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

The scholar was still holding the torn-up admission brochure in his hand.

Young Master Liu had already gone inside, but after hearing the noise outside, he led a few people back.

Who are you?

"The Royal Academy is opening today, who gave you the right to block the door?"

The scholar ignored him and only looked at Lu Yuan.

"Student Zheng Jingnian, a Juren (successful candidate in the provincial examination) in the thirteenth year of the Jinghe era."

"The students are not here to vandalize the academy, nor are they here to oppose His Highness's teaching of mathematics and water conservancy."

"If Your Highness is willing to teach, then please do so."

"But these people don't study the classics, nor do they take the imperial examinations. What makes them qualified to enter the court and become officials?"

As soon as he spoke, the scholars who had only come to join the fun all stopped in their tracks.

The Royal Academy is just a big accounting office; they were just laughing at the Royal Academy.

Now, however, they can't laugh anymore.

What to teach is the Crown Prince's business.

But becoming an official is something for all scholars in the world.

Lu Yuan looked around.

"Who says that officials must be able to write in the eight-legged essay style?"

Zheng Jingnian frowned and said, "Since ancient times, when selecting talents, we have first looked at their virtue, and then their abilities. The classic teachings of sages are loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness, which are the foundation of being an official."

"Mathematics can teach people to calculate money, and water conservancy can teach people to repair rivers, but if a person does not know shame or the proper relationship between ruler and subject, then no matter how great his abilities are, the harm he will cause will be even greater."

Lu Yuan originally thought the other party was there to protect their job.

Hearing this, I glanced at him again.

This person isn't just being unreasonable.

At least what he said made sense.

"Then I will ask you that too."

Lu Yuan pointed to the course sign which read "Water Conservancy".

"The Yellow River has breached its banks, and 100,000 people are waiting to plug the breach."

"One person can calculate the water flow, another can build dikes, and yet another can recite Mencius backwards."

"Who do you choose to go?"

Zheng Jingnian immediately replied, "Naturally, those who understand water conservancy should be employed to manage the river."

"Isn't that all?"

"But he can serve as a clerk or a craftsman; he shouldn't be ranked alongside scholars who passed the imperial examinations as an official!"

Why?

"Because officials do more than one thing!"

Zheng Jingnian stepped forward, "Today you manage the river, tomorrow you may be a shepherd. With power in your hands, you have the power of life and death."

"If one does not first understand the principles of sages and virtuous men, how can one know what money is right to be taken and what money is wrong to be taken, what life is right to be taken and what life is wrong to be taken?"

This remark drew cheers from many people nearby.

Young Master Liu was somewhat unconvinced. "According to you, reading the Four Books and Five Classics will prevent one from being greedy?"

Someone in the crowd immediately objected.

"If there are scoundrels among scholars, are there no bad apples among merchants and warriors?"

"It is precisely because people can go astray that we need to teach them!"

The two sides quickly started arguing.

What started as a few dozen Confucian scholars watching has unknowingly grown to over a hundred.

The news is still spreading.

After hearing the news that "graduates of the Royal Academy can become officials," even students from the academy rushed over.

Lu Yuan raised his hand to stop his people.

"Don't make a sound!"

"I have never said that the Four Books and Five Classics are useless."

"What I'm saying is, it's not the only thing that's useful."

He picked up the wooden sign on the course board that read "Agricultural Administration".

"When ordinary people farm, officials don't even know how much to sow per acre. When disaster strikes, all they can do is ask people to pray for rain."

"If the warehouse is empty and the official in charge doesn't even know how to keep accounts, the lower-level clerks can treat him like a fool and make fun of him."

"If you don't look at a map or know the supply lines when you're fighting a war, and you write a eulogy after 100,000 people die, then you're considered an official."

"I don't want an official like that."

Zheng Jing's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Does Your Highness mean that you consider the teachings of sages and worthies to be useless knowledge?"

"Is there something wrong with your ears?"

Lu Yuan laughed in exasperation: "I'm saying it's not that it's useless, but that we can't rely on just this one thing."

"An official must have good moral character and strong abilities."

"You can't just stand on the edge of the field and recite 'A gentleman remains steadfast in poverty' after the people have starved to death, and consider that the matter done."

Someone in the crowd wanted to laugh, but held it in.

But Zheng Jingnian did not back down.

"Then why doesn't Your Highness allow them to study the classics and participate in the imperial examinations?"

Lu Yuan's answer was also very direct.

"Because the imperial examination system was too slow and its scope was too narrow."

"The court is currently lacking capable people."

"The Royal Academy is another path."

Zheng Jing's face had turned cold.

"Another way?"

"The student studied hard for 27 years, and his father sold 18 acres of land passed down from his ancestors to support his education."

"The student failed the imperial examination seven times before finally passing it at the age of forty-three."

"There are many people in the world just like students."

"Today, His Highness said 'another path,' and these people who have only studied mathematics for a few years can become officials. What about the twenty or thirty years we've spent?"

"And Your Highness, if someone has moral flaws, is wielding great power a blessing or a curse for the people?"

Lu Yuan did not immediately refute.

Because this cannot be dismissed with a simple "pedantic" label.

No matter how bad the old system was, some people would still risk their entire lives.

Now they have to forge a new path for themselves, while all they see is the path they've walked for most of their lives, which suddenly seems worthless.

But Lu Yuan will not stop because of this.

"Consider it your own choice."

"The imperial court selects officials not to compensate those who have studied for a long time."

"It's to make people's lives better."

"As for moral character, I will make my own judgment."

Zheng Jingnian's eyes reddened. "If Your Highness insists on doing this, then I will not accept it."

After he finished speaking, he sat down directly at the entrance of the Royal Academy.

The scholars who had passed the imperial examinations and those who had passed the county-level examinations looked at each other and then sat down as well.

Lu Yuan did not stop them, and the number of people at the scene quickly increased from dozens to hundreds.

Many people also walked from both sides of the long street.

They don't bang on doors, they don't swear, and they don't beat up Royal Academy students.

Just sitting there.

The college gates were completely blocked.

Young Master Liu was dumbfounded. "Your Highness, are these people real?"

Lu Yuan was also getting annoyed.

"Where is Commander He?"

"Maintaining order outside the venue."

"Tell him to bring his men."

Before long, armored soldiers lined up at the academy gate.

He Shen ordered his soldiers to use their sword sheaths and shields to clear the way.

"The Royal Academy is opening by imperial decree!"

"All irrelevant personnel, get out of the way immediately!"

However, after he finished speaking, no one got up to leave.

Zheng Jingnian sat at the very front, his back ramrod straight.

He Shen called out again.

The people in the back row also started to respond.

"Your Highness, please rescind your order!"

"The Royal Academy must respect sages and select talent fairly!"

The crowd's voices became increasingly unified.

Lu Yuan walked down the steps with a gloomy face.

"The last time."

"Give Way."

Zheng Jingnian looked up at him and said, forcing a smile, "The student won't allow it."

"If Your Highness believes that the students have violated the law, you may arrest them."

"If you think the students deserve to die, then you can kill them."

He raised his neck slightly.

"But the students cannot give way to this path today."

Hundreds of scholars behind them spoke at the same time.

"We can't let them!"

Lu Yuan stared at them for a few moments, then reached out and drew a long sword from He Shen's waist.

The blade is drawn.

But the crowd did not disperse.

Lu Yuan carried the knife and walked down the last step.

"I really don't believe it."

"There are people in this world who wouldn't even give up their lives."