Chapter 880: Education Inst.i.tutes
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Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Lan Ruozhu knew Su Binglan always gave beneficial advice. Since he did not understand certain things, he had to learn from her.
Su Binglan said, “Consider it, Big Brother. Won’t the people be more at ease if the Imperial Court set up a bank?”
“Of course,” Lan Ruozhu confidently replied, “The banks run by the Imperial Court represent mine and the court’s credibility. I’d be deceiving the people if there was a mishap with the money. Then, the people would lose respect for me. It’s also a currency system the Imperial Court issues.”
A good emperor would naturally do things that would win the people’s hearts. The people resembled water, and the emperor was the boat. Water could carry a boat, but it could also capsize it.
Su Binglan smiled and said, “That’s what most people would think. So, if a prominent family and the Imperial Court opens a bank, which would you think the people would choose?”
Lan Ruozhu understood his sister’s meaning. He said, “If I were a commoner, I’d deposit my money in the Imperial Court’s bank since it represents the country.”
He felt enlightened as he continued, “When the commoners trust the Imperial Court’s bank, they’ll trust us with their silver. I can imagine how large the amount will be.
“Knowing the information of the banks will help me understand the people’s living situations. That’ll be helpful for me when issuing decrees and policies that benefit them. I’ll also know who has the most silver, like an account book. ”
Lan Ruozhu became excited as he spoke. He would also know how much money the government officials had if they used the Imperial Court’s bank.
With that information, he would know whether or not there was corruption. However, he was unsure if the people would be willing to deposit their money in his bank. He even wondered if the officials would feel at ease using his bank. Perhaps they would not care.
That was because most of the officials were still a little greedy. The former emperor would ignore their bribes as long as it was not too much. When Lan Ruozhu took over, he cleaned up the corrupted officials.
Since the current officials were clean, they would not mind depositing their silver in the Imperial Court’s bank. It would soon become customary for them to do so.
Su Binglan said smilingly, “You’re right. There are many benefits to opening a bank through the Imperial Court. If we open banks everywhere, it’ll increase employment opportunities. It’ll benefit the country extensively.
“Chu Country will be even more stable with a stable economy, clear politics, and a developed military. The people will no longer have to experience war and can live in a peaceful environment.”
Lan Ruozhu happily smacked the tabletop, exclaiming, “That’s an excellent idea, Sister! Do you have an idea on how to implement these things(”
He had some idea of what to do but knew his sister was more experienced than him. Su Binglan smiled, saying, “Don’t worry. I’ll write a detailed plan for you, and you can arrange for people to follow it.
“Still, opening a bank isn’t something we can do in a day, especially if we want to cover all of Chu Country. We must make proper plans and implement them well. I’ll also need to consider what the banks will look like and how to protect the silver.’
Since it was not the modern era, there was no electricity or surveillance cameras. Hence, Su Binglan had to consider the banks’ safety precautions carefully.
Lan Ruozhu was fascinated, saying, “We still have plenty of time to do these things for Chu Country. It’s just like the academy you mentioned before. It’s a huge matter that we must implement a step at a time.”
After some thought, Su Binglan said, “Brother, we can set up an academy in the capital and hire teachers first. We can allow the students to attend school for free.
“We’ll accept male and female students. We’ll prioritize teaching the students to read. After two to three years of that, they’ll learn different subjects.
“After three years of learning to read, we can divide their skills into different categories. That way, everyone can choose to learn about things like embroidery, martial arts, and accounting or to take the Imperial exams.
“When the time comes, the teachers can recommend the outstanding graduates to the Imperial Court. Then there won’t be a need for the Imperial exams.”
Lan Ruozhu grew excited when he heard these things. “Is that the recommendation spot you mentioned before?”
“That’s right. We can implement a recommendation quota for each school, be it for the Imperial Court or the army. Of course, the teachers must use these quotas practically and guarantee them by the academy’s reputation.
“If there are issues with the recommended students, we’ll revoke the school’s rights to the quota.” Su Binglan had discussed these things with Lan Ruozhu before, but she spoke more simply.
She had just given him more detailed information, and he understood everything. He became excited because the country could use more people. The Imperial Court would no longer have to worry about not having enough talent. It was an excellent idea.
“Also, we can set up a place in the Imperial Court to train the teachers in finding gifted students. We will also train the teachers to be better and ensure they do well in various academies.”
Lan Ruozhu was ecstatic, wondering why he had not considered this before.
“The outstanding students can also stay and become teachers. The Imperial Court will pay the teachers, and the teachers will be under the court’s jurisdiction.”
Lan Ruozhu nodded. “I’ll go with your plans, Sister. We have to create new departments in the Imperial Court to implement these things.”
Su Binglan responded, “I’ll write a detailed plan for everything. You can also tell the officials about this during the court meeting.”
Lan Ruozhu only used uncorrupted officials after taking the emperor’s position. They would probably support him when he told them about Su Binglan’s plans.
It would also be okay if they had objections. After all, all of Chu Country had united, and Lan Ruozhu controlled all the major powers. Everything would proceed smoothly, even if he were to reform the country.
“I’ll discuss everything with the new officials. They come from poor families, and I selected them from the local areas. They should be thrilled when I tell them your plans.” Lan Ruozhu knew how difficult it was for families to gather funds to send their children to school.
Everyone would be excited when they found out the Imperial Court would fund the academies and allow the students to attend for free..