Outside Sima Gate, Imperial Palace, Xudu…
One overlooks all other peaks!
Whether it was Lu Ji, or Ma Jun, Zhou Buyi… facing a host of failed scholars, they deserved five words:
One overlooks all other peaks!
Within an hour, Yang Xiu and Sima Yi came to report. Both were beaming with joy, while Cai Zhaoji, despite her swollen belly, stood there with unwavering composure. Her composure, however, was laced with infinite confidence, a stark contrast to the Emperor’s increasingly anxious demeanor.
Yang Xiu reported, "Your Majesty, Master Cai… the top scholar Lu Ji is truly a prodigy. I was full of worry just moments ago, but who would have thought… Lu Ji possesses a perfect memory, having read extensively. Be it astronomy, geography, classics, or history, no matter how tricky the question, he could answer fluently and speak with great eloquence."
"Those who failed the imperial examinations were so ashamed they dispersed in haste after being refuted by him. Yet, this top scholar remained in high spirits, conversing with ease. The imperial examination system, to produce a scholar like this, truly shows how formidable the younger generation is!"
Yang Xiu was an exceptionally proud individual, and not many scholars could elicit such praise from him.
And these words…
Evidently… allowed the heavy stone in the Emperor’s heart to finally settle.
“Hoo…” Cai Zhaoji also let out a sigh of relief. He continued, "What about the second-ranked Zhou Buyi and the third-ranked Ma Jun? How were they?"
Sima Yi replied, "Zhou Buyi also debated with the scholars. No one expected such a young boy, barely ten years old, to recite the Book of Songs, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, and the Spring and Autumn Annals from memory. His knowledge is vast, and his memory astounding… truly admirable! As for… Ma Jun…"
When Sima Yi mentioned Ma Jun, he paused for some reason.
"How was Ma Jun?" Emperor Liu Xie had become completely exhilarated. He eagerly grabbed Sima Yi's hand.
"Your Majesty might as well…" Sima Yi suggested, "Your Majesty might as well go and see for yourself."
Liu Xie's curiosity was piqued to the extreme… without even bothering to arrange an imperial procession, he immediately exited Sima Gate.
At this moment, Ma Jun was eloquently conversing with a multitude of scholars, while simultaneously drawing diagrams.
Someone even brought a wooden mechanical device.
"The old loom with fifty heddles required fifty treadles, and one with sixty heddles, sixty treadles. The problem was that it wasted labor and time. Thus, they were all changed to twelve treadles, yet the result appeared natural, like the infinite changes of yin and yang. This is the kind of discussion Lu Ban would have, which cannot be conveyed through words, let alone debated upon in a comparison."
Suddenly hearing Ma Jun utter such a passage…
The Emperor and the surrounding officials were bewildered.
However, Xun Yu, who was in the vicinity at the Ministry of Personnel, listened with great interest.
Upon seeing the Emperor, he quickly explained, "Your Majesty, the newly appointed third-ranked scholar Ma Jun is explaining his strategy for improving the silk loom. The old silk looms, those with fifty heddles for the warp required fifty treadles, and those with sixty heddles, sixty treadles. The new third-ranked scholar Ma Jun believes this design is laborious and time-consuming. All the blueprints he has drawn have changed to twelve treadles!"
"After the improvement, it can weave various intricate patterns at will, without being restricted by the original treadles. The finished fabric will appear as if naturally formed, or like the constant changes of yin and yang. Most importantly, the efficiency of weaving has been doubled!"
Xun Yu explained to the Emperor while pointing at Ma Jun's improved "silk loom."
Indeed, as he had said, Ma Jun personally tested it. Both in terms of drawing efficiency and patterns… the improved twelve-treadle "silk loom" far surpassed the previous one.
And the "silk loom" that Ma Jun discussed was merely one of his many inventions…
The lost South-Pointing Chariot;
The Dragon Bone Water Wheel used for sprinkling roads;
The Rotating Hundred Machines, powered by water, causing them to rotate!
Xun You sighed, "In the past, when I heard that Ma Jun was participating in the imperial examinations, I was full of doubt. He clearly had such talent in craftsmanship, why did he need to participate in the examinations? Couldn't the Crown Prince have recommended him directly? But… seeing it today, the imperial examination system will not bury talent! The younger generation is formidable, truly formidable!"
…
…
In the Wei King's palace, horses after horses stopped at the palace gates. The riders dismounted and quickly hurried to King Cao Cao of Wei.
The imperial examinations held outside Sima Gate of the Imperial Palace were being reported continuously.
When Cao Cao heard the final report, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Excellent. The first top scholar, second scholar, and third scholar selected through the imperial examinations are all so extraordinary. I must employ these individuals! Issue a decree to the Ministry of Personnel, to appoint officials based on their talents among those who passed the examinations, especially these top three!"
"Yes…" With Xu Chu absent, the Imperial Guard clasped their hands in acknowledgment and immediately went to convey the Wei King's decree.
Behind Cao Cao, Lady Gan was massaging Cao Cao's head with her slender fingers…
After hearing the report from the Imperial Guard, she wanted to say something, but then she remembered… the Crown Prince's draft of the new policies included a clause prohibiting the imperial harem from interfering in politics. Thus, she retracted what she was about to say.
"What is it?" Cao Cao seemed to sense something. "Are you troubled by something?"
Unlike Lady Cai… whom he was forced to marry due to a political alliance…
Cao Cao genuinely loved Lady Gan from the bottom of his heart. Among all the consorts, she was the most favored.
Lady Gan immediately walked up to Cao Cao, curtsied, and said, "Your Highness, I dare not hide anything from you. I was thinking, if… if under this imperial examination system, perhaps my sons and Your Highness could also achieve scholarly success through their own merits?"
"Sons! Are you referring to Ah Dou?" Cao Cao blurted out Liu Shan's name.
No, to be precise, it should be "Cao Chan's" name…
How could Cao Cao not understand what Lady Gan was thinking? He gently said, "Mei'er, you must give me some time, and give Great Wei some time. Now that the imperial examination system has been implemented, the ills of the Han dynasty will be completely eradicated in Great Wei. When the Crown Prince goes south to Jiangdong, and once all this is settled, how could I not wish for our family to be reunited? I will take you all to the mountains and peach gardens to roam the heavens. Wouldn’t such times be wonderful?"
Cao Cao's words were not just empty promises…
As Yu'er's ideas were realized step by step, Wei would replace Han in an extremely peaceful manner, and that would also be the time for him, Cao Cao, to retire to the mountains!
He had worked tirelessly his entire life and should now, at his age, breathe the pure air of the mountains, and nourish his body and his mind!
The Crown Prince… was more than enough to put his mind at ease!
It was drawing near…
Everything was becoming closer and closer!
…
…
Jiangdong, on the official road from Jianye City to Wujun.
Inside a carriage, Sun Shangxiang, Ma Yunlu, and Lü Lingqi were all seated.
To be frank, the relationship between the three was not very good. This was understandable… the three were married on the same day, each had their own backing, and all three were formidable women who would not yield to men!
Logically speaking, when the three met, it would likely lead to conflict…
But…
This time, the three were remarkably peaceful.
And all of this was due to one woman, Zhang Qiying, the saintess of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect!
Women… often find that when facing a new opponent, former rivals can become teammates.
"That bewitching woman said… that her Five Pecks of Rice Sect came from afar to 'save the world.' You believed her?" Ma Yunlu narrowed her eyes and asked Sun Shangxiang…
Lü Lingqi also frowned in agreement, "Yes, my sister is quite renowned in Jiangdong, known as the Bow-Waisted Lady and the Sword Fairy. How could you believe such sweet talk? A Taoist from Dongchuan and Hanzhong… coming to Jiangdong to 'save the world,' there are too many flaws in that statement."
Lü Lingqi and Ma Yunlu, after hearing Sun Shangxiang speak of the dialogue between the Five Pecks of Rice Sect's saintess Zhang Qiying and her husband Lu Yu… were both incredulous. And the most incredulous part was… that Sun Shangxiang and her husband actually believed the saintess's deceptive words.
This was quite absurd…
"My husband believed it, so how could I not believe it?" Sun Shangxiang retorted through gritted teeth, spreading her hands. "Besides… the Five Pecks of Rice Sect is indeed transporting medicinal materials to Jiangdong and opening pharmacies… alleviating the suffering of the people of Jiangdong from the plague. I have also sent people to investigate, and what Zhang Qiying said is true…"
This…
Lü Lingqi also bit her lip. She did not consider herself smarter than her husband Lu Yu, so… if Lu Yu believed it, what else could she question?
Ma Yunlu shook her head, "No, it's still not right… I heard from my father and brother that during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, their predecessor, the Way of Great Peace, used charms and water to cure illnesses, offering small favors to the common folk, broadly recruiting disciples, and only then did they become increasingly powerful. Could this Five Pecks of Rice Sect… be like the Way of Great Peace!"
Lü Lingqi also became vigilant. "That's hard to say…"
Sun Shangxiang helplessly spread her hands, "Even if she's a bewitching woman, didn't my husband still let her stay in his carriage?"
Upon saying this, Sun Shangxiang spread her hands, a hint of melancholy and helplessness in her eyes!
And with that sentence…
The eyes of the three women simultaneously turned towards the front of the caravan. Who knew what the bewitching woman in the carriage ahead would say to "seduce" their husband next?
…
Over there.
Zhang Qiying's cheeks were still covered by a black veil, but there was a newfound seriousness in her eyes.
"The Crown Prince's intention is… to curb the source first when treating the plague?"
Zhang Qiying's tone was one of surprise.
And Lu Yu nodded heavily.
"To prevent the plague, the source lies in curbing the proliferation of rats. Rats proliferate extremely quickly and have a wide range of movement, making them difficult to control. Once unchecked, the plague will inevitably spread from Wujun… within half a year, the entire Jiangdong will be shrouded in this plague!"
"But…" Zhang Qiying bit her lips, as if feeling some self-reproach within her heart, "But… how can we curb the proliferation of rats?"
She naturally knew that the source of the plague was rats, and by curbing the source, the chain of transmission could be broken… and the scope of the plague controlled.
But "exterminating rats" was easier said than done!
And in Zhang Qiying's bewildered eyes, Lu Yu uttered a word, or rather, the name of an animal: "Cat!"
Ah… Cat?
It was clear that Zhang Qiying was surprised. Not only was she surprised… Lu Yu's answer was enough to astonish the entire Han dynasty.
Because in this era, it was common to train dogs to catch rats…
And cats, these were animals introduced to the Han dynasty through the Silk Road. Although they appeared in some wealthy households, no one had ever trained them to catch rats.
"Heh heh…"
Looking at Zhang Qiying's astonished expression, Lu Yu smiled, "There's a saying in my hometown, that a dog catching mice is meddling in affairs! Actually, cats are the natural enemies of mice!"
Hometown…
Zhang Qiying blinked her eyes, and the intelligence she had gathered about Lu Yu converged in her mind. She retorted, "The Crown Prince's hometown is not Qiao Pei, or… the Lu family of Jiangdong? Are there such sayings in those places?"
"Hahahaha…" Lu Yu laughed heartily… "I'm just saying, you certainly won't believe it, but I've already sent people to gather cats from all over the Han dynasty. By the time the last letter arrived, over twenty thousand had been recruited. Soon, these cats will be sent to Jiangdong!"
Lu Yu only gave a general outline.
To be more precise, the cats he needed to recruit must be "Chinese rural cats," a type of tabby cat, best at catching mice, and possessing natural resistance to rat poison, so they would not fall ill from it! Nor would they be like pet cats, afraid of mice…
And twenty thousand cats, this quantity was enough to change the ecosystem of Wujun!
Speaking of which, Lu Yu continued, "In addition to this, I plan to follow the example of your Five Pecks of Rice Sect and open numerous pharmacies to brew anti-rat-poisoning agents. The traditional Chinese medicines you sent were somewhat conservative. The divine physician Zhongjing has already rushed to Wujun ahead of me. He will likely be able to manufacture the most suitable agents based on the local conditions… thereby curing the people afflicted by the plague!"
"Furthermore, some necessary measures also need to be strengthened, such as… drinking boiled water. Even for washing faces, hands, and rinsing mouths, one must not directly use water from lakes or wells… nor should one use cold or raw water! All citizens who died from the plague must be cremated to prevent the further spread of the plague… and of course, there are many other measures."
As he reached the end, Lu Yu slightly narrowed his eyes, gazing at Zhang Qiying, "The Five Pecks of Rice Sect saintess traveled thousands of miles to save Jiangdong, and this Jiangdong is a territory of my Great Wei. As the Crown Prince of Great Wei, it is my undeniable responsibility, is it not?"
This…
Zhang Qiying bit her lip slightly and instinctively lowered her head.
She had not expected Lu Yu to invite her to travel in the same carriage, nor had she expected… this Wei Crown Prince to be so candid with her. Even more unexpectedly, his words, though each spoken softly and calmly… each one struck her heart directly.
It was as if… he wanted to tear through her layers of protection and see through everything in her heart.
"Hoo…"
Zhang Qiying let out a sigh, "His Highness the Crown Prince is truly admirable!"
Just then…
Clip-clop-clip-clop…
A swift horse whizzed over, "Report…"
An armored soldier of the Dragon Cavalry Camp reported, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the divine physician Zhongjing has proposed three prescriptions for treating the plague. Please review them!"
Saying this, the Dragon Cavalry Camp soldier handed the prescriptions to Zhang Liao, who then passed them to Lu Yu.
Slowly unfolding them… just as he had predicted, the plague was generally divided into three types: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and septicemic plague. Of course, Zhang Zhongjing did not know these medical terms; he prescribed based on different reactions.
One was characterized by chills and high fever, flushed face, thirst, and muddled consciousness;
Another was characterized by high fever, thirst, coughing, difficulty breathing, and coughing up blood;
The third was characterized by bloody stool and urine, cold limbs, and a pale complexion.
Lu Yu could not understand these…
However, many of the medicinal herbs mentioned were also listed in the "Compendium of Materia Medica." It was evident… that due to the earlier appearance of books like the "Compendium of Materia Medica," the advancement of divine physicians' medical skills like Zhang Zhongjing had been greatly aided.
However…
Lu Yu noticed the last line.
Zhang Zhongjing proposed a method for treating severe cases of "plague." This was also a prescription from the "Compendium of Materia Medica," but… this method… Big Wind Novels.
Hiss…
Lu Yu slightly raised his head.
Zhang Qiying asked, "What is it?"
Lu Yu retorted with a question. "If the saintess contracts the plague, and must eat 'toads' to survive, then… would the saintess eat them?"
Ah… Ah…
As soon as this was said, Zhang Qiying felt her stomach churn uncomfortably, as if she were about to vomit…
She quickly reached out to cover her mouth, a subconscious reactive response!
…
…
(End of Chapter)