On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Zichen Palace.

The morning light of deep winter shines through the towering glazed window lattices, onto the cold golden brick floor, illuminating the civil and military officials standing solemnly in the hall.

The charcoal brazier dispelled the chill, but it could not dispel the solemnity and depression in the air.

Empress Murong Yan sat high on the Nine Dragon Golden Chair, wearing a phoenix crown and a red robe, with a dignified demeanor, and her calm gaze swept over the prince and his ministers.

Lin Zhen was wearing a black dragon-patterned uniform and sitting at the first seat on the left side of the imperial steps. His deep eyes were calm and peaceful, like a deep pool or an ancient well.

Today's court meeting will determine the future direction of the empire.

The chief eunuch, holding a bright yellow scroll, announced the decree in a loud voice: "By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The study of things, the study of the principles of heaven and earth, brings all things into play. During the snowstorm in the northern border, the iron dragon broke the ice, the radio waves reached the gods, saving the people and deterring the invaders, with outstanding achievements. To consolidate the foundation of the country, strengthen the foundation of the nation, and improve the people's livelihood, the new policy of studying things and revitalizing the country is hereby promulgated. It is announced to the whole world and implemented as a whole."

After the imperial edict was read, there was a dead silence in the hall.

The ministers had different expressions, some were excited, some were solemn, some were doubtful, and some were shocked.

Lin Zhen slowly rose, his dark cloak fluttering in the wind. He walked into the hall, his voice steady and powerful, piercing the silence: "Your Majesty is wise. The power of studying things is not a rare skill, but the foundation of a strong nation and a rich people. The new policy strategy focuses on the four key points."

"First, promote the study of things. Establish a department of studying things in the Imperial College and the Academy of Studying Things, teaching physics, mathematics, chemistry, and mechanics. Establish academies of studying things in prefectures and cities, recruit famous teachers, and cultivate talented people. Add a department of studying things to the imperial examinations, and select those who are well-versed in studying things and have a passion for practical learning to enter the government."

"Second, build the foundation for the study of things. The Ministry of Works, the Bureau of Thunder and Fire, and the Institute of Study will survey and plan a steam railway line from the capital to the northern border, prioritizing the section between the capital and Yanmen Pass. Build a telegraph line from the capital to the northern border, connecting various prefectures and border towns. Promote steam machinery in mining, grain transport, textiles, agriculture, and other industries to improve work efficiency."

"Third, gather the wealth from the study of things. The Ministry of Revenue will set up a special treasury for the study of things to revitalize the country, with funds allocated from the internal treasury and guaranteed by the national treasury. Merchants and wealthy families will be allowed to invest in railways, telegraphs, factories and mines, sharing the profits and risks. Huitonghao will take the lead in issuing bonds for the study of things to raise private capital to supplement national expenditures."

"Fourth, establish a system for studying things. The Ministry of Personnel revised the "Regulations on the Performance Evaluation of Officials" to include specific achievements in benefiting the people. The Ministry of Justice formulated the "Law on Patents for Studying Things" to protect inventions and creations. The Ministry of Rites compiled the "Enlightenment of Studying Things" and issued it to prefecture and county schools to enlighten the people and promote good conduct."

As soon as Lin Zhen finished speaking, you could hear a pin drop in the hall.

The new policy strategy goes straight to the core, is grand in scope and subverts tradition.

Its profound impact and wide-ranging reach far exceeded the expectations of the ministers.

After a brief silence, the hall suddenly began to boil, like a deep pool into which a huge rock had been thrown.

"Your Majesty! I have a memorial to make!" Zhou Zheng, the Minister of Rites, with white hair and beard, stepped out tremblingly, holding a jade tablet in his hand. His voice was old but filled with unquestionable indignation.

"The study of things, strange and frivolous techniques, and trivial skills have always been despised by gentlemen! Now, the establishment of imperial examinations and the expansion of schools are shaking the foundation of the imperial examination system and attacking the orthodox Confucian tradition. This is the source of national disaster! If this continues, scholars will abandon the books of the sages and pursue tricks and techniques. The moral principles will be abandoned, rituals and music will collapse, and the country will no longer be a country!"

"Master Zhou, this is wrong!" Li Chong, the Minister of Works, immediately stepped forward to refute him in a loud voice.

"During the snowstorm in the northern border, if it weren't for the iron dragons breaking the ice and transporting food, and the instantaneous radio communication, a hundred thousand victims would have long since turned to ashes! If it weren't for the shockwaves of the Burning Sky Thunder, the Rouran cavalry would have already broken through the border! This is truly a feat, and how can it be described as a gimmick? Studying the nature of things, seeking knowledge through investigation, strengthening the nation and enriching the people, is the true practice of the holy way!"

"Minister Li!" Imperial Censor Wang Jian followed closely behind, his voice sharp.

"The power of the study of things has its merits. However, the imperial examination system is the foundation of the nation, and Confucianism is the orthodox doctrine. Adding the study of things will place the skills of craftsmen on par with the teachings of sages, confusing the noble and the humble, reversing the hierarchy. This will undermine the foundation of the nation! Establishing numerous schools for the study of things will cost a fortune, compete with the people for profit, and even more worryingly, the good and the bad will be mixed, breeding trouble!"

"What Censor Wang said is alarmist." The new Minister of Revenue, Zhang Heng, stepped out calmly.

"The study of things is not meant to replace Confucianism, but rather to complement it. Confucianism cultivates the body, regulates the family, and governs the state, while the study of things leads to knowledge and strengthens the nation. If the nation is not strong, how can the orthodoxy be protected? If the people are not prosperous, how can rituals and music be promoted? As for consumption,"

He glanced at Wang Jian. "Without the Iron Dragon, the disaster relief efforts in the northern border would have required the conscription of hundreds of thousands of civilians, a massive waste of food, and months of effort, resulting in countless casualties. Without the telegram, the opportunity to fight would have been missed, the Rouran would have invaded, and countless lives would have been lost. Has Censor Wang carefully calculated the gains and losses here?"

"Minister Zhang!" Minister of War Zhao Wu's voice was like a bell. "Warfare is a matter of great importance to a nation. By studying the power of nature, we can cast incinerating thunderbolts to defend against foreign aggression, forge iron dragons to transport supplies, and dispatch telegrams to mobilize troops. This is the foundation of a strong army and a nation, and we must not slander it! Lord Zhou and Imperial Censor Wang, wouldn't you like to see the soldiers at the border still wielding swords, spears, bows, and arrows, using their flesh and blood to resist the enemy's cavalry and firearms?"

"Minister Zhao!" Zhou Zheng glared at him. "What a specious argument! The power of investigating things is ultimately foreign! The foundation of governing a country lies in the hearts of the people, in education, in propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame! If everyone pursues profit and forgets righteousness, and values ​​weapons over virtue, even if we have strong ships and powerful guns, we will still be no more than a barbarian nation!"

"Lord Zhou!" Lu Wenyuan, the head scholar of the Hanlin Academy, stepped forward and spoke in a clear voice. "I believe that the study of things, far from contradicting the sage way, is actually a new chapter in the sage way! The Great Learning says: 'To acquire knowledge, one must investigate things.' To acquire knowledge through investigating things, one must be sincere and upright in mind, cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. Investigating things is the beginning of self-cultivation and the foundation of governing the country! Today, the study of things, which investigates the principles of heaven and earth and all things, is used to enrich the country and strengthen the military. It is precisely the promotion of the sage way! How can we cling to the old ways and cling to the old ways?"

"Master Lu!" Wang Jian shouted sternly, "You're using sweet words and deceptive language to confuse the audience! To study things and attain knowledge is to study what's within you, not what's outside of you! You're misrepresenting the sacred words!"

"Censor Wang!" Chu Xiling's cold voice rang out. She was dressed in an indigo official robe and walked into the hall, her gaze calm and unwavering. "To study things and attain knowledge, the study of things comes first. Without the study of things, how can one attain knowledge? The steam engine in the Institute of Study of Things studied the interaction of water and fire, leading to the knowledge of how machines can be driven. The telegraph machine studied the interaction of electricity and magnetism, leading to the knowledge of instantaneous communication. This knowledge is not illusory, but real learning. This learning is not external, but internal cultivation. The power of studying things is used to practice benevolent governance and protect the people, but this is not great virtue. The study of studying things enlightens the people, unleashes their strength, enriches the country and strengthens the military, but this is not the great way."

Chu Xiling spoke few words, but each one was clear, logical, and to the point. A momentary silence fell within the hall. Zhou Zheng and Wang Jian's faces flushed, and they were momentarily speechless.

Empress Murong Yan's gaze was calm as she swept across the arguing ministers, finally landing on Lin Zhen. "My husband, the new policy is costly and involves many people. Your concerns are justified. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Lin Zhen slowly rose, his dark cape sweeping a sharp arc behind him. His gaze swept across every face in the hall, his voice deep and powerful, "The benefits of the new policies are clearly demonstrated by the snowstorm in the northern border. The power of the study of things is not to shake the orthodoxy, but to protect it and promote rituals and music. However, your concerns are not without reason."

He then changed the subject: "Therefore, the implementation of the new policy should be carried out in a two-pronged approach, using both kindness and force."

"First, a new subject, the Gewu (Gewu) examination, will be added to the imperial examination system. This special subject will be established before the Imperial College and the Gewu Academy. This will select talented young men from the military, the Ministry of Works, and the government, and teach them practical knowledge and short-term training to meet urgent needs. At the same time, strict regulations will be established for the Gewu subject to select those who are knowledgeable about principles and have a strong desire for practical learning, as a long-term strategy. Prefectural Gewu academies will be piloted in major cities first, selecting talented individuals to teach there. Once results are evident, they will be expanded."

"Secondly, in the railway, telegraph, industrial, and mining industries, merchants and wealthy families will be allowed to invest and share in the profits. The Huitong Bank will issue bonds to raise private capital to supplement state expenditures. Where there is profit, people will naturally follow."

"Third, the Ministry of Personnel revised its performance appraisal system and added a list of achievements in studying things and benefiting the people. The Ministry of Justice formulated the Patent Law to protect inventions. The Ministry of Rites compiled the Enlightenment Law to enlighten the people. This is to establish a system to consolidate the foundation."

"Fourth," Lin Zhen's voice turned cold, his eyes like lightning as he swept over Zhou Zheng and Wang Jian, "The New Deal is the national policy. To hinder the New Deal is to hinder benevolent governance and righteousness. Anyone who pretends to obey but secretly disobeys, incites public opinion, and obstructs the New Deal will be regarded as treason and will be severely punished."

The last four words were as resounding as ice. The temperature in the hall plummeted. Zhou Zheng and Wang Jian's faces paled, their bodies trembling slightly.

"Your Majesty!" Mao Mengji, dressed in black armor, strode out of the ranks. His skinny face was covered with scars, and his voice was hoarse.

"I second the motion! The soldiers of the Northern Frontier have witnessed with their own eyes the iron dragons transporting food, telegraphs relaying messages, and the sky-burning thunders deterring the enemy! These are the weapons that protect our nation! To hinder the pursuit of truth would be to sever the soldiers' lives and undermine the foundation of our nation! I am willing to be the vanguard and clear the way for the new policy!"

He put his hand on the hilt of the knife, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes.

"I second the motion!" Li Chong, Zhang Heng, Zhao Wu, Lu Wenyuan and other reformist ministers responded in unison.

"I second the motion." Some neutral ministers, changing their stance according to the situation, also bowed and expressed their views.

Zhou Zheng, Wang Jian and a few stubborn old ministers looked pale and their lips moved, but they dared not say anything.

Empress Murong Yan swept her gaze across the hall, her voice as calm as water. "I understand what you all are saying. Promoting the nation through the study of things is the general trend of the times and benefits both the nation and the people. This new policy is a foresighted and two-pronged approach, employing both kindness and authority, and serving the country with wisdom and wisdom."

Her voice rose, with undeniable authority:

"Order! The Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Thunder, and the Institute of Physical Science are to survey the main rail line from the capital to the northern border immediately, prioritizing the section between the Imperial Capital and Yanmen Pass. The Post and Telecommunications Department, the Ministry of War, and the Institute of Physical Science are to construct the main telegraph line from the Imperial Capital to the northern border immediately."

The Ministry of Revenue will immediately establish a special treasury for the "Study of Things and Revitalize the Nation," formulate regulations for merchants and aristocratic families to participate in the program, and issue "Study of Things" bonds. The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Rites will immediately revise relevant laws and regulations.

The Imperial College and the Academy of Gewu will begin opening special and special Gewu examinations today. Each prefecture will select important cities to pilot Gewu schools.

"This is national policy, announced to the world and implemented uniformly. Anyone who obstructs this new policy will be severely punished."

"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the palace.

Zhou Zheng, Wang Jian and others looked ashen and bowed dejectedly.