not dare to fart. By then, Zhang Shou would Shou owes him a favor. After all, he has really verified that these people are indeed talented people who have studied the Ten Books of Arithmetic since childhood and have a certain foundation in arithmetic.
How can you be a teacher without students?
As for what is the use of letting Zhang Shou owe this favor... There are piles of Taizu's scrolls in the ancient and modern collection library, but some things they can study and understand, and some things are like heavenly books. Even the people of Xiyi can only Recognizing some words, it turns out that many of these eunuchs who claimed to be the successors of Taizu's legacy died with regrets.
Even if a dead horse is treated as a living horse doctor, he might as well let Zhang Shou give it a try. Even if the emperor does not allow it, he can copy it privately. But if the favor is not successful at the moment, how can he open his mouth to others in the future?
As he walked all the way out, he looked at the big Black Moon dog that was shaking its head and wagging its tail, and at the two little guys who were obviously becoming more cautious. Zhang Shou's mood was not greatly affected, let alone stressed.
For a group of people whose talents and conduct are said to be uncertain at best, yet to be determined at worst, and whose character is flawed, he has to go up against the civil and military officials who support such a group of people. Is he crazy?
There are powerful weapons such as unified admission examination and interviews, but he insists on recruiting them specially? If these people really came to seek advice because of his gift of a book on behalf of Ge Yong, at that time, if he had to slowly identify the other person's character, it would be better than what Chu Kuan is doing now. He used every means possible to take in all the people he had given him and force him to do so.
Even if he fails in the recruitment, the worst case scenario is that Lu Sanlang will be made a bare-bones headmaster in Jiuzhangtang!
As long as the little fat man can shine in some areas, why should he worry about not having any good prospects in the future? The future is long and he is not in a hurry!
Ever since he suffered a huge setback back then, he has learned a lesson: Don't be impatient in everything!
Just when Zhang Shou thought so and stepped out of the threshold, he heard a loud shout from outside the door: "Ah Shou!"
When he looked up, he saw that he was riding a fiery red horse, and he was dressed in vermilion red and came suddenly like a blazing flame. Zhang Shou couldn't help being slightly startled, and then, he heard a sentence that made him dumbfounded.