webnovelfull Chapter 381 Above the Temple
Chapter 381 Above the Temple
Chapter 381 The Imperial Court
As Ye Ru finished speaking, the people around him immediately erupted in an uproar, their gazes turning to Ye Ru with a hint of astonishment.
However, some scholars held Ye Ru in higher regard, after all, someone who dared to offend the Left Prime Minister here could mention the civil and military prime ministers who had already broken off relations, as well as a scholar who had died tragically.
This scholar was a man of principle who refused to bow to the emperor for a mere five bushels of rice in the imperial court and publicly humiliated the prime minister. However, he was later imprisoned and torn apart by five horses in prison, dying a gruesome death.
From then on, no one dared to publicly contradict the Left Prime Minister in the imperial court.
Upon hearing this, the Left Prime Minister's eyes narrowed slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, and a chill emanated from his body.
Ye Ru's actions now truly show that he intends to kill him.
Because throughout history, no one has ever dared to trample on his dignity like this here.
Even the current emperor cannot do that.
"Alright, since you have no interest in this, I won't keep you here. Take care of yourself."
With a slight clench of his fist, the Left Prime Minister picked up his wine cup, and the cup shattered instantly. The liquid inside flowed down his hand to the ground, causing everyone's faces to turn pale with fear.
The entire room fell silent. Everyone shrank back, knowing that the Left Prime Minister was currently in a fit of rage. A single wrong word could have dire consequences, even costing them their lives. However, Chen Tianjian and the Prime Minister continued drinking, seemingly unperturbed, which only made the Left Prime Minister's face turn even more ashen.
Ye Ru's gaze held a hint of provocation as he looked at the Left Prime Minister. Although he knew that the Left Prime Minister was determined to kill him this time, he was not afraid. In the Confucian Continent, he was not the only one who wanted to kill him.
"Hehe, sorry, something got into the cup. Go get me another cup."
After a moment, the Prime Minister's expression gradually returned to normal. He smiled at everyone present, then picked up a piece of food and began to eat.
After learning of the Left Prime Minister's thoughts, the others stood up after eating for a while and said to Ye Ru:
"Master Ye is highly talented and learned, and his calligraphy is extremely rare. His 'Exhortation to Learning,' written in Qingyun County, is even more sought after. This banquet is hosted by His Majesty. Would Master Ye be so kind as to present his work to us old scholars and broaden our horizons?"
"Yes, Ye, you are a man of great learning. His Majesty must also want to see your talent. Why not show it to us and let us feast our eyes on it as well?"
Another scholar from the Left Chancellor's faction said with a smile.
"Lord Zuo Xiang?"
Lord Kang turned his head and tentatively asked the Left Prime Minister a question. After seeing the latter nod, he also looked up:
"Chief Ye, you offended the Left Prime Minister before. Are you going to offend him again this time?"
Seeing this, Ye Ru pondered for a moment, then turned his head and looked at the Emperor of Yanhuang Kingdom, speaking to him neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Your Majesty, what is your opinion?"
“I will naturally grant your permission. Since all the officials are present this time, and you are going to Jin as an envoy, why not compose a war poem on the spot? This will also let me know the hardships and brutality of border wars.”
The Emperor of Yanhuang Kingdom pondered for a moment, then raised his head and said softly.
“Writing poetry is no problem, but I have one more request, which I must ask His Majesty to grant. If His Majesty does not grant it, I will not write poetry.”
Ye Ru nodded, but then spoke again, his smile revealing a strange undertone.
"Oh? Then tell me what your requirements are?"
The Emperor of Yanhuang Kingdom pondered for a moment, then spoke again.
He had no idea what Ye Ru was really up to.
"You should agree to my request first."
Ye Ru said with a smile.
"Okay, I promise you. As long as it's not against etiquette, I can agree to it."
The Emperor of Yanhuang nodded, then spoke again:
"Now can you tell me what it is?"
Seeing this, Ye Ru raised his head and slowly said to the Emperor of Yanhuang:
"I hope that a library can be added in every county. This library could contain novels, reprints of classic works by saints, and calligraphy and paintings by famous people, so that every poor student can have books to read. Because I came from a poor family, I know how much hardship is involved. At the same time, talent is the foundation of a country. Therefore, if education can start from the bottom, our Yanhuang country will become stronger and stronger."
These words sparked a flurry of discussion among the crowd, with many looking at Ye Ru in shock. They hadn't expected him to say something like that.
This was something they had never imagined: setting up a separate reading institution.
"Well, what Ye Ru said isn't entirely unreasonable, but..."
Wen Xiang pondered for a moment, then looked up at Ye Ru and said privately:
"This idea is not a bad idea. It can eliminate the drawback that the classics of the saints can only be read by high-ranking officials and nobles, and it can also improve the overall quality of our country's literati."
"That's a good idea, I agree."
After thinking it over, many people nodded in approval.
"Chief Ye, your idea is indeed good, but if a library is added to every county, how can such a large amount of manpower and resources be used for distribution? Moreover, books are anonymous; what if some scholars take them away and don't return them? Have you thought about these things?"
Lord Kang stood up, deliberately trying to make things difficult for everyone, but these questions were overheard by the crowd, and they all fell into thought.
These words may be harsh, but they are issues that need to be considered. There are more than 2,500 counties in the Yanhuang Kingdom. Adding a library to every single one of them is practically impossible.
"Yes, how could you manage such a large amount of manpower and resources? You make it sound so easy, being young is just like that."
Another civil official curled his lip and said disdainfully.
"hehe."
Ye Ru's lips curled into a mocking smile, then he raised his head and said loudly:
"As far as I know, the imperial court distributes 10,000 taels of silver to each county every year. This 10,000 taels of silver is distributed from the six ministries, passing through various prefectures and cities. However, after reaching the county, only 3,000 taels of silver remain. Why is that?"
Faced with Ye Ru's questioning, some guilty scholars shrank back and dared not speak.
However, when Ye Ru saw the faces of these people, he was filled with rage. It was the same in his previous life; while soldiers fought bloody battles abroad, these corrupt officials plundered the people's wealth at home, doing nothing but beastly things.
"Why are you afraid to speak? Also, every year some officials report to the court that there is a lack of funds and request the court to allocate funds, but no matter how much the court supports them, each county still stagnates. Gentlemen, has all this money flown away or ended up in your pockets?"