Film and Television Variety Show: The Jade Girl's Love Affair

In order to counter the powerful clans and aristocratic families of the world, he established the Hongdu School, aiming to promote the children of poor families, give him his own influence in the court, and provide a channel for the children of poor families to rise in society.

Unfortunately, this path failed because in a dynasty on the verge of collapse, with vested interests intertwined from top to bottom, reform was impossible.

During this process, Liu Hong also sent troops to the north to fight the Xianbei, but they suffered a crushing defeat.

Therefore, Liu Hong, the emperor of Han, eventually gave up and abandoned his post.

Since the entire country is controlled by these aristocratic sons, and taxes cannot be collected, they simply resort to selling official positions and titles.

At least this eliminates the middlemen, allowing him to make a lot of money, enjoy life, and incidentally support an army.

Guo Jia's father was originally a member of a collateral branch of the family, and he lost both his parents when he was young, so there was no one in the family who could help him.

In times of peace and prosperity, Guo Jia's background would have made it impossible for him to rise to the center of political power; it was the chaotic times that presented him with his opportunity.

"Heroes emerge in times of chaos, and heroes rise with the times. Fengxiao may rise to great heights in the future, because a new era is about to begin."

In times of chaos, upward mobility will reopen.

This is an opportunity for a reshuffling of the global interest groups; if you seize it, you can rise to great heights.

"The general trend of the world is formed by its own momentum. I do not indulge in wishful thinking, but only do things in accordance with the trend. There is no need to do things that are known to be impossible."

Ayu's knowledge is extraordinary; would you be willing to play a game of chess with me?

This was a confirmation that she knew how to play chess, or it could be described as a test.

Tang Yu did not refuse. She would never pretend to be an ordinary person who knew nothing, because there was no need for that.

"Sure, but this house has a study, right? I'd really like to see what your study looks like."

"please!"

Guo Jia smiled and invited Tang Yu into the study, which was a very spacious room.

Upon closer inspection, the bookshelves are made of heavy, dark sandalwood, with numerous bamboo slips neatly arranged on them.

The wooden floorboards on the ground make a slight, muffled sound when you walk on them.

In the center of the study, there is a low table with its surfaces polished to an extremely smooth finish. Several calligraphy brushes hang from a brush holder beside it, as if they are waiting for their owner to display his talent at any time.

In the corner, there was a large desk with an inkstone on it, the air filled with the fragrance of ink.

On the wall behind the desk hangs a landscape painting, its ink tones perfectly balanced, conveying a profound and evocative atmosphere that makes one feel as if they are immersed in that tranquil landscape.

Several pots of orchids were placed by the window, their leaves long and slender, their verdant green adding a touch of elegance to the study.

"You like orchids?"

"Ever since Confucius said, 'Orchids and magnolias grow in deep forests, and their fragrance is not diminished by the absence of people; a gentleman cultivates virtue and establishes morality, and his integrity is not altered by poverty,' it seems that if a famous scholar does not have a few pots of orchids in his study, he is not a gentleman."

This is the one my father raised years ago. He really liked it. I don't think orchids have anything to do with gentlemen.

But those skilled in cultivating orchids should be very grateful for the words Confucius uttered back then.

After Guo Jia finished speaking, Tang Yu was amused; it was clearly a sarcastic remark.

After the two knelt on either side of the chessboard, they began to chat while playing chess.

What was Fengxiao's view on Confucius's advocacy of filial piety?

"It made it convenient for the emperor to centralize power, but it brought suffering to the people of the world."

Confucius once said that a child is weaned from its parents' arms after three years. The three-year mourning period is a universal mourning custom. Have I, too, had three years of love for my parents?

While members of the imperial family could observe three years of mourning without doing anything, how could ordinary people have anything to eat if they didn't work in the fields?

If Confucius had actually governed a region, he probably wouldn't have uttered such unrealistic words.

It seems that Guo Jia really disliked these formalities and probably had a million complaints about them, but he probably couldn't find many kindred spirits in this era.

"I've heard that many people have gone bankrupt in recent years because of the trend of extravagant funerals. After their elders pass away, in order to avoid being gossiped about by those around them, they can only spend a lot of money on lavish funerals, and in the end, the family can't even afford to eat or dress warmly."

This is indeed a common phenomenon. Guo Jia placed a chess piece and then thought of something funny.

"If Confucius were still alive today, he would surely regard the Confucian disciples of this era as unfilial sons and grandsons."

Speaking of which, the Guo family of Yangdi is known for its study of the Xiao Du Law. The Guo family has been studying the Xiao Du Law for generations, so they can be considered a family of legal scholars.

Guo Jia was also skilled in military strategy, so he must have been proficient in both Legalism and military strategy, and was definitely not a Confucian.

At this time in the Han Dynasty, Confucius's status was not as high as it was in later generations, so Guo Jia and Tang Yu got along very well.

After all, people in ancient times didn't value etiquette and rules, so the two of them could really talk about a lot of things to complain about in this era.

The game of chess had lasted for two hours, and it was already getting dark, but the result was still not in.

After turning on the lamp, Guo Jia looked at the chessboard and asked a question.

"Is Ayu's playing style something she learned from a master chess player?"

Tang Yu put down the chess piece in her hand, looked up and smiled faintly.

Why do you have this idea?

"A kind of intuition."

After saying this, Guo Jia placed another piece.

Chapter 5 Guo Jia 5

The game ended in a draw.

"I feel like I never want to play chess with you again in my life."

As soon as Guo Jia said this, Tang Yu couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

"Why? Is there no fun in playing chess with me?"

"It feels like I'm competing against someone else, but I can't win, and if I lose, I'm even more unwilling to accept it."

Tang Yu began to organize the chessboard.

"It's up to you. My task is to take care of your health. Playing chess is just a pastime."

"We'll begin recuperating tomorrow. I'll perform acupuncture and prepare medicinal meals for you."

"Medicated diet?"

Guo Jia asked with interest.

"You're not really sick. Would you want to take bitter medicine every day? Medicinal food therapy is the best approach."

I'll also take this opportunity to hone my medical skills.

The next day, Tang Yu got up early in the morning and went into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs.

I'll do some work while I'm at it.

Anyway, I'll finish my job once I've collected a hundred species in my lifetime.

After Guo Jia got up, he learned that Tang Yu had left and sighed.

"We practiced archery today."

After a while, perhaps we can invite each other to go hunting in the mountains.

Tang Yu didn't return until noon. Besides herbs, she also picked a lot of mushrooms.

"Young lady, you didn't bring back so many mushrooms just to eat them, did you?"

"Otherwise what? You think I'm some kind of medicinal herb?"

Wang Qi quickly tried to dissuade him.

“When there was a famine in my hometown, people starved to death. Some people survived by eating ground mushrooms, but others lost their lives after eating them.”

There are so many kinds of mushrooms that it's impossible to tell which ones are edible and which ones are poisonous.

Unless you're starving, it's best to avoid such dangerous food!

Seeing Wang Qi's worried expression, Tang Yu thought of those people in later generations who were reckless and ate mushrooms without regard for their lives.

"Of course I know some mushrooms are poisonous, but I am a doctor, right?"

I definitely know better than you which types of mushrooms are edible.

Don't worry, the kinds I picked today are perfect for making soup. I'll teach you how to make it in a bit.

Wang Qi wanted to dissuade him, but Guo Jia had already come over and asked.

"What are you talking about?"

Tang Yu smiled and explained her plan to make a fresh soup with mushrooms today.

She probably just happened to run into it today, so she wanted to eat it.

"Wang Qi, you must believe in Ayu's abilities."

Guo Jia made the final decision on today's food.

While Wang Qi was busy in the kitchen, Guo Jia asked curiously.

"Are these mushrooms delicious? I don't think you're picky about food usually, and I don't know what you like to eat. I didn't expect you to eat mushrooms today."

"The taste is not bad, but I would get tired of eating it every day. I just wanted to eat it today because I saw it."

If I'm not around, you shouldn't eat this kind of food. Most people can't tell which foods are edible and which aren't.

Guo Jia was well aware of the dangers of eating ground mushrooms, but he was still filled with curiosity.

"Some of these foods have no effect on people, some will kill them, some will cause vomiting and diarrhea, and some will even drive people crazy. It's a very strange kind of food."

"Yes, different kinds of food have different effects, did you know that?"

Some types of mushrooms can produce beautiful hallucinations when eaten, and some people even deliberately eat these poisonous mushrooms to experience these hallucinations.

Tang Yu told the story as a joke, but Guo Jia asked a thoughtful question.

"A beautiful illusion—is it a dream where one gets the dream they desire?"

"I've never tried it, so I don't know. I've heard that everyone's experience is different. You're not actually interested, are you?"

Guo Jia smiled without saying a word; he was simply thinking of something else.