Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Inside the Imperial Study.

Dou Wenhuan and Grand Secretary Sun stood in front of the hall, while several imperial heirs surrounded Emperor Daning.

The imperial heirs caused a ruckus at the Hanlin Academy, a matter that the Imperial Guards or other government offices could not handle. Yun Zhan simply brought everyone to the Imperial Study.

The imperial heirs surrounded the Emperor of Da Ning, chattering incessantly.

"Father, they're bullying us!"

"They won't let the gentleman tell us stories!"

"We've been studying very hard, Father, please let the teacher tell us stories!"

……

Emperor Da Ning first raised his hand to stop the imperial heirs from continuing their commotion, then looked down at Dou Wenhuan and Sun Yan, and glanced at the other cabinet ministers before slowly speaking.

"I'm sure you all know the details of the controversy surrounding the teaching at the Eastern Palace Academy today. The core of the controversy lies in whether the teaching at the Eastern Palace should adhere to the old system or be tailored to individual students and flexible in its approach. You senior cabinet ministers may speak frankly about your opinions."

As emperor, to avoid being seen as autocratic, he rarely issued orders directly, but instead decided through discussions within the cabinet.

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.

They already knew the cause of the matter: Chen Chang'an, as a Hanlin Compiler, had been entrusted with the important task of teaching at the Eastern Palace.

He encouraged the imperial princes to study by telling them stories of gods and demons during class. Although this was quite effective, it also sparked controversy within the Hanlin Academy.

Soon, Zhao Bing, the Minister of Revenue, stepped forward first, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the school system has been passed down for a hundred years and has its own rules. The classics of sages, the rites and laws, and the principles of morality are the way to educate people and strengthen their foundation. That is why they have been selected as teaching materials for the imperial heirs."

"The vernacular stories are absurd and unrefined, hardly worthy of serious study, and absolutely not something the imperial heirs should learn. I believe we should strictly adhere to the old system, regulate the rules of instruction, and eliminate unorthodox and miscellaneous studies in order to rectify the academic atmosphere of the imperial clan and stabilize the court's etiquette. Chen Chang'an's unauthorized alteration of the teaching content, though his initial intentions may be understandable, is ultimately a violation of the rules and should be restrained and punished to rectify the academic atmosphere."

Dou Wenhuan was a member of the Grand Tutor's faction, so Zhao Bing naturally had to speak up for him.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhou Zhengming, the Minister of Personnel on the other side, stepped forward and said, "Lord Zhao, you are mistaken..."

"The original intention of establishing the rules of the academy was to cultivate talents, not to restrict scholarship. Previously, several great scholars of the Hanlin Academy adhered to the old system and taught in a rigid manner, which caused the imperial heirs to dislike studying and skip school, neglecting their studies. The academic atmosphere of the Eastern Palace has been in decline for a long time..."

"Chen Xiuzhuan taught according to students' aptitudes and adopted flexible teaching methods. He attracted students with interesting stories, and in just a few days, he got all the imperial princes to concentrate on their studies and complete their assignments on their own initiative, with remarkable results."

"The purpose of teaching is to cultivate people. Bound by old systems, unable to adapt, and merely adhering to rules without any real effect—what benefit is that to the country or the imperial family? Does Lord Zhao think the process is more important than the result?"

Cabinet ministers each belong to their own faction.

Zhou Zhengming was promoted to the position of Minister of Personnel by His Majesty. He was not affiliated with any party or faction and often put forward different opinions from others when discussing matters in the cabinet.

The other cabinet ministers also spoke one after another.

"Ancestral rules must not be abandoned, and orthodox scholarship must not be deviated from!"

"Having rules without results is merely adhering to outdated systems. What's the point of adhering to rules if it fails to educate people?"

"Without rules, there can be no order. If we allow unorthodox learning to enter schools, the academic atmosphere will collapse, people will become restless, and the consequences will be dire!"

……

The cabinet ministers held differing opinions, with some supporting Dou Wenhao and Zhao Bing, while others supported Zhou Zhengming.

Several other people remained silent throughout the entire event.

The two sides went back and forth, reaching a stalemate, and the debate intensified.

After a long silence, the Emperor of Da Ning gently raised his hand to stop the ministers from arguing, and then said calmly, "Now that Da Ning's culture and learning have declined, we have been bullied by the barbarians of Yan time and time again. In cultivating the next generation, we should prioritize practical results."

He then changed the subject, saying, "However, what works for the imperial heirs may not work for everyone. Why not take this opportunity to have a competition and see whose method is more effective?"

His gaze fell on Dou Wenhuan, and he asked, "Minister Dou, do you believe that only by adhering to the orthodox teachings of sages and upholding the old systems of propriety and law, and by discarding idle talk, can we cultivate the next generation and rectify the academic atmosphere?"

Dou Wenhuan clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. The century-old education system has its own reasons. Orthodox Confucian classics are the right way to educate people. Miscellaneous and unorthodox studies are ultimately side paths and will hardly lead to great achievements."

Emperor Da Ning then looked at Zhou Zhengming and asked, "Minister Zhou, you advocate teaching according to aptitude, flexible instruction, using interest to guide learning, and not being bound by any particular method, is that right?"

Zhou Zhengming also clasped his hands in a respectful but not arrogant manner, saying, "Your Majesty, rules are established to educate people, not to confine them. Children are naturally active, preferring movement to stillness, and enjoy fun to boredom. By following their nature and guiding them toward learning, we can encourage students to study diligently and make progress every day. I do not seek to break the rules or disrupt the system, but only to ensure that learning is applied and that students make progress in their studies."

Emperor Da Ning nodded slightly and immediately said, "Since you each have your own reasons, I will not listen to your opinions or make a decision unilaterally today."

He looked at Dou Wenhuan and said, "Minister Dou, I will select ten students from among the sons of princes and ministers. You can choose a teacher yourself and use your old system of etiquette and orthodox Confucianism to strictly regulate the teaching, abandon all extracurricular chatter and interesting teaching, and follow the old system throughout the entire process."

Then, he looked at Zhou Zhengming and said, "Minister Zhou, I will also select ten sons from among the princes and ministers for you. You can also choose a teacher and teach flexibly using your preferred methods, adjusting your teaching style as you see fit..."

"You will all teach the 'Essentials of Heavenly Mandate.' A month later, I will personally set a test to examine them. Whoever's student performs better will be deemed to have the correct method. From then on, the Eastern Palace Academy will permanently adopt the winning method. The losing side will no longer be allowed to interfere with the Eastern Palace's teaching regulations, nor will they be allowed to utter a single word of criticism on this matter..."

He glanced at the assembled officials and asked, "Does anyone object to what I have said?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

His Majesty's handling of the matter was extremely fair, showing no favoritism to anyone, and speaking with facts. No one had any reason to object.

Dou Wenhuan immediately clasped his hands and said, "Your subject obeys the decree. Within one month, your subject will establish orthodox educational system to rectify the academic atmosphere of the Crown Prince's palace."

He was a traditional scholar and looked down on Chen Chang'an's unorthodox methods.

He refused to believe that he would lose to a kid who hadn't even grown up yet in a lecture.

Zhou Zhengming bowed calmly and said composedly, "Your subject obeys the decree."

The other cabinet ministers also clasped their hands and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"

The Emperor of Da Ning nodded slightly and said, "Since that's the case, then it's settled. I will select a candidate today. The deadline is one month. All of you will witness this. In the future, regardless of victory or defeat, you must accept it calmly and not take advantage of the situation to cause trouble or make things difficult for yourselves in private. Otherwise, I will not let you off lightly!"

"As you command!"

Everyone bowed in unison and agreed.

After everyone had left the Imperial Study, the Emperor of Da Ning slowly rose and sighed, "If the old system could cultivate truly talented people, how could Da Ning have been bullied by the Yan Kingdom time and time again? And how could I have no one to rely on in the court? I hope Chen Chang'an can inject some fresh blood into Da Ning's education..."