Seeing Wang Gang and others walking away, Hu Mengyu coughed and lowered his voice.
"Wei Gong, Your Majesty established the Anti-Corruption Department with the aim of clarifying officialdom and punishing corruption. Jinling Martial Arts Hall and Jinling University Hall will definitely cost a lot. If there is too much money, people will inevitably lose their minds... Do you understand what I mean?"
Hu Mengyu has good intentions and a soft voice, but every word is heartbreaking.
"Ms. Hu, you suspect that I am corrupt!"
Wei Liaoweng's face immediately turned red.
"Wei Gong, we have an irreconcilable relationship. I hope you don't have it. If you do, go back quickly. Sometimes, even if you don't have it, you can't guarantee that the people below are clean. The emperor's new policy, uncle Zhou Ping personally arrested the Jiangnan East Road rebels The purpose of corruption is to kill chickens and scare monkeys to shock the world and ensure the smooth implementation of the New Deal. Duke Wei must not be careless!"
Hu Mengyu said seriously and bowed his hands.
Wei Liaoweng was fully responsible for the two large projects of Jinling Martial Arts Hall and Jinling University Hall, which cost millions. He did not want Wei Liaoweng to get into trouble if he was confused.
"Mr. Hu, thank you for reminding me. I will remember it!"
Wei Liaoweng's face was solemn and he returned the salute.
Uncle Zhou Ping is personally responsible for anti-corruption. This matter is not trivial and shows the determination of today's emperor.
Hu Mengyu was thinking about him, so he could naturally tell.
As a result, Jiangnan East Road may be crowded with people. And it won't be long before that Hu Ju, who likes to be greedy for ink, will probably come out.
And he had to be careful not to capsize in the gutter.
"Wei Gong, the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall has really changed a lot! Wei Gong is indeed a capable official. His Majesty has a keen eye for pearls. He is truly a sage!"
Wang Gang came back with a smile and praised him.
"Wang Gong is so complimentary, I am so ashamed of myself!"
Wang Gang's praise made Wei Liaoweng feel comfortable, his face returned to normal, and he asked with concern.
"My two gentlemen, the emperor is implementing the New Deal on Jiangnan East Road. From head to toe, you two have a long way to go in many matters. Can you hold on?"
He was subconsciously jealous of these two people. Being able to be trusted by the emperor to radically eliminate bad governance and implement new policies is more favored by the emperor than he seems to be.
However, he was also worried about the situation of these two people.
"To be honest with Mr. Wei, we are still investigating. It is estimated that it will take two to three months before the general results are available. However, on Mr. Wang's side, the selection and training of troops are about to begin."
Hu Mengyu was non-committal and had many mixed opinions, including matters involving the Anti-Corruption Department. He was not comfortable disclosing some details.
"That's right! Now there are 50,000 soldiers on Jiangnan East Road. In addition to the more than 10,000 imperial troops transferred by the Dianqian Division, there are already more than 60,000 soldiers on the entire Jiangnan East Road. After screening, the old, weak, sick and disabled were forced to withdraw from the army. . It is estimated that there will be less than 50,000 soldiers."
Wang Gang said thoughtfully, frowning.
He didn't need to worry about the instructors who trained the troops. They were all Forbidden Army soldiers who had been trained by Yujinyuan. The training methods and subjects were basically the same as those of Jinling Martial Arts Hall.
As for how to place the eliminated soldiers, it is also a headache. At present, they can only be allowed to work in major factories, build roads and bridges, and be temporarily resettled.
"The emperor is ambitious and is playing a big game of chess!"
Wei Liaoweng felt heavy and secretly worried about the emperor's "ambition".
"And this big game of chess affects whether the Song Dynasty can be revived. We can only win but not lose!"
Wang Gang said with emotion, the lightness on his face disappeared.
Implementing the New Deal is easy to say. In the final analysis, it is to snatch meat from the mouths of powerful officials, which is easier said than done?
"Wei Gong, the palace... Many young people from all over the world have gathered at the entrance of the martial arts hall. They are clamoring to come in and have a look. I wonder if your husband will allow them to come in and watch?"
Zhang Zhongshu came over and reported with a smile.
"What do you think? Isn't this causing trouble? Put them..."
Wei Liaoweng stopped mid-sentence and frowned in thought.
"Wei Gong, I'll go over there right now and drive them away."
Zhang Zhongshu turned around and left.
"Mr. Zhang, wait a moment!"
Wei Liaoweng stopped Zhang Zhongshu and asked with a frown:
"Mr. Zhang, have you seen how many talented people there are?"
If the martial arts hall doesn't recruit enough people, the joke will be big.
"Wei Gong, there are many people outside the martial arts hall, about two to three hundred people. Judging from their high spirits and extraordinary conversation, I'm afraid there are many talented people."
"Two to three hundred people!"
Wei Liaoweng was surprised.
There are still twenty days to go before registration, and now there are two to three hundred people, and by the time it is time to register, there will still be thousands.
Wei Liaoweng hesitated for a moment, then carefully warned:
"Mr. Zhang, let them come in in batches, one hundred people per batch, and take them to watch in person. Remember, tell them to be careful, don't get hurt, and be polite to them."
The purpose of the emperor's martial arts lecture hall is to attract the world's talents to serve the court. If he were to be simple and crude, and the subordinates pretended to be officials, wouldn't it chill the hearts of these young people and lose the emperor's face?
"Don't worry, Mr. Wei."
Zhang Zhongshu went out with a smile. After a while, officials came in with groups of young people. They looked around. The large number of people attracted the attention of many officials and craftsmen.
Wei Liaoweng shook his head. The Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall attracted countless young people from all over the country to flock to it.
200 honorable men, 200 officers, plus 800 civilian recruitment, 1,200 people, even double that number, I'm afraid it won't be difficult to recruit them all.
"Xiangong Wei, in a Jinling martial arts hall, all the talents in the world can be found! The emperor's move is really a painstaking effort, and the purpose is great!"
Wang Gang sighed, surprised by the number of young people applying for the exam.
Four batches have come in, at least more than 300 people. Not to mention the large number of applicants, there seem to be women among them.
This really blinded his eyes!
"During the imperial examination of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty said: All the heroes in the world will be among them. Today, my new emperor established the Jinling Martial Arts Hall, with the same purpose of gathering talents from all over the world to serve the Song Dynasty court. Whether it is a blessing or a curse, only the future will be long."
There seemed to be a lot of emotion in Wei Liaowen's words.
"Give ambitious young people a chance to serve the country. I think at least it won't be worse than it is now."
Wang Gang shook his head and said generously.
With the strength of the Song Dynasty's border army, even the Jin army could not cope with it. How could they compete with the strong Tatar cavalry without being pressed to the ground and rubbed.
"Ms. Wei, I want to know, does the Jinling Martial Arts Hall accept female students?"
Wei Liaoweng was about to speak when he looked at Hu Mengyu in the distance and suddenly pointed forward and asked.
"What? What female student?"
Wei Liaoweng was shocked and looked in the direction Hu Mengyu pointed. Sure enough, among the young people watching, there seemed to be several women disguised as men.
"What...is going on...? Are you just here to watch the fun?"
Wei Liaoweng turned pale with shock, sweat dripped from his forehead.
Jinling Martial Arts Hall recruits female students! It was so bright that it blinded his eyes.
"It's not like an idler. She won't dress up as a man to watch the fun. When recruiting students for the Jinling Martial Arts Hall, did they say they would only recruit male students?"
Hu Mengyu's shock and curiosity were beyond words.
"Who has... a newspaper? Come on, bring it over!"
Wei Liaoweng was sweating profusely and shouted anxiously.
Jinling Martial Arts Hall recruits female students. Isn’t this ridiculous and generous?
"...All our patriotic young people, regardless of wealth or poverty, regardless of origin, can go to the martial arts hall..."
An official hurriedly brought a newspaper. Wei Liaowen read the admission notice, his face turned pale, and everyone around him was stunned.
The newspaper only said that Jinling Martial Arts Hall was recruiting patriotic young people, but it seemed that there was no restriction on men and women.
"Wei Gong, those women are indeed here to pass the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall, both from Jinling City and Lin'an City."
An official accompanying the visit hurried over and reported to Wei Liaoweng.
"Did they ask you? How did you answer?"
Wei Liaowen asked impatiently.
"Those women said that it was clearly written in the newspapers and on the admission notice at the door of the martial arts hall that the Jinling martial arts hall is recruiting patriotic young people, regardless of gender."
The official said submissively. Wei Liaowen waved his hand, and the official quickly retreated.
"Mr. Wei, this joke... is really too big!"
Seeing that Wei Liaoweng's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, Wang Gang said something leisurely, with a smile on his face.
"Wei Gong, women are not allowed to be inferior to men. Jinling Martial Arts Hall recruits female students, which is the first of its kind in the ages. It will definitely be famous throughout the ages. Just do it yourself."
Hu Mengyu understood deeply. He patted Wei Liaoweng's shoulder with sympathy in his eyes.
Women in the Northern Song Dynasty had a high status. Although they could not take part in the imperial examinations, they could go to school and learn classics, poetry, and songs, such as Li Qingzhao, who was "the most talented woman in the history" and Zhu Shuzhen, who was "the top of a willow tree when the moon rises, and meets people after dusk."
But even so, there seems to be no precedent for recruiting women into this kind of official school run by the emperor.
By the late Southern Song Dynasty, after being restrained by Zhu Neo-Confucianism, women were no longer able to leave the house, and they had to follow the three obediences and the four virtues.
Now all of a sudden, a woman applied for the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall, and her deviance was enough to cause a sensation in the Song Dynasty.
"What are you doing for yourself? This is the emperor's will, what does it have to do with me?"
Wei Liaoweng looked at Wang and Hu who were gloating about their misfortune and said angrily.
Even if there is any mistake, the emperor will solve it, so that he will not take the blame.
Maybe that was what the emperor meant. He wanted to recruit a few female students to set a historical precedent and attract attention.
"Mr. Wei, what I'm saying is that among those heroic female students, there seems to be a daughter of yours."
Wang Gang stroked his beard and smiled slightly.
"What?"
Wei Liaoweng was shocked, raised his head and looked carefully, and sure enough, his daughter's figure was in sight.
"Why did she come to the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall?"
Wei Liaoweng was dumbfounded and stamped his feet angrily.
"Wei Gong, what are you doing?"
Seeing that Wei Liaoweng was about to leave with a dark face, Hu Mengyu quickly grabbed him.
"I'm going to drive away this evil obstacle and tell her to go back to Lin'an City!"
Wei Liaoweng was so angry that he wanted to move forward.
Wang Gang quickly took a few steps forward and held Wei Liaoweng's other arm tightly.
"Wei Gong, you must not be impulsive. This is the emperor's will. Do you still want the emperor to continue running the Jinling Martial Arts Lecture Hall?"
"Wei Gong, you can't ruin Hua Mulan's feat of joining the army!"
Hu Mengyu pulled Wei Liaowen tightly, his face full of righteousness.
"This is really...unfortunate for our family!"
Wei Liaoweng was stunned for a moment, threw the two of them away, and let out a whine with a dark face.
"Wei Gong, this is called a dog father without a tiger daughter. Just be satisfied!"
"Wei Gong, you can't control your son when he grows up, so please be patient."
Wang Gang and Hu Mengyu looked at each other and spoke slowly and slowly.
"I'd better write a memorial and report this matter to His Majesty."
Wei Liaoweng's eyes suddenly lit up.
There are differences between men and women, and ethics and ethics are very important. The emperor may issue an edict not to allow women to enter the martial arts hall.
"Wei Gong, I advise you to save your money. Besides..."
Hu Mengyu shook his head and said something leisurely.
"The Jinling Martial Arts Hall and the Jinling University Hall are not yet completed, so you should focus on them."
"That's not possible. I must report this to Your Majesty, so that Your Majesty will not be laughed at by the world!"
Wei Liaoweng's face turned livid and he said angrily.
Wang Gang and Hu Mengyu looked at each other and shook their heads.
Judging from the precedent of the emperor banning women's foot binding, the emperor may not easily change his tune and ban female students from entering martial arts halls.
"Xiangong Wang, Xianggong Hu, I haven't asked you two yet, when will the emperor come to Jinling?"
Wei Liaoweng's tone was gentle. He turned his head again, only to find that his daughter had disappeared.
It seemed that his daughter had discovered him and quickly ran away.
