The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 593 White Arowana Suit
The Sanzhongci Imperial College, this Imperial College located in Foshan, is even better than the Guangzhou Imperial College built on the site of the original Guangzhou General's Yamen in Guangzhou City.

It is as famous as the Jiading Imperial College in Nanyang and the Jinling Imperial College in Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture, and is one of the three best imperial colleges in the Dayu Dynasty.

Wang Zhenyi hurried into the school gate holding a large pile of books and manuscripts.

As soon as she entered the door, Wang Zhenyi breathed a sigh of relief, because only in the Sanzhong Temple Imperial College did no one look at a woman dressed like a teacher in a strange way.

In the present-day Dayu Dynasty, although women are not as strictly bound as they were in the Qing Dynasty, a large number of strangely dressed costumes have begun to appear in the Pearl River Delta, mainly in Guangzhou, and the Yangtze River Delta, mainly in Suzhou and Songjiang.

In many large families, there are also many talented women who can hold certain power. In big cities like Nanjing and Guangzhou, there are also many girls' schools.

However, it was still a bit shocking for a woman to become a professor at the Imperial College, or even a doctor or secretary of the Imperial College, positions which were traditionally considered to be imperial officials.

And it's not just like this in China, it's the same in Western Europe, and it's even more serious.

With the support of Ye Xianchun, the Earl of Pingyuan, Wang Zhenyi went to France to study for two years, even as the adopted daughter of a count, but she still could not enter the University of Paris.

In the end, it was because of her special status that King Louis XVI personally granted permission, and Wang Zhenyi was able to enter the University of Paris by wearing men's clothes and having a men's hairstyle, and complete simple learning and communication.

"Siye, the headmaster wants you to go to him right away. It seems like a big shot has come to the school."

The documents were numerous and heavy, but fortunately, after walking a few steps, Wang Zhenyi met several students who took the documents from her.

Wang Zhenyi nodded, looked at the statue of the Three Loyal Lingnan people at the school gate, and then looked around at the students who were constantly passing by and greeting him, and a sense of enlightenment arose in his heart.

Dayu's education system and even the imperial examination system were about to undergo a huge change.

In today's Dayu, after the emperor began to build a large-scale new Imperial College, the nature of the Imperial College, which originally included the Imperial College, the Four-door Primary School, and the Imperial College, began to change.

The Imperial College was transformed from the highest institution of learning into a training class for officials, and its status rose rapidly.

Originally, most of the students in the Imperial Academy were those who failed to pass the imperial examination and could get a small official position if they were lucky. But now it has actually become a place for high-level officials to be promoted and trained.

Especially after the emperor became very fond of coming to the Imperial College to select talents to serve as civil servants in the inner court, the status of an Imperial College student, which was originally looked down upon by the Jinshi scholars, became a coveted title that most Jinshi scholars would fight to get.

At the same time, the functions of the four primary schools were simplified, and their difficulty was greatly reduced before they were implemented in primary and high schools.

Therefore, during the Dayu Dynasty, when the elementary functions of the four branches of the Imperial College were reduced in difficulty and spread across elementary and higher education, and the Imperial College became a university, it was inevitable that the status of the Imperial College would be elevated, otherwise its positioning would be very embarrassing.

If Wang Zhenyi were a time traveler, she would know that the Imperial College had actually become a party school, and the status of the Imperial College was even higher than that of the General Office of the Central Committee in later generations. It would definitely be very popular.

"Siye, have you heard that the number of scholars admitted by the court will be further reduced next year?

There were only 70 quotas in Guangzhou, and the application threshold was raised to Imperial College graduates. Juren were only allowed to apply if they had three years of grassroots experience.

Hearing the student's question, Wang Zhenyi nodded slightly. She discovered a very important characteristic of the current emperor.

That is, no matter what policy is implemented, it will be increased little by little and advanced slowly. We will never make any major reforms and attach great importance to social stability.

Someone described the emperor as a master at cutting sausages, and Wang Zhenyi thought it was very appropriate.

For example, when it comes to the imperial examinations, the emperor initially raised the threshold for scholars to apply to the exam to the point where they must have graduated from a higher education, and then abolished the privileges of scholars being students with stipends and being exempt from taxes to a certain extent.

Just when the scholars were extremely dissatisfied, the treatment of clerks was greatly improved, and the restrictions on clerks' promotion to officials were relaxed, which enabled the clerks to rapidly improve their status.

Then he began to expand the number of civil servants and stipulated that new civil servants must have the title of scholar. This made many old scholars cheered and immediately silenced the opposition.

Unfortunately, just one year later, the imperial court tightened the number of scholar places again, and the number was reduced year by year. By the next year, there were only 70 places in the huge Guangzhou, and the application threshold was raised to graduates of the Imperial College.

"This is actually a good thing for us. After the threshold for the Jinshi exam is raised to Imperial College graduates, the largest number of graduates from higher education institutions will no longer be able to compete with us.

Now, a fourth-rank official in Foshan can earn sixty-five silver dollars a year. If you don't seek great wealth and honor, this small fortune is also very good."

A student who will graduate next year said with great confidence that the quality of life of 65 silver dollars in Dayu at that time was roughly equivalent to 170,000 or 180,000 yuan a year in later generations.

In Guangzhou, when housing prices were not particularly high and a house in a remote area only cost 70 or 80 silver dollars, one could live very comfortably on 60 or 70 silver dollars a year.

It’s like if you earn 170,000 or 180,000 yuan a year in Guangzhou in the future and don’t have to worry about housing, it would be like heaven.

"The imperial court changes its policies every day. I'm afraid that by the time we graduate, there will be another change. It always makes me feel uneasy!
Besides, so many high school students have studied hard for ten years, and if their path to success is suddenly blocked, who knows what kind of trouble they will cause.”

A first-year Tai student from a poor family felt a little uneasy and subconsciously pinched the corner of his clothes.

Students from poor families are always worried about their future.

Because sending them to the Imperial College was not something that their parents could do by gritting their teeth, but required the support of their entire family.

Their tuition was basically raised with a foot of cloth from their third uncle's family and a chicken from their fourth uncle's family.

They are burdened with too many debts of favor and too many people's earnest expectations, so they hope to pass the examination and become a scholar as soon as they graduate so that they can repay their family as quickly as possible.

"Brother Bozhi, you are just too obsessed with officialdom. It's nothing if you can't pass the exam. After graduation, come to my Longtai Company. You can choose any position with an annual salary of less than 100 silver dollars."

The student who called the poor student "Brother Bozhi" and directly promised him a high salary of one hundred silver dollars was called Luo Zengxiang. His great-grandfather was Luo Aye, the leader of the Mingxiang people in Hoi An.

This person saved the emperor's life in the past. Of course, what outsiders don't know is that Grandpa Luo drowned the entire Nguyen family of Guangnan for the Mingxiang people and the emperor.

Grandpa Luo and his two sons sacrificed their lives to clear the obstacles for the emperor and the Mingxiang people to control Guangnan. His descendants will certainly be successful.

Grandpa Luo's third son, the grandfather of this student named Luo Zengxiang, had just retired from the position of Governor of Jiangxi due to illness.

His father was an inspector in Asahi Province for the Prime Minister of Japan and the retired Emperor Mo Tianci. The Longtai Company founded by his family monopolized the foreign trade of the Grand Duchy of Vientiane, and had eleven cavalry units with more than thirty horses.

With such status and background, he naturally had no interest in being a minor official, and a senior manager position with a salary of one hundred silver dollars a year was naturally just a matter of a word from him.

When Brother Bozhi heard such an obvious solicitation, a hint of displeasure appeared on his face, as if he was somewhat resisting this kind of "charity".

Wang Zhenyi sighed and decided to find an opportunity to teach this poor student.

This kid must have been misled by his parents' words like "being poor means having ambition".

Ambition is necessary, especially when faced with the temptation of giving something out of pity or the obvious loss of one's character and morality.

But this is your classmate, a classmate whose status is ten thousand times higher than yours and who is willing to help you. If you still care about those things, it would be too unkind and even ungrateful.

"Ah Xiang, you're wishful thinking. Brother Bozhi is extremely talented in alchemy and the study of things. Going to your family's small caravan won't bury his talent. He should continue to choose to study in the alchemy department."

The man who called Luo Zengxiang "Axiang" and disparaged Luo's Longtai Company as a horse caravan was a tall Taixue student wearing a brocade robe.

This person also had an extraordinary background. He was Zhuang Lishan, the fourth son of the late Xingaobo (Gaotoulang) Zhuang Chunde. He was the elder brother of Rear Admiral Zhuang Lixin, who died in the Battle of Trincomalee.

Although Zhuang Lishan was ridiculing Luo Zengxiang, his eyes were fixed on Wang Zhenyi's beautiful face from time to time.

In Zhuang Lishan's eyes, Wang Siye was simply perfect. At just sixteen, she was already a talented woman renowned across China and France, proficient in mathematics, astronomy, and the study of nature.

This new side-blown converter steelmaking method was invented collectively by the school, and Wang Zhenyi was the most important academic leader.

Moreover, her family background was not bad. Her grandfather had been the prefect of Suzhou and the governor of Jiangnan, her father was the director of the Imperial Medical Service, and her sister Wang Huiyi married the son of Lord Tao. She was a leader among the circle of meritorious officials and noble ladies.

More importantly, she is quite pretty. Although she is not a stunning beauty, she is a pretty girl from a small family.

Zhuang Lishan was so itchy that he wanted to catch Wang Zhenyi right away.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, it hurts, it hurts so much!" Zhuang Lishan was thinking so much that his saliva was almost coming out, but he was suddenly engrossed and was seen by Wang Zhenyi while he was peeping.

Wang Zhenyi was not the kind of delicate scientific researcher who wore glasses. Although she was very capable in academics, she was also bold and opinionated.

Just think about it, how could a woman who could sail on the sea for more than half a year to study in France, and who in history even learned the art of riding and archery outside the Great Wall and was quite skilled at it, be a delicate woman? It's impossible both in terms of physical fitness and personality.

"Zhuang Lishan, I have already said that you are not the type I like, and I told you to find your own lover as soon as possible.

Your brother served his country so loyally in Trincomalee that he left no descendants. Your most important task now is to quickly get married and have children. Give birth to a boy and adopt him as your brother, leaving behind a bloodline for such a great hero. Don't you understand? Why are you always wasting your time here with me?

Wang Zhenyi angrily twisted Zhuang Lishan's ear with her slender little hand, and then she stopped angrily.

Zhuang Lishan felt a little embarrassed by the scolding, and was still a little ashamed. With a red ear, he looked at Wang Zhenyi with some dissatisfaction.

"So what kind of man do you have in mind? Even someone like me, Zhuang Lishan, won't be enough. I want to see how high Wang Siye's standards are and what kind of man can catch your eye!"

Zhuang Lishan has every right to be proud. His father was one of the first meritorious officials to follow the emperor in Nanyang. Over the years, he has helped his father govern the fiefdom while studying, and he has done a very good job.

He is considered to be a second-generation meritorious official with good abilities, except for his brother Zhuang Lixin and the top second-generation officials such as Wu Wenhui and Ye Mingyue.

But the more he did this, the more Wang Zhenyi resisted.

Firstly, she really didn't like Zhuang Lishan. Secondly, Zhuang Lishan's mother, Lady Xingaobo, had asked her sister Wang Huiyi to convey messages to her several times.

Lady Xingao hoped that Wang Zhenyi would reject Zhuang Lishan harshly so as not to delay Zhuang Lishan's marriage and childbirth.

Because Zhuang Lixin, who died in the battle at Trincomalee, had only one brother from the same mother, the probability of accidents happening to people at that time was not low, even for nobles.

Lady Xingao was afraid that something might happen to Zhuang Lishan, causing her beloved eldest son to become extinct, so Wang Zhenyi was under a lot of pressure.

Of course, if Wang Zhenyi chose to marry Zhuang Lishan, she would welcome it with open arms.

Wang Zhenyi felt a little disgusted by this kind of behavior. You couldn't even handle your own son, but you always made things difficult for her, a little girl. But it was understandable.

So Wang Zhenyi now wishes that Zhuang Lishan would give up on her immediately. After hearing Zhuang Lishan's somewhat broken words, Wang Zhenyi wants to create a perfect character for Zhuang Lishan in her mind.

As a result, when she looked up, she saw a tall figure surrounded by several people.

He is not very fair-skinned, nor is he particularly handsome, but he has a very special aura of calmness and elegance.

Especially those eyes that sparkled with determination and confidence. Wang Zhenyi felt as if she had seen them somewhere before. The impression must have been particularly deep at the time, but she just couldn't remember where exactly.

This familiar yet strange feeling made her stunned for a moment. The more she looked at the man, the more she felt that she must have seen him somewhere.

Not only was it familiar, but it also carried a sense of oppression that made her chest feel heavy.

Zhuang Lishan also noticed Wang Zhenyi's unusual look. He was already a little defensive, and now he was even more embarrassed and angry, as if he had found a breakthrough to vent.

Wang Zhenyi reacted, screamed and tried to stop Zhuang Lishan.

Well, Wang Zhenyi knew very well that for her, although Zhuang Lishan had a high status, he was not a threat to her safety. He was just a trouble she wanted to get rid of.

However, for ordinary people in the Imperial College of Sanzhongci, Zhuang Lishan, the new prince of Gaobo, the son of a founding hero of the Dayu Dynasty and the younger brother of a naval hero, is still very important and not something that ordinary people can contend with.

"Brother Zhuang!" Brother Bozhi also exclaimed and quickly chased after him.

Brother Bozhi was somewhat resistant to Luo Zengxiang, who had always wanted to recruit him, but he felt much better about Zhuang Lishan, who often yelled at him.

Then, Brother Bozhi saw a scene that shocked him greatly.

Zhuang Lishan, who was fearless in school and even dared to be a troublemaker in front of the principal, ran forward a few steps and suddenly seemed to be struck by lightning.

The man shook visibly, and then his knees went limp forward as if they had no bones.

"Third Brother Zhuang!" Asen sighed secretly. He met the new Prince of Gao as soon as he entered the school. He didn't want to expose his identity at this moment, otherwise he would not be able to see the real situation below.

Arsen, who was only thirteen years old but about 1.75 meters tall, took two quick steps and held Zhuang Lishan with both hands.

"Brother Zhuang San seems to be graduating the year after next, right? Will he be going back to Nanyang then?"

Zhuang Lishan was quite surprised because he had only met Asen twice, one of which was when Asen was only seven or eight years old.

He was able to recognize Asen because anyone who met the future prince would definitely have a deep memory of him.

And it's really not easy for Arsen to be able to recognize his identity at a glance.

"Yes, my Lord. Thank you for remembering me. I will graduate next year and will indeed be returning to Nanyang."

Zhuang Lishan forced himself to stop the soreness in his knees and answered haltingly, adding something very meaningful at the end.

"It's been a while since I last saw you, sir. Are you in good health?"

Brother Bozhi looked puzzled. What was Zhuang Lishan doing? Why did he stutter when he spoke and called someone who was obviously younger than him "big brother"?

Also, who would ask a teenager whether he is in good health? It's like asking Saint Ann.

Brother Bozhi was a little surprised, his classmates were also surprised, and even Wang Zhenyi didn't know what was going on.

Calling Asen "Big Brother" or "Big Brother Sen" is the way people in the circle of meritorious officials, especially those in Fujian and Guangdong, use this term. People who have not reached this level will not know.

Then, Brother Bozhi saw the chubby Luo Zengxiang rushing past very smoothly at a speed that was extremely disproportionate to his body.

"Boss, I am."

"Brother Luo, the Fourth Brother." Knowing and remembering people is a skill Asen was forced to learn by his mother, Concubine Chen, with a stick since he was a child. He almost remembers the children of every meritorious official.

"Oh, that's not right. I can't call you Fourth Brother Luo." Asen suddenly laughed.

Because Grandpa Luo of Hoi An was the great-grandfather of Luo Zengxiang, and in Hoi An at that time, it was assumed that the emperor was only one generation younger than Grandpa Luo.

So, in fact, Asen is Luo Zengxiang's uncle.

"Boss, ah, no, uncle, I didn't expect you to remember me after only meeting me once."

Luo Zengxiang was quite excited because he was not the eldest son and could not inherit the title of Marquis of Hoi An left by his great-grandfather.

He was not even eligible for the small title of Xin'an Town Guardian in Johor, because he had three older brothers, so he had few opportunities to meet the emperor.

This is also the reason why he is anxious to recruit talents in the school and spend money everywhere. Luo Zengxiang wants to have his own team so that he can go to Southeast Asia to colonize a place and at least become a baron.

Wang Zhenyi felt something was wrong, but she still didn't expect the future crown prince to appear here.

She still felt that he was very familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him, so she continued to look the man up and down with great curiosity.

Well, Wang Zhenyi didn’t realize at all that Arsen in front of her was only thirteen years old.

She had never thought that the emperor's glimpse from afar four years ago would leave such a deep impression on her. Although she didn't remember anything else, she had never forgotten his eyes and temperament.

When Zhuang Lishan saw Wang Zhenyi's expression, he thought it was love at first sight. He sighed deeply in his heart, and his last bit of hope was completely extinguished.

This is the Crown Prince! The future True Dragon! How can he, a mere Earl's son, compare to him?
"This must be the world-famous Wang Siye, a truly remarkable woman. I came to the Imperial College at the Sanzhong Temple to see the side-blown converter steelmaking process that Siye helped develop."

Asen didn't think so much about it. Boys are much slower in this regard.

He came here not only because of his father's order, but also because he understood how important this thing was. If there were no problems, the rise of Chinese steelmaking would begin.

When your mind is full of things, how can you care about love?

"Ah, this requires a headmaster..." Wang Zhenyi suddenly became a little flustered and answered with a stutter.

"I agree. Mr. Chen can visit however he wants. However, I heard that Mr. Watt, the master of steam engine improvement, will be arriving soon. Mr. Chen must ask Mr. Watt to come to our Sanzhong Temple Imperial College as his first stop."

The loud voice of the dean came from behind. Wang Zhenyi was shocked when she heard it. "No way, dean, you call a teenager "sir"?
　I had so many meetings today that I really can’t finish writing. I’m about a thousand words short.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)