Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 110 Establishing a Village School!

People left the coal mine one after another, and Xiao Ran wasn't worried about anyone causing trouble.

Now that someone is causing trouble, Xiao Ran isn't worried, but the other people in Kaolaolao Village are even more anxious.

They've tasted the sweetness of success.

I've never been this rich before.

Zhang Dalang gave the money he received to Zhang Erya, and now everyone tacitly agrees that Zhang Erya is in charge of the money.

Back in the courtyard, the three little maids went to collect the persimmon cakes and sesame cakes that Xiao Ran had promised.

They happily went off to play elsewhere.

Princess Yuzhang moved closer to Li Lizhi and said, "I love this feeling. The villagers were genuinely happy just now."

This joy is highly contagious.

"Yes, that's right! Life has been tough for everyone, so it's natural to be happy to suddenly have so much money."

Li Lizhi was also unaware of the living conditions of ordinary people.

I only found out about it after coming to Kaolao Village and meeting Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya.

For ordinary families, having enough millet to eat is already a blessing; they have very little money left over.

After Xiao Ran appeared, the situation improved a lot.

The villagers of Kaolao Village had savings from the time they started building their houses.

Persimmon cakes and roasted chestnuts also benefited, but coal benefited even more.

There was not only a wage, but also a share of the profits.

Even when divided equally, it would still be a large sum of money for an ordinary family.

Zhang Erya is numb now; this amount of money really doesn't mean much to her.

Count the money and put it away.

Take good notes.

After finishing lunch, Li Lizhi and the others stayed until the afternoon before leaving.

Upon returning to the Lizheng Hall, they saw Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun both there.

They leisurely sipped their tea.

It wasn't from the Tang Dynasty; it was given to Li Lizhi by Xiao Ran, and Li Lizhi mostly gave it to Empress Zhangsun.

It was given to Empress Zhangsun, which is also given to Li Shimin.

The cup was also a glass cup given to me by Xiao Ran.

"You're back!" Li Shimin smiled. "Has the share of Kaolao Village been distributed yet?"

Li Shimin trusted Xiao Ran's character, and what he said before must be true.

“Father divided it up.” Li Lizhi sat down at the table. “The young master divided most of it equally, and kept a portion as a reserve fund for the village head and several respected elders to keep safe.”

Li Lizhi explained the situation in Kaolao Village.

Li Shimin gently stroked the rim of the glass cup with his fingertips, causing the tea inside to ripple. He looked up at the sun outside the palace, his tone thoughtful: "This kid, he can manage small things as well as big ones."

Empress Zhangsun picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and replied:
"Ordinary people, when they gain something, only think about dividing it up bit by bit, and seeking immediate happiness."

"But he was willing to set aside a portion for the village to use in case of emergency. This shows that he has the word 'prevention' engraved in his heart—he knows that life is not about a moment of excitement, but about a steady and stable life."

Li Shimin put down his cup and tapped his finger on the table: "When ordinary people are living their lives, the worst thing is that 'haste' can break people's hearts."

"When a family is in trouble, neighbors help each other. It sounds heartwarming, but when it comes to actually sharing your savings, it's easy for resentment to arise."

"Xiao Ran's method has set a 'rule' for the village: when in trouble, there is no need to ask for help, the public will cover the losses, profits will not be kept for oneself, and there is a sense of collective responsibility. Once people are united, it will be more effective than the government providing relief ten times over."

Li Shimin looked at Empress Zhangsun, his eyes revealing the unique clarity of an emperor: "In this world, prefectures and counties are like stars, and villages are like pieces of chess. Prefectures and counties are bound by laws, and villages are held together by the hearts of the people."

“He left these six strings of cash not for the money itself, but to add a ‘live eye’ to the game—to make the villagers feel that the village is ‘ours,’ not just a collection of scattered individuals living their own lives.”

"The hearts of the people have returned to 'us,' so even if there are years of disaster or unexpected changes in the future, things will not fall into chaos."

"Furthermore," Li Shimin changed the subject, his tone becoming more approving, "he doesn't act arbitrarily, but lets the village head and elders manage things together; this shows he understands the proper measure of 'power'."

"What the common people believe in is not money, but 'fairness'. With multiple people involved and things transparent, no one can find fault. This kind of thinking is much more genuine than those ministers in the court who only know how to talk about 'benevolent governance'."

Empress Zhangsun nodded with a smile: "That's why the villagers respect him. It's not because he brought money, but because he made everyone feel that they can make a good living through their own efforts, and that they have someone to rely on when things get tough. This sense of security is more precious than gold and silver."

“Ananda, the recent events in Kaolao Village are a model of governance. Record them in detail, starting with Xiao Ran’s reform of the curved plow, so that other villages can learn from them.”

“Especially village heads and ward heads, we need to see how to gain the people’s approval. Xiao Ran’s approach is very good. Even if he is not a village head or ward head, it doesn’t affect his ability to lead the people of the village to a good life.”

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant has remembered." Zhang Anan had also gone there many times and was familiar with these things.

Li Shimin also witnessed the changes in Kaolao Village; it was truly getting better with the naked eye.

When Cheng Tiehuan returned home, he saw that Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong were both there.

Qin Qiong asked with a smile, "Girl, how are my eldest son and Chumo doing over there?"

"Uncle, it's going well. I'm quite happy here. They even helped distribute money before," Cheng Tiehuan explained the situation.

Upon hearing the words "payouts" and "reserve funds," Cheng Yaojin roared in a loud voice:

"Hey! My dear nephew, you've managed to govern the village more effectively than the government office without making a sound?"

Qin Qiong paused, his hand holding the teacup, and frowned slightly: "Tiehuan said that when my nephew distributed the money, he set aside some for emergencies and even asked the village head and the elders to manage it together?"

Seeing Cheng Tiehuan nod, Qin Qiong slowly said, "Even ordinary village heads and wardens might not have this kind of mindset. Knowing how to leave a way out for the people is ten times better than an official who only knows how to collect taxes."

"What's the use of being strong?" Cheng Yaojin leaned back in his chair and curled his lip. "The officialdom isn't like mining coal or making glass, where you can get by on your own merits. Back in the day, we relied on our sharp blades to fight on the battlefield."

"But once you get to the imperial court, you have to know how to read people's expressions and be tactful—you know, he's not even a village head, he only gets things done because the villagers trust him. If he really enters the officialdom and encounters those censors who pretend to be ignorant and powerful families who are trying to frame each other, how long can his 'one thing, one thing, two things' nature last?"

Qin Qiong didn't reply, his fingertips tracing the edge of the teacup, as if he remembered something: "Last year, during the Ministry of Personnel's performance evaluation, there was a county magistrate who built a twenty-mile-long irrigation canal during his tenure, which was praised by the people. However, because he refused to give gifts to officials in the capital, he was impeached for being 'stubborn and self-willed'."

"With this kind of idleness, I'm afraid he wouldn't even be able to get around the county magistrate's 'twisting'."

“In Kaolao Village, he could gain the respect of the villagers by saying ‘I will lead you to a better life.’ But in officialdom, ‘a better life’ alone is not enough. He also has to deal with ‘whose face cannot be refuted’ and ‘which words should be swallowed’—things that he may not be able to learn, nor may he be willing to learn.”

"Exactly!" Cheng Yaojin slapped his thigh. "He governs the village by being honest and straightforward, which wins people's hearts. But in officialdom, people's hearts are mixed with interests, factions, and old grudges. How can his little bit of 'reserve funds' possibly keep them in check?"

"He entrusted the village headman with managing the finances because he trusted the villagers; but in officialdom, if you trust your colleagues, someone will likely accuse you of 'forming cliques' overnight."

Qin Qiong smiled, then suddenly sighed: "But then again, what the world lacks is precisely people like him who are willing to be meticulous about things like 'drinking hot water' and 'leaving some extra money.' If all the county and prefectural officials learned from him and managed the people's lives in detail, it would be more useful than building ten monuments of merit. It's just..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "In this officialdom, there is room for those who get things done, but not necessarily for those who 'only get things done.' His purity will probably be worn away as soon as he enters."

Cheng Yaojin snorted: "In my opinion, it's good to let him cause trouble in the village! Let him burn his glassware, mine his coal, and make the villagers' lives prosperous. It's better than him being driven crazy by those pedantic scholars in the imperial court."

“We’ve worked hard all our lives, just so that ordinary people could live like him. What he did in Kaolao Village was more real than what many officials wrote in their memorials.”

Cheng Tiehuan was of a lower generation, so it was inappropriate for him to interrupt.

But upon hearing this, Xiao Ran couldn't help but say, "Uncle, Father, the current Emperor is wise and receptive to advice, unlike any previous emperor."

"And Her Majesty the Empress is virtuous and kind, unmatched by any previous dynasty." "Young master, you have real skills, not just empty words."

"Given his close relationship with several princesses, he will certainly have someone protecting him if he enters the court as an official."

"I think the young man's abilities are wasted in the village. He should be doing more to benefit the people."

Cheng Tiehuan had more contact with Xiao Ran and knew him quite well.

In other words, Cheng Tiehuan and Cheng Chumo really didn't dare to say these things.

Qin Qiong nodded, "The girl is right. His Majesty and His Majesty the Empress are indeed wise men of unparalleled wisdom, protecting those who are truly dedicated to their work."

“But Xiao Ran is a man who can’t tolerate any nonsense. He’s a blessing in the village, but in officialdom, he might become a thorn in our side.”

"In officialdom, sometimes you have to be 'lenient' and 'tolerant'; it's not always black and white. If he sees someone mistreating the people, he'll probably stand up to them on the spot, no matter whose side they are."

“It’s easy for His Majesty to protect someone once or twice, but difficult to do so for a lifetime. His genuine nature is the foundation of governing a village, but it may not be a blessing for officialdom.”

Cheng Yaojin was too young to know, but Qin Qiong did.

The official atmosphere in the Tang Dynasty was much better than during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, but some things were essentially the same.

Emperor Taizong of Tang was wise and virtuous, Empress Zhangsun was virtuous and capable, and there was a group of talented civil and military officials, but Xiao Ran's personality was still not suitable.

Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin were aware of the temple's usury practices.

Everyone else knew about this and didn't want to get involved, but Xiao Ran brought it up in front of Li Shimin.

It was only because Li Shimin was wise that Xiao Ran was in big trouble; if it had been any other emperor who believed in Buddhism, he would have been in serious trouble.

Cheng Yaojin nodded, "Yes! Brother Qin is right."

"Your Majesty is wise and the Empress is virtuous. If they really wanted to protect him, they would naturally have a way. But with his personality, he probably can't learn the intricacies of officialdom, and he's too lazy to learn them either."

"No matter how much we argue here, it's useless. In the end, it depends on what His Majesty thinks and whether he is willing to do it."

"If he's willing, with his abilities and the Emperor's favor, he might really be able to forge a different path; if he's not willing, isn't it just fine for him to stay in the village and keep the warmth of the place?"

Everyone likes Xiao Ran's personality.

It cannot be denied that Xiao Ran is capable.

I also think Xiao Ran is doing a great job at the grassroots level.

There is a world of difference between the imperial court and the grassroots.

Politics is never a matter of black and white, like beads on an abacus.

It's more like kneading dough; you have to mix in sour, sweet, and spicy flavors to create a taste that everyone can accept.

There is no absolute right or wrong, only the weighing of whether making this choice at this moment will bring more people peace of mind.

Just like when Xiao Ran exposed the temple's usury, in his eyes, "exploiting the people is wrong," and he directly lifted the lid on it.

But if this were placed in the imperial court, the matter would have to be weighed: would dismantling the temples' exploitation offend the devout Buddhist families?

Will cutting off the temples' source of income cause local unrest?
When Li Shimin finally made the decision to rectify the situation, it wasn't simply because he thought "Xiao Ran was right." Rather, it was because he weighed the "common people's resentment" and the "reaction of powerful families" and felt that "rectification" was more effective in stabilizing the country than "deregulation."

A person with a genuine personality carries a straightforward scale in their heart; right is right, and wrong is intolerable.

It's not that being genuine is bad; on the contrary, it's that being too genuine makes one intolerant of the "gray areas" in politics.

The people long for someone to fight for justice and distinguish right from wrong, but the court must leave a way out between right and wrong, allowing all parties to breathe, so that a dispute doesn't cause chaos.

Xiao Ran's value lies in his adherence to the principles of right and wrong; but his difficulty also lies in the fact that the path in politics is often paved in the gray areas.

The essence of politics, in the final analysis, is the art of balancing the survival of a group and its interests.

As night fell, Xiao Ran returned to his room and lay down.

But I couldn't sleep.

Xiao Ran has many feelings about recent events.

The situation in the village has indeed improved, and Xiao Ran wants it to get even better.

Let the villagers go to school, at least let the children like Third Aunt go to school.

It didn't require taking the imperial examinations, because it was very difficult for ordinary people in that era to pass them.

Even those from poor families can't get in, let alone ordinary people.

Li Shimin's era was better; he was unconventional in his use of people, which was a blessing for that era.

It won't work at other times.

In this era, the imperial examinations did not involve anonymous grading, so ordinary people had absolutely no chance.

Originally, those who could read and write were mostly from aristocratic families; there were very few ordinary people who could read and write.

Xiao Ran didn't expect to take the imperial examination.

Like Zhang Jinhe, one can simply write letters and keep accounts on a daily basis.

These reserve funds can be used for expenditure.

Xiao Ran was confident he could persuade Zhang Mingde and the others in the village.

Zhang Mingde and Zhang Jinhe knew best the benefits of reading and writing.

With a steady income from coal mining, no need to pay anything, and free schooling, they probably wouldn't be too resistant.

We need to set up a school, and we need to buy books and such.

The villagers can build the school themselves; they only need to pay for the materials.

Books can only be bought; they're not cheap, and they're all handwritten, with high labor costs for scholars.

The handwriting of someone who can copy books must be excellent.

Zhang Jinhe's calligraphy is not suitable for this task.

We're still missing a teacher.

Zhang Huaicai is actually capable, but he needs to do business, so we can't just call him back.

Zhang Jinhe was also a bit lacking.

Xiao Ran was even worse; he didn't understand the things he learned in this era.

After much thought, I realized I could only find a scholar.

That's not difficult; you can find it in Chang'an by spending money.

These things can be solved with money, so there's no need to ask Li Lizhi and the others.

Xiao Ran wants everyone in Kaolao Village to learn Arabic numerals.

It's okay if people in other places don't know; we'll take our time.

The children in Kaolao Village began to learn.

(End of this chapter)