Cao Cao's words still echoed in his ears…
"This Xu Du Ling position is not easy to handle, but it's not difficult either. For anything you do, just follow your heart!"
"When I was young, I even wielded a five-colored great club against the powerful and wealthy. What should I do? What shouldn't I do? You should know everything. Since you were recommended by Lord Situ Lu, I, Cao Cao, trust you!"
Exiting the Sīkōng's Mansion.
Man Chong took a deep breath.
What did Lord Sīkōng Cao mean? He seemed to understand, yet also not. Was he truly supposed to follow his heart?
He shook his head, feeling that Lord Sīkōng's words were perhaps superfluous. Man Chong had always been this way since childhood, stubborn in his ways, adhering to principles and justice. Even if he didn't follow his heart, he wouldn't know how to.
However… more than that, what Man Chong couldn't understand was:
Why? Why would the newly appointed Grand Minister of Agriculture, Lu Yu, recommend him to Lord Sīkōng Cao?
Man Chong had never sought any favors from this Master Lu…
Tap, tap…
Low, heavy footsteps echoed on the street.
The chill of the cold moon seeped in, making Man Chong shiver slightly.
He stopped before a courtyard. Man Chong looked up. The plaque on the courtyard read "Minister of Agriculture's Mansion," the three characters exceptionally striking. This was the residence of the new Grand Minister of Agriculture, his benefactor Lu Yu…
Regardless, Man Chong felt it was necessary to visit and have a good chat with Master Lu.
"Please, brother, could you announce me? Tell Master Lu that Man Chong seeks an audience."
Man Chong called out loudly to the guard standing at the mansion gate…
The guard heard him and paused distinctly.
Immediately, he cupped his hands and bowed. "It's Lord Man, I pay my respects to Lord Man…"
After bowing, the guard's expression showed a hint of difficulty.
"Lord Man, it's unfortunate… my master has gone to Yingchuan and will likely not return for several days. However… when my master left, he mentioned that Lord Man would surely come. He asked me to convey a message to you?"
"What message?" Man Chong's eyes narrowed, and his attention was fully engaged.
The guard hesitated, seemingly finding it hard to speak, but finally, he opened his mouth.
"Go… fuck 'em!"
Ah…
Fuck? Fuck who?
Upon hearing this, Man Chong was bewildered. What did "fuck 'em" mean? Fuck whom?
"Did Master Lu really… really say only that?" Man Chong asked curiously…
The guard nodded. "That's right, just… just that one sentence! Not a word more, not a word less…"
Heh heh… fuck 'em!
At once, Man Chong chuckled. He seemed to have understood. Who could the Xu Du Ling possibly "fuck 'em" but those who committed evil deeds in Xu Du city?
Lord Cao's words and Master Lu's words… they conveyed the same meaning!
It was just that… they were perhaps worrying too much. Even without this reminder, Man Chong would still "fuck 'em"!
"Hahahaha…"
Man Chong suddenly let out a laugh, startling the guard.
"Farewell!" Man Chong said, turning and walking away. The stars twinkled in the sky, and the moon was full!
Legend has it that the full moon can cause the tides to rise…
Similarly, the full moon can also accelerate blood circulation, making the heart surge with emotion…
Influenced by the instructions of Cao Cao and Lu Yu, and drawn by the moon's gravitational pull, Man Chong felt his mood lift and his fighting spirit surge. He strode with firm, heavy steps towards the Xu Du city yamen.
That was his new battlefield.
…
Walking through another street…
"Lord Man…" At the yamen gate, several runners saw Man Chong and hurried to meet him.
"Officials! What is this commotion?" Man Chong first reprimanded them, then his eyes narrowed. "What is this great alarm?"
"Lord Man… something has happened. Just now, someone caused trouble in a tavern and was apprehended by us!"
"But upon inquiry, we discovered he is a retainer of General Cao Hong! General Cao Hong has just been appointed Grand Master of Appeals and General of Valiant Spears, and he is known for fiercely protecting his own. We… we cannot make the decision! We can only wait for Lord Man to return."
Hmm…
Cao Hong?
Man Chong was not unfamiliar with this name. Grand Master of Appeals and General of Valiant Spears were secondary; the most important point was that he was a kinsman of Lord Sīkōng Cao. Punishing his retainer would undoubtedly be a slap in the face to the merits of Qiao Pei and offend many people.
Anyone else would surely avoid this entanglement!
But… now, the Xu Du Ling was Man Chong!
Heh heh!
For him, this decision did not seem difficult at all!
With this thought, Man Chong's expression turned cold, and he declared loudly, "From today onwards, our yamen will only recognize criminals who do evil. We will not recognize the followers of the noble and powerful!"
Having said this, Man Chong paused, then continued, "As I serve as Xu Du Ling, you will remember three things from me – the law shows no mercy! The law shows no mercy! And damn it all, the law shows no mercy!"
Whoa…
Upon hearing this, all the runners were stunned.
So, this newly appointed Xu Du Ling was a tough character!
Even… even Cao Hong's retainers were to be severely punished?
For a moment, all the runners were still bewildered.
Man Chong raised his voice. "Don't you understand what I'm saying? Hmph! Take me to see this villain immediately!"
"Yes… yes…" The runners obediently agreed…
It seemed…
Tonight, there would surely be flesh torn and wails of agony!
…
…
While Man Chong was interrogating the criminal that night,
On the other side, Cao Cao in the Sīkōng's Mansion was also not at ease.
He had been quite busy for several days. After all, the imperial court had just begun to function normally, and many matters required him and the ministers of the Imperial Secretariat to handle.
In fact, Cao Cao wished to consult Lu Yu on many matters…
For instance, the next strategic deployment.
When it came to macro-level decisions like strategic deployment, there were few people Cao Cao trusted. Only two: one was the current Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Xun Yu, and the other was Yu'er.
It could be said that Xun Yu and Yu'er were the most insightful and had the greatest vision in the entire Cao camp!
It was just a pity…
Xun Yu was also not at ease recently. The Imperial Secretariat had just been established, and everything was in disarray. Many matters also required his attention, no less than Cao Cao's.
As for Yu'er…
Thinking of Yu'er.
Heh heh…
Cao Cao "heh heh-ed"!
He heard that Yu'er had gone to Yingchuan. This was nothing in itself. After all… there were countless talented individuals there. It was not unreasonable for Yu'er to want to get closer to them. However… Yu'er stayed in the pleasure houses and brothels of Yingchuan for five or six days!
Upon hearing this news, Cao Cao felt as if his body had been hollowed out…
Still young, Yu'er's energy seemed… very vigorous!
Thinking of himself…
Cao Cao felt a bit weak, mainly because he was tired!
Speaking of which… not only Yu'er, but recently he saw his cousin Xiahou Dun was also full of life!
There were rumors that he could entertain his concubine all night at home. At his age, was his kidney made of steel?
Alas…
Thinking of this, Cao Cao felt a inexplicable sense of emotion.
"Husband."
Just then, a rather untimely voice came from behind Cao Cao…
This voice was all too familiar to Cao Cao – his principal wife, Ding Hui!
Wait…
Cao Cao pondered in his heart. This wasn't right. Why would Ding Hui be here?
Wasn't she still in Chenliu Commandery? Cao Cao had specifically sent Xiahou Yuan to pick them up. Judging by the dates, Xiahou Yuan had just arrived in Chenliu, right?
Of course… Cao Cao would not know that Ding Hui, impatient, could no longer wait for Xiahou Yuan to pick her up!
By then, the monthly flow… ah no… the flowers would have withered.
"Why did Madam arrive in Xu Du so quickly?"
Cao Cao quickly stood up…
Towards his principal wife, he always held a degree of respect.
This was partly due to his own mistake on their wedding night, but more so due to Cao Cao's gratitude for Lady Ding's family.
This stemmed from the fact that in the past, the Cao clan was implicated in the "Empress Song" case. The Ding clan had almost sold all their assets and worked through intermediaries to save the Cao clan!
Ding Hui, who was Cao Cao's wife at the time, played an extremely important role in this matter.
From then on, Cao Cao held deep respect for Lady Ding, and even greater gratitude for the family behind Lady Ding.
Seeing that Ding Hui did not reply, Cao Cao voluntarily took off his cloak and draped it over her.
"It's cold and freezing, you must have been frozen on the journey. Madam, you've come to Xu Du in such a hurry, there must be something urgent, right?"
Cao Cao continued to ask…
Of course, it was urgent. Ding Hui had already taken two courses of the prescription given by Lu Yu for "infertility." Her lower abdomen was now burning, and her entire body was aflame. Her strong woman's intuition told her that tonight would be unforgettable!
"What? Can't missing my husband be an urgent matter?"
Rarely…
Ding Hui said such a thing.
She usually spoke with a cold tone to everyone, even Cao Cao. But…
Hiss… Cao Cao immediately felt it was strange!
When things are unusual, there must be a reason…
What was going on?
He suddenly had a bad premonition.
"Madam… you… what are you doing?"
Before Cao Cao could think further, Ding Hui pushed him towards the study's bed. With a strong push, Cao Cao was pushed onto the bed by the gentle force.
The study in the Sīkōng's Mansion had a bed, which was for Cao Cao to rest if he got tired while handling official duties.
The bed was not large, enough for one person, but a bit cramped for two.
However, Ding Hui, in her prime and with vigorous desire, could not care about so much at this moment.
"Didn't my husband just ask? I indeed have an urgent matter… this is extremely urgent!"
As she spoke, Ding Hui lightly swept her sleeves…
And extinguished the only remaining dim candlelight in the study.
Tonight…
Ding Hui became the knight, and Cao Cao became a turtle on its back!
Of course…
During this process… Ding Hui's heart also fluttered repeatedly.
She was not trying to prove anything. She just wanted to tell others that as a woman, she could also give birth. She was determined to reclaim what she had lost.
In this era, such stubborn and resolute women were rare.
The red candle was extinguished, and after a pleasant night…
Xu Chu, who was guarding outside the door, tapped his forehead and couldn't help but sigh.
"During the day, Lord Sīkōng Cao toils over his books, and at night, he must also toil in bed. Lord Sīkōng Cao's energy is truly admirable! Hahahaha… hahahaha!"
…
…
Five days later, Lu Yu returned from Yingchuan, and he also managed to "trick" Guo Jia, the chief instructor of the Imperial Academy, into coming with him.
At this moment, Lu Yu and Guo Jia were standing by the Ying River…
In the Little Ice Age of the Han Dynasty, the weather was exceptionally strange. Even in May, it was still freezing. The snow by the banks of the Ying River had not yet melted, and the icicles hanging from the eaves were as long as a foot!
The carriage delivered Lu Yu and Cao Cao, who were covered in white frost, to this place…
Many craftsmen had already begun constructing the Imperial Academy.
Courtyards and pavilions rose from the ground. With the participation of the Xiaolong Camp, the entire progress was exceptionally fast.
Guo Jia looked at the Imperial Academy that was being built and was beginning to take shape, and he exclaimed, "Master Lu has excellent vision to find such a place surrounded by water on all sides outside Xu Du. The selection of the site for the Imperial Academy must have taken considerable effort, wouldn't you say?"
As Guo Jia said…
Lu Yu had indeed put a great deal of thought into the site selection alone.
To replicate the original Imperial Academy in Luoyang as much as possible, Lu Yu also chose the same location as the former Imperial Academy – surrounded by water on all sides!
There was a lot of knowledge in this…
The Imperial Academy being surrounded by water on all sides was called "Yong"!
The ancients valued the round sky and square earth. The surrounding water was like jade, and the buildings and plazas in the center were square, which complied with the principles of Yin and Yang and the calculations of the I Ching.
Furthermore, scholars had a special sentiment towards water. Water was also called jade wall, referring to the noble person, as round and smooth as jade, with infinite changes!
Therefore… the Imperial Academy must be chosen in such a place surrounded by water on all sides!
Only in such a place, isolated from the outside world, could teachers and students quietly immerse themselves in their studies.
"Before Brother Fengxiao arrived, I was overwhelmed with a thousand things. But with Brother Fengxiao here, it's different."
Lu Yu smiled slightly, took out a drawing from his懷, and directly stuffed it into Guo Jia's arms. "From now on, the Imperial Academy here will be your responsibility."
Ah…
Guo Jia immediately felt that he had been tricked… tricked by Lu Yu!
He unfolded the drawing and looked at it…
Damn it… this Imperial Academy, situated on an isolated island in the water, consisted of a hundred rooms. In the drawing… north of the tall watchtower were classrooms, plazas, libraries, pavilions, kitchens, equipment rooms, and so on, distributed in a well-ordered manner.
And the only connection between the island and the outside world was a single plank bridge, only a little over a meter wide, on the south side, for teachers and students to pass.
This could be considered a deep restoration.
It could be said that in the original Imperial Academy of Luoyang, whoever was qualified to squeeze across this single plank bridge had obtained a pass to an official career…
The world vividly called this "crossing the single plank bridge"!
After looking at the drawing, Guo Jia matched each building on the drawing with the buildings currently under construction.
This was no small undertaking…
Having been tricked by Lu Yu to come here, and before even becoming a teacher, he was already a supervisor. Guo Jia repeatedly sighed… it was too late to regret it now.
Hmm…
"What is that?"
Guo Jia noticed a stone tablet erected at the entrance of the Imperial Academy.
"Younger Brother? This is?"
"That…" Lu Yu's gaze shifted. "That was transported from Luoyang. When Dong Zhuo set Luoyang ablaze, he could not destroy this Imperial Academy stone tablet!"
Hmm… Imperial Academy stone tablet?
Guo Jia's eyes narrowed.
The Imperial Academy stone tablet was something that no scholar in the world did not know of; it had a great history.
Originally… it was a huge rough stone that had stood on Mount Hua for two hundred years…
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the famous literary scholar Gongsun Shuo inscribed eight characters in "Qin Seal Script" on the stone tablet: "Supporters of the Emperor, Pillars of the Nation!"
Etched by the wind and filled with pure gold,
This stone tablet, serving as the school motto, was famous throughout the land and had a history of nearly four hundred years.
During the reign of Emperor Guangwu…
It took several months from Chang'an, and hundreds of laborers were employed to move it to Luoyang, where it was placed in front of the Imperial Academy gate… Da Feng Novel Network.
Now, it had been transported from Luoyang to Xu Du again, signifying another cycle of the rise and fall of the Imperial Academy, the Han Dynasty, and even culture.
Hoo…
Even Guo Jia couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart at this moment.
"Younger Brother Lu, you've put a lot of thought into this Imperial Academy!" Guo Jia said as he slowly walked with Lu Yu towards the single plank bridge, standing beneath the stone tablet and looking up at the eight characters: "Supporters of the Emperor, Pillars of the Nation!"
For a moment, Guo Jia inexplicably felt the weight on his shoulders increase. He was usually frivolous, but… truly being a role model, and truly reciting these eight characters, he also realized the responsibility he bore.
"Are you doing this for those things, Younger Brother? It's probably not just to win the hearts of beautiful women, is it?" Guo Jia asked…
How to put this?
Lu Yu raised his eyebrows. Initially, the construction of the Imperial Academy… was indeed because it was the wish of Sister Zhaoji.
But as the Imperial Academy stone tablet was re-erected and the Imperial Academy continued to be built, Lu Yu felt a sense of responsibility.
Since he had come to this era…
Perhaps he should also do something for the culture of this era, or for the scholars of this era. Some of the era's ills should be eliminated by some pioneers!
"Brother Fengxiao? Have you been to the Imperial Academy in Luoyang?"
Lu Yu retorted…
Guo Jia shook his head.
Guo family was in decline!
In Yingchuan… the Guo family was not as prominent as the Xun clan.
Xun Yu was able to marry the daughter of the great eunuch Tang Heng, thus establishing the reputation of "Three outstanding Xun," and Xun You also took this opportunity to study at the Imperial Academy!
As for him, Guo Jia, he could only study in ordinary private schools. Compared to the systematic training of the Imperial Academy, Guo Jia's studies were more of a "wild path."
For the young Guo Jia, the Imperial Academy could only be described with one sentence: within reach, yet unattainable!
"I've never been to the Imperial Academy in Luoyang!" Guo Jia said with a wry smile…
"I haven't either." Lu Yu smiled slightly. "However, I've heard that the Imperial Academy has uniform corridors and pillars, green tiles and white walls, and broad and simple sloped eaves like giant umbrellas that shelter teachers and students from wind and rain!"
"Roads paved with blue bricks and flagstones… worn with hollows by the feet of countless teachers and students!"
Speaking of this…
Lu Yu turned around. He felt that he was being literary at this moment. He thought of his university in his past life, his high school, the places where he had studied.
There was no other way… he could only continue to be literary and sigh.
"This moss is drying into brown in the cracks between the bricks, waiting for the spring rain to awaken them!"
"The frozen river surface will eventually thaw, Brother Fengxiao? Don't you think so?"
Whoa…
How eloquent! Guo Jia was slightly taken aback, but… he could understand Lu Yu's meaning immediately.
Indeed, in this chaotic world where human lives were as cheap as grass, there was truly no one who cared so much about scholars? Who cared so much about academics… and was also so powerful!
Perhaps the former "Confucian Master" Zheng Xuan was one, Duke Qiao, Qiao Xuan, was also one, and Cai Yong, Master Cai, could also be considered one… Is Younger Brother Lu Yu intending to inherit their legacy?
And Guo Jia did not doubt that Lu Yu's choice was correct…
This power of scholars, if used well, would surely stir up the winds and clouds of this chaotic era!
And Lu Yu's meaning was clear.
… At this moment, it should be Lu Yu, Guo Jia, or even Miss Cai Yan, or every teacher at the Imperial Academy, who awakened this energy of scholars in the chaotic world.
In fact…
Lu Yu's thoughts went even further.
The greatest root cause of the chaos in the Han Dynasty was the aristocratic clans. And to shake the aristocratic clans, even in this era, was not an easy task.
If the deep-rooted problem of aristocratic clans was not eradicated, the Han Dynasty would eventually fall into chaos!
But to fundamentally undermine the aristocratic clans…
This generation was deeply ingrained with traditional ideas, and it was likely to be difficult…
What Lu Yu wanted to do was to change the thinking of the next generation…
To fundamentally change this Han Dynasty monopolized by aristocratic clans.
To allow more talented individuals from humble backgrounds to enter officialdom, and to cultivate new ideas and new sprouts.
Lu Yu did not want to see the tragedy of the "Three Clans Returning to Jin" and the "Wuhu Sixteen Kingdoms"!
Then…
It should start with the thinking of the new generation of talented youth.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu felt that the significance of the Imperial Academy was no longer limited to Sister Zhaoji's vision. The Imperial Academy… the word "Imperial Academy" was of great importance to this era.
But… the most difficult thing was to take the first step.
…
"Brother Fengxiao? I've always had a question…" Lu Yu asked Guo Jia amidst his emotions.
"Younger Brother, please speak your mind!"
"Why is it that despite the vast amount of farmland in the Han Dynasty, the majority of the grain is always controlled by certain great clans? It was like this in the past, and it is the same now." Lu Yu asked…
"This…" Guo Jia paused. "This is a malady that has long existed in the Han Dynasty! A large amount of farmland is controlled by the clans, and the farmers are merely tenant farmers. And precisely… the head tax collected by the court is levied from the tenant farmers!"
"The world is in chaos, and the common people have inadequate clothing and food, but what about the major aristocratic clans?"
"Wine and meat rot! Bones freeze to death! Unless the land of these magnates is handed over… then, even if Lord Sīkōng Cao has a bumper harvest, the vast majority of the grain will still be in the hands of the magnates."
Speaking of this, Guo Jia's eyes narrowed. "Younger Brother? You don't mean to…"
Lu Yu's expression was serious, and he said earnestly, "What if we implement the 'flattening of head tax onto land'?"
Ah…
Flattening of head tax onto land?
Guo Jia hadn't reacted yet…
Lu Yu's tone became even more serious. "If, one day, the head tax is abolished, and all taxes are levied as a unified land tax, then those who seize the people's good land will either return it to the people, or… the magnates will have to pay this enormous tax!"
"If this decree can truly be implemented, I don't believe these magnates will have wealth comparable to the national treasury to continue supporting tenant farmers!"
Upon hearing this…
Guo Jia's expression changed drastically. "Younger Brother, you must not propose this 'flattening of head tax onto land.' Don't you know… many aristocratic clans have inextricable ties with Lord Sīkōng Cao among those who seize the people's good land? Once the flattening of head tax onto land is proposed, you will be seen as a thorn in the side by many clans!"
Guo Jia's words were already quite subtle…
Indeed… flattening the head tax onto land could greatly increase the ruler's land tax! And narrow the gap between landlords and the common people.
However… flattening the head tax onto land was also a huge risk.
This was no longer affecting a single family's interests; it was affecting the interests of all the great families, including the Xun clan of Yingchuan, the Cao clan, the Xiahou clan…
The proposal of this decree was enough to stir up the entire Sili region.
"Don't worry, Brother Fengxiao…" Lu Yu smiled slightly. "I know that the flattening of head tax onto land cannot be implemented now, but… if all the scholars in the world have the same ideas as Brother Fengxiao, then this flattening of head tax onto land will never be implemented!"
"Conversely… if ten years later, or twenty years later, there is such a large group of talented individuals whose thinking is more advanced and who have more courage, perhaps this flattening of head tax onto land, this malady of hundreds of years of the Han Dynasty, can be cured!"
Speaking of this, Lu Yu's expression became stern.
"And this is precisely the meaning of us building the Imperial Academy, Brother Fengxiao!"
"To eradicate the malady of the era, starting with the thinking of the new generation of talents!"
As he said this, Lu Yu felt a myriad of lights shining above his head. At this moment, he thought of "New Youth," he thought of Mr. De and Mr. Sai, he thought of countless red names!
Eradicating the ills of the times, can't he follow the path walked by those heroes?
In this sense, the Imperial Academy… had profound and far-reaching significance!
Whoa… Guo Jia's eyes narrowed. At this moment… he suddenly felt that Lu Yu in front of him was like a completely different person, unfamiliar yet admirable!
Reforming the ills of the times, changing the thinking of a generation!
With such vision… Guo Jia felt his own vision was rather small…
Guo Jia admired the ideas of this Younger Brother Lu, and he was beyond reach in this regard!
…
…