I founded a heavy industry group in the late Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 142 Using the treatment of suicide soldiers to support students

Chapter 142 Using the treatment of suicide soldiers to support students

Chapter 141 The current Chen Ying is not the same Chen Ying as before. He now possesses substantial capital and could easily establish his own Lanxiang Technology Academy. His biggest constraint is the availability of qualified teachers. The Ming Dynasty is unlike later generations, which suffer from a severe talent surplus. In 2000, vocational school graduates were considered highly educated professionals in state-owned enterprises. Later, a bachelor's degree was merely an entry-level qualification; many graduates from top-tier universities entered the livestreaming and e-commerce sectors, their years of hard work going to waste.

The problem is that the Ming Dynasty is currently facing a shortage of talent, and it is also severely unbalanced in its education. There is no shortage of teachers in schools that teach reading and writing or train students for the imperial examinations. A large number of unsuccessful candidates, even those who passed the provincial examinations, can be hired as teachers. However, the number of people with research talent is very limited.

Chen Ying's Lanxiang Technology Academy is equivalent to a university in later times. It does not teach basic theoretical knowledge and does not conduct external examinations for the time being. His plan is to make it similar to a military academy. First of all, students need to perform well and make contributions in the workshops. They are recommended by the managers, general managers, and master craftsmen of each workshop.

After passing the exam and undergoing a one- or even three-year training program, graduates can obtain the待遇 (treatment/benefits) of a ninth-rank manager.

The Ming Dynasty still adheres to the ideology of prioritizing officialdom. No matter what you do, nothing is better than becoming an official. Therefore, he must rely on the attraction of officialdom to first build Lanxiang Technology College into the Whampoa Military Academy of craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty. Through early training, he can improve the value of Lanxiang Technology College.

Besides Lanxiang Vocational College, Chen Ying also planned to establish sixteen schools, similar to Shahe School, which would enroll the children of ordinary military households and artisans, starting at age eight and undergoing four years of basic education, primarily focusing on literacy.

Arithmetic, ideological education.

Chen Ying did not immediately begin universal education; he didn't have that much funding. After four years of basic education, once they turned twelve and could write and calculate, they were immediately transferred to extracurricular classes. Those students over twelve years old began to receive accelerated education according to their interests and personal opinions.

The curriculum was designed to allow students to learn skills such as cooking, carpentry, carving, blacksmithing, and mining based on their own interests. To put it bluntly, the sixteen schools were there to provide literacy education and were only meant to offer four years of education.

They had to learn to write and do arithmetic within four years, and then learn a skill within a year. After the age of thirteen, they had to leave school and make a living on their own. Of course, now Chen Ying had too many workshops, so they didn't need to find their own jobs. They could be assigned to various workshops as apprentices as needed, and they could receive wages to support their families.

The problem is that children who are only twelve or thirteen years old can only receive accelerated education. Depending on their individual talents, if they learn quickly enough, they can be admitted to Lanxiang Vocational College for higher education. Children who are only seven or eight years old can study various subjects. They will receive a very systematic education in literature, mathematics, geometry, physics, chemistry, and so on.

For the first four years, everyone has an equal opportunity. After that, an elimination system is implemented, with an exam held every year. Those who fail are eliminated, while those with excellent grades continue their studies. This elimination process continues until only a small number of highly qualified but exceptional talents remain.

This is undoubtedly very expensive, with a very long payback period, and there is no guarantee of a return. However, Chen Ying still decided to go all out. The Ming Dynasty has already begun to fall behind the West. If it does not catch up quickly, it will not be long before the Ming Dynasty is far behind the West. At that time, it will take many generations of effort to catch up again.

In Chen Ying's study, the large rosewood desk was covered with blueprints and documents. Wang Wende, Cheng Jiashi, Xu Guangqi, and others sat around it, each with a cup of hot tea in front of them, but none of them were in the mood to drink it. They had just finished reading Chen Ying's thick "Outline of the Daning Education Plan," and their brows were furrowed, their expressions complex.

"Lord Chen,"

Wang Wende put down his manuscript, carefully choosing his words, and said, "This plan of yours, I have seen, is indeed grand. Sixteen schools and one Lanxiang Vocational College, teaching from eight years old to eighteen. Over ten years, how much silver will be spent just on food, clothing, paper, ink, and brushes?"

Chen Ying leaned back in his chair and smiled faintly: "Chief Wang, have you calculated it?"

Wang Wende smiled wryly and said, "I've done a rough calculation. Sixteen schools, each with 300 students, that's 4,800 people. Each person's food, clothing, lodging, paper, ink, and writing materials would cost at least twenty taels a year, which is nearly 100,000 taels a year. Over ten years, that's one million taels. And that doesn't even include the expenses of Lanxiang Academy, the teachers' salaries, or the construction of school buildings. Sir, where will you get this money?"

Chen Ying picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip: "Chief Wang, you only calculated the expenses, not the income."

"Income?" Wang Wende was taken aback.

"These students weren't raised for nothing."

Chen Ying put down his teacup, his gaze deep. "They've learned skills, and in the future they'll be working in workshops, factories, banks, and businesses. The value they create far exceeds the cost of training them. That's called human capital."

Wang Wende and Cheng Jiashi exchanged a glance, neither of them quite understanding.

Xu Guangqi nodded thoughtfully: "Lord Chen is right. Training a craftsman may seem expensive, but the value that craftsman creates in his lifetime is dozens or even hundreds of times the cost of training. We can't just look at the immediate cost."

Chen Ying smiled and said, "Lord Xu understands immediately."

Wang Wende was still somewhat worried: "Sir, I have another concern. These students have spent ten years learning their skills. What if they are poached by other businesses after graduation? Wouldn't all our efforts have been in vain?"

Cheng Jiashi chimed in, "Yes, sir. In Huizhou, there are quite a few apprentices who, after three years of hard work teaching them, run away to work for others. It's not uncommon for this to happen."

Chen Ying looked at them and suddenly laughed: "Chief Wang, Mr. Cheng, do you think that the students trained by Lanxiang Academy are the same as the apprentices from Huizhou?"

Wang Wende was taken aback.

Chen Ying stood up, walked to the window, and said with his back to them, "Apprentices in Huizhou learn a trade. Blacksmiths, carpenters, bricklayers—once they've mastered their skills, they can work anywhere. But students at Lanxiang Academy learn more than just a trade. They can read, do math, understand geometry, and know chemistry. They can read blueprints, operate machines, and manage workshops. They are skilled professionals, not just ordinary craftsmen. How many people like that do you have in Huizhou?"

Wang Wende fell silent. He had to admit that Chen Ying was right. No matter how skilled the craftsmen of Huizhou were, they were still just craftsmen.

They are illiterate, can't do math, can't read blueprints, and can't manage people. But the students at Lanxiang Academy are different; they are trained as "managers" and "technical backbones."

"So," Chen Ying continued, "after they graduate, they don't become apprentices, they become foremen, masters, and engineers. Their wages aren't just a few taels of silver, but tens or even hundreds of taels. Do you think such people would be poached by other companies?"

Cheng Jiashi couldn't help but say, "But what if someone offers a higher price—"

"Then let him pay," Chen Ying smiled. "Mr. Cheng, you've been in business your whole life; you should know that talent has value. How much silver is a foreman who can manage a hundred workshops worth? How much silver is an engineer who can read blueprints and improve processes worth? As long as we offer a high enough price, no one else can poach us. Therefore, I've included a special chapter on talent compensation in this plan." Graduates of Lanxiang Academy start as at least as ninth-rank foremen—this is the compensation my Great Ning Commandery can offer them. Tell me, in the world, besides myself, who else can offer them this treatment? Why give up a ninth-rank official position to become an ordinary craftsman or a merchant? Moreover, besides their base salary, they also receive bonuses and workshop profits. Outstanding individuals can be promoted to eighth, seventh, or sixth rank, with a monthly salary of several dozen taels of silver, plus shares. How many companies in the world can afford such compensation?

Wang Wende and Cheng Jiashi exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. They suddenly realized that Chen Ying wasn't running a school; he was raising assassins.

Cultivate a group of loyal followers who are devoted to Daning, Chen Ying, and technology.

"My lord," Wang Wende stood up and bowed deeply, "this humble subject is utterly convinced. Your vision and breadth of understanding are beyond my reach."

.

Chen Ying helped him up and said with a smile, "Chief Wang, please don't flatter me. I just think that talent, like money, needs to circulate to generate wealth. The problem with retaining talent isn't the people themselves, but their compensation. If the compensation is right, people will naturally stay. Loyalty is mutual. You treat people well, and they will treat you well. If you treat people like beasts of burden, why would they risk their lives for you?"

Xu Guangqi sighed, "Lord Chen, what you said is very insightful. It's a pity that those officials in the court don't understand this principle."

Chen Ying shook his head: "It's not that I don't understand, it's that I don't want to understand. In their eyes, the common people are just weeds, and craftsmen are just tools. When the weeds wither, new ones grow; when the tools break, they're replaced. They don't care about people, they only care about their own official hats. Therefore, I want to establish my own schools and train my own people. When these people grow up, there will be hope for the Ming Dynasty."

Wang Wende, Cheng Jiashi, and Xu Guangqi all nodded in agreement.

In the days that followed, the Daning Education Plan began to be fully implemented.

Sixteen schools were established simultaneously. Site selection, land acquisition, building construction, purchasing teaching materials, and recruiting teachers were all carried out concurrently. Chen Ying drew a large number of capable personnel from Shahewei, Daningjun, and Chenji Trading Company to supervise the construction in various locations. Wang Wende and Cheng Jiashi also dispatched experienced managers from Huizhou merchants to assist in purchasing supplies and managing accounts.

The site for Lanxiang Technology College was chosen on a high ground in the eastern suburbs of Yongming City. The terrain was flat, close to the port, and easily accessible. Chen Ying personally designed the layout of the college, complete with teaching buildings, laboratory buildings, dormitories, a canteen, and a playground. He also specifically designated an area for the research institute.

"A library will be built here in the future."

Chen Ying pointed to a blank space on the blueprint and said to Cheng Jiashi beside him, "A million books. I want Lanxiang students to be able to see the world's knowledge without leaving the school."

Cheng Jiashi nodded repeatedly, but inwardly he was amazed. A million books, how much money would that cost? This Chen Boying is really generous.

The teaching staff was also being assembled at a rapid pace. Chen Ying selected a group of experienced and highly skilled craftsmen from the workshops of Shahewei to serve as technical instructors at Lanxiang Academy. He also drew upon experienced scholars and graduates from the garrison schools of Xingzhou Wutunwei and Shuntianfu Zhuozhouwei to serve as instructors for basic courses. Xu Guangqi invited several missionaries from Macau who were well-versed in Western learning to serve as visiting professors of mathematics, geometry, physics, and chemistry.

"Can these foreign devils really be taught well?" Wang Wende looked at the missionaries with high noses and deep-set eyes with some doubt.

Chen Ying smiled: "Chief Wang, don't underestimate them. In some aspects, European knowledge is indeed superior to ours."

What we need to learn are their strengths.

Wang Wende shook his head and said no more.

After the teaching staff was assembled, Chen Ying did not have them start classes immediately. He gathered everyone in a large classroom in Shahewei and personally gave them a "training session".

"Gentlemen," Chen Ying stood on the platform, looking at the familiar and unfamiliar faces below, "you are all teachers carefully selected by me. Among you are blacksmiths, carpenters, scholars, successful candidates in the imperial examinations, and even missionaries who have come from Europe. You come from all corners of the world and are skilled in different fields, but today you share a common identity: instructors of the Da Ning Military Command. If you successfully pass the review, I will grant you the official position of a ninth-rank instructor or academic director. There is only one requirement for you: teach your students what you know. If you can't teach, it's not because the students are stupid, but because you don't know how to teach. Therefore, before you teach your students, you must first learn how to teach yourselves."

A murmur arose from the audience.

Chen Ying raised his hand to lower his voice and continued, "I have invited a special teacher for you, Lord Xu Guangqi. Lord Xu is well-versed in Western learning and also familiar with Chinese learning. He will teach you how to explain complex knowledge in a simple, clear, and interesting way."

Xu Guangqi stood up and cupped his hands in greeting to everyone: "This humble official is not talented, but I am willing to learn from you all."

Chen Ying added, "Furthermore, I have set a few rules for you. First, no secrets. You must teach everything you know, without holding back. Second, no discrimination. Regardless of a student's social status or talent, everyone must be treated equally. Anyone who breaks these rules, I will recognize, but my sword will not."

The crowd below stood at attention, responding in unison, "Yes, sir!"

The training lasted for a full month. Xu Guangqi taught them how to prepare lessons, how to deliver lectures, how to design lesson plans, and how to grade assignments. At first, the veteran craftsmen were a little unaccustomed to it, but gradually, they found that breaking down complex techniques into simple steps and teaching them to students step by step was more fulfilling than working on the projects themselves.

At the end of the training, Chen Ying personally presented each instructor with a letter of appointment. The letter read: "This is to appoint so-and-so as the head of the school of the XX Guard of the Da Ning Commandery, for a term of three years, with a rank of XXth grade and a monthly salary of X amount." The letter was stamped with the bright red seal of the Da Ning Commandery.

The old craftsmen and scholars held the appointment letters, their hands trembling. They had never dreamed in their lives that they could become officials, even academic officials were still officials.

Standing on the city wall of Shahewei, Chen Ying looked at the construction sites of the sixteen garrison schools and Lanxiang Academy in the distance, and a feeling he couldn't quite describe welled up in his heart.

Song Yanniang walked to his side and whispered, "Husband, is it worth it for you to spend so much money on education?"

Chen Ying turned around and looked at her: "Yan Niang, do you know what the Ming Dynasty lacks most?"

37

Song Yanniang shook her head.

"It's not silver, it's not food, it's not weapons."

Chen Ying spoke slowly and deliberately, "They are talented people. They are people who can read, do math, use their brains, and build things. With talented people, we will have silver, we will have grain, we will have weapons. Without talented people, we will have nothing. I am establishing schools not for myself, but for the future of the Ming Dynasty. Ten years from now, twenty years from now, when these children grow up and become the craftsmen, engineers, and scientists of the Ming Dynasty, then who will dare to bully us?"

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