"Father."

Prince Heng bowed again and saluted Qing Ji on the throne, and said seriously: "The national character of my great Wu, the loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, wisdom, and trustworthiness advocated by my great Wu, cannot agree on one thing. Only a scholar can do it."

We know it well, but most Chinese people fail to understand its true meaning."

"Who dares to say that farmers, craftsmen, and businessmen cannot read and write?"

"We have the Imperial College in Wu, and the Imperial College has six colleges: politics, military, engineering, agriculture, commerce, and medicine!"

"Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce are divided into industries. Why are only scholars able to study and have the opportunity to receive education?"

"Aren't the rest of the craftsmen and farmers from my country of Wu?"

"The prince is serious!"

Deng Xi frowned and said: "No matter what profession they are engaged in, they are all my subjects of Wu."

"Of course, what I'm most worried about is that once people's wisdom is enlightened, it will give people in the world a wrong idea."

"What concept?"

"Everything is inferior, only reading is superior!"

"If everyone had the opportunity to study, who would still work in agriculture? Who would still work in the army? Who would still work in the army and fight in the war?"

"The reason why I oppose the enlightenment of people's wisdom and the implementation of free education for all in Dawu is not to deny the opportunity for other people to receive education."

"But I think it's unnecessary."

"Our country, Wu, has an Imperial College, county schools, county schools and township schools. There are thousands of schools in various places. Every year, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of scholars can be trained for Wu!"

"Isn't this enough?"

“Does everyone have to have books to read?”

As soon as Deng Xi's words came out, all the ministers and officials in the court rarely talked to each other and started whispering.

They believed that what Deng Xi said was not unreasonable.

After all, Dawu has a lot of official knowledge, and its talent reserve is completely sufficient.

Prince Heng also wanted to refute Deng Xi, but Zhongshu Ling Zengdian beat him to it.

Zeng Dian stood up and retorted: "Master Deng, you keep saying that our talent reserve in Dawu is enough, but is it really enough?"

"No!"

"For example, among those scholars who were selected to serve as courtiers and officials in various vassal kingdoms, how many of them have real talents and knowledge? How many of them are just making up for the numbers?"

"As for the official schools established in various places, not everyone can enroll."

After a pause, Zeng said meaningfully: "I am a big Wu, and now my family is rich and well-off. Not to mention that every household is trying to be well-off, but it is enough for food and clothing."

"The vast majority of families can afford to pay tuition fees for their children to go to school."

"Why do they have the desire to learn, but they still have no books to read, and they can't even enter official schools or even the most basic rural schools?"

"It's nothing more than status and connections!"

"They are not nobles, but commoners. Maybe the previous generation were slaves, slaves without surnames, untouchables. But is this their sin?"

"No! Through their own efforts, their fathers and grandfathers went into battle to win military honors and got rid of their status as slaves. But in the final analysis, they are still civilians and cannot get rid of their status as ordinary people. They are destined to be unable to go to school."

"Rich businessmen can also use money to send their children to school, continue their education, and eventually change their own destiny, get married, and rise to the top in their careers."

"However, families who barely have enough food and clothing, or even families who have enough food and clothing, still can't study."

"Fathers are soldiers, children are also soldiers, and the next generation is also a soldier."

"My father is a farmer, my children are farmers, and the next generation is also a farmer."

"With no way for the hard-working people to advance, they can only settle down in their own professions. Where will the motivation come from for all the people in the world?"

"When I, Wu, established the military title, wasn't it just to break these shackles and give all the people in the country a chance to get ahead?"

"good!"

"color!"

As soon as Zeng Dian finished speaking, there was a burst of applause in the huge Fengtian Palace. Apparently many ministers were on Zeng Dian's side and agreed with his proposition.

The court seemed to have become a venue for debate, allowing officials to express their opinions and speak freely.

Qingji did not stop this.

Zeng Dian mentioned a more serious problem in Dawu now——

Class solidification!

This is very detrimental to the development of the country.

Dawu is now developing very fast, its national strength continues to improve, and it has once again broken through the bottleneck, so more and more problems have become highlighted.

The solidification of classes is a serious problem that every dynasty and every country has faced throughout the ages.

If it doesn't work well, the country will be destroyed directly.

Although we are all Wu people, we are still classified as high and low, and we cannot treat them equally without any difference.

However, the children of farmers are still farmers, and the next generation and the next generation will still be farmers.

The children of nobles are still nobles, and the next generation and the next generation are still nobles.

Is this what Qingji wants to see?

No.

If this is the case, Dawu's future is worrying.

No matter how hard the people at the bottom work hard, they will remain ordinary people all their lives. Without a way to rise, how can they be motivated?

A country will be doomed if its citizens have no ambition and all fall flat.

However, in a sense, "class solidification" is also conducive to national stability and long-term peace and order.

So Deng Xi then refuted Zeng Dian's remarks.

"Master Zeng, I think what you said is completely nonsense."

Deng Xidan said indifferently: "Isn't it beautiful that all the people of the country can take care of their own business and make the country peaceful and the people peaceful?"

"When the Military Merit Award was first established, it was to solve the problem of how to improve the morale of soldiers."

"That was during the war, but today, under the unified rule, the world is stable. Although there are still wars outside the territory and overseas, no matter whether we win or lose, we can't touch the country of Wu."

"If in such a stable environment, the imperial court still arouses the people's pursuit of fame and fortune. With all due respect, the future of the country... is worrying!"

"this……"

Hearing this, Zeng Dian had a look of astonishment on his face.

He wanted to come up with words to refute Deng Xi, but he couldn't.

Ministers such as Zeng Shen and Fan Chi could not help but look at each other in confusion.

As ministers of the Confucian school, they were actually very in favor of Wu's "class solidification".

Because this means that their descendants can obtain a life of fine clothing and fine food without having to work too hard. If the official title can be passed down from generation to generation, that would be the best thing.

As for those working people, they will remain working people all their lives...

They were happy to hear this.

The solidification of classes has caused everyone in Wu to lose the spirit of struggle, but it can also make the country long-term and stable!

When Qingji saw this scene, he couldn't help but frown.
Chapter completed!