I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Although their actions were the same, their purposes were different.

Qing Deng's actions were merely driven by momentary curiosity.

Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin, on the other hand, were earnestly seeking knowledge and wanted to hear whether these Confucian scholars could offer any convincing arguments that would earn their approval.

As for the two sisters... they were simply people looking for fun. They were just bored and wanted to kill time, so they both wore expressions of eager anticipation, as if they were about to listen to a storyteller.

The group sat in a row, drinking tea and listening to the lecture.

But to everyone's surprise, Qing Deng was shocked into a stupor by a string of outrageous and shocking statements.

"Gentlemen! I believe that if we wish to rectify the times, eliminate abuses, and bring peace to the world, we must restore the well-field system of the pre-Qin period!"

The person who said those words was a tall, thin, skinny guy.

——Ida? !

Qingdeng almost doubted whether he had misheard.

In the previous life, anyone who seriously attended junior high school history classes during the nine years of compulsory education should be familiar with this term.

The Well-Field System: A land ownership system in ancient Chinese society that emerged in the Shang Dynasty and matured in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

During the Western Zhou Dynasty, roads and canals crisscrossed the land, dividing it into square plots that resembled the Chinese character "井" (well), hence the name "井田" (well-field system).

The well-field system belonged to the Zhou king and was allocated to the common people for use. The lord forced the common people to cultivate the well-fields collectively, and the lord was not allowed to buy, sell, or transfer the well-fields, and was also required to pay a certain amount of tribute.

By the Spring and Autumn Period, the well-field system gradually disintegrated due to the emergence of iron farm tools and the widespread use of ox-drawn plows, among other reasons.

In short: the well-field system is a land system that has been eliminated more than two thousand years ago.

Before Qingdeng could recover from the intense shock, he heard the skinny man excitedly continue:

"In my opinion, the current shogunate and the three hundred feudal lords are short of funds and provisions because of the flaws in the land system!"

“Local gentry used their power to oppress people, seize property by trickery and force, and encroach upon their land.”

"The rich own vast tracts of land, while the poor have nowhere to stand!"

"At present, the Western barbarians are knocking on the gates, the country is in trouble with war, expenses are huge, and taxes are increasing day by day."

"At this time of national crisis, wealthy families still do not change their greedy nature!"

"Those who are rich will not part with a single penny; the common people are destitute."

"The taxes that should be collected cannot be collected, and the grain that should be harvested has not been received."

"To this day, this matter is almost beyond repair! If this continues, the national situation may become uncontrollable!"

"If we do not reform and strengthen the nation, I fear that the country will change in the future, and the world will be transformed!"

The Sage said: "Only scholars can have a constant heart even without constant property. As for the common people, they have no constant property, and therefore no constant heart. If they have no constant heart, they will become dissolute, wicked, and extravagant, doing whatever they please."

"The land under heaven is worth far more than a million acres, and the people are worth far more than ten million. If we can ensure that those who till the land have their own fields, those who are diligent have their own livelihoods, and those who labor have their own rewards, then why worry about not having taxes to collect or grain to harvest?"

"If we are determined to reform and reshape the well-field system of the pre-Qin period, then the revival of the nation is possible!"

As soon as Ma Gan'er finished his impassioned speech, cheers and applause erupted all around him.

"Excellent! Well said!"

"Restore the well-field system of the pre-Qin period... Hmm, that makes sense."

"Hirose-kun! Your thoughts coincide with mine!"

"That's right! If we want to revitalize the country, we must start with land system reform!"

*******

*******

In order to capture the pretentious and affected manner of those pedantic scholars, the author racked his brains and exhausted his years of Chinese language and literature skills while writing this chapter... The author meticulously considered every word and sentence of the "Well-Field Theory" at the end of this chapter.

Please vote for this book, considering how dedicated the author is!

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

The well-field system is a treasure for pedantic scholars—a must-try! Regardless of the country, pedantic scholars have a fervent love for the well-field system.

Chapter 340 Qing Deng spares no one, from widows to young girls! [6600]

The praise from others seemed to please Ma Gan'er, and he put on a pretentious, reserved smile.

But at that moment, a deep, resonant male voice interrupted everyone's praise of Ma Gan'er.

"What Hirose-kun said is indeed reasonable! However, in my opinion, the most urgent task for our country at present is not the reform of the land system, but the selection of virtuous and capable officials!"

The speaker—a robust man whose physique was nothing like that of a scholar—speaked eloquently, gradually straightening his back as his tone became more and more impassioned.

“In the past, when Duke Ai of Lu asked about governance, the sage replied: ‘Government depends on the selection of ministers.’”

“If you promote the upright and dismiss the crooked, the people will submit; if you promote the crooked and dismiss the upright, the people will not submit.”

As soon as the burly man uttered his loud tenor voice, it instantly drowned out all other sounds around him. His companions at the same table, as well as some of the guests nearby who had been drawn by his booming voice, all turned their attention to him.

He had become the center of attention—a hint of nervousness flashed across the burly man's face, but he quickly adjusted his expression and mindset, cleared his throat lightly, and straightened his back even more.

"Shun had five ministers and the world was well-governed. Emperor Xin killed Bigan and the world was destroyed."

"Only by befriending virtuous ministers and keeping away from petty men can we revitalize the nation and unite the people's strength!"

The burly man's words drew frequent nods of agreement from those around him.

A very few individuals even became so emotional that they repeatedly echoed:

"Yes! Well said!"

"Nojima-kun! You've hit the nail on the head."

"Yes! I agree! Duke Huan gained Guan Zhong and united the feudal lords nine times to bring order to the world. He lost Guan Zhong and appointed Shu Diao and Yi Ya, and died without being buried, becoming a laughingstock of the world."

……

The encouragement from his companions made the burly man feel somewhat elated.

Enjoying this feeling, he took a breath and shouted even louder with renewed vigor:

"Alas, the current administration is truly breaking my heart!"

"The old man, Da Shugong, was blind to talent. He put a fine horse in a salt cart and a bird in a spring, so that the thoroughbred horse was humiliated in the hands of a slave and died in the stable!"

"The thought of this fills me with grief and indignation! It feels as if a thousand arrows have pierced my heart!"

After speaking, the burly man pounded his chest with great force, and a few tears could be faintly seen glistening in the corners of his eyes.

Daiki-no-kō: A respectful title used by samurai and commoners during the Edo period for the reigning shogun.

Aoto, Tenshōin, and the Nijō sisters all glanced sideways at Tokugawa Iemochi, who was standing nearby.

Tokugawa Iemochi, who was listening in quietly, blinked blankly when he was suddenly called upon.

The burly man, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion, continued without waiting for anyone else to reply:

"Now that the barbarians have invaded, the land is filled with the stench of blood and goat meat. This is truly a critical moment of life and death!"

"At this critical juncture, the entire shogunate must strive for progress and govern with diligence! However, Lord Daiki is acting perversely, abandoning the proper channels and insisting on unilaterally activating that damned Bureau of Foreign Documents and Military Academy!"

Qingdeng was quite familiar with the Foreign Documents Office and the Military Training Office.

After all, his close friend, Katsura Rintaro, is currently serving in both institutions. He is currently serving as the headmaster of the Foreign Affairs Office while also being the artillery professor at the Military Academy.

The Foreign Book Translation Bureau was not only a translation agency specializing in translating Western works, but also the forefront of Western learning research under the Edo Shogunate.

Therefore, from this perspective, the functions of the Fanshu Diaosuo and the Changpingban Xuewensuo were almost identical; both were schools.

The only difference is that the former teaches Western learning, while the latter teaches Confucianism.

As for the Military Academy—it has a very strong "Western flavor."

Following the "Black Ships Incident," in order to strengthen national defense, the hatamoto and his sons, who were qualified to pay homage to the shogun, were required to study artillery and Western military techniques in addition to learning swordsmanship. Therefore, in 1854, following the advice of Otani Seiichiro, who was known as the "Sword Saint of the Present Day," the military training school was established. In 1857, it was merged with the naval training school.

In short, the Military Academy was a comprehensive military academy whose curriculum included traditional martial arts as well as advanced Western military science and navigation.

This military academy, which had been eagerly anticipated and was expected to revitalize the nation's military strength, received extensive and unwavering support from the shogunate as soon as it was established.

With the shogunate's endorsement and the curriculum's broad scope spanning ancient and modern times, East and West, the current military academy is a veritable gathering of elites.

Martial arts masters, professors of Western learning... experts from all fields gathered at the Martial Arts Institute.

Regarding Western military science, there was Katsuragi Rintarou, who was proficient in artillery, navigation, and Dutch and English; and Takashima Akiho, who was well-versed in gunpowder cannon-making techniques and also knowledgeable in the organization and tactics of infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

Regarding traditional martial arts, there is Otani Seiichiro, who advocated for the establishment of the Imperial Academy by the shogunate, the current headmaster of the academy, and was known as the "Number One Swordsman of Edo" before Chiba Eijiro came to prominence, and is hailed as the "Sword Saint of the Present Day".

With his superb Shinkage-ryu swordsmanship, the young Nobuo Imai has already earned a formidable reputation at a young age.

With his ever-changing swordsmanship, he was proficient in all styles, including One-Sword Style, Two-Sword Style, and Kodachi Style, but he was most skilled in the Heart-Shaped Sword Style.

In addition, there are a large number of formidable individuals who, although they do not often come to teach, occasionally visit the martial arts institute as "visiting professors" in their spare time to offer guidance to the students.

For example--

Standing over seven feet tall (2.1 meters+), he wields a five-foot (1.5 meters+) greatsword. Even Sanako's uncle... the founder of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school, and Momoi Haruzo, who was known as "the Momoi of the Seats," were defeated by him.

Tetsushu Yamaoka advocated studying Zen philosophy and cultivating one's character while practicing swordsmanship, and was known as the "Sword Zen Master".

Kenji Sakakibara, a disciple of Seiichiro Otani and a grandmaster of the Jikishin-ryu school.

……

Compared to the Hitotsubashi school, the Nanki school was more open-minded, with its political ideology leaning towards "opening up the country" and relaxing exchanges with overseas countries.

Therefore, after Ii Naosuke, the leader of the Nanki faction, came to power, both the Banshu Institute and the Military Academy developed very well.

After Ii Naosuke was assassinated, Tokugawa Iemochi, who was forced to step into the limelight, was an enlightened monarch who was very concerned about the current situation and future of the two shogunates.

Despite facing numerous obstacles from conservatives within the shogunate, Tokugawa Iemochi persisted in pushing forward with the Westernization, or rather, modernization, of military, navigation, and other fields.

Now, with the strong support of Tokugawa Iemochi, the Military Academy is working day and night to carry out pilot work on "forming a new army".

A new army, equipped and trained according to Western standards, is being vigorously trained within the military academy.

Learning from the advanced technologies and systems of the West—in the eyes of insightful people, this is undoubtedly a correct and irrefutable proposition.

But in the mouth of this burly man, it became an evil act of perversion and perversion.

The burly man became more and more agitated as he spoke, and his tone became increasingly enthusiastic.