"It will," Xu Huaiqian didn't plan to reason with the villagers. "First, hire the teachers and pay the tuition fees. When the classrooms aren't full, and whether one teacher teaches a certain number or two teachers teach the same number, the families will naturally start sending their daughters and men to school to get their money's worth."
People in this era didn't have a concept of gender equality. Forcing them to send all their children to school wouldn't work. They might even blame them for meddling. It was better to let them feel the pinch in their wallets and decide for themselves.
He had observed that the work the girls and men did at home wasn't crucial; their presence or absence didn't really affect the household. Families just didn't want them to be idle, so they assigned them chores.
With the school in the village, if the family was really busy, the children could still help after school. It was entirely feasible.
Chen Liejiu always trusted Xu Huaiqian's judgment implicitly. After drying the peppercorns, he went to discuss the matter with the village chief and elders.
The village was also troubled by this issue. Teacher Zhang's school could only accommodate about a hundred children at most, and the elderly teacher didn't have the energy for more.
Chen Liejiu's proposal to build a school in the village perfectly matched their wishes.
Now that every household had spare money, and hoping their children could study like Xu Huaiqian, pass the exams, and even find more ways to earn money from books, they were very willing to send their children to school.
Moreover, Chen Liejiu said he wouldn't charge for the bricks used to build the school.
It was like receiving a pillow when sleepy. The villagers discussed it and agreed.
When the school was built, they saw the unusually large building with over a dozen classrooms that could hold more than a thousand children, and the expensive teachers from the academy that Xu Huaiqian helped hire. To avoid wasting money and the new classrooms, they had to discuss with the teachers and send their daughters and men to study too.
After all, teaching one more child was still teaching. Girls and men were their own flesh and blood too.
Besides, Chen Liejiu's younger sister and Wanwan were studying, and they managed accounts and paid wages without errors.
They didn't expect great achievements, but at least the children could help manage accounts for their future in-laws someday.
While the village was enthusiastically building the school, Xu Huaiqian's dried peppercorns were sold to Ji'an Medical Clinic.
The five mu of land yielded over six hundred jin of peppercorns, selling for over six thousand taels.
Seeing his depleted stack of silver notes plump up again, Xu Huaiqian was thrilled.
Indeed, money earned by himself felt different from money earned by his wife.
While he was counting money at home, the provincial exam results were released.
Because the exams were anonymous, the Emperor, despite personally selecting the Jieyuan top candidate, didn't know who it was.
But when the academicians removed the anonymity, revealing Xu Huaiqian's name, the Emperor immediately laughed: "It's him, as expected!"
Of course! Only the Xiucai who revitalized the remote Yong'an Prefecture could write such insightful points about tax revenue!
When the Emperor first read the essay, he had already suspected it. He just didn't expect the handwriting to be so excellent too.
"Truly an outstanding scholar!" The Emperor waved his hand and personally wrote Xu Huaiqian's name on the ranking list, ordering his subordinates to copy it. "Post it publicly!"
This year's provincial exams were eagerly anticipated across all prefectures. As soon as the results were posted, the news spread everywhere.
The first to know were the officials in Changnan.
When they saw the list issued from the capital, they all stood up in surprise.
"What?!"
"Ten from our Changnan are on the list!"
"And the Jieyuan is also from Changnan?!"
Because this year's exam papers were all sent to the capital, and few answered the major current affairs question correctly, very few were appointed as Juren. The Emperor simply canceled the regional Juren rankings and ranked them nationwide instead.
"This is even more exciting than having dozens pass the provincial exams in the past!"
The Changnan Administration Commissioner was so excited he rubbed his hands together. This was only his second year in Changnan!
The year before last, the previous Commissioner and Surveillance Commissioner of Changnan shielded the Prefect of Yong'an and falsified achievements. Most officials in Changnan were replaced.
He was transferred from an even more remote area. He thought he would just quietly serve as Commissioner here. But upon arrival, he encountered chamber members building roads, giving him an easy achievement.
Then, during the Emperor's major exam reforms, his prefecture produced so many Juren! These Juren were recognized by the Emperor—they were different from Juren of the past!
This meant that as long as they went to the capital for the metropolitan exam, becoming Jinshi was almost certain!
Ten! Ten!
In the first year of the exam reforms, having ten Juren—compared to other prefectures with only one or two, or even none—and his prefecture produced ten!
And one of them was the Jieyuan! What an immense honor!
And it was an honor he practically stumbled upon!
The Changnan Administration Commissioner was overjoyed. He waved his hand and ordered his subordinates: "Go announce the good news! With music and fanfare! Make it as grand as possible! Don't worry about the cost! I want everyone in Changnan to know this year's national Jieyuan is from our prefecture!"
As soon as he gave the order, officials from across Changnan also sent people with gifts, instructing the messengers: "You must deliver these personally to Jieyuan Xu! Do not neglect him!"
Since Xu Huaiqian was currently only a Jieyuan and not yet an official, throughout history, high-ranking officials never visited a Jieyuan's hometown to congratulate him.
In a normal provincial exam, even for a Jieyuan, there would be no reason for them to send gifts.
But this time was different. This Jieyuan was personally selected by the Emperor. What did that mean?
It meant he was very likely to become this year's Zhuangyuan top metropolitan graduate!
Zhuangyuan!
In the past, the Zhuangyuan always came from Yong'an Prefecture or the Jiangnan Administration Commission area. When did their remote Changnan Administration Commission ever produce one?
Now, a potential Zhuangyuan had emerged under their governance. Of course they had to curry favor properly!
When the news reached Yong'an Prefecture, Magistrate Gu Fengchao was stunned upon hearing it.
"Ten?!"
"Changnan produced ten Juren?"
"Six of them are from our prefecture?!"
"The Jieyuan is also from our prefecture?"
"Who is it?!"
Gu Fengchao asked the messenger for the list. Every prefecture had a copy; the messenger had brought one. Hearing the request, he immediately produced it.
Gu Fengchao didn't recognize most names, but he certainly knew the one at the top: Xu Huaiqian.
"Hahahahaha! Just as expected!" Upon seeing the name, he laughed heartily. "I knew he would pass!"
"I just didn't expect him to be the Jieyuan! Excellent! Excellent!"
Gu Fengchao gave the messenger a reward: "Go announce the good news quickly! Don't delay!"
Such wonderful news must be delivered to Xu Huaiqian personally!
When the messengers descended from Yong'an Prefecture to Mishan County, the county magistrate was so thrilled upon hearing Xu Huaiqian was the Jieyuan he nearly jumped for joy!
"To think the Jieyuan appeared in my county!"
"And it's Xu Huaiqian!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
Such good fortune was beyond his wildest dreams. Now that it was real, it felt like an unbelievable dream.
The principal of Qinglian Academy was equally incredulous. He thought three passes from their academy would be good, but they had five!
Five was amazing enough, but one was the Jieyuan!
He expected Xu Huaiqian might scrape through as a Juren, which would have been a surprise. But Xu Huaiqian had held back his strength and directly achieved the Jieyuan!
"Jinren! Five! Five!"
Upon receiving the news, Zuo Zhengjian ran through the academy looking for Li Jinren, even losing a shoe in his haste.
"What five?" Li Jinren didn't quite hear.
"Five from our academy passed as Juren!" Zuo Zhengjian exclaimed excitedly. "And one is the Jieyuan!"
Li Jinren's lips trembled: "Who are the five?"
"Duan Youyan, Meng Fangxun, Xu Huaiqian, Pei Wangshu, Zhang Bingwen—all five passed!"
"Who is the Jieyuan?!"
"Xu Huaiqian! Xu Huaiqian! Xu Huaiqian!" Zuo Zhengjian said it three times loudly, fearing Li Jinren might not hear. "Our academy's Xu Huaiqian is the Jieyuan!"
"What?!"
Now not just Zuo Zhengjian and Li Jinren, but the entire academy was shocked.
Jieyuan! This was the Jieyuan! Could an academy like theirs really produce a Jieyuan?!
If they remembered correctly, their academy hadn't produced a Juren in many years. To think they not only produced one now but produced the Jieyuan!
And it was someone they never even considered.
"This Jieyuan was personally selected by the Emperor—the only one nationwide. Jinren, do you know what this means?" Zuo Zhengjian reminded Li Jinren specifically, afraid he might forget.
This year's provincial exam papers were reviewed personally by the Emperor, and the Jieyuan was naturally also chosen by him.
"Zhuangyuan?!" Li Jinren's eyes widened. He dared not imagine that the student who once coughed blood and frightened him into fainting had the potential to be Zhuangyuan?!
"Quick, quick, quick! Go find all of Xu Huaiqian's coursework and books!" Li Jinren reacted immediately. "This is the coursework and books of a Jieyuan, potentially a future Zhuangyuan! We must preserve them carefully!"
These could later be shown off to students and even collected for future generations.
"I already collected them long ago!" Zuo Zhengjian was excited mentioning this. "I collected quite a lot!"
Xu Huaiqian's excellent handwriting was worth collecting even if he weren't the Jieyuan. Now, thankfully, he had the foresight, unlike Li Jinren who was rushing around in a panic.
When the celebratory procession from Changnan Prefecture, with music and fanfare, reached Xu Huaiqian's home, he was also dumbfounded: "What?!"
"I'm the Jieyuan?!"
"Absolutely!" the messenger said joyfully. "And you're the Emperor's personally appointed Jieyuan from Changnan Prefecture! This is different from previous Jieyuan."
"How could I be the Jieyuan?" Xu Huaiqian felt dizzy. He had considered he might pass as a Juren, but never imagined he would be ranked as Jieyuan.
This was too surreal!
"How could you not be!" The messenger showed Xu Huaiqian the list. "Don't be shocked, Jieyuan Xu. You truly are the Emperor's personally chosen Jieyuan. There's no mistake."
Xu Huaiqian took the copied list and saw his name clearly written on it. Only then did he have to believe he really had achieved the rank of Jieyuan?
And a national one at that.
Similar shock occurred in the homes of Meng Fangxun and the others. When they learned they had passed as Juren, they were as incredulous as Xu Huaiqian. Especially Zhang Bingwen's grandfather: when he heard his grandson had become a Juren, he was so overjoyed he fainted on the spot.
When he woke up and found not only his grandson had passed but his former student Xu Huaiqian had also passed and was personally appointed by the Emperor as this year's sole Jieyuan, he fainted again.
Changnan Prefecture made a spectacular showing this year, with the Emperor personally appointing ten Juren. Other prefectures were lucky to have one or two; some had none.
The protesting students, who didn't get the result they wanted, immediately thought of causing trouble upon seeing the list.
But the Emperor, anticipating this, had the Hanlin Academy's printed copies of the top candidates' essays thrown before them.
"See for yourselves where you fell short!"
When the students received the printed exam papers and saw the Jieyuan's essay ranked first, with its flowing, unforgettable calligraphy, they felt ashamed themselves.
They had practiced handwriting for years, but their script was vastly inferior to the Jieyuan's.
Just based on the calligraphy alone, they accepted their defeat wholeheartedly.
Moreover, when they turned the page and read the Jieyuan's well-reasoned, clearly articulated essay on various methods to increase tax revenue, the students' faces felt as if slapped—swollen and stinging with humiliation.