I will never be Renzong

Chapter 192 Primary Education
For several days, Zhao Zhen was pondering the feasibility of promoting enlightenment education in the Song Dynasty. He heard Shen Moran's opinion in his heart. It is relatively difficult and unrealistic to carry out literacy education for the people of the Song Dynasty. Starting with children, the promotion of primary education is not easy. If it is set to six years according to later generations, it is not small in terms of the current financial situation of the Song Dynasty. After all, training the army, building cement roads, building the Luoyang Palace and weapons and equipment R&D is the most important thing right now.

"Officials! A few gentlemen are here!"

Zhang Mao, the servant, came in to pay homage.

"Hurry up!"

Zhao Zhen shouted hurriedly, thinking that it would be better to listen to the opinions of the ministers. After all, the three cobblers had ordered Zhuge Liang, and they might be able to find a better way by brainstorming.

"The minister waits to meet the official!"

Wang Zeng, Lu Zongdao, and Lu Yijian saluted Zhao Zhen respectfully.

"No courtesy! Come here! Show the three gentlemen a seat and serve tea!"

Zhao Zhen instructed the servant at the side.

After the three sat down and drank tea, Zhao Zhen said: "I received a report from Jin Yiwei and the Overwatch Council today, saying that when the imperial government orders are issued to local areas, some people often do not understand or even misunderstand the meaning of the imperial orders. There are also unscrupulous officials who take advantage of the illiteracy of the people to wantonly misinterpret the imperial government's decrees, thus bullying and exploiting the people in various ways. I want to solve this problem now, but I don't know if the three ministers have a good plan?"

The three of them glanced at each other, and Wang Zeng said: "Officials! In the first half of this year, the Overwatch Council investigated and dealt with 12 illegal officials, and the minister learned that only three or two of them bullied the people because they wantonly changed the government's decrees. So on the whole, local officials still dare not violate the imperial government's decrees, but please rest assured!"

The Overwatch Council was founded not long ago, and even the censors were not necessarily clean, so they did not do their best to investigate corrupt officials. Although Zhao Zhen was dissatisfied with this, the Overwatch Council's rectification is a later matter. Right now, he is trying to get the three Xianggong leads to the establishment of the school!
Lu Yijian said: "Officials! If the people don't know the imperial decree, the official can send special personnel to go to various places to read the imperial decree. This will also prevent local officials from concealing the imperial decree!"

Zhao Zhen shook his head, and then said: "This method is not bad, but it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. Besides, my Song Dynasty has a vast territory, and now there are 21 roads, 21 prefectures, 248 states, and 1360 counties. There are tens of hundreds of villages, what I mean is that every village can understand the imperial government's decree, instead of just sending one person to the county to read it out and be done!"

The three of them looked at each other, they all knew that today's officials are very assertive, so they must have already made up their minds, Wang Zeng said after seeing this, "I don't know what orders the officials have?"

Seeing this, Zhao Zhen said: "What is the prerequisite for ordinary people to understand the imperial government's decrees?"

Lu Zongdao said puzzledly: "Naturally, one must become a scholar, and only then can one understand the imperial government's decree."

Lu Yijian added: "Returning to the official family is literacy. Scholars can naturally understand the imperial government's decrees, but since the official's ascension to the throne, all edicts related to people's livelihood are basically clearly stated. People don't have to read the Four Books and Five Classics. You need to be literate to understand the imperial government's decrees!"

"Hmm! Mr. Lu has a point!"

Zhao Zhen nodded affirmatively.

Lu Zongdao frowned and said, "Does the government mean to send officials to teach ordinary people to read and write? But the people in the city and county may take the initiative to read and write, but there are not many people in the countryside who can." Those who are willing to read and be literate!”

Zhao Zhen replied: "It is not advisable to jump to conclusions without doing it, but I also know that it is difficult for those rural people to read and write, so I plan to teach them from children. After all, children are naturally born Lively, if you educate him carefully, although you may not be able to get a job, you can still read and understand the government's decrees!"

Wang Zeng said: "Official family! I lost my parents at the age of eight, and I know that it is not easy to study and study. What's more, the sage Confucius also said that there is no distinction between education. The sons of the people, or the sons of ordinary people in the countryside, should have the right to education! I just don’t know how the officials plan to implement it?”

Seeing this, Zhao Zhen expressed his thoughts that he had been planning for a few days.

"I plan to build new primary schools in every district, prefecture, and county in the Song Dynasty. All children aged 8 to 12 in the Song Dynasty must attend primary schools. The primary schools are divided into five grades, mainly teaching mathematics and Chinese. As for What to teach, needs to be carefully discussed!"

Lu Yijian asked, "Officials! I wonder what the scale of this so-called elementary school is?"

Zhao Zhen said: "My plan is to simplify it. One hundred people is one school. For example, if there are more than one hundred children in a village aged 8 to 12, it is convenient to build one in the village. If there are no more than three or two villages, choose a middle place. To build one, I have had people estimate that 100 guan is more than enough money to build such a [-]-person primary school, and only two gentlemen are needed!"

Lu Yijian said again: "Based on the official's calculation, at least tens of thousands of gentlemen are needed. I don't know where the official plans to find so many gentlemen. Besides, even if the gentlemen are willing to go, I'm afraid the poor will not be able to afford it." Shu Xiu!"

Seeing this, Zhao Zhen said: "Elementary schools in various places are funded and built by the imperial court, and naturally the teachers who teach are also paid by the imperial court!"

As soon as Zhao Zhen finished speaking, Lu Zongdao hurriedly said: "Officials! If this is the case, I'm afraid the imperial treasury will not be able to afford it!"

Seeing this, Zhao Zhen said: "To build new schools in various places and to hire gentlemen, the expenses required will not go to the national treasury, but will be allocated from my internal treasury!"

All three of them knew that the Royal Chamber of Commerce had made a lot of money for the government in the past few years, so they didn't say anything more, because since the Royal Chamber of Commerce took over the tea and salt solution, the annual tea tax and salt tax have increased very quickly. , and the business tax collected from other trades has long exceeded the farmland tax.

In the first half of this year alone, the treasury received a total of 1650 million guan in various commercial taxes. If this calculation continues, the commercial tax this year can reach 3300 million guan. Including land tax income, it is estimated that the fiscal revenue of Song Dynasty this year can reach more than 6000 million guan.

It is precisely because of the money that the imperial court began to repair cement roads one after another, and even the money for the renovation of the Luoyang Palace, the treasury paid out half of the money. In the past, the treasury was empty, but now the treasury has a surplus. Originally, it was to repair the Kaifeng Palace Yes, but after discussing with everyone, Zhao Zhen planned to move the capital to Luoyang in the tenth year of Tiansheng, so he used the money for repairing the Kaifeng Palace to renovate the Luoyang Palace.

The Luoyang Imperial Palace was damaged to some extent after the Anshi Rebellion. Zhao Zhen was a fan of the emperor's growth plan, so he began to renovate the Luoyang Imperial Palace according to the architectural pattern of Emperor Cheng and the Forbidden City. It is expected to be completed within three years.

(End of this chapter)