Ball Ball Cultivation

Next, Qiuqiu continued to take medicine desperately to restore his consciousness and accumulate spiritual power. This time he took three soul-replenishing pills and three spirit-nourishing pills, and soon fell into a deep sleep again.

The struggle for power was carried out in secret; those who did not openly rebel were subject to the imperial decree! Even the aristocratic families who sought to protect themselves were forced to obey. Dynasties came and went, and aristocratic families endured for millennia. In this era where power, finances, and manpower were controlled by the aristocratic families, Qiuqiu was not sure of breaking the current deadlock.

For the next three months, Qiuqiu was constantly drifting between sleep and high drugs. Besides learning civil and martial arts, the Crown Prince also had to slowly master the hidden power of the royal family, and his growth was rapid! Prince Xiao was no longer a naive person, and began to be serious and tenacious, but there was still some confusion on his face!

Now Qiuqiu can basically move freely and think normally, and he no longer feels dizzy. His consciousness has recovered 30%. Occasionally, he can spare a trace of consciousness to check his dantian, and find that all the spiritual energy replenished by the elixir has been absorbed by the stick. The stick is also different from before, more restrained, and its luster is still dim!

Qiuqiu and Prince Xiao were chatting beside the bed, while the Queen was outside making a secret bag for Qiuqiu (Qiuqiu provided the pattern, used to carry elixirs on her body), and the eunuchs and servants were guarding outside.

Qiuqiu looked at the two young boys. In this era, eight or nine years old is no longer considered a child, let alone in the palace. "He who wears the crown must bear its weight. Yan'er has no choice. His birth determines his future path. If he doesn't walk this path well, he will be shattered. Now that the emperor is still here, I can still support many things. Yi'er, are you confused and can't figure out what to do in the future?"

Facing four pure eyes, he sighed with emotion: "I am naturally intelligent, but also weak and sickly. I am the prince least likely to succeed to the throne. Therefore, your royal grandfather truly loves me. For a prince who has no chance of the throne, my brothers are also happy to show me kindness."

"While they were fighting tooth and nail for the throne, I was traveling. I supposedly was recuperating, but in reality, I was seeing the world. Eighty percent of the wealth of the Great Qi State was controlled by aristocratic families, and half of the land was held by aristocratic clans and landlords. These people paid little or no tax. To put it bluntly, the royal family only truly controlled this tiny portion of the people! So, I worked hard to find a solution. First, to prevent the lower classes from starving to death, we had to increase food production and improve industrial technology. Second, I had to find the difference between aristocratic families and ordinary people. That meant reading to gain knowledge and broaden their horizons. And most importantly, increasing their income."

"With money, you can send your children to school. After that, you need to provide them with a path to success - to take the imperial examinations and become an official! After learning both civil and military skills, you can serve the emperor. To select talents, you must hold imperial examinations open to all the people of Daqi. This is a difficult and dangerous road."

"Your grandfather, the Emperor, decided to pass the throne to me precisely because of this idea of ​​mine! I've been on the throne for eight years, and the search for and cultivation of new crops is ongoing and quite successful. However, we lack the people to execute them. If we were to implement them now, it would only benefit the various aristocratic families, while the common people would gain limited benefits. The Imperial Guards just reported the discovery of a large-scale silver mine in Nanyun. The Ouyang family, one of the Eight Great Aristocratic Families, has been mining for decades, accumulating astonishing wealth. The Ouyang family's descendants have a long history of misdeeds. I was about to order a thorough investigation, confiscate their property, but I was struck by a severe poison, forcing me to shelve my plans!"

These are the ideals and ambitions of Emperor Xu Jin, Qiuqiu is just saying them out loud.

"Yi'er, you must assist your royal brother well. Your good third brother is not a biological brother at all. I don't even know whose bastard he is!"

"The search and seizure of the Ouyang family must continue. Only with the Ouyang family's money can we implement the following plan!"

"Yan'er, call your mother in and have Liu Fu guard outside!"

Seeing the emaciated queen, who was a girl from a military family, was worn down by reality into her current state. The girl who used to be heroic and carefree was now pale and weak.

Qiuqiu held the Queen Shen Luan's hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Please sit here!"

"You should also listen to the next arrangements."

"I will issue an order to select one hundred unmarried students and one hundred women from poor families in the name of praying for blessings. They will study in the palace for three months. Zi Tong and I will be the teachers of these two hundred people. Then we will disperse them to one hundred places to establish Emperor's Schools, divided into male and female schools. Zi Tong and I will be the deans, and these students will be vice-deans. It is best if the students we accept have a certain foundation in literature and are around 15 years old. This way of accumulating merit and praying for the Emperor and Empress will make those ministers dare not speak out even if they want to!"

"The court has opened one hundred free schools, each with no fewer than one hundred male and one hundred female students. The money is from the private treasury of me and Zi Tong, and the schools are included in the assessment requirements for local officials. The requirement is only three years of study, so the implementation will face little resistance. Aristocratic families all start their education at the age of five or six. Ten years of hard study may not produce results, let alone three years, and the reason is to pray for the emperor and empress! After three years, these people will be the main implementers of the new high-yield grain! Those with learning talent can continue their studies, and as disciples of the emperor, they can participate in the official assessment. This is the first batch of students from poor families, tearing a hole in the court controlled by the aristocratic families! Then we will develop agriculture, strengthen industry, and promote commerce!"

Qiuqiu looked at Prince Xiao Xu Yi and said, "Commerce is very important. Only when the goods flow between the north and the south can this chess game come to life! Yi'er, I can give you some self-defense forces to find those who are down and out among the current business tycoons and have real business acumen. We already have a group of Jinyiwei here, and most of the secret recipes have been backed up or improved! What we lack is a major force that can support these people to rise up and fight against them!"

"Prince Xiao Xu Yi, you have to do this part for me! Your princely title is your confidence! It is also the support that those down-and-out merchants need. Your character and thinking ability have been trained to live a life of idleness and waiting for death since birth. I have experienced the sword-fighting battles among brothers, and I don't want my descendants to go through the same. Living like a free and easy cloud and wild crane, facing the sea with flowers blooming in spring, that kind of life is the best for me! I hope it is the same for you." His tone was quite nostalgic.

He looked at his youngest son lovingly and touched his head, "In the past, we had our father, who provided you with a safe and secure place. Now that he is gone, we still have your elder brother. He has the broad-mindedness of a military commander and is a broad-minded person. He will protect you throughout your life. Now our father's health is limited, and your brother, the crown prince, is also unstable on the throne! So the education you receive now is the same as your brother's. Study hard, and when you become capable in the future, I will grant you this place, along with your mother. This is the home I looked for for myself when I was a prince!" Qiuqiu pointed to a large island on the map!