[Lightscreen]
[Another point worth noting is that as schools gradually spread during the Song dynasty, the development of the southern regions also became increasingly complete.
This has been clearly summarized in modern history textbooks. The economic center of ancient China began shifting south as early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
Many people are familiar with the term "the southward migration of the aristocracy." This was the first large scale population migration to the south under a feudal dynasty.
More than four hundred years later, the An Lushan Rebellion broke out. To escape the chaos of war, the gentry and commoners of the Central Plains once again chose to migrate south. This became the second major southward migration.
If the first two large migrations merely pushed southern development toward maturity, then after the fall of the Northern Song, when Zhao Gou crossed south and established his regime in Hangzhou, the balance of power between north and south was completely reversed.
Let us look at the data.
According to the History of Song, during the reign of Emperor Shenzong, the cultivated land in the Jingdong and Jingxi circuits totaled around forty five million mu. These areas correspond to present day Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong, the conventional "north" of the Northern Song.
Meanwhile, in the south during the same period, the Two Zhe Circuit alone had thirty six million mu of cultivated land. Jiangdong East and West together had eighty seven million mu. Fujian Circuit had more than eleven million mu.
Forty five million versus one hundred and thirty four million. The contrast speaks for itself.
Population figures show the same trend.
By the mid Southern Song, the population of the former Jingdong and Jingxi regions was only 2.3 percent of what it had been during Emperor Huizong's reign.
At the same time, southern population numbers rose across the board. The Two Zhe Circuit increased by 7 percent, the two Jiangnan circuits by 47 percent, and Fujian by 58 percent.
Under the double blow of population collapse and economic ruin, education in the north naturally suffered a devastating impact.
For example, during the Northern Song, Henan Circuit had only fifteen state schools due to financial constraints. By the Southern Song, there were roughly ten left, all operated by the Jin, and their quality was hardly worth mentioning.
By contrast, educational quality in the south steadily improved.
During the Northern Song, the Two Zhe Circuit had forty eight state schools, and the two Jiangdong circuits had forty seven. By the Southern Song, these numbers had risen to seventy four and seventy six respectively.
And these were only state schools.
During the Southern Song, private academies flourished. Academies founded by respected scholars often became even more famous than official schools.
For instance, everyone knows the story of "Standing in the Snow at Cheng's Gate." The student in that story, Yang Shi, later became one of the leading figures of the Cheng brothers' Luoyang school.
During Empress Gao's regency, the Old Faction gained power, but internal divisions soon emerged.
Su Shi and Su Zhe led the Shu School, which revered the Way of the Sage and advocated the unity of nature and emotion. The Luoyang School, led by the Cheng brothers, argued that human nature was good while emotions were evil.
The two sides competed fiercely for intellectual dominance, resulting in the "Luoyang Shu Debate." In the end, the Luoyang School lost influence, and Cheng Yi was repeatedly demoted.
During Emperor Huizong's reign, Cheng Yi openly criticized Cai Jing and fell out of favor. The Luoyang School nearly declined entirely.
After mastering his studies, Yang Shi resolved to preserve and revive the Luoyang School. However, due to Cai Jing's suppression, he was forced to leave the north and head south.
Eventually, during the Zhenghe era of Emperor Huizong, Yang Shi founded Donglin Academy in the prosperous Two Zhe Circuit. It became one of the most renowned private academies in the Jiangnan region.
About five hundred years later, several Ming dynasty scholars who had been dismissed for their outspoken words returned home to focus on education. These Jiangnan literati chose the old site of Donglin Academy to restore it as a place for lectures.
They launched the Donglin Assembly and drafted the "Donglin Covenant." People of the time called them the Eight Gentlemen of Donglin. This later became the precursor of the late Ming "Donglin Faction."
Well, that was a bit of a digression.
In short, the late Northern Song was the critical turning point when the balance of power between north and south reversed. Some perceptive figures during the early reform era may have already sensed this, albeit vaguely.
For example, during Emperor Yingzong's reign, in an effort to support state education, sixty three instructors were dispatched. Thirty nine were assigned to the north and twenty four to the south.
Later, however, the struggle between the New and Old factions grew increasingly intense. Those who truly wanted to get things done had no place to stand. By Emperor Huizong's time, governance was largely laissez faire, and all state affairs eventually collapsed with the fall of the Song.
In the tenth month of the seventh year of Xuanhe, Jin troops rose in rebellion and attacked the Song.
In the first month of the first year of Jingkang, Jin forces besieged Bianliang. In the second month of the second year, the capital fell. Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong were captured. Zhao Gou fled south.
In a certain sense, the moment Wanyan Gou decided to flee south, the Ming dynasty's later Southern and Northern Examination Case was already fated.]
[Server Chat Log]
[Pang Tong: In the tenth month, troops rose in Liaodong. In just three months they reached Bianliang. Never have I heard of a capital so easily taken.
Li Shimin: Truly, it is virtue, not terrain, that matters.
Zhang Fei: This foolish emperor had some backbone. He did not flee first like that Tang emperor.
Zhang Fei: Second Phoenix Majesty, I did not mean to criticize you.
Li Shimin: … I know General Yide speaks with a child's sincerity.]
Zhao Kuangyin felt that he was gradually beginning to understand his descendants' peculiar sense of humor. This time was no exception.
The long stretch of numbers earlier had been tiring to read. Seeing farmland measured in hundreds of millions of mu even made him slightly pleased.
After all, judged by these figures alone, and compared to the Tang dynasty he remembered, even without reclaiming the Sixteen Prefectures, the Song was no weaker than Tang.
From this perspective, perhaps the New Policies truly had merit. Zhao Kuangyin felt an itch in his heart and nearly wanted to summon Zhao Pu immediately to discuss how to promote education.
He did not understand what "Standing in the Snow at Cheng's Gate" meant. But seeing the Old Faction still capable of tearing itself apart internally only deepened his despair for the court a century later.
As for the Ming related references, there was even more he did not understand. Before he could ponder further, however, a few brief lines vividly laid out the fall of the Northern Song.
The strategist under the Bright Emperor summarized it perfectly. Three months to encircle the capital, one year to destroy the state.
One hundred sixty years of valuing civil governance, ending in such a hasty collapse.
Two thousand li from Liaodong, reached in three months. A hundred years of nurturing scholars, yet not one willing to die in defense?
Zhao Kuangyin nearly spat blood.
On the other side, Zhao Guangyi had long sensed danger and shrunk his neck back, fearing his brother might revisit the old score of "virtue over terrain."
Enduring the pain in his leg was already difficult enough. Somehow, his earlier words had displeased his brother again. Zhao Guangyi decided to shut up entirely and maintain a posture of utmost obedience.
"Your Majesty…"
Zhao Pu wanted to offer some comfort, but Zhao Kuangyin only shook his head.
"It is nothing."
Whether because he already knew of the Jingkang Humiliation, or because of years spent in military campaigns that taught him composure, Zhao Kuangyin recovered quickly. He even began discussing matters with Zhao Pu.
"If the Song is to endure, we must secure the fertile capital region and cultivate capable men for a northern expedition."
Zhao Pu nodded. Similar analysis had already been discussed ten years earlier on that snowy night when they plotted the empire. There was no need to repeat it.
The north south divide had countless historical precedents. From Eastern Wu's southern refuge during the Three Kingdoms, to wealthy Jiangnan families at the end of Tang fiercely opposing the funding of northwestern troops. No detailed explanation was necessary.
After thinking it through, Zhao Kuangyin squatted down and patted his brother's thigh with heavy sincerity.
"If not for your two failed campaigns, had the reform era possessed even one or two strong armies, how could things have come to this…"
Zhao Guangyi grimaced in pain but dared not utter a single word.
…
Zhang Fei hurriedly tore off another slip of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and turned to Kongming.
"Strategist, the Tang emperor praised my childlike sincerity."
"Should I reply, 'Second Phoenix Majesty will surely surpass the First Emperor in achievements'?"
Kongming shook his head with a smile.
"Best to stop here. Say no more."
Privately, Kongming suspected that calling Zhang Fei sincere might actually be an insult.
Yet looking back, Zhang Fei's remarks had struck at old wounds and carried their own barbed irony.
Seeing Zhang Fei reluctantly crush the paper ball, Kongming finally relaxed.
They were ministers of Han. Comparing the Second Phoenix to Emperor Wu of Han would be inappropriate. That was likely why Zhang Fei brought up the First Emperor instead.
But in Li Shimin's eyes, the first thing he would notice was probably the matter of Huhai killing his brothers.
Kongming could not help but overthink it. After all, later generations often said the Second Phoenix was narrow minded.
Zhang Fei, unaware of the many twists in the strategist's thoughts, quickly set the matter aside and excitedly raised another topic.
"If later generations have a north south divide, then right now, do we not have an east west divide?"
Liu Bei laughed.
"Why argue over empty labels? When Yide leads the vanguard and recovers Yuzhou, connecting north and south, there will be no divide."
Mentioning the task already promised lifted Zhang Fei's spirits again.
…
Li Shimin put down his brush and rubbed his forehead.
"This Zhang Yide's tongue is no weaker than Xuancheng's."
Wei Zheng, struck by stray fire, immediately protested.
"I do not speak in riddles. When I remonstrate, I address faults directly."
Li Shimin's mouth twitched. For a moment, he could not decide which style was better.
Shaking his head, he set the matter aside. His curiosity was still focused on the "Great Ming."
"The Ming restored Donglin Academy. They were all idle scholars. How did they become a faction?"
Fang Xuanling, who had been frequenting the Imperial Academy lately, stepped forward and replied calmly.
"These Eight Gentlemen of Donglin may have begun with good intentions. Yet their manner of lecturing and transmitting doctrine closely resembled the famous scholars of the Later Han."
Li Shimin immediately understood.
The later critiques of the Later Han scholars, discussing how reputation, wealth, and power fed into one another, surfaced in his mind. He also recalled another difference of the Ming.
"And paper was cheaper in the Ming…"
From the previously mentioned ratio of commoners entering office, to the many techniques recorded in Tiangong Kaiwu, to the flourishing of novels, Li Shimin faintly sensed something.
Perhaps Ming era scholars held far greater prestige among the common people than their Later Han counterparts.
But what kind of dynasty was the Ming, really?
Li Shimin found himself increasingly curious.
[Lightscreen]
[The economic disparities caused by regional differences between north and south naturally led to unequal educational resources. This is an objective reality.
At the same time, when we were in school, teachers also told us that achieving fairness and justice is destined to be a long process and remains one of the goals of modern society.
One of the means to achieve fairness and justice is the compulsory education system that benefits all of us today.
As mentioned earlier, the state education system under Emperor Huizong of the Song reached a peak in scale for the feudal era and carried a faint hint of compulsory education. But in the end, it was not truly compulsory.
Even the most developed Northern Song state schools only provided stipends. They were nothing like today's compulsory education, which is completely free.
Beyond that, the mandatory and foundational nature of modern compulsory education is something feudal eras could never compare to.
For thousands of years on this land, laws requiring all children of school age to attend school exist only in the present era.
Today's compulsory education is, of course, not perfect. But the starting line it draws is unquestionably the fairest one in five thousand years of history.
With that, today's discussion officially comes to an end.
In the next episode, we will continue following the uploader's perspective and revisit several truly legendary figures of the Two Song dynasties.
"Romance of the Two Songs: Using the Rivers and Mountains as Paper, Iron Backbone as the Brush, Dipping the Years as Ink, to Write a Life of Righteous Fury."
Thank you to all viewers for your support.
See you next time, at the same hour.]
Zhao Kuangyin marveled inwardly, yet he knew that practical matters came first.
When he turned to have Zhao Pu fetch something, he instead saw the chancellor standing with his head raised, eyes blazing with undisguised longing and excitement.
Zhao Kuangyin knew this was because of the compulsory education of later generations.
In fact, when the narrative earlier mentioned Huizong's educational reforms, Zhao Kuangyin had already been pondering what compulsory education meant.
He never imagined that later generations would mandate children to study by law.
Such a scene was probably beyond the imagination of even the ancient sages.
Yet his battlefield instincts warned him that under the Song's current circumstances, such saintly governance was something to admire from afar.
Huizong's educational policies had only captured the surface. They required three waves of reform, relentless extraction of wealth from the people, and still ultimately failed.
For the early Song to imitate this now would be nothing but learning to walk in Handan, or applying makeup like Dongshi.
Thus, Zhao Kuangyin quietly stood up and did not disturb Zhao Pu. He walked lightly to the side of the hall.
A perceptive eunuch quickly added a few strokes, then respectfully presented the painting.
Zhao Kuangyin admired it briefly, nodded, and returned to the stone table, intending to offer it as before.
But after only a short absence, the light screen was already filled with new words. Zhao Pu was standing there, imitating Zhao Kuangyin by writing with his finger.
[Server Chat Log]
[Zhuge Liang: Such governance of a sage king. Magnificent indeed.
Li Shimin: I agree with the Martial Marquis.
Zhang Fei: Same here.
Zhao Pu: If I devote my entire life and can achieve even one or two parts of this, then even dying at dusk would be worth it.
Zhangsun Wuji: If one death could achieve one or two parts, then why should I begrudge my life?
Fa Zheng: To accomplish this, one must spare no effort, no wealth, no life. One must be prepared to sacrifice oneself.
Zhao Pu: I once thought Duke Zhangsun was of the Wang Mang and Sima Yi sort and would offer insight. Instead, you merely quote fragments. With our ruler about to cross the river and pacify the south, is this not the perfect moment to implement educational reform?
Zhangsun Wuji: Are you insulting our Taizong?
Zhao Pu: The words about Wang Mang and Sima Yi were not mine. They were Xu Jingzong's judgment.]
Zhao Kuangyin wiped sweat from his brow and pulled Zhao Pu away from the stone table.
He knew this old minister's temperament all too well. He truly feared chaos would erupt.
After soothing him with a few words, Zhao Kuangyin placed the painting on the stone table, silently willed it, and watched as it vanished. Only then did he relax.
Seeing that the Tang group had fallen silent on the light screen, Zhao Kuangyin thought for a moment and took the initiative to write.
[Server Chat Log]
[Zhao Kuangyin: I wish to launch a northern expedition. Marquis Wu, do you have methods of commanding troops to teach me?
Li Shimin: How could the Martial Marquis' methods be taught lightly? I destroyed Tuyuhun just last month. I will teach you my generals and military tools. They will be enough to pacify the Khitan.
Li Shimin: Do you know of the Great Tang Divine Might Cannon?]