After resting for a bit at noon, Ouyang Shuo made a beeline for the primary market. He wanted to check how much the Dark-Gold Tailor's Toolkit he promised to give to Qing'er cost.
Entering the wooden hut, Shi Feng clicked on the Special Item Trading Platform's Other Item column and searched for the Tailor's Toolkit. There were quite a few, ranging from the lowest Bronze rank to Iron rank and Silver rank. Gold rank was much rarer, with less than ten sets available. As for the Dark-Gold Toolkit that Qing'er requested, there was only one. It hung alone in the search results, with no one interested.
When Ouyang Shuo saw the price, his complexion paled. Heavens! It cost 120 Gold Coins! He had never bought such an expensive item before. It couldn't be helped. He definitely couldn't afford it now. He could only wait a week before he could sell it.
Leaving the market resentfully, Ouyang Shuo prepared to continue his unfinished inspection trip. His second stop was to go to the weapons workshop. The Weapons Workshop was close to the barracks and was managed by the Advanced Blacksmith, Wang Zhuan.
Unlike the Intermediate Smithy managed by Li Tiezhu, the Weapons Workshop specialized in forging weapons for the military. It was not open to the public. Naturally, it was not privatized either.
If one were to compare the pros and cons of the two, one could only say that each had its own merits. After the Smithy was privatized, it would be responsible for its own profits and losses. With sufficient orders, the profits were very considerable. The fixed remuneration of the Weapons Workshop could not compare to the income.
The advantages of the Weapons Workshop were also obvious. There was an unlimited supply of iron ore. There was no need to worry about the cost. Moreover, the weapons forged were all advanced. The increase in Skill Proficiency was not something a Smithy could compare to. Hence, to the ambitious Blacksmiths, the Weapons Workshop was undoubtedly more attractive.
Wang Zhuan naturally belonged to the latter group. He was not old, not even thirty yet. Seeing Ouyang Shuo, he warmly welcomed him, smiling, "Sir, how come you have the time to visit the Weapons Workshop today?"
Wang Zhuan was undoubtedly confident. Facing a lord like Ouyang Shuo, his etiquette was considerate and not overly humble, and the scale was just right. On the other hand, Lu Guangzhi and Du Chun were like mice meeting a cat when they saw Ouyang Shuo.
Ouyang Shuo preferred such a relaxed atmosphere. Smiling, he said, "I have not visited the Weapons Workshop since it was established. How about it? Give me an introduction. "
Wang Zhuan nodded his head. While showing Ouyang Shuo around, he introduced, "The weapons workshop has only been in operation for a few days, so the personnel aren't in place yet. I plan to recruit four to five apprentices. Firstly, they can help with the odd jobs, and secondly, they can be considered as manpower for large-scale weapon forging in the future. "
"Hmm, you're right. Compared to other workshops, the workload of the weaponry workshop will be much heavier in the future, so we must make early preparations. "Ouyang Shuo said with relief. It seemed that choosing Wang Zhuan to manage the weapons workshop was the right decision. Not only was this Senior Blacksmith skilled, but his mind was also not simple.
"Currently, the workshop can only forge simple weapons such as iron swords, spears, and javelins. More complicated weapons and armors require relevant technical manuals," Wang Zhuan continued.
Ouyang Shuo nodded. The forging techniques of weapons and armors had always been highly classified by the government. Only by working in a workshop set up by the government would one be able to grasp the relevant technology. Once they entered the official workshop, they would not be able to leave easily for the sake of confidentiality.
Therefore, Ouyang Shuo wasn't surprised by Wang Zhuan's technical bottleneck. He smiled and said, "This matter can't be rushed. I already have a plan. I'll have results in two months at most. "
Wang Zhuan was delighted. "With your guarantee, I'm even more motivated. During this period of time, I must properly train the apprentices and make sufficient preparations."
Seeing Wang Zhuan's excited look, Ouyang Shuo chuckled. This guy was also a technical maniac. After visiting the weapons workshop, he didn't stay and directly left.
Ouyang Shuo chose Lian State Academy as his last stop. As for the elementary pottery factory, because it was built outside the village, he couldn't make it in the afternoon. He could only wait for the next time when he had time.
Lian State Academy was built next to a private school. It didn't cover a large area, only comparable to the Mazu Temple.
At the main entrance of the academy, there was a plaque inscribed by Fan Zhongyan. Originally, Fan Zhongyan wanted Ouyang Shuo to personally inscribe the name of the academy. However, as a modern person, Ouyang Shuo didn't dare to make a fool of himself, so he firmly rejected it. Most of the time, when it was time to hide one's incompetence, one had to hide it resolutely.
Under Ouyang Shuo's suggestion, the couplet at the entrance was chosen. It was written by Han Yu, one of the Eight Great Scholars of the Tang and Song Dynasties, "Diligence is the path to a mountain of books, and bitterness is the boat in the sea of learning."
The academy was divided into two courtyards. The front courtyard was where students attended classes. There were a total of four classrooms. In the middle of the courtyard, there were a few simple bamboos planted for students to rest. In the backyard, there was a special kitchen for students to eat. In addition, there were four bedrooms for the academy's teachers and their families to rest.
Because school hadn't started yet, the entire academy was extremely quiet. Not a single student could be seen in such a large academy. Ouyang Shuo stepped into the imposing main entrance, passed through the front hall, and went straight to the backyard.
Beside the small bamboo forest in the backyard, Mister Su Ze casually leaned against the bluestone, concentrating on reading an ancient scroll. He had a leisurely and contented appearance, and he had the demeanor of a hermit, causing Ouyang Shuo to be extremely envious.
Seeing that Mr. Su was engrossed in his reading, Ouyang Shuo didn't rashly go forward to disturb him. He quietly stood at the side and waited. Unexpectedly, an entire 20 minutes passed, and Mr. Su didn't have the slightest intention of moving. He could only helplessly cough on purpose to remind him of his existence.
Mr. Su raised his head and saw Ouyang Shuo. He unhurriedly closed the book and put it to the side. He got up and tidied up his attire. Only then did he unhurriedly bow and salute, "Su Ze greets Sir."
Ouyang Shuo nodded and said with a smile, "Is Sir used to living in the academy?"
"Thank you for the trouble, Sir. Su Ze likes it here very much. Far away from the clamor of the officialdom, being in this paradise, it's like my heart has broken free from the shackles. Far away from the fence, I've suddenly become much more at ease. "Su Ze replied with a smile.
"Sir, living like a wild crane and leisurely clouds really makes one envious." Ouyang Shuo gave a small compliment, and then said, "The academy will officially start classes tomorrow. Regarding tomorrow's arrangements, I wonder what Sir thinks?"
"With Mr. Sven's overall arrangements, it's naturally appropriate." Su Ze said indifferently.
Ouyang Shuo nodded. It seemed that Mr. Su was determined to stay away from the officialdom. Towards his repeated probing, Mr. Su avoided all of them and wasn't moved at all. Since that was the case, after chatting for a while, Ouyang Shuo took the opportunity to leave.
The next morning, Ouyang Shuo came to Lianzhou Academy again to participate in the opening ceremony of the first session.
The ceremony was set up in the largest classroom in the front yard. On the rostrum, Ouyang Shuo, Fan Zhongyan, Cui Yingyou, Su Ze, and Gu Xiuwen sat in order.
Below the stage, the first batch of students sat upright. Among the students, there were old students like Zhao Youfang and Zhang Daniu who had already graduated from the adult literacy class. There were also new students who were enrolled for the first time. Among the new students, there were mainly two types. The first type was the basic staff who had already been hired by the various departments and offices. The other type was the villagers who took the initiative to sign up after seeing the enrollment brochure.
The ceremony was hosted by Fan Zhongyan. In his opening remarks, he elaborated in detail on the purpose and philosophy of running Lianzhou Academy. He clarified the various rules and regulations and management methods of the academy, and emphasized the management requirements of the students.
"I know that most of you present here are paid students and bear heavy responsibilities. While completing your studies, you also have to do your job well. It's very tiring. However, what I want to say is, the moment you step into the academy, you must forget your identity and your position. No matter who you are, no matter what your position is, as long as you come to the academy, you only have one identity. That is, an ordinary student of Lianzhou Academy. Learning is your only task in the academy. In the academy, it is strictly forbidden to form cliques, and you are not allowed to use your position to order other students around. You must learn to respect your teachers, and it is strictly forbidden to disrespect your teachers. Once found, you will be expelled immediately. "Fan Zhongyan's wording was very strict.
After Fan Zhongyan finished his speech, the lecturers of each class took turns to speak. In addition to the Political Affairs Advanced Course, Cui Yingyou was in charge of the Mathematics Advanced Course, Su Ze was in charge of the Classics Advanced Course, and Ouyang Shuo was in charge of the Judicial Literacy Course.
Gu Xiuwen was appointed as the temporary teacher, which was equivalent to the modern teaching director. He was in charge of the daily teaching activities and the supervision and management of the students' discipline.
After the lecturers finished, Zhao Youfang, who was chosen as the student representative, began to speak. The reason why Zhao Youfang was chosen was not because Ouyang Shuo was biased. It was because Zhao Youfang had won the graduation exam of the Adult Literacy Course, so he was chosen as the outstanding student representative.
Zhao Youfang came prepared. He took out a speech script from his pocket and began to speak. "Teachers, fellow students, hello everyone! I am Zhao Youfang, and I am fortunate enough to be chosen as the student representative. Seeing such a grand scene today, I can't help but recall what Sir taught us ten days ago in the adult literacy class in the private school. "
"At that time, I, Zhao Youfang, was illiterate and illiterate. The Adult Literacy Course taught us that power equals responsibility. If we want to go further, we must lay a solid foundation. Ten days have passed, and after the baptism of the Adult Literacy Course, I can now write this speech script with the help of Master Fan. In the past, this would have been unimaginable, but now I have done it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that a peasant like me would one day write my own speech script. I am very fortunate to be able to sit here once again and listen to the Adult Literacy Course's teachings. My speech is over. Thank you, everyone! "
Enthusiastic applause sounded. Even Ouyang Shuo did not think that this beloved general could write such a touching speech. The boy was worth teaching.
Ouyang Shuo made a simple conclusion, and the opening ceremony came to an end.
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