The Ninth Year of Yuanxing, May 6th.
Another spring has arrived.
Shichuan Province, Provincial City.
Shichuan University was officially established today and has started admitting students!
Shichuan Province is close to Ming Province. Previously, because Ming Province had Wu'an University, Shichuan Province did not secure a spot for a university.
This led to the noble children of Shichuan Province having to attend university in the neighboring Ming Province.
Later, when the thirteenth university, Hongyi University, was established, the spot went to Ming Province yet again.
This really infuriated the people of Shichuan Province!
Later on, when they learned that Hongyi University was going to massively enroll civilian students and children from poor families, the nobles of Shichuan Province secretly felt relieved.
This was a hot potato!
After the Mingxin Reformation, the Great Lan Dynasty abolished the imperial exams, and instead, the twelve universities now recruit talents for the country.
Thus, these twelve universities represent a path for advancent, a bright future, and endless resources!
Even when the nobles and aristocratic families all ca together, there wasn't enough cake to go around, yet now a portion had to be given to the commoners and the poor?
Conflict and tension, along with various forms of suppression, were unavoidable.
As the "pilot" university, Hongyi University was indeed crossing the river by feeling the stones and went through many hardships.
Midway, there was even a change of principal because the first principal was Xu Jing...
The first graduating class of commoners and children from poor families from Hongyi University was one-third of the size when they initially enrolled!
Those who couldn't graduate either encountered issues during the brutal training and trials or t with various accidents, dying directly or indirectly at the hands of the noble children.
And those who graduated, even if they successfully obtained official positions, were not given good positions. They were ostracized everywhere and found it hard to see a future.
This outco made many feel that the "experint" of the Lord Chief Minister failed.
Until the Seventh of July, Eighth Year of Yuanxing.
After this day, the court announced they would establish eleven universities in the provinces where no universities yet existed!
And, like Hongyi University, these eleven universities would also give a large number of spots to commoners and children from poor families!
Moreover, initially, Hongyi University was hobbling along, offering only 'Military Studies' without 'Civil Studies', training only military officers but not civil servants.
Now, not only could the newly established eleven universities excel in both civil and military studies, but Hongyi University could also recruit students for civil studies.
In the past, such a thing was simply impossible.
The cake was only so big, and it had been firmly controlled by the aristocratic families for years. How could they possibly give away half to others?
It was pure fantasy!
But after Ye Ze'an's shocking case, what was once impossible beca possible.
The Ten Gate Valves were overwheld with their own troubles, trying their best to protect themselves, helplessly watching as their resources were slowly taken away.
The other aristocratic families, to varying degrees, were also implicated and intimidated by the court's series of actions. Afraid of the threat at their own throats, they beca unprecedentedly compliant.
From July of the Eighth Year of Yuanxing to May of the Ninth Year of Yuanxing, nearly a year passed.
With the official establishnt and start of admissions of Shichuan University, all eleven new universities planned by the court were now established!
The entrance of Shichuan University was bustling with people coming and going.
The school had sent people a month in advance to promote, announcing a five-day free aptitude test during admissions.
From Rank B in the aptitude test, students could apply for scholarships and bursaries.
If one was found to have Rank A aptitude, their tuition could even be fully waived!
In the past, the vast majority of children from ordinary families didn't even have the chance to take an aptitude test, not knowing if their children might have the potential to beco Martial Artists or Magicians. Even if they did have this potential, they couldn't afford it.
In the vast sea of people, there might be so with the potential of a Martial Saint or True Monarch, but due to poverty, they ended up living an obscure life.
Now, with the establishnt of the eleven new universities, while it still couldn't offer everyone a chance for testing, nor could it provide all the resources needed for every commoner and child from poor families who got in, it could at least reduce the number of overlooked talents, thereby uncovering more talents for the Da Lan Dynasty.
Perhaps, the next Li Fei is among these ordinary people?
The whole street outside Shichuan University's gate was crowded. An old man selling candied hawthorns was calling out to sell his goods but wasn't doing very well.
"Sir, give two sticks of candied hawthorns."
The old man turned his head to see a young man in a black robe and a woman in a blue robe wearing a straw hat.
The young man looked righteous, clearly a good kid at first sight.
Although the woman's face wasn't visible under the hat, she exuded a certain elegance.
"Alright, that'll be two dis in total."
The old man smiled as he handed two sticks of candied hawthorns to the righteous-looking young man.
The young man took out a one-yuan paper money from his pocket and handed it to the old man, who gave him eight one-di coins back.
"Here, this is for you."
The young man handed one stick of candied hawthorns to the woman beside him.
"I didn't say I wanted any."
"I noticed you looked at them several tis, clearly you were craving them."
"No way."
Although she said that, the woman still accepted the candied hawthorn.
The old man watched them with a smile, thinking they must be a young couple.
"Young man, are you here to participate in the admissions as well?"
The old man asked.
The young man bit a candied hawthorn and said, a bit unclearly:
"We're not. We just ca to see the excitent."
The old man laughed and said, "It's been a long ti since we've had such excitent around here."
User Comments
0 comments from readers