Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 234 Now that I have the honor of being with you, I am deeply grateful. Even if I were to die a martyr, I would have no regrets! (Seeking monthly votes!)
Sigh, meetings, endless meetings.

In the Jiade Hall, Liu Bian looked at the list of tasks compiled for him by Tian Feng, the Crown Prince's Household Steward, and Ju Shou, the Crown Prince's Chief of Staff, and listened to the discussions of the court officials. Suddenly, he felt somewhat dejected and tired.

A person's nerves will snap if they are stretched too tight, so rest is essential.

Liu Bian didn't want to become a prime minister who died from exhaustion in his official duties and military camps. He thought he should live to at least fifty or sixty years old before abdicating the throne to his son, thus setting an example for future generations and reducing power conflicts between fathers and sons.

However, he had no time to rest these days. The matter of his abdication and ascension to the throne was settled, but the matter of bestowing titles and rewards was still undecided. Should the many troops that had been conscripted be disbanded on the spot or should the central imperial guards be further expanded?

In addition to these, Liu Bian also needed to make many changes to the official system after ascending the throne. The power of many functional departments needed to be reduced, and some functional departments that could play a supervisory and check-and-balance role needed to be promoted. The system of the six ministers needed to be further improved.

I used to think that time travelers just had the answers and could simply copy the homework, but I've only realized now that many systems can't be solved by just following formulas.

Were the Grand Council and the Cabinet truly more conducive to the emperor's centralization of power than the Three Departments and Six Ministries?
No, it's just that the previous system used for centralized power was corrupted by the court officials and could no longer serve the purpose of centralizing power for the emperor. Therefore, the old system was replaced by a new one. However, it is not necessarily true that the latter is much better than the former.

As for the imperial examinations... well, how many poor families could afford to study these days?
Even those so-called poor families were either from once-powerful families that had fallen on hard times, or from well-off peasant families who were well-fed and clothed.

Those who passed the imperial examinations were probably all from aristocratic and wealthy families; how many poor students could there be?
Moreover, once the imperial examination system is implemented, the southern counties of Liangzhou, Jiaozhou, Bingzhou, Yangzhou, and Yizhou will likely face even greater suppression. Families who can barely afford to eat will face daily incursions from the northern barbarians and southern barbarians. How many people will be able to read, write, or even pass the imperial examinations?

The number of candidates recommended by the civil service examination system is probably less than the number of candidates recommended by the provincial examination system. If these regions are given additional preferential policies in the civil service examination, the scholars in the central plains will probably be dissatisfied again, which will further exacerbate the contradictions and conflicts. It would be better to continue to implement the recommendation system for the time being.

As for printing technology... if he dares to introduce printing technology before the completion of the land surveying order, then this big man is probably going to explode.

However, there have been improvements in paper quality...

"Your Highness, Your Highness?"

Imperial Censor Zhang Zhao called out loudly a few times, waking the Crown Prince, who had somehow fallen asleep.

Liu Bian, who had been slumped over the table, raised his head blankly. His unfocused gaze gradually sharpened as he looked at the assembled officials who were all staring at him. His mind started working again, and he remembered that they had just been discussing the matter of adding several battalions of troops to garrison Liangzhou and Bingzhou. He couldn't help but smile apologetically and said, "It was my fault. Where were we in the discussion?"

Seeing the Crown Prince's exhausted appearance, Zhang Zhao suggested, "Why don't we postpone the court session for half an hour before discussing this further?"

To be honest, given Zhang Zhao's fiery temper, if the emperor were to doze off during a grand court assembly, whether he was completely asleep and snoring, or even just listless and half-asleep, Zhang Zhao would still hold his tablet and reprimand him.

If a monarch is dozing off, it is either due to laziness or indolence in governing, or he is indulging in debauchery in the harem. How can one not offer advice and rebuke?

But who could blame him when it was His Highness the Crown Prince who was dozing off? Everyone knows that His Highness the Crown Prince has been busy with state affairs recently, working late into the night with his officials and other important ministers. If Zhang Zhao were to reprimand such a monarch who is tired from working so hard, he would doubt whether he is even human.

Besides, His Highness is only fourteen years old. Ordinary children of that age are probably still climbing trees to pick fruit, hunting, and enjoying nature.

"No need, state affairs cannot be delayed." Liu Bian rubbed his temples and glanced at Gao Wang.

Gao Wang understood and brought over some roasted tea leaves and a pot of hot water.

The tea-frying method doesn't require much skill; the biggest challenge lies in finding suitable cooking utensils for frying tea, namely, a cast iron wok that can also be used for stir-frying vegetables.

Some people in later generations say that the Han Dynasty did not have the mature technology to forge thin iron pots that could be used for stir-frying, but this understanding is incomplete.

The craft existed, but it was mostly done through high-intensity manual forging. However, the failure rate of manually forging wrought iron into large, thin sheets was extremely high, making mass production impossible and unattainable for ordinary people. In addition, due to dietary habits, stir-frying and tea-making did not come into being.

But he was the Crown Prince, and if he wanted, the artisans in the Imperial Workshop could meet his small needs. Moreover, after receiving the Crown Prince's rewards and encouragement, the artisans in the Imperial Workshop were gradually increasing their success rate.

Do not underestimate the artisans of the Imperial Workshop. The artisans who can work in the Imperial Workshop are all worthy of the title of "Master Craftsman". It's just that historical records rarely mention shamans, doctors, musicians and artisans.

Therefore, iron woks that could be used for stir-frying vegetables and making tea were forged by the craftsmen of Shangfang, with a success rate that was still not very high.

Boiling water was poured over the tea leaves, the sound of the water gurgling filling the air. As the hot water infused the tea leaves with their aroma, the fragrance wafting from the teacup dispelled some of Liu Bian's drowsiness. Of course, Liu Bian wouldn't keep this to himself; each of the officials at the grand court assembly had a cup in hand. Although Liu Bian hadn't agreed to the suggestion of a break, he and the officials, sipping their tea, had unknowingly paused their court discussions.

This rather novel taste experience caught the eye of many court officials, but it was mainly the civil officials who were interested. Most of the military officials did not like the taste, but that was enough.

"Your Highness, this should be tea, but it seems different from what I usually drink?"

Lu Zhi really liked this flavor that was bitter at first but sweet and had a lingering, pure aftertaste. He couldn't help but ask, which was also a way of indicating to his disciples that it was time to show respect to their teacher.

The other court officials also turned their attention to the scene. Those who came from the Crown Prince's office and those who were frequently summoned and favored by the Crown Prince were not worried, as they were certain that the Crown Prince would reward them.

Liu Bian smiled and pointed to Gao Wang, who was standing beside him, saying, "This is the tea-frying method created by the eunuch Gao Wang."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Gao Wang. Although he was once among the Ten Attendants, he was one of the few who did not embezzle or break the law. Apart from protecting his family members, he did not have much evil. After the Crown Prince became regent, he was accepted by the court officials of the Crown Prince's faction and was known as a "virtuous eunuch".

"This fool, even though he's become a Grand Eunuch, he refuses to be corrupt and often uses the rewards I gave him to help poor villagers and refugees, so he's penniless." Liu Bian pointed at Gao Wang with a look of anger at his lack of ambition, but everyone could hear the Crown Prince's approval and affection for Gao Wang in his words. "Now, this fellow has accidentally created 'tea frying' and has presented the method to me, hoping to increase the court's revenue."

The ministers' gazes toward Gao Wang softened somewhat.

Although the Han Dynasty forbade officials from engaging in commerce, it did not restrict the business activities of their family members or relatives who were not officials. These relatives, who often had some business acumen, recognized the commercial value inherent in the tea-frying business.

While rejecting eunuchs was politically correct among Han scholars, people no longer held such contempt for this selfless and virtuous eunuch; in fact, many held him in high esteem.

Gao Wang kept his head down the whole time, still maintaining that humble and respectful demeanor.

His Highness the Crown Prince told him that stir-fried tea would almost completely replace the tea soup that is currently used to fill one's stomach. It is possible that thousands of years from now, even if later generations of literati despise eunuchs, they will still have to respectfully call him the "Ancestor of Tea".

Gao Wang couldn't understand His Highness's thoughts. Cai Lun, who improved papermaking and the Shangfang forging process during the reigns of Emperors Ming and He, ultimately committed suicide after Emperor Xiao'an came to power because he had helped Empress Zhangde Dou frame and confirm the crime of Consort Song, the grandmother of Emperor Xiao'an, practicing witchcraft.

Even after Emperor Xiao'an, Cai Lun's reputation remained mixed. Zhang Heng, the Grand Historian who was a contemporary of Cai Lun, summarized the rise and fall of Cai Lun and others with the sentiment that "good and evil are both rewarded" (Note 1).

His Highness the Crown Prince said that was because paper had not yet completely replaced bamboo slips.

His Highness the Crown Prince said that the tea-frying ceremony was a gift he had given himself that would benefit him for a thousand or even ten thousand years.

His Highness the Crown Prince said that he hoped to be buried in the imperial mausoleum as a "virtuous official".

Gao Wang still couldn't understand what His Highness the Crown Prince was saying, but he believed that what His Highness the Crown Prince said would become a reality.

However, tea-frying should have become popular among the powerful and wealthy, which would have indeed increased the court's revenue considerably. This achievement would have been enough to add a glorious chapter to his resume in history, earning him the title of "virtuous official".

Even if he could not ultimately achieve the beautiful scenery that His Highness the Crown Prince had described to him, the Crown Prince's willingness to show his care for this disabled person was already enough to move him deeply.

Your Highness loves me!

Now that I have the pleasure of being with you, I am truly grateful. Even if I were to die a martyr's death, I would have no regrets!
(3074 words)
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Note 1: Cai Lun was not highly regarded in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Zhang Heng, who had worked with Cai Lun, commented on Cai Lun and others as follows: "Blessing the benevolent and punishing the wicked, the effects are immediate and corresponding. Virtue brings good fortune, while wrongdoing brings misfortune. Although the way of Heaven is far away, good and bad fortune can be seen. In recent times, Zheng, Cai, Jiang, Fan, Zhou Guang, and Wang Sheng have all followed this example." In other words, the good deeds they did were rewarded, but the bad deeds they did were also punished. Heaven is fair.

PS: I haven't been too busy these past two days, so I've had a lot more time to write. You've probably noticed that I usually finish two updates around 6 or 7 pm. I've also been stockpiling chapters these past two days, and I think I'll be able to get a recommendation soon. I haven't decided on the exact day yet, so I'm stockpiling chapters for that big update on that day.

PPS: Please vote! It's almost the end of the month, so I'm adding a short update of 1000 words. Please, dear readers, consider that I'm updating before noon and shower me with monthly votes!

(End of this chapter)