Everything that followed proceeded basically according to Ding Yun's plan. As news of the impending opening and courses at the Son of Heaven Academy gradually spread throughout the land, learned individuals from various principalities across the realm, and even some elderly scholars from different schools of thought, made special journeys from afar to Luoyang City.
The pace varied.
But indeed, talented people were converging on Luoyang City.
Of course, in terms of actual identity, most people were still nobles, or at least their ancestors had been nobles, but had declined due to various reasons. Because without noble status, ordinary citizens who just tilled the soil would mostly not even qualify for literacy.
Let alone possessing knowledge and wealth.
To travel thousands of miles to Luoyang.
Although Ding Yun nominally stated that status was not a barrier and only talent mattered, in an era when ordinary people largely lacked access to literacy and the means or finances to travel vast distances to another country, this was already a form of pre-selection.
It excluded ninety-seven to ninety-eight percent of people.
However, there was no alternative. Some things could be accelerated, while others, even with forced growth, required a certain amount of time. Education was such a matter. She hadn't even fully completed basic literacy within her own country, let alone worldwide.
Slowly it would be, but she could do no more.
...
In Luoyang City, within the inner court of the royal palace, in the Xiyun Hall.
"Mother, all of this... do they all have to learn?"
Looking at the two thick stacks of textbooks that Ding Yun had specially prepared, which contained over thirty million characters in total, far more than all the bamboo slips in the former Great Zhou Imperial Library combined, King Zhou Jing, who had never been very fond of reading, let out a gasp.
He asked with a hint of dread.
These books, let alone for him to study.
Just looking at them made his head buzz.
"What are you afraid of? It's not for you to study. I don't expect you to learn it. Whether you study or not is irrelevant; your children must learn. Their foundational education has been completed in the last three years.
These are precisely the courses following foundational education.
Take them back first and let them familiarize themselves. When the Son of Heaven Academy opens its courses, let them attend together."
Ding Yun rolled her eyes at King Zhou Jing and continued.
King Zhou Jing, while relieved, truly felt pity for his children, for their childhood was too tragic compared to his own. Although he had to study in his childhood, there was so little material to learn then. After learning it, it was merely repetitive study, which was not particularly painful overall.
But he had glanced at these books just now, and none of them were the same. Moreover, some things made his head ache just by looking at them, with numbers and figures, it was too difficult!
However, as they say, a fellow traveler dying doesn't hurt the living, so he didn't plead for his children. He merely waved his hand, instructing people to carry the textbooks back to his own palace, and then asked curiously, "Mother, are those textbooks just now what will be taught at the Son of Heaven Academy later?"
"Exactly. I plan to finish teaching them within six years.
If, after six years, there are still those willing to remain at the Son of Heaven Academy for in-depth research and study, then there are many more books for them to continue learning. These can only be considered basic, or rather, slightly above basic. Let's call them elementary knowledge!"
Since the academy was to be established, Ding Yun decided to go all out. After all, the intellect of ancient people was no less than that of people thousands of years later. With sufficient knowledge to learn, they would be able to master it perfectly.
Ding Yun also wanted to see if this era, which gave birth to the Hundred Schools of Thought, could produce some giants in the scientific field.
Therefore, she truly intended to be transparent in education. Except for the principles of weaponry, which were slightly veiled and not entirely prepared for teaching, she had not omitted any other knowledge.
"There's... there's still more?"
King Zhou Jing was completely dumbfounded. This was merely a portion. He now suspected his mother had completely moved the books from the Heavenly Emperor's Langya Pavilion.
Otherwise, where would so many books come from in the mortal realm?
After his shock, he quickly asked:
"Mother, but if all these books are revealed and taught to everyone under heaven, won't many of Luoyang's current technologies be completely leaked? This doesn't seem to benefit us.
At most, we'll gain a good reputation?"
His true concern was whether the dissemination of technology would lead to reduced income for Luoyang.
Leading to reduced income for himself.
Other impacts were merely trivial matters.
"You must understand that economic influence is difficult to pass down through the ages, and military deterrence is only temporary. Only cultural influence can endure for a thousand years.
The situation in the future might be that all principalities perish.
Only the philosophies and knowledge of the various schools of thought will be passed down, immortal for a thousand years, eternal for ten thousand years. This is the sustainability of cultural heritage, and its tenacious characteristic.
When people under heaven learn our technical knowledge.
Naturally, they will owe us a debt of gratitude.
In the future, it's possible that the entire Son of Heaven Academy, and even Luoyang, will be built into a world center. Even if the principalities fight to the death, they would not dare to interfere, let alone destroy this economic and cultural center, the origin of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
Furthermore, industrialization requires a sufficient number of intellectuals to sustain it. The higher the level of industrial development, the more people are needed. The small population of the State of Zhou is not enough for that. Therefore, we can only borrow people from across the land.
Spread knowledge throughout the realm.
The State of Zhou only needs to control the cutting-edge knowledge!"
Seeing her son's bewildered face, Ding Yun couldn't continue. This fellow was unlearned, and he hadn't read many of the books she recommended. Therefore, he likely didn't understand much of what she said.
Continuing to explain would be like casting pearls before swine.
So, at this point, Ding Yun couldn't be bothered to explain further. She waved her hand, sending her son away, and continued to focus on the library construction herself.
Of course, saying it like that wasn't entirely accurate.
More precisely, she was busy filtering library books.
As the news of the Son of Heaven Academy's impending courses spread, cultural figures, or those with aspirations, from all over the land were heading to Luoyang. However, her Son of Heaven Academy couldn't accept everyone. There would undoubtedly be those who couldn't get in. And in this era, the cultural level of some people, even if they couldn't enter the Son of Heaven Academy, would still be far superior to ordinary people. It would be a waste to let them return disheartened.
Therefore, Ding Yun planned to build a library, place tens of thousands of books there, and set a requirement. Those who met the requirement could borrow books from the library.
Given the rarity of books and knowledge in this era, she believed it should be enough to keep most of the cultural figures who failed to enter the Son of Heaven Academy in Luoyang City.
As for the requirements, they were simple: points.
Assign them some teaching or literacy tasks, and upon completion, they would earn points to borrow books from the library.
During the process, they would also be provided with some financial subsidies.
This was to prevent some from feeling that living in Luoyang was difficult, or even that they couldn't survive in Luoyang due to financial constraints. In this way, Ding Yun could successfully acquire a large number of people to help her with literacy and elementary education.
What she was busy with now was filtering which books could be placed in the library, which books would attract those who failed the entrance exam, and which books were unnecessary to include.
Filtering tens of thousands of books one by one.
She was busy!