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

Chapter 120 Xiao Ran Goes to Class!

"Ugh!"

Li Shimin sighed, somewhat disappointed.

Xiao Ran's views are sometimes different.

"Uncle, don't sigh. This is like spring planting and autumn harvest; it has to be done according to the seasons. No one can force the wheat to ripen early just because they are capable. That's just how times are; no one can skip it."

"If we want to change the current situation and weaken the influence of aristocratic families, we must develop the imperial examination system."

"If we want the imperial examination to have meaning, and if we want ordinary people to take the imperial examination, we must first enable them to study, right?"

"If you want them to go to school, you should first make sure their families have enough food and spare money, right?"

"If you want your family to have surplus grain, you first need to make the fields produce more grain, make trade easier, and reduce exorbitant taxes, right? None of these things can be accomplished by simply banging a gong or issuing an imperial decree."

“Promoting the imperial examination system now is like sowing seeds in the cracks of rocks—in the past, aristocratic families guarded the door to knowledge, and at least they managed to break open a crack so that poor families could see a glimmer of light, which was already quite an achievement.”

“That’s right, that makes sense,” Li Shimin agreed wholeheartedly.

However, Li Shimin was also well aware that the problems Xiao Ran mentioned could not be solved in a short period of time.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial examination system flourished, and there were many scholars.

At that time, there was no history of high yields like potatoes and corn.

Xiao Ran considered giving Li Shimin some advice, but found it was useless.

The Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty were completely different.

During the Tang Dynasty, powerful families monopolized knowledge and power. They controlled the imperial examinations by virtue of their family background, book collections, and personal connections, making it difficult for those from humble backgrounds to rise in society.

By the time the Song Dynasty was established, the social structure had changed from "dominated by aristocratic families" to "flattened," greatly reducing the obstacles for ordinary people to acquire knowledge and creating space for the popularization of the imperial examination system.

Li Shimin couldn't meet this condition, not even in the late Tang Dynasty, let alone the early Tang Dynasty.

During the Tang Dynasty, the imperial examinations only admitted a few dozen people each year, and most of them were sons of aristocratic families who were "gilded" by the system.

The Song Dynasty directly used the imperial examination system as a "tool for centralizing power".

Emperors Taizu and Taizong of the Song Dynasty significantly expanded the number of candidates admitted to the imperial examinations, more than 10 times that of the Tang Dynasty. The "palace examination" was even presided over by the emperor himself, completely breaking the "disciple-student relationship" between examiners and candidates.

More importantly, the Song Dynasty explicitly abolished the "public recommendation" system and promoted the "anonymous transcription" system, which reduced the space for aristocratic families to commit fraud in terms of rules.

For children from poor families, the Song Dynasty also provided "public kitchens" and "post station vouchers," and even allowed the children of merchants and tenant farmers to take the exams—the "undifferentiated openness" of the system gave ordinary people hope that "studying could change their destiny."

These are things that neither Li Shimin nor the current Tang Dynasty could do.

It is impossible to regard the current imperial examination system as a core national policy.

In the Tang Dynasty, books were mostly handwritten, and a single volume of the Analects could be worth half an acre of land, making them unaffordable for ordinary people.

During the Song Dynasty, woodblock printing technology was mature, and bookstores were everywhere in Bianjing and Lin'an. A copy of the "Thousand Character Classic" cost only a few dozen coins, which even village private schools could afford.

Xiao Ran can help make up for it, but only by reducing the cost of reading.

Ultimately, the flourishing of the imperial examination system in the Song Dynasty was the result of the combined effects of "breaking the old monopoly, the new system providing a safety net, the decrease in knowledge costs, and the support of social wealth."

It was not a sudden "outbreak," but rather the Song Dynasty's transformation of "possibility" into "universality" through its systems and policies after the "breakthrough" at the end of the Tang and Five Dynasties period.

Even without new high-yield crops, as long as society provides space for ordinary people to "reach for knowledge with a little effort," a surge in the number of educated people is inevitable.

Therefore, the Tang Dynasty had absolutely no chance!
"I can't let Uncle make a wasted trip, so I've also prepared some gifts."

Li Shimin was uninterested. "What gift? Schools and compulsory education are priceless gifts."

"Never mind, Uncle isn't interested, so I won't mention it. I did have a way to reduce the cost of education."

"Huh? You little brat, why are you not talking again?"

“I can’t just think about Kaolao Village, otherwise the surrounding villages will isolate Kaolao Village and become envious.”

Li Shimin understood Xiao Ran's meaning; he wanted to help the local people make money together.

"You little rascal, don't just say half of what you mean!" Li Shimin was now truly interested.

"It's nothing, just to make the books a little cheaper."

"Hmm?" Li Shimin's eyes lit up.

This is not simple.

This is one of the reasons why ordinary people cannot afford to go to school.

"Kid, tell me now!"

"Improve papermaking techniques to make paper cheaper."

Hearing Xiao Ran say this, Li Shimin was very disappointed. "This is probably not quite right. The reason why books are expensive is never because of the cost of paper, but because of the cost of labor."

“Those who can copy books are all scholars, and their handwriting cannot be too bad. There are not many such people. It is one thing that the wages for copying books are high, but the efficiency is also low.”

"Books are scarce, and their value increases as they become more expensive, making them even more unaffordable for others, creating a vicious cycle."

"Uncle, I haven't finished speaking. The cheapness of paper is only one aspect. In the future, we won't need to copy anymore. Do you think the price can be brought down?" Xiao Ran knew that there was no printing technology at the time.

Woodblock printing emerged in the Tang Dynasty and does not exist today.

"No need to copy? What does that mean?"

"You'll find out later, Uncle. When that time comes, I'll need your help. You'll have to give me some books." Xiao Ran deliberately teased Li Shimin.

"You little brat, tell me now!"

"Hahaha!" Xiao Ran didn't say anything and turned to walk towards the school.

It's hard to understand now that there's no woodblock printing.

We'll talk about it once it's made.

The impact is greater.

Li Shimin felt much better, knowing that Xiao Ran's words meant things couldn't be too bad.

With everything else arranged, Wang Ji began his class.

You can hear the sound of reading from a great distance.

The other villagers didn't leave either; they stayed to guard the school.

Some wanted to learn, while others were simply joining in the fun.

Zhang Dalang, Li Ke, and the others didn't stay to watch over things and weren't very interested in reading.

Cheng Chumo was very averse to studying and had already run away.

Xiao Hei didn't wander around or follow Xiao Ran. Instead, he stayed in the school, next to Third Sister and the two little princesses.

Wang Ji didn't say anything, and Xiao Hei was quiet and didn't disturb the class.

Wang Shen found Xiao Ran, "Young Master!"

"Uncle!" Xiao Ran thought Wang Shen wanted to freeload at the school.

"I wanted to ask if the coal mines still need people. There's not much to do this time of year, so everyone's pretty idle."

"Yes, but I'm not sure exactly how much it will cost. I'll take a look in the next couple of days and give Uncle a definite answer!" Xiao Ran needed to consider the people of Kaolao Village first.

Let's consider other villages.

"Alright, then we'll wait for news from the young master."

Kaolao Village has changed so much recently, and even the neighboring villages know about it.

envy, jealousy, hate!
The three-year tax exemption had already made other villages extremely envious.

Other villages also benefited from the sugar-roasted chestnuts and persimmon cakes.

But upon hearing that coal would be distributed as profit, the previously delicious roasted chestnuts and persimmon cakes suddenly lost their appeal.

These things can't be kept secret; with so many people in Kaolao Village, they're bound to tell everyone.

Li Shimin also overheard Xiao Ran and Wang Shen's conversation and understood what Xiao Ran meant by the other villages being envious.

Not long after, a strange sound was heard. Then a group of children came out of the school.

"Huh? What's going on?" Li Shimin was puzzled.

"A balance between work and rest, and proper relaxation, leads to higher learning efficiency."

This was Xiao Ran's suggestion, and no one else objected.

I think Xiao Ran is right.

Even Wang Ji had a somewhat blind trust in Xiao Ran.

During the Zhenguan era, school teaching emphasized continuity, and breaks were arranged flexibly, rather than the modern standardized "break" system.

This model was closely related to the educational goals of the time, which focused on classical studies and emphasized memorization—strengthening memory through long periods of concentrated recitation, with rest serving only as an auxiliary adjustment.

So Xiao Ran thought it made a lot of sense.

The two little princesses, San Niang and Xiao Hei, also left the school.

Upon seeing Li Shimin and Xiao Ran, the three little girls ran over excitedly.

"Grandpa~"

"Little Bag~"

"Sizi, slow down." Xiao Ran picked up the little princess.

"Is class fun?"

The little princess shook her head. "It's not fun~ It's not fun at all~"

Li Shimin and Wang Shen, who were standing nearby, also smiled.

Wang Shen knew in his heart that the people in other villages could only watch longingly, and had no chance at all.

Princess Li Lizhi of Yuzhang also came over.

According to Xiao Ran, a class lasts about 40 minutes, followed by a 10-minute break.

There's no specific plan on who will teach or what classes will be taught; it's very flexible.

It's a matter of whoever has time can do it.

"I'll teach the next class!" Xiao Ran wanted to play with a group of children.

Wang Ji's knowledge is certainly not a problem, but it might be a bit dry and boring.

This is unavoidable.

“Okay, I’ll talk to my husband about it,” Li Lizhi said with a smile.

Others were also curious about what Xiao Ran would teach.

Upon hearing the school bell, the little princess waved her hand, and the group returned to the classroom.

Xiao Ran went inside, and a group of children sat down.

Li Shimin, Wang Ji, and Wang Shen also watched.

Xiao Ran wanted to get a group of children to enjoy reading, because once they developed a dislike for it, they would never be able to learn anything.

When Xiao Ran walked up to the podium, he didn't have any books in his hands. Instead, he winked at the children below and said with a smile, "Master Wang just taught us the meaning of the classics. This time, let's do something different—we won't learn characters or recite texts. Let's sing songs."

As soon as he finished speaking, the children below were stunned for a moment, and then they burst into a commotion.

Princess Li Mingda's eyes widened, and her little hands secretly clenched into fists under the table.

Princess Chengyang moved closer to Third Sister, both of them with shining eyes.

Several teenagers who had been sitting crookedly in the back row suddenly sat up straight, their eyes full of curiosity as they stared at Xiao Ran.

They had only heard Wang Ji recite slowly, and knew nothing else.

Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang, who were outside the window, exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile.

Princess Li Lizhi of Yuzhang still remembered that Xiao Ran sang very well before.

Now I'm even more excited.

The main problem is that Xiao Ran sang this kind of song, which wasn't available in the Tang Dynasty.

Xiao Ran turned around and wrote five large characters on the blackboard, with simple strokes: "A Great Outburst of Courage".

Unfortunately, the children don't recognize it.

"This is the song title." With that, Xiao Ran took out his phone.

The little princess and her friends thought it was a photo shoot.

Before, all I knew about phones was taking pictures; I didn't know anything else about them.

Before anyone could react, Xiao Ran started playing. A clear and cheerful melody suddenly emerged, with a rhythmic thumping sound, like a small drum being struck or footsteps jumping. It was different from the chime bells and flutes played in the village; it was crisp and clear, drilling straight into people's ears.

"A seed has been planted in my heart, tap-tap-tap..."

The little princess suddenly covered her mouth with her small hand, her eyes almost overflowing with surprise. She recognized the black box; Xiao Ran had taken a picture of it before, but she never imagined that this object could "sing" out a sound, and such a lively tune at that.

Princess Chengyang tugged at Third Sister's sleeve, her fingertips trembling slightly, and the tips of her ears turning red: the "dong dong" rhythm was like someone beating a small drum in her heart, even more vivid than the drumbeats during the New Year in the village.

The teenagers in the back row forgot their inhibitions. Some leaned forward, some couldn't help but stomp their feet, and even the shyest little girl quietly swayed her head to the tune.

The people outside the window were so shocked they couldn't speak.

Li Shimin's hand unconsciously went to his waist as he stared at the black box in Xiao Ran's hand, his brows furrowed.

He had heard grand music at palace banquets and folk songs, but he had never heard such a sound before—not stringed instruments, not wind instruments, but clearer than chime bells, more lively than flutes and pipes, as if a mixture of countless sounds were blended together, yet crisp and clear, drilling straight into one's bones.

"This..." His Adam's apple bobbed, wanting to ask, "What kind of magical artifact is that box?" But he swallowed the words back, staring intently at the black box as if trying to find out what it was.

Wang Ji's hand, which was stroking his beard, froze in mid-air.

He was well-versed in music and knew how many musicians and instruments were needed to assemble a piece of classical music. Yet, that palm-sized object could produce such a complex melody on its own.

He looked at the children clapping along to the rhythm inside and suddenly smiled—whatever the reason, anything that could make the children's eyes light up was a good thing.

Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang moved even closer together.

Princess Yuzhang quietly tugged at Li Lizhi's sleeve, her voice extremely low: "Sister, it sounds even better than when you sang it a cappella last time... You can even harmonize with yourself?"

Li Lizhi didn't speak, only staring at Xiao Ran's back, her eyes shining brighter than the sun.

When she first heard Xiao Ran sing a cappella, she only found the melody novel. But now, with this "accompaniment," she realized how surging the vitality hidden within the song truly was.

As the song began, the atmosphere became even more lively.

Xiao Ran didn't write lyrics because it was meaningless.

These children don't know how to read.

Xiao Ran didn't bring a ruler or flip through any books. He just squatted on the platform, very close to the children, gesturing with his fingers in the air:

"Come, follow me—plant a seed in your heart, da la di da la~"

His voice was soft, tinged with laughter, like a spring breeze sweeping across wheat tips.

The little princess was the first to speak, her sweet, childlike voice ringing out as she slapped her hands on the table with a loud "pat pat," her clapping clumsy but more energetic than anyone else's.

The two little girls next to them were laughing and chattering away, as if they were whispering secrets that only they understood.

The skinny boy in the back row, who always seemed to be daydreaming, was now craning his neck like a goose, bobbing his legs to the tune, the mud off his trousers shaking with each beat.

Little Black squatted beside him, its tail tip swishing rhythmically across the ground. Occasionally, it would look up at Xiao Ran and let out a soft "woof woof" sound, as if it were echoing him.

Xiao Ran suddenly stood up, stretched his arms to the sides, and then jerked them upwards, like a tree suddenly sprouting new shoots:

"It can grant small wishes; it has magical powers!"

The children immediately followed suit, waving their arms wildly. One little girl almost knocked over the inkstone on the table before bursting into laughter.

(End of this chapter)