After staying in Gaojiacun for a few days and repairing the martial arts hall, Deng Zhi and others returned to Jiangling. The next day, Deng Zhi bid farewell to the army returning from the north outside the city. Huang Zhong led the army on the road with an uneasy mood.
In the 14th year of Jian'an, on the fifth day of February, the school opened. Because there were too many people who signed up, they could only pass the assessment to retain 5,000 children of various ages. As for the others, Liu Cong planned to build two more schools.
In the fall of this year, enrollment will begin.
The medical school was much bleaker, with less than 300 applicants. Fortunately, some of the children eliminated by the school chose to study medicine. Finally, the medical school was able to have a full staff of 1,000 people.
By February 10th, the specific number of people was finally determined. Liu Cong rushed to the school again and held a meeting for children from the two schools on the playground! Even Liu Biao came to participate in such a grand meeting!
When Liu Cong and others entered the school, they walked to the stone monument at the school gate and Liu Cong stopped.
"Why doesn't the Marquis of Chu leave?" Sima Hui asked aloud.
"I have some ideas, bring me a pen!" Liu Cong replied.
Sima Hui hurriedly sent someone to get the pen. He also knew something about Liu Cong's talent.
Duan Kun had already ordered his soldiers to carry the table over and lay the paper directly on the table. Even after countless experiments, the paper produced is still a little yellow, but Liu Cong is already very satisfied with it.
"Lord, please use a pen." Duan Kun handed the pen to Liu Cong. Liu Cong nodded, grabbed the pen, dipped it in ink, and started writing directly on the paper. After a moment, Liu Cong put down the pen, "
I will put this moment on the monument to encourage students to enter."
People crowded forward to take a look.
"Establish a heart for heaven and earth! Establish a destiny for the living people! Continuing the unique teachings of the past saints! Creating peace for all generations!"
"Ah! This?"
"What a quatrain through the ages, so majestic!"
"This is what students of our generation should do!"
Everyone was full of praise for a while. Sima Hui looked at Liu Cong with surprise. This son's ambition far surpassed that of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, let alone Sun Quan, Ma Teng and others.
Liu Biao stroked his beard and said, "Cong'er, your word is a little different." Zhang Zhongjing said that Liu Biao's body only had half a year left. After Cao Cao went south, he was frightened again. Who knew, but now, he is gradually getting better!
Liu Cong smiled and explained, "Father, this is regular script." The characters of the Han Dynasty were subordinate and too neat and standardized. Liu Cong was not used to writing in regular script, so he always wrote in regular script.
"Did the Marquis of Chu create this word himself?" Sima Hui asked. Liu Cong nodded shamelessly again.
"Although the shape is not as good as the official script, it is still square. The strokes are straight and straight. It is indeed an exemplary body!" Pang Degong commented.
Zhang Zhongjing stepped forward and said, "Lord, can you also write an inscription for the students of the medical school?"
Liu Cong nodded, thought for a moment and then started writing again.
"The hanging pot helps the world and saves the world; the skillful hand brings youth back to life; the heart is firm; the name will be immortalized in history; the loving clothes and skillful hand will bring peace to the world forever."
Zhang Zhongjing looked at it and said, "Thank you, Lord."
Liu Cong put down his pen and said, "Let's go inside and see the students!"
The playground is actually made of bluestone slabs, with willows planted around it. A platform has been set up in the middle for Liu Cong and others to sit. Including students from the medical school, 6,000 people are sitting in the playground, which is slightly crowded.
They were all boys. Liu Cong also thought about letting girls enter the school. Unfortunately, not only Liu Biao opposed it, but also everyone in the civil and military circles opposed it. Even the people did not want their daughters to go to school. But he had no choice but to give up.
Behind the wall not far away, countless parents of students climbed on the wall and looked inside. It wasn't that Liu Cong didn't want them to come in, but it was too crowded to accommodate them.
The school actually covers a large area. After all, it is impossible to build classrooms several stories high like in later generations.
In several classrooms near the playground, soldiers were constantly moving books out!
Yes, it's books. For these students, Liu Cong prepared hundreds of thousands of books.
There are "The Analects of Confucius", "Shangshu", "Sun Tzu's Art of War", as well as "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic" and "Political Thought" adapted by Liu Cong.
Basically, each student has seven books, which are used as teaching materials, as well as other types of books, and students can choose whether to study them or not according to their wishes.
"Let's begin!" Liu Cong ordered as he sat on the high platform.
"Nuo." Duan Kun turned around and ordered, "My lord has an order, start issuing books!"
The soldiers stepped forward and distributed the books in the open space to the students sitting in the playground.
There are seven books for each person, and they are also equipped with a coarse cloth backpack!
I have to say that Liu Cong really worked hard for these students.
It took nearly half an hour to finally distribute every book to the students.
The younger children are still tinkering with a few books, like newly acquired toys. Just like some of the older children in Deng Ai, they are already so excited when they look at the books in their hands.
When will children from poor families be able to have their own books?
"Ahem." Liu Cong tried the big copper speaker and then started to speak, "Quiet!"
The children on the playground all looked towards the stage.
"Children, the books in your hands are a symbol of the beginning of your learning. This is part of what the school provides to you for free!"
"Everyone, get up!" Sima Hui suddenly interrupted Liu Cong.
The children followed his instructions and stood up. Sima Hui continued, "Thank you, Marquis of Chu, for the book!"
Six thousand children bowed in a decent manner, "Thank you, Marquis of Chu, for the book!"
Liu Cong listened to the crisp childish voice that echoed throughout the playground, and looked at Sima Hui with a wry smile, "Mr. Sima, it doesn't have to be like this..."
"Chu Hou, this is as it should be. I know what Chu Hou means to these children." Sima Hui interrupted him.
Liu Cong smiled and said, "Sit down, children."
"Today will be the first day you start studying. I hope you can be here, be proactive and cherish the hard-won learning opportunities."
"When you have achieved success in your studies, you will be recruited by the Association on the merits in the future to serve the country and benefit the people."
"Perhaps, it's too long ago to tell you this, and you still can't understand it."
"But, children, what I want to tell you is that you are the future of this country and this nation, and you will create new glory for us Han people!"
Most of the children would not understand Liu Cong's encouragement to the children, but the gentlemen around him would understand, and the parents outside the wall would understand.
Although the children didn't even respond, Liu Cong looked at the school he founded with his own hands and was very satisfied and pleased.
In the future, these children will continue to help him stabilize his rule. Continue to promote the Han nation to expand in all directions and move forward in further directions!
After the grand opening ceremony, Liu Cong also held a meeting with the school's teachers to make detailed arrangements for the school's various matters.
When Liu Cong went back, Liu Biao expressed that he did not want to go back.
Liu Cong, who was about to get on the carriage, was stunned. He put one foot on the stool and one foot on the shaft of the carriage, "Father, what do you mean?"
Liu Biao smiled and said with some embarrassment, "As a father, I also want to be a teacher here and teach."
As a former prince, Liu Biao wanted to teach and educate people here? The reason why Liu Biao was embarrassed was because he was afraid of damaging the Liu family's reputation.
Moreover, this was outside Xiangyang City, so he was a little afraid that Liu Cong would not agree.