Qing Yao

Chapter 192 Youlu, you little genius!

The governor was very excited, uncontrollably excited, because if he really had millions of taels of silver, he could pay off all his high-interest loans!

The governor has truly had enough of these usurious loans, and he's suffered enough as a result.

From the 47th year of Qianlong's reign until now, it has been a full eight years of hardship, with no end in sight. Any silver he earns is taken away by the money shops, and the governor suffers in silence, swallowing his bitterness.

But I have no way to express my suffering!

He hated that when he took over as governor of Zhejiang, his predecessor, Wang Danwang, that bastard, was imprisoned, which prevented him from having time to investigate old accounts and take stock of the warehouses. As a result, a year later, he was ruined by the officials below him and ended up with a debt of 500,000 taels of silver without doing anything.

It's also his fault for being too lazy; he was so lazy that he didn't even bother to go down to the grassroots level for a whole year.

It's unfair, yet it's not unfair either.

Anyway, it's pretty bad.

Of all the governors-general and governors in the Qing Dynasty, which one was as miserable as Governor-General Futai?
No, absolutely not!
There isn't even a "one of".

Now, someone suddenly tells the Governor that they can get you over a million taels of silver. How could the Governor, who has been terrified of poverty, not be excited!

If it weren't for his status, he would definitely have taken the initiative to invite Committee Member Zhao to take a seat and personally made tea for him.

"What method is this that Committee Member Zhao mentioned?"

The governor's attitude was very proper, much like a primary school student listening to a teacher's lecture. His eyes revealed not only curiosity but also a thirst for new knowledge.

"My intention is to delve deeper into education and the resources available for the imperial examinations, and to integrate the entire provincial examination system."

After some back and forth, Zhao An gave the governor his business idea of ​​combining education and housing free of charge, which was also a "benefit" he had originally planned to give to the governor.

Just as progress requires not only personal advancement but also helping others to progress, being an official also requires not only making money for oneself but also ensuring that superiors also get rich.

Only when everyone gets rich can the atmosphere be right, so that if something happens in the future, the adults will think of helping you instead of throwing two more bricks into the latrine.

If all the officials in a province were to become sworn brothers with Commissioner Zhao, then those officials in that province would be either part of Zhao's faction or not.

If a province were to become a country, it would be difficult for Commissioner Zhao to avoid being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

To put it bluntly, being an official is like being a person; it requires not only being tactful but also having the ability to take care of everyone's interests.

As long as everyone benefits from your kindness, Committee Member Zhao, you will become so good that you turn red, purple, and black!
"School district housing?"

The governor was unfamiliar with this term and found it quite novel.

He's lived this long and he never knew that the imperial examination system was actually a treasure trove, a money tree.

They only knew that cheating in the imperial examinations could bring in money, but they never imagined that they could earn money uprightly without cheating or embezzling.

Hey, interesting.

No wonder this man who donated his official documents was favored by Heshen and caught the emperor's eye; he certainly has some skills.

"My lord, to be precise, it's a school district property. It means that whoever buys the property can attend the prefectural school without paying tuition fees, regardless of whether they have any official rank or not. Even if you don't have any children in your family who need to go to school, it doesn't matter, because you can sell the property to the parents of students who need it and make a profit from it. In this way, these school district properties are naturally in high demand and short supply, and my lord will also be rolling in money."

Zhao An wasn't entirely unethical, because he didn't intend to monopolize a batch of school district properties and then resell them at high prices; instead, he gave the profits to the local gentry.

Of course, if the governor is ruthless and wants it all, then there's nothing he can do.

As for the "qualifications" of students who bought school district housing to attend Fuxue School, Zhao An didn't consider it at all.

He didn't really want to revitalize the Qing Dynasty through science and education.

Ensuring that the quality of education does not decline is a matter for the school officials to consider; now, he only cares about how to "please" all the leaders.

"Excellent, excellent, that's a great idea! Someone, bring tea to Committee Member Zhao!"

The governor nodded repeatedly. Commissioner Zhao wasn't calling him a corrupt governor, but rather someone who did business openly and honestly. What was that called again?

Yes, we should delve deeper into "educational resources" and make this industry bigger and stronger.

The business of these school district properties is probably even better than that of temporary school enrollment.

Because there really is a house there.

It's not considered getting something for nothing.

When the governor ordered tea, a servant brought up a pot of fine tea.

"Committee Member Zhao, please have some tea!"

The governor smiled like a wildflower in spring, and, moved by the news, summoned his trusted accountant, Mr. Lü, to discuss the matter.

Zhao Anze humbly held the teacup, but did not drink.

The adults are just showing off the tea; they wouldn't actually drink it.

Mr. Lü was not a Shaoxing clerk, but an old man brought from Beijing by the governor. His family used to be Han Bannermen. After leaving the Bannermen, he met the governor while doing business in calligraphy and painting in Beijing, and then worked for the governor.

Mr. Lü was a very shrewd man who had been helping the governor manage his businesses. He was highly trusted by the governor and therefore had a good reputation in official circles. Officials who wanted to curry favor with the governor often had to curry favor with Mr. Lü first.

Therefore, Mr. Lü's personal income level is quite high, with an annual income of 30 to 40 million yuan.

He took a concubine in both Zhejiang and Jiangsu, and lived a very comfortable life.

After listening to the governor's talk about the school district housing business, Mr. Lü gave a different opinion, believing that although Commissioner Zhao's idea was good, it would be very difficult to implement, or even impossible.

“The prefectural schools in various places are connected with the Confucian temples. Take the Suzhou Prefectural School as an example. The Suzhou Prefectural School occupies the second largest area after the Confucius Temple in Qufu. It is the largest among the schools in Jiangnan. It has a history of more than a thousand years from the Tang and Song Dynasties to the present. There are many buildings inside, and it is difficult to accommodate a large number of students who are studying there. So what is the use of building more school buildings?”

What Mr. Lü said is true. Suzhou Prefectural School is a "famous school" with a history of thousands of years. Successive school officials have paid attention to the construction of the "campus scenery", making the school look like a garden in Jiangnan. In addition, the number of places for enrollment in the Prefectural School is limited, so there are not many classrooms actually used for teaching.

If the Suzhou Prefectural School were to demolish many of its scenic buildings and renovate them into classrooms, the school officials would probably be unhappy.

What's the use of having a large number of temporary students if there aren't enough classrooms?

That's not the most troublesome thing. The most troublesome thing is that the Suzhou Prefectural School is located in a prime location in Suzhou City, surrounded by densely packed shops, with not a single open space!

“If the school district housing is tied to the quota for temporary enrollment at the prefectural school, then the housing must be built next to the prefectural school, and at least several hundred rooms would be needed. How much land would that require? And those businesses are all profit-driven people, how could they be willing to move away from their original sites? If we use force, there will be public resentment. Therefore, the students believe that this matter is not worth the loss, and they urge Your Excellency to think twice!”

As a trusted advisor, Mr. Lü had to remind his benefactor of the enormous potential risks involved.

Suzhou is not like Yangzhou. Not only is it the provincial capital, but it also houses the Imperial Textile Bureau. If Suzhou were to force people to give up their land on a large scale to build school district housing, it would certainly cause its benefactor's reputation to plummet.

Suzhou needs to be careful about the impact, but shouldn't Jiangning also be careful?

We need to pay more attention! Many retired officials live in their hometowns in Changzhou and Songjiang, and there are also many officials from Jiangnan in the central government. We must take their opinions seriously.

In conclusion, it is not advisable to forcefully promote the construction of school district housing.

Don't end up losing your official position instead of making money.

It's not advisable in the prefectures south of the Yangtze River, but it's worth trying in the north.

This would result in a significantly lower income.

Zhao An listened silently without saying a word; in fact, he had overlooked the two points Mr. Lü had mentioned.

Previously, he used the guise of education to vacate the tenants and convert them into dormitories outside the Yangzhou Prefectural School, instead of demolishing the buildings, which prevented him from encountering much resistance or impact.

You really want to see a large-scale relocation?

You'll be dealing with a lot of messy legal battles.

"What you say is very true, sir. I have not considered things thoroughly enough."

The governor shook his head and looked at Zhao An with regret, saying, "Commissioner Zhao's idea is good, but as Mr. Lü said, it is difficult to actually implement. I cannot allow the gentry of this province to have grievances against me for my own selfish interests."

"Sir, there's really no need to go to such trouble."

Zhao An slightly raised his buttocks.

"Oh, what good ideas does Commissioner Zhao have?"

The governor's interest was immediately rekindled after his initial excitement had been dampened.

"For prefectural schools whose original sites are unsuitable for building school buildings, as long as the governor does not object, I, as the supervising committee member, can relocate these prefectural schools to areas with fewer people and more land. This will not require much trouble."

After speaking, Zhao An lowered his buttocks slightly, maintaining that perfectly measured humility.

It must have been quite difficult for him.

"Ok?"

The governor and Mr. Lü were both stunned by this bold idea: relocate the school?
"Yes, we can move the prefectural school and the Confucian temple!"

The governor looked at him with a puzzled expression, wondering why he hadn't thought of such a good idea.

Mr. Lü frowned slightly and continued to object: "Committee Member Zhao's suggestion to relocate the prefectural school is probably not feasible. Unauthorized disruption of the cultural heritage will surely be opposed by people both locally and in the court, and I'm afraid even the Emperor will not agree."

Upon hearing this, the governor's expression immediately froze.

Zhao An replied, “Our Great Qing Dynasty has a history of over a hundred years. Although the prefectural schools in various regions are places where the cultural heritage of past dynasties is preserved, they are mostly located in bustling and prosperous areas of the city. Firstly, students cannot have peace and quiet, and secondly, the roads are congested, which is not conducive to the layout of the city.”

What does that mean?

The school was relocated under the guise of easing urban traffic congestion and providing students with a better learning environment.

The governor's expression immediately softened again. His governor's office was not far from the prefectural school, and the traffic around the school was already quite congested after school let out. With street vendors weaving through the area, the road became even more difficult to navigate.

Sometimes even officials' sedan chairs and carriages had to be pulled over.

Moving the prefectural school and Confucian temple to another location would undoubtedly greatly alleviate the problem of "difficult transportation".

But this was not the most important reason Zhao An proposed relocating the school; he had another trump card.

"As far as I know, all the prefectural schools in this province are old schools from the Ming Dynasty that have survived to this day. Although the Ming Dynasty has been gone for more than a hundred years, the people's desire to restore the Ming Dynasty is still strong. Students who study in the prefectural schools will definitely know about the past of the schools. Moreover, the inscriptions and couplets are all from the Ming Dynasty. Students see them every day, so it is hard not to feel nostalgic for the Ming Dynasty."

At this point, Zhao An paused and continued, "I heard that when the Holy Ancestor quelled the Three Feudatories, it was discovered that the Yunnan Prefectural School contained books from the Yongli regime. The Holy Ancestor then ordered all the Yunnan schools to be relocated and rebuilt, and the old schools were converted into granaries or government offices."

With this precedent, Jiangsu can completely follow suit. All newly built academies should be modeled after those of Shengjing (Mukden), located far from the old city's stele forest. The Minglun Hall should display the "Sixteen Imperial Edicts," and memorial tablets of renowned officials of this dynasty should be erected, thus severing the influence of the Ming dynasty on the education of this dynasty.

In short, Zhao An's main reason for moving the school was to eliminate any trace of the Ming Dynasty in the Qing Dynasty's education system. With this righteous cause, who would dare to oppose it?
Even the old man would applaud when he heard about it, because this was the work he had dedicated his life to.

The old man only considered the surface meaning of the words, without considering cutting off the root cause.

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!"

The governor got up again, still uncontrollably. There was no way around it; that little genius Zhao was just too damn talented.

They packaged a profitable business as a great contribution to the Qing Dynasty's millennia-long education, and even hit the emperor's weak spot with remarkable accuracy. If the emperor was pleased, Sun Yat-sen might not have to come to Liangjiang after the New Year.

Zhao An didn't want to do this despicable thing, but if he didn't bring out the prefectural school, it wouldn't be easy for him to enroll.

What is Mr. Lü's opinion on this matter?
I don't know how to view this matter, but Zhao's eyes are very bright. However, Mr. Lü has to raise a question: which prefectural school should be moved first?

"Let's move to Suzhou first!"

The governor made the final decision: Suzhou Prefectural School, as the premier school in Jiangnan, must set an example for all prefectural schools in the province.

If all the schools in Suzhou have moved, and other schools don't, then they're disrespecting the governor.

As an advisor, Mr. Lü, seeing that his benefactor had made up his mind, raised questions about specific matters.

He believes that relocating the school is easy, but moving to a new location will definitely make teachers and students feel inconvenienced, and if the surrounding facilities are not complete, teachers and students will inevitably have complaints.

People tend to develop a dependence on a place after staying there for a long time, and it's hard to adapt to working and living in a new place all of a sudden.

Especially since local schools were all located in the "city center," who would be happy if they were suddenly moved to the outskirts of the city?

Zhao An was about to say that infrastructure could be developed gradually, and that living conditions were not a problem at all, because vendors would be located wherever the school was.

It might be inconvenient at first, but after a few months, everything around the new academy will be available, directly boosting the economic development of the area.

As for the old prefectural school, why not put it up for sale?
That's a lot of money again.

With all that fussing inside and out, it's hard for the chicken's farts not to rise.

No matter which aspect, it's a complete win.

The old man gets money, the national treasury gets money, the local government gets money, the officials get even more money, students get to attend good schools, the common people can earn a little money, and Zhao An can achieve a huge breakthrough in his political achievements.
Hmm, who loses out?
It seems like no one lost out.

Because it also satisfies the wish of students' parents who are foolish and rich, hoping their children will "become dragons".

What a win!
Just as he was about to speak, the governor, perhaps annoyed by Mr. Lü's numerous questions, said with slight displeasure, "Relocating the prefectural school is a great thing that benefits the people and the country. Who opposes it? Everyone complains that the new place is not good. How can the education of this province be improved? Yes, what Commissioner Zhao just said about reaching new heights is a good point."

At this point, the governor seemed to have made up his mind and said, "In that case, I will move the governor's office there as well, and let's see who dares to say anything then!"

(End of this chapter)