I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 43 Civil Service Exam Questions at the Imperial Academy

News of the alliance with Eastern Wu quickly reached Chengdu, much to the delight of the court officials.

In this way, Eastern Wu could send troops to contain Wei, and Yizhou would no longer fear Cao Pi's 100,000-strong army.

"Your Majesty, Deng Zhi and Zong Yu have fulfilled their mission. Eastern Wu has sent an envoy, Zhuge Ke, to sign a treaty, and the two countries will be on friendly terms forever."

"Cao Pi's 100,000-strong army retreated without a fight."

In reality, Cao Pi's 100,000-strong army was merely a ploy to force Eastern Wu into submission.

"it is good."

Liu Shan was not particularly surprised by this answer, which he already knew.

"Zhuge Ke is the nephew of the Prime Minister. Eastern Wu sent him here with great sincerity, so we must not be negligent."

Although the Zhuge brothers served different masters, they had a close and deep relationship.

Zhuge Jin was not only a pro-Han figure, but his second son, Zhuge Qiao, was adopted by Zhuge Liang and is currently the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, a military officer serving Liu Shan.

With this relationship in place, the alliance between the two countries is further strengthened.

With the internal strife quelled and diplomatic relations secured, Liu Shan's policies were rolled out one after another.

First and foremost is the people's livelihood, and sanitation and environmental hygiene are of paramount importance.

In ancient times, poor sanitation and rampant plagues could claim the lives of tens of thousands of people at any time.

Human and animal excrement and household waste must be centrally processed to prevent the outbreak of epidemics and to avoid polluting water sources.

Then came the vigorous development of medical care. Not only were doctors assigned to villages, but the military also increased its investment in military doctors, conducting regular physical examinations to rule out potential illnesses among soldiers.

Unscientific treatment methods such as witchcraft and rituals are strictly prohibited, and superstition must be eradicated.

These measures are all aimed at increasing average life expectancy.

Many talented young men in Shu Han, such as Zhang Bao and Zhuge Qiao, either died young or died of illness, which was a huge loss to Shu Han.

The training courses are in full swing, and a wave of fervent learning has swept through Yizhou.

After finishing his official duties, Liu Shan went to the Imperial Academy in Chengdu.

The Imperial Academy was located directly north of the Imperial Palace. Ordinary people had to cross North Street and then pass through a bamboo grove to enter this newly established academy.

As the emperor, Liu Shan naturally did not need to use this passage. Instead, he would exit from the north gate of the palace and walk a hundred steps to reach the destination.

This place was originally a garden with an elegant and unique environment, which is why it was converted into a school.

Due to financial constraints, the Imperial Academy was far smaller in scale than the academies in Luoyang and Chang'an.

Liu Shan stopped outside the academy and immediately saw the school buildings inside.

Several bungalows are arranged in a semi-circle by the pond, and the sound of reading aloud comes from inside, which makes people feel the need to cultivate their character.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

At the eunuch's loud shout, the guards quickly and respectfully made way for them.

The schools were clearly divided into two sections: the left side was for civil officials, and the right side was for military officers.

The schools for both civil and military officials were divided into different levels, namely basic classes and advanced classes.

The basic classes are held in more classrooms, located on the outer side.

The advanced classes are fewer in number and are located inside.

Furthermore, each school district has a playground behind it, providing a place for students to exercise.

The civil service area mainly included riding and archery fields, as well as recreational activities such as pitch-pot.

In addition to horseback archery, the military officer area also has a martial arts training ground where officers can hone their skills against each other.

The teaching model of the Imperial Academy in the past was open, which is equivalent to the open course format of today's universities. Everyone gathered in one place to attend classes and discuss with each other. The "hundred schools of thought contending" was a microcosm of this.

The school here is meticulously and rigorously divided, arranged by Liu Shan based on modern training institutions.

Each classroom has a limited number of students to prevent excessive student numbers from causing disciplinary problems and affecting the teacher's instruction.

The training program emphasizes cultivating students' practical abilities, thus focusing on practical courses such as official law, local governance, strategy, and military training. As for classics, history, philosophy, and literature, they are only used as cultural courses to cultivate sentiments and account for a very small proportion.

The great Confucian scholars who were hired had very few classes at the academy each day, and their schedules were relatively relaxed, which made them feel underutilized.

Especially in the advanced classes, the civil officials were all top students who were well-versed in classic books. They were focused on becoming officials and had too much ambition. They had no interest in studying, which led to a somewhat low atmosphere in the classroom.

Liu Shan arrived outside one of the regular classes, where Qiao Zhou was giving a lesson.

Qiao Zhou was erudite and intelligent, well-versed in the Six Classics, and knowledgeable in astronomy. He was a role model for students to emulate.

At this moment, he is teaching the Analects, and the students are reciting it with swaying heads.

Although these Confucian classics were not the main subjects, Liu Shan stood outside for a long time and saw that most students were just memorizing them and then trying to understand the contents of the books with Qiao Zhou's explanation.

In other words, students only learn the surface meaning of the text and lack their own initiative.

This is definitely a bookworm.

These students in the regular classes are the future of Shu Han. If everyone becomes a bookworm who only quotes from classical texts, then the subsequent professional courses will only be superficial. What's the point of me opening this training class?

No, we need to enlighten you.

Liu Shan did not interrupt Qiao Zhou's lesson, but waited until it was over before entering the classroom.

The students had all seen Liu Shan on the day the results were announced, and they immediately bowed with their hands clasped in respect.

"His Majesty."

Qiao Zhou wanted to give up the seat of honor, but Liu Shan refused.

As a modern elite, he knows how to treat his subordinates like cattle and horses...

No, it's about instilling ideas in students.

He walked into the crowd, saying as he went, "Master Qiao's lesson just now was truly brilliant. You are all the future of our great Han Dynasty, so you should humbly learn from him."

The students nodded emphatically.

"Now that I am here, I will test your progress these past few days. I will ask you a question, and those who answer it correctly will be richly rewarded."

Upon hearing that it was a gift from the emperor, cheers immediately erupted in the school.

Liu Shan ordered someone to bring him pen and ink, and bowed to Qiao Zhou, saying, "Master, please hold the pen for me."

"yes!"

After a moment's thought, Liu Shan uttered a few simple yet perplexing phrases.

Question: The academy, the students.

"A: The prison guard."

"B: Clinic, doctor."

"C: Market, common people."

"Ding: boat, boatman."

After he finished writing, not only were all the students in the room puzzled, but even Qiao Zhou frowned.

What kind of question is this?

Which of the four options below, A, B, C, and D, is closest to the answer to the question?

"A reward will be given to whoever can solve this problem."

The students in the classroom looked at each other in bewilderment.

They had never heard of such a bizarre question type before.

I recognize each character individually, but when put together they resemble a foreign language.

If it weren't for the fact that the question setter was the current emperor, they would definitely jump out and point their fingers at him while cursing.

Some people have begun to study the underlying principles, but these are just phrases without any story background, so where is the profound truth?

If someone truly understands this, they are absolutely a god.

Seeing the students' bewildered looks, Liu Shan reminded them, "This question doesn't test your knowledge of the text, nor does it involve any classic texts; it's simply about their understanding of Neo-Confucianism."

Neo-Confucianism?

If we use science to explain this problem, then everything makes sense.

But how can we use science to answer this?

The students looked on with a mixture of bewilderment and awe.

Liu Shan snorted inwardly.

This is just a basic civil service exam question, and it's already making things this difficult for you?