Traveling through ancient times.

Chapter 174: Starting from Illiteracy

Everyone knows the importance of land. No one would sell their children or land unless they are left with no other options. So, how did the landlords and wealthy families hoard those large tracts of fertile land?

Of course, they would take advantage of natural disasters to cause trouble, and if there were no natural disasters, they would create disasters artificially...

At this moment, what really made Jiang Yizhou feel depressed was that among the large amount of information about famine refugees, there were also several local peasant armed uprisings.

She couldn't help but close her eyes and rubbed her temples.

If it was the previous emperors, or the peasant uprisings that I had read about in history books, they were basically caused by the officials forcing the people to rebel because the heavy taxes and levies were too heavy for the people to survive.

In recent years, Jiang Yizhou was clear that the first thing the new emperor did after ascending the throne was to reduce taxes.

On the one hand, it was naturally to appease the people. On the other hand, good varieties were gradually promoted and the yield per mu increased. Even if the tax rate was reduced, the amount of grain collected by the court would not be less.

But the reality is not optimistic.

Local clans controlled most of the land and almost all of the local finances.

On the one hand, they resisted the court's new taxes and plundered the peasants' land; on the other hand, they incited the landless peasants to attack the government.

These small-scale riots were quickly suppressed, and in this way, the local clans not only naturally turned the remaining people into their slaves and the land into their own, but also forced the local government to rely on them.

Therefore, for the local big families, it doesn’t matter who the emperor above them is and what policies the court issues. In the local area, they have the final say.

At this moment, the faint sadness that arose in Jiang Yizhou's heart was that those ordinary people who were instigated by the aristocratic families and used as cannon fodder were used as guns by others, eaten up by others, and finally no body was left.

How can we change this ignorance and short-sightedness?

Before, she thought of publishing a monthly report on the farm once a month to spread the news about what happened in the farm and other places, so that everyone can know what happened in the world.

But in fact, after these newspapers were published, they were still controlled by local clans and people who mastered writing.

Even if Jiang Yizhou invited someone to give lectures in the teahouse, ordinary people would not be able to enter the teahouse.

The final result is that people at the bottom are still trapped in the information cocoon.

So, how can I break the current dilemma?

Literacy...

By the way, the reason why these people are exploited and trapped in information cocoons is because they are illiterate.

The cost of studying in this era is too high: for poor families, no one is idle, and anyone who can carry a hoe must start working.

Studying means not only not being able to work, but also having to pay a large extra tuition.

In addition to not being able to work and paying tuition, there is another biggest expense: pens, ink, paper and inkstone.

In this era, pens, ink, paper and inkstones were too expensive. Many poor people had never seen the four treasures of the study in their entire lives, let alone learned to read and write.

These things are monopolized by the powerful and the rich. They control the resources, writing and information... and then the slaves in turn exploit the people at the bottom, creating a vicious cycle.

When a critical point is reached, the only way for the lower classes to survive is to rise up in rebellion.

However, in Jiang Yizhou's view, this so-called uprising was nominally a resistance of the lower class against oppression and exploitation, but in reality it was still being exploited by the middle class, who used the truly penniless people as their cannon fodder.

Even though she knew the history of several peasant uprisings in her own world, the actual leaders were not poor and illiterate.

Therefore, the crux of all this is that the general public is illiterate and uneducated.

If everyone... or at least most people could read, wouldn't this problem be solved? !

Then, an idea flashed through Jiang Yizhou’s mind - academy.

Since we even publish newspapers, it should be possible to establish a college near each farm.

Moreover, her original plan was to teach all the people working on her farm to learn to read.

After all, whether it is planting crops or working in a workshop on your own farm, certain skills are required.

For example, what crops to plant in what season, how to plant, how to raise seedlings, soil identification, composting, pest control, and irrigation all require certain experience.

When imparting these experiences to them, training is needed.

Especially those who work in workshops need to understand the operating specifications...

Since it's all training, why not divide the academy into three classes: middle, high and low? We can also select talents from them to serve the farm.

Previously, the academy in the manor was for people within the manor, but now it is open to everyone, so it must be approved by the government.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yizhou immediately wrote a letter of divorce to the new emperor and sent it through secret channels.

…………

During this period, the new emperor, who had just returned to the palace not long ago, was also overwhelmed by the uprisings that broke out one after another in various places.

Just then, a secret letter was delivered to his desk.

When he saw the strange yet familiar lacquer mark on it, he thought about it before remembering it.

He was moved, this was the first time he was given a secret letter after they agreed on the code.

I feel a bit curious and a bit expectant.

When the scroll was opened, there was a note written in beautiful handwriting on it.

Academy?

She wanted to open academies across the country? She would provide the money, land and manpower, and all she needed was a policy or attitude from him.

This……

In her words: The reason why ordinary people are easily led astray by local clans is because they don’t know what the real court policy is.

She said that as long as the court provided policies and housing, she would be willing to pay for the employment of a gentleman...

He felt inexplicably moved that even he, as an emperor, felt inferior to him in terms of this sense of righteousness for the country and family.

Just as he was preparing to have someone draft an edict to strongly support the establishment of schools and academies in local areas, the local government must fully support anyone who applied.

In view of the fact that the current court was embezzled by the previous dynasty and was dragged down by border wars, the treasury had long been empty.

Therefore, this full support is only limited to policies. We will not impose any taxes on you and will not make things difficult for you.

As for money, food and other things, you still have to get them by yourself.

At this time, Zeng Daban, who was standing beside the new emperor, said with a worried look on his face, "My Lord, this Jiang family member is now very popular among the people. I heard that many places only know about the farm of the Jiang family master, but not the court. If we let her open a school at will now, I am afraid that in the future..."

Zeng Daitomo didn't hear any response. While he was speaking, he carefully watched the new emperor's reaction, and then his heart skipped a beat.

He saw the new emperor looking at him deeply, his expression calm but with a strange feeling that made his heart palpitate.

He was assigned to be by the other person's side by his mother when the other person was very young, and he stayed by his side even when he was most ostracized and in the most difficult times.

So, now that he has become the new emperor, naturally Zeng Daban is the most favored eunuch.