The Fourth Prince is at the age where he is gradually establishing his worldview, while Zhang Chen used to be domineering. However, since he has been to Xingtai and Cangzhou and has truly come into close contact with people's livelihood, and has put aside the halo of his family and fought wits and courage with others, it can be said that his worldview has been shattered and reshaped. So when they heard Zhang Shou's words, they naturally felt different.
"Agriculture is the foundation of the country, so throughout history, the government does not want farmers to think too much, because they only need to face the loess and work hard to harvest. This is not only true here, but also in distant overseas countries."
"In our world, the scholars think that those who understand the teachings of the saints are enough. In the distant western countries, the priests and nobles think that apart from them, whether it is the landlords who are born as farmers because of their increasing harvests, the wealthy merchants, or the smart and capable craftsmen who make various machines that make people's lives more convenient, they are all not worth mentioning."
"In Western countries, there is no imperial examination system. All official positions are based on family background, not talent. In our imperial examination system, the list of successful candidates is published every three years. Do you know how many of them are from real farming families? Not one in ten, but one in a hundred. Farmers cannot afford to support a real scholar, even a scholar."
"So when I was in Cangzhou, I asked Zhu Er to help farmers. This time in Tongzhou, I asked you, Zhang Chen, and Zheng Yan to help students. In addition, there is a huge public school in the outer city. You all know that I never expected to train a few Jinshi."
"I just hope that those who may not be able to stand out in the imperial examinations, but have some talent, perhaps in mathematics, or perhaps in other areas, can have a chance to stand out."
"But if you ask me what the meaning of life is for those who work hard all their lives just to make ends meet, I can only say that I don't know. Because everyone has a different understanding of this."
"If you ask these people themselves, they will look at you with surprise, thinking that you are sick for thinking about such things. Isn't fever the same? If you ask the scholars, they will look at you with contempt and say that this is a natural boundary destined by heaven."
"If you ask those truly knowledgeable and cultured masters, they will tell you earnestly that those who work day after day and year after year for food and clothing are the cornerstone of this huge world. Without the support of these people, the so-called noble emperors, generals, prime ministers and ministers would not even have the most basic ability to survive and would only starve to death."
"But if you ask a beggar on the street..." Zhang Shou dragged out a long tone and then laughed, "He will just throw stones at you in anger. Because to him, as long as he is warm and well fed, his life is meaningful."
Only then did the Fourth Prince frown thoughtfully, and Zhang Chen, who had never been pedantic, instinctively blurted out, "So this is what it means to be a fish without knowing its joy?"
"No, Zhuangzi's words cannot be used in this context." Zhang Shou sneered, and then said sarcastically, "There is a joke. Two poor men were eating sesame cakes at a stall. While eating, they used their fingers to pick up the fallen sesame seeds and ate them. Later, they talked about a very unrighteous topic. What would happen if I became the emperor? Guess what they said?"