Chapter 245: Songyun College

Chapter 245: Songyun College

Meng Wan had undoubtedly put a lot of heart into Songyun College. According to the plan, the latter half of this year should be his busiest time.

Finding teachers for several colleges needed all sorts of skills, with the strict requirement that they must be women or xiaoge. This condition alone made it very difficult, forcing him to seek help from his teacher, Xiang Yun.

When Xiang Yun received Meng Wan's letter, she was at home painting ducks. Lord Lin came in from outside with a bag of buns and two letters. "Letters have arrived from both West Wu Prefecture and the capital of Shengjing. Which one do you want to read first?"

"No need to ask? What good news could come from Shengjing? Read Wan'er's first; his letters are far more interesting." Xiang Yun's brush did not stop, and a duck full of rustic charm appeared on the paper, more lively and playful than her earlier style. The mood of the painting reflected the painter's state of mind, showing the change in her mood after returning to her hometown with Lord Lin.

Lin Yi put the buns in the kitchen, then came out with the letters and a small wooden stool. Both he and Xiang Yun were old now; he slowly bent down to sit beside her, gently opened Meng Wan's letter, and first skimmed through it as usual.

Xiang Yun's duck was almost finished, but Lin Yi beside her was still silent. "What's wrong? Reading a letter has you lost in thought?" She turned to look at Lin Yi and saw tears glistening in his eyes—he hadn't cried, but he was close.

Xiang Yun was startled. Instead of comforting the old man, she snatched the letter and read it quickly.

After a while, the two stared at each other in silence, but her stomach spoke first with a couple of loud growls.

Lin Yi silently went inside and brought out the buns. The two sat across the stone table, eating buns while facing the letter.

"You say…"

After finishing one bun and feeling less hungry, Xiang Yun gathered her thoughts and said, "When I accepted Wan Geer as my disciple, his talent wasn't the best, but his painting style was novel, and he was beautiful and sensible. That's why I was moved. But now I'm really curious—what kind of things are going on in his head?"

Xiang Yun herself was rebellious enough, yet her last disciple was even more extraordinary. Renting land, planting sugarcane, harvesting lotus roots, making lotus root starch, running factories—several large factories—and now even building a college?

Lin Yi was also shocked after reading the letter. "Regardless, Wan Geer's Songyun College has all the favorable conditions: timing, location, and popular support. The feasibility is extremely high. If it succeeds, he will surely have a place in history."

Xiang Yun washed her hands, held the letter, and her fingertips trembled slightly, as if recalling her younger self.

"Wan'er says in the letter to ask us to help find teachers. For us old folks to be able to help him is a blessing."

Lin Yi stood up shakily. "I'll go write a letter inside."

Xiang Yun stopped him. "Your students are all lofty and pure-minded scholars. Where would you find female or xiaoge teachers? Let me write to Wan'er's senior brothers and my sisters in the capital. You go ask Yangzhou if there are any skilled embroiderers willing to go to Lingnan."

The elderly couple divided the work, and their once peaceful days suddenly became busy again.

—

At the Nie residence in Changping Prefecture—

Ever since receiving Song Tingzhou's letter, Mr. Nie felt an unquenchable fire burning in his heart, day and night eating away at him.

Jingxing said he wanted to overhaul the local prefectural and county schools in West Wu Prefecture, offering hope to the poor scholars there to pick up books.

Jingxing said reading enlightens the mind, and he wanted all the people of West Wu Prefecture to have access to books.

Jingxing said since the goal of county and prefectural schools is to select talent, the selection should be expanded across the whole prefecture—who knows if there might be promising talents deep in the mountains?

Jingxing said that building roads isn't just for commerce, but also to let talented scholars from the mountains break free from the ranges that imprison them.

Jingxing said—as a predecessor, he should pave a broad road for those who come after.

"Good. Since you are all prepared, you can depart soon. I have already found escorts for the journey, and all travel expenses, rice, flour, and grain provisions will be covered by my Nie family."

Mr. Nie was seeing people off in front of Kongmo Bookshop. Standing before him were people sent by the Song family, or scholars from the prefectural school who volunteered to go help in West Wu Prefecture. Among them, the least qualified were candidates for the imperial exams, and there were even two imperial candidates.

"Thank you, Mr. Nie, for your generous assistance. We students are deeply grateful." Everyone bowed in thanks.

Mr. Nie looked with emotion at these scholars, some worried, some passionate, and comforted them, "You don't need to thank me; this is all Lord Song's arrangement. Once you go, do not worry about trivial matters like accommodation. I only hope that you can do your utmost to teach the local students, so as not to fail Lord Song's trust."

Outside Kongmo Bookshop, the eyes of these thirty-two scholars grew brighter and brighter. They all bowed deeply to Mr. Nie and said in unison, "We will remember your teachings and will not fail Lord Song's expectations!"

The escorts from the escort agency led the way on horseback. One carriage after another passed before Mr. Nie, filling his heart with melancholy.

"If you want to go, then go. No need to sigh all day long at home." Nie's second husband approached, lightly fanning himself with an ivory fan.

Mr. Nie's expression was complicated. "I have indeed been wavering. You have lived in luxury since childhood, and coming with me to Changping Prefecture was already a hardship. Going to Lingnan..."

Nie's second husband shot him a glance. "When you persuade others, you speak quite well. Why do you become hesitant when it comes to yourself? Besides, Jingxing is your only disciple. It's been years since you've seen him, and it's good to see A Yan as well. If I really can't stand it, I can go to Yangzhou to see my—"

Mr. Nie was already wavering, and with his husband's persuasion, he had no more reservations. Thus, a few more carriages from the Nie family joined the north-to-south journey.

Far away in West Wu Prefecture, Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou did not yet know that their few letters had stirred so many people. They were still busy with the college construction.

The idea of a college exclusively for women and xiaoge sounded shocking. Except for He County, which unconditionally trusted Meng Wan, the construction in other counties faced doubts from the local populace.

In He County, thanks to the sugar workshop, the status of women and xiaoge had greatly improved. As soon as they heard Meng Wan was building a college specifically for women and xiaoge, even before knowing its purpose, they started hauling bricks, tiles, sand, and stone.

So when the six locations were building colleges simultaneously, He County was the first to finish its college.

Meng Wan stood before the giant stone-engraved sign reading "Songyun Academy." His heart surged like crashing waves, thumping in his chest. He couldn't tell if it was excitement or awe, but he felt his blood rushing.

He traced the small characters beside the giant stone: "Summer of the 30th year of Qisheng, August 20th, the first college for women and xiaoge in West Wu Prefecture, built by Meng Wan, the Prefect's husband, in He County."

Meng Wan traced his own name, his mouth lifting into a smile that stayed on his face. "Good. Remember to later engrave the names of Red Mountain and Red Mud villages, which provided great assistance, on the back."

Manager Liang, sent by Meng Wan to oversee construction, jotted it down on his notepad with a charcoal pencil. "Got it, boss."

The village headmen of Red Mountain and Red Mud villages, who had come along, were grinning from ear to ear. "You are too kind. We just threw in a few materials and some manpower." Even the county magistrate didn't have his name engraved on the stele, yet the two villages were getting recorded!

County Magistrate Wang, standing by, was indeed envious, but he didn't dare complain out loud because Song Tingzhou was grilling him and the county school teacher.

"Go in and have a good look at how Songyun College operates," Song Tingzhou said sternly.

Meng Wan's Songyun College was built on the city outskirts, in a spacious area. Once the ground was leveled, they built a tall, sturdy wall around it.

In front of the gate, besides the large stone stele, two rows of sugarcane were planted. Sugarcane had made He County rich; the locals would never forget it, and now planting sugarcane at every household's door became a trend.

The college gate was towering, with a security booth set up in front. Later, some women and xiaoge around forty years old would be hired to guard the gate.

Since Songyun College would have only women and xiaoge as students and teachers, safety measures had to be strengthened. Apart from gatekeepers, County Magistrate Wang would also send constables to patrol outside during the day.

The group entered the college. Along the walls, beautiful flowers and plants were planted. Directly ahead was a long row of buildings, with small gates on each side that could be opened during the day to pass through to the back.

Manager Liang introduced, "My Lords, Master, inside the front courtyard, there are five classrooms on each side for student instruction. The main hall in the center is called the Wisdom Hall, used as an office for the teachers."

The central hall was very large, with four doors front and back, also allowing passage to the rear courtyard.

They passed through the central hall and went to the back. Here, the layout was varied, with five courtyards built according to Meng Wan's requirements. The largest courtyard had a sign reading "Wisdom One: Arithmetic" hanging at the gate. This was also a required subject, but the requirements were not as strict as for the Wisdom Class; if someone really couldn't handle it, they could pick another subject.

The other four were labeled "Wisdom Two: Embroidery," "Wisdom Three: Weaving," "Wisdom Four: Cooking," and "Wisdom Five: Pharmacology."

After passing through these five Wisdom School courtyards, they came to the cafeteria, and at the very back was a long row of two-story dorms.

The dormitory conditions were modest: rooms hold six students each when full, furnished with desks, chairs, beds, and closets. Personal belongings and bed linens they had to bring themselves.

Each season, the college would issue two outfits per student, which Meng Wan ordered from the Yu family. They were coarse cotton short-sleeved shirts and pants, simple, and easy to move around in.

Great job, everyone, thanks for your hard work. Meng Wan bowed sincerely to everyone there.

Song Tingzhou watched from the side; who would dare accept his bow? Everyone hurriedly declined.

"Master Meng, you're flattering us. It's what we should do. If it weren't for you back then, our Hongshan Village wouldn't be what it is today. Oh, and that well outside the kitchen—the young men of Hongshan Village helped dig it. They want their younger siblings to study at the academy. Could you give our village a few more spots?"

The village head of Hongni Village shoved the other guy aside with his hip. "Master Meng, the children from our Hongni Village even came to plant flowers at the academy. Those wildflowers along the wall were all picked by them from the mountains. They're all hoping to get into the academy to study."

Professor Shan, following behind Song Tingzhou, was astounded. He had originally thought Meng Fulang building an academy was a ridiculous joke, but unexpectedly, Heshan County actually had people supporting it.

Song Tingzhou suddenly asked him, "Songyun Academy has the support of the people. What about the prefectural school under your charge? The academy in Heshan County is already preparing to welcome new students, but the renovation of the county school is still half unfinished. Is this how you report to me?"

Scolded by his superior for no reason, cold sweat instantly soaked Professor Shan's back. "Lord, please calm down, sir. The county school renovation is mostly done, but the county school's area is much larger than Songyun Academy..." The words he wanted to use to defend himself faded silently under Song Tingzhou's increasingly dark gaze.

"If you lack ability, you should look for the cause within yourself. How can you make excuses? Since we've finished touring Songyun Academy, why don't you hurry to the county school to see if there are any deficiencies?" Song Tingzhou scolded Professor Shan in displeasure.

After he said this, not only Professor Shan was flustered—even Magistrate Wang and the Instructor were trembling.

The county schools and prefectural school of XiWu Prefecture were to undergo a complete renovation. In addition to the existing schools, a large new academy would be built to accommodate ordinary students without scholarly titles.

All expenses for their studies would be borne by the government, of course, only for three years. Within three years, if one passed the child student (tongsheng) examination, they could enter the newly built child student academy within the county school, again funded by the government for another three years. Only after three years, when one passed the scholar (xiucai) examination, would they be genuinely recognized by the court as a scholar, leaving the status of ordinary farmer.

Moreover, if an outstanding student from a private school outside the county school passed the scholar examination, they could also receive substantial rewards from the government.

Among all scholars in XiWu Prefecture, those ranked in the top hundred would have their travel expenses for the imperial examinations fully covered by the government. If one passed the provincial examination (juren), regardless of ranking, the government would cover their travel expenses for the capital examination.

This was the best Song Tingzhou could do with his current power.

"It's been a long time since I've been back to Heshan. I need to go to the sugar workshop and also give instructions at the lotus root workshop." After dismissing the others, Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou strolled leisurely along the streets.

The bumpy roads of Heshan County seemed to bear witness to the city's transformation. The streets were bustling, with many new shops that Meng Wan had never seen before.

Song Tingzhou held Meng Wan's hand with one hand and held an umbrella with the other to shield them from the dazzling sun. "I'll go with you."

Meng Wan fanned himself leisurely with a round fan. "Aren't you going to check on the county school?"

Song Tingzhou unconsciously let out a cold aura when he thought of those dense subordinates. "It's not too late to go later."

"Husband, look at that shop!" Meng Wan tugged his hand, making Song Tingzhou's expression instantly soften. "I'll go take a look. Wait here."

There seemed to be a very small shop open by the roadside ahead, but people were coming and going nonstop. Song Tingzhou was a familiar face in Heshan, and someone recognized him.

"It's Lord Song!"

"Lord Song is back!"

"Lord Song, are you also here to buy stone flower jelly? You can cut to the front of the line."

Song Tingzhou smiled at the crowd. "Don't mind me, you go ahead with your orders."

Although he said that, seeing he refused to cut in line, those at the front of the queue all moved back behind him and re-queued.

Song Tingzhou helplessly walked to the front. The stall owner was not a local, but hearing others call him Lord Song, he also called out, "Lord Song, how many bowls of stone flower jelly would you like?"

Song Tingzhou held up two fingers. After making the "two" gesture, the stall owner skillfully started making the stone flower jelly.

Song Tingzhou watched as he scooped the amber-colored, cool substance into two empty bowls, then added half a bowl of diced peaches, lychees, and oranges, followed by two spoonfuls of ice-cold sugary water that had been chilled in the well. Two bowls of stone flower jelly were done.

"How much?" Song Tingzhou asked, taking out his purse.

The vendor waved his hands repeatedly. "No need for money, Lord, just take it—it's on the house."

The people behind chimed in, "Lord, just take them—we'll cover it."

Song Tingzhou frowned slightly. "Thank you all for your kindness, but there's really no need."

He had never eaten stone flower jelly before and didn't know what it was made of. He grabbed a small handful of copper coins and set them on the table, then picked up the two bowls of cold treats and left.

The vendor called out frantically behind him, "Lord, you've paid too much."

"It's fine. It's not easy for you to travel far from home to do business. Keep it. Heshan is a good place; I hope it can welcome visitors from afar." Song Tingzhou could tell from the vendor's accent that he was not from XiWu Prefecture, guessing he was from elsewhere and had brought stone flower jelly to sell in Heshan County. He couldn't help feeling pleased.

The bowls still had to be returned to the vendor—keeping them was pointless. Meng Wan happily took the stone flower jelly from him, and the two stood by the street and ate. "What is this? Cold jelly stuff?" He eagerly picked up a spoon and took a bite. It was icy cold. "No, it's not like that—it's crispier than cold jelly. Really delicious. You try it." Song Tingzhou also scooped a spoonful and tasted it. It was sweet and crisp, really something special. "Not bad at all."