kingnovel Chapter 1260 General Outline for One Year
Chapter 1260 General Outline for One Year
At 3:45 AM, Balezhan arrived at the government office.
He first greeted Shen Zheng eagerly, then approached Xu Yunyan with a series of excited groans: "Lord Xu, I knew you were blessed with good fortune and would be safe..."
Although he didn't find the red thorn grass sap, to be honest—it's good that he's alright.
Before Chenshi (7-9 AM), the county magistrates arrived at the government office one after another, greeting Shen Zheng and Yu Shizhang, and then in the same way inquiring about Xu Yunyan's health.
The last person to arrive was Yin Wencai.
It wasn't that he was being arrogant, nor that he wasn't proactive in discussions; it was simply that his carriage broke down halfway there.
He went into town by oxcart.
Seeing the straw hanging on his sleeve, Shen Zheng advised him again, "The carriage... should be replaced if it needs to be replaced."
Yin Wencai nodded immediately, saying he would think about it when he got back, but in his heart he was still stubbornly thinking, "The frame can be repaired and reused."
At 1:15 AM, the sky was bright, and everyone gathered in the council hall.
Shen Zheng sat upright in the main seat and began: "I'm sure you all know the contents of yesterday's proclamation. Perhaps some of you think I acted 'first and reported later,' informing the people before summoning you to the government office for discussion. Therefore, I want to make a statement here... Popularizing education benefits thousands of students and people in the government, and it is a long-term plan for both the country and the family. On this matter, you should all be of one mind with me, put it into practice, and do our duty without hesitation."
Ba Lezhan opened his mouth, about to chime in, when Shen Zheng said, "In other words, regardless of whether you agree with my decision, as long as you are still the magistrates of Liuyang Prefecture, you must implement this policy without any slackening!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ba Lezhan stared intently at Shen Zheng's mouth.
Seeing that Shen Zheng truly had nothing more to say, he immediately clapped his hands and loudly declared, "Your Excellency is right! This humble official absolutely supports Your Excellency's decision! After the meeting concludes, this humble official will immediately return to the county to discuss the reform with the headmaster of Liuchang Academy!"
Of the eleven county magistrates, he was the most "savvy".
Shen Zheng was already used to his flattery. After nodding slightly, she asked the clerk in charge of the household affairs office to distribute a booklet to everyone: "This is the 'One-Year Plan for Popularizing Education in Liuyang Prefecture' drafted by the government. Please take a look first. If you have any questions after reading it, please ask directly."
The booklet felt quite heavy in their hands, and the county magistrates all began to flip through it.
The general outline is roughly divided into four parts.
Firstly, before the end of next year, if there are county-level scholars, their quality needs to be improved; if there are no county-level scholars, schools need to be established.
Second, standardized teaching materials and tuition fees were implemented, and the prefectural government provided additional "teaching stipends" to county school teachers to ensure teaching quality.
Thirdly, before July of next year, each county should set up more elementary and literacy classes, with no tuition fees and no age restrictions. Anyone who is willing can enter to study.
Fourthly, the prefectural government will conduct unscheduled assessments of the teaching performance of each county. Those who excel will receive additional government rewards; those who fail will be publicly criticized throughout the prefecture and reported to the Ministry of Personnel.
I...I report to the Ministry of Personnel...?
Upon seeing these four seemingly insignificant words, all the county magistrates felt their scalps tingle with fear.
Of all the prefects in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, the one who dares to directly file a complaint with the Ministry of Personnel, and who has the Ministry of Personnel as his backer, is probably only the one before me...
Zhu Kongjia, the magistrate of Lushan County, swallowed hard and asked Ba Lezhan in a low voice, "Lord Ba, Lord Ba... I heard that Lady Shen has taken on a disciple?"
Ba Lezhan held up the booklet to cover his face and nodded: "She's a pretty young girl. I heard she's the niece of Minister Xu of the Ministry of Personnel..."
The niece of the Minister of Personnel?!
Zhu Kongjia was stunned for a moment. After secretly sorting out the relationships in the court, he discovered an even more astonishing fact: "Isn't that Miss Cui, the Prime Minister's own granddaughter?!"
"Shh—!" Ba Lezhan put his index finger to his lips: "Let's not talk about him, let's not talk about him. His relationship with our Lord Shen is probably not very good..."
"How is it bad?" Zhu Kongjia asked, puzzled.
If the relationship was bad, why would Lord Shen still accept Miss Cui as his apprentice?
Ba Lezhan lowered his head by half an inch, about to speak, when his eyes met Xu Yunyan's.
Zhu Kongjia was itching to speak, and gently nudged him: "Please tell me already..."
"Cough—" Ba Lezhan coughed feignedly, secretly giving Zhu Kongjia a wink.
Zhu Kongjia, completely oblivious, said, "Don't try to play hard to get..."
"Lord Zhu." Before he could finish speaking, Xu Yunyan called out his name: "Do you have any objections to the 'One-Year General Outline'? Please speak frankly."
Zhu Kongjia was startled.
When I looked up again, everyone in the hall was looking at me.
Damn it...
He secretly pinched his thigh.
So engrossed in asking questions, they completely forgot they were in the council hall of the government office!
I'm going to die! I'm going to die!
......
The council meeting came to an end at noon.
Before the end, Shen Zheng announced two things.
"First, strictly investigate 'spiritual powder' and absolutely prohibit its circulation in all counties. Any clues should be immediately reported to the prefectural government. If anyone knows about it but fails to report it, or even condones or protects it... once verified, they will be dismissed from their official posts. As for those who have taken 'spiritual powder', they should be placed under control immediately. After the 'Chengxin Hall' in the prefectural city is completed, they can be sent there for 'powder abstinence'."
"Secondly, the government will set up a newspaper to deliver the latest news and government policies to the people. The government will send a notice to each county soon. Please pay attention and cooperate accordingly."
After the two sentences were spoken, the county magistrates looked at each other, unsure which sentence to discuss first.
Shen Zheng took in everyone's expressions, said nothing more, and stood up directly: "You've all been sitting here all morning, thank you for your hard work. The kitchen has prepared the meal, please."
The county magistrates hurriedly rose from their seats and bowed to let Shen Zheng go first: "Please go first, Your Excellency!"
On the way from the council hall to the public kitchen, the county magistrates deliberately lagged a few steps behind Shen Zheng, whispering among themselves: "Where is the newspaper office located? Have any of you heard of it before?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Zhu Kongjia gently patted Ba Lezhan: "Lord Ba, you usually have the closest relationship with Lord Shen. Could you please clear up our doubts?"
Ba Lezhan was taken aback.
Do you really think he knows everything?
But Zhu Kongjia's words, "He had the closest relationship with Lord Shen," struck a chord with him.
He cleared his throat, feigning knowledge: "A 'she' (社) means to gather people to accomplish something. 'Baoshe' (抱社) literally means to embrace or gather people together. Gentlemen, did Lord Shen say earlier, 'to convey the world's affairs to the people'?"
All the county magistrates nodded in agreement.
Ba Lezhan smiled and said, "That's right. As long as everyone holds each other tightly, their hearts will be united. Passing on messages will then be a piece of cake."
"Oh..." Zhu Kongjia's eyes lit up, as if suddenly enlightened: "So that's how it is! Lord Ba, it has to be you!"
Ba Lezhan waved his hand: "Lord Zhu, you flatter me, you flatter me!"