Duke of Zhenguan

Chapter 126 The Academy Opens

"Lord Lin?"

As I was leaving the Ministry of War and heading to the Ministry of Personnel, I was suddenly stopped by someone on the way.

Looking at the elderly man in the light red official robe before him, Lin Chuan felt a sense of familiarity but couldn't place him. He returned the greeting with a cupped hand and asked, "My name is Lin Chuan. May I ask what your orders are, sir?"

"I dare not give orders, but there are some things I must say. If I have offended Lord Lin, please forgive me!" the old man said with a serious expression.

"If you know it will be offensive, why say it in the first place?"

Lin Chuan gave the old man a strange look, suppressed the urge to retort, and said with a smile, "Please speak freely, sir!"

"I have heard that Lord Lin intends to recruit the sons of merchants to enroll in school. Lord Lin, do you know that it is in the nature of merchants to pursue profit? If you give them a path to education and advancement, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"While it is indeed a great act of kindness for Lord Lin to establish a private school, please forgive my bluntness, but it is far too hasty to invite the sons of merchants to enroll. You should know that if the plan is not well-planned, it will backfire!" the old man said earnestly.

These words, seemingly meant to be advice, were in fact practically a direct insult to Lin Chuan!

It is indeed quite presumptuous, and this old man is quite well-informed.

Two days ago, in addition to the fierce generals in the army pleading with the Lin family, some merchants in the West Market also mustered up their courage to find Li. Li was kind-hearted and relayed the message to Lin Chuan.

Since they hadn't recruited enough people yet, Lin Chuan agreed.

He also casually included a few children from Tiechi Lane on the list.

Seeing the old man's eager expression, Lin Chuan guessed that the old man was probably thinking about how to deal with his next rebuttal.

It's rare to see someone so competitive at their age, but Lin Chuan wasn't going to argue with him. He smiled and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Thank you for your guidance, sir!"

The old man paused for a moment, then smiled and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Lin Chuan: "Lord Lin, there's no need for such formalities! I am Xu Shuya, a humble Imperial Academy Doctor, and I have only a superficial understanding of teaching. If you have the time, Lord Lin, you are welcome to come and consult with me!"

"Definitely! Definitely!" Lin Chuan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

Watching Xu Shuya leave with satisfaction, Lin Chuan smiled silently and walked towards the Ministry of Personnel.

In the evening, after finishing his shift and having dinner, Lin Chuan took Mei Xiang back to the east wing. Mei Xiang brought him clothes to help him change, and then brought him a basin of water to help him wash his face and feet.

Since Mei Xiang joined the East Wing, Lin Chuan truly experienced the life of the Tang Dynasty's elite. Being waited on hand and foot was no longer just a figure of speech, but a real and tangible reality.

After helping Lin Chuan wash his feet, Mei Xiang asked softly, "My lord, are you going to write teaching materials tonight? I'll grind the ink for you!"

"No rush, here you go!"

Lin Chuan took a red note from the table and handed it to Mei Xiang.

Meixiang took the note and looked at Lin Chuan with a puzzled expression.

"Open it and take a look!" Lin Chuan pointed to the note.

Meixiang nodded, opened the letter, glanced at it, and then froze instantly.

After a long while, Meixiang finally realized that the thin imperial edict in her hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

She had heard of this kind of official document; the ladies of the Qunfang Pavilion longed for this thin piece of paper day and night, but she had never heard of anyone actually obtaining it.

Being bought to be a concubine was already considered very lucky; most people who were bought were either given away or sent away with some money.

Tears welled in her eyes. Meixiang snapped out of her daze, wiped away the tears, gave Lin Chuan a slight bow, and softly said, "Thank you, my husband!"

"Meixiang, how do you plan to thank your husband?" Lin Chuan asked with a smile.

"I will obey my husband—" Meixiang said, blushing.

"You said it yourself, Meixiang!" Lin Chuan chuckled strangely.

After a night of absurdity, Lin Chuan got up early the next morning, changed into a light blue robe with Mei Xiang's help, and rode to Gewu Academy with several guards.

When Lin Chuan brought Xu Laosan and the others to the academy, the main gate was already crowded with carriages.

The first batch of students were mostly children of military personnel, and they all had things to talk about. Although there were only a few hundred people, the place was bustling and noisy, like a vegetable market.

Two rows of soldiers holding long spears stood on either side of the gate.

Yan Wencheng and several other gentlemen stood at the door, clearly waiting for Lin Chuan.

Feeling a little embarrassed that he was the youngest but arrived the latest, Lin Chuan quickly walked over.

"Lord Lin!"

"Lord Lin!"

Along the way, the sound of people bowing to Lin Chuan rose and fell. Upon hearing the noise, the crowd quickly and consciously dispersed from the middle to both sides, leaving the middle path clear.

Lin Chuan nodded to the crowd, strode over to Yan Wencheng's side, and said apologetically, "Uncle Wencheng, gentlemen, I'm sorry I'm late!"

"Haha, I arrived a little early! Shall we start registering now?" Yan Wencheng said with a smile.

Lin Chuan nodded, walked to the desk that had been prepared beforehand, and shouted loudly to the crowd: "Line up to register! Anyone who doesn't follow the rules will be disqualified!"

The crowd fell silent and then began to line up obediently.

Seeing that everyone in the group was carrying several large sacks on their shoulders, Lin Chuan stood up and said loudly, "The academy will provide uniforms and a canteen, so you don't need to bring too many clothes or food!"

Just bring a blanket, a basin, and some underwear!

You don't need to bring too much money. The academy has a day off every seven days, and the food in the academy cafeteria is inexpensive. Besides the cafeteria, there are no other places to spend money!

The first in line was Qin Gui, the captain of the Right Guard's vanguard. Upon hearing Lin Chuan's words, he awkwardly put down the sack on his shoulder, took a smaller one from the middle, and handed it to Lin Chuan, respectfully saying, "Lord Lin, this is your tuition fee, sir. Please don't think it's too little!"

Lin Chuan opened it and glanced at it. It wasn't anything particularly valuable, so he accepted it, smiling and saying, "Then I'll accept it on behalf of the other gentlemen!"

Qin Gui was relieved and took the satchel off his shoulder, smiling obsequiously as he asked Lin Chuan, "Sir, is the tuition and miscellaneous fees of two strings of cash enough? Or should I pay an extra ten strings?"

"Two strings are the same standard! It was set by His Majesty. Why don't you write a memorial to His Majesty and ask him to change it?" Lin Chuan said irritably.

Qin Gui shook his head sheepishly, pulled his son, who was as strong as a calf, behind him, and slapped him hard on the head without any politeness, saying, word by word, "Once you enter the academy, whatever County Magistrate Lin and the teacher say goes. If you dare to be lazy or talk back, I'll break your legs when we get back!"

"Alright, what's the name?"

"Qin Ergou!"

"————" Lin Chuan paused, holding the pen, and wrote the two characters "Qin Er Gou" on the paper.

The first batch of students totaled two hundred. The registration took more than an hour, and it was just noon when the students and their fathers, who had just finished registering, were taken to the academy's canteen.

As the group arrived at the cafeteria, a rich aroma filled their nostrils.

The head of the canteen was a eunuch named Zhang Liuzi, who was in his forties. He was sent by Zhang Anan, and his twenty or so subordinates were all elderly eunuchs.

Lin Chuan had sent someone yesterday to inform them to prepare more food. When Zhang Liuzi saw Lin Chuan, he respectfully greeted him: "Lord Lin!"

Lin Chuan glanced at the buckets of tenderly stewed pork and the steaming millet rice, and knew that Zhang Liuzi had prepared thoroughly. He nodded approvingly, "Well done!"

"It's all just my duty! It's nothing to praise you for, Lord Lin!" Zhang Liuzi said respectfully.

"Get them their food first!" Lin Chuan waved his hand and shouted to the crowd behind him, "Line up!"

Lin Chuan also made a copy for himself. The teachers had not all arrived yet. Apart from Yan Wencheng and the two Wang brothers, who were acquainted with Lin Chuan, the others had come through Yan Xiangshi's introduction. Although they had some doubts about Lin Chuan's behavior, they still straightened their clothes and lined up at the back of the queue.

The variety of food was limited: a large bowl of millet rice, a bowl of broth with a few pieces of meat, and a small bowl of boiled dried vegetables. It wasn't that Lin Chuan was stingy with money, but the weather had just started to warm up, and the vegetables had just been planted and hadn't been harvested yet, so they could only make do with boiled dried vegetables.

Moreover, such meals were not available every day; they usually only ate millet rice, and meat was only served as an extra meal.

Holding his meal, Lin Chuan sat at a table with Yan Wencheng and the Wang brothers. He tasted a piece of meat, then shook his head and said with a smile to the other three, "I'll have to ask my Ninth and Twelfth Aunts to teach them how to cook another day!"

"Xiao Chuan, this meal is already very good!" Yan Wencheng said with a wry smile.

"Uncle Wencheng, you've misunderstood. It's still the same dishes, it's just that my family makes them a little better!" Lin Chuan said with a smile.

"Lin Dalang, won't it cause problems if we keep these students locked up in the academy for seven days?" Wang Dalang asked softly.

"Is there a problem?"

Lin Chuan chuckled and said softly, "Brother Wang, you've seen the schedule, haven't you? The academy has four classes a day, each lasting one hour. They practice in the morning and have self-study in the evening! If they still have time to think about other things, then they should say the course intensity isn't enough!"

"Tsk!"

Wang Dalang sighed in admiration, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Lin Chuan, and then began to eat the rice in front of him.

After the meal, Lin Chuan personally led a group of students and the tough soldiers to check the dormitories and classrooms that had been assigned to the students.

Gewu Academy was not officially run, so it was built entirely according to Lin Chuan's ideas. In addition to dormitories, canteens, bathhouses, there was also a huge training ground.

After the dormitories and classrooms were assigned in the afternoon, Lin Chuan had textbooks brought over and distributed them.

Some soldiers were initially dissatisfied with the academy charging two strings of cash each semester, but upon seeing the thick stack of books in their son's hands, they silently cursed themselves.

You might not be able to buy this stack of books even if you spent ten strings of cash outside.

After arranging most of the miscellaneous tasks, it was already evening when Lin Chuan arrived at the barracks on one side of the academy gate.

This was built specifically for the academy's guard team.

The academy's guard team is not only responsible for the academy's arrangements, but also for the students' training, so the selection of personnel cannot be taken lightly.

Li Shimin agreed to make the arrangements, and Lin Chuan didn't interfere anymore. He simply greeted the people when he saw them in the morning, and only then did he have time to come over and talk about the work of the guard team.

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Su Lie strode out of the barracks and bowed to Lin Chuan, saying, "Greetings, Lord Lin!"

When Lin Chuan heard Su Lie introduce himself that morning, he was stunned for a long time. He had been asked by Li Shimin to send Su Lie to be the captain of the guard at the academy.

This is truly a waste of talent, and I don't know what Li Shimin was thinking.

In terms of official rank, Su Lie was a Zhechong Duwei, a fourth-rank official position, three ranks higher than Lin Chuan.

However, official positions are not entirely determined by rank. The fourth-rank Zhechong Duwei is only slightly higher in rank than the fifth-rank Taizi Zhongyun and Bingbu Silangzhong. Moreover, Lin Chuan also holds a noble title, so Su Lie does not dare to act like a superior in front of Lin Chuan.

"Greetings, Commandant Su!" Lin Chuan returned the greeting politely, then explained somewhat surprisedly, "Because I also need to be in charge of the students' daily drills, I asked His Majesty to send someone skilled in training. I didn't expect His Majesty to send Commandant Su. It's truly a waste of his talents to have him do this!"

Su Lie was somewhat embarrassed. He had followed Dou Jiande and Liu Heita before returning to his hometown to live in seclusion after Liu Heita's defeat and death.

After Li Shimin ascended the throne, he did not want to live an ordinary life, so Su Lie sought Li Jing's help to obtain the position of Commandant of the General's Office.

When I was with Dou Jiande and Liu Heita, I won a few battles against the Tang army. Now, I've only been in the position of Commandant of the Garrison Command for less than half a year. Apart from occasionally training troops, I haven't had any opportunities to display my talents.

"Lord Lin is here as a teacher, so what's wrong with me being a guard captain? Lord Lin is too kind. It's just that these kids don't look like soldiers. How should we train them? Please give me your instructions, Lord Lin!" Su Lie said with a smile.

"The reason we need to train them is twofold: first, to improve their physical fitness, and second, to give them a basic understanding of warfare. However, their primary task is still studying, so we shouldn't overtrain them!" Lin Chuan said.

"I understand!" Su Lie nodded.

After chatting with Su Lie for a while, Lin Chuan said goodbye and left to find Yan Wencheng.

Yan Wencheng is the vice dean of the academy and he cares a lot about the academy's affairs. He has already stayed at the academy tonight.

Students share a dormitory room with more than ten people, while teachers have a separate small courtyard with three rooms. Although it is not spacious, it is more than enough for a family of three.

Lin Chuan arrived at the small courtyard where Yan Wencheng lived. Yan Wencheng was tidying up the house, so Lin Chuan had to pick up a broom and help sweep the floor.

After tidying up the courtyard, the two went to the cafeteria together.

Walking along the road, Yan Wencheng suddenly asked, "When the academy opens, there's no worship of ancient sages or teachers, no welcoming of gods or offerings! Only the ceremony of bowing to the teacher—isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

"Uncle Wencheng, I established the Gewu Academy to give students the courage to explore the principles of heaven and earth. I am becoming your disciple to express my gratitude to you for teaching and imparting knowledge to me!"

"As for welcoming the gods and offering sacrifices, I don't think the academy should teach students such illusory things!" Lin Chuan said softly.

"Fine!" Yan Wencheng nodded with a wry smile.

Lin Chuan didn't continue the topic, but instead asked with a smile, "Yesterday I met a scholar from the Imperial Academy named Xu Shuya outside the Ministry of War. Uncle Wencheng, have you heard of him?"

"Xu Shuya? Of course I know him. He is good at studying the classics. Although he is a bit stubborn, he is not a bad person. Xiao Chuan, did you offend him?" Yan Wencheng asked in surprise.

"I didn't offend him, but he scolded me—" Lin Chuan recounted what Xu Shuya had said to Yan Wencheng.

"He probably didn't have any other intentions, and I'm afraid he's not the only one who thinks this way!" Yan Wencheng sighed softly.

"Who cares what they think!"

Lin Chuan smiled indifferently. He established the academy to plant a seed for the Tang Dynasty, not to compete with anyone.