Chapter Fifty-One: Wearing Thorny Vines

  "Why are you looking at me?" Pan Lian'er said with a guilty conscience, in the rumored bloody love triangle, she was the most innocent, this little girl was the most pitiful, all because of that bad person. Pan Lian'er dragged Song Wei's daughter and took several other close friends to "escape" by pulling their legs.

  "Hurray!"

  A group of second-generation ancestors who want to watch a good show shouted loudly, very dissatisfied with Pan Lian'er's "weakness".

  Song Jiu was the most embarrassed. He wanted to push Yu Ping's hand away, but he couldn't bear to do so. So he shifted his target: "I'll treat you all to a drink."

  Let the students disperse and go back, but Song Jiu looked at Dr. Yan and Dr. Zhang with some worry. These two doctors have been almost frantic from yesterday evening to now. In the morning, they were excused from class, and in the afternoon, they took twenty students to their new house to make a fuss. The two doctors stayed at Song's house drinking tea until evening. They wanted to teach, but it didn't conform to Song Jiu's original intention. This open-air education caused such a big stir, which was beyond Song Jiu's expectation. His intention was not to cause a stir, but to let more people recognize a few characters, and then expand recruitment to select talents. It wasn't about educating from scratch, but rather having many literate people would change the impression of the common people in the capital city. This good intention is undeniable. Another goal was to promote arithmetic and Arabic numerals. With them, arithmetic can be simplified, and with simplified arithmetic, physics and chemistry will become possible. This intention has two purposes: one for personal reasons and the other for the country.

  But who acknowledges?

  Yan Zhang also does not acknowledge that with them around, the focus has become the classics, Thousand Character Text, Analects of Confucius! It's still the same old stuff from thousands of years ago.

  Three people have worked together for a long time, Song Jiu has both hatred and love for the two doctors, with their rigid educational style, dogma, stubbornness, and old-fashioned ways, but they are upright, honest, and diligent. It's likely that Zhao Kuangyin chose them because of their moral integrity, thinking they wouldn't put too much pressure on Song Jiu and those poor kids from the river, intentionally selecting them to come over.

  It seems like I'll have to negotiate with them properly next time.

  Dozens of people dispersed after getting drunk.

  The next morning, Song Jiu woke up with a headache, the aftereffect of drinking too much wine. He dazedly opened the door, drank a bowl of well water, and was even too lazy to make breakfast, relying on Zhu San to make noodles. Zhu San couldn't do it well, and Song Jiu complained while eating.

  Zhu San endured Song Jiu's nagging, struggling to eat the noodles he made himself. He also found it strange that compared to Song Jiu's baozi, shaomai, youtiao, spring rolls, jianbing, and mantou, which were all relatively easy to make, why did the flavor change when using a different hand?

  Song Jiuren couldn't bear it anymore and patted Zhu San's shoulder, saying: "Brother Zhu, you eat well yourself."

  Ran outside to the snack shop to buy buns and came back to chew, at least better than eating Zhu San's porridge. Two doctors and students arrived one after another, just then Zhao Kuangyi brought ten disciples with tables and chairs to Song's house. Song Jiudou didn't even bother to greet them, but asked: "Second King, so soon? Why did you come in person?"

  "This won't do, you sly kid. Who knows what might happen again? I must warn you, this matter can't be taken lightly. The contradictions between the people of the two rivers have been going on for a long time, and it's given me a headache. If this is done well, it will be a good opportunity to resolve the contradictions between the people of the two rivers."

  "So it was like that."

  "You said a sentence, complicated doesn't necessarily mean complicated, simple doesn't necessarily mean simple. Some things look big but aren't that big in reality, some things look small but aren't that small in reality."

  "Thank you for teaching me."

  "Don't put on a smiling face, I sent someone to pick ten students last night and made guarantees to them, otherwise no one would dare come. Once they arrive at your school, you must treat them well. If the official hears that your students bully them, it will be you who is held responsible."

  "So they did something wrong?"

  "Reward for doing right, punish for doing wrong, but reward and punishment must be fair."

  "Two kings, it's a bit difficult," Song Jiu furrowed his brow and said. Like when he was young and in school, there were still fights in the class. These youngsters are at an impulsive age, all being disciples of the River Sect, sometimes they can't avoid having some conflicts. If he could manage the classroom, how could he manage outside the academy?

  "So I have come here especially."

  Song Jiuxin stroked his small goatee and said, "Second Master Wang, I can only promise to try my best, but I don't dare guarantee anything else."

  "You just need to work hard and you can do it. Although you are cunning, you have indeed done no harm to the people of Hebei, they may not say it out loud, but in their hearts, they are grateful for your kindness. This is not only a matter of the imperial court, but also a matter of yours, Song Jiu. If you can make Hebei into a great Hebei, then even if the imperial court doesn't care, they will have to care eventually, this is an important place in the capital! But since your disciples from Hebei have also benefited from you, then it's not just about gathering people from Hebei, but about being a good master who teaches without discrimination, do you understand?"

  "Second King, I am not as unbearable as you think. In the future, I plan to build a college, and at that time, I will recruit students from all over, not just from the river... Second King, that tomb."

  "Grave, is it as simple as you think? Have you heard of the story of Emperor Xianfeng's flat grave?"

  "What's the point of having a tomb?"

  "In that year, Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty saw that the capital city was overcrowded and had the imperial horse racing around the city to determine its outer wall boundary. However, many people opposed this plan for three reasons: first, it would cause financial losses; second, many civilian homes would be demolished, which might lead to discontent among the people; third, a large number of graves in the outer city area would need to be relocated and reburied, which would disturb the rest of the deceased. As expected, Emperor Taizu encountered resistance from the people and issued an edict to flatten the graves. Do you understand?"

  "I understand, 'ping' in 'ping tian xia' carries a meaning of conquest, this is forced relocation of tombs."

  "It was a forced relocation of tombs, otherwise it would not have been successful. Emperor Taizong even deliberately explained to the people that near the capital city, there were many disturbances and complaints about the removal of graves. I myself took responsibility for this, and later it will be beneficial to the people. He repeatedly issued several edicts explaining this matter and apologized to the people again and again. Even so, at that time, it still caused a lot of controversy and was recorded by historians as "Xian De Ping Fen" (平坟 means relocating tombs)."

  "Is that so?" Song Jiu was a bit dizzy, in his opinion, the Zhao brothers would issue another decree and everything would be resolved. He remembered when they moved graves in their previous life, officials issued an order and excavators came, protests from the people were useless, anyone who dared to move forward would be crushed to death. Moreover, this was a feudal era, yet the emperor apologized repeatedly, could it be that the feudal era was more advanced than later generations? Song Jiu couldn't understand.

  "At that time, the capital was indeed overcrowded, which is a good thing for the benefit of all generations. It's so difficult, but now, how can this official explain to the people?"

  "Second Great King, come here." The bet was not easy to say, and Zhao Kuangyi pulled him aside. Song Jiu said: "Second Great King, it's not a small matter. I went to Hebei and saw many situations. Many areas are vast and sparsely populated, with tens of miles of roads without seeing a single household. There is no land crisis, no population pressure. Moreover, our dynasty has good governance, and the current tax revenue is estimated to be more than two-thirds of that during the Tianbao period."

  "It's even more than that."

  "Why do the common people have no pressure, but the Tang Dynasty has too many tax-exempt people? The more powerful and wealthy they are, the less taxes they pay. Although the tax burden appears to be light, it is actually borne by 90% of the poor people, whose wealth accounts for only 1% of the country's total. The state seems to collect little tax, but the common people bear a heavy burden. My dynasty is different, with taxes distributed evenly. Although the tax burden appears heavy, the actual pressure on the common people is not great. This is now, but in the future, as the population grows, land will become increasingly scarce, and mergers and acquisitions will become more severe. The number of poor people will increase, the proportion of tenant farmers will rise, and the number of tax-exempt nobles will also increase, possibly repeating the mistakes of the Tang Dynasty."

  "Our dynasty values commerce, with a low tax rate, there are business taxes and monopoly taxes."

  "Is the exclusive focus on actual harm to civilians, or is it also about harming small and medium-sized merchants? It's not surprising that commercial taxes are detrimental to them. To make the country prosperous, large households, officials, and wealthy individuals must take the lead in paying taxes, and taxation should be based on income, in order to eliminate the ills of the Tang Dynasty. I have developed the rivers and lakes, which seems like a small matter, but is actually a big deal."

  "Big, big your ghost head!" Zhao Kuangyi scolded with a smile: "It's not that I don't agree, but you have to take out some things, otherwise this official won't dare to move people's graves, let alone 'flatten the graves'."

  "Got it, the two great kings, I understand," Like Zhao Pu, he wouldn't release the hawk without seeing the rabbit. But what Zhao Kuangyi said about Chai Rong apologizing for the tomb of Xian De was still not quite believable to him.

  But Song Jiu had to admit that the country was making slow progress, Qin abolished the enfeoffment system, the country could unify, the Han Dynasty began to realize the importance of governing with leniency, the Sui and Tang Dynasties established the imperial examination system, gradually selecting commoners into the top of the pyramid, the Song Dynasty's hereditary officials gradually disappeared, although there were tenant farmers, servants, and slaves, they all had a certain degree of personal freedom. However, this progress was too slow, and he didn't know how to speed it up. It was like the matter of leveling graves, his own thoughts were simple, but the reality was not that simple. Could he say that the current system is bad? If he applied later generations' systems to the present, it might lead to big trouble.

  Zhao Kuangyi looked at Song Jiu and fell into deep thought, involuntarily shaking his head.

  Song Jiu has talent and emotions, but not in the system, nor in governing the people. There is no expectation that he can come up with anything. Look at Dr. Zhang Yan arranging ten students. They came without any foundation, and could only be arranged to study in the poor-performing Class B. A few students had to be transferred from Class B to Class A. However, their progress would definitely not keep up. Song Jiu's "big river" ideology is unknown, but two doctors have no "big river" ideology at all, treating everyone equally. They also found a few more gentle and obedient students to help the ten Hebei students with their studies in their spare time.

  Zhao Kuangyi asked: "Song Jiu, will you teach physical education or arithmetic?"

  "Arithmetic."

  "I'll listen too."

  "Second Master Wang, did you hear that?"

  "Can't you hear?"

  "Can hear, can hear." Song Jiudao said that it's best if they come together to listen and learn, develop an interest in mathematics, and then spread the word. This will be more effective than taking any action on their own.

  The two were talking when they suddenly stared at each other with wide eyes.

  More people came, the people who came were not strange, but what they did was very strange. Ten students had thorns tied to their backs with rope, it was real, tightly bound, some of the thorns even pierced into their skin, and a few drops of blood seeped out. Zhao Kuangyi asked: "Who are they..."

  "They were ten students who left."

  Zhao Kuangyi immediately came to the door, Song Jiu and Yu Ping, Pan Lian'er's complicated relationship, he didn't want to stay on the sidelines, it was too bloody, this is a grand occasion, must be seen.

  Song Jiu also arrived at the door and saw him, ten students knelt down and said: "Mr. Nine, we were wrong."

  Zhao Kuangyi thought carefully and understood that Song Jiu's small abacus might not be as good as it seemed on the surface. This kid had a heavy private heart, but indeed was not bad to the people of Hezhong. The open-air education made the people of Hezhong feel grateful towards him. Ten students left without regard for his one-year limit, but their families were in Hezhong, and under this circumstance, they would face pressure. Thinking deeply, Song Jiu seemed to have done everything with benevolence and righteousness, not receiving any tuition fees, only getting some red envelopes from the laborers, or paying Zhu San a monthly salary of five guans, then haggling with him over books, brushes, paper, and ink. This was the burden shared by the laborers of Hezhong, Song Jiu, and the imperial court for this bookshed. The ten students' forced departure was not right; even if they found a new patron, their study time was short, and their knowledge was limited. In the future, the patron would use this knowledge to test their loyalty, and if it was not enough, they might be driven away. Returning to the shore was an inevitable choice, a wise choice.

  This is a profound thought, with a superficial meaning that is not trivial. It can even be taken as an example of moralization. It also has benefits for the imperial court; if things continue like this, how many people will be left after a year? It's suspicious. The matter has come out, and Zhao Kuangyi is curious about not just ten scholars, but rather he doesn't speak, instead watching how Song Jiu handles it.