My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 284: Ming Dynasty's First National Debate

Some people were reading newspapers, while others were reading newspapers for the more illiterate people. Although the government would regularly send people to read newspapers for the people, more often than not, many literate people would read the contents of the newspapers to others while reading them.

"There's a shortage of workers and the factory can't produce smoothly? This is a big deal!"

A young man dressed as a waiter was reading a newspaper and discussing with the people who were listening to the newspaper next to him.

The young man was a waiter in a nearby restaurant. As he could read, many people nearby would buy newspapers for him to read, and he was happy to do so, as this would show that he was different from the others who worked hard to make a living, and that he was an educated person.

At this time, the old man who was listening to the newspaper said, "I see that many people are willing to work in the factory, so why is there still a shortage of workers? It's a pity that I am old, otherwise I would also work in that factory and eat the emperor's food."

"Old man, we want someone who can read and write, not an amateur." Another person next to him laughed.

At this moment, someone suddenly had an idea and slapped his thigh excitedly and said:

"Well, you say, since there is a shortage of workers, why don't the court build a few more official schools like the Craftsmen Academy? With more official schools, won't there be more workers trained?"

After saying this, he looked at everyone with great pride, his nose almost raised to the sky, but soon someone poured a basin of cold water on him.

The clerk who was reading the newspaper to the crowd said, "My dear brother, this is wrong. Can we just start a technical school at will?"

"Why not? As long as the imperial court wants to do it, is there anyone who can stop it? Besides, if we set up a technical official school, it will benefit the country and the people, and we ordinary people will also support it!"

The man said somewhat unconvinced, and the rest of the people nodded in agreement.

"That's right. No one would object to such a good thing that benefits the country and the people."

"That's exactly what you said!"

The man dressed as a waiter shook his head and hooked his finger at everyone. The people around him were all curious and came forward.

The waiter had a mysterious look on his face and said in a deep voice, "You all know what happened last year when the imperial court built the Beijing Academy of Craftsmen, right?"

Everyone suddenly realized something. The person who proposed to build a new technical school couldn't help but say:

"Last year, when the Artisan Academy was newly built, students from the Imperial College went to the academy to cause trouble. Later, the disturbance got bigger and bigger. The Imperial College even held a conference to discuss academic issues with the imperial court. If it weren't for your majesty offering the divine weapon that could fly into the sky, I'm afraid the Imperial Academy would not be able to open now."

Everyone showed expressions of deep agreement. The scholar lowered his voice and said in a profound tone:

"Then you know, in fact, a few days ago, His Majesty proposed at the court meeting that in order to solve the problem of worker shortage, it is necessary to continue to build new technical official schools, but it was opposed by many civil officials!"

When these words were spoken, everyone was in an uproar and looked shocked.

"You are just bragging. Since it was proposed by His Majesty, how dare those civil officials object? And how do you know what is happening in the court?"

The waiter immediately showed a dissatisfied look, and then said mysteriously: "Don't disbelieve me, I'll tell you, don't spread it everywhere, or you will be beheaded. Let me tell you, my second uncle is working in the palace, and he heard everything clearly outside the palace during the court meeting that day!"

Seeing that the young man spoke so confidently, everyone believed him a little, but they became even more angry with the civil servants.

The old man was even more indignant and said: "Humph, those high-ranking civil servants and scholars, who talk about the teachings of sages all day long, have never touched water with their hands, can't lift anything with their shoulders, and can't use their limbs to distinguish between grains.

They don’t even think about who makes the clothes they use to keep warm, or who cooks the bowls they eat from?
I think these guys are just idle, they just need to starve for a few days!"

Once these words were spoken, everyone started talking and they all started discussing.

"Since your majesty opened the mine and built the factory, our lives have been getting better and better. Look, who has ever seen frosted sugar before? Now, even if we can't eat sugar every meal, it's not difficult to eat it once or twice a month."

"Yes, I also heard that when our Majesty lifted the ban on maritime trade, he shipped several ships of frosted sugar out, and exchanged them for several ships of gold, silver and jewelry in foreign countries. I heard that in foreign countries, such as Ryukyu and Siam, only officials could afford frosted sugar. I didn't expect that the common people of our Ming Dynasty could also afford it now."

"That's right, those scholars always look down on us who work. They just don't want to see us live a good life!"

"You know what? My third son works in a smelting plant. His wages are much higher than when he worked in a blacksmith shop. Our big tile-roofed house was built with the money he earned from working."

"Yes, I also want my son to go to the Craftsman Academy to study when he grows up, and work in a factory to earn a salary. Maybe he can even become an official in the Ministry of Industry. It would be great if Your Majesty could build more new schools."

"We think the same thing. Those hateful civil officials and scholars who dare to oppose Your Majesty's new official school will be struck by lightning!"

"Hmph, Your Majesty, you'd better skin them all and stuff them with straw. None of them are good people!"

On that day, in Yingtian Prefecture, more and more people were discussing this issue, and soon the literati were pushed to the forefront.

Many scholars also discovered that the people who used to be very respectful to them on the street, and would even respectfully call them "scholar" when they saw them, now showed a rather contemptuous expression when they saw them, and some would even deliberately cough and spit out a mouthful of old phlegm.

As the topic became more and more heated, different factions with different views gradually emerged among the intellectuals.

In the Imperial College and academies across the country, heated debates could be heard from time to time, with Confucian scholars expressing their own views, sometimes even arguing with each other until they were red in the face.

The incident reached its first climax when an unknown scholar published an article titled "The Way of Science, the Way of the Future of Ming Dynasty" in the Ming Weekly.

The article states that science, the discipline that explores the natural world, is the fundamental way to open up new wisdom to the people, develop industry and enhance national strength, and should be elevated to a position of equal importance with Confucianism.

As soon as the article was published, it immediately caused an uproar in the Ming Dynasty, and in an instant, the entire literary world was boiling.

All of a sudden, many writers submitted their articles to newspapers, and Fang Xiaoru, in accordance with Zhu Yuanzhang's plan, carefully selected the most opposing viewpoints and published them in newspapers, continuing to trigger a new round of discussion in the literary world.

Gradually, factional conflicts in the literary world became increasingly acute, and at one point, they even reached a life-and-death struggle.

(End of this chapter)