On the same day, in the afternoon, the imperial carriage slowly arrived at the gate of the Academy of Great Learning. This time's journey was accompanied by a full array of guards and was much more solemn than the emperor's previous trips within Luoyang City.
At this time, it was winter. Cao Ruichen learned from Zhong Yu that Zhong Yao, the Lord Zhong, had worsened and found it difficult to walk. Even if the emperor personally visited the Academy of Great Learning, Zhong Yao would not be able to come.
Indeed, it was impossible. A few days before the Grand Audience, the emperor appointed the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister could not fail to appear. After special permission from the emperor, Lord Zhong went to court in a sedan chair.
Since Lord Zhong could not come, it was only Zheng Cheng and the two Doctors Gao Tanglong who stood at the gate of the Academy of Great Learning to welcome the emperor.
Zheng Cheng was the nephew of 'Zong Sheng' Zheng Xuan, who had fully accepted the essence of all Zheng School and was considered the face of the current Academy of Great Learning.
Gao Tanglong was a descendant of the Han Dynasty scholar Gao Tangsheng. In the third year of Huangchu, he was appointed as the tutor for Prince Pingyuan by Cao Pi, just like Zheng Cheng, he had the favor of teaching the emperor.
Zheng Cheng was a very traditional Confucian scholar, who dedicated half of his life to studying, interpreting, and teaching classics. Therefore, he was sent by Emperor Cao Rui to oversee the teaching at the Academy of Great Learning. Although Gao Tanglong was also skilled in classical studies, he was quite adept at mundane affairs, so he now manages the day-to-day operations of the academy.
In fact, a few months ago, when Emperor Cao Rui asked Zheng Cheng and Gao Tanglong for their opinions, Gao Tanglong had expressed his desire to take up official duties outside. However, he was retained by Emperor Cao Rui due to the importance of the Academy of Great Learning.
After all, the Academy of Great Learning is the most crucial component of Emperor Cao Rui's plan to cultivate talents.
After stepping down from the carriage, Emperor Cao Rui saw Zheng Cheng and Gao Tanglong both paying their respects. One had served as the tutor to the Marquis of Wude, while the other had been the tutor to the Marquis of Pingyuan. Emperor Cao Rui quickly gestured for both to rise.
Zheng Cheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have heard that You will soon embark on a southern tour in the Academy of Great Learning. It is indeed a fortunate event for the Academy to have You visit today."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "I came to the Academy of Great Learning today precisely because I will soon go on a southern tour."
"Professor Zheng and Professor Gao Tang have been at the Academy for three months now, haven't they? How is the situation at the Academy now?"
Zheng Cheng combed his long beard and smiled, saying, "There have been quite a few changes at the Academy recently. I will give an overview first, and then let Professor Gao Tang continue."
Cao Rui nodded. As Zheng Cheng led the emperor inside, he said, "His Majesty once mentioned that he would like to unify the teaching. Previously, the teaching at the Academy was conducted by different instructors who gave their own lectures. The students listened according to their needs, which was rather loose."
"I have followed Your Majesty's guidance and, for the five hundred new students this term, conducted a unified examination of their academic levels and divided them into three tiers based on their learning progress: Level One, Level Two, and Level Three."
"The Level One students number about fifty, most of whom have read the Five Classics extensively. However, due to a lack of distinguished teachers in the past, they have some deviations in understanding the classics. Level One is the most advanced tier."
"The Level Two students number about three hundred, at least familiar with two to three volumes of the Five Classics. For these students, the most important thing is to fill in the gaps in their learning. If they manage to master all of the classics, they can be promoted to the Level One."
"The Level Three students number about one hundred and fifty. They still require some basic instruction. It will take approximately two to three years for a Level Three student to advance to the Level Two."
Actually, Zheng Cheng was quite implicit in his words. When the emperor suddenly ordered the Academy to recruit students, what could the Academy do? Naturally, they had to bite the bullet and proceed with the recruitment.
Level One are the cream of the crop, Level Two are average students, while Level Three are filled with various contacts who shouldn't be admitted to the Academy of Great Learning.
Well, the Academy of Great Learning is also part of the court, and it's necessary to consider political matters as well!
Cao Rui nodded, saying, "Having fifty students enter the Level One is already quite good. It's important to select and cultivate talents. The journey ahead is long and arduous."
Gao Tanglong was about to speak up and report on the construction of the academy's dormitories when he was interrupted with a smile by Cao Rui, "I have seen it all. The stone sutras along the road, as well as the buildings of this academy, are done well by Professor Gao Tang. I have seen them with my own eyes."
Gao Tanglong's words were forcibly interrupted, but seeing the emperor's praise, he felt that all his efforts over the past few months had not been in vain.
The Academy of Great Learning was vast, with numerous halls and classrooms. As they walked, Cao Rui, without much thought, asked a question to Zheng Cheng: "Professor Zheng, the disciple you recruited from Liang State named Jiang Wei? How is he?"
The student from Liang State mentioned by Zheng Cheng was the recently-recruited Jiang Wei, also known as Jiang BoYue, who had just been taken as a disciple a few days ago.
Zheng Cheng saw that the emperor had mentioned Jiang Wei and thus bowed and answered, "Your Majesty, Jiang Wei is indeed a talent. Before accepting him as a disciple, I had intended to carefully examine him. However, after getting to know him, I found his outstanding qualities to be self-evident, much like a needle in a sack."
"Oh?" Cao Rui was surprised to hear Zheng Cheng's high praise of Jiang Wei.
Cao Rui thought for a moment. In his Eastern Palace days and at the Marquis of Wude's mansion, he had never heard Zheng Cheng praise him in such a way.
Of course, there is no jealousy. Why would a emperor envy a minister? They are all being used for their own purposes. Cao Rui was just very curious, as he had made many plans regarding the affairs of Liang State, and now he had harvested a fruit.
Cao Rui then asked, "What makes Jiang Wei so outstanding? Tell me about it."
The relationship between a teacher and a student is mutual. A distinguished teacher receives a high-quality student and feels that there will be successors to continue the tradition and expand the school. Similarly, a student who becomes a disciple of a famous teacher will also believe that their prospects are promising and will strive to climb higher.
That is the case. There are always two sides to every thing.
Zheng Cheng, seeing the emperor inquire about Jiang Wei, smiled and said, "Your Majesty, if I were to summarize the characteristics of Jiang Wei, I could encapsulate them in the word 'pragmatism'."
Cao Rui remained silent, nodding to indicate that Zheng Cheng should continue speaking.
Zheng Cheng said, "Compared to the other students of the same age, Jiang Wei is older when he entered the Academy. When he joined the Academy, he was already 24 years old. Unlike many students, Jiang Wei does not value vanity and has a practical nature from birth."
"I have also asked other instructors and heard the students' idle talk and leisure activities, even discussions of people's characters and family backgrounds. Jiang Wei never participates in these activities, nor does he boast about his talents to his classmates."
"Jiang Wei had served in the state government before, and while studying the classics, he often compared the principles of the texts to the practical handling of mundane affairs."
Cao Rui, upon hearing this, thought that this was probably referring to the integration of theory and practice. Moreover, not being swayed by small matters is a quality for doing great things.
Zheng Cheng continued, "The most surprising thing about Jiang Wei to me is that he not only understands the classics but is also willing to learn other knowledge. Whether it's law, arithmetic, prophecies, or celestial phenomena, as long as there is an instructor teaching a course on these subjects, Jiang Wei is sure to attend."
"I asked him a few days ago in detail, and it's true that Jiang Wei has gained a lot of knowledge from listening to so many lectures. This is what truly impressed me."
Cao Rui understood that Zheng Cheng was emphasizing Jiang Wei's ability to learn multiple subjects and absorb the essence of various theories outside of classical studies.
Cao Rui asked, "Professor Zheng, why are you so surprised? Is it because you are impressed by his wide range of knowledge?"
Zheng Cheng slightly shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, do you know what is called Zheng Studies? Zheng Studies are not just about learning the classics, but also about other practical and applicable subjects."
"During Kang Cheng's time of study, he mastered the Five Classics at the age of thirteen and the classics and omen interpretations by the age of sixteen. In other words, by the time Kang Cheng was sixteen, he had completed much of the classical learning that many would spend their entire lives studying."
Kang Cheng Gong refers to Zheng Xuan, known as the 'God of Classics.' The name Kang Cheng is a courtesy name for Zheng Xuan.
Zheng Cheng continued, "Kang Cheng came to the fifth master Yuanshi, not only learned the modern text of the 'King's Dictionary' and 'The Spring and Autumn of the Goat,' but also studied 'The Three Reign Chronology' and 'The Nine Chapters on Computation.'"
"And later, Kang Cheng mastered the classics of the ancient texts, including 'The Spring and Autumn Annals of Zuo,' 'The Poetry of Han Han,' and 'The Book of Ancient Scriptures.' In addition to this, Kang Cheng also learned about 'The Regulations' from Chen Qiu."
"It can be said that Kang Cheng's scholarship goes far beyond the simple term 'classics.' It is mainly centered around classics but extends to fields such as chronology, arithmetic, omen interpretations, and regulations, making him a scholar who is fully versed in a wide range of knowledge."
"I see similarities between Jiang Wei's character and Kang Cheng's scholarship, which is why I find it surprising."
The brainwiring of emperors and their ministers often differ. Cao Rui now has an instinctive sensitivity to names and relationships. When Zheng Cheng introduced Kang Cheng, he mentioned a figure named Chen Qiu, whose name is too memorable.
Cao Rui did not respond to Zheng Cheng's words but instead turned around to look at Liu Ye, who was following behind: "Minister, this person Chen Qiu, it sounds familiar to my ears. Could it be the Chen Qiu from Xia Pi?"
Liu Ye, who was also very good at studying people, quickly responded: "Your Majesty, it is indeed Chen Qiu from Xiao Pi. Chen Qiu's uncle is Chen Gan, and Chen Gan's son is Chen Deng."
Cao Rui then asked: "In which year did Chen Deng die?"
Liu Ye thought for a moment and said, "Chen Deng probably died around the tenth year of the Jian'an era, but I'm not very clear on the exact date. However, I've heard from someone that Chen Deng loved to eat fresh fish sliced raw, and his death might have been related to this."
"This historical event, Your Majesty does know about it. Eating raw fish can lead to parasites."
Liu Ye then added, "Your Majesty, Chen Jiao also served as Chen Deng's official."
Cao Rui was rather surprised and directly threw the question back to Liu Ye: "Minister Liu, did you serve as Chen Deng's assistant? When did that happen?"
Liu Ye answered, "It was likely during Chen Deng's time in Guangling."
Cao Rui nodded, not pursuing the matter further. Naturally, there is a lot of clique-building in the imperial court, and many officials have strong opposing factions.
Chen Jiao and Liu Ye are like this, so when Cao Rui arranged the shifts for the ministers, he divided Liu Ye with Huang Quan, and Xin Bi with Chen Jiao into separate groups. It is obvious that Liu Ye did not miss the chance to cause trouble for Chen Jiao.
Cao Rui turned around, and Zheng Cheng continued the topic just then: "I have a question, Your Majesty, how did you discover Jiang Wei's talents and recruit him specifically for the teacher?"
The real reason Cao Rui couldn't disclose, and he also didn't want to lie to the great scholar Zheng Cheng. Therefore, he had to choose to divert the conversation.
Cao Rui said, "I heard about it from others as well. Since the region of Long Right was the last to submit, I wanted to use your name as a great scholar to recruit a disciple from Liang State to win over the hearts of the local great clans."
Zheng Cheng also knew when to be discreet and did not continue asking. Instead, he smiled and said, "Finding a good disciple is not easy, Your Majesty. Thank you for your help."
(Chapter Complete)
