If you traveled back to ancient times, while others ate Guanyin clay, you would actually have giant

"What do you mean? What do you mean by Gaoli's number one beauty? What's it to me? Why send her here?"

Zhou Wu was speechless.

The emperor hadn't informed him of this beforehand; it was Qu Yongnian, an official under the crown prince, who told him.

"His Highness the Crown Prince specifically asked me to tell you this, so that you can be prepared."

Zhou Wu had worked with Qu Yongnian before, so the two were considered friends.

"What should I prepare? Should I build her a temple and enshrine her?"

Everyone likes beautiful women, but isn't the emperor a man? Why would a beautiful woman be sent to Zhou Wu? Without knowing the inside story, Zhou Wu was naturally annoyed.

"Hehe, Lord Zhou, that's the most beautiful woman in Gaoli. Others wouldn't even dream of having her, and you're already complaining?"

Qu Yongnian joked from the side that besides bringing this news to Zhou Wu, he had another mission when he came to the South China Sea.

"You came all this way just to tell me this?"

"This is just a side note. My main purpose in coming here is that the imperial court has now occupied Gaoli and Dazi, and the territory has increased dramatically. This is a good thing, but there is a shortage of officials and a huge shortage of skilled workers. Your Highness hopes that you can think of a solution."

"You make it sound so easy. Do you think I'm a god? The affairs of officials are my business?"

Zhou Wu cursed inwardly, wondering if the Crown Prince had lost his mind. Apart from His Majesty, which official would dare to interfere? Wasn't that courting death?

"You don't need to worry about the officials' affairs. The main issue is the skilled workers. Because of the huge shortage of skilled workers, the development of Dazi and Gaoli is progressing very slowly, which is seriously affecting productivity."

Qu Yongnian has been in the capital for many years, so he knows very well that, not to mention the poor and remote Gaoli, Dazi is a real treasure land with fertile grasslands. Even if grass is not planted, it is still fertile land for planting. However, the progress is very slow due to the lack of manpower and technology.

"Please, look at my island in the South China Sea, it's under construction everywhere, and I'm short-staffed too."

Although Zhou Wu kept complaining, he was already making plans in his mind.

Currently, Da Long is indeed facing a shortage of personnel everywhere, especially skilled talents. Moreover, Da Long will certainly not stop here, as it will expand to include more new territories in the future. It is indeed time to consider the issue of technical talent reserves.

"Lord Zhou, the Crown Prince has high hopes for you. You can't just abandon him."

Qu Yongnian knew that Zhou Wu must have a solution, but he also knew that Zhou Wu was indeed very busy, after all, he had to manage such a large island, so he could only appeal to his emotions and reason with him.

"Sigh, Da Long may face a shortage of skilled workers for a long time to come."

"Yes."

"Therefore, we can only consider the long term."

"Does Your Excellency have a solution?"

"I'm going to open a vocational school."

"A technical school?"

"Yes, it's about building a school that doesn't teach sages, but only skills."

"Sigh~~"

Qu Yongnian gasped. As expected of Zhou Wu, his mind was indeed sharp.

For thousands of years, schools have been places for teaching Confucian classics. How could such crude things as learning skills and crafts be associated with schools?

However, after careful consideration, Qu Yongnian realized that schools can provide centralized education and learning, and if this centralized teaching method is adopted, it can indeed provide a large number of skilled workers.

This method is indeed excellent, but Zhou Wu will inevitably be criticized by scholars and literati.

Because if he were to bring a place of teaching and nurturing people to teach these lowly crafts, it would certainly be seen as defiling a saint.

Aren't you afraid of being attacked by those intellectuals?

"Hmph, these pedantic scholars are useless at doing serious work, but they certainly won't give up any opportunity to gain fame and fortune."

"Then you return it?"

"If you're going to be hesitant and overthink everything you do, then you shouldn't do it at all. These people better not mess with me, or I'll take care of them one by one."

Zhou Wu is usually lazy and hates trouble, but if anyone offends him, he doesn't mind making them regret it.

. . . . .

Three days later, the Lord's Mansion of Nanhai City issued a notice announcing the establishment of a skills school in Nanhai City. The school is now openly recruiting skilled technical masters from various industries to serve as teachers and students, and will guarantee job placement after graduation.

This news immediately set off an uproar throughout the entire Great Dragon Empire.

Prince's Mansion.

"Zhou Wu really has a wild imagination, but I wonder if he can withstand the criticism from those scholars."

Although Li Junren asked Zhou Wu to find a solution to the labor shortage problem, Zhou Wu unexpectedly came up with a powerful solution.

If this vocational school is built, Da Long will no longer have to worry about the problem of finding skilled workers.

royal palace.

"Haha, as expected of Zhou Wu, youth is great, fearless."

Li Tiancheng was playing mahjong with the Emperor Emeritus. Since the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet, the relationship between the father and son had been gradually improving.

When the Emperor and the Retired Emperor heard that Zhou Wu wanted to build a school, they both praised Zhou Wu as a pioneer. Although it might cause them some trouble, it would be absolutely beneficial to the Great Dragon.

This has also sparked heated discussions among the general public.

"What exactly does this technical school of Lord Zhou teach?"

Many ordinary people have no idea what vocational schools are for.

"Isn't it already said that those who learn a technical skill will be guaranteed a job once they've mastered it?"

"What! Such a good thing?"

In Dalong, most ordinary people have been toiling in the fields for generations. If they want to improve their lives, they need to learn a trade so they can make a living in the city.

However, when it comes to learning a craft, masters don't just accept anyone. Besides giving gifts to the master, there's an unspoken rule: you have to sell yourself to the master. The money you earn before you graduate belongs to the master, and when you can graduate is entirely up to the master.

If you encounter a kind master, you can work for free for a few years at most. But if you encounter a ruthless master who always holds back, you'll never learn anything and will just be free labor.

Therefore, Zhou Wu's guaranteed job placement and two-year study period essentially opened up a new path for him.

However, while some are happy, others are sad, no, they are angry and hateful.

Zhou Wu's technical school offended almost all scholars.

In their view, schools are places for studying the classics, how could they teach these trades? It would be an insult to the sages.

"Zhou Wu's words are an insult to us scholars."

"That's right. Schools are such sacred places, how can they let these peasants into school and even teach them a trade?"

"No, we must protest and oppose this. We cannot let this happen, otherwise how will we face the sages in the afterlife?"

"Let's go and complain."

"Count me in."

"I'll go as well."

Scholars responded enthusiastically, wanting to file a complaint with the emperor.