Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 182 The Way of the Sages is to Educate the People, and a Peaceful and Prosperous Age is Made by the Ink of the People

Shouchun City, Yuan's Bookstore.

"Give me a blank sheet of paper."

"I want one too!"

"I'll offer ten gold pieces."

"I'll offer a hundred gold pieces!"

"I am a member of the Gu family. My brother, Gu Yong, is the Prefect of Lujiang. Are you trying to take me from him?"

"I am a descendant of the Jiang family! My ancestors were related to the chief examiner, Lord Jiang, five hundred years ago."

"Give way to me, and my master Jiang might help you improve your ranking for my sake."

"Fine, fine! Where is the law? I'm reporting this; someone here is abusing their power!"

"."

The commotion in front of a shop in the distance caught the attention of the Lu family caravan, and Lu Su, who was on horseback, frowned and gave instructions.

"Lu Da, go check what's going on up ahead? Why is the road blocked?"

"only."

Not long after, Lu Da returned and leaned against the carriage window, lifting the curtain to announce:
"Young master, it seems that there is a group of students taking the imperial examination ahead, scrambling to buy paper."

"Buy paper?"

Lu Su pondered for a moment, and a memory came to mind: "Is this what Marquis Cai made in the past? He said: 'Paper? This thing is very cheap. Although it is used for writing, it is not worth a hundred gold pieces. Instead of fighting over it, why not just buy some silk?'"

Lu Da also had a strange expression on his face, but he only told the young master the news he had gathered.

"This is Zuo Bo paper. Although it is similar to Cai Hou paper, I heard that it was created by Zuo Bo and his craftsmen under the orders of Lord Yuan."

Its paper comes in five colors, with white paper being the best. The ink flows smoothly and the colors are bright and beautiful. As soon as it was released, it was sought after by celebrities.

Upon hearing of the upcoming imperial examination in Shouchun, Lord Yuan further ordered that candidates must use Zuo Bo paper to answer their questions. Now, students are scrambling to buy this paper to familiarize themselves with the writing method, causing a paper shortage in Shouchun.

Lu Su was also surprised when he heard this. He had long heard that Yuan Gong was no ordinary person and often did amazing things. He never expected that he would see the new paper being published and the scholars scrambling to buy it as soon as he arrived in Shouchun.

Such bustling streets probably surpass even the most prosperous Luoyang of the past.

The grand spectacle of students from all over the country taking the imperial examination in Shouchun this time may even surpass that of the Imperial Academy. Who knows if today's academy may not be the Imperial Academy in the future, and if today's Shouchun may not be Luoyang in the future.

Upon arriving in Shouchun, he witnessed this scene. Reflecting on this, Lu Su was filled with anticipation for the future after making the decision to take the imperial examination. At that time, he spent a fortune.

"I'll give you a fortune!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent, and everyone was wondering who the newcomer was.
This is because in the days leading up to the Shouchun Grand Examination, disciples from prominent families from various prefectures and counties have come to the examination. Just like before, there was a lot of commotion. Who knows, the person in front of you might be a relative of one of the examiners from five hundred years ago.
Therefore, without knowing the details, and seeing Lu Su's tone and the presence of caravan servants, no one dared to provoke him easily.

However, when Lu Su led Lu Da into the shop, the shopkeeper greeted him with a wry smile, "Young master, it's not that I'm deliberately making things difficult for you, but the new paper has just come out and production is limited. The last one for today has already been sold to you."

Upon hearing this, Lu Su looked over and saw that the person the shopkeeper was pointing to was a young man in a straw raincoat. He quickly cupped his hands and said:
"My name is Lu Su, courtesy name Zijing. I am willing to offer a thousand gold pieces. I wonder if you, sir, would be willing to part with them?"

"Oh? Brother Lu thinks I'm someone who's short of a thousand pieces of gold?"

"Not at all! You misunderstand, brother. I have always enjoyed traveling around and making friends with heroes. I am willing to offer a thousand pieces of gold to make friends. I hope you will not take offense."

"To travel far and wide, and make friends with many heroes?"

The man in the straw raincoat recalled the scene of his uncle spending lavishly and the Zhuge family being filled with distinguished guests. A fleeting look of reminiscence crossed his eyes, and he shook his head and chuckled softly.

"There's no need for a thousand gold pieces. You're also a student who came to Shouchun to take the imperial examination. If you don't practice your writing, you won't be able to answer a single question when you enter the examination hall, and you'll even say that my victory was unfair."

The paper comes in five colors, but I don't like the colors of vermilion and black, so I'll give them to you.

I am Zhuge Jin, courtesy name Ziyu. Farewell, and may we meet again someday.

The two, who had met by chance and were passing by in a hurry, unexpectedly met again at the schoolhouse and inn. Both were talented individuals and had exchanged papers, so they naturally had a very pleasant conversation.

The days at the Shouchun Academy were a period of peace for Zhuge Jin, which he hadn't experienced in many years, and also a time of carefree wandering for Lu Su, who was away from home for the first time.

No ordinary people come and go here; the entire place is filled with students from prestigious families who are full of aspirations for the future. Although there are occasionally some proud and arrogant individuals from famous families, most of them are here to discuss the state of the world and share their ambitions.

The inscription on Tang's basin reads: "If you can improve yourself one day, improve yourself every day, and keep improving yourself."

The Kang Gao states: "Create new people."

The Book of Poetry says: "Though Zhou is an old state, its mandate is ever new."

Therefore, a wise person will spare no effort in pursuing their goals.

Inside the study room, Zhuge Jin was reviewing the Book of Rites, holding the book written by the sages in his hands and reciting it fluently.

Upon arriving in Shouchun, he realized that the world was not just the cruel scene he had witnessed, and that the peaceful and prosperous world described in the classics was not just empty talk.

"Changes are happening every day!"

During his time preparing for the exam in Shouchun, he truly grasped the essence of the sages' teachings. Every day here brought new changes, and every moment brought new things.

It turns out that peace is not just on paper, but in the hearts of the people.

"Brother Ziyu!"

A series of knocks sounded on the door, accompanied by Lu Su's calls urging him on.

"Brother Ziyu, stop studying books to death. Just memorizing the classics won't keep you up with the changes in Shouchun City."

Do you remember the shop where we bought paper last time? I heard that the craftsmen created printing blocks based on the "Taiping Kaiwu" taught by Yuan Shikai.

It is said that with this woodblock, hundreds or even thousands of books could be produced in a single day, as if by divine power.

I don't know if it's true or not, but it's currently on display in a shop, and the first batch of printed books is being sold at a discount. Brother Ziyu, please come with me to take a look.

Even if you don't buy it, just reading about the authenticity of the supernatural powers described in the *Taiping Kaiwu* will broaden your horizons.

"You, yesterday you looked at the blast furnace and bought refined iron, today you looked at printing and want to buy books."

Zijing, Zijing, sometimes I wonder if you came to Shouchun to take the imperial examination or to purchase goods for the family.

Zhuge Jin pushed open the door amidst laughter, his eyes filled with helplessness.

"The supernatural powers of the Taiping Dao are utter nonsense. Master Yu Ji spread the word everywhere that Master Yuan was a manifestation of the Yellow Heaven, who came to the human world to undergo tribulations to save all living beings, and brought down a volume of the Taiping Heavenly Book, 'Kaiwu Pian'."

This is an imitation of Dong Zhongshu's past claims of the interaction between Heaven and Man and the divine right of kings. Wise people respect it from a distance and honor it but do not believe in it. How can one speak of the supernatural powers of immortals?
Have you not heard the sages say: "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits?"

Let alone the claim of a thousand books being published in a single day, which we have not yet witnessed, even if we had seen it with our own eyes, it would surely contain profound truths of sages that we have yet to understand.

Lord Yuan and the wise men around him understood the principles before we did, which is why they were able to accomplish this. We should proceed with caution and work even harder.”

"Brother Ziyu is absolutely right. I have learned a great deal from your teachings."

While saying he was willing to learn, Lu Su's hands were not so well-behaved. He pulled Zhuge Jin towards the street, and Zhuge Jin, who was also curious about the new things in Shouchun City, did not refuse.

The two returned to the Yuan's Bookstore where they had bought paper before. They saw that a high platform had been erected in the middle of the street in front of the store, and armored soldiers in full armor stood guard beside the platform, maintaining order.

Outside the armored soldiers' cordon, crowds thronged everywhere, filled with onlookers, including commoners and students. Lu Su and Zhuge Jin arrived late and could only catch a glimpse of a figure in white dragon robes standing on the high platform.

He wore a flat-topped crown, his posture was upright, and twelve jade tassels obscured his face and expression.

What one could see was him, completely disregarding the ink stains on his hands, personally sinking the carved woodblock into the ink bucket under the watchful eyes of the people.

He then carefully placed a piece of white paper over the woodblock. When the paper was removed, a page that would take even a skilled hand a whole incense stick's time to copy was completed in just a few breaths.

At this moment, the facts speak for themselves: the woodblocks behind him, each engraved with different pages, are countless books covered in ink.

The two seemed to see him on the stage making some profound announcement, but unfortunately they were too far away to hear clearly.

Fortunately, the soldiers shouted for them, and the order resounded throughout the city of Shouchun.

"I, by the mandate of Heaven and in response to the wishes of the people, have reformed papermaking, and thus woodblock printing was born!"

From this day forward, the petitions once submitted by Yuan and Yang will now flow into the homes of ordinary people, using the teachings of sages to educate the masses, and allowing the people to create a peaceful and prosperous world!

At this moment, hearing the shouts around them and looking at the figure on the high platform with hands covered in the fragrance of ink, Zhuge Jin and Lu Su exchanged a glance and remained silent.

What is the will of the people? What is destiny?
While other warlords were exploiting the people and eager to recruit more soldiers to expand their power, Lord Yuan was actually promoting education within his territory!
With their limited perspective, how could they not see the enormous changes that papermaking and printing would bring to the world?

More than just rapid changes, a brand new era is about to begin!

This is the will of the people and the torrent of the times, a true trend of the times, and how could it be stopped by soldiers and passes?
They could see the impact of these two emerging things on the aristocratic families of the time, but they also knew that at this time, no aristocratic family would stand in Yuan Gong's way.

Because whether it's papermaking or printing, at present, it is definitely a benefit and a blessing bestowed upon the aristocratic family by Yuan Gong, as the head of the Yuan family, the most prominent family of the time.

Who uses the paper that's produced? The sons of wealthy families!

Who reads printed books? Only the sons of wealthy families!

As for those illiterate peasants, what can they write on paper? Can they understand books?
But this is a sign, a sign of a new era.

With flowers in full bloom and oil blazing, papermaking and printing will propel contemporary aristocratic families to their zenith. But is the new era they usher in truly what these families desire?

Zhuge Jin and Lu Su could not foresee such a distant future, but what they could foresee was this!

From this day forward, the hearts of the Shi family members will be completely bound to the Yuan family's war chariot by the two iron chains of papermaking and printing!

And this Yuan will no longer be the Yuan of Yuan Kui, but the Yuan of Yuan Shu!

After the invention of printing was announced to the world, Zhuge Jin continued to study it in his room. Not long after, there was another knock on the door.

"Brother Ziyu!"

Zhuge Jin: "."

"Zijing, if you enjoy excitement so much and don't study your lessons seriously, you might fail the big exam in the future."

"Lord Yuan's imperial grace in granting us the opportunity to hold the imperial examinations is an opportunity unprecedented in the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty; we should cherish it."

"Brother Ziyu is absolutely right. I have learned a great deal from your teachings."

Zhuge Jin: "."

Lu Su maintained his usual demeanor, agreeing verbally but actually dragging him out in a carefree manner.

Zhuge Jin smiled helplessly and said, "What is it today?"

"Lord Yuan will personally test the curved-shaft plow in the farmland outside the city. It is said to be much lighter than the ordinary plow."

A common plow requires two oxen and three people to operate, but the curved-shaft plow taught in the "Taiping Kaiwu" only requires one person and one ox to use freely.

Brother Ziyu, believe me, even if you don't pass the imperial examination, just the opportunity to see these things and broaden your horizons will be worthwhile.”

Zhuge Jin was also surprised upon hearing this. "If this plow really has such a miraculous effect, wouldn't it save the labor of one ox and two men? Wouldn't that greatly increase the grain production in the Jianghuai region?"

"Exactly this!"

The two hurried to the outskirts of the city and watched a performance of Yuan Gong personally demonstrating farming techniques. Previously, papermaking and printing were things that the aristocratic families cheered for.

When the curved plow was first introduced, and Yuan Gong personally demonstrated how one person and one ox could control it with ease, the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" from the people reached the heavens.

"May Heaven above all, live long, live long, live long!"

After learning the curved plow, Zhuge Jin studied at home. Not long after, there was another knock on his door.

"Brother Ziyu~~"

Zhuge Jin: "."

Needless to say, it must be Lu Su again!
To be fair, otherwise Lu Su himself would be so happy, playing around Shouchun City every day. Zhuge Jin would even suspect that this guy was deliberately trying to interfere with him and make him do poorly on the exam.

The door opened, and Zhuge Jin sighed, "What are we going to see this time?"

"Hey, Master Yuan has introduced a new waterwheel."

"No need for further words, let's go."

For some reason, Zhuge Jin felt a little tired, while Lu Su was still cheerful.

"Brother Ziyu, rest assured, Master Yuan is truly a celestial being. I guarantee you will find this trip worthwhile with his new creations."

How wondrous! How strange! Could it be that the Imperial Seal is truly ordained by Heaven? With so many wondrous objects aiding him, which of the feudal lords in the land could stand against Yuan Shao's military might?

"."

Zhuge Jin sighed and didn't say anything more to Lu Zijing, who had become a brainless fanboy of Yuan Gong in such a short time.

Time flew by as we happily observed many new things in Shouchun, and finally...

In the year of Bingzi, a major examination was held in Shouchun!
A large number of students filed in.

Inside the Shouchun Academy, before entering the examination hall, all students must change into their examination clothes and are not allowed to bring anything with them.

The writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were all prepared at their respective assigned seats.

This arrangement caught many people off guard. Lu Su and Zhuge Jin both saw that some students turned pale and trembled upon hearing the arrangement, almost wanting to run away.

Sure enough, cheating was soon discovered, and he was expelled from the examination room.

Once the two of them were seated in the examination hall, three drumbeats were sounded, and the sound of the academy doors closing resounded, signaling the start of the examination!
A test question, supposedly personally given to him by Yuan Gong before the exam, was announced by the chief examiner, Jiang Gan:

"Now the Han dynasty is in decline, and the world is in disarray."

The feudal lords harbored rebellious intentions abroad, while traitors held sway within the country!

At this juncture, skill is the only option.

To save the nation from collapse and to purge the court of corrupt officials to save the people.

What should we do now?

"All of you, please try to explain."

(End of this chapter)