Chapter 1569: Meeting A Teacher
The study hall’s name was “Instruction”. A Sage once said that an instruction was the beginning of sapience.
This was why “Instruction” was viewed as enlightenment, initiation, and education in the eyes of Confucians and scholars. The fact that this study hall was named “Instruction” meant that it was a place for instructing and educating children.
Right now, fifty or so children were sitting in the study hall. There were both boys and girls.
Chu was more open-minded compared to most other countries, but it was still generally frowned upon for a woman to study literature, practice martial arts, or even reveal her face in public. That was why most schools in the realm forbade women from seeking education.
This was the state of things until the Chief Libationist took over the Jixia Academy and promoted the belief of education for everyone. He declared that all humans under the heavens were equal, and that their genders did not matter one whit. The Jixia Academy was the first school to set up a study hall for womenfolk and encourage women to educate themselves and achieve self-fulfillment.
This was why it wasn’t uncommon to find female students in the Jixia Academy. Over time, the residents of the imperial capital grew accustomed to this new custom and sent children of suitable age to the Jixia Academy to be educated irrespective of their gender.
Sitting at the head of the study hall was an old man with white hair and beard. He was wearing a thin Confucian shirt and a square hat. His hair was tied up using peach wood. He looked no different from your ordinary teacher or educator.
The man waiting outside the study hall knew that the ordinary-looking old man was anything but ordinary, however.
He was no different. He had low eyebrows and gentle-looking eyes. He was also wearing simple clothes weaved from coarse fabric. At first glance, he looked like a servant responsible for sweeping the courtyard. In reality, he was not.
In fact, every official in the capital from the highest to the lowest must treat him with respect. In the inner court, even the empress, the concubines, the princes and the children of the princes must treat him with respect as well.
It was because his name was Zhou Dongchao.
The Seal-holding Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial of Chu, Zhou Dongchao.