As soon as Zhu Youde said this, the important ministers turned back to look at Lu Shengzhi. Everyone knew that Zhu Youde respected Lu Shengzhi very much.
Nowadays, the story of the emperor's three visits to the thatched cottage is still being circulated in Jinling. In order to invite Lu Shengzhi to come out, Zhu Youde visited him three times in a row.
This was also regarded by countless scholars as a sign that the emperor respected scholars, and Lu Shengzhi also enjoyed numerous preferential treatment after entering the court.
Although he is now serving as an official in Shang Fang Mansion, who dares to think that he is just a minor official?
Even the six ministers must be polite when meeting Lu Shengzhi.
The Six Ministers and others were overjoyed. Lu Shengzhi was a veteran of three dynasties and would certainly not understand the benefits of confining the conflict between the emperor and the wealthy families in the southeast to the court.
Mr. Lu will definitely speak for the ministers, and he will never act like a dog to the emperor without any position or principle!
They believed in Lu Shengzhi's character as a scholar. He studied literature and martial arts and sold himself to the imperial family. A scholar who took the imperial examination and became an official was to serve the country and to realize his dream of ruling the world was by no means to work as a dog for the emperor.
Feng Bogong was the first to smile at Lu Shengzhi, and then other ministers also looked at Lu Shengzhi with expectant eyes.
Officials who were born into a wealthy family in the southeast were even more pleased. Lu Shengzhi had been cared for by a wealthy family when he was young.
He also served as an official in the southeast and had very good relations with wealthy families.
I will definitely not side with the emperor.
And as long as Lu Shengzhi said that there should be no chaos in the southeast, that would be the voice of Dingguo.
After all, he is a model of scholars in the world and an important minister in the eyes of the emperor.
As the emperor, Zhu Youde valued Lu Shengzhi so much. If he still didn't agree with Lu Shengzhi's suggestion.
The previous respect for Lu Shengzhi was just hypocrisy. Why didn't people all over the world talk about it? At least the scholars all over the world saw Zhu Youde's hypocritical face.
How could scholars take part in the imperial examination and work for Zhu Youde in the future?
Lu Shengzhi stood up in front of everyone's attention. Even Zhu Youde nodded with satisfaction.
Everyone is looking forward to Lu Shengzhi’s final decision!
The old man spoke: "Your Majesty, I would like to open a Imperial College to spread the teachings of saints, so that the people of the world can be benefited and culture and education can flourish."
Um!
The important ministers were suddenly stunned. What we are talking about today is about Yangzhou. What does it have to do with the Imperial College?
This old man must be out of his mind!
Naturally, no one in the court interrupted Lu Shengzhi at this time, and everyone continued to listen.
"The four peoples in the world are all your Majesty's subjects. I am thinking about it today. The education of our dynasty is unfair to the four peoples. Although the businessmen and industrialists are despicable, they are also the people of our dynasty. They should enjoy the education of the saints. The Imperial College can select the best ones to enter the school.
, craftsmen and merchants can also enjoy the teachings of saints, and can also demonstrate your majesty’s desire to educate the world and make our country prosperous. I sincerely ask for your majesty’s grace!”
Damn it!
Feng Bogong and other ministers' eyelids jumped. What did they hear?
When reopening the Imperial College, do we still need to allow merchants and craftsmen to enroll?
Is Lu Shengzhi crazy?
The officials from the southeast were also dumbfounded and stiff, as if they had been struck by lightning, looking at Lu Shengzhi unscientifically.
There are four peoples in the world: scholars, peasants, and merchants. Industry and commerce are at the bottom of the scale. Merchants are better, because they have money after all. But what are craftsmen? They are sleight-of-hand and cunning, and they are the most inferior among inferiors.
Although everyone says that all the people are the emperor's subjects, as scholars, everyone looks down on industry and commerce.
Now, industrial and commercial untouchables are allowed to enroll in high-level national institutions such as the Imperial College!
The sky is falling apart!
This is the Imperial College, the highest educational institution in Daliang. Even scholars may not be eligible to enter the Imperial College. Why are you going to let craftsmen and merchants enroll as soon as it is opened?
What kind of mentality is this?
"My minister Cui Li is a man of integrity. I am impeaching Lu Shengzhi. He is causing trouble to the country and is suspected of deceiving the emperor!"
"I impeach Lu Sheng for being disrespectful!"
"Your Majesty, Lu Shengzhi is stupid and unworthy of being a court official. Please exile him!"
"Lu Shengzhi, you are a disciple of a saint in vain."
Have you lost all your knowledge in reading?
The court suddenly became chaotic, and the ministers jumped up like cats whose tails were stepped on.
The court was the same as the vegetable market. Even the six ministers were very dissatisfied with Lu Shengzhi!
"The Imperial College, the Imperial College of the State, is the place where scholars are recruited and where the essence of the world's culture resides. How can merchants, craftsmen and despicable people be qualified to enter the Imperial College? What's more, if you enroll in the Imperial College, you are an Imperial College student, and you can give priority to the imperial examination. Lu Gong, are you planning to join the imperial examination in the future?
Do merchants serve as officials in the same court?"
"I am worried that in the future, the imperial court will be full of vengeance and national affairs will fall into the hands of merchants!"
"Your Majesty, merchants are treacherous, pursuing fame and wealth, and have no integrity. If merchants are allowed to enter the imperial palace and participate in court affairs, I, the great leader, will surely be laughed at by all the countries in the world and undermine your majesty's wisdom!"
"Lv Gong, when you return to the academy to teach, how can you face those students who are studying hard? If they ask you why you let merchants enter the Imperial College, how will you handle yourself, Lv Gong?"
Lu Shengzhi, you have committed an evil act and are so wicked. How will you face the students in the world in the future?
Anyone who dares to propose allowing merchants to enroll in the Imperial Academy is an alien in the eyes of scholars all over the world.
Zhu Youde did not speak. The emperor only needed the final decision. He waited for Lu Shengzhi to argue.
In fact, he was also shocked!
Damn, luckily I didn't bring it up myself, otherwise I wouldn't have been scolded to death by the court officials.
These scholars are very bad!
They can still respect Lu Shengzhi a little bit. After all, they are all scholars. Even if they are angry, saying that Lu Shengzhi is stupid at best, they still call him Lu Gong.
If it were me, I would definitely be a fool and trash.
Zhu Youde had no doubts at all. Thinking about Li Mingzhou, he was only a sixth-rank Hanlin scholar, so he dared to call himself a fool. None of these ministers were more powerful than Li Mingzhou!
Lu Shengzhi did not disappoint Zhu Youde. He waved his sleeves and everyone became quiet.
Full of prestige!
Lu Shengzhi said: "Aren't the businessmen in the world your Majesty's subjects? Did the sage say that they are not allowed to study? Is there a provision in the imperial examination that prohibits merchants from taking the imperial examination? Are merchant disciples born criminals? Prisoners?"
"The sage said that there is no distinction between education and distinction. There are still merchants among the seventy-two sages. How dare you look down on merchants?"
"Guan Zhong, Fan Li, and Lu Buwei, who doesn't learn the ways of merchants? How do you compare with these three people? Can they compare with each other in terms of knowledge and governance?"
"These three people help the king to dominate the world. Is it because they are also doing business that the king does not use them? In the former Han Dynasty, Sang Hongyang offered advice to Emperor Wu to sell salt and iron, which continues to this day. Sang Hongyang was a wealthy businessman. Emperor Wu opened up the Western Regions and conquered
Bu Chen, it all depends on Sang Hongyang to raise the army. Isn’t it possible that Sang Hongyang’s contribution was not included in Emperor Wu’s achievements?”
Wonderful!
It's extremely exciting, and it's obvious that Lu Shengzhi has done his homework.
These historical figures have all left great achievements in history, and they are all facts.
The officials were eclipsed and in a state of embarrassment. It wasn't that they didn't know how to refute, but these people Lu Shengzhi said were all fierce.
Guan Zhong helped Duke Huan of Qi achieve the Five Overlords, and he was famous throughout the ages.
Fan Li helped Gou Jian restore the country and destroy the Wu Kingdom. You must know that the Wu Kingdom at that time was one of the five hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period.
Lu Buwei, a wealthy businessman from the state of Zhao, assisted the First Emperor in leaving behind rare goods for living. Not only that, but he also left behind a book called "The Spring and Autumn Annals of the Chu Family", which was both civil and military, and his achievements were incomparable.
Who else?
Lu Shengzhi's eyes were as bulging as those of a goldfish, as if his beard and hair were flying in the wind. "The virtuous come before me. I, Daliang, learn from the virtuous in the previous dynasties. Is this wrong? As scholars, why are you so short-sighted? How come you have read this book?"