The fireworks of the Lantern Festival seem to be a relaxing farewell, and the busy year has begun.
County Magistrate Luo Shao selected the land for the retting pond. After Gu Zhengchen inspected and confirmed it, Huo Xun and Gu Gui led 200 people to excavate and carve out a piece of land in the woods to build a large-scale soybean oil workshop.
Zhou Mao, the chief clerk, patrolled the streets and alleys of Jurong with his government officials, entering the countryside from time to time to inspect the people's sentiments and pass on Gu Zhengchen's policies. It was nothing more than: for small matters, go to the old man and the head of the village, for big matters, go to the county magistrate, write a petition to the county government, and encourage others to do so. You give me the hammer.
Classical historian Yang Liang led the government officials to hunt down the thieves. Under Gu Zhengchen's instructions, he organized people from large families to contribute and arranged for their servants to form night watch teams and patrol teams.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in Jurong County changed drastically. Both merchants and ordinary people felt an unprecedented sense of security. Although it was not possible to close their homes at night, they still basically did not pick up things on the road.
Jurong College.
Gu Zhengchen hosted a simple banquet for sixty-two gentlemen.
Liu Gui, the eunuch, introduced Gu Zhengchen one by one: "This is Yang Yong'an, an old Confucian from Zhenjiang, who is proficient in "The Analects of Confucius"; this is Tang Xun, a Confucian scholar from Dantu, who specializes in "The Great Learning"; this is from Chunhua." Ding Li, an old private school teacher, is well versed in history..."
Facing every gentleman, Gu Zhengchen bowed his hands respectfully. These Confucian scholars nodded in appreciation when they saw that Gu Zhengchen was so courteous to a virtuous corporal without any official style.
After Liu Gui's introduction, Gu Zhengchen motioned for everyone to sit down, stood up and picked up the wine glass: "It is the fault of the official to trouble the elders and Confucian masters to come to Jurong. However, education is about the inheritance of knowledge and the education of the villagers. Jurong If we want to revitalize education, we have to rely on you gentlemen. When the peaches and plums are fragrant in the future, you will be the ones who have made contributions. This is the first glass of wine to all of you."
"I don't dare. I respect the magistrate."
Yang Yongan, Tang Xun, Ding Li and others stood up one after another.
The wine passed down my throat.
Gu Zhengchen picked up the wine glasses and poured wine one by one: "You have come from afar, and it is difficult to express my gratitude with a thin glass of wine. If you have any difficulties or questions, just speak up and explain them. Don't hide them. If you don't explain things clearly, you won't understand them. It’s not going well, Mr. Yang said, right?”
Yang Yong'an, who was already sixty-four, was a modest man. When Gu Zhengchen asked, he scratched his beard and replied: "What Magistrate Gu said is extremely true. If so, we will tell you directly."
Gu Zhengchen looked at Yang Yongan solemnly: "Old sir, please speak."
Yang Yongan took out a piece of paper from his arms, unfolded it and looked at Gu Zhengchen, and said solemnly: "In the letter inviting me to come to Jurong, there is a page with the Analects of Confucius on it, with symbols beside the text. . These symbols are weird and unclear, and they seem to be scrawled carelessly. However, upon closer inspection, we find that the symbols are unusual and seem to contain mysteries and mysteries."
"Liu Jiaoyu said that this is a new knowledge. I asked Liu Jiaoyu after I came to Jurong, and he said that this knowledge was created by Gu Zhi County. I wonder if Gu Zhi County understands and can tell us what this symbol is. symbol?"
Gu Zhengchen glanced at the paper, walked around, and poured wine while saying: "These symbols are indeed a science, but they were not created by Gu. Mastering this science can make it easier for illiterate people to For literacy, if you compile a dictionary with such symbols as a guide, such as "Shuowen Jiezi", anyone who masters these symbols can recognize Chinese characters in all classics."
"really?"
Yang Yongan, Tang Xun and others exclaimed.
Gu Zhengchen nodded slightly: "These symbols are called Pinyin. It is different from Duruo method, Zhiyin method, and Fanqie method. It is a more complete, clearer, and wider coverage of literacy knowledge."
Yang Yongan, Ding Li and others looked at each other and started talking.
Duruo method, Zhiyin method, and Fanqie method are the ancient methods of reading and literacy. Although the ancients did not have pinyin, it does not mean that the ancients did not mark the pronunciation of Chinese characters.
In the earliest dictionary "Shuowen Jiezi", Xu Shen proposed the reading method. It can be said that he was the first person to annotate the pronunciation of Chinese characters.
The so-called pronunciation of Ruofa means pronunciation with similar pronunciation, such as Song, which is pronounced as Ruosu.
This method has been very popular in later generations of students learning English, such as "three grams of oil", "whote" and so on. Although there is no need to pay royalties for using this method, you should still think of Mr. Xu Shen...
However, there are many problems in reading "ruo". Some Chinese characters cannot be marked with suitable characters, such as the word "give". Which character do you use to pronounce "ruo"?
There is also the fanqie method, which can be said to be the most common method of notating Chinese characters in ancient times. The Sui Dynasty's "Qie Yun", the Tang Dynasty's "Tang Yun", the Song Dynasty's "Guang Yun", etc. all use the fanqie method to mark the pronunciation.
for example:
Training, Xiyunqie.
That is, the initial consonant "x" of 西 and the final "un" of 云 are combined to form the pronunciation "xun".
Although there were no terms for initial consonants and finals in ancient times, and there was no pinyin, the operation method of fanqie method is already similar to pinyin notation. But there is also a problem with the reverse cutting method, that is, you need to know the two simple characters "西云" before you can cut out the complex characters...
Ding Li asked uneasily: "Gu Zhixian, can we people also learn Pinyin?"
Gu Zhengchen was stunned for a moment, looked at Ding Li, and then at everyone who had calmed down, and said with a smile: "If you don't learn, how will you teach the children? You can't let me, a county magistrate, teach, right?"
Yang Yongan, Ding Li and others were excited and raised their glasses.
Tang Xun held up a glass of wine with admiration and walked towards Gu Zhengchen: "There is a great talent in Guzhi County. I have seen the blackboard and chalk. They are sharp tools for teaching. Their appearance allows us to teach easily. This glass of wine should be given to the county magistrate." "
"Haha, then I'm not welcome."
Gu Zhengchen took it cheerfully and drank it all in one gulp.
What surprised Gu Zhengchen was that among a group of gentlemen eating, drinking, and asking questions, no one asked about the salary, so he took the initiative to raise it: "Everyone, as a gentleman of Jurong College, I will be given two dollars a month..."
Yang Yongan rolled his eyes at Gu Zhengchen and knocked on the table: "Money is something external to the body."
Tang Xun was even more dissatisfied: "A gentleman doesn't talk about money."
Ding Li denounced: "It is a great blessing in life to have disciples and teach them. Why bother talking about money and harming moral principles?"
Gu Zhengchen was full of admiration. He was really a group of moral people, so he said to Liu Gui: "In this case, Liu Jiaoyu, just give Mr. a little ration every month. There is no need to pay money and things, so as not to ruin Mr. High-spirited and upright.”
It's over.
How can you be considered a moral gentleman when someone spits on you? They are all sanctimonious...
Outside the county government office, government officials posted notices at the four gates of the main street.
The people gathered around asked the calligrapher to read it out. After the teacher read the content clearly, he read aloud: "There is Jurong Academy, which recruits children between the ages of six and sixteen as disciples to study classics, planning, and military art and business ethics. , agricultural science, craftsmanship..."
"We will not accept the cultivation, but we will provide students with food and rice. They will live in the college and are not allowed to go out without any reason."
"There is a winter exam every year, and the ten most outstanding ones are selected and awarded with certificates and given one to five guans of money as incentives. After six years of graduation, 20 of the graduating students are selected to enter the county school, and the county school evaluates the outstanding ones. Either send Guozi to study for further study, or recommend him to the imperial court and become an official..."
Butcher Wang stood outside the crowd. After listening to the notice, he ran back to the shop, took off his apron, found a clean cloth to cover the meat, said hello to the aunt beside him, and hurried outside the tailor's courtyard to find someone.
Mrs. Wang came in a hurry and complained to Butcher Wang: "You are busy working, why did you call me out at this time?"
Butcher Wang took Ms. Wang to a quiet place and said quickly: "The county government just posted a notice saying that children between the ages of six and sixteen can go to the academy. Our Shun baby is only nine years old and has never been given the notice. He found Mr.…”
Mrs. Wang looked at Butcher Wang, frowned and said: "Our family has not saved any money in Jinling these years. It has only gotten better now in Jurong, but even so, it is not enough to support the children. Don't forget , we wanted to hire a husband when Shun baby was five years old, but we were pointed at the nose and scolded..."
Back then, life was hard and we didn't have much money. I wanted to teach my children how to read a few words, but my husband thought there was no benefit from being poor, so he insulted me.
This matter is indeed a thorn in the side.
Butcher Wang became anxious: "My dear, the notice says no money for repairs, no bacon, etc., just food for the baby."
Wang couldn't believe it: "Is there such a good thing?"
Seeing that his wife didn't believe it, Butcher Wang took his wife to the county government office. He pointed at the notice and asked a scholar-looking guy to read it to him. The scholar was not angry and read it over with a smile.
The supervisory censor Yan Pu looked at Wang Tufu and others leaving happily, and said to the censor Liang Lai on the side: "Look, Jurong's problem is so big. The academy does not only respect the classics and righteousness, but also business ethics and craftsmanship." Gu Zhengchen is too brave to teach anyone who is not good enough!"
Liang Lai laughed along with him: "Yan Yushi, this Gu Zhengchen is very courageous. This is a piece of evidence."
Yan Dun sneered and looked towards the door of the yamen, only to find that the officials in the reception room were not sitting in the reception room, but simply sitting outside the reception room, with a table set up for people to write letters.
"The Yamen wrote the pleading? How dare you do that? Doesn't Gu Zhengchen know that the Yamen must be fair and not draft the pleading, so as not to affect the investigation of the case?"
Yan Nu walked away.
Liang Lai quickly stopped Yan Dun: "Yan Yushi, what we need to find now is evidence of Gu Zhengchen's corruption. His Majesty hates corruption. Two days ago, there was a county magistrate in Huguang and a chief clerk who committed corruption for less than three hundred taels. His Majesty was furious. , ordered to peel off the last straw. Dr. Chen Yushi said that as long as we can find evidence of Gu Zhengchen's corruption, he will promote us to Yushi Zhongcheng. It is not appropriate to go to the county government at this time..."
"In your opinion?"
Yan Dun stopped.
Liang Lai chuckled and said, "Of course I'm going to Jurong Guard. I've heard that the Ministry of Household Affairs allocated a lot of money and food to Jurong Guard, and even thousands of dollars more. The head of the Household Department would jump and scold me. Yes. You said it’s so much money, why wouldn’t Gu Zhengchen not take it?”
Yan Pu's eyes lit up: "You are right, Gu Zhengchen is also a human being, and he will be greedy. It is common for so much money and grain to be cut in half by hand. As long as we look at the account books and check the warehouse, haha, if If the two are inconsistent, then Gu Zhengchen will be dead, and there is no chance that the skin will be hung in the earth temple..."
