The imperial cause at the end of the Han Dynasty was not one of partial peace.

Chapter 73 Liu Bei's Awe-Inspiring Reign and the Ambitions of Four Thousand Students

When the news of Liu Bei's successful recruitment of Cai Yong spread, how could the world not be shocked?

Who was Cai Yong?

A genius of his time, a great Confucian scholar, and a renowned figure throughout the land! He was proficient in all subjects, including classical studies, calligraphy, music, and poetry, and was admired by scholars all over the world.

He once worked with other scholars to revise the Five Classics, inscribed them on a stele, and erected it outside the gate of the Imperial Academy. Every day, more than a thousand carriages came to view it and solicit donations to copy it, filling the streets.

He also submitted a memorial entitled "Seven Important Matters on Governance," advising the emperor on each point, which directly addressed the deep-seated problems in the government and the eunuchs' weaknesses. Crucially, he was not killed under these circumstances; he merely fled to the rivers and seas.

This resulted in those memorials being widely circulated among scholars and regarded as models by scholars throughout the land.

But these are the renowned scholars of this caliber, those who could enter the imperial court and meet the emperor, the extraordinary talents and scholars whom even the Three Dukes could not recruit, yet they were willing to serve Liu Bei!

What does this feeling resemble?

Just like the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi, who gave up the court and the honors of the Three Dukes, but willingly submitted to Liu Bei!

How could such a shock not shake the scholars of the Kwantung region?

It should be noted that historically, Yuan Shao only managed to recruit Lu Zhi, who was living in seclusion in Zhuojun, as his military advisor after he had taken control of the entire Ji Province and become its governor.

And now Liu Bei is merely the Prefect of Mount Tai!

Scholars throughout the land were unaware of how Liu Bei had managed to do this. What kind of courtesies had he used to successfully persuade Cai Yong to serve him, willing to sacrifice his life's reputation to achieve Liu Bei's great fame throughout the land?

But regardless, one thing is clear: Cai Yong really did serve as a literary clerk in Mount Tai.

In terms of rank, the literary clerk was merely a minor official with a salary of 100 shi (a unit of grain measure), which was insufficient to match Cai Yong's extraordinary talent.

However, their duties were quite in line with Cai Yong's ambitions. The "Records of Officials" states that "the Literary Clerk is in charge of the schools of the prefecture and state." Their main responsibilities were to preside over the prefectural school, teach the classics, manage the students' studies during the year, and be responsible for assessing the students' talents and conduct at the end of the year. They were the most important assistant to the prefect in promoting education.

Upon hearing this news, within a month, scholars from the four prefectures of Qing, Xu, Yan, and Yu were mobilized, packing their bags and setting off for Mount Tai.

On the official road outside Fenggao City, there was a constant stream of students carrying their books to seek knowledge!

Young men from prominent families arrived by carriage carrying their books, while students from humble backgrounds walked long distances to study, undeterred by the hardship. Even elderly scholars with white hair traveled thousands of miles with their disciples!

By the end of February, when Liu Bei was encouraging agriculture and sericulture, more than a thousand scholars had come to the vicinity of the academy, drawn by its reputation!

The residences in Fenggao City were overflowing with people. The sons of prominent families visited their old friends and relatives in various counties, while the sons of poor families simply built thatched huts on the open ground outside the academy, studying day and night, waiting for the day when Master Cai would take the stage to lecture.

Liu Bei would naturally not miss such an opportunity to win the favor of scholars.

He excitedly led Cai Yong, Guan Yu, Ju Shou, and others to inspect the gathering place of scholars outside the academy.

The literary atmosphere here is quite different from other places. Even before arriving, one can hear the sound of scholars reciting their lessons aloud.

"Yun Chang!" Liu Bei immediately pointed to the simple thatched hut and said, "Immediately allocate military tents to build temporary camps here, ensuring that every student has shelter from the wind and cold. The spring chill is still in the air; we must not let a single person freeze or starve here."

Guan Yu immediately clasped his hands in agreement.

Liu Bei then turned to Wen Chou, the clerk in charge of bandits, and instructed him: "From today onwards, the clerk in charge of bandits must increase the number of patrolmen and village chiefs to patrol this area day and night. This is home to over a thousand scholars, the very heart of the culture of Mount Tai. Even if we don't leave their doors unlocked at night, we must at least ensure that the thugs cease their activities."

Thieves will be eradicated. Anyone who dares to steal or cause trouble here will be severely punished.

Wen Chou clasped his hands in acceptance of the order and immediately summoned the clerks of the bandit bureau to assign patrol duties.

After making the arrangements, Liu Bei turned to Ju Shou, the Chief Clerk, and asked, "Gongyu, now the academy has attracted over a thousand scholars, but the local people of Taishan County are still few and far between. I wish to encourage the people of Taishan to study diligently. Do you have any good policies, Chief Clerk?"

Ju Shou pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and replied: "When Bao Yu, the governor of Runan, first arrived, there were many ponds and reservoirs in the prefecture, which were breached and damaged every year, costing more than 30 million taels of silver annually. Yu then built square beams and stone sluices, and used stone to build water gates and ditches. The water was always plentiful, the fields were irrigated more than twice as much, and the people became rich."

Then Yu established schools and petitioned to abolish the corvée labor system. Seeing that education could exempt them from corvée labor and provide them with a better future, the people flocked to send their children to school, and Runan became greatly prosperous.

"The same applies to Taishan Prefecture today. Last year, the Prefect investigated powerful and wealthy families, levied taxes based on land area, attracted displaced people, and encouraged agriculture and sericulture, precisely following the example of Bao Yu in making the prefecture prosperous. Now the prefecture is somewhat prosperous, and the treasury has a surplus. Therefore, it is hereby decreed that, following the policies of Bao Yu, all the children in the prefecture who diligently pursue their studies shall be exempted from taxes for one year."

"Those who can master one classic will be exempt from three years of corvée labor and their fathers and brothers will be exempt from one year of corvée labor; those who can master three or more classics and are the best in the prefectural school will be recommended by the prefectural government to be teachers of classics in the county school, or appointed as officials in the prefecture or county. In this way, when the people see that studying can exempt them from corvée labor and help them make a living, they will compete to send their children to school. This is the law left by Bao Yu, and it is also a good strategy that Your Excellency can follow today."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei nodded in approval and said, "Excellent! Since we have such wise advice from the ancients, let us implement it accordingly."

Liu Bei then turned to look at Cai Yong, his smile so bright it was impossible to hide.

"The task of promoting education and assessing the students' conduct will be entrusted to Lord Cai."

To get Cai Yong to implement this policy, Liu Bei naturally wouldn't just make empty promises or rely solely on Cai Yong's reputation without contributing anything himself!

Liu Bei then said, "I will order the granary official to allocate two million coins and thirty thousand bushels of grain to Lord Cai every year to promote education."

"All students studying at the Taishan Prefectural School will receive three dou of millet and ten wen of salt and vegetable allowance per month. Those who are too poor to support themselves will be given an additional winter coat."

"Those who excel in the annual county school examination will be awarded an additional three thousand coins and five bolts of silk. The top three will be registered in the county government, and the top ten will be appointed as county officials!"

Such benevolent governance naturally attracted publicity, and the officials of Cao Cao who followed Liu Bei came specifically to promote it.

As they made the news public, the prefectural government not only provided them with accommodation but also subsidized their food and clothing. Those who excelled in both academics and extracurricular activities not only received monetary rewards but could also be directly appointed to official positions in the prefecture and county.

The surrounding scholars immediately erupted in excitement!

What is benevolent governance? It is now clearly laid out before all the scholars.

In this era, studying is an expensive undertaking; it may take the entire family's resources to support a student.

Even those who paid high tuition fees often found themselves without opportunities to serve in government or other important positions due to a lack of recommendations from prominent figures.

However, the Taishan County School not only subsidized their food and clothing expenses and provided relief to the poor, but also directly gave them a path to success!

Here, background and reputation are irrelevant; only achievements matter!

Those who excel in their studies can be appointed to government positions in prefectures and counties, or even directly become officials in the governor's office.

What is this?

This is a blessing and a beacon of hope for poor students and even concubines from prominent families!

To excel in studies and thus become an official is the highest pursuit of scholars since ancient times!

Lord Liu simply laid out this broad road fairly for everyone.

The cheers of more than a thousand scholars shook the heavens.

No one knows who first shouted from the crowd, "Long live Lord Liu!"

This move caused a huge stir, followed by cheers that rose and fell.

Excited faces surrounded Liu Bei. These students from Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Chongzhou, Yuzhou, and even Yangzhou and Jingzhou would surely spread Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence and righteousness far and wide.

Isn't fame and reputation precisely in the hands of these scholars?

Liu Bei smiled broadly, looking at the thousands of students surrounding him, then turned to Ju Shou beside him and said with a smile, "How about it? The heroes of the world are now in my trap!"

Cai Yong, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but snort and said, "You do indeed have the spirit of a hero—all the heroes of the world are now in my trap. Ordinary people certainly don't have such a broad mind to express such sentiments."

"She's just too calculating! Anyone who accepts your gifts will probably have to pay you back, along with their family."

Liu Bei burst into laughter, knowing that Cai Yong was still holding a grudge about Cai Wan.

But Liu Bei wasn't angry. Instead, he encouraged Cai Yong, saying, "Old Cai, only with a broad mind can one achieve extraordinary things."

"I've heard that my uncle, Master Zheng, is lecturing in Beihai with three thousand disciples, and he's already the leading figure of Confucianism in the land. Master Cai's talent and reputation are no less than his, and now he has the strong support of the prefecture and government. Surely he can cultivate four thousand disciples?"

Four thousand disciples!?

This grand ambition immediately stirred the hearts of everyone.

If there were four thousand learned scholars, what great undertaking could not be accomplished?

Literacy was a rare skill in this era. Even if four thousand literate students formed an army, they would be far more elite and skilled in battle than four thousand illiterate people!

Their speed of execution and tolerance for casualties are far superior to those of illiterate armies.

After all, even when training troops nowadays, it is necessary to instill loyalty, integrity, and so on, and in all of these, literate students are clearly superior to ordinary people.

Of course, Liu Bei would not do such a wasteful thing; that would truly be using a precious gem like mud and sand.

The most important role of these students was to provide Liu Bei with a continuous pool of talent.

Why was there a lack of talented people available during the later period of the Shu Han dynasty?

It's because there's a gap in talent development!

As a result, there were no great generals in Shu, and Liao Hua became the vanguard.

These scholars, however, may never be as talented as those top-tier ministers who have left their mark on history, such as Xunzi and Zhuge Liang.

Lu Xun.

However, it is possible to learn from renowned teachers and cultivate a group of scholars and military figures of the caliber of Dong Yun, Gu Yong, Jiang Wan, or even Jiang Wei!

This allowed Liu Bei to have a wider range of talented individuals to choose from, rather than being limited to those who were historically famous.

Cai Yong, however, was furious and said, "Four thousand students? Are you running an academy or raising an army? Are you expecting me to spend the rest of my life serving you, the Lord of Mount Tai!"

Liu Bei laughed heartily, "Haha, that would be excellent!"

With Liu Bei personally inspecting the academy several times and urging the construction to proceed, the craftsmen worked day and night, and the expansion of the prefectural academy was finally completed at the end of March.

This project, which began last August and ended this April, was of a very grand and magnificent scale.

The academy was located in the east of Fenggao City, backed by green mountains and facing the Wen River. The building area of ​​the academy alone, including the academy before Taishan County, was nearly fifty acres.

If we include the academy's affiliated forest gardens and training grounds, the total area exceeds 500 acres!

Therefore, this academy could indeed accommodate thousands of students. Among them, the main lecture hall of the prefectural school, Minglun Hall, where Cai Yong lectured, could accommodate more than 400 people at a time.

Right in front of this main lecture hall stands a stone tablet inscribed by Cai Yong in the Feibai style of calligraphy. The academy's motto is precisely the four lines spoken by Liu Bei: "To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!"

Every student who came in and out was moved by these four lines and filled with lofty aspirations.

They were even more impressed by Liu Bei's heroic spirit and lofty ambition!

Several side rooms were set up on both sides of Minglun Hall for students to use for daily study and debate.

Behind the hall is the library, where Liu Bei stored all the scattered books he had collected from various prefectures and counties, as well as Cai Yong's private collection, totaling more than 30,000 volumes!

These rare and out-of-print books alone are enough to attract countless students!

Before the county school officially opened, it already had more than 1,500 students.

In the first year of Zhongping, on the day of Ji Hai in the fourth month, the sky was clear and the air was fresh.

In front of Minglun Hall, more than a thousand scholars stood in a dense, dark mass on the square, their attire solemn. Cai Yong, dressed in a dark robe and wearing the Jinxian hat, ascended the platform to begin his lecture.

Liu Bei, along with Zhen Jiang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Ju Shou, Tian Feng, and others, stood under the side corridor, which neither obstructed the scholars from listening to the lecture nor prevented them from witnessing the grand occasion.

The first poem Cai Yong lectured on was "The Song of Zheng: The Lamb Robe," a selection from the Book of Songs about loyalty and righteousness.

"His lambskin robe was soaked through; he was truly upright and honorable. That man was willing to give his life without wavering."

After Cai Yong finished reciting, he closed the book. "To give up one's life without wavering"—what does this mean? "To give up one's life" means to disregard death; "without wavering" means to uphold one's principles and integrity.

"Only those who can disregard life and death and uphold their principles can be called loyal and righteous men. In the past, Zichan of Zheng sacrificed his life to save the state; Qu Yuan of Chu sacrificed his life to uphold his integrity. These were all men who did not waver in their resolve. Although they died, their spirit lives on, and even after a thousand years, they still stand tall and proud."

"Gentlemen, remember this well: integrity, righteousness, and humility are the keys to overcoming adversity. The world may do without me, but my heart cannot betray the world. This is the first lesson I want to teach you."

The scholars below the altar were deeply moved!

These eminent scholars from across the land expounding on the classics and interpreting their meanings were precisely the purpose of their studies. Cai Yong's explanations, both profound and simple, captivated them completely. They felt that their trip to the Taishan Prefectural School had truly been worthwhile!

What surprised the scholars even more was that after Cai Yong began his lecture, he announced to the public: "The prefectural government has printed the Five Classics in standard edition using woodblock printing. Every student who is officially enrolled in the prefectural school will be given one copy each of the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals, plus one copy each of the Classic of Filial Piety and the Erya, for a total of seven copies in one case."

These words caused an uproar. It should be known that in this era, a handwritten copy of a sutra was quite valuable, and a complete set of the Five Classics was beyond the reach of ordinary families.

Now that everyone has a set, the scholars simply cannot imagine how much wealth and resources this requires! So much so that the scholars dare not believe it, fearing it is just empty talk.

It wasn't until they actually obtained the complete set of paper-bound books from the granary official that they were finally convinced that the prefectural school had indeed prepared a complete set of books for the scholars.

Immediately, someone recalled what Cai Weng had said about the art of woodblock printing.

Could it be that this extraordinary technique is what led to the creation of so many books?

It should be understood that if all efforts were made to copy the books, even with three hundred scribes, it would be impossible to finish copying these thousands of volumes within a few months.

This immediately filled all scholars with curiosity and fondness for printing techniques and paper books.

This led to the rapid acceptance of paper instead of bamboo slips by a large number of scholars.

It's important to understand that in this era, there are probably only a few hundred thousand literate students. Changing the mindset of thousands of people at once, or even changing it batch by batch, wouldn't take long.

Cai Yong was also very dedicated, speaking for half a month at a time, from dawn to dusk every day, without stopping for days on end!

Even when some students couldn't persevere, he continued to speak passionately on the podium.

It wasn't until halfway through the month that Liu Bei, fearing he wouldn't be able to hold on, forced him to take a few days off.

The two stood side by side in front of Minglun Hall, gazing at the young faces in the square.

Liu Bei sighed, "Old Cai has truly shown unwavering loyalty, even at the cost of his life."

Cai Yong sighed softly, "There's nothing I can do. Seeing so many students so eager to learn, how could I not do my utmost to impart knowledge and teach them? I understand now, this was all part of your plan. In the end, I've been completely ensnared by you!"

Standing beside Liu Bei, Zhen Jiang gazed at the vibrant young faces in the square and said softly, "What Cai Weng did is truly admirable. From this day forward, when future generations speak of Mount Tai, they will not only know Shi Gandang, but also Shi Gandwei, and they will know that a group of scholars who brought peace to the world came from here."

Upon hearing this, Cai Yong stroked his beard and sighed softly, "You two, singing in unison, have truly outmaneuvered this old man. One of you paves the way in front, while the other adds fuel to the fire behind. I'm afraid my old bones are truly going to burn out here at Taishan Prefectural School."

Although he complained, he smiled as he looked at the small groups of energetic young people gathered in the square, engrossed in their books. He sighed, "The Zuo Zhuan says: 'The highest achievement is to establish virtue, the next is to establish merit, and the next is to establish words.' I, an old man, have achieved neither virtue nor merit, but I will strive to establish words."

"Looking at these 1,500 students, they are full of vigor and their aspirations are promising. If they can ensure that the teachings of the sages do not fall into chaos and that loyalty and righteousness are not lost in the future, then they will have established virtue. If they can do this, what regrets would they have even if they die? They can tell King Wen and the Duke of Zhou in the afterlife."

Liu Bei smiled and asked, "Old Cai, so many students have come here because of your reputation. Are there any promising talents with exceptional abilities?"

When Cai Yong heard him ask this, his spirits immediately lifted, and he stroked his beard and smiled, "You really know what I mean. I've been at the academy for more than half a month, and among all the students, there is indeed one person who is exceptionally talented, has outstanding comprehension, and what's even more rare is that he is upright, neither arrogant nor impatient, and has the demeanor of an ancient gentleman."

He turned around and beckoned to one of his disciples, "Changwen, come here."

The disciple stepped forward in response and bowed respectfully to Liu Bei and Cai Yong.

What pleased Liu Bei was that he had come of age and was no longer as young as Cai Yong and Zhuge Jin, which meant that he was ready to serve in the government and be used by Liu Bei.

"Chen Qun, courtesy name Changwen, was a native of Xuxian County, Yingchuan." Cai Yong solemnly introduced him, "His grandfather, Chen Shi, was a renowned scholar of great virtue and prestige. Changwen studied under his grandfather from a young age, mastering the Five Classics, understanding laws and regulations, and was especially proficient in the three commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals."

"When I was proofreading books at the Dongguan Academy, Changwen accompanied his father Chen Ji to Luoyang to copy the stone scriptures. I have seen the scriptures he copied; his calligraphy is steady and already shows the style of a master. He has come here to ask me for advice on calligraphy."

"After teaching him for a few days, I know that this child is not only exceptionally talented, but also naturally intelligent. What's even more remarkable is his pure and virtuous character, without arrogance or pride. If anyone could fully acquire all that I have learned in my life, it would surely be this child."

Liu Bei was overjoyed!

Chen Qun!

This was Liu Bei's first strategist in history.

When Liu Bei came to the aid of Xuzhou, he was appointed Governor of Yuzhou by Tao Qian, and Chen Qun served as his Chief Clerk at that time.

When Tao Qian ceded Xuzhou, Tao Qian strongly advised Liu Bei: "Yuan Shu is still powerful. If you go east now, you will surely have to fight him. If Lü Bu attacks your rear, even if you gain Xuzhou, you will not succeed."

Later, everything turned out exactly as Chen Qun had predicted, and Liu Bei regretted not listening to Chen Qun's advice.

Ultimately, Liu Bei lost Chen Qun, his top strategist.

He rose to the position of one of the Three Dukes in the Cao Wei dynasty and was also appointed as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Later, he pioneered the famous Nine-Rank System, which influenced China for thousands of years.

Liu Bei's reunion with Chen Qun this time was to rectify a historical regret!

Although he was from a prominent family in Yingchuan, he might not necessarily follow Liu Bei to take up a post in another province.

But it's not a big problem. As long as Liu Bei's troops enter Yuzhou, it won't be difficult to get him to serve.

Historically, Liu Bei's so-called governor of Yuzhou was merely a title bestowed arbitrarily by a feudal lord, and the actual territory he controlled was only a few counties within Pei State, yet Chen Qun was willing to serve him.

Moreover, Liu Bei is now a renowned figure throughout the land, and is also a prefect of a commandery or kingdom officially appointed by the Han Dynasty.

As long as he can conquer Yuzhou, he doesn't need to ask for much more, just a commandery or even a few counties, Chen Qun will definitely come to serve him.

So Liu Bei smiled and said to Chen Qun, "Changwen has come from afar, surely not just to hear Lord Cai preach. What do you think of my Taishan Prefectural School?"

Speaking of this, Chen Qun became excited and cupped his hands, saying, "I have observed four virtues of the Taishan Prefectural School: First, it exempts students from taxes and encourages learning, thus providing a path for those from poor families to advance in their studies;"

"Secondly, the printing of paper books will prevent the classics of sages from being shelved."

"Thirdly, officials should be selected through examinations, not based solely on family background or empty reputation."

"Fourthly, Master Cai personally taught the students, correcting their mistakes and preventing them from going astray."

"These four features are unprecedented in any prefecture or county school in the world. We believe that if the Taishan Prefectural School can maintain its current state, it will surely become the cultural hub of the world in ten years. And Lord Liu will surely live up to the expectations of the world."

Liu Bei raised an eyebrow and said, "To have the support of the entire world?"

The first people he thought of when he heard this word were Wang Mang and Wang Anshi.

Chen Qun solemnly said, "In the past, when the Zhou dynasty declined and the feudal lords held power, Confucius wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals to rectify names and social order. Today, the world is in turmoil, but the virtue of the Han dynasty has not perished, and scholars throughout the land still look forward to its revival."

"When the Prefect was in Ji Province, he saved 170,000 surrendered soldiers, and the people of Hebei still sing his praises to this day; when he was in Mount Tai, he recruited refugees, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, and established schools, attracting scholars from Qing and Xu provinces to flock to him."

"These are all due to the good policies of the Prefect, who has won the hearts of the people and gained their trust! Since ancient times, those who win the hearts of the people have won the world."

"Therefore, judging from the overall picture, Your Excellency must be the one who can restore the Zhou dynasty and revive the Han dynasty!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed, never expecting Chen Qun to have such a high opinion of him.

If he is destined to restore the Han dynasty, whether it is to restore the old order of the Zhou dynasty or to revive the Han dynasty three times, then why should Chen Qun not be determined to follow him?

Liu Bei immediately laughed and said, "Changwen is truly a man of extraordinary talent. For him to remain a scholar is a waste of his abilities. I wish to appoint you as a literary historian to assist Lord Cai in promoting education. What do you think?"

Chen Qun immediately cupped his hands in greeting: "I am deeply grateful for Your Excellency's kindness and am willing to serve you with utmost loyalty!"