Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 272 What is the Right Path?
In the autumn of 2105 in the Chinese calendar, the warship Bird-Eye Mantis Shrimp sailed into the dry dock of the shipyard. After the water was pumped out, the workers went down into the dock pit to inspect the hull and then carry out maintenance and repairs.

In the shipyard, workers are taking rivets and steel plates out of the hot furnace and riveting them together; the workshop is filled with the smell of metal being vaporized.

Seventy welders worked in shifts to weld thin steel plates onto the hull of the Bird's Eye Mantis Shrimp, while also reinforcing the supporting structure. These welders were all found by Xuan Chong through his connections with the Lin Group.

Lin Group, relying on its "foresight of the future," not only researches cutting-edge technologies but also intervenes in some workshops; it cultivates technical talents ten or twenty years ahead of time.

The renovation design was overseen by Xuan Chong. The focus of this renovation was the superstructure, so it needed to be lightweight enough to not affect the center of gravity.

At the same time, in order to prevent the currently popular "bitter acid" bombs from easily causing fires in the upper buildings, each modified area has been equipped with partitions and damage control facilities as much as possible.

Xuan Chong provided a full three gigabytes of data for modeling. The Lin team received the data submitted by Xuan Chong and used it to create over two thousand pages of drawings.

The data for the "modification plans for ships" on these drawings were all obtained by Xuan Chong through a series of sea trials and measurements.

The metal conning towers that Xuan Chong had previously added to the outside of the hull corroded very quickly in the high-salt environment; they rusted through in about seven days. These conning towers were actually quite easy to fall off during the rocking of the waves and during firing; the reason they didn't fall off was because Xuan Chong used torque to hold them in place.

This is similar to heavy tanks in the 1940s and 50s, which relied on a large number of mechanics to frequently replace parts in order to keep them running. As technology advances, the durability of these vulnerable parts will be improved, reducing maintenance hours.

Xuan Chong's special ability is currently having the effect of making him a "super damage control officer" on this old ship.

Once the damage control experience was compiled, the conversion plan and related operation manuals for the old warships were entered into the Lin Group. Then, the Lin Group coordinated with the Navy and specially approved the "old ship conversion" process submitted by Xuan Chong.

The Lin Group was originally there to give Xuan Chong "achievements," and Xuan Chong lived up to expectations, delivering genuine results.

Even for top-tier powers, the money-devouring effect of their navies is a painful blow to many nations.

Even with the substantial financial resources of Jiangnan and Guangzhu Group, when faced with military transformations akin to "dreadnoughts," they cannot simply scrap all old ships and equipment at will. Instead, they strive to upgrade and renovate older equipment, allowing it to continue to serve its purpose. Existing warships are also important military assets of the nation.

Only those things that are truly unsuitable for modern warfare, such as the "Littoral" and "Zum" ships, will be abandoned.

In the factory where Xuan Chong works, equipment such as acetylene cylinders and electric arcs are undoubtedly futuristic technologies for this steam age.

This is equivalent to cutting-edge fields like "artificial intelligence" and "robotics" in the early 21st century, at least twenty years ahead of the current era. Xuan Chong mobilized these advanced technological resources with a wave of his hand, leaving his fellow naval officers astonished by the power behind him. After all, these resources couldn't be obtained simply by offering money.

As the Southern Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Lin Group has always provided key technical services for the military and economy of the modern Han Dynasty.

Because of the existence of someone who can "see the future," the political power of the Lin Group far exceeds that of its deputy "Tai Miao" position, and it can even rival the main "Tai Miao" of the Long Group.

…ruler and minister…

Inside the factory building, there was a hidden room. Xuan Chong turned on the communicator, and the Lin Lord appeared in the projected beam. After appearing, seeing Xuan Chong standing there dumbfounded, he couldn't help but cough. Xuan Chong stopped his "min" posture and obediently bowed and kowtowed.

Lin Zhu glanced at Xuan Chong and said as if looking at a naughty younger brother, "You've done very well recently. Your ability to use and develop is much higher than I imagined."

Xuan Chong: "My efforts are inseparable from your care."

Lin Zhu was only ten years older than Liu Haoxing and had no interest in putting on airs in front of Xuan Chong. He glanced at Xuan Chong sideways, seemingly unimpressed by his glib tongue: "Logically, you should be able to advance further next year, but the current situation on your side is not suitable. Let's wait for two years. Do you have any questions?"

Xuan Chong: "I don't have any problems here, do I?"

The Rank 1 paused slightly: "You're not in a hurry at all?"

Xuan Chong stated earnestly, "I have benefited greatly from this experience, and I will gradually become familiar with everything." (He added that even a second-line fleet is already quite complex, and he did not want to venture into deeper waters for the time being.)

Lin Zhu nodded and said indulgently, "That's good. You don't need to be too submissive there! Remember, you are a member of the Lin Group."

What is loyalty?

After hanging up the call, Xuan Chong's originally loyal expression turned thoughtful; as a time traveler who had experienced a "time-space classroom", Xuan Chong was not a "new recruit" greenhorn.

Xuan Chong realized that his efforts over the past six months were not being recorded in the current Han's merit book, but rather in the Lin Group's. The Lin Group would then use his achievements to negotiate benefits with the current Han, and the Lin Master would then bestow rewards upon them.

"This? Actually, I'm not at a disadvantage." Xuan Chong analyzed himself: "Lin Group is also a well-known large state-owned enterprise. I have a formal position in this highly efficient state-owned enterprise, and my superiors value me very much. It's just that I still hope that my achievements can be recorded in a larger merit book!"

As a commoner from another world, Xuan Chong was unfamiliar with the etiquette of modern Han Chinese, but he was quite sensitive to the system of official organization.

From his past education and historical experiences, Xuan Chong was familiar with a saying: "The only things that can truly test you are the country, x, and the people."

Xuan Chong: "In short, my 'loyalty' is directly under the supreme will of the civilization system."

If there is a middle-level organization, for example, a company boss who says, "Let's test you," and after the test, he takes credit for your work and then reports your achievements to higher levels.

Xuan Chonghui: "Pah! Who the hell do you think you are? You're just a monkey in a crown! You think you're qualified to represent xx and test me?"

However, most people in modern Han Chinese culture are used to this situation. That's right, this is the difference between Xuan Chong and modern Han Chinese.

Which is better or worse?

The loyalty system in modern China is hierarchical. Under the system of rites and laws, the lower class is not worthy of loyalty to the upper class. The lower class must first be loyal to the middle class and do extremely well before they can be known by the upper class.

The lowest of the low can only pledge allegiance to the gang leaders above them; as for them to pledge allegiance directly to the government? They are not worthy, their gang leaders must first connect with the "black gloves" among the bureaucrats.

Within the present Han Dynasty, Xuan Chong's current level of loyalty is undoubtedly very high, belonging to the circle of imperial relatives. However, Xuan Chong is from another world—

Xuan Chong: First, I am loyal to the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. When the dikes collapse, I am willing to sacrifice myself to plug the wound with mud. Second, I am loyal to the tradition of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. When the nation faces a crisis, I am willing to take up arms and die for the cause. Third, I am loyal to the way of Heaven. When I am old and frail, I will look back on my hard-working life and watch my descendants go to the stars and the sea. I will not regret it.

Therefore, Xuan Chong's threshold for "loyalty" was spoiled by his own historical timeline.

A subject dies for his ruler? — Who is the ruler and who is the subject?

Xuan Chong does not seek to change the world, but he will not allow himself to be changed; he is used to his "loyalty" being directly governed by the will of civilization, which is actually a habit of "freedom".

In my previous life, the threshold for "loyalty" was very low; all it took was raising your hand to pay tribute to the martyrs.

As for other fields, school principals are not entitled to demand loyalty from themselves, and company bosses are not entitled to demand loyalty from themselves.

Under such a high degree of freedom, Xuan Chong even encountered some "self-proclaimed wise men" who were unwilling to even uphold the most basic principles of loyalty. They were fully embracing the freedom they believed they deserved.

This means that the "objects of loyalty" are too far removed from the central government, making it impossible for the entire civilized group to thoroughly examine the "loyalty" of those below them in the marketplace.

In the modern Han dynasty, however, loyalty is progressive; local officials are true "parents," and mentors are genuine mentors. For a nobody to enter the inner circle, they truly need to be like Lü Bu, declaring, "If you do not abandon me, I am willing to become your adopted father." The modern Han dynasty has strengthened its control over "loyalty" on the periphery.

For petty people, the "country" is far away, but the gang leader who forces them to bow down is very close to them; these petty people dare not be "free and independent" because the gang leader will use his power to educate them on "heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and teacher".

The women dared not make jokes, because their fathers and husbands were their pillars of support.

Imperial power extends to the county level, and loyalty reaches the individual. …With a matching system, who benefits? …

After leaving the dark room, Xuan Chong started at the factory; in the adjacent workshop, workers were meticulously repairing some warships that had been previously mothballed. A naval war with Eastern Shu was imminent.

Xuan Chong wore a safety helmet, but he couldn't see freely because he was always accompanied by a "master craftsman" from the factory.

This "master craftsman" did not pass the imperial examination.

Regarding the situation inside the factory, Xuan Chong inquired about the following from the craftsman.

Xuan Chong: "You mean, now shipyards have to be registered under the name of a scholar who passed the imperial examination?"

The craftsman looked at Xuan Chong and said, "Sir, your family is also capable of buying this property."

Xuan Chong chuckled and said, "My family is poor, very poor."

The craftsman glanced at Xuan Chong and said, "Sir, you are joking. At your level, it's not money you're lacking."

Xuan Chong sensed the craftsman's tone and realized he wasn't going to continue the "joke."

…the era of the scholar-officials…

During the conversation, Xuan Chong gained a deeper understanding of the modern Han dynasty's system of rites and laws.

The power of etiquette and law was so great that even capitalism was distorted and deformed. Merchants, too, were suppressed during this stage of the Industrial Revolution.

In the officially defined legitimate industries such as "steel," "shipbuilding," and "cement," merchants could buy shares and participate in management, but they had to find someone with official rank to act as their affiliation. Only the "scholar" class was qualified to lead these legitimate industries.

This resulted in the absence of tycoons like those in Europe or oligarchs like those in Longzhou during the first industrial revolution in Han Dynasty China over the past few decades. Handicraft industries were dispersed among the literati, who formed alliances to coordinate and plan their respective businesses.

The modern Han dynasty does not have the issue of "industrial relocation." The "scholar" class in the modern Han dynasty does not move.

If the "scholars" disagreed, the factory could not be moved; therefore, various state governments were building railways to concentrate the "scholars" from the countryside into the cities, and consequently, the factories were also concentrated in the urban areas.

As for the cheap labor force in Southeast Asia now? The Han Society arranges for some scholars to open textile factories, processing plants to process raw materials, and mining. These scholars are all connected with the industries established by their mentors.

Xuan Chong couldn't help but become interested. After carefully studying the imperial examination system, he discovered that the Han imperial examination did not test the eight-legged essay. Rather, it was similar to modern basic education. After all, learning the eight-legged essay would not allow one to grasp the modern industrial and commercial system, and without grasping the system, one could not wield power. In Xuan Chong's previous life, the "Qing" dynasty consciously suppressed Han Chinese scholar-officials from wielding power in the modern era, thus effectively killing off Confucianism for centuries.

The most basic "child scholar" examination in Hanzhong now includes not only traditional Confucian classics analysis, but also four other subjects: geography, investigation of things, and more.
Of the four aspects of "investigating things," "refining" is like chemistry, and "mechanical manufacturing" is similar to physics, but more complex.

"Physical Science" refers to the study of the human body, requiring a thorough memorization of the names and locations of all bones, muscles, and blood vessels. The applied questions require identifying significant pathological conditions such as "wind-cold" and "pregnancy" based on pulse frequency. "Criminal Law," naturally, refers to the bar exam. Those with official titles would, of course, be familiar with the "Great Han Law."

By the time one reaches the Xiucai level, the rigor of the exam is equivalent to that of a top-tier university in my previous life.

Xuan Chong consulted the textbooks and concluded that compared to the college entrance examination candidates in the early 21st century who were divided into arts and sciences, these subjects were also very complicated; the difficulty of memorization, calculation, and reasoning was extremely high.

The title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) was not something that just anyone could achieve. In modern China, with a population of over 800 million, the literacy rate is 80%. The number of officially recognized Tongsheng (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations) in modern China is around 10 million.

The title of Tong Sheng (童生) is not considered an official title because it is certified every five years and is considered a test of ability. This is to prevent those Tong Sheng who are seventy or eighty years old from crowding into the imperial examination path and to make them retire early and do something else.

Every year, more than three million people across the country take the imperial examination for the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations). Only about four hundred thousand of them actually pass and become Xiucai.

The title of Xiucai was a lifelong qualification, and there were only about 20 million Xiucai in the whole country. They are the foundation of the current civil servants and the national industry.

In the subsequent provincial examinations, 95 percent of the candidates would be eliminated before the age of 25. The tutors would then assign the candidates to government-run schools in 360 different trades, such as medicine, engineering, construction (civil engineering), water conservancy, and maritime trade, based on their expertise in the examinations.

For example, the craftsman who accompanied Xuan Chong was a scholar! So he was unhappy when he heard Xuan Chong say that "his family was poor".

Returning to the topic, the remaining five per thousand who passed the imperial examinations became scholars, or "juren" (a higher degree in the imperial examinations). Approximately two thousand people took the exams each year.

These two thousand-plus scholars did not study in their hometowns, but instead gathered in the Imperial Academy in four different places: the Southern Capital, the Northern Capital, the Eastern Capital, and the Western Capital.

This advanced training will eliminate 90% of the applicants, because only one hundred scholars are selected each year!

Even those who failed the imperial examinations were among the most prominent figures in their respective regions. The current "main business" of the Han people—or, in more familiar terms, a crucial industry chain—is held in the hands of these individuals!
Xuan Chong was astonished: those who could enter the palace examination were the top elites! In the present Han Dynasty, those who climbed up through the imperial examinations were not only qualified to become officials and formulate policies for the development of agriculture, sericulture, and crafts; in the present Han Dynasty, only those who had passed the imperial examinations or the provincial examinations were qualified to operate in industries involving the manufacture of "national instruments," such as shipbuilding, steelmaking, railways, and shipping.

As for the loyalty of these people! Xuan Chong sighed: You can laugh at the Confucian scholars for being "too cold" when the country is weak; but don't worry about them being loyal when the country is strong!

Transferring assets overseas to live a better life? Is wealth more important than fame and fortune?
Currently, within the Han Chinese clans, if any branch of the family passes the imperial examination, the ancestral property will immediately be transferred to that branch. It will never be given to the branch that engages in commerce.

The branch of the merchant family that does business will not have any objections; even if the merchant is a maritime merchant, the head of this branch has a group of strongmen under his command! He will just happily retire from the business, make arrangements for his subordinates, and have them follow the main family.

If a clan lacks a scholar to protect it, and its vast "clan property" cannot find a familiar scholar to attach themselves to, it may inadvertently fall into debt, thereby losing its clan property and its lineage.

Xuan Chong: The imperial examination is the only proper path. In the hearts of the people of the Han Dynasty, all "proper professions" concerning the fate of the nation should be left to scholars!

Heavy industrial production materials, steel mills, shipyards, and other things that involve "national strategic assets"—merchants are not qualified to control them.

Xuan Chong glanced at himself. He was currently fifteen years old, in the prime of his life. So an idea popped into his head: "Why don't I try taking the imperial examination myself? If all else fails, I can cheat and use the torque system as a cheat sheet."

A prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold…

Meanwhile, on a naval airship, someone was observing the naval factory through binoculars.

When Zhou Xu saw Liu Haoxing and the shipyard manager, who was a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, talking for more than an hour over blueprints at the spark-filled welding point, he said sourly: "He really is a man of great learning who is always by his side."

He knew that Xuan Chong always left on time at banquets. Now, seeing Xuan Chong's meticulous and practical work, Zhou Xu really wanted to give his nephews and nieces a good beating.

A woman in a female guard uniform standing nearby said, "If the lord thinks he's being tactless, why not transfer him away?"

Zhou Xu glanced at his female bodyguard: "Long hair, short on brains. If we kick out the ones who do the work, all that's left is a bunch of good-for-nothings. Won't all that splendor collapse? I'm just marveling at how he has both family background and perseverance. Someone with such potential will be above me in a few years."

The female guard paused, and after a long while, she seized the opportunity to hug General Zhou's arm and continued to ask, "Sir, what is the family background of this General of the Martial Guard?"

Zhou Meng slammed his hand on the table: "What nonsense are you asking about?"

This female bodyguard came from a merchant family and had loved martial arts since she was a child, wanting to be a female knight-errant. However, her family could not allow her to really be a "little delinquent," well, she should be called a "heroine of the martial arts world," so they arranged for her to work for an important person.

Because of her exceptional "kung fu" skills and firm thighs, she was favored by Zhou Xu and officially became his concubine. She was always by his side.

Her family recently spoke up, telling her to keep an eye on Xuan Chong! After all, such a young general has a bright future ahead of him.

Zhou Xu wrapped his arm around the female guard's waist and gave her a hard shove on her buttocks. Amidst the woman's coquettish voice, Zhou Xu warned, "This guy comes from above. If I can handle him, I'll go for it. Tell your family not to get any funny ideas or try to climb the social ladder!"

(End of this chapter)