Chapter 2 Liu Song
The business office is a seven-room tile-roofed house. There is a large yard outside with locust trees planted.
The locust tree has many symbolic meanings. In the Tang Dynasty, Sophora japonica was often used to replace the imperial examination. Therefore, in places like the Imperial College, locust trees are most commonly planted.
Liu Song and He Xi sat down in the office. Liu Song said: "It's a bit messy here, Lord He, please just make do with it. In fact, I'm also very surprised. Logically speaking, the Imperial College is enough. Lord He, why do you ask for this position?"
He Xi said politely: "Mr. Liu, just call me your friend." He paused slightly and said: "If others ask this question, I will never tell you. But if Mr. Liu asks, I can only tell the truth. .”
"I am here because of His Majesty's wishes."
Liu Song's face suddenly became serious. Said: "Please Sir He, please help me clear up my doubts."
Before He Xi came, he had analyzed who of these people could be won over and who could not be won over. He felt that Liu Song could be won over. Because although Liu Song was a scholar and a literary figure, he had important influence in Jiangxi. What's more important is that Liu Song was able to escape from the ups and downs of the officialdom, which further proves that Liu Song knows people's hearts and understands the overall situation, and is not an ordinary Confucian official.
If Song Ne was an ordinary Confucian official, He Xi knew that it would not make sense at all, but someone like Liu Song could explain it clearly.
He Xi smiled slightly and said, "Master Liu, do you still remember the last memorial that Old Master Song gave before his death?"
Liu Song said: "You mean to hold the imperial examination?"
He Xi said: "Exactly. Your Majesty has been considering this matter. So, let me come to the Imperial College to take a look."
This sentence means a lot. Contain without revealing.
Zhu Yuanzhang naturally had a mission when he asked He Xi to go to the Imperial College. As for whether to examine the imperial examination. But it's something else.
He Xi wants to embed the academics of later generations into the education of this era. Of course, Zhu Yuanzhang just gave him a big goal. He Xi was not given any detailed instructions, nor was he even told what to do.
Very simple. If anything happens, Zhu Yuanzhang needs to teach him step by step. Then He Xi's value in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes was greatly reduced.
Before He Xi came, he had also thought about the personnel arrangements of the Imperial College. In the Imperial Academy, Song Ne covered the sky with one hand. Of course, this is also a stipulation of the imperial court system. It would be weird if a Zhengyin official had no power in a yamen.
It can be said that all the power of the Imperial College is in the hands of Song Ne.
However, the Imperial College is different from other yamen.
The most important things in other yamen are people, money, personnel power, and financial power. With these two things, everything else will be unfavorable.
But the Imperial College is essentially a school. It is not the officials who manage, but the students.
Money and power are important, but thought is the most important. Or learn what is most important. The reason why Song Ne was able to control the situation in the Imperial College was certainly related to Song Ne's authority, but Song Ne himself was also a famous Neo-Confucian scholar. Directly passed down by Zhu Zi. He is an honest and upright person, and although his teaching is a bit strict, in this era, strict teachers produce good students.
Without these, Song Ne would not be able to secure his position in the Imperial College.
He Xi also thought about how to break the situation. Generally speaking, it is difficult to support a lonely tree. Always find help from within the Imperial College. If you must ask for an order, let Zhu Yuanzhang help. It seems He Xi is incompetent.
Liu Song is someone you can win over.
But there is knowledge in how to win over.
He Xi's words seemed unclear. After all, whether His Majesty wants to hold the imperial examination, why should someone inspect the Imperial College?
But Liu Song understood.
Without him, in the past ten years, although there have been various ways to recruit scholars, the Imperial College is still the largest. After the Northern Expedition, there were several cases where hundreds of supervisors were mobilized to go north to serve as officials. After the imperial examination, it is hard to say whether the Imperial College will remain the same as before.
But Song Ne supported the opening of the imperial examination.
This is somewhat contradictory.
Of course, if the imperial examination is not simply regarded as a method of selecting scholars, but a policy of maintaining stability and coordinating the rule of scholar-bureaucrats, there will be no contradiction.
But Liu Song understood that the meaning of His Majesty's suspicion of many scholar-bureaucrats was very clear.
Are you suspicious of Song Ne's intentions? Is it based on the quality of teaching at the Imperial College? Is it to examine whether the Imperial College can replace the imperial examination? wait wait wait.
The more vague he said, the more Liu Song thought.
However, Liu Song came to a decision easily. He coughed twice and said, "Since it is His Majesty's wish, if you want to know, just ask me."
In essence, Liu Song was not from the Imperial College. He just came to the Imperial College to take care of his old age. It should be noted that Ming officials did not receive salaries after they retired. As for the later half-stipend after retirement, it was also added by later generations.
And a person in his sixties, who has spent most of his life outside, can have much affection for the Imperial College.
Does he know more about what kind of person His Majesty is today? So the choice is easy to make.
He Xi smiled slightly and said: "Thank you very much, Mr. Liu. But there is no rush at this time. I am here for the first time today. I would like to ask Mr. Liu to give you some advice on the situation inside the Imperial College."
Liu Song said: "It doesn't matter. In fact, the Imperial College is very simple. It's just the Imperial College officials, some Imperial College staff, and the students. Although Song Ne is upright, as long as he doesn't commit any crimes, he won't do anything to anyone. The Imperial College Most of the teachers are also knowledgeable and well-educated. They cannot do anything too extraordinary. As for the students, they all come to study from local tributes to the best. In addition, the court provides a lot of subsidies and food. Sesame oil, eggs, the queen also subsidizes the family members of the students. Naturally, there is nothing to do. But the young masters of the noble family are difficult to deal with. Fortunately, your majesty ordered Cao Guogong to promote the Imperial Academy. Cao Guogong came several times and beat the ground all over. Wailing. These people are much more at ease."
"Only those officials are a little dishonest."
"Song Ne has been teaching all his life, and he is not very clear about some of the frivolous things. They are caused by villains. But the matter is not serious. Otherwise, if the students really get into trouble, it will not end well. Naturally, no one will do anything for them. Go remind Song Ne."
He Xi was thinking about the internal affairs of the Imperial College. It was similar to what he had investigated before. Said: "Mr. Liu, what should I do with this business?"
Liu Song smiled softly and said, "It depends, Mr. He, what do you want to do?"
He Xi said, "How do you say this?"
Liu Song said: "Siye of the Imperial College. In fact, he is the second assistant of the sacrificial wine. He is responsible for the teaching of Confucianism. However, Song Ne is a dedicated sacrificial wine, and I am here to support my old age. But occasionally I have to serve. A few courses. Mr. He, please pay attention."
He Xi immediately understood what Liu Song meant.
According to the teachings of Confucianism, this responsibility can be great or small. If the person is solely responsible for teaching, it will probably be the dean, or at most a dean with the title of vice principal. But if the principal above had this intention, the dean would have nothing to worry about.
It should be noted that although the Imperial College is said to be very large, it is essentially just a school with more than 2,000 employees.
Not much happens.
But speaking more broadly, the Imperial College, as the highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty, had many additional powers, such as the right to interpret Confucian classics, although this power was not unique to the Imperial College. The Imperial Academy can also speak on this. But as long as it doesn't cause too much trouble, the Imperial College is authoritative in certain aspects.
As a scholar, Song Ne would never give in to this power.
Liu Song was old, so he naturally didn't think about fighting.
And He Xi paid special attention to Liu Song's reminder.
That is, generally speaking, although the academic officials at all levels of the Imperial College do not directly supervise students, the ones who are directly responsible for supervising students are the assistant teachers of the Imperial College. However, academic officers at all levels are responsible for some teaching tasks. This is also inevitable. After all, there are not too many academic officers in the school. Just a few dozen people. We can't let officials teach students.
For people like Liu Song, this is no problem at all. He can even pick up the Four Books and Five Classics, history, calligraphy, etc. at his fingertips. That can't be said. But when it comes to He Xi, it might be a problem.
If you don't teach well, you will be punished.
If Song Ne asked Liu Song to take charge, he would be letting He Xi hang around in the Imperial Academy. Liu Song didn't say anything at all. He could see that it was impossible for He Xi to hang around in the Imperial College. In this way, the teaching matter is likely to be where Song Ne is in trouble.
