Zhu Youjian stood on the wooden podium, propped up the lectern with both hands, and observed with great interest the students who were immersed in the questions below. Except for the clothes they wore, these children were no different from the schoolchildren of later generations.

Maybe it's different, but it seems that these children are more quiet and disciplined. Zhu Youzhen liked the scene in front of him very much, just like a farmer looking at the crops he planted.

He didn't look long before he noticed that one of the students below had just scribbled for a while, then he put down the pencil in his hand and sat down quietly.

Zhu Youzhen pretended to be casual and walked over slowly, stopped in front of this student, and asked casually, "Why don't you count?" Do you think it's too hard? ”

Zhang Yucheng, who has experienced many things, didn't want to be noticed by this seemingly noble young man. Therefore, after finishing the question, he just looked down at his calculation draft and did not raise his hand to report.

But since he had been discovered by the young nobleman, he had to say softly: "No, I have already calculated it." ”

Zhu Youzhen didn't say anything, but took out the calculation draft from the student's desk. His problem is not difficult for later generations, because later generations of students will know the story of the mathematician Gauss when he was a child.

However, for the people of this era, the calculation method used by Gauss is not yet known, or it is not widely spread.

Zhu Youzhen didn't think at first that someone would be able to think of the method used by Gauss, until he saw the concise calculation draft in front of him.

"How did you come up with the idea of doing the calculations this way?" Zhu Youzhen looked at the clear 5050 answer at the end of the simple column, and couldn't help but ask curiously.

Zhang Yucheng was entangled for a while, and then said with some shame: "Paper is very expensive." ”

Zhu You was stunned, this answer was a little unexpected to him. He put down the calculation draft in his hand, patted Zhang Yucheng lightly on the shoulder, and did not continue to ask.

It took almost a lesson, and the other students came up with the answer. After reading everyone's answers, Zhu Youzhen praised these students without hesitation, and at the same time praised Zhang Yucheng's unique calculation method, and asked him to come forward to explain his own method of doing problems to the students.

After Zhang Yucheng went down, Zhu Youzhen re-stepped onto the podium. He thought about it, then took the chalk and wrote a few words on the side of the blackboard, knowledge changes fate.

When he was done, he turned to the curious students below and asked, "Can you read these words?" ”

After seeing the students below nodding yes, Zhu Youzhen pointed to these words and continued: "Although you know these words, you may not understand what they mean. Or they understand the meaning, but they may not be able to believe it.

And what I want to tell you is that your life is in your own hands now, and if you can put this in your head, then it will definitely pay off in the future..."

Zhu Youzhen Shinto painted a bright future for these students, and ordered the outside entourage to bring the prizes. Every student was rewarded, Zhang Yucheng received a set of geometric originals, and as for the other students, they also received some prizes such as exercise books and stationery.

Before leaving the school, Zhu Youzhen inadvertently said to the principal behind him: "The student named Zhang Yucheng in the first class seems to be quite talented in mathematics, you can try to cultivate it well, and if you have any problems, you can also report it." ”

"The minister must keep an eye on him for His Majesty, and please rest assured." The principal of the elementary school, who was over fifty years old, heard the emperor's order, and immediately responded to Chongzhen with a red face, as if he had received an amazing order.

Zhu Youzhen smiled and nodded to the principal, then turned around and got into the carriage parked in front of him, while Wang Chengen followed him into the carriage.

After the carriage ran a certain distance, Zhu Youzhen asked Wang Chengen: "Is the paper on the market very expensive recently?" Is there a shortage of paper in schools? ”

Wang Chengen's mind turned for a while before he replied to Chongzhen: "At the beginning of the year, there were only 120 or 30 primary schools in the capital, and the school enrolled only 5 or 6,000 students. In Gyeonggi counties combined, the number of students enrolled in the new elementary schools is only this number.

However, there are now more than 1,000 primary schools in the capital. Of course, most schools only have 1 or 20 students, and the number of teachers is insufficient. With only the first 40 public elementary schools named after numbers, and more than 30 private elementary schools renovated, it can barely be regarded as a school with complete teachers and teaching facilities.

As a result, there are now more than 40,000 elementary school students in the capital alone. Although the number of elementary schools in the counties around Gyeonggi is not as fast as that in Gyeongseong, the number of elementary schools in Gyeonggi counties is close to 20,000.

By order of His Majesty, every school must guarantee the free allocation of a certain amount of stationery and paper. With this money alone, nearly 70,000 yuan has been allocated this year.

Moreover, at the beginning of the year, there were only three or four newspapers and periodicals in the capital. But now, there are more than 1,000 newspapers and pamphlets in the capital. The paper used to print and distribute these publications alone has already exceeded the annual output of the Beijing paper mill last year.

The continuous expansion of schools inside and outside the capital, coupled with the fact that there are too many places where paper is now used, so the paper supplied to the school can only be evenly distributed by everyone first.

However, the minister has already asked the steward in charge of this matter in the palace, and now they have prepared two ways to solve the problem of insufficient paper.

One is to transport paper from the south to Beijing; The other is to rely on the timber transported from Liaodong to build a new paper workshop in Tianjin. According to their estimates, it is expected that there will be no such shortage of paper supply for these primary schools early next year. ”

After listening to Wang Chengen's explanation, Zhu Youzhen first nodded, and then said: "It's naturally good to have a solution, but it won't be solved until next year, and I think it's still a little inappropriate." In this way, another 30,000 yuan will be allocated from the palace for the cost of additional paper purchases, and then distributed to the schools as soon as possible. ”

Wang Chengen hesitated for a moment, and did not agree immediately, but said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, although the current implementation of the construction of primary schools is still in the name of foreign dynasties, most of the money spent on promoting primary school education is expenditure in the palace.

The more this school is built, the more it will be subsidized in the palace. Although there are still some family backgrounds in this inner treasury, they are all private money left by the first emperor to His Majesty, and now it is less than a penny.

Now there is still money left in the inner treasury, so His Majesty can act without taking into account the eyes of the civil officials of the foreign courts. But if all the money of the inner treasury is spent, those civil officials of the foreign dynasty may not think about it for His Majesty.

The old minister implored His Majesty, should you let the foreign court also contribute some money to subsidize the cost of the construction of the primary school? ”

Zhu Youzhen asked a little nervously: "Is there no money in the inner treasury?" How much money is left in the inner library now? Haven't the new workshops set up in the palace and overseas trade been profitable this year? Isn't the customs tax directly into the inner warehouse? ”

The emperor's series of questions made Wang Chengen almost out of breath, but he finally reacted and replied to Chongzhen: "There are still 1,927,500 taels of silver in the internal inventory, and it will not make Your Majesty short of expenses for the time being."

As for the new workshops set up in the palace and the overseas trade carried out, the profits were not small. But Your Majesty forgot, you didn't hand over the proceeds of these two pieces to the inner treasury at the beginning of the year, but let the governor set up a company to manage it. The profits of these two pieces must be voted by the company's shareholders before they can be distributed, so the inner treasury cannot be managed.

As for the customs revenue, it has increased by about 500,000 taels this month, plus the tax revenue from the previous balance of 400,000 taels, the total amount is about 90 thousand taels.

However, last time His Majesty said that the customs revenue would not be used for the time being, so the minister did not count this income in the accounts of the inner treasury. ”

"Oh." Zhu Youzhen finally breathed a sigh of relief, and it seemed that his wallet was not so bad.

He thought for a while, then said: "Then just let the Southern Customs allocate 50,000 taels, purchase paper locally, and transport it directly to the capital."

As for the money, only those who spend it are called silver, and those that remain in the cellar are only rubbles..."

When Chongzhen and Wang Chengen were talking in the carriage, Tian Wenming sat on an oil-walled cart pulled by a strong mule, and finally saw the tall and majestic Beijing City again.

It had only been half a year since he left the capital, but when he saw the walls of Beijing again, he felt as if he had been running around for half his life.

Just as he lifted the green cloth curtain and looked stupid, there were suddenly several coughs from the old man behind him.

Tian Wenming first felt a pain in his back, and then a woman's reprimand sounded in his ears, "Hey, my father's injury is not healed, are you opening the door curtain like this to hurt my father?" ”

Tian Wenming suddenly put down the green cloth curtain as if reflexively, turned his head with a smile on his face, and whispered to a woman in the carriage: "It's not like this, Yu just felt very happy when he saw the arrival of the capital, and he forgot for a while." Please also ask Mrs. Hong and Uncle Hong to forgive me. ”

The woman who was called Mrs. Hong was just a 17 or 8-year-old girl, although her face was pretty, but her expression was a little strong, which made people dare not look directly.

And the old man who was half-lying on the side of the car, with strips of cloth wrapped around his chest, gray hair, and closed his eyes, was Uncle Hong in Tian Wenming's mouth.

Hearing his daughter's conversation with Tian Wenming, he suddenly opened his eyes and reprimanded his daughter in a low voice: "What do you mean, who are you?" Both of you have kowtowed in front of Lao Tzu, this is your father-in-law. People say that you follow your father at home and your husband when you get married, are you so big and small, aren't you afraid of being kicked out by your in-laws? ”

"I'll lend him a gut, see how dare he..."The girl just glared back, then retreated in defeat under her father's glare, and muttered in a low voice: "Won't I pay attention next time?" ”

Tian Wenming looked at the girl's face, and after secretly wiping the sweat beads on her forehead, she carefully relieved the girl and said: "Uncle Hong doesn't have to be so harsh, anyway, we are not officially worshipping the church, and it doesn't hurt for Mrs. Hong to be casual in private." ”

Although the old man had just reprimanded his daughter, his tone was not very harsh, more like an admonition. But after listening to Tian Wenming's words, the old man suddenly became a little excited.

He straightened up violently, grabbed Tian Wenming's shirt with his hand, and said viciously: "In our countryside, kowtowing in front of the elders is considered to be married." Do you want to be ungrateful? Lao Tzu will go with you to see the official, and see if Master Bao doesn't take the dog's head and kill you Chen Shimei..."

The girl hurriedly grabbed her father's hand, stopped him and persuaded him: "Dad, Master Bao is long gone, that's from the Song Dynasty, don't talk nonsense." If he dares to deny his account, I will stab him with a knife and wipe my own neck, and I must not humiliate our family..."

Tian Wenming, who was dizzy under the constant shaking of the old man, listened to the dispute between the father and daughter, and felt that he might as well have been caught by the thieves at the beginning, and it was better not to be rescued by the father and daughter.