Any Song Dynasty official with half a brain placed great importance on the development of education and culture. One of a local official's chief achievements lay in founding and building schools.
First, the dynasty governed through civil culture, valuing literature over martial affairs. Second, students cultivated locally might rise to office someday, creating a valuable bond of patronage.
Thus, whenever local conditions permitted, the officials in charge would invest at least some funds into the construction and development of local schools and academies.
A great figure like Fan Zhongyan naturally enjoyed promoting younger generations and cultivating talent for the nation. The support he was giving Wang Yan now came from the same principle.
Therefore, after Fan Zhongyan took office in Hangzhou and familiarized himself with the prefecture's affairs, educational construction became one of the items in the development plan he set for his term.
Fan Chunren was a filial son, but he did not spare Fan Zhongyan any worry. He had placed third in the palace examination and earned his jinshi degree, yet he was unwilling to become an official. Fan Zhongyan did not want to see him doing nothing proper while spending his days socializing with other scholars, so he made Fan Chunren an instructor at Hangzhou Academy. Teaching the students, managing the academy, and honing his overall abilities would all do him good. Besides, an academy instructor was not an official post, so there was no taboo involved. The old father had truly worried himself sick over his son.
A week was more than enough time for the news to spread.
So when Fan Chunren brought Wang Yan into the academy, the place was packed as never before. More than a thousand scholars from Qiantang River and nearby areas had crowded into the academy. Some were fifteen or