From cute to empress

Chapter 102 The Dawn of Education Reform

Flames shot up into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and the bodies of the men in black gradually turned to ash. My heart, like the flames, remained restless for a long time. Who could possibly hate the educational reforms I've promoted so much that they were determined to nip them in the bud at all costs?

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Zhen Youcai looked at me worriedly, his armor still stained with traces of battle.

I shook my head, trying to suppress my inner anxiety. "I'm fine. It's just that those men in black..."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I have already sent people to investigate this matter thoroughly. I believe there will be results soon."

"Yes." I nodded, my eyes fixed on the newly completed school in the distance. On the tall plaque, the words "Royal School" gleamed brightly in the sun.

Zhen Youcai and I poured countless efforts into this institution. From the initial design drawings to the brick-by-brick construction, we personally took care of every detail. To break free from the old educational system, we pioneered entirely new disciplines, recruited talented individuals from all walks of life, and admitted students with an eclectic approach.

However, the road to reform has never been smooth. From the initial doubts and opposition to the subsequent assassinations and sabotage, every obstacle was like a huge rock standing in our way.

"Your Majesty, look!" Zhen Youcai suddenly pointed in the direction of the academy and said.

I followed his gaze and saw a group of students in school uniforms walking towards us. The one walking in front was Lin Jijiu.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!" Lin Jijiu saluted me, a trace of guilt on his face. "Before, I was stupid and obstructed Your Majesty's reform plan. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

I smiled faintly, "Mr. Lin, you are too kind. I hope you can understand my painstaking efforts."

"Your Majesty, these are all students who graduated from the academy. They are all outstanding in their respective fields." Lin Jijiu pointed at the students behind him, his tone full of pride.

Looking at these energetic young people, my heart is filled with hope. Some of them come from humble backgrounds, some from prestigious families, but they all have one thing in common: a thirst for knowledge and a vision for the future.

"Fellow students, today you graduate from the Imperial Academy. I hope you will remember the oath you took today and serve the country and the people!"

"Serve the country and benefit the people!" The students shouted in unison, their voices resounding through the sky.

I looked at them with a heart full of joy. The seeds of educational reform have been sown, and I believe that in the near future, they will bloom into the most beautiful flowers and bear the most abundant fruits.

"Your Majesty, look, Master Wang and Scholar Sun..." Zhen Youcai suddenly pointed toward the entrance of the academy, a hint of confusion in his tone. Following Zhen Youcai's gaze, I saw Master Wang and Scholar Sun standing at the entrance, surrounded by a group of students, engaged in a lively discussion. Master Wang, nearly sixty years old, was energetic. He held a scroll in his hands and was eloquently explaining it to the students. Scholar Sun added, "He is a man of great learning, always able to explain complex concepts in simple and understandable terms."

"Master Wang is truly tireless in teaching. I heard he often works all night long to compile textbooks."

"Yes, Mr. Sun is no ordinary person. He invented a new calculation method to help students better understand mathematics. I heard it is easier to learn than the previous one."

"That's right, I heard..."

The people around were talking about it, their tone full of admiration.

I signaled to Zhen Youcai not to say anything, and we quietly walked closer to listen to what they were discussing.

"The educational reforms implemented by Your Majesty are truly of immeasurable merit! Back then, how could we, students from poor families, have the opportunity to be exposed to such exquisite knowledge?" A student in a blue shirt sighed.

"Yes, now we can not only enroll for free, but also receive careful instruction from the teachers. We are so lucky!" another student echoed.

"You must not let His Majesty down. You must study hard, serve the court in the future, and benefit the people!" Master Wang said earnestly.

"Don't worry, sir, we will definitely work hard!" the students said in unison.

As I watched this scene unfold, my heart was filled with joy. The seeds of educational reform had finally blossomed into the flowers of hope.

At that moment, I spotted a familiar figure in the crowd—Xuezi Zhao. He was once a poor cowherd, but thanks to my educational reforms, he had the opportunity to study at the Imperial Academy. Today, he's one of the academy's top students. I heard he'd won the top spot in this year's imperial examination and is about to enter the imperial court.

"Mr. Zhao, congratulations!" I walked towards him with a smile.

"Your Majesty!" When Mr. Zhao saw me, he immediately knelt down and saluted.

"Hurry up and get up." I helped him up and asked, "I heard that you were the top scorer in the imperial examination and will soon be an official in the court. Is that true?"

"Your Majesty, this is indeed the case." Mr. Zhao replied respectfully.

"Very good." I nodded, patted his shoulder, and said, "I believe you will be able to become a pillar of the country."

Zhao Xuezi knelt down excitedly and kowtowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty! I will live up to your expectations and serve the country and the people!"

I look at Zhao Xuezi with anticipation. I believe there will be many more talented people like him in the future.

"Your Majesty, look..." Zhen Youcai suddenly pulled my sleeve and motioned me to look in another direction.

I turned and saw Princess Zhou walking out of the academy, chatting and laughing with a few female students. She was wearing a light blue skirt, her long black hair tied up with a simple white jade hairpin, looking fresh and refined.

I remember her. In order to be able to study at the Royal Academy, she defied all odds and even turned against her family. Now, she has become one of the most outstanding female students in the Royal Academy. Her talent and courage have won the respect of everyone.

I was just about to go over and say hello to her when I suddenly heard a female student next to her say, "Princess, I heard that His Majesty and the Empress are coming to inspect the academy. Should we..."

Before she could finish her words, Princess Zhou interrupted her with a smile: "Shh! Don't talk nonsense, be careful..."

Princess Zhou was interrupted by the female student beside her before she finished her words: "Princess, I heard that His Majesty and the Queen are coming to inspect the academy. Should we..."

I saw Princess Zhou wink playfully and deliberately lower her voice and say, "Shh! Don't talk nonsense, be careful, there are ears on the other side of the wall..."

Looking at their youthful faces, Zhen Youcai and I smiled at each other and did not show up to disturb them.

"It seems that our education reform has achieved remarkable results." Zhen Youcai said softly, his tone full of pride.

I nodded gently, feeling relieved. Isn't this vibrant scene exactly what we had hoped for?

Over the years, we have devoted countless efforts to ensuring that more children, regardless of their background, have equal access to education. Now, seeing them swimming freely in the ocean of knowledge, their faces filled with confident smiles, I feel that it was all worth it.

"Your Majesty, look, that is..." Zhen Youcai said, pointing to a group of children not far away.

I followed his gaze and saw a group of children gathered around a young teacher, listening intently to his explanation of arithmetic. Their faces were filled with a thirst for knowledge, and their clear eyes sparkled with longing for the future.

"Education is the foundation of a country's strength. Only by allowing more children to acquire knowledge can they have the power to change their destiny and the country can become truly strong." I sighed, and secretly made up my mind to carry out educational reform to the end so that more people can benefit from it.

However, just as we were about to leave the academy to further discuss the next reform plan, a guard hurried over with a letter in his hand.

"Your Majesty, urgent news from the border!"

My heart tightened as I took the letter and quickly read through it. The contents of the letter made me frown and my heart was in turmoil.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Zhen Youcai asked with concern when he saw that I looked strange.

I took a deep breath, handed him the letter in my hand, and said word by word, "This is... a letter of peace from the enemy country."

Zhen Youcai took the letter, his expression growing increasingly serious. The enemy had repeatedly invaded, yet now they were suddenly seeking peace. There must be something fishy going on.

"Your Majesty, this peace request is untrustworthy!" Zhen Youcai said in a deep voice, "They have wicked ambitions. This request for peace is probably just a delaying tactic."

I understand this. Over the years, we have diligently governed our nation, growing ever stronger, and have long been a thorn in the enemy's side. This request for peace is likely a temporary measure after they realized they couldn't win on the front lines.

"I understand." I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. "It's just that we're implementing educational reforms right now, and there's so much to be done. If war breaks out again..."

"Your Majesty! Don't you forget that the purpose of education reform is to make our country stronger?" Zhen Youcai's eyes were bright and his tone was firm. "Now that we have trained so many talents, it is time for them to serve the country!"

His words jarred me. Yes, how could I have forgotten my original intention? Education reform is about empowering more people to change their destiny, about strengthening our nation, not about cowering in the face of powerful enemies!

I raised my head, my eyes determined. "Pass the order down and summon the ministers to hold a court meeting tomorrow morning!"

On the second morning, the atmosphere in the Golden Palace was extremely solemn.

"My dear ministers, what do you think about the enemy country's request for peace?" I sat on the dragon throne and glanced at the ministers below.

"Your Majesty, I believe this must be a fraud! You must not believe it!" The Minister of War was the first to stand up and said passionately.

"I second the motion! The enemy nation has wicked ambitions. Their current request for peace is merely a delaying tactic. When they return, it will be our utter destruction!"

The ministers were outraged and expressed their opposition to seeking peace.

I took in everyone's reactions, but I had other plans in mind.

"Your Majesty..." Lin Jijiu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stepped out of the queue and bowed to me. "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

"Lord Lin, please speak."

"Your Majesty, I believe that the enemy country's request for peace this time may not be without sincerity..." As soon as Lin Jijiu finished speaking, there was an uproar in the Golden Palace.