Longzang

Chapter 831 Enlightening the People

"The Witch Clan is making strange moves again?" Wei Yuan looked at the secret report in front of him with a solemn expression.

There were more than a dozen secret reports, coming from different sources. Tianyu alone sent four, each covering different aspects. By combining all the reports, Wei Yuan could roughly piece together a complete picture.

Led by the Heavenly Witch Huiye, the Witch Clan has gathered eleven tribes from two kingdoms and incorporated the remnants of the Rain Kingdom, launching another campaign against the Western Regions, with their forces aimed directly at Qingming.

The exact number of the Wu tribe's army in this battle is unknown, but it was certainly much larger than that of the Rain Kingdom before, and it had more elite and highly skilled soldiers. In order to carry out the war smoothly, the Wu tribe conscripted a huge number of laborers to begin rebuilding the river channels that Red Leaf had opened up years ago.

After the defeat of the Rain Kingdom, Wei Yuan once led his army a thousand miles deep into the region, destroying the riverbed as much as possible. However, advancing a thousand miles was the limit at that time; going any further would have made them vulnerable to ambushes by the powerful Wu Clan. Now, with the expansion of Qingming, the end of the old riverbed is three or four hundred miles away from Qingming's territory.

Now that the Wu tribe has resumed troop transport along the river, Wei Yuan doesn't have any good solutions, unless he can find a way to attack the Wu tribe civilians who are building the river, but that would only delay things for a while.

Fortunately, the river dredging will take time, and Wei Yuan estimates that he has at least six months and at most a year to prepare.

Wei Yuan did not intend to shoulder the burden of this matter alone, so he submitted memorials to the King of Jin and the imperial family of the Great Tang Dynasty, explaining the large-scale attack by the Wu tribe and requesting their assistance.

Knowing full well that the court was slow to act and that Wei Yuan had no one in the court at the moment, he naturally wouldn't sit idly by and wait for his doom. So he drafted a document and distributed it to the scholars who had received his writing tips, instructing them to publish their articles widely so that all the scholars in the land would know that the Wu tribe was launching a major attack.

This forced the imperial court and the states of Jin and Zhao to take action, otherwise they would be condemned by everyone. The title of the Thirteen Protectors of the Wei Clan was not just for show; there were instances where they had cursed people to the point of dying without a trace.

With a formidable enemy at hand, fate was of paramount importance. Wei Yuan finally made his decision and launched a series of major initiatives that he had long considered.

The first step was to establish the Qingming National Academy, specifically to recruit established literary masters and offer them extremely generous treatment, including a large Qingyuan salary and a ten-year longevity pill every five years. The academy would have twelve academicians and would recruit from the entire Great Tang Dynasty.

Such matters cannot be entirely accomplished through recruitment; in fact, recruitment is merely a pretext. Wei Yuan had already privately persuaded two prominent scholars with close ties to the Four Saints Academy to serve as academicians through Li Zhi. They would then bring numerous students and disciples to bolster the academy's prestige.

Although these two can only be considered second-rate figures in the literary world, they are extraordinary scholars of their time, serving only in the Nine Kingdoms, and all of them holding first or higher ranks, which is beyond Qingming's reach at present.

The National Academy is just a facade, a banner; Wei Yuan's real strength lies in the Qingming Academy.

In the new plan, Wei Yuan divided the academy into three levels: advanced, primary, and enlightenment. The focus was actually on the primary academy, with no limit on the number of teachers to be recruited. As long as they were qualified, as many as possible would be accepted.

The academy teachers were also ranked, and those who were successfully promoted to senior rank would receive the official rank of the eighth grade of the Grand Tang. The dean of the primary academy and the vice dean of the higher academy were both seventh grade, while the dean of the enlightenment academy was eighth grade. However, the teachers of the enlightenment academy would also be eighth grade after being promoted to senior rank.

Wei Yuan was a second-rank official of the Great Tang Dynasty and a military governor who could establish his own government. Therefore, he could appoint officials of the seventh rank and below on his own, but they would have to pay their own salaries.

Salary was a minor matter; Wei Yuan not only directly paid out Qingyuan coins, but also provided instructor uniforms made of Jijin brocade.

These two measures were also widely disseminated throughout the world through articles written by the Thirteen Protectors of the Wei Clan, causing quite a stir. Scholars from all over the world flocked to the area, and the flying boats heading to the Azure Sky were overcrowded.

Most of those who come to Qingming are frustrated scholars. What attracts them most is the opportunity to become a high-ranking official, which is a great honor for their ancestors! Secondly, there is the salary paid by Qingyuan.

Many people originally had no idea what Qingyuan was, so they inquired around and unknowingly spread the name of Qingyuan widely. Later, the story became so exaggerated that some even claimed that worshipping Qingyuan at home could bring wealth. The most outrageous claim was that Qingyuan could also grant children, provided that there were enough children.

Having heard of Qingyuan's many benefits, scholars no longer worried about being deceived and flocked to Qingyuan in search of a glimmer of opportunity.

The scholars of the Great Tang Dynasty were not weak and powerless; on the contrary, they all possessed some level of cultivation, though the degree varied. Among the Six Arts of the contemporary gentleman of the Great Tang Dynasty, swordsmanship, horsemanship, and archery were all related to cultivation, while poetry and books were the foundation of Confucian cultivation methods.

Therefore, it was common for contemporary Confucian scholars to travel among the various states with thousands of disciples. The rulers of smaller states treated them with exceptional courtesy, even showing some trepidation. This was unavoidable; if a Confucian scholar were angered, the small state's army would be no match for these thousands of fierce disciples.

Therefore, Qingming's large-scale recruitment of scholars was essentially equivalent to recruiting a large number of cultivators, and these cultivators were cultured.

With the announcement that two great Confucian scholars with close ties to the Four Saints Academy would become academicians of the National Academy, Wei Yuan's prestige reached new heights, and his reputation improved as a result.

Even his arch-rival Cai Shizhi published an article praising Wei Yuan for his courteous treatment of scholars, calling it a commendable act of a prodigal son returning home, a rare and precious thing.

Thus, Wei Yuan's reputation changed from being good at warfare to being a skilled and courageous general, from being a callous disregard for human life to being a master strategist, and from being greedy and lustful to being dashing and debonair. Although the events were the same, the change in words completely altered the perception.

Only the reputation of the Three Shots could not be erased. Fortunately, someone close to Princess Ningguo kindly explained that the time of the Three Shots incident had been extended to the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, which saved Wei Yuan some face.

Since the news of the open recruitment spread, over a thousand scholars rushed to Qingming in the first month. The number continued to grow in the following two months, and by the fourth month, more than seven thousand scholars had arrived, including over six thousand cultivators, nearly a thousand of whom were at the Dao Foundation stage.

Wei Yuan welcomed all who came, and in the past few months, he even put aside military preparations and devoted all his efforts to building the academy, with the Enlightenment Academy being fully expanded. Originally, the total number of students studying in Qingming Academy was over 200,000, but now, in just a few months, the number of students studying in the academy has increased more than tenfold, totaling over 2.6 million.

Although the academy had over 30,000 registered teachers, the more than two million students clearly exceeded its capacity. Fortunately, more scholars continued to arrive, which alleviated the situation. Over the course of several months, the academy continuously collected data and student feedback, gradually refining its teaching plan, updating the textbooks almost monthly, which caused widespread discontent among the teachers. Many scholars, upon seeing the revised plan, exclaimed that it was heretical, and some extreme individuals even threatened to strike.

However, tempted by the prospect of a future eighth-rank official position and the current generous salary, most scholars persevered. Those who went on strike, if they could not be persuaded to change their minds, were dismissed by Wei Yuan, leaving them filled with regret.

No one expected Wei Yuan to suddenly push forward the construction of the academy so aggressively. However, with the coordination of the local affairs department, the accumulation of sufficient management experience by officials of all ranks, and the tireless efforts of geniuses like Bao Yun and Xiao Yu to handle daily matters, the entire plan was finally implemented smoothly.

The number of students at the academy climbed to three million and then stabilized, while the number of teachers remained at sixty thousand.

Students don't study all the time; most complete a course in phases, then go back to work, and then return for another course. Some work during the day and study in the evenings. Others work during the week and attend classes for three days a month—there are various ways to do it.

Fortunately, the human touch withstood the surge in workload. During this process, Feng Tingyu and Ji Liuli took on an unimaginable amount of tasks; the total number of tasks each of them handled was at least zero more than Wei Yuan's.

Once the academy's expansion was completed, Wei Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, poured himself a cup of tea, and then routinely checked on the construction progress of the Wuzu Canal.

At this time, the vanguard scout cavalry of the Wu tribe had reached within 500 miles of Qingming and had already clashed with the Qingming scout cavalry. The Qingming scout cavalry possessed powerful individual firepower, while the Wu tribe scout cavalry were numerous and highly skilled. Both sides suffered losses in the battle, and neither gained the upper hand.

On the sand table in front of Wei Yuan, many more fortification icons had appeared. Now that he knew the main direction of the Wu tribe's attack, Wei Yuan applied the experience from the northern mountain gate and began to build fortifications on a large scale. He planned to exchange steel and cement for flesh and blood, turning the entire Qingming into a meat grinder, forcing the Wu tribe to retreat with heavy casualties.

As he was studying the map, Yan Shi's voice suddenly rang out beside him: "Why are you making such a big fuss this time?"

Wei Yuan looked up and saw Yan Shi standing beside him, with Xuan Yue Zhenjun and Ming Wang Dianzhu also standing there.

Upon seeing Yan, Wei Yuan was somewhat puzzled. He looked him up and down before being greatly surprised. Looking at Xuan Yue and the Palace Master of the Bright King Hall, he was even more astonished: "Grandmasters, you've all come in your true forms?"

Xuan Yue said irritably, "What else could it be but my true form? Your ancestor isn't so extravagant as to have an avatar to walk around in!"

These three are all known for their fighting prowess. In terms of magical combat, only the Abbot of Haotian Temple remains at the same level.

Yan Shi said, "We have our reasons for coming here. Tell us first, why did you suddenly decide to set up an academy? We don't understand it at all."

Wei Yuan organized his thoughts and said, "The Witch Clan is coming with great force this time. Like the last time the Rain Kingdom attacked, they will not retreat until they run out of ammunition and food. Although Qingming's strength has increased, it will probably not be easy for them to survive this."

This is a protracted war, and we must tap into every ounce of Qingming's war potential. While there is still some time, I, the disciple, will first implement the Academy Plan, enlightening the entire populace. This is our only chance. This action is for two reasons: first, to secure our fortune, and second, to ensure a continuous supply of soldiers.”

The Ming King Palace Master was somewhat puzzled: "For the sake of soldiers? Do they need to be literate to go into battle? As long as they have hands and feet, they don't even need to bring their heads."

Wei Yuan said, "Now, many branches of the army require soldiers who have been literate to be competent. It is not enough to just be literate; at the very least, one must have completed elementary school and master basic arithmetic."

The Lord of the Ming King Palace asked in surprise, "Does it even need calculation? What kind of troop type is so magical..."

Xuan Yue Zhenjun said, "Shut up! Let Wei Yuan finish speaking first."

The Lord of the Ming King Palace said, "You can tell me not to speak, but why are you telling me to shut up? I haven't said a word!"

"Quiet!" Yan Shi said, and Xuan Yue and the Palace Master of Mingwang Palace both fell silent.

While Xuan Yue Zhenjun's lips were still moving, and Ming Wang Dianzhu did not speak, his two eyebrows were twitching wildly, each eyebrow rubbing against the other. That was how he had just 'spoken' a sentence.

Both True Lords had a lot to say, but Immortal Lord Yan Shi directly altered the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth here, rendering them completely silent. Furthermore, specifically targeting the Lord of the Bright King Palace, he decreed that no part of his body could make a sound.

After a long silence, Wei Yuan finally had a chance to speak. He said, "The incident happened suddenly, and the Wu Clan came with overwhelming force. I am not confident that I can withstand them. If anything happens to me, at least I will leave behind a model for enlightening the people for future generations."

These teachers and students who studied at the academy are like seeds. Even if Qingming is destroyed, they will scatter to other places, take root, and sprout. If you wish…

Yan Shi's expression suddenly changed, and a burst of immortal power sealed Wei Yuan's mouth.

However, although Wei Yuan's mouth could not move, his voice still echoed in the air: "...If everyone is like a dragon, then everyone must cultivate. The beginning of cultivation is to enlighten the people and let everyone have books to read. This disciple is not talented, but I am willing to follow this path. Today, I will enlighten the people."

After he finished speaking, even the immortal power couldn't seal him. Only when the last word was uttered, and a surge of fortune rushed in, did Wei Yuan realize that something terrible was about to happen.

(End of this chapter)