This villain has become a ghost

Others might not have noticed, but Shen Yue saw the interaction between Wei Yanzhi and Nangong Wanqing clearly. He frowned slightly, and doubts began to arise in his heart.

He remained calm, but secretly kept a watchful eye.

Yue Liuyun thought that the eldest princess would continue to argue with her, but unexpectedly, she quickly calmed down and said nothing more.

Wei Yanzhi bowed his head, his expression unclear, and only his calm voice could be heard: "Your Majesty's outstanding talents are a blessing to the country and the people."

He paused, then looked up at Nangong Wanqing and said, "Your Majesty has already answered your question, Princess. I just wonder... do you have any other questions?"

"I have benefited greatly from listening to your Majesty's words," Nangong Wanqing said. "After all, I am only observing the world from a narrow perspective, unaware of the rapid changes taking place. I will need your Majesty's advice on all matters going forward."

Yue Liuyun smiled slightly and said, "I am honored to be able to help the royal sister solve her doubts."

-

After the morning court session ended, Nangong Wanqing returned to the Princess's Mansion.

In the cold Buddhist temple, she was dressed in plain clothes, kneeling on a cushion, holding Buddhist beads in her hands, closing her eyes and concentrating.

After an unknown amount of time, she slowly stood up, walked out of the Buddhist hall, came to the slightly desolate courtyard, and sat in a chair.

The maid followed closely behind, serving respectfully.

Nangong Wanqing picked up a dry leaf expressionlessly and said, "Let Jinghua come to see me."

"Here."

After a while, a man in black appeared beside her like a ghost, kneeling down and saluting: "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Go check if the emperor has any new staff members in the past few days."

"I obey my orders."

The dead leaves were blown away by the wind. Nangong Wanqing wiped her fingertips, and a strange look flashed in her eyes.

-

royal palace.

South Study.

The Minister of War was waiting outside, while inside the study, the Minister of Rites was anxiously awaiting the emperor's order. He was a little frightened and didn't dare to move, fearing that the capricious emperor would drag him out and chop him off.

The desk was covered with a red tablecloth with golden patterns on the edges. It was piled high with books of all kinds, covering classics, history, poetry, politics, economics, medicine, agronomy, and many other fields.

Yue Liuyun rummaged through the messy books for a while, and finally took out a booklet, feeling satisfied.

She raised her eyes to look at the Minister of Rites and said, "My dear, there is no need to be so reserved. Why don't you sit down first and I will talk to you slowly."

"I dare not!" The Minister of Rites's face suddenly changed and he saluted quickly.

Yue Liuyun looked at his frightened expression, looked at Nangong Mingzhu in amazement, and complained in his heart.

What on earth do you do in your daily life to scare others like this?

Nangong Mingzhu raised his eyebrows innocently, indicating that he had done nothing and that it was these ministers whose psychological quality was too poor.

Yue Liuyun smiled, coughed lightly and said, "I order you to sit down."

"I...I obey your order!"

Yue Liuyun straightened his expression and said to the uneasy Minister of Rites, "What I've come to discuss with you today is something called 'compulsory education.'"

"Compulsory education..." The Minister of Rites muttered to himself, not understanding what it meant.

Yue Liuyun asked, "My dear, what do you think are the problems facing the Imperial College now?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty, please speak frankly." Seeing that the emperor was discussing this matter with him attentively, the fear in his heart gradually dissipated, and he began to think seriously.

She said, "The Imperial College is limited to children of noble families with family backgrounds and connections. It is difficult for children from poor families to get opportunities."

"Forgive my ignorance, but isn't the imperial examination... an opportunity for children from poor families?" asked the Minister of Rites.

Yue Liuyun shook his head and continued, "Leaving aside the possibility of favoritism and fraud, the imperial examinations are indeed an opportunity for children from humble backgrounds. However, what I'm talking about isn't the exam itself, but education. If children from humble backgrounds want to rise above their status, they can only take the imperial examinations through self-study, whereas children from aristocratic families have enjoyed the best possible education since childhood."

The Minister of Rites thought about what she said and felt it made sense. He asked, "Then, according to Your Majesty, what should be done?"

"What I mean by compulsory education is the national education that children of appropriate age must receive. It is compulsory, public welfare, universal and free..." Yue Liuyun explained.

The Minister of Rites was shocked: "All children must receive education?"

"Not just children," Yue Liuyun added, "ordinary people can also receive education if they wish."

The Minister of Rites hesitated to speak.

Yue Liuyun looked at his expression and said with a smile, "My dear, you must be wondering, what's the point of doing this, since it's not only costly, but also time-consuming, laborious, and laborious, right?"

The Minister of Rites nodded hesitantly, and only then did he realize what he had done. He was shocked and worried that the emperor would punish him for it.

He was just about to stand up and salute, asking the emperor for punishment, but Yue Liuyun ordered his men to hold him back.

She said, "My dear, do you understand how important it is to a country to improve the cultural level of its people? On the other hand, if we follow the imperial examination system, how many outstanding talents can we produce in a year? One? Two? Three? But if we improve overall education, I can guarantee that many outstanding talents will be unearthed."

The Minister of Rites seemed to be lost in thought.

Seeing him wavering, Yue Liuyun continued, "My dear minister, you are also an outstanding talent who has emerged from the imperial examinations. I believe that with your intelligence and talent, you will understand my good intentions."

"If you are willing to trust me, I will certainly let you see the bright future of Daying. Are you willing to work with me?"

As soon as these words came out, the Minister of Rites' eyes suddenly became firm, and he was even a little moved. He said with full of fighting spirit: "Your Majesty's will will be obeyed wholeheartedly!"

Yue Liuyun was secretly happy.

Sure enough, the PUA method and the rosy promises really work!

She smiled slightly and continued, "Besides that, I want to establish a National Central University. Students who excel in compulsory education can enter local institutions established by the National Central University for further study. Every year, through an assessment method that combines theoretical examinations with practical experience, the best students will be selected to enter the National Central University for further study."

"At the same time, taking into account the actual local financial situation of the country, we can allow local gentry and wealthy families to open private schools, enroll the best students who have failed the imperial examinations over the years free of charge, and provide tax incentives and other incentives to gentry and wealthy families who can train students to enter National Central University."

"In this way, a talent reserve mechanism will eventually be formed with local screening, central training, local deployment, and overall planning."

The Minister of Rites' eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he said excitedly, "...Brilliant! Your Majesty is truly a genius, to have come up with such a method!"

Yue Liuyun took a deep breath and said, "It's not over yet. I have other ideas."

"Your humble servant is all ears!"

Yue Liuyun said, "There are different levels of understanding and different specializations in different fields. I want to categorize subjects and no longer limit them to exam papers. The textbooks are already being compiled and will be available soon."

"I am a foolish minister, what is the meaning of subject classification?"

Yue Liuyun said, "It depends on the individual. For example, those who are good at math and statistics can enter the Ministry of Revenue, while those who are good at manufacturing and water conservancy can enter the Ministry of Industry after training, and so on."

The Minister of Rites thought this was quite reasonable and said seriously, "I understand!"

"The textbooks haven't been compiled yet. This requires careful planning and won't happen overnight," Yue Liuyun said, handing him the booklet he had just found. "I've already recorded the specific details there. I hope you'll study it carefully."

She thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Among all the officials, you are the one who pleases me most. Please do not let me down!"

Finally, she uses moral kidnapping. She is so good at it.

Nangong Mingzhu's mouth twitched, and he felt that what she said was so corny.

The Minister of Rites was too naive. He fell for it and was not only thrilled but even deeply moved. He said seriously, "I will definitely live up to your Majesty's expectations!"