[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-han":3,"chapter-overthrowing-han-overthrowing-han-chapter-198":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing Han",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1222957,1620,"Chapter 198","overthrowing-han-chapter-198",198,"\u003Cp>Three days later, in the morning, Liu Yan arrived in Handan for the second time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he had made thorough preparations. He arrived a day early at the Wei family estate south of the city, where he had a long talk with Wei Song, Gongsun Xun's entrusted agent. Only this morning did he enter Handan city in full ceremonial regalia, imposing and majestic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, the arrival of this Inspector of Jizhou seemed to add icing on the cake to the already bustling Handan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, in this era the Son of Heaven virtually never made imperial tours, and local senior officials could not leave their posts without cause. So even for a great city like Handan, the highest official it might ever welcome was a provincial inspector.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, compared to the common people of Handan, the ones more astonished were Liu Yan himself and his provincial retinue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi,\" before the gates of the Public Academy, Liu Yan had just stepped down from his carriage when he could not help pointing at the towering library and asking earnestly, \"In just a few short months, I won't ask you how you raised a tall building from flat ground. Just tell me, does this place truly hold a hundred thousand scrolls, as the rumors say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord jests,\" Gongsun Xun, who had brought a group to welcome him, smiled knowingly after saluting. \"It is merely ten thousand scrolls, each printed in ten copies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh...\" Liu Yan's face showed sudden understanding. \"Even so, it is still a grand undertaking. Even ten thousand scrolls—where in this realm could one easily gather them all? And though I had heard of woodblock printing before, a hundred thousand copies at once is enough to awe the world!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All things under heaven are like this,\" Gongsun Xun said dismissively. \"The first time is always hard to believe. Once you get used to it, it's just that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan stroked his beard slightly and nodded, but then looked around, causing many local powerful magnates to hurriedly lower their heads and pretend not to notice: \"I hear that the world-renowned Cai Bojie is also here. I have long admired his great name but have never had the fortune to meet him...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Cai is indeed here, and serves as the Academy's Libationer. If my lord wishes, you may go see him at any time. However...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, these two days are full of complicated affairs,\" Gongsun Xun said with a light laugh. \"There are many places where we must trouble you, my lord. And Master Cai, as Libationer, must also bathe and burn incense to prepare for tomorrow's sacrificial rites. If you wish to speak at length, it will have to wait until later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is no problem.\" Liu Yan naturally did not mind... The term Libationer itself originated from the elder who held the wine and presided over sacrifices. The Grand Academy Libationer Erudite of the Great Han carried the same meaning. And sacrifices—in this era they were sacred and weighty affairs. Even the Son of Heaven had to show them respect. So Cai Bojie bathing, burning incense, and refusing visitors was perfectly understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Liu Yan's visit involved many complicated matters, and he would likely have to stay in Zhao for some time. He did not care about this small delay... In fact, attending the so-called \"Opening Ceremony\" of the Handan Public Academy tomorrow was one of the purposes of his trip. Even today, according to their agreement, he was to come and do something for Gongsun Xun at the Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Liu Yan exchanged pleasantries one by one with the provincial officials and those who had come to welcome him. Even when facing the group of Zhao magnates who had once sent him a concubine, he was utterly unconcerned, presenting the very image of one who humbly honors the worthy... After wasting about half a quarter-hour, he finally went directly through the Academy gates at Gongsun Xun's invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, once he stepped inside and rounded the spirit screen covered with notices, this Inspector of Jizhou was immediately stunned on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that inside the Academy gates was an extremely spacious courtyard. The courtyard was marked with many horizontal and vertical lines in white lime, dividing it into a grid of squares. In each square was a straw cushion and a small low desk... and of course, a student of varying attire and age, some sweating profusely as they wrote furiously on their exam papers, others with relaxed expressions as their brushes flew without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rough glance showed no fewer than three or four hundred people!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this an examination?\" Liu Yan stood stunned for several full breaths before suddenly reacting, the scenes from the Wei family estate still vivid in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just a placement exam for enrollment,\" Gongsun Xun immediately laughed. \"So we can divide them into classes and teach according to their aptitude, you see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I fear it is more than that,\" said Liu Yan, who with eighteen years of experience running schools certainly knew what a placement exam was the moment he heard it. But recalling what Wei Song had confided to him the previous night, he could only stroke his beard and chuckle. \"Didn't Wenqi say that today you would publicly nominate the Filial and Incorrupt? And that you asked me to arrive today to serve as witness?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun laughed lightly again and did not deny it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that as early as before Cai Yong and Lu Bu's group arrived, when the library had just been erected, the usually reclusive Chancellor of Zhao, Xiang Xu, had suddenly sent word: since a public academy was being established, this year's Filial and Incorrupt nominee for the principality should be recommended from within the Academy, and when the time came, he would naturally recommend the person to the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sounded rather irregular, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, just a few days ago, the soon-to-be-established Public Academy had also straightforwardly sent down several official notices through official channels, posted at every waystation in the principality. One notice naturally said they were continuing to recruit students and called on local scholars to report to the Academy. Another simply stated that, by order of the Chancellor, a temporary placement exam would be held the day before the Opening Ceremony, and everyone must take it... It even specifically said that any person of Zhao principality registration, whether they intended to enroll or not, and regardless of whether they held any official post, as long as they could reach the Handan Public Academy this morning, they could participate in this \"placement exam.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was so heavily hinted... it was practically telling everyone plainly that the earlier rumors were true, and that this year's Filial and Incorrupt, no matter what else, at the very least had to take this exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the actual Filial and Incorrupt had long been arranged. The sons of Zhao's local great families and magnates had long since enrolled one after another. In fact, Gongsun Xun had already selected the youngest son of the former Commandant Assistant Zhang Shu from the lists sent early by the Zhang, Wang, and Lu families... This was because Zhang Shu had performed the best before, and moreover, an entire estate of his people had died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that did not mean Gongsun Xun could not use this as bait to further elevate the Academy's prestige and the perceived value of being an Academy student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, judging by the scale of the examinees before him, for the local students of Zhao who had suddenly heard this news, the matter was indeed thrilling. Even many serving clerks and officials in the principality had all taken leave to come participate in this so-called \"exam.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no helping it—this was the Filial and Incorrupt, the fundamental great path to officialdom in the Great Han dynasty. Once a school became linked to this, openly or covertly, they could not help but be stirred and unable to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more, Liu Yan actually spotted that student of Wei Song's who had earlier, before the Wei family estate, bitterly denounced the Academy in front of father and son, seemingly determined to flee from exam rankings!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi is truly full of ingenious ideas,\" Liu Yan immediately lowered his voice and carefully dismissed his ceremonial guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun smiled without speaking... He could hardly say that everything from the library to the placement exam had all been plans proposed by his own mother, could he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even Gongsun Xun himself felt that his mother's placement exam idea was ten thousand times good. He had to know that earlier, when issuing those temporary library access permits, his head had already been swollen from the names and backgrounds of all those scholars from various places. With so many students before him, without an exam, how would he know their true level?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, in order to test these people's true level, the questions were made very difficult, and very numerous...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Marvelous!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even knowing he should not make more noise at this moment, when Liu Yan received a woodblock-printed exam paper, he could not suppress the instinct of an eighteen-year private educator and actually exclaimed in admiration in public. \"From dictation of the classics' original text, to explication of the sages' great meaning in passages, to independent essay writing, and then questions on criminal law... Especially this last question is superb. Taking the previous Zhao principality land audit as the original case, first calculate the amount of concealed land from the diagram, then calculate one year's tax arrears, and also use the Spring and Autumn Annals to elucidate the subtle and profound meaning of the principality undertaking this matter—combining mathematics, law, and classical studies into one... Everyone, forgive my bluntness, but this exam paper is absolutely not something one person could compile alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was precisely the joint and painstaking effort of many renowned scholars in the Academy,\" someone nearby naturally interjected to explain. \"The last question was jointly produced by the Marquis of Wulu and Master Wei...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that's how it is,\" Liu Yan grew even more emotional. \"In truth, the excellence of this paper lies not only in any single question, but even more in how the entire piece combines both simplicity and complexity, which can better reveal the differences between the examinees...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What my lord says is very true,\" Wei Song also said with a wry smile. \"Although my son Wei Chang has no intention of competing for the Filial and Incorrupt position this time, I still had him go down and take the test... to at least see what level he is truly at. After all, this exam paper was made from carved blocks—printing one extra copy is no trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan nodded slowly at these words, staring even more intently at the exam paper without pause. But just then, a short, stout youth with bound hair who had followed Liu Yan here and stood behind Liu Fan, his expression suddenly panicked, and he slowly stepped backward...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A-Fan is older, so forget it. A-Zhang,\" Liu Yan said without turning his head, raising his hand and passing the paper in his hand backward. \"You have not yet been capped. Go down and give it a try!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chubby youth was alarmed and uneasy, but could only accept the exam paper with a bitter face. Then, taking the paper and brush handed to him by someone nearby, he went to sit at an unoccupied desk... Everyone understood immediately—this must be a son or nephew of the Inspector's family who had only just rushed to Yecheng in the past few days. From the words spoken, it was very likely the young master of Inspector Liu's own household. Thus, their gazes inevitably became teasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Gongsun Xun's gaze was especially teasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exam could not possibly last a whole day, nor even half a day. By noon, the students rose nervously and respectfully handed their exam papers and answer sheets to the teachers collecting papers at the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after handing in their papers, the Academy did not let these students leave. Instead, they were made to stand right there in the courtyard and await their results... It turned out the Academy was going to grade the papers on the spot and select the top thirty, who would attend the banquet that evening hosted by the principality to entertain the Inspector on his visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What this meant was self-evident... The Chancellor did not concern himself with governance, and the various gentlemen below had no recourse, so the Filial and Incorrupt could only be determined in this bizarre manner—first select thirty people by talent and learning, then judge virtue and family background among those thirty, with the Inspector supervising the entire process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this, in fact, was an important reason Gongsun Xun had invited Liu Yan here: he needed the other party to endorse this \"unorthodox\" act of \"recommending the Filial and Incorrupt\" from start to finish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's right—to endorse it as \"unorthodox,\" not to endorse the private allocation of the Filial and Incorrupt slot... The latter was far too commonplace and would not attract gossip. On the contrary, it was Gongsun Xun's method of pretending to use an exam to determine the Filial and Incorrupt, even if only for an initial selection of thirty, that would seem harder for the world to accept and thus required a provincial inspector to lend authority and keep order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the exam papers were not anonymized at all, and even the initial selection results could not be too fair... The only thing Gongsun Xun could guarantee was that if there truly was someone exceptionally outstanding among them, he would pay extra attention so as to recruit them into his fold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Selecting talent for the state was a pretense; selecting talent for himself was the truth... Tian Feng's eyes were sharp as a torch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since everything had been prepared in advance, several dozen top figures from the principality and the Academy jointly graded papers together in the hall. The former handled the objective questions, the latter the subjective essay questions that had been discussed beforehand. It could be described as swift as the wind, clean and efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By evening, everything was fully prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun personally placed a few names that had been prepared in advance after the twentieth rank, then calmly led everyone out of the main hall and began to call out names himself, from back to front...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Twenty-fourth place, Zhang Huai of Handan, courtesy name Zirong,\" Gongsun Xun called out loudly. \"Upon hearing your name, step forward to salute the gentlemen and prepare to attend the banquet this evening!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this name, those somewhat in the know could not help but glance sideways. The youngest son of the former Commandant Assistant Zhang Shu, Zhang Huai, was overjoyed and came forward bowing repeatedly without pause. Even Liu Yan, standing inside the main hall doors, stroking his beard as he secretly watched the scene before the hall, now had roughly three parts of a guess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, even someone as shrewd as Inspector Liu had no time for wild guesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Twenty-third place, Liu Zhang of Jiangxia,\" Gongsun Xun paused slightly, then suddenly clasped his hands behind his back. \"Academy student Liu Zhang of Jiangxia, step forward!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room, Liu Yan was momentarily dumbfounded. With his shrewdness, how could he not guess Gongsun Xun's crafty scheme? But now it was too late to speak, and he could only watch as his youngest son Liu Zhang, who had been standing outside the hall with his eldest son Liu Fan the whole time, ran out in a daze to salute Gongsun Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sure enough, before Liu Zhang could even open his mouth, Gongsun Xun was already chattering away with a genial expression: \"Liu Zhang, is it? Though you've come a long way from Jiangxia, since your father has specially sent you to study under our Handan Public Academy, you must study diligently and painstakingly, not betraying the hardships of the journey, nor your father's devoted intentions... Have you found lodgings yet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhang, who was only sixteen or seventeen this year, looked blankly at Gongsun Xun, then blankly toward the main hall to search for his own father's figure... And Liu Junlang, standing behind the door, several times tried to speak, several times closed his mouth, and only ended up plucking out yet another whisker!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand,\" Gongsun Xun, seeing this, grew even more moved, and even stepped forward to pat the other on the shoulder. \"Since your father has placed you under our Handan Public Academy, you are also my student now, and I will naturally treat you as my own son or nephew. Why not stay at my home for the time being...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was not all. Having said this, Gongsun Xun then pulled the other up and solemnly introduced him to the several hundred students below the platform, as well as the Zhao State clerks and renowned scholars who had come for the examinations... Only then did everyone suddenly realize that the Provincial Governor Liu, knowing that the Handan Public Academy possessed a multitude of books and renowned teachers, had actually sent his own young son, still in his bound-up hair, to be taught here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his still utterly bewildered foolish son, Liu Yan inside the doorway simply turned his head away... He had many sons anyway, one less didn't matter! And besides, Gongsun Xun had ultimately not tried to keep his eldest son Liu Fan here, only a younger son who truly needed schooling, which was indeed harmless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The official temple in the commandery was dilapidated, and Xiang Xu still had not shown his face, so the evening banquet was held at the county temple... To be honest, it was very shabby, with barely a few dishes of wine and food. But this could not be helped; after all, Liu Yan had come with full regalia and subordinate officials to formally carry out his duties as Provincial Governor, and the Governor was supposed to supervise the officials of each commandery and principality. Often, to avoid suspicion, some Governors would not even accept the hospitality of the commanderies and principalities, staying only in the post stations as prescribed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man like Liu Yan would certainly not go that far, but neither would he drink himself tipsy as he had at Gongsun Xun's private residence, to the point of being successfully probed by Gongsun Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then again, poor food and drink had their advantages; at the very least, handling official business would be much more efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, selecting the Filial and Incorrupt... Of the thirty candidates, aside from seven or eight scholars from other regions, most were uneasy. But in an era where family background was universally recognized as a hard requirement, when the Wei, Handan, and Li clans all abstained, the designation and approval of this Zhang Huai, Zhang Zirong, passed without much disturbance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi, you've truly made a grand gesture today,\" probably because he had been taken advantage of for nothing in the matter of his son Liu Zhang, after the Filial and Incorrupt had been selected and the scores of scholars had all withdrawn, Liu Yan, at the now empty banquet, seemed somewhat displeased. \"It's one thing to sponsor these outstanding scholars, and rewarding the excellent and punishing the inferior is certainly good, but to exempt so many students in the public academy from room and board, and even supply clothing—aren't you afraid of going too far?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Liu Yan referred to was the promise Gongsun Xun had made just before sending those scholars away... and of course, it was also the plan forcefully provided by Lady Gongsun, roughly involving things like scholarships and free school uniforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, you worry too much,\" Gongsun Xun seemed not to notice Liu Yan's attitude, and instead immediately straightened his expression and explained. \"The public academy is only so large, and the students are actually capped. We plan to set the quota at three hundred, with clothing, caps and sashes, room and board all based on this quota, funded by my private wealth to support education. It's only now, at the very beginning, that we've recruited a bit more to establish our reputation, and also because many students are the gathered children and disciples of the academy's various professors, which made it hard to separate them, so there's some excess... As for the future, if too many come, we can only have the academy's teachers examine them, select the best, and thus form a system.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Be that as it may, there is still something not quite right,\" Liu Yan still stroked his beard and shook his head. \"Wenqi, you are, after all, only serving here as the Magistrate of Handan for a term. If in a year or two, you are either specially appointed to another commandery, or enter Luoyang as an official, or else... in short, will you still continue to support this Handan public academy then? Moreover, with only this one public academy north of the River, and such a library here, if you only admit three hundred, over the long term, won't it invite resentment?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What harm is there in continuing to support it?\" Gongsun Xun smiled slightly, pretending not to understand the other's implication. \"Should a matter of supporting education be abandoned just because it cannot serve as my own political achievement? Besides, I've already donated a hundred thousand scrolls of books; the annual cost of food and clothing for three hundred people is still within my family's means... As for the quota of three hundred, forgive my bluntness, my lord, but it is not as you imagine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\" Liu Yan, seated at the head, was momentarily puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since it is a public academy,\" Gongsun Xun said, sitting upright, \"it was established specifically for the Principality of Zhao alone. At present, there is only one north of the River, and it may accept students from other regions, but the quota of three hundred is merely the quota I have in mind for the Principality of Zhao alone... In the future, whether I am transferred to another commandery or not, I intend to continue establishing academies without cease.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, not only Liu Yan, but everyone else present also turned to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi jests,\" Liu Yan recovered himself and repeatedly shook his head. \"And this brings us back again—a quota of three hundred, when the Principality of Zhao has only one hundred eighty thousand people...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two hundred thirty thousand!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Liu Yan was momentarily confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Earlier in the summer, we recruited refugees and bandits from the mountains, and around the autumn harvest, we also cleared up the farmland and household registrations. The principality's registered population now stands at two hundred thirty thousand,\" Gongsun Xun answered proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan first slowly nodded, then gently shook his head again: \"Wenqi's governance is truly remarkable. But even with two hundred thirty thousand people, where would so many scholars come from? Your system and ideas are good, but they cannot avoid being overly hasty.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are always people who wish to study,\" Gongsun Xun still held his head high in protest. \"They simply never had the chance. The Great Han, continuing to this day, shows many signs of exhaustion—first in the laxity of court discipline, second in the displacement of the common people... But there is also the blockage between upper and lower, the lack of a path for advancement for scholars and commoners. The more a household lacks classical learning, the more they need to study and become literate, so that they may have something to strive for, something to advance toward! Take this Principality of Zhao—don't just speak of the great clans, the powerful families, the sons of humble households. Just ask the clerks of the commanderies and counties, the merchants and respectable families: if I today permitted their sons and younger brothers to come here, would they be willing to send them? And if that still does not reach three hundred, among my own volunteer followers, there are many who are fond of learning and study...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gongsun Xun spoke with fervor and assurance, Liu Yan beside him, Wei Song, and the others all gradually fell silent... This, in fact, was the reason these people truly feared Gongsun Xun and were willing to tolerate him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Certain matters... whether it was the great clans monopolizing official positions, the powerful families concealing households, or everyone together leaving the common people with no way to live—they were not unaware, nor did they fail to understand the stakes involved, nor were they truly so shameless as to be unwilling to change this state of affairs. They were the true elite of this great empire; to say they lacked morality or vision would be an insult to them!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they always had all kinds of fears and scruples, and thus were unwilling to speak these words or do these things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this young man before them not only dared to speak and dared to act, but also truly did it well... Those so-called obstacles and difficulties that they themselves feared like tigers became nothing short of a joke under this man's resolute efficiency and boundless courage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take this matter of clearing up household registrations—the Principality of Zhao's one hundred eighty thousand people seemed to become two hundred thirty thousand in the blink of an eye, suddenly adding a full fifty thousand taxable persons... But the combination of grace and authority behind this—how could Liu Yan, as the Provincial Governor of a province, and Wei Song, who had watched from the sidelines in Handan, not understand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun first exterminated the Shen clan, then killed a neighboring county magistrate, then forced the Wei clan, the Handan clan, and others to 'yield' two Filial and Incorrupt nominations, and also compelled all the influential figures throughout the principality to jointly sign their approval of that 'Two-Year Plan,' and finally cleared out the bandits of Mount Taixing within Zhao's borders to win the people's trust... Yet even so, when it truly came time to clear up the households, even though most of the powerful clan heads and elders had already nodded in agreement, when it came down to implementation within the clans, it was still fraught with difficulties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Filial and Incorrupt, what official position—frankly, these were benefits only for the core few families of the clan; what did they have to do with everyone else? On the contrary, the concealed retainers and fields were the very foundation of these people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, from the entire ninth month to the tenth month, the whole Principality of Zhao was nearly ceaselessly filled with rumors, and everywhere across Hebei, Gongsun Xun's name for harsh cruelty spread. Even though Liu Yan had previously set the tone for Gongsun Xun's killing of Zhen Du, at this time there were even some dissenting opinions. On the other hand, in the countryside of Zhao, there were open knives and hidden arrows, every household using every means to desperately resist the clearing-up efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous night, when Liu Yan and Wei Song discussed this matter, they had spoken bluntly—if it were them, they would have basically given up. Wei Song frankly admitted he lacked the ability to resolve it, and as for Liu Yan... though he said he too was incompetent, the truth was that a man like him would never have undertaken such a thankless task in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, Gongsun Xun had no scruples whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one hand, he once again unleashed a killing spree... Not only did members of the Wei, Handan, Li, Zhang, Wang, and Lu clans have heads fall to the ground, but even the Qin clan, which had just become linked to Gongsun Xun by marriage, had three of its members executed in the marketplace!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From beginning to end, the white-horse volunteer followers rampaged across every part of Zhao, showing no sign of stopping, so that every household turned pale at the news, and even the officials of the other four counties, under the direct intervention of the two Inspectors, all roused their spirits and intensified their cooperation with the clearing-up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, this Handan Magistrate, who killed men as swiftly as cutting grass, also hurriedly accelerated the construction of this library, using a hundred thousand scrolls of books, this public academy, and the just-fulfilled promise of Filial and Incorrupt recommendations to forcefully pull his reputation back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Liu Yan once again recalled that library... He had to admit, those hundred thousand scrolls of books, like the two hundred volunteer followers under Gongsun Xun, were things utterly impossible to resist. The reason he had just swallowed the matter of his youngest son Liu Zhang was, of course, partly because he felt he had many sons and didn't care, but was it not also because he wanted his son to make progress in a school with ten thousand scrolls of books?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One civil, one martial—it truly compelled admiration beyond measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, if he spoke a bit arrogantly, monopolized power a bit, and his conduct exceeded the so-called 'limits' a bit... what could you do about it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord! My lord!\" Gongsun Xun called out repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh,\" Liu Yan responded as if waking from a daze, his pent-up frustration suddenly dissipating, and he even amiably raised his cup in salute. \"Wenqi, speak freely.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May I venture to ask,\" Gongsun Xun glanced around at his surroundings, then asked with a straight face, \"my lord, have you already decided on this province's Abundant Talent?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The banquet fell into stunned silence once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan also dry-swallowed and put his wine cup back down: \"Wenqi, watch your words!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun looked utterly unimpressed: \"My lord is the Governor of Jizhou, and I am a county magistrate under Jizhou's jurisdiction. While the Abundant Talent is certainly decided by my lord, do we subordinate officials not have the right and duty to recommend?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a thing to say... If they did, that would be strange!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jizhou, one province with nine commanderies, over a hundred large and small counties, produced only one Abundant Talent a year—on what grounds could a mere county magistrate, with just a word, 'recommend' one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when Gongsun Xun himself had achieved extraordinary merit at Liucheng, and had also received the joint recommendation of his father-in-law the Grand Administrator of Liaoxi and the Grand Administrator of Right Beiping, Wang, along with his own family background, his honored teacher, and other connections... even then, Liu Yu had hesitated for a long time before reluctantly granting an Abundant Talent nomination. How much more so in Jizhou, with more people and fewer official posts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi,\" Liu Yan was utterly speechless. He had still been counting on using this Abundant Talent to win over several major clans in the province, but he absolutely did not want to offend the other party, so he could only force himself to lie. \"This year, Governor Wang left too hastily, and I arrived in a rush. With the date approaching, in my haste I have already promised the Abundant Talent away...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun grew increasingly sullen: \"My lord has seen Lord Wei's son, Wei Chang, with your own eyes. Such a figure—does my lord truly hold him in such low regard?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Song was dumbfounded, Liu Yan was even more embarrassed, and everyone at the banquet was completely at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this point, Liu Junlang could only brazenly continue to insist that he had indeed already settled on the Abundant Talent, and since Wei Chang had just left together with those other scholars, Wei Song also had to rise and repeatedly decline. Yet Gongsun Xun still wore an indignant expression, as if both parties owed him an Abundant Talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could only be said that, fortunately, there were also Hebei renowned scholars such as Yue Yin of Anping present at the banquet, along with the Provincial Aide-de-camp, the Provincial Administrator, and men like Lu Fan, Shen Pei, Lou Gui, Wang Xiu... Everyone joined in together, repeatedly urging and persuading, before Gongsun Xun's expression finally eased somewhat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is not that I am making trouble without cause,\" Gongsun Xun sighed deeply. \"It is simply that I feel my lord somewhat underestimates the heroes and outstanding figures of our Principality of Zhao.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I absolutely have no such intention,\" Liu Yan said helplessly. \"How could I not know that Wenqi's eye for talent is exceptional? It is simply that there is only one Abundant Talent, and the candidate has already been decided...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then are the provincial Retainers already fully staffed?\" Gongsun Xun suddenly asked out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan was slightly startled, but instead of anger, he was pleased: \"Among the heroes present, whom does Wenqi wish to recommend to me?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By Han system, a Provincial Retainer was an assistant official to the Provincial Governor, of very low rank—like the Inspector, only a mere hundred dan... This was unavoidable, since the Provincial Governor himself was only six hundred dan! However, another characteristic shared with the Inspector was that this post carried extremely heavy authority and responsibility. Generally speaking, the Retainers were the routine handlers of provincial affairs!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the origin of the Retainer post, it was said that when a Provincial Governor made his inspection tour to a certain commandery or principality, he would often select a capable low-ranking local clerk to be his Retainer—in theory, one per commandery—and this person would then be responsible for the daily affairs of that commandery... With Jizhou having nine commanderies and principalities, there would generally be nine Provincial Retainers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in actual practice, it was not so simple and straightforward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, as the provincial inspector became a permanent post and the provincial seat became a permanent institution, the attendant position also became systematized and permanent. Thus, many inspectors would leave behind quite a few attendants when they departed office, and a new inspector could not possibly replace all of the predecessor's attendants upon taking office, nor was it likely that he would promote a new round of one attendant per commandery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, the authority and responsibility of this post were very heavy, so the original system of selecting from low-level clerks in various places gradually became outdated... In practice, a provincial attendant could generally chat and laugh on equal terms with a county magistrate, and it was common for a thousand-bushel county prefect to be recruited as an attendant by the provincial inspector after retiring and returning home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later on, this post even lost its local character, gradually becoming a place where provincial inspectors appointed their own personal associates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, to return to the point, when Gongsun Xun openly sought an attendant position, Liu Yan was instead especially delighted... After all, this was no longer the time when Inspector Liu, with one son and one donkey, rode straight into Handan, nor was it the time when Gongsun Xun took up his post lightly with two hundred cavalry. The two sides were only a few dozen li apart and knew each other's foundations well — how could Liu Junlang not know about the capable men under Gongsun Xun's command?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could even say that Liu Yan had long been eyeing Shen Pei, Lou Gui, Wang Xiu, and the others with extreme envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fengxian!\" Gongsun Xun slowly nodded, then raised his hand to signal someone seated in the corner to step forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart, then rose and stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is Province Governor Liu,\" Gongsun Xun introduced solemnly. \"Lord Liu, this is Cai Bojie's disciple, Lu Bu of Wuyuan, styled Fengxian... He is skilled in the qin, with the talent of Boya, and also thoroughly versed in martial arts, as if a Flying General reborn! In both civil and military arts, none surpass him! To recruit him as a provincial attendant is already doing him a great disservice!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu performed a grand obeisance right there in the hall, his ritual conduct exceedingly respectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan was stunned for a long moment before finally nodding helplessly: \"Since he is Cai Bojie's disciple and recommended so strongly by Wenqi, and since the province happens to lack an attendant, let him serve a term as attendant. Henceforth, the affairs of Zhao Principality shall be handled by you on behalf of the province!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Bu was overjoyed beyond measure... He truly had not imagined that after being unable even to seek a county clerk position back then, now, having become Cai Yong's disciple and with Gongsun Xun's recommendation, he could actually become a provincial attendant — and an attendant of a great province like Jizhou at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After years of hardship, had his fortunes finally turned?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his overwhelming delight, he did not even catch the tone of Liu Yan's words, much less the subtle glance and nod exchanged between Gongsun Xun and Lou Gui at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, this was Lou Zibo's suggestion — bestow favor, recommend, and employ elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This suggestion took into account the disposition of the four men: Cheng Pu, Gao Shun, Cheng Lian, and Xu Rong. The Great Han dynasty stood in majesty; it was impossible to keep all these commissioned military officers constantly at one's side, yet Gongsun Xun rarely worried about what would become of these four in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Cheng Pu was a fellow villager and had almost entirely been promoted by the Gongsun clan. From serving as Gongsun Zhao's assistant clerk to Gongsun Xun's two recommendations, even his recent transfer from acting major to full major of a detached regiment was a favor called in by Gongsun Xun — he could be called a Gongsun clan disciple, former subordinate, and fellow villager all in one. Unless Gongsun Xun proved utterly incompetent and unvirtuous in the future, such a man could truly be summoned at a call and dismissed at a wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, as for Gao Shun, one reason was naturally his recognized loyalty and integrity, and the other was that Gongsun Xun believed he himself had shown him tremendous favor. From a military attendant-convict, he had been promoted in one stroke to regimental marquis — this kindness was enough for Gao Suqing to repay over two lifetimes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Xu Rong, he fell somewhere between the two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Anli Company's eastward relocation to Liaodong gave them some sense of being fellow villagers, but not as close as Cheng Pu. Both father and son had been promoted by Gongsun Yu and had won merit under Gongsun Xun, making them standard Gongsun clan disciples and former subordinates — though Gongsun Yu was ultimately from the Liaodong branch, so it was not as firm as with Cheng Pu. Beyond that, during the campaign against Goguryeo, Xu Rong had blundered several times out of ignorance, and Gongsun Xun had personally shielded him each time, which counted as some kindness, though not as deep as with Gao Shun. But taken together, what was there to worry about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Cheng Lian... to put it bluntly, Gongsun Xun did not care. He had been raised as a hunting dog from the start, and one or two more or less made no difference!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the disposition of Lu Bu was inspired by the disposition of these men — a comprehensive handling based on distance, favor, and personal impression:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First was recommendation. The Great Han dynasty placed the utmost importance on this; no further words were needed. Once Lu Bu's official career began from this point, Lu Fengxian would owe Gongsun Xun and Liu Yan a lifelong debt of gratitude — just as, in theory, he needed to be grateful to Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo for a lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, this arrangement placed the two men at a distance neither too far nor too close, convenient for observation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, although Lu Bu as provincial attendant was theoretically Liu Yan's subordinate, he was responsible for the affairs of Zhao Principality. Moreover, Yecheng was extremely close to Handan, and a provincial attendant did not need to remain fixed in Yecheng. This meant that in practice, he was working for both Gongsun Xun and Liu Yan simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond that, the provincial inspector's term was relatively short. Liu Yan himself was an \"elder of the imperial clan\" favored by the Son of Heaven and could be promoted and transferred at any time. And judging from Gongsun Xun's assessment of his own teacher, the other party would probably not let him go easily to a border commandery, and the eunuchs were not keen on him returning to the central government, so the likelihood of him continuing to circle around Hebei was very high. In other words, Liu Yan could roll away at any moment, and Lu Bu, a man from the border commanderies of Bingzhou, would have to rely on Gongsun Xun to continue maintaining himself in Hebei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the time came, if Gongsun Xun had truly observed enough, he could fully take him into his own service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, if Lu Bu overstepped himself and, once clinging to Liu Yan, looked down on Gongsun Xun and instead wanted to loyally follow Liu Junlang for life — and if Liu Junlang thought Fengxian was a fine fellow, recognized him as a godson, and brought him all the way to Chengdu — then let him follow! It would save trouble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Lou Gui had originally provided two plans: one was to recommend him to the province, and the other was to have Zhao Ping arrange a position for Lu Bu among the King of Zhao's subordinate officials. But the latter was essentially no different from direct employment, and more importantly, Gongsun Xun ultimately respected the weight of the name Lu Bu. A provincial attendant was a post of extremely heavy authority and responsibility, whereas a subordinate official of the King of Zhao, if not an imperially appointed officer of a thousand bushels or above, was basically a sinecure, which might instead cause Lu Bu to harbor resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as for the immediate moment... after Lu Bu had performed his grand ritual obeisance to Liu Yan, he hurriedly turned to express his thanks and bow to Gongsun Xun. He remained perfectly courteous and appeared sincere and reliable, as if indeed endlessly grateful to Gongsun Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could only say: time will tell, and we shall observe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this matter settled, the banquet proceeded without further incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everyone dispersed, Gongsun Xun personally led Lu Bu to escort Liu Yan to rest. The latter still showed due regard and actually lodged at Gongsun Xun's residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just as Gongsun Xun thought all matters of the day had been concluded, Liu Yan took the initiative to pull him aside and dismissed everyone, including his own son. In that small courtyard where they had conversed so pleasantly that very day, they once again spoke with complete candor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi,\" Liu Yan said solemnly, \"you and I have now established a relationship. I ask you one thing, and you must answer me directly...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, speak freely,\" Gongsun Xun replied, unconcerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have used both suppression and pacification, recruited refugees, investigated households, cleared up farmland, and now you are even establishing schools and recommending Filial and Incorrupt nominees and attendants. What do you plan to do next?\" Liu Yan asked earnestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems my lord already knows,\" Gongsun Xun said dismissively. \"Could it be that Wei told you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then the rumor is true — you next intend to build waterworks and tame the Gelu River?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly!\" Gongsun Xun answered without the slightest hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wenqi,\" Liu Yan sighed, \"these past months I have been to Julu, Anping, Changshan, and Bohai, and my eyes have been greatly opened. Bohai is the largest commandery in Hebei, with a population exceeding a million and the benefits of fish and salt, yet its governance is utterly decayed — refugees stream about in broad daylight. Changshan has mountains on the left and plains on the right, with bandits roaming everywhere; you cleared out Heishan only a few months ago, and it has already become a bandit's nest again. Anping is the place where the Son of Heaven rose to prominence, but precisely because of that, lawless men connected to the palace are far too numerous there and truly hard to control. As for Julu, it is right beside you — I do not believe you are unaware of the Way of Great Peace. A man who has already rebelled once is everywhere colluding with powerful families, recruiting disciples, and deluding the masses. Do you think Zhao Principality has been unaffected?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What exactly is my lord trying to say?\" Gongsun Xun asked, somewhat exasperated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have governed Zhao Principality very well,\" Liu Yan said earnestly. \"If the waterworks can be completed next, there will be even less to say. But the warning you gave me earlier in this courtyard is all the more correct — how can the vigorous growth of one single principality withstand the collapse of the entire realm? Even if the realm does not collapse, looking only at Zhao Principality, with the Way of Great Peace in Julu right next door, once trouble breaks out, do you not fear that all your painstaking efforts will turn to foam?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Gongsun Xun did not know how to reply to Liu Yan, this temporary pessimist. He could not very well say: I know the realm will collapse, and I am even more convinced than you that its collapse is coming very soon, but I need to accumulate political experience for resolving the coming chaos, and I need everyone around me to believe that I have the ability to rebuild order, so that when the realm collapses, more people will choose me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So even if chaos erupts then and all his efforts turn to nothing, it would still be worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He certainly could not say that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he did not say that, how should he reply?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since it is the right thing to do, then one should do it,\" Gongsun Xun said, frowning slightly, in a tone he himself was not entirely sure of, fobbing him off. \"A true man living in this world, seeing the great edifice about to topple, can he simply sit by and do nothing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan fell silent for a long while before finally speaking: \"In truth, when I returned from inspecting the four commanderies last month, I did not mention the bandits or refugees, but I did report the matter of the Way of Great Peace directly to the court. Yet it sank like a stone into the sea. The Son of Heaven merely enjoys himself in the Western Garden and pays no heed to governance. It was only Lord Yang — Yang Ci — who wrote to me, saying that this spring, when the Way of Great Peace was expanding under cover of the seasonal epidemic, he and your teacher Lord Liu had together submitted a memorial on this matter. But when the memorial was presented, the Son of Heaven probably never even read it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was Gongsun Xun who was momentarily speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see that you have handled everything properly, except that you have not dealt with the Way of Great Peace within Zhao Principality,\" Liu Yan warned in a low voice. \"You should still take precautions... After all the painstaking work you have done, preserve it for as long as you can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun slowly nodded. He had not dealt with the Way of Great Peace before, partly because there were not as many of them in Zhao Principality as one might imagine, and partly because he felt that with Julu right beside him, dealing with them would be futile anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two contradictory feelings had caused him to overlook this problem. In truth, according to what Wang Xian, the Daoist Wang who had followed Han Dang and Lou Gui back, had candidly disclosed that day, the ambitions of the Zhang Jiao brothers within the Way of Great Peace were already known to everyone inside the sect. And the reason Daoist Wang had chosen to seek refuge under Gongsun Xun was precisely because he came from the Wang clan of Taiyuan and was unwilling to become a rebel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let it be so!\" Liu Yan waved his hand helplessly. \"This private discussion ends here. Let us each do our best.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun immediately came back to his senses and laughed: \"A private exchange — Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, I know. There is a weighty gift inside the room, let it be considered a refined matter. Lord Liu, you must not refuse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he took his leave directly and departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan was puzzled, but after calling his son and attendants into the courtyard and returning to the previously occupied bedchamber, where the lamps had long since been lit, he was suddenly stunned!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out that on the bed, neatly arranged, were piled countless scrolls and books, and on top of them was pressed a sheet of paper. Liu Yan hastily reached out and took it, only to see a single line clearly written upon it:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To bequeath a person one classic is like giving a thousand in gold. Now the Governor has accepted a thousand bribes from me and, according to the law, should be beheaded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yan laughed in spite of himself, yet could not help being overjoyed. All the forced forbearance and dissatisfaction he had felt toward Gongsun Xun earlier, and even the pessimism and unease about the situation he had just expressed — all of it vanished completely before these ten thousand scrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this was simply taking advantage of the fact that Liu Junlang, after eighteen years in the mountains, did not understand the technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When printing ten thousand volumes, the difference in cost between producing one copy and ten copies is actually not large — ninety-nine percent of the labor lies in the printing blocks for those ten thousand volumes… and those blocks are what the Anli Bookshop has painstakingly worked on for years, from the time Gongsun Xun acquired the books from Cai Yong's family collection right up to the present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the difference between printing ten copies and twenty copies, it is probably even smaller than the former distinction. Liu Kuan, Lu Zhi, Tian Feng, and Ju Shou each received a copy at their homes; there were also many in Liaodong; and even in Pingcheng at Yanmen, Cheng Pu and the others all received quite a few books sent over by the Anli Bookshop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One can only say that from the time Lady Gongsun first began gathering papermaking techniques at the founding of the Anli Bookshop until now, she has built up strength quietly — decades of toil have finally burst forth in a single moment, which fills her son with admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People are all like this — when there is no more conflict with family and some distance separates you, you cannot help but always think of the other's good qualities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning the corner and bidding farewell to Lu Bu, Gongsun Xun, for some unknown reason, grew visibly preoccupied, and remained utterly oblivious even when he reached the brightly lit rear courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when he looked up, he saw his own wife Zhao Yun, late in the evening, chatting and laughing merrily with a young, fair-faced man in the small rear courtyard hall… which left Gongsun Xun momentarily dazed, unsure whether he had drunk too much earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Gongsun Xun immediately came to his senses — the main hall had been given over to Cai Yong's family, so if his wife needed to receive a guest, she could probably only do so here. Moreover, as he strolled closer, he saw that it was not only his wife and her maidservant; Cai Yan was also there, playing with two large cats — presumably Zhao Yun had specially asked her to come along when receiving the guest, to avoid any appearance of impropriety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Husband!\" Zhao Yun's face lit up with joy the moment she saw Gongsun Xun return. \"Good news has come from Liaodong — in the middle of last month, Yu'er gave us a daughter… both mother and child are safe!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun suddenly understood… his little A'li had been born, and he had become a father. Calculating the days, news indeed ought to have arrived by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, for some reason, Gongsun Xun, who had long been mentally prepared, felt no particular surge of delight at this moment, and so merely smiled faintly and nodded… while also feeling a faint dawning understanding of his wife's excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That is good.\" No matter what, Gongsun Xun could not entirely conceal his happiness. \"With mother and daughter both in my mother's care, I am at ease… And who is this messenger? His face is unfamiliar.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Greetings, my lord!\" The young man, who had long since risen and was standing in attendance to the side, hurriedly saluted. \"I am…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, this is not one of our household — he is a messenger traveling our way.\" Zhao Yun, likely fearing her husband might misunderstand, hastened to explain. \"He is a fellow townsman from our Qinghe. My father was enfeoffed as Marquis of Shu, was he not? Their Qinghe Zhu clan has for generations resided in the little town of Shucheng…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his wife made the introductions, Gongsun Xun fully understood. It turned out that this man was a fellow townsman from Zhao Yun's old home in Qinghe. After the Battle of Liucheng, his father-in-law's name had become known throughout the realm. Out of admiration, and because they were very close neighbors, this man, upon coming of age, had simply gone to Liaoxi to seek service under his father-in-law and had taken up a post in the commandery. However, recently his father-in-law, considering that the man's term of office might soon end and his future posting was uncertain, and also because Zhao Yun had written home mentioning the public academy and the library, had suggested that this young townsman, while still young, come here to enroll in studies — with the intention that once his father-in-law's new posting was settled, the man could then follow him there…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man of Qinghe, which was part of Jizhou and not far from here; a fellow townsman of his wife, a retainer of his father-in-law, not an ordinary household servant, and likely of no low birth, or else he would not have been specially received; moreover, he himself had been out all day, the news brought along the way was so momentous, and the man still needed to be introduced — so his wife had brought him and waited until now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your surname is Zhu?\" Gongsun Xun asked seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhu Ling of Qinghe, courtesy name Wenbo, greets my lord.\" Only after Zhao Yun had finished her lengthy introduction and Gongsun Xun had posed his question anew did the man rise to his full height and bow, showing his deference. \"I am a household retainer of the Marquis of Shu — I beg my lord not to treat me as a stranger!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun nodded slowly. Judging by his temperament, he seemed a steady and reliable man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May I go back to sleep now?\" At that moment, Cai Yan suddenly picked up her large white cat and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you for your trouble.\" Gongsun Xun felt rather embarrassed… in this age, people rose at sunrise and retired at sunset; making a child stay up late was hardly proper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young girl picked up her large white cat and hurried toward the front courtyard. Reaching the doorway, she suddenly turned back, curtsied, and said: \"My lord, now that you have met with such happy tidings, might you refrain from bullying my father in the coming days?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gongsun Xun's embarrassment vanished instantly; he merely waved his hands repeatedly, unable to shoo her away fast enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>———————I am a four-in-one dividing line———————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The art of block printing: some say that the Grand Ancestor, upon seeing the Xiping Stone Classics, conceived the idea. Returning to Liaoxi, he spoke to the Empress Dowager of making wooden blocks for pounding and rubbing, which, combined with Gongsun paper, brought the art to completion. However, the cost of a single printing block was several times that of copying by hand, so at first it was not known to the world. In the Guanghe era of the Later Han, the Grand Ancestor greatly promoted culture and education in Handan, using his family's accumulated ten thousand volumes of books to carve printing blocks, producing over thirty duplicate sets and obtaining three hundred thousand volumes of books. One hundred thousand volumes each were stored in Handan and Xiangping, and many were widely gifted to great Confucian scholars and renowned figures, causing a sensation throughout the realm. It is said that formerly, when the Grand Ancestor sought information on the affairs of the former Zhao state from Liu Yan, the Inspector of Jizhou, Yan firmly refused, yet repeatedly came to gaze upon the Handan library without cease. The Grand Ancestor, knowing his intent, secretly sent men to leave ten thousand volumes of books upon Yan's couch. Yan returned, gathered them up, and sighed deeply: 'To give a man a thousand pieces of gold is not as good as bequeathing him a single classic. Now the Magistrate of Handan has bribed me with tens of millions in gold — what matter would I not consent to?' When people heard of this, they steadfastly called the Handan library the Billion-Gold Library.\" — New Book of Yan, Biographies of the Garden of Letters\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too sleepy to go on… if there are any typos, please point them out, and I'll fix them when I wake up…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",9670,"2026-06-04T19:42:03.441Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","4cc42efcfb5069d265bb32bf2521765f6ff9083803cd87ff286062a66eb9ec45","overthrowing-han-chapter-199","overthrowing-han-chapter-197",548,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-han-cover.jpg"]