In the Song Dynasty, there was no law or order.

There are not many people coming and going at the West Railway Station of Bianliang.

After all, Guanzhong was overdeveloped during the Tang Dynasty and experienced the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and its economy and population declined significantly.

Although the Song Dynasty has been working hard to improve this situation in recent years, Chang'an is still far behind the construction progress of other major cities.

However, the reason why Zhao Jun first built the railway system from Chengdu to Chang'an and from Chang'an to Bianliang was to promote the development of Guanzhong.

Therefore, when the Guanzhong area is well governed and the population density increases, the economy will naturally prosper rapidly.

At the beginning of the morning, the convoy arrived at the West Station surrounded by the guards.

The scale of Zhao Zhen's guards for this trip was not large, with a battalion of 500 people in the personal guard of honor, and 2,000 people in the surrounding accompanying guards.

Together with Empress Cao, two princesses and some serving palace maids and eunuchs, there were about 2,600 people.

It was just the full number of people for a train with a load of 24 carriages.

Zhao Jun and his wife also went.

But they did not bring their children with them.

In fact, Zhao Zhen only brought two princesses who were relatively young, only four or five years old.

The rest of the heirs were studying in Bianliang. The eldest, Zhao Fang, was 16 years old this year and had just been promoted to the first grade of high school in Bianliang No. 1 High School. The second, Zhao Xin, was 14 years old and had just been promoted to the third grade of junior high school last September.

Now Zhao Zhen has three sons and five daughters. Compared with his father, Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng, he is a house full of children.

And Zhao Jun has one son and one daughter. His son, Zhao Tan, was born in August of the second year of the Qingli period. He is four years younger than Zhao Fang, who was born in July of the fourth year of Jingyou, and one year younger than Zhao Xin, who was born in the first year of the Qingli period. He is also in the second grade of junior high school in Bianliang.

In addition to the sons, the daughters are basically at the age of studying. Whether it is Zhao Jun's daughter Zhao Qingyun or Zhao Zhen's daughter Zhao Qinghan, they are either in elementary school or in junior high school.

Therefore, at this age when everyone is studying, it is naturally impossible to do anything special. Going out for inspection and taking children who are in junior high school and high school with them, this is the only way for the time being.

It was school time, and there were many students in school uniforms near the train station.

Zhao Zhen got off the carriage. Due to his special status, the crowd around him was separated. Although he was far away, he could see many students heading towards a junior high school in Bianliang outside the west city gate, like streams converging into a river.

Now, except for the first center of Bianliang, which was the first school in the inner city run by the Political System Institute when Zhao Jun came, all other schools are outside the city.

There is no high school or junior high school in the outer city until now.

There is no way.

The basic education of the Song Dynasty developed relatively late.

Starting from the first school built in the third year of Jingyou, the second school was not established until the third year of Qingli seven years later.

Now there are three high schools, twelve junior high schools, and more than fifty primary schools in Bianliang, which were established only in recent years due to the rapid development of education.

After the Qingli year, the housing prices in the inner and outer cities of Bianliang rose too rapidly.

If you want to build a junior high school, you need to occupy at least ten acres of land. If you want to build a better junior high school or high school, you need to occupy at least hundreds of acres of land.

For example, Zhao Jun went to Changsha with his parents to study. His parents worked in Changsha. His primary school grades were very good, so he went to the best junior high school in Changsha. His alma mater covers an area of ​​115 acres, which shows how much space is needed to run a school.

With the housing prices in the inner and outer cities of Bianliang, the Ministry of Education wants to apply to run a school in the city. Not to mention whether the Political System Council will agree, the Ministry of Finance will not agree first. How many schools can be built outside the city with this money?

So every time going to and from school, children in the city go to study outside the city.

Fortunately, the Ministry of Education has also taken this into consideration. Several important schools are built at the gates outside the city, which are closer to the city.

Inner city students also have a high school and the affiliated No. 1 Middle School to maintain. Students do not take exams for specific schools, but a unified joint exam. If they pass the exam, they go to the school closest to their home.

In addition, the main population of Bianliang was not in the city, but lived outside the city, so the distance to school could basically cover two or three kilometers.

As for the small number of schools, whether it could cover the more than five million people in Bianliang was also a simple question.

It was not so easy to go to school in this era. The threshold was very high. Only the top students could have the chance, so it was possible to cope with it.

The focus of the court was to continue to develop basic education, sink universal education, build more primary schools first, and put literacy work in the main position.

When the number of primary schools was sufficient, the junior high school education was improved, and finally the high school and university were vigorously developed.

Just like in later generations in my country, many people born in the 1960s and 1970s basically had primary school education. The reason was that the number of junior high schools, high schools, and universities in that period was small, and the threshold was very high.

It was not until the 1980s that the number of junior high schools and high schools increased. When it came to the 1990s, that is, after the millennium, universities began to expand enrollment.

Otherwise, why is it said that in the 1970s-1990s, even a junior college student's diploma was more valuable than a first-class university diploma in later generations?

Even so, compared with the former Song Dynasty, the current Song Dynasty is already full of vigor and vitality. With these students as the cornerstone of the country, the future is limitless.

"I am relieved to see these children."

Zhao Zhen got off the carriage, then helped Empress Cao down, and smiled and sighed.

Empress Cao also glanced at the students in the distance, but did not show too much joy, just shook her head and said: "It's Fang'er and Xin'er"

"Alas."

Zhao Zhen sighed.

At this time, Zhao Jun also came over and said, "Let's go, Your Majesty."

In public, you still have to use the official title.

"Yes."

Zhao Zhen nodded and walked towards the station.

Zhao Jun followed him. Empress Cao stood side by side with Zhao Zhen, on Zhao Zhen's right, and he was slightly behind Zhao Zhen's left half a body length away.

The two walked and chatted, and he asked, "Your Majesty, I saw you sigh just now, what's wrong?"

"It's just that I saw those students and thought of Fang'er and Xin'er."

Zhao Zhen smiled bitterly and said, "Compared with Tan'er who was admitted by your family with real talent and knowledge, my two useless things are really."

"This is normal. You can't expect all your children and grandchildren to be geniuses."

Zhao Jun laughed awkwardly.

Zhao Fang and Zhao Xin's academic performance was not very good, and they got into the school through connections.

Zhao Fang has been doing a little better in recent years. With his guidance since childhood, although his grades are not outstanding, he has worked hard and now finally ranks in the middle and lower reaches of the class, barely a top student.

Zhao Xin is amazing. He was ranked in the top 20 in elementary school, but he has always been the last in junior high school, and the gap with the second to last is very large.

In contrast, Zhao Tan, who was basically not taught by Zhao Jun, was admitted to the affiliated junior high school of Bianliang High School with the second best score in Bianliang.

And after entering, he was very dissatisfied with Lu Dian, who ranked first in Bianliang in the joint examination, so he started a fierce competition with him, often overwhelmed Lu Dian and won the first place.

You should know that Lu Dian is Lu You's grandfather, who was ranked fifth in the first class of the first class of the Jinshi in history.

In other words, with Zhao Tan's intelligence, even if he took the imperial examination, he would be at the level of the first class of the Jinshi, which is a world of difference from the two brothers Zhao Fang and Zhao Xin.

However, due to Zhao Jun's busy work, Zhao Tan did not educate Zhao Tan much. Instead, he would teach Zhao Fang for more than an hour every day during the lunch break in the early years, and later Zhao Xin also joined in.

As a result, the son who was not taught much was ranked first in Bianliang, while the two princes who were patiently taught were quite poor.

Doesn't this show that his teaching level is not very good?

If Zhao Zhen were to investigate, it would really make Zhao Jun feel guilty.

"Alas."

Fortunately, Zhao Zhen did not think about it, sighed, and stepped into the train station.

The train station was blocked today.

The Minister of Railways brought a few entourages, as well as the stationmaster of the West Station and some employees to welcome them outside the station.

There was also a banner hanging on it saying "Welcome Your Majesty, the Zhiyuan is here for guidance."

This was the first time Zhao Zhen encountered such a scene, but he had already made arrangements, and everyone applauded along the way.

Zhao Zhen walked over with Queen Cao. They did not wear robes, but ordinary youth clothes. They went up to shake hands with those employees and nodded to express their affirmation of their work.

The station staff, regardless of gender, age or status, were so excited that they all showed excited expressions on their faces. There was even a station cleaner who nervously wiped his body several times before shaking hands with Zhao Zhen, with a shameful expression on his face.

Zhao Zhen didn't say anything until he got on the train, then he said to Zhao Jun with emotion: "The cleaner wiped his body for a long time before shaking hands with me, but I saw that his hands were very clean, just a little rough, which means that he had washed them for a long time before coming."

"The working people are simple, but the emperors of feudal society never care about them. Throughout history, only the officials are willing to stand with them, which has surpassed all the emperors."

Zhao Jun seemed to be answering a question that was not asked, but this sentence was actually the answer.

Compared with the ancient powerful class who treated the lower-class people as grass, Zhao Zhen not only clearly put himself in the right position, but also had some insights, and this understanding was enough.

So he didn't need to feel burdened by this matter, because as a feudal emperor, being able to take this step, meeting the working people at the bottom and understanding their sufferings, isn't it a huge progress?

"Yeah."

Zhao Zhen nodded.

Under the leadership of the train conductor, the group arrived at the first carriage at the back of the middle section of the train.

This is the safest carriage in the entire train. Now the entire carriage has been converted into Zhao Zhen's temporary residence. The entire carriage is occupied by Zhao Zhen and his wife, accompanied by several palace maids.

The second carriage is occupied by Zhao Jun and his wife. They did not bring servants, so Zhao Zhen assigned two palace maids to serve them.

The train was full of children's noise.

Zhao Qingwu and Zhao Qingfu were the children born to Concubine Zhou and Concubine Dong Shu. One was five years old and the other was six years old. They were not yet of elementary school age. It was the time for them to play and run around in the carriage.

"Slow down, don't fall."

"Don't lie on the window, don't open the window."

"Do you still have rules?"

The task of taking care of the children was given to Empress Cao. At first, she was a little patient, but later she gradually became irritable.

I really didn't expect these two children to be so naughty.

Perhaps it was because Empress Cao, although the master of the harem, did not interfere in the management of the concubines in the harem. She was more selfless, that is, she didn't care about things but was not afraid of things.

"Take them to the next carriage."

Zhao Zhen took a sip of the teacup, and saw that the two children were still making a fuss, and he was a little unhappy.

Zhao Jun winked at Cao Miaoxin, and Cao Miaoxin took the hands of the two children and said, "Come on, come and play over there with your auntie, there are candies there."

The two children followed Cao Miaoxin immediately after hearing that there was candy.

Empress Cao also wisely went to the carriage next to her with several palace ladies, and soon only Zhao Zhen and Zhao Jun were left in the carriage.

"Boom!"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

"Beep beep beep beep!"

Just then, the train started to move.

As the wheels slowly roll, you can also feel the feeling of a car moving from the cabin.

But after it picked up speed, it quickly disappeared, as if it were sitting on flat ground.

Zhao Zhen originally wanted to chat with Zhao Jun for a while, but when the car started to start, he sat by the window and stared out the window intently.

The middle of the train carriage is separated by a curtain. In the back is the bedroom of Zhao Zhen and Queen Cao, with beds and clothes racks. In the front is a living room-like room with a table, chairs and a stove.

Zhao Zhen and Zhao Jun were sitting on the edge of the chairs. The train was moving outside the window. At first it was the fence of the train station, and soon it slowly drove out of the station. They saw the high-rise buildings on both sides and the green slopes surrounded by iron fences. Grass.

The terrain of the track is not high, so you can't see much scenery. However, when the speed of the car increased and it drove out of the city in just a few minutes, it looked completely different.

They saw the vast countryside, the lush forests, and the undulating mountains in the distance. The car drove along the north bank of Zhengshui River. Sitting in the train, the morning sun shone down, and the water surface was sparkling, as if it were covered with gold. earth.

There are villages further away, smoke rises from cooking stoves, and farmers walk into the fields carrying hoes. Hearing the roar of the train, he stood there and watched for a while, then buried his head in the ground again.

Zhao Zhen just stared blankly, his mouth opened slightly at some point.

Even though the speed of the car was not very fast, only forty or fifty yards, for him, this was a scene he had never seen before. It was a scenery that he would never be able to see even if he stood at the highest point of the Bianliang Palace and looked through a telescope.

"I have never been on a train."

After a long time, Zhao Zhen said softly: "I only knew it was very fast before, but now I know that sitting in a car and looking outside is the same as sitting on a carriage looking outside. It's overwhelming, that's what I mean."

Zhao Jun smiled and said: "In our later generations, there is a saying that describes trains."

"What words?"

"Life is a journey, and what matters is not the destination, but the scenery along the way."

"The scenery along the way?"

Zhao Zhen was thoughtful.

Zhao Jun looked at the scenery flashing by outside the car window and said softly: "It's like not looking at how old a person has lived, but looking at what he has done in his life. This period in his life is the most meaningful. time."

Zhao Zhen turned his head, and the mountains in the distance were getting closer and closer. The morning sun shone from the east, illuminating the entire Song Mountain. There seemed to be a glow on the top of the mountain, which made people feel emotional.