Datang: I am the prince of salted fish, I impeach Li Er at the beginning

Chapter 170 Knowledge monopoly, it's not easy to deal with
"The Analects, Mencius, Daxue, Zhongyong, Shijing, Shangshu..."

"Aren't you able to access any of these books?"

Li Zhi was surprised when he heard the guard's answer.

List a lot of book titles and let him confirm the classics he can read.

But the guard shook his head helplessly, and sighed: "I have heard a few books of what you said, but if you want to talk about reading... let alone me, I am afraid that it is not complete if we add up the guards." I have read the Four Books and Five Classics one by one."

"Ha! Is it so cruel?"

Li Zhi opened his mouth wide, he couldn't believe it.

The Four Books and Five Classics can be said to be the books that scholars must read, but anyone who wants to enter the court and become an official must read all the classics.

But the guard said that he couldn't even read a complete book.

If this is the case, then there is really no problem with his choice.

Knowledge has been monopolized to this point, and I'm still reading a shitty book.

Even if you really read, how far can you read?
If you read it, will you be able to become an official?
Compared with the cost of studying, the return is indeed too low.

You can't give up a stable promotion channel just to be a petty official, right?
What this person said was actually quite reasonable.

"Then if it is said that one day in the future, the imperial court will make the Four Books and Five Classics public so that everyone has books to read, are you willing to read?"

Li Zhi continued to ask, the opinions of these middle classes were very important, and he was eager to understand the thoughts of the guards.

Li Zhi was looking forward to the guard giving an affirmative answer.

But unfortunately, the guard's answer still disappointed him.

"If I were from a scholarly family, I would probably be dancing with joy, but I am from a military family, so I will still choose to join the Sixteen Guards to ensure my family's status."

A scholarly family is a poor family, this is a class that can't be high or low.

Because they did not dare to call themselves nobles, and they were unwilling to be called a poor family, so there was the term "Scholarly Family".

Li Zhi could understand what the guard said, but what he couldn't understand was: "Why? Why is it possible for a scholarly family, but you can't?"

The guard told the truth: "Because they can understand the books they read, just like they can understand the text inside when they see the law of chastity. But we can't. We can understand the meaning of the words, but we can't read them. what's inside."

This was a bit convoluted, and Li Zhi thought for a few seconds before he understood what the guard wanted to express.

It means that if you want to understand the deep-level content recorded in the book, you need a certain cultural background.

What they lack is precisely this cultural heritage, so they dare not easily set foot in this unfamiliar field.

Li Zhi could understand this, but he didn't quite agree with it.

Because the biggest gap between the gentry and these middle classes does not lie in the understanding of words, but in the right to interpret literature.

But the guard was right!

Although the biggest obstacle is that the gentry can interpret the contents of the book arbitrarily, there are also barriers to understanding.

So, it is really difficult to promote these middle-class people.

It is not enough to let go of the monopoly of knowledge alone, we have to think of ways from other places.

For example...introducing the old and bringing forth the new.

Although the things of the ancestors are good, they are too backward after all.

It is better to replace the sage book with a more advanced knowledge system.

In this way, the problem of the monopoly of knowledge by the gentry is solved, and the threshold of understanding can be lowered by using vernacular Chinese. It is perfect to kill two birds with one stone!
After chatting with the guards, Li Zhi learned a lot, and chatted all the way unconsciously.

When Li Zhi still wanted to continue chatting, the guard reminded: "Your Highness, Mo Studio has arrived."

"Ah!" Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and said with a smile, "So it's called Mo Zhai."

Once people get involved in the conversation, they don't even know how long the time has passed.

Seeing an antique shop next to the carriage, Li Zhi jumped out of the carriage, admired the shop and gave instructions to the guard behind him.

"Find a place to park your car, and I'll come back to find you after I'm done visiting the Ink Studio."

"Yes!"

There was a lot of people outside, and the guards did not dare to relax too much and responded with a serious face.

Li Zhi didn't care about this, he was more interested in the study than knowing about the military family.

After carefully appreciating the bookish shop, he walked in.

As soon as he entered, he could smell the incense.

Usually, the incenses he smells are those used by the imperial court, and they are all high-quality ambergris or agarwood.

Now smelling different fragrances, I can't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

It's not that it's pungent, but I always feel that the smell is not very comfortable.

Frowning slightly, Li Zhi didn't pay too much attention to this.

Although he really wanted to remind the shop owner that there might be no need for such things as incense in the study.

Walking around in the store, Li Zhi saw a lot of good things in the store.

For example, the high-quality rice paper commonly used in the palace is also sold here.

Bundles of pure white rice paper were rolled into sticks and inserted into porcelain vases.

Not to mention, it really feels like entering a classical old house.

Especially the blank calligraphy and paintings mounted on the walls give people the illusion that this is a sacred place for calligraphy and painting.

Take a look around and take a few glances.

Li Zhi pulled out a bundle of rice paper from the porcelain vase, and waved it towards the shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper, how much is this bundle of rice paper?"

Since Li Zhi came in, the fat shopkeeper showed a formulaic smile and stood behind the counter in a greeting gesture.

At this moment, when he heard his inquiry, he immediately replied enthusiastically: "This is the best rice paper produced in Xuancheng. Each bundle costs two knives. If you sell it by bundle, the price of a bundle is five taels of silver."

"Tsk! Robbing money, this is it?"

Upon hearing the price, Li Zhi put the rice paper back where it was without saying a word.

One knife is 25 cards, two knife is fifty cards.

Converted, a piece of paper requires a total of one hundred coins.

In the past, when he used this fine rice paper, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Now that I know the price, I can't help but mutter in my heart.

Why is broken paper so expensive? !

You must know that a penny in this era can be simply and roughly converted into four yuan.

Converted to the price of future generations, a piece of paper is 500 yuan.

If this happened in later generations, the owner of this store would probably be killed.

But in this era, the price of rice paper is so expensive, it is a matter of course.

Seeing Li Zhi put the rice paper back, the boss didn't show any displeasure.

The boss of Mozhai expressed his respect as always, and said in a cautious tone: "If you think rice paper is too expensive, you might as well take a look at the new bamboo paper in the capital. Less, you can think about it."

(End of this chapter)