Chapter 236: The New School in Tianjin Prefecture

Chapter 236: The New Academy of Tianjin Prefecture

Azure Phoenix Lord did not stay for long and departed the same day.

He told a story, and Qiu Huanian listened attentively. Azure Phoenix Lord was a person of strong resolve and relentless drive—he needed neither pointless sympathy nor guidance. After revisiting the past, he would stride forward without hesitation.

Qiu Huanian watched his retreating figure quietly, thinking that one day, he would untangle the knots within himself.

In the seventh month of the first year of Emperor Zhaoxin’s reign, the newly constructed campus of the Tianjin Prefecture New Academy was completed, and the children from the Dujia Village clan school also arrived.

Though the Tianjin Prefecture New Academy borrowed the government’s name, most of its funding came from Qishu County Princess. Officially, it was established to cultivate specialized talents for maritime trade, unrelated to officialdom or scholarly honors—merely an "alternative path."

Thus, despite the uproar caused by its two rules—admitting students regardless of gender or background—the academy successfully opened under Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse’s insistence, with Emperor Zhaoxin’s support.

The academy was located at the border between Jixian County and Tianjin Prefecture’s capital, where a carriage ride took over an hour from the city.

Jixian County was Qiu Huanian’s fief. At the beginning of the year, she had set aside two hundred mu of land, purchasing it at a high price and relocating the original residents before construction began.

In Qiu Huanian’s plan, the academy consisted of three areas: the academic wing, recreational grounds, and dormitory zones.

The academic wing’s classrooms were all large rooms capable of accommodating nearly a hundred students, connected in rows with windows on both north and south sides for ample lighting—much like modern school classrooms.

Qiu Huanian hoped to educate as many children as possible in basic learning, so the academy’s classrooms were significantly larger than those of typical private schools or academies, allowing nearly a hundred students to attend a single lecture.

The dormitory zone was divided into three sections—separate accommodations for men, women, and male youths. Teachers who needed lodging stayed in their respective areas, each with a private room, while students shared rooms in groups of six, each provided with a single bed and a tall cabinet.

The recreational grounds housed various facilities: a dining hall, a library for borrowing books, a study hall filled with desks for self-learning, a beautifully landscaped garden, and an exercise yard for physical training.

At the start of the year, Qiu Huanian had handed the design blueprints to Jixian County Magistrate Jia Yinyuan, sending her cousins Bing Qi and Bing Ba to supervise the construction and expedite the process.

Initially, outsiders assumed Qishu County Princess was building a lavish retreat on her fief, thinking that after Qiu's Six Staples had earned so much wealth, she was finally indulging in extravagance.

But when the academy was completed and the overseas fleet returned, Qiu Huanian announced the academy’s enrollment, recruiting students from across Great Yu. Those who had believed she was constructing a lavish retreat were stunned.

Eleven children from the Dujia Village clan school arrived, led by fifteen-year-old Du Yunxiang, the eldest.

Du Yunxiang had an exceptional sense of direction and mapping skills, capable of sketching three-dimensional maps by hand—a talent that had deeply impressed Qiu Huanian years ago.

Two or three years later, Yunxiang had grown from a young boy into a polished young man, making significant progress in both literature and mathematics, with his mapping skills having improved further. Qiu Huanian believed that, if all went well, Yunxiang could join next year’s maritime fleet to chart sea routes.

At Jiu Jiu’s invitation, Wei Liuhua brought her entire family to Tianjin Prefecture. Youge was now nine, and his younger brother three. Wei Liuhua and Yunhu sold their land in Dujia Village for several dozen taels of silver and rented a home in the prefecture capital to settle down.

Among those from the Dujia Village clan school, one person had not been on the original list. When Qiu Huanian saw him, she was surprised.

"Yun Kang? Why are you here? Where are Auntie Qiuyan and Uncle Baoshan?"

Yun Kang was the same age as Chun Sheng—twelve years old now. Back in the village, he had been a playful child who spent his days playing rough with Chun Sheng. After years apart, he had grown into a polished young man.

Yun Kang had a talent for the Confucian classics, and Baoshan had placed all his hopes on this son, hoping he would pass the imperial examination, become an official, and bring glory to the family—so he could be the father of a scholar-official.

That Yun Kang had forsaken the conventional path of the imperial examination to attend the Tianjin Prefecture New Academy was entirely unexpected for Qiu Huanian.

Yun Kang shifted the cloth bag on his shoulder and pursed his lips. "I came on my own. Great Yu is evolving, and I want to learn the newest knowledge."

Qiu Huanian raised an eyebrow, surprised by Yun Kang’s words. Yun Kang had always been perceptive, adept at reading situations and making advantageous choices.

For a twelve-year-old to recognize that the new academy represented the future outshone the vision of many high-ranking, conservative officials.

Without Yun Kang saying it, Qiu Huanian knew how much opposition this decision had caused at home. Hu Qiuyan might have respected her son’s choice after failing to dissuade him, but Baoshan would never accept his son—meant to uphold the family’s honor—pursuing an unconventional path.

Qiu Huanian glanced at Yun Kang's worn cloth garments and the patched bundle at his feet, then patted his shoulder. "Since you've made your decision, stay and study hard. When you achieve something, the recognition you seek will naturally follow."

"Don’t worry about tuition. The new academy has arrangements for that."

Yun Kang’s mindset was a rarity in the current Yu Dynasty, where the imperial examination remained the sole sacred path to advancement in the eyes of most scholars.

Though the new academy was open to all, hardly any sons from affluent families already pursuing traditional studies came to enroll. This was within Qiu Huanian’s expectations, and he paid it little mind. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised by the number of women and young male servants with solid educational foundations who came to register.

Since women and young male servants were excluded from the imperial examination, they were the first to embrace the path of learning new knowledge.

Zhu Jingcheng’s younger brother, Zhu Jingwei, was sent by the family to Tianjin to assist his elder brother, bringing along their younger half-sister Zhu Xian.

Now that Zhu Jingcheng held an official post, Zhu Xian’s status had also risen. The Zhu family had originally been arranging a marriage for her, but now they believed better matches might arise later, so there was no rush. With the new academy opening in Tianjin, they decided to let Zhu Xian attend for a few years before making further plans.

The Tianjin New Academy was not only fomenting significant change but also quietly altering countless destinies.

While the Zhu siblings were looked after by their eldest brother, Shu Rutang and Wei Fuxia, who had accompanied them, were invited by Jiu Jiu to her residence.

Rutang was the daughter of an innkeeper couple from the Shu family. Wei Fuxia, originally named Zhu Xia, had been adopted by the sisters Huang Daniang and Huang Erniang after the Zhu family’s misfortune and took her adoptive mothers’ surname.

In Qiu Huanian’s memory, both girls had been little children, but now they had blossomed into elegant young ladies, their fair skin tinged with pink, brimming with youthful vitality.

Zhu Xian and Jiu Jiu had once clashed with Fuxia, but those were childhood spats long patched up. As the girls grew older and wiser, their bond naturally deepened upon reunion. Since their arrival, laughter and chatter never died down in Jiu Jiu’s quarters.

"What’s this skirt design? Only half a piece? Are we supposed to wear it bare-legged?" Rutang held up a large swath of fabric.

Today, the seamstresses had delivered the first samples of Jiu Jiu’s designs, and the girls gathered to examine them.

Jiu Jiu glanced over and picked up two more pieces. "These three are meant to be worn together. Who would go bare-legged in a skirt?"

Fuxia, sharp-tongued as ever, leaned in. "Who knows? Maybe our esteemed Miss Du will be the trailblazer!"

Jiu Jiu dropped the skirt and mock-tackled Fuxia, while Rutang, caught between giggles and groans, tried to mediate.

Finally, the most level-headed of them, Zhu Xian, cleared her throat and changed the subject. "Jiu Jiu’s skirts are all lovely, but I have some other thoughts—not necessarily right—so hear me out."

Jiu Jiu stopped chasing Fuxia and turned. "Go on, Sister Xian."

"Women from common families wear short jackets and trousers for ease of movement, with only a short outer skirt that doesn’t hinder work. But we’re stuck in bulky, floor-length skirts that make even walking difficult. If our skirts are slightly shorter, we’re called indecent, and riding means changing into riding gear."

As Zhu Xian spoke, the others pondered. The moment she finished, Rutang chimed in, "Right. We manage, but some of Sister Xian and Jiu Jiu’s clothes look exhausting."

Fuxia, ever blunt, said, "Easy—chop them shorter! Who’d dare complain to our faces?"

Jiu Jiu shook her head gently. "We can alter our clothes freely, but for many stuck in rigid, walled-off homes, that’s impossible."

"Sister Xian wants me to make practical clothing mainstream. Once it becomes fashionable, everyone will have it easier."

As she spoke, Jiu Jiu picked up a brush and began sketching. "You’re right. Besides beautiful clothes, we need truly functional ones—though practical doesn’t mean plain!"

Listening outside the window, Qiu Huanian signaled the servants to bring in refreshments—ice cream, shaved-ice desserts (sūshān), and fruit wines—to refresh the girls without disturbing them. He slipped away, smiling to himself.

Today marked the end of this year’s enrollment for the new academy. The first cohort totaled 324 students, with men accounting for just 30%.

More than half of the over three hundred students came from impoverished backgrounds and could not afford tuition. Qiu Huanian had already designed a part-time work-study program.

Students could take on part-time jobs in various workshops and shops around Ji County during their free time to support themselves. These job opportunities were all negotiated by the new school’s administration to maximize the students' benefits.

The new school was an unprecedented initiative. Before formal instruction began, Qiu Huanian planned to hold an opening ceremony. He and Du Yunse selected an auspicious date and submitted a memorial to the capital, receiving Emperor Zhaoxin’s approval.

To firmly establish the new school, Qiu Huanian put together Great Yu's ultimate dream team.

Liao Cang, the seventh-rank magistrate of Tianjin Prefecture, served as the actual administrator. Du Yunse, the third-rank prefect who had achieved the rare feat of topping all six imperial examinations, became the figurehead headmaster. The renowned scholar Wen Huiyang was appointed as a specially invited professor. Even Emperor Zhaoxin himself was bestowed with the title of "honorary advisor" by Qiu Huanian through countless flattering words.

With this lineup, no one would dare question Tianjin Prefecture’s new school anymore.

The auspicious date was set for the tenth day of the eighth month. As Qiu Huanian envisioned the ceremony’s proceedings, he hummed tunelessly—only to abruptly collide with Du Yunse at a corner.

"Ouch!" Qiu Huanian winced, rubbing his nose. "Did you do that on purpose?"

Du Yunse sighed and gently blew on the hurt spot. "What were you thinking about, Brother Hua? You weren’t paying attention."

Qiu Huanian grumbled before asking, "Why are you here at this hour? Is something the matter?"

"A secret letter just arrived from the capital," Du Yunse said. "His Majesty wishes to visit the new school on the day of the ceremony."