In ancient China, farming was the most important thing!

The king regards the people as heaven, and the people regard food as heaven!

Among Zhou Shu’s eight politics, the number one ranks first is “agricultural affairs”!

Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, and farmers are social professions second only to scholars!

In all dynasties, when spring comes, the emperors have to sacrifice to the God of Rain and the emperors have to go to the fields to cultivate themselves! However, in many dynasties, the emperors are just doing things, and in the current Song Dynasty, Zhao Chen has actually come to the fields and participated in farming!

For the current Song Dynasty, the status of food is crucial! Yan Yun in the Central Plains was just a solution to food and clothing, while many people in Shangjing, Zhongjing, and Liaodong are still hungry! In many remote places, starving people still happens! Zhao Chen must set an example to drive the enthusiasm of the people to grow grain, ensure that agriculture can be harvested this year, and ensure that the Song Dynasty will no longer lack food!

In addition to the necessary left-behind personnel, the other ministers in the court also entered the fields to help the people plow the fields and hoe the fields! Not only in Yanjing, but also in all parts of the country!

Spring has just arrived, and many places are still trying to build water conservancy! Such major projects are often mobilizing local people. By mid-March, Zhao Chen also participated in the construction of water conservancy and worked with the people to dig trenches and build canals!

The entire land of China, from south to north, from east to west, is like this bustling situation!

Many scholars even responded to the call of the court and participated in farming.

In a village more than 20 miles south of Yanjing, the sun sets, and two scholars wearing coarse cloth clothes walked back from outside the village.

They were sweating all over! Today, they were busy in the ground.

"The court now attaches importance to farming, and the emperor is really a wise lord!" A scholar in his forties with a bookish look on his face said while wiping his sweat.

In ancient China, any emperor who valued farming could be praised by Confucian scholars, so it is not surprising that this scholar said this.

"It's a pity that we have studied the knowledge of saints hard. We originally thought we could enter the court as an official and benefit the world. But the Jurchens invaded. Until now, the imperial examination has not been held yet!" Another scholar who looked a little younger, about thirty years old said.

"The world is in chaos, and it is impossible to hold an imperial examination! However, now the court has unified the world and even recovered thousands of miles of land in the north. The emperor attaches importance to farming. This is a symbol of the great stability of the world! After the great stability of the world, the emperor will definitely hold an imperial examination! When Emperor Taizu established the Song Dynasty and ended the war in the world, it took several years to hold an imperial examination!" said the old scholar.

"I hope this is the case, otherwise our knowledge will be in vain!" said a scholar in his thirties with a wry smile.

The two were talking here, and a young man in his twenties ran towards him. The young man was very strong and dark in skin. He came to the two and bowed, saying, "Uncle Feng, Uncle Li, I have good news to tell you!"

"Oh? What's the good news?" said the scholar in his forties.

"Yesterday I went to Yanjing City with my father to buy some fabrics. The Yanjing City has spread and the imperial examination is about to be held!" The young man said.

"Ah! Take it seriously?" The two scholars showed incredible expressions on their faces and said.

"It is said that the emperor returned from the north and had already discussed the imperial examination with the Prime Minister. Later, he discussed the matter with the masters of the Military Affairs Office. This matter was reported from the mansions of several Military Affairs Ministers. There would be no mistake!" said the young man.

"That's great! It's great!" said the scholar, who was over 40 years old, excitedly.

"Brother Feng, our knowledge has been abandoned in the past two years. We need to read books well during this period!" said the scholar in his thirty years old.

"Yes, yes! The world is in chaos. We thought books were useless, but we just took a look in our spare time. Now the imperial examination is about to be held, which is the only way for us to advance. We need to study carefully! Let's go back now and read books with candles!" a scholar in his forties laughed.

The two ignored the young man and hurried towards the village. The young man looked at them and was very funny.

"When the Jurchens invaded, the court attached importance to martial arts and not culture and education, and many people no longer read books! In the troubled times, no matter how many books were read, it was useless! Now the court is going to hold imperial examinations, but there are not many scholars. Uncle Feng and Uncle Li will definitely be able to pass the imperial examination!" The young man said secretly.

*******

The weather is getting warmer and it is already April of the lunar calendar.

Zhao Chen was busy outside for more than a month, and finally returned to the palace on that day.

It was already dark, and Zhao Chen stayed in the imperial study room, with paper and pen on the table, and Zhao Chen was constantly writing there.

After a while, footsteps came from outside, and someone put a bowl of porridge in front of Zhao Chen.

"Get out, don't disturb me again." Zhao Chen said.

"Oh." A somewhat cold response came from beside him.

Zhao Chen suddenly raised his head and saw a girl in white standing in front of him with a beautiful face. Who would be Qin Yuzhen?

"It's you? Please sit down quickly!" Zhao Chen said with a smile.

"Didn't you tell me not to disturb you?" Qin Yuzhen said angrily.

"I thought I was some palace maids and attendants in the palace, but I didn't expect it to be you! You are different from others." Zhao Chen said.

"What's different from others?" Qin Yuzhen said.

"You are the one I like." Zhao Chen said.

"Don't talk nonsense." Qin Yuzhen said with a slightly red face.

Zhao Chen smiled, letting her stay aside, and continued to write on the paper.

"What is the emperor writing?" Qin Yuzhen said.

"Now today, it is only a matter of time before the resumption of rural and commercial enterprises. In addition to these, we should also educate the people and promote education. Do you think it is right?" Zhao Chen said.

"Yes, that's the reason." Qin Yuzhen nodded.

"In your opinion, what should the people be taught?" Zhao Chen said.

"They should be taught to practice Taoism." Qin Yuzhen said.

"Practice Taoism? Are you all the same as you are not in the world?" Zhao Chen said with a smile.

"How could I not be as good as the world? I think Taoism is the most difficult and interesting thing in this incident. If everyone in the world practices Taoism, there will be less disputes in this world. Wouldn't that be good?" Qin Yuzhen said.

"The Tao can be told, it is very Tao, no one can tell what this 'Tao' is? When practicing Taoism to the extreme, what can even be like a master? Can it really last forever? Who among the Taoists in ancient times could live forever? When they got many ancient books from Qin Mausoleum, all the so-called 'gods' recorded in it were all dead, and the books all explained it by disciples! Or, the so-called practice of Taoism in the world is completely wrong! Practicing Taoism can only cultivate the mind and cultivate nature, and it is not much beneficial to worldly changes and social evolution." Zhao Chendao.

"What is social evolution?" Qin Yuzhen said curiously.

"It is to make the human race stronger and stronger, and ordinary people live better and better! In ancient times, humans ate raw meat and drank blood, and ordinary people would die when they lived to the age of twenty! Most people lived in hard and cold life, and could only live in caves, using stones as tools, hunting every day for a living! When it was during the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, humans would plant crops, but most people were slaves of others. Their lives were controlled by others. In the eyes of the nobles, the slaves were just goods like cattle and sheep!

They only have bronze ware available, only pottery, no steel, no exquisite porcelain, and no embroidery. In our opinion, ordinary things were very precious in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties! By the Qin, Han and Jin dynasties, the nine-rank Zhongzheng system was implemented in the world, and the descendants of officials were always officials. It was difficult for ordinary people from poor families to enter the upper class to ascend to the sky! By the time of the Sui and Tang dynasties, the imperial examinations were implemented, and ordinary people finally had an advancement level! These are all social evolutions." Zhao Chendao.

Qin Yuzhen stood there with a thoughtful expression on her face.

In Zhao Chen's opinion, these are the most common truths, but in Qin Yuzhen's opinion, these are extremely profound. She has never heard anyone say such truths.

"How do you know about the things in ancient times?" After a while, Qin Yuzhen said.

"After the death of the ancients, there were bones and relics. Based on these, you can get a lot of information and then judge their living conditions!" Zhao Chen said.

"I have read a lot of books since I was a child, and only records that the saints rule the world and the world is harmonious, but no one says that the ancients lived like this." Qin Yuzhen said.

"You follow me in the future and I will tell you more." Zhao Chen smiled.

Qin Yuzhen nodded, she was still frowning and thinking, but Zhao Chen couldn't help but stand up and hug her in his arms. Qin Yuzhen let out a soft cry, then closed her eyes and let him hold it...

*******

In the next half month, Zhao Chen was still busy in the farmland.

Water conservancy construction in various places requires money and is constantly reported to the court, while the Military Affairs Office makes overall arrangements.

Now the organization of the Military Affairs Office is getting bigger and bigger. In addition to the Minister of Military Affairs and Military Affairs, there are some subordinate agencies that specialize in services, led by the Minister of Military Affairs. The original imperial court structures, the Secretariat, the Privy Council, the Six Ministry, the Censorate, etc. have now been in name only. After years of development, the Military Affairs Office has finally completely replaced the original imperial court. Compared with the original imperial court, the current Military Affairs Office is much more efficient and the emperor's rights are much greater than before.

By April 18th, the busy farming season had completely passed, and the Military Affairs Office finally held another meeting to discuss education and imperial examinations.

This time, the Minister of Military Affairs and Military Affairs, Kyoto has arrived. They had already known that the court was going to hold the imperial examination some time ago. They have also been thinking about it these days and have their own ideas.

Zhao Chen looked at the ministers below, Zhang Jing and others thought for a while, and said, "I once heard people say, 'The country is strong when a young man is strong when a young man is wise when a young man is wise when a young man is better than a foreign barbarian, then a country is better than a foreign barbarian. When a young man is so powerful in the world, then a country is so powerful in the world. Do you think this is the reason?"

This was originally the words of the young Chinese in Liang Qichao in the late Qing Dynasty, but Zhao Chen changed and told the ministers below to listen to it.

"Your Majesty is right!" Li Gang nodded and agreed.

The military ministers below nodded! This principle is obvious and there is no need to think too much about it.

"If I want my young men in the Song Dynasty are stronger than foreigners, the best way is to establish education! However, I think the education in the past had great flaws, and now the establishment of education can no longer be the same as before!" Zhao Chen said.

"Can't you be the same as before?" Li Gang said strangely.

"What did scholars study for the purpose of the past?" Zhao Chen asked back.

"This... is naturally a growth knowledge." Li Gang said.

Zhao Chen shook his head gently and said, "It's not like this! Saint Kong once said, 'Study is good at studying and becoming an official'. Studying is just for being an official! After ten years of hard work, I have achieved the last four bodies and no diligence, but I don't know if I'm right?"

"Your Majesty, scholars also hope to serve the court." Li Gang wanted to refute, but he had no way to refute it, and he could only say at the moment.

In ancient times, there were indeed some people who studied for the sake of learning, but most of them studied for the sake of becoming officials! There were countless examples like Fan Jin’s stuttering. Once he was able to pass the exam, he could immediately become successful and his status changed drastically! It was precisely such a huge temptation that countless poor families longed to leaps on the dragon gate, studied all day long, and never cared about the affairs of the family.

"I want to establish education so that all children and young people can study, but I don't want all children in the world to become officials! If everyone goes to become officials, who goes to farm and who goes to do business?" Zhao Chen said.

Li Gang, Wang Shu and others nodded.

"Reading is not only for the purpose of being an official, but also for helping these children and young people. When they grow up, they can apply the knowledge in the book to reality! Therefore, the school should not only talk about Confucianism, but also some other knowledge, such as agriculture, mathematics, or other worldly ways. I will name it "Practical Learning"! In the future, Confucianism and Practical Learning will be carried out in the school!" Zhao Chendao.
Chapter completed!