The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Cen Jiexiao picked up a piece of fresh fish and savored it carefully. Then she put down her chopsticks and looked at Chai Zhen with a burning gaze. She said, "Your Majesty, I believe that if this country wants to be prosperous, it cannot just focus on the crops in the fields. It must also ensure that the people's pockets are filled with fatter."

Chai Zhen put down his wine glass and asked with interest, "Oh? What do you mean, Dean Cen?"

Cen Jiexiao smiled faintly and continued, "Your Majesty, think about it. After all the hard work of the people, how much surplus food can they produce year-round? If they can only afford to eat or barely make ends meet, where will they find the spare money to buy other things? Without buying and selling, the market will not function, and the country will struggle to develop."

Chai Zhen listened intently and couldn't help asking, "Then, according to Dean Cen, how can we make the people's pockets fatter?"

Cen Jiexiao put down her chopsticks and said seriously, "Encourage them to do business! Not only with the people of our Great Zhou, but also encourage trade with neighboring countries!"

"Doing business with neighboring countries?" Chai Zhen frowned slightly, as if he was unfamiliar with the term.

"Yes, it's about commerce. Neighboring nations like Liao, Dan, and Xixiang each have their own advantages compared to our own. We can exchange our surplus supplies for what we need," Cen Jiexiao explained. "Your Majesty, imagine if we could trade Wuzhong's porcelain and handicrafts for Liao and Dan's finest medicinal herbs and minerals, and the court's surplus grain for Xixiang's cattle, sheep, and horses. Wouldn't that significantly enrich the treasury and, at the same time, enrich the lives of the people?"

Chai Zhen pondered for a moment and asked, "However, since ancient times, merchants have not enjoyed a high status, and the court has always encouraged the people to focus on agriculture. If we allow the people to engage in business, won't the fields become barren and uncultivated?"

"Your Majesty, if one day, the Great Zhou truly belongs to you, I believe that your Majesty's desire for reform will surpass that of anyone in the Great Zhou, including this minister. By then, the large amount of abandoned fertile land in the hands of many nobles and relatives will surely be taken back by the court under your thundering means. At that time, these lands will return to the hands of the people who have no land. They will have land to farm, food to eat, and clothes to wear. Thus, they will become your Majesty's most loyal believers in this life." Cen Jiexiao vowed.

"Dean Cen, if you had said what you just said in the court, the memorial to the emperor the next day might have been pushed to a higher level than the emperor's. But... today we are not in that smoky and chaotic place, today we are in my friend's academy. So your friend... Chai Zhen thinks what Cen Jiexiao said is very right, very correct. On behalf of the Great Zhou Emperor Chai Zhen... thank you, Cen Jiexiao."

Cen Jiexiao looked at the Great Zhou Emperor in front of her, listening to his every word, and suddenly, for some reason, she choked up. It was really ironic to think about it. They say that life is not as it seems, nine out of ten times, it is not as it seems. It seems that this also applies to the ruler of a country in front of her.

Cen Jiexiao calmed down her complex emotions and continued, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty's ideals will surely be realized. Zhaoyin Academy will always stand by Your Majesty, no matter in the past, present, or future. I may be clumsy, but I can still distinguish between good and bad people. Your Majesty is a good man, a benevolent monarch, a king who cares deeply about the people."

The look Chai Zhen gave Cen Jiexiao at that moment was like the warm winter sun piercing through the mist, both profound and gentle. It was filled with deep admiration for his partner's wisdom and ability, as if silently saying, "You are my other pillar of support outside the court. Your insights and strategies bring a certain stability to this empire."

There was also an imperceptible doting mixed in, just like cherishing a rare treasure. He admired Sister Cen Xiao's gentleness and virtue, and took good care of her, fearing that a trace of dust would taint her purity.

At the same time, that look also contained trust and dependence, just like the loyalty of a warhorse to its rider. Chai Zhen knew that no matter how the court changed, if one day, as long as Cen Jiexiao was by his side, he would have a sense of security, a harbor where he could let down all his guard.

Such a gaze is the tenderness at the pinnacle of power and the expression of the emperor's deep affection. It goes beyond the simple love between men and women, but is also a kind of soul harmony and life companionship.

Chai Zhen, having regained his composure, pretended to be calm and said, "President Cen, we were just talking about trade and commerce, right? Please continue."

"Your Majesty, the times are changing and concepts must also progress. We cannot always cling to old ideas. We can encourage some people to do business, while also ensuring the development of agriculture. The two are not in conflict." After hearing this, Cen Jiexiao continued to speak eloquently.

"Then, how can we guarantee it?" Chai Zhen asked.

Cen Jiexiao thought for a moment and said, "We can formulate some policies, such as reducing the tax burden on merchants to encourage them to open shops and workshops. At the same time, we must increase support for agriculture, develop water conservancy projects, improve farming techniques, and increase grain production. Only in this way can we ensure the joint development of agriculture and commerce."

Chai Zhen nodded repeatedly. He had previously only considered ensuring the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, but had never considered how to enrich them, let alone encourage them to innovate. Cen Jiexiao's words undoubtedly opened the door to a new world for him, allowing him to see a completely new direction.

Seeing that Chai Zhen was touched, Cen Jiexiao struck while the iron was hot and continued, "The educational philosophy of Zhaoyin Academy may not necessarily produce a top scholar, but students who graduate from Zhaoyin Academy will definitely be able to gain a foothold in a certain industry or field, and even become independent leaders. Zhaoyin Academy encourages students to ask more questions and practice more. They can also let them participate in various social practice activities, such as going to the fields to experience farming life, going to factories and workshops to learn production skills, and so on. You can't neglect work for the sake of study, and you can't neglect study for the sake of work. Theoretical study and practical work are like the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth, and they cannot be separated."

After listening to this, Chai Zhen's eyes flashed with admiration, and his heart was full of surprise. Although he had never heard of what Cen Jiexiao said about the North and South, he found that Cen Jiexiao's thoughts and insights had surpassed many capable officials in the court, and were completely different from those pedantic and conservative officials. She was like a fresh breeze that blew into his originally dull and boring life.

Besides business and education, Cen Jiexiao also discussed medicine with Chai Zhen. She moved from basic hygiene habits to disease prevention, and from the treatment of common ailments to the innovation of surgical instruments. Chai Zhen was stunned by her talk; this knowledge was new to him, yet it was also enlightening.

"The people of our dynasty have been suffering from diseases for many years. Does Dean Cen have any good prescription?" Chai Zhen listened attentively and could not help asking.