I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

"You only donated one thousand taels?"

A young man in fine clothes glanced sideways at his companion, his face full of disdain.

"Is your family so poor that you can't even afford to eat?"

The man, who had been proud of donating a thousand taels, blushed instantly upon hearing this.

He immediately summoned the accountant to his side.

"Change it! Change one thousand taels to ten thousand taels!"

After saying that, he felt it wasn't dignified enough, so he gritted his teeth and added another sentence.

"Add another five hundred bolts of cotton cloth and ten cartloads of charcoal for winter!"

Civil officials dismounted from their sedan chairs, and military officials dismounted from their horses.

The weight of these eight words cannot be measured in silver.

During the reign of Emperor Yong, officials were highly regarded while commoners were looked down upon, and merchants held an even lower social status.

Even if someone is extremely wealthy, they still have to bow respectfully when they see a seventh-rank county magistrate.

Yet a monument commemorating merits, standing outside the south gate of the capital, could command the respect of passing civil and military officials.

This signifies that the person inscribed on the monument was recognized by the imperial court and was a righteous merchant who had contributed to the country.

In the future, when their descendants are considering marriage, enrolling in school, or even dealing with government officials, they will have more confidence.

The madam, having served countless customers in the red-light district for years, knew people's hearts best.

She immediately closed the original ledger, turned around and ordered, "Bring out all the spare pens and ink from the building. Names, places of origin, business names, and donation amounts must all be recorded; nothing can be omitted."

Six long tables were quickly set up.

Everyone swarmed over.

"The previous three thousand taels don't count; I'll add another twenty thousand!"

"Brother Guo, your family owns eighteen cloth shops in Jiangnan, yet you only contribute 20,000 taels of silver. How dare you put your name before mine?"

"Who said I'm only offering 20,000? I'll add another 30,000!"

"My family will contribute 100,000 taels of silver, plus 2,000 shi of grain!"

Some people took out silver notes on the spot, some sent their attendants back to the mansion to ask the head of the household for instructions, and some took off their seals from their waists and stamped them directly on the donation agreement.

Those who were most afraid of spending money before are now the most anxious.

If someone else contributes 100,000, but he only contributes 10,000, their names will be engraved on the same monument, which will be visible to everyone entering and leaving the capital.

No one will praise him for being thrifty; they'll just ask him one question.

Is their family going to go bankrupt?

The abacus beads clicked and clattered, like a sudden rainstorm falling on a sea of ​​gold and silver.

The two accountants were sweating profusely from their busy work, and the madam brought in four more people from the counter.

Shishi also sat down behind the table, rolled up her moon-white sleeves, and checked the contracts one by one.

Half an hour later, the donation pledge documents on the table had piled up into several thick stacks.

Su Bo'an checked the account book three times with the abacus before handing it to Lu Yuan.

"Your Highness, the silver notes, grain, medicine, cotton cloth, and carriages have all been converted into cash, totaling 7,360,000 taels."

A collective gasp filled the hall.

Even Lu Yuan glanced at the account book a couple more times.

These spoiled brats are indeed rolling in money.

When asked to provide disaster relief for the imperial court, they would go on and on about national laws and ancestral rules, and then about their eighty-year-old grandmothers, as if they couldn't wait to prove that if they contributed even a single extra penny, their whole family would have to beg on the streets the next day.

Now, if you give them a monument, they'd practically hand over the warehouse keys.

Liang San Niang came down from the second floor and stopped beside Lu Yuan.

She leaned slightly forward and lowered her voice, saying, "Over seven million taels of silver, aren't you afraid they'll go back on their word after they get home?"

A few strands of hair slipped from her ears, almost brushing against Lu Yuan's shoulder.

Lu Yuan turned his head to look at her, then unconsciously took a step back.

"The names, business names, and seals have all been registered. If anyone changes their mind, I will have their name engraved separately."

"What should I carve?"

"The Top Ten Untrustworthy Merchants in Beijing"

Liang San Niang paused for a moment, then pursed her lips.

This person is so mean.

A monument of merit is erected in front, and a monument of shame is erected behind.

If we have any pride, we'll sell everything we own to send over the donated items.

When she looked at Lu Yuan, there was a hint of inquiry in her eyes that she herself was unaware of.

The Crown Prince of Dayong and the dissolute playboy described by the delegation officials seem to be completely different people.

Lu Yuan had already closed the ledger and was scanning the crowd below.

These young masters were very generous and their families owned many businesses, but most of them did not hold official positions.

They couldn't inherit the titles, couldn't understand the eight-legged essay, and couldn't earn military merit, so they could only spend their days in taverns and brothels.

They're all so poor they only have money left.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to announce."

The people who had been vying for the most money donations inside the accounting room quickly moved to the area below the platform.

"I intend to establish a royal academy."

Lu Yuan gently placed the folding fan in his palm. "The academy doesn't teach the eight-legged essay; it mainly teaches mathematics, law, agriculture, water conservancy, construction, medicine, and military logistics."

Anyone who pays tuition can enroll.

A portly young man pushed his way to the front and asked疑惑地问道, "Your Highness, what's the use of learning all this?"

"To repair river embankments, you need people who understand water conservancy; to manage warehouses, you need people who know how to do accounting; and to build workshops, you need people who know how to construct."

Lu Yuan looked at everyone.

"After you pass the graduation assessment, you will also need to participate in the assessments of various ministries. Those who pass the assessments can take a trial appointment in the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Justice, the Imperial Medical Academy, and local government offices."

The fat young man's eyes lit up.

"Can he become an official?"

"There are official positions and also clerk positions."

"Those who perform well will be promoted, and those who don't will be dismissed. The academy only looks at ability, not background."

The crowd was quiet for two breaths, then surged toward the long table for registration.

Many of them had already been abandoned by their families.

Even if there is a noble title in the family, it is not their turn to inherit it.

The imperial examination essays looked like gibberish, and no matter how rich one was, people would still just call him a playboy.

Nowadays, as long as you learn a practical skill, you will have the opportunity to work for the imperial court. Who would want to miss this opportunity?

"Your Highness, how much is the tuition?"

Can I graduate in one year?

"Is arithmetic difficult? I've had a headache with account books since I was a child."

"I know how to treat horses, can I get into the Imperial Hospital?"

Lu Yuan held up his folding fan and pointed at the last person.

"The Imperial Medical Academy treats patients, while the Imperial Stud is in charge of horses."

"First, we need to figure out how many government offices there are in the Great Yong Dynasty. Otherwise, once we get in, we won't be able to govern the people, but we'll be able to fatten up the emperor's horses."

"I'll appoint you as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses later."

A burst of laughter came from all around.

Lu Yuan established the rules in front of everyone.

The first term of study at the Royal Academy lasted one year, and each family's child needed to pay a tuition fee of 20,000 taels.

After passing the entrance exam, impoverished students had to cover their own expenses for food, clothing, and paper.

Tuition fees are non-refundable if applicants withdraw midway through the program.

If you fail the graduation assessment, you cannot enter the government office.

Even after passing the academy's assessment, one still needs to undergo a second examination by the Six Ministries and local government officials.

If anyone engages in favoritism or malpractice, both teachers and students will be punished.

These regulations are very strict, but the number of people registering is still increasing.

Standing outside the crowd, Liang San Niang watched the young men scrambling for the registration forms, a different look in her eyes.

When selecting officials, the Northern Liang Dynasty placed greater emphasis on tribe and bloodline.

Even if a nobleman's son lacks talent, he can still obtain an important position.

However, Lu Yuan wanted to bring skills such as mathematics, water conservancy, and medicine to the academy and select people based on their academic performance.

If he really succeeds, how many more capable officials will the Dayong court have?

After putting down the account book, Shishi walked up to Lu Yuan.

The silver hairpin in her hair reflected the lamplight, and the old jade pendant at her waist swayed gently as she walked.

"Your Highness just said that the academy doesn't care about background?"

"good."

"What about the woman?"

People who were just scrambling for registration forms stopped what they were doing.

Lu Yuan met Shi Shi's gaze, his tone calm.

"Women can also take the test, as long as they pass the assessment."

Shishi's fingers pressed gently on the edge of her sleeve.

She paused for a moment, then asked, "Is it also acceptable to use government-run prostitutes?"

This time, the entire Poetry Pavilion fell silent.

The madam looked at Shishi, and the maids held their breath.

Shishi was confiscated by the government at the age of three. Although she was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and could dance for disaster victims all night long, in the eyes of the world, she was still just an official prostitute who could not leave the red-light district.

Lu Yuan did not avoid her gaze.

"What I mean is that I don't care about your background."

He paused, his voice carrying throughout the hall.

"Regardless of wealth, social status, or gender."

It was as if a light had been lit in Shishi's eyes.

She opened her mouth, about to ask another question, when the door of Shiyunlou was suddenly pushed open.

A night breeze swept into the hall, making the registration forms on the table rustle.

Several officials dressed in blue robes crossed the threshold. The one in the lead had a thin face and was carrying a memorial from the Censorate.

He glanced at the merchants filling the hall, then at the banknotes and registration documents on the table, his expression growing increasingly grim.

The next moment, he raised his hand and pointed at Lu Yuan.

"absurd!"

"The Crown Prince is privately opening academies and offering official positions to people in exchange for money; this is clearly selling official posts and titles!"