Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

Li Shan said, "If what is said in the letter is true, I'm afraid this Huang Chao will reprint these books many times and circulate them, so that scholars all over the world can read these classics."

"Making multiple copies...it's difficult, so very difficult!"

Cao Xian opened the book again, carefully studying the characters. After a moment, he sighed and said, "Good heavens, it really is a reprinted book; there isn't a single trace of copying!"

Li Shan's heart stirred: "Master, how many woodblocks would be needed to print these dozen or so books? Even if the two major bookstores in Chang'an joined forces, they couldn't do this."

The disciple's words made Teacher Cao fall into deep thought.

"Could it be... the work of the imperial court?"

"In my opinion, it's quite possible. Those martial artists from Longyou have always been at odds with the aristocratic families of Shandong. It's not surprising that something like this has happened."

The so-called "warriors of Longyou" refers to military nobles, including the Li Tang imperial family.

Cao Xian said, "This move... will likely cause a lot of trouble. However, as the letter stated, this is undoubtedly a great thing for the poor scholars of the world. This year's imperial examinations are over, and next year's will surely be much more lively. Yuanji, your essays and poems have already reached a certain level of proficiency. Why not take this opportunity to go to Chang'an and give it a try?"

"Teacher, can I do it?"

"If we didn't have these books, it would have been better to wait another two years. But now that we have these books, it's like when Marquis Liu obtained the 'Art of War by Taigong,' and it's the perfect time for him to emerge from seclusion. Moreover... if the powerful families hear about this, they will definitely stir up trouble, and it's hard to predict how things will develop."

The implication is that this year presents the best opportunity.

Li Shan was a very intelligent and talented man. He quickly understood his master's meaning and immediately decided to participate in the "Spring Examination" to be held next spring.

According to the rules of the Tang Dynasty's imperial examinations, the final formal examinations were held in the spring, usually in February.

In the autumn of the previous year, candidates who wish to participate must first attend the "Autumn Tribute" held in each state to select the best among them.

Only those who succeeded in the autumn tribute examination were qualified to go to Chang'an to take the exam.

After the results of the autumn imperial examinations were announced, the candidates who were fortunate enough to pass would immediately pack their bags and travel money and rush to Chang'an. They would seize the time to present their "traveling scrolls," which they had prepared for a long time, to various dignitaries, hoping that some high-ranking figures would appreciate their poems and essays. This was equivalent to a "preliminary interview."

As mentioned above, the examination system of submitting papers was one of the drawbacks of the Tang Dynasty's imperial examination system.

However, every year a few exceptionally talented scholars from humble backgrounds emerge. Their talents are so outstanding that even aristocratic families cannot conceal them, and they quickly rise to fame, becoming well-known in the capital before the imperial examinations and appearing on the "general list".

Of course, most people are just there to make up the numbers.

Several thousand people participated in the imperial examinations each year, but only a hundred or so were ultimately admitted.

Li Shan and Cao Xian, master and apprentice, began to study the "Zhaoming Anthology" produced by Huang Chao's army.

Many annotations they had never seen before enlightened the master and his apprentice.

As his research deepened, Cao Xian gradually discovered the advantages of simplified Chinese characters.

The compilers of this "Zhaoming Anthology" undoubtedly put in a lot of effort, making new annotations in places where there might be disagreements due to changes in the characters, so as not to mislead readers.

Certain ancient characters that cannot be avoided are also preserved in order to retain their original meaning.

Li Shan read it and loved it so much that he couldn't put it down.

Some people read only to pass exams, but Li Shan was different. He genuinely loved reading, especially the "Zhaoming Anthology," a trait he shared with his teacher, Cao Xian.

If he fails the imperial examination, Li Shan will retreat to the mountains and live as a scholar for the rest of his life.

Even in ancient times, there are many things worth studying.

"Teacher, I'll take this book back first, make a copy, and then bring it to you."

"Alright, you should also study other books, especially the few books on 'Examples of Imperial Examinations' published by the Cui family. Although the articles are not particularly outstanding, the arguments and evidence are very skillful and helpful for the imperial examinations."

"Yes, disciple will follow your teachings."

After returning home, Li Shan was about to enter the study to copy books when someone knocked on the door.

When he opened the door, he saw his good friend Zhang Luo.

The other person was panting and carrying a package.

This package seems to be...

"Brother Yuanji, I just encountered a strange thing!"

"Did someone deliver a book to you?"

"Huh, how did you know?"

"Someone also delivered it to Master Cao; I just saw him today."

Li Shan said this with a hint of resentment.

Why does everyone else have it, but I don't?

Little did they know that the number of scholars in the land was as numerous as carp crossing a river. Even with Chao Yang's production capacity, after about six months of frantic printing, they only managed to obtain a little over eight thousand sets. It was quite normal for some to slip through the net.

The two then discussed the strange event that had just occurred.

"Brother Yuanji, you are well-versed in the classics and your writing is outstanding. You will surely pass the imperial examination next year. I also wish to take the exam, but my skills are not as good as yours. I will have to visit you more often to learn from you in the future. You must not keep anything from me!"

"We're brothers, I would never hold anything back, but..."

"Please tell me if there's anything I can do for you, elder brother!"

"You've acquired a rare book, while I haven't. How about you find someone to transcribe a selection of texts for me?"

"Hey, no big deal! Here's what I'll do: I'll pay a hefty price and copy all these books for you."

Li Shan was overjoyed upon hearing this, and invited Zhang Luo into the house. The two talked by candlelight late into the night.

Zhang Luo's family was quite wealthy, and he could easily pay for someone to copy books.

In comparison, Li Shan lived a much more frugal life, and he usually copied books himself.

With the arrival of the books, a cultural storm sweeping across the Tang Dynasty was brewing.

Compared to the dozen or so "exam preparation books," the impact of simplified Chinese characters is far more profound.

Once everyone gets used to this simple font, it will be difficult to go back to the old one.

……

Summer has arrived in the blink of an eye.

That summer, rainfall was insufficient and temperatures were very high, leading to drought in various places, especially in the Guanzhong region. Several counties most severely affected by the drought sent urgent messages to the imperial court, requesting relief.

There is also drought in Shandong, but fortunately, the water resources here are more abundant than in Guanzhong, so it can still be maintained. Farmers in various places have also begun to divert water from canals to ensure irrigation of farmland.

Food is the most important thing for people. In a classical society based on agriculture, the crops in the fields were called "the state and the grain".

In previous years, such events often led to disputes and even small-scale riots among villagers over irrigation canals, as each village wanted to get the canal water into their own fields as soon as possible, making conflicts inevitable.

However, in the more than twenty counties where Junpingshe spread, the aforementioned contradictions were quickly resolved thanks to the coordination of Huang Chao's army, and the production order was very harmonious.