Chapter 55 Palace Academy Quotas

However, Lord Niu himself was adept at offering toasts.

This was precisely why Chinese technology fell behind in the modern era.

Knowing how to handle practical matters was inferior to knowing how to grease the wheels; possessing a genius for invention and creation was inferior to being skilled in flattery and bootlicking.

Yet, this did not mean that He Chong'an’s path was entirely wrong.

Because the development of productive forces brought about an increase in social resources, and He Chong'an found it easier to extract benefits from this growth in social resources, his approach was, in a sense, correct.

The mighty torrent of history would never step aside for anyone's private family interests.

Without the benefits brought by his invention of the honeycomb briquette stove, He Chong'an could never have won the full support of the He family. Without the full support of the He family, he would never have been able to draw the Zheng family into the fold.

And he would never have had the opportunity to spark a political struggle and stand directly before the Emperor.

The underlying principle was faultless. The flaw lay entirely in the execution.

"In this era, any interest or benefit must be escorted and protected by power. Meanwhile, power itself requires the material strength brought by the development of productive forces to sustain it."

"This is the mutual interaction between relations of production and productive forces."

"The two are fundamentally two sides of the same coin."

"The so-called dual approach requires a firm grip on both fronts."

"Yet how should one grasp them? How to remain firm? Where does one even begin?"

After turning these thoughts over in his mind for quite a while, He Chong'an finally reached a conclusion: "No matter what, I must become an official."

Becoming an official and entering the official system of the Great Xia was the sole pathway to attaining power in this era.

But how on earth did one become an official?

Through the imperial examinations? Hereditary privilege? Or something else entirely?

This required careful deliberation on He Chong'an's part.

Lost in these thoughts, He Chong'an drifted to sleep very late.

Early the next morning, the Zheng family sent someone to summon him.

He Chong'an set out for their estate immediately.

A youth of seventeen or eighteen years old escorted him into the mansion, introducing himself as Zheng Bangji.

He Chong'an knew this was the seventh young master of the Zheng family.

This was the traditional courtesy extended by distinguished and influential clans when receiving guests. When He Chong'an had visited previously, only the Zheng family steward had come out to greet him.

Zheng Bangcheng had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing He Chong'an approach, he walked out to welcome him, saying, "Chong'an, you've finally arrived." He then led He Chong'an into the study to talk.

Zheng Bangji accompanied them as a host.

Zheng Bangcheng spoke up first: "I have already been to the Privy Council. All the case files regarding the Western Sea have been sealed. Matters concerning the Western Sea are entirely up to me now. Chong'an, how do you wish to handle this?"

He Chong'an asked, "Can my father be transferred back?"

"Impossible." Zheng Bangcheng shook his head. "There is something you do not yet know, though you will find out soon enough. The Marquis of Wuning has won a major victory in the Western Sea. The consensus between His Majesty and the grand secretaries is that it is best the Marquis of Wuning remain right where he is."

Although a thorough investigation had yet to be conducted, the general picture was already clear.

The Western Sea was a hopeless mess—that was already the consensus among many.

It was simply a matter of just how ruined things actually were.

No one was willing to take on this wretched mess, and even if they did, they might not be able to handle it.

Although the Marquis of Wuning's estate was facing immense difficulties, in the eyes of many at the Great Xia court, they had no choice but to let the Marquis of Wuning continue to suffer through it.

"However, please rest assured. Starting next year, the military budget for the Western Sea will be re-negotiated. I guarantee your family will not be shortchanged."

He Chong'an thought to himself, "This outcome should at least make things a bit easier for my makeshift father in the Western Sea."

His feelings toward the Marquis of Wuning were quite complicated.

He now understood what kind of person Lady He was and knew how to get along with her. But toward this nominal father of his, he still felt a degree of apprehension.

Zheng Bangcheng assumed He Chong'an was harboring resentment.

This time, the He family had gone all out, staking almost everything they had just to pressure the Duke of Ning's estate and secure his entry into the Privy Council, bringing immeasurable benefits to the Zheng family. What the He family wanted most was to extricate themselves from the Western Sea, yet he had been unable to deliver on that front.

It was a rather ungracious outcome.

Without proper compensation, who would be willing to work for the Zheng family in the future?

He hurriedly added, "Are you familiar with the Imperial Academy?"

He Chong'an replied, "Naturally, I am."

The Imperial Academy, also known as the Xian'ang Palace School, was located within the Western Flowery Gate. Originally the residence of imperial concubines during the Ming dynasty, it had later been abandoned and converted into a school for the nobility and imperial guards.

The educational system of the Palace School directly corresponded to the imperial guard system.

Since imperial bodyguards held such a crucial place in the court's institutional design, how should these guards be promoted? And once these guards were sent out on external assignments, how could they ensure tasks were executed properly?

Thus, the Palace School was established.

The Palace School enrolled over a hundred students each year. The curriculum focused primarily on practical learning: water conservancy, accounting, criminal investigation, martial arts, protection details, and the like.

Upon graduating from the Palace School, the most exceptional students were selected to serve as personal bodyguards before the Emperor. The rest typically took up posts in the military, the Imperial Household Department, and other such offices.

"I have secured a quota for you, Chong'an."

He Chong'an was overjoyed; it was precisely the pillow he needed the moment he felt drowsy.

For aristocratic and noble families, entering officialdom was not limited to a single path, though the safest route was inheriting a title of nobility. For heirs who inherited titles, the court provided a dedicated training pipeline, and the political resources of a marquis's estate naturally leaned in that direction.

As for the other offspring of noble families, they could certainly find placements in the military, but that would merely land them a minor official post, leaving their future advancement entirely dependent on their own efforts.

During the reigns of the Taizu and Taizong emperors, it was not uncommon for younger sons of noble households to carve out titles for themselves in the military. Alas, by the eras of Ming and Xuan, the realm had stabilized, and such opportunities vanished forever.

A quota for the Palace School meant a direct path to serving right beside the Emperor as an imperial bodyguard. Such a meteoric rise was naturally coveted by countless people, being an exclusive pathway accessible only to top-tier nobility.

Even the Marquis of Wuning's estate had found it difficult to muscle in.

Yet now, just as He Chong'an was eager to become an official, this opportunity had fallen right into his lap like a pillow dropped to a sleepy man.

How could he not be thrilled?

"Many thanks, Uncle Zheng." He Chong'an rose and bowed deeply.

With this quota secured, his bitter fight on behalf of the Zheng family had been more than worthwhile.

Zheng Bangcheng smiled and said, "Having spent many years before the Emperor, I still have plenty of old subordinates in the palace. Once you graduate from the Palace School, I will arrange for you to enter service directly before the throne. From now on, the Zheng and He families will support one another."

"Please rest assured, Uncle Zheng. From this day forward, the Marquis of Wuning's estate shall follow the lead of the Prince of Nanhai in all things," He Chong'an declared.

"Will the Marquis of Wuning agree to this as well?" Zheng Bangcheng looked intently at He Chong'an.

A general's greatest asset was victory on the battlefield.

While the Marquis of Wuning's defense of the Western Sea had previously gone unnoticed, He Chong'an had dragged the matter out into the open before the Emperor. Once His Majesty took notice, all factions naturally began to study the situation in detail.

The Zheng family had immediately recognized the true value of the Marquis of Wuning.

After all, the Zheng family was the faction that had clashed the most with the Western barbarians.

They understood the true strength of the Western barbarians better than anyone. No matter how much they looked down upon the Westerners, they had to admit that the barbarians possessed genuine prowess on the battlefield, especially in naval warfare—the Nanhai Naval Fleet was modeled one-for-one on the Westerners' sailing ships of the line, and even employed numerous Western officers within its ranks.

Since the Marquis of Wuning had repeatedly clashed with small detachments of Westerners without losing the upper hand and had even scored a major victory, the value of the Marquis of Wuning's estate had fundamentally changed.

Previously, the Zheng family's courtship of the He family had been driven merely by the He family's influence in the capital, viewing them as a wedge the Zheng family could drive into the capital's nobility.

Moreover, the Marquis of Wuning himself now possessed independent value.

However, the previous cooperation between the Zheng and He families lacked the personal consent of the Marquis himself.

He needed to confirm this point.