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Chapter 118 Li Shimin's Protection!
"Another advantage is the ability to identify talented individuals; without education, one might not be able to recognize them."

"Some people are talented even if they don't read books, but their limitations are greater if they don't read books."

"Couldn't the officials of the imperial court be illiterate?"

"Compulsory education requires funding from the imperial court."

Wang Ji's fingers, which were stroking his beard, suddenly stopped. He looked at Xiao Ran, a moment of surprise flashing in his eyes, followed by deep astonishment.

Having lived most of his life, he had seen all kinds of education – either official schools admitted children from wealthy families, or private schools selected children from relatively well-off families. He had never heard of the idea that "the imperial court pays for all children to go to school."

This idea was so "crazy" that it seemed unreal to him, yet upon closer examination, it revealed a profound truth.

"The imperial court is paying for it... so that even illiterate farm children can learn to read?" Wang Ji repeated in a low voice, his fingertips rubbing against his sleeve. "This... this is going to turn 'reading' from a 'luxury' into a 'common thing'."

He suddenly laughed, with a hint of self-deprecation, "I previously thought that setting up a school to teach the village children to read was already outrageous, but compared to what you're talking about, young man, it's still just a small fry."

The phrase "selecting talent" in particular struck a nerve with him—how many talented children from poor families have been overlooked because they didn't have the opportunity to study? This "compulsory education" is actually trying to eradicate the root of the "family background determines one's fate" mentality.

As a princess, Li Lizhi knew better than anyone how precious the court's money was—military pay, disaster relief, water conservancy projects, all of which cost money.

The idea of ​​the imperial court allocating funds to buy writing materials and build schools for children across the country sounds like a pipe dream.

But Xiao Ran's words, once they touched my heart, were like a pebble thrown into the ground, creating ripples that spread outwards.

“Make sure all children can read…” she said softly, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around the cloak straps. “That way, the people will no longer be deceived, and they will be able to understand the government’s notices and laws themselves.”

More importantly, there's the phrase "selecting talent"—over the years she's seen too many scions of prominent families rise to official positions based on their family background, while truly capable people from humble backgrounds struggle to get ahead.

If children from poor families could truly receive an education, the imperial court might have more people who could get things done.

She turned to look at Xiao Ran, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of understanding: "This idea is good, but... it's probably not easy for the imperial court to bear the cost of writing and painting for all the children in the country."

Even so, her eyebrows were slightly raised—the idea was so new, as new as the first breeze of spring, carrying a force that made one want to explore it further.

Sun Simiao held San Niang in his arms, sighed, and said with deep emotion, "If it were really like that, there would be fewer blind people in the world, and I, as a doctor, would probably be able to treat fewer illnesses caused by 'lack of understanding'."

A cold wind howled past, and none of them spoke again, but the ripples in their hearts caused by "compulsory education" lingered for a long time.

This idea was too advanced, like something falling from the clouds into the mortal world, making them feel both distant and vaguely aware that perhaps this was what reading should be like.

Back home, Li Lizhi went to her room.

He found paper and pen, intending to write a letter to Li Shimin.

The impact of compulsory education on Li Lizhi was enormous.

He gave a brief greeting to Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun, and mentioned the start date of the school term.

Li Shimin already knew about the other matters concerning the school, their causes and consequences, so there's no need to elaborate.

It mainly refers to compulsory education.

During a casual chat today, my son mentioned the term "compulsory education." My daughter was deeply moved by this and wanted to discuss it with her father in detail.

He said that this "compulsory education" is meant to ensure that all children, regardless of whether they come from wealthy or poor families, or whether they are from farming or business families, can go to school, learn a few words, and acquire some skills for making a living.

The cost of writing materials and the expenses of the school were all borne by the imperial court; it wasn't a matter of whether one could attend or not, but that one had to go to school as long as one reached the required age.

He added that this was not to increase the number of people taking the imperial examinations, but to ensure that ordinary people could understand government notices, calculate their own land rent, and avoid being bullied in a confused manner.

It is also so that... from these children, we can select some truly capable people.

After all, officials have to manage affairs, they can't just turn a blind eye; but nowadays, how many talented young people from poor families are buried because they don't have the opportunity to study?

The daughter listened and felt that the idea was too audacious—the imperial court was going to have to take on the cost of writing and painting for all the children in the country, which would probably cost more than building water conservancy projects or raising military funds.

But then again, I feel there is a profound truth in this: if people could all read and understand, there would be far fewer problems caused by "not understanding".

Truly talented people, regardless of their background, will always be recognized—isn't that what Aye has always wanted to do?
Mr. Wang said that this is to transform "reading" from "a privilege for a few" into "a duty for everyone".

Although the daughter knew it was difficult, she felt that her father should think about these words.

Li Lizhi wrote a lot of words.

He prepared the letter, got up, and left the room.

Finding Li Wu, who was helping with the work on the other side, she said, "Uncle Wu, could you please run a errand and give this to Father?"

Li Wu took the letter with both hands and said without asking any questions, "Okay, I'll go right away."

Li Wu left no ink, took the letter, and went directly to the stable to fetch the horse.

It doesn't take long to ride a horse from here to Chang'an, and you can come back in the evening.

Li Lizhi was at Xiao Ran's house, and Li Wu wasn't worried about her safety.

With Li Ke, Cheng Chumo, and several others present, as well as Sun Simiao, there was no reason to worry.

What Li Wu trusted most was Xiao Ran.

There is no doubt that someone who can easily hunt down a black bear must have amazing skills.

Li Wu's status allowed him to directly enter the palace and deliver the letter to Li Shimin.

He went directly to the Lizheng Hall and handed the letter to Li Shimin.

"Why did a letter suddenly arrive?" Li Shimin was quite surprised.

"Your Majesty, I do not know."

"Are Lizhi and Sizi alright?" Li Shimin asked again.

"Your Majesty, Her Highness the Princess is well."

When Li Shimin unfolded the letter, his fingertips still carried the scent of ink from reviewing memorials. At first, he thought his daughter was just talking about trivial matters at school, and a faint smile played on his lips.

But when his gaze fell on the words "compulsory education," his smile suddenly froze, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and he read each word very slowly, even his breathing became lighter.

When he read the line, "All children in the world, whether rich or poor, must go to school, and the imperial court will cover the expenses," his fingers gripping the letter tightened suddenly, his knuckles turning white.

This idea is too audacious, so audacious that it seems to overturn and rebuild the very foundation of education throughout the world.

Although he had implemented the imperial examination system in an attempt to break the monopoly of aristocratic families, only a minority of children from poor families were able to study. Many talented people were trapped in the countryside because they were illiterate and had no connections.

Is this "compulsory education" really going to remove this obstacle at its root?

"Let reading become not just a privilege reserved for a few, but a duty for everyone..." Li Shimin repeated Wang Ji's words in a low voice, his eyes surging with turmoil. Having been emperor for so many years, he knew better than anyone the dangers of aristocratic families controlling knowledge—the people were ignorant and easily misled; talent was buried, and the court was unable to recover.

But he never imagined that there could be such a thorough method to enable all the children in the world to read and understand reason.

After the initial shock, Li Shimin handed the letter to Empress Zhangsun, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement: "Empress, look at what Lizhi wrote... This 'compulsory education' is simply something that no one before us dared to think of."

Empress Zhangsun took the letter, gently unfolded it with her delicate hand, and read it calmly.

Unlike Li Shimin, she didn't show her emotions outwardly. When she read that "the common people can understand the notice and calculate the land rent," her eyebrows slightly raised.

Xiao Ran gave Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun another surprise.

With powerful families monopolizing knowledge, Xiao Ran's actions clearly offended people.

Li Shimin was well aware of this, and Li Lizhi's purpose in writing the letter also included this consideration.

He hoped that Li Shimin would protect Xiao Ran.

The powerful clans are far more influential than Xiao Ran and Kaolao Village.

Li Shimin remained silent, the turmoil in his eyes now settling into the profound wisdom unique to an emperor.

He knew all too well that once the words "compulsory education" spread, they would inevitably hurt the foundations of powerful families—those families that had monopolized knowledge for generations and enjoyed high-ranking positions based on their family background would never tolerate the opportunity for children from poor families to rise through education.

For Xiao Ran, a powerless outsider, to dare to do this "breakthrough" thing in Kaolao Village is tantamount to walking on the edge of a knife.

“We need to support this kid.” Li Shimin suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but with an undeniable determination. “He’s paving the way, and I can’t let him become a target for the aristocratic families.”

Empress Zhangsun put down the letter and replied softly, "Your Majesty is right. Xiao Ran is an honest man, and what he did was beneficial to the country and the people. If he suffers injustice because of this, it will not only chill his heart, but also the hearts of all those who want to do good deeds."

Li Shimin nodded slightly and pondered, "Directly bestowing titles and official positions would be too conspicuous and would put him in a difficult position. What he wants is not these things, but to allow the school to continue operating smoothly and to give the idea of ​​'compulsory education' a breather."

Li Shimin paused, then had an idea: "Rewards must be substantial, and even more importantly, they must be made public—let everyone know that I protect this school and this Xiao Ran."

A moment later, the general outline of the decree had taken shape in his mind.

"First, an imperial edict was issued to commend the Kaolao Village School, praising it for 'promoting education and benefiting the people's livelihood,' and specifically mentioning that 'although it is not an official school, its intention is commendable.'"

"A batch of writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and carved wooden tables were bestowed upon the school, enough to cover its expenses. These things were not valuable, but they best reflected the court's recognition of the 'school' and were like gilding the school, making local officials and gentry dare not treat it lightly."

"Secondly, I will give Xiao Ran a separate reward: one hundred taels of gold, twenty bolts of silk, and an imperial edict to be read aloud by an eunuch: 'I have heard that the establishment of schools in Kaolao Village is all thanks to the young master's efforts. Although his actions may seem trivial, they are of great importance to the education of the nation. I hope he will see things through to the end and not be afraid of what others say. I have my own plans.'"

The gold and silk were tangible benefits, giving Xiao Ran the confidence to handle his expenses; the imperial edict, "Do not fear what others say, I have my own plans," was blatant support, essentially telling everyone watching Xiao Ran: This is someone Li Shimin has his eye on, think twice before you touch him.

Empress Zhangsun smiled and said, "Your Majesty's method is excellent. Rewarding the school demonstrates its righteousness; rewarding Xiao Ran puts his mind at ease. It neither puts him in the spotlight nor fails to clearly show our stance—even if the aristocratic families are dissatisfied, they cannot find fault with it. They can't possibly say, 'Your Majesty should not support the establishment of schools,' can they?"

“That’s exactly right.” Li Shimin had always dreamed of weakening the aristocratic families. “This ‘compulsory education’ is still just a seed. We need to let it take root in Kaolao Village first, let it bask in the sun, and let the people of the world observe it slowly once it sprouts. Anyone who dares to uproot the seedling, I will cut off their hand.”

At this point, Li Shimin was no longer simply shocked by the novelty of "compulsory education," but rather saw the destiny of the nation hidden in this seed.

If he could truly enable all people to learn to read and write, and allow talented people from humble backgrounds to rise to prominence, then the Tang Dynasty under his rule would truly be an impregnable fortress, free from the abuses of aristocratic monopolies and the threat of ignorance and chaos.

Protecting Xiao Ran and this small school is protecting the beginning of the nation's destiny.

Li Wu need not worry about the imperial decree bestowing these gifts; Li Shimin told Li Wu to go back as soon as possible.

He told Li Lizhi that he would be going to Kaolao Village the next day.

The imperial edict process was actually quite lengthy, but Li Shimin expedited it, so it should have been done very quickly.

During the Zhenguan era, directly implementing compulsory education covering the entire country was indeed an unrealistic dream, but starting with "pilot programs in wealthy villages and encouragement and guidance from the imperial court" was a pragmatic approach that suited the conditions of the time.

The pilot program will focus on "affluent villages" to address the fundamental conflict between "survival and education."

In the Tang Dynasty, grain yields per mu were low, and children in ordinary farming families were important sources of labor—herding cattle, gathering firewood, and taking care of younger siblings. Losing one person could affect the entire family's ability to feed themselves.

But it's different in wealthy villages: families have surplus grain and can even afford to hire helpers, so children don't have to "work for food."

Parents value literacy more because it helps with household accounting and business, so they are much less resistant to sending their children to school.

For example, in villages like Fanchuan near Chang'an, or the outskirts of Luoyang, or in villages like Kaolao Village that have become wealthy due to coal mining and glassmaking industries, farmers have the means to send their children to school for two or three hours a day, and they are also willing to accept the suspension of classes during busy farming seasons.

The imperial court only needed to provide targeted subsidies: send some writing materials to the school, send an old scholar to teach part-time, and reduce the taxes of the village where the school was located by half—for wealthy villages, this "sweetness" was enough to entice them to try it.

The imperial court encouraged the use of understated brilliance and avoidance of the sharp edges of powerful families, emphasizing practicality to overcome resistance.

The core of the opposition from aristocratic families was the "breaking of the monopoly on knowledge." However, if the pilot schools did not teach the classics for the imperial examinations, but only taught "literacy, arithmetic, writing contracts, and reading notices," the resistance would be reduced.

The court could clearly state: "This is not for selecting officials, but only so that the people can calculate land rent, understand the law, and be less likely to be deceived by cunning people."

This statement not only aligned with Li Shimin's policy of "ensuring the people's livelihood," but also left no room for criticism from powerful families: they couldn't possibly oppose "making sure the people could understand their own land deeds," could they?

The method of encouragement should be "soft," not coercive, but only commendatory.

When a village established a school, a plaque acknowledging the village head's "effective teaching" would be hung up, giving him a respectable reputation among the local gentry.

If a child completed a year of schooling and was able to write a letter home and keep accurate accounts, the family would receive two bushels of government grain as a "reward."

For farmers, "reading can bring tangible benefits" and is more effective than empty slogans of "education".

For aristocratic families, such schools that "do not participate in the imperial examinations but only provide literacy education" do not pose a threat for the time being, and they may not be in a hurry to suppress them.

The core of the pilot program is to "accumulate experience" and pave the way for the future.

Li Shimin's true intention was to use the pilot program to figure out the "art of balancing education and people's livelihood".

For example, how to suspend classes during busy farming seasons, how to use sand tables instead of expensive paper, and how to convince farmers that "studying won't interfere with work"...

These details cannot be resolved by a single government decree; they must be refined through practice.

More importantly, the pilot program can cultivate "grassroots talents": after children in wealthy villages learn to read, they may become "bookkeepers" in the village or help neighbors write letters, gradually allowing surrounding farmers to see "the benefits of reading".

In eight or ten years, when these children grow up, if any of them can become minor officials in the county government or expand their family business, they will naturally become living examples of "changing one's destiny through education".

By then, without the imperial court's forceful push, ordinary farmers will also look forward to their children going to school, and the opposition from aristocratic families will gradually weaken.

Ultimately, this "pilot program + encouragement" approach breaks down the grand goal of "compulsory education" into small steps that allow "some villages to taste the benefits first."

It doesn't touch the foundation of current survival, nor does it directly clash with established families, but like the spark in Kaolao Village, it can slowly plant the idea that "reading is not a luxury" in the hearts of more people.

For Li Shimin, this was perhaps the closest he could get to the ideal of "compulsory education" during the Zhenguan era.

(End of this chapter)