Generals of the Great Song Dynasty.

Summary

This chapter describes a clash of educational philosophies between the Six Arts Academy, which advocates for a liberal arts education, and the traditional Confucian education of the Imperial Academy and the Four Great Academies. Emperor Zhao Zhen has gathered these two groups together for a contest, intending to stir up trouble. The Prime Minister, Jia Chang Chao, tries to argue against the contest, but Zhao Zhen insists. The two old ministers, Yan Shu and Bi Xia, speak up and directly point out the flaws in the current civil service system, arguing that officials need to have better mathematical and financial skills to govern effectively. Zhao Zhen is clearly dissatisfied with the current state of the imperial examination and the quality of the newly appointed officials, and he seeks to address this issue through the contest.

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