Education is a big issue. For the people in the early days of the Ming Dynasty, the literacy rate was extremely low. On average, it would be good to find one literate person in one hundred households.
There is nothing we can do about it. From the time Confucius pioneered civilian education with "education without discrimination" to the Ming Dynasty for nearly two thousand years, Chinese civilization has been brilliant, including pre-Qin prose, Han fu, Tang poetry, Song lyrics, and Yuan opera. You just sing and I will appear. Everyone takes the lead. But behind these brilliance, there is still the carnival of scholars and scholars.
For countless people, they are illiterate, let alone writing.
Gu Zhengchen has investigated the situation of the people in Jurong and found that the people in the county are relatively good, they can afford a husband, and there are relatively many people who know a few words. But outside the county town, it is considered outstanding to be able to pick out five people who can read and write in each township. Some villages do not even have a single person who can read and write. Even the notices sent to the document need to be heard clearly and then passed on.
The people are illiterate, so naturally they cannot understand the court notices. Even if they complain, they can't find the person to write the petition. In addition, if they are illiterate and disobedient, they can resist the hoe when they encounter problems. In some places where the folk customs are strong, it is not easy to rob a mine. Thousands of people can be mobilized to fight back and forth for two months.
Increasing education efforts can solve many civil conflicts. At least before the anti-hoe war, we can sit together and talk, negotiate with the government, and don't kill and maim people at every turn.
Besides, there are many benefits to being literate. If you read more about Confucius and Zhu Xi, you will be less likely to believe in Maitreya Buddha, Xiao Ming Wang, etc., and act less stupidly and ignorantly. If you have any problems, just say that you were frightened by ghosts. You need to Please ask the goddess.
To enlighten the people's wisdom, to understand honor and disgrace, and to enhance the sense of glory and cohesion of the people of the Ming Dynasty, literacy and education are inseparable.
As the county magistrate of Jurong, Gu Zhengchen also holds the position of "Director of the Education Bureau". "Promoting education" is an important part of the county magistrate's promotion assessment and cannot be sloppy. The plan for 30% of Ding's population to be literate and school-age children to enter schools is not just a random talk. , but something that has long been determined after careful consideration.
Facing Liang Zhen's ridicule, Gu Zhengchen didn't take it seriously. He reached out to pick up a red date from the melon and fruit plate, took a bite, chewed and looked at Liang Zhen: "Xunzi said in "Encouraging Learning": If you don't accumulate steps, there will be no success. It can even reach thousands of miles; without accumulating small streams, it is impossible to form a river or a sea. A horse can't move ten steps with one leap; a horse can drive ten times, but the merits are still there. Jurong is not big, with more than ten thousand Ding mouths. In three years, he taught more than three thousand Ding mouths how to read. Reading is not necessarily impossible, right?"
Liang Zhen saw Gu Zhengchen's retort and stood up: "Confucius said: Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of dung cannot be made. How can it be cured in three years if the people are stupid? In my opinion, Mr. Gu wants to teach three thousand people. It takes at least thirty years to learn to read orally.”
Gu Zhengchen put the date core on the table, took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands: "After Confucius said, 'Rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of dung cannot be built,' he then said, 'I am the beginning of man. , listen to his words and believe in his actions; now I am like a man, listen to his words and observe his actions.' Now you respect Confucius, why don't you want to listen to my words and observe my actions, but instead you are questioning here, could it be that you are watching? Confucius, did you only see the words wall of rotten wood and dung soil?"
"you!"
Liang Zhen suddenly became angry. She said this as if she were the rotten wood or the wall of dirt.
“Listen to what he says and watch what he does, that’s right!”
Song Lian opened his mouth, smiled, and turned to ask: "It's just that you can go far if you have a little strategy. I just don't know what strategy you have?"
Gu Zhengchen stood up solemnly, saluted and said: "It's simple, just literacy."
"Literacy, what is literacy?"
Song Lian was a little surprised.
Zhu Biao looked at Song Lian and explained: "Mr. Gu said that if an illiterate person reads a book and his eyes are as blind as a blind eye, he is illiterate. Literacy means to sweep away illiteracy."
Song Lian nodded repeatedly: "Illiteracy, literacy, haha, yes, yes. But this scan, how to scan it?"
Gu Zhengchen smiled and said: "Of course I invite you sir to clean it."
Song Lian frowned, worried: "I'm afraid it won't be easy to ask Mr. to educate you about illiteracy. Mr. alone has little energy and can't take care of everything. Even if you teach with all your heart, you can only teach more than twenty disciples. You are in Jurong, and you have to teach school-age children. , and we need to carry out literacy education in Dingkou. If we don’t have Mr. San Wu Bai, I’m afraid it won’t be possible, right?”
"Mr. Three to Five Hundred?"
Li Xiyan shook his head repeatedly. This number would never be found in Jurong. Not to mention the small counties of Jurong, even the Guozixue of Ming Dynasty, including professors, teaching assistants, etc., totaled less than two at this time. ten people.
Zhu Biao turned his eyes to Gu Zhengchen and said nothing.
Liang Zhen found an opportunity and sneered: "Even if we add up all the subordinate staff in Jurong County Yamen, we can't get so many gentlemen."
Gu Zhengchen glanced at Liang Zhen, then turned to Song Lian: "Master Song, Mr. Three to Five Hundred, Jurong can't do it no matter what."
Song Lian was very satisfied with the candid Gu Zhengchen and turned to ask: "Since you know this, why do you dare to say that 30% of Dingkou and school-age children can read? As a county magistrate and in the East Palace, you should know how to be careful with your words." Words?"
Gu Zhengchen stopped three steps away from Song Lian and said seriously: "We can't find Mr. San or Wu Bai in Jurong, but that doesn't mean we can't complete literacy and education."
Song Lian frowned: "What's the plan?"
Gu Zhengchen replied calmly: "The three to five hundred teachers mentioned by Master Song are based on one teacher teaching more than twenty disciples. If one teacher can teach sixty disciples, wouldn't the number of teachers needed be smaller?" A lot?"
"Ahem."
Song Lian coughed a little.
You kid is really a lion. One gentleman teaches sixty disciples. Do you want to exhaust the gentlemen to death?
You know, the more disciples there are, the more the teacher pays. He teaches writing step by step, every stroke is physical strength, and there are also sentences to read, guiding students to turn the book, find which lines and words, and help students answer certain questions. What is each word, what does it mean, and answering students’ doubts all require teaching one by one.
Twenty disciples, this is enough to tire the Master. Sixty, do you want to send the old bones of the Master to the pit?
"Sixty disciples? Haha, you're laughing so hard. Your Highness, this person doesn't know the difficulty of teaching, and he doesn't understand the difficulty of education. He talks nonsense. He really shouldn't stay in the East Palace and spread deceptive words."
Liang Zhen gave Zhu Biao some advice.
Zhu Biao glanced at Liang Zhen, feeling a little disgusted with this person, and then said to Gu Zhengchen, "If you have any idea, just tell me."
Gu Zhengchen clapped his hands, then looked to the left and right, and said to Zhu Biao: "Please give the prince an order to summon the nearby eunuchs, maids, and guards to the pavilion."
Zhu Biao looked at Nan Shiqing, who came to see everyone.
Gu Zhengchen invited Zhu Biao, Song Lian and others to come out of the pavilion, and then ordered people to fetch futons and take their seats. Gu Zhengchen stood in front of the pavilion. After saluting everyone, he pointed to the couplet on the pavilion and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, read with me: stand up against the odds and open your eyes to the enemy!"
