Just as Song Ci said, when someone in power makes a decision, those below scramble to comply. She wanted to establish a school, and having already initiated the process, as soon as the plans were outlined, the people got moving.
With the influence of the Prime Minister's Mansion there, whatever Old Lord Song Ci wanted to accomplish, the people below would give it their all, striving to do their best to satisfy the elderly lady, instead of just making a show to amuse her. Because Song Ci had already laid down the harsh words beforehand, her intended Charitable School didn't need extravagant materials; the most important thing was to be practical and withstand the test of time.
In short, she wanted the Charitable School to be simple and practical. No fancy but useless structures that would need repairs every other day were allowed, and there was to be no cutting corners. If such things were discovered, the whole family would be held accountable.
