Rebirth of Wu Ba Spring and Autumn

The next day, Qingji held a grand court meeting in Fengtian Hall, and all officials with a rank of six hundred or more in the court must be present to participate.

This time, the state affairs that Qingji and his ministers wanted to discuss were nothing more than the issue of further improving the compulsory education system.

This involves various things, such as the "Education Law", the regulations of various elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and universities, and the question of whether to pool educational resources.

Prince Heng first came out and said: "Your Majesty, I believe that my Great Wu should add 'full-time academic education' to the education system, that is, students must stay in school except Saturdays, Sundays, and any holidays. In middle school, the school should take care of food and housing.”

"In addition to elementary schools, all other junior high schools, high schools, and universities must implement this kind of full-time academic education."

"The reason is that the educational resources of junior high schools, high schools, and universities must be concentrated."

"However, junior high schools are set up in townships or counties, and high schools and universities are set up inside and outside the county seat. Students must travel long distances to go to school. Some of them walk dozens of miles a day on two legs, and go back and forth for hundreds of miles. Do you use it for school?"

Prince Heng asked this question, and then the ministers started a heated discussion.

It is a real problem that students have difficulty getting to school.

It is true that the infrastructure of the official roads in various parts of Dawu is already very complete, but after all, it is impossible for everyone to have a fast horse and a carriage at home...

Even if there are "means of transportation" such as horses and carriages, it can only shorten the time for traveling, and when students go to and from school, going back and forth is exhausting.

At this time, Deng Xi, the attendant, frowned, got up and asked, "Prince, regarding the issue of concentration of educational resources, the old minister agrees."

"However, if this kind of full-time academic education is implemented, if the school provides food and housing, not to mention the problem of accommodation, is the food borne by the state, or is the student's parents paying for it?"

This is what the ministers will discuss.

Prince Heng said slowly: "Master Deng, on this matter, I think that my treasury is full now, and money and food are piling up like a mountain. There is no shortage of this money, so the imperial court should give more grace to all people in the world and these students. .”

"Why don't you go further with free board and lodging?"

After being the crown prince for so many years, Prince Heng is no longer what it used to be.

The original Prince Heng was somewhat "selfish" and put the country's interests first in everything, and didn't care much about people's livelihood. However, under Qing Ji's careful training, Prince Heng has completed his "transformation" and is completely like a benevolent king of a generation.

This made Qingji very pleased.

"No!"

As soon as Prince Heng's words fell, Deng Xi immediately retorted: "Your Majesty is so merciful that everyone in the world has books to read, not only implementing 12-year compulsory education, but also providing free education for all. This is already a great grace!"

"If room and board are free, what will happen to this?"

"The consequences could be disastrous!"

After a pause, Deng Xi expressed his opinion.

"How many students are there in my Dawu now? How many students will there be when the education system becomes more complete in the future?"

"Prince, let me make a conservative estimate. If the so-called full-time academic education is implemented starting from junior high school, and students are free of board and lodging, it will be too big a burden for the national treasury!"

"Junior high school, high school, university, students of these tertiary institutions, aged between 13 and 22, how many people are there?"

"Definitely not less than 400 million!"

"Like the Imperial College, they are free of board and lodging. The standard used to be two meals a day. Later, with His Majesty's grace, the scholars of the Imperial College were ordered to eat three meals a day."

"The food standard for a meal is [-] to [-] renminbi. It is necessary to ensure balanced nutrition. There are three dishes and one soup. The dishes are two meat and one vegetarian, or two vegetarians and one meat."

Deng Xi frowned, looked around for a week, and said, "It can be seen from this calculation."

"Even if the minimum standard is five yuan a meal, a student has three meals a day, that is fifteen yuan a day, 450 yuan a month, and five thousand four hundred yuan a year."

"From junior high school to university, students have to study for a full ten years! In ten years, the cost of training a student is [-] yuan!"

"A total of 400 million students! That's more than 2000 billion yuan!"

"My Dawu's annual financial income is 800 million taels of gold, which is about 800 billion yuan, and 8000 billion yuan in ten years."

"Only the food expenses of the students accounted for more than a quarter of the national treasury revenue."

"The remaining one-third will be used for the salaries of officials and soldiers, the military, and people's livelihood. How can it not be enough?"

"With this expenditure, can I do other things after Da Wu?"

"If you focus so much on education, the old minister is afraid that the rest of the country will not be able to catch up, and there will be chaos!"

"Your Majesty, please be aware!"

As soon as Deng Xi's words came out, all the ministers and officials present couldn't help whispering to each other.

However, Prince Heng couldn't help frowning, and said: "Master Deng, it's not how you settle the debt."

"The income of our treasury in Great Wu is seven or eight million taels of gold a year. That is only real gold and silver. The rest of the cloth, silk, grain, etc. have not been converted, and the country's fiscal revenue is increasing year by year."

"Furthermore, you are counting a student from junior high school to university. Students have to study for a full ten years. Don't you know that the actual situation is different?"

Hearing this, Deng Xi shook his head and said, "What the crown prince said is absurd."

"According to my Great Wu's education system, students of each age group must attend different schools according to regulations."

"Some people here have graduated from university, some have graduated from high school, and students from the next-level institutions will enroll. Therefore, the number of students included in the 'full-time degree education' system will not be less than 400 million."

"My Great Wu is now thanks to His Majesty's merits, the country is peaceful and the people are safe, the treasury is full, and money and food are piling up like mountains. It is true. But, who can guarantee the future?"

"Sit and eat, and sooner or later something will happen."

"..."

Deng Xi looked at this matter from the perspective of national interests.

It is entirely for the consideration of Dawu Sheji.

As far as the current situation is concerned, the country of Great Wu is powerful, and the amount of money and food accumulated in the treasury is immeasurable. As far as money (hard currency) is concerned, it is more than 100 million taels of gold, which is worth more than [-] years of financial revenue of the treasury of Great Wu.

That's not counting the rest.

As well as the rare and rare treasures that the various feudal kingdoms pay tribute every year, as well as various money and local specialties...

Instead, it only counts the financial income of Dawu's native country for one year.

It is worth mentioning that the reason why the Great Wu Mansion treasury is so rich is that it was looted from other places.

For example, during Qingji's expedition against the Achaemenid dynasty in Persia, he captured several capitals and brought back all the gold and silver treasures.

However, even if Da Wu is so rich, it is not the reason why the country wants to implement "full-time academic education" and let millions of students have free board and lodging fees!
Just like what Deng Xi said, if you sit and eat nothing, sooner or later something will happen.

If the country's fiscal revenue and expenditure are not in direct proportion, and if the income cannot make ends meet, after Qingji's death, no matter how much inheritance is left to future generations, it will be useless!
"Your Majesty, I think what Lord Deng said is very true!"

Deng Xi's senior student, Li Ke, Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice, stood up and said to Qingji: "If full-time academic education is implemented, and students are free of board and lodging fees, it would be too absurd for the state to bear it all!"