Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 929 Wang Yun Succeeds

Time flies, and the day of the grand court meeting has arrived again.

Civil and military officials walked into the hall, stood on both sides of the Chongde Hall, kowtowed and bowed, and then took their seats.

"My dear ministers, what do you want to report today?"

Liu He's face was flushed, and he seemed to be in a good mood.

"I, an old minister, have something to report." Lu Zhi was the first to stand up.

He is now the president of the Imperial College. In terms of official position, he is on the same level as the Nine Ministers, but his salary is slightly higher than that of the Nine Ministers. Therefore, he ranks fourth among the civil officials, only after the Three Dukes, and the General of Chariots and Cavalry ranks below the Nine Ministers, so Lu Zhi's promotion this time is well-deserved.

Liu He asked, "What's the matter, Lord Lu?"

"Your Majesty, since the news of the Imperial College's library spread more than ten days ago, more than 20,000 people have requested to reopen the entrance examination, and the number is still increasing. Many of my students, former officials, close friends and relatives have come to plead for me. I can't stand it any more. If I reject all of them, I am afraid that the court will miss out on talented people. Therefore, I would like to ask Your Majesty to make a decision."

Liu He nodded slightly. This result was completely within his expectations.

Scholars are nothing more than people who read books. Regardless of their family background, most of them are proud of being scholars and aspire to be officials. The books in the Imperial College are the most exquisite and complete in the entire Han Dynasty, or rather, in the entire world. There is only one such school in the world.

Here, they can read almost all the books they want to read, and these books are much lighter than those bamboo slips, and the text is printed very beautifully and neatly. Reading itself has become a great enjoyment, not to mention that the academy will select talents to serve as officials in the court every year.

The most important thing is that these books are enough to dispel the rumors that Liu He despised talented people and only valued merchants. Such a grand undertaking, for the sake of scholars all over the world, consumed countless financial and human resources. If this is not considered as valuing scholars, then who else in the world dares to say that they value scholars?
Liu He said to Lu Zhi, "The entrance examination for the Imperial College in Luoyang has been suspended this year. How can you break the rules for one person? From now on, the beginning of June every year will be the time for admission examinations. One year later, in May of the following year, the annual examination will be conducted. This is the established rule. Unless the country encounters a major event and holds a special examination, it will be conducted in the same way on ordinary days."

"I will obey your order. After the court session, I will post the notice and announce it to the world." After saying this, Lu Zhi stepped back.

Wang Yun's ears moved, as if he had heard a hidden message in Liu He's words.

"This old minister has something to report." He then stood up.

"Your Majesty just mentioned that the Imperial College in Luoyang City has stopped recruiting students this year. Could it be that Your Majesty is planning to open a second Imperial College in another city?"

After he said this, many ministers realized this and their eyes lit up.

"Haha, the father-in-law is indeed thoughtful. I just spoke too quickly and you discovered this secret."

Liu He's words were tantamount to admitting this, and the ministers were immediately shocked.

Wang Yun was secretly delighted, but on the surface he pretended to be calm: "Your Majesty cares for the people and takes care of the scholars, which is a blessing for all people. However, I dare to ask, where else does Your Majesty want to set up the Imperial College?"

As soon as this question was asked, almost all the ministers' eyes were focused on Liu He. Originally, during the court meeting, ministers looked directly at the emperor, which was considered a breach of etiquette, but this incident really made everyone so curious that they forgot about it for a while, even the Praetorian Guards who were in charge of court etiquette did the same.

Liu He smiled calmly: "It seems that all of you, my dear ministers, are very concerned about this?"

The ministers then realized that they had lost their manners and quickly bowed their heads: "We, your servants, will die!"

"Well, I am not a cruel ruler. How could I punish a loyal minister for such a small matter? Since all of you are concerned about this matter, I might as well explain it clearly."

He cleared his throat and continued, "I intend to open official schools in Chang'an and Jinyang this year. Next year, official schools will be set up in Zhuo County, Youzhou, Ye County, Jizhou, Chenliu, Liangzhou, Guzang, and Linzi, Qingzhou. From now on, every time the court recovers a state, an official school will be opened in its capital."

"All teaching affairs of the official school are the same as those of the Luoyang Imperial College. The only difference is that after the official school's assessment, outstanding students must be sent to Luoyang and re-assessed by the Imperial College before they can enter the court to serve as officials."

"Not only that, I also intend that the number of official schools will increase year by year. In ten or twenty years, every county of our Han Dynasty will have an official school, so that every citizen can study and the court will have wise men every year. In this way, why should the Han Dynasty not prosper?"

When the ministers heard this, their expressions varied, especially Wang Yun. His face changed for a while but soon returned to normal.

"Your Majesty, I believe that establishing an official school is a groundbreaking feat. With this alone, Your Majesty will be remembered in history and will be remembered for generations to come. It will also enable the people of the world to unite as one and protect the Han Dynasty for eternity."

Then, he changed the subject: "In my humble opinion, there are still rebellions among the princes within the country, and there are still barbarians outside the borders. The court has to fight troops on all sides, and also build water conservancy projects and control the Yellow River. The national treasury is already stretched to the limit. If we continue to print books and build official schools, I am afraid that the national expenses will be difficult to support. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider."

"Hahaha..." Liu He suddenly burst into laughter, causing the ministers to be very confused.

"What the father-in-law said is indeed quite insightful, but I have already anticipated this matter and will naturally have a plan to deal with it."

He took out a paper copy of "The Analects of Confucius" from the sleeve of his dragon robe and handed it to Gong Saner.

Gong Saner held the book in both hands, walked down the jade steps, came in front of the officials, and showed it to them one by one.

"What do you think of this book, my dear ministers?" Liu He asked.

The ministers all said in unison: "The paper used for this book is rare in the world, and the printing technique is unprecedented. The handwriting is clear, the ink is not scattered at all, the text is neat, and the font size is exactly the same. It is a rare treasure in the world."

Liu He smiled and said, "Then I wonder how much you are willing to pay for this book?"

His question stunned all the ministers.

Wang Yun was delighted, and said to himself, "It's worth my while to spend a hundred gold coins to find that eunuch Hong for information. It turns out that His Majesty really has this intention."

He quickly stepped forward and said, "I think that the Analects engraved on ordinary bamboo slips is worth ten thousand coins. The Analects copied on Caihou paper is hard to find even if it costs one hundred thousand coins. Your Majesty's book is ten times better than Caihou paper in terms of paper, ink, text, and font. Therefore, I think that if this book is to be sold, it would not be too much even if it costs one million coins."

His words were echoed by almost all the ministers.

"Situ's words make sense."

"Books like these are worth thousands or even tens of thousands of taels, let alone millions of dollars, and it would be hard to even reflect one tenth of their value."

Liu He laughed and said, "Haha, the father-in-law and the nobles are really willing to give it away. However, what the father-in-law said is very much in line with my heart. This copy of "The Analects" will be given to the father-in-law. If you can really sell this book for a million dollars, please remember to treat me to a drink."

Wang Yun was overjoyed. He took the book, flipped through a few pages, and then put it carefully in his arms.

"I thank God for this book. This book is so precious that I will place it in the most conspicuous place in my study and will never sell it without permission."

Liu He waved his hand and said, "It's up to you, the father-in-law, to decide how to deal with it. I won't ask any questions. But since all the ministers have determined that this book is worth a million, then my idea will be implemented."

He clapped his hands, and then a group of royal guards came into the hall carrying boxes.

As soon as the box was opened, a faint scent of paper and ink wafted out, which made all the officials excited.

"This is..." "Yes, there are 50,000 volumes of various books here. I intend to sell these 50,000 books in the business. One book is worth a million. 50,000 books can be exchanged for 50 billion yuan, which is much higher than the annual income of the court. Military expenses, food salaries, and the construction of official schools can all rely on these things."

The cost for Liu He to make such a book would be only a few thousand coins, and as the craftsmen became more skilled and the paper mills and printing workshops expanded, the cost would become lower and lower.

But such paper and such printing technology were only available in his hands. All the craftsmen in the workshop were closely guarded, and each craftsman was only responsible for one link. Except for the six craftsmen in charge, no one was proficient in the whole set of technology. These six people were carefully selected by Zhen Yi and Liu He themselves. They were absolutely reliable and their family backgrounds were absolutely clean.

Therefore, at least in the next few years, or even more than ten years, there is almost no possibility that the papermaking and printing techniques will spread. How could Liu He not take advantage of this opportunity to make a fortune?
Although the popularity of each book is different, and the price of each book is not likely to be one million yuan, there are still hundreds of thousands of yuan. With a cost of a few thousand yuan, in exchange for a profit of hundreds of thousands or even millions, this kind of business is probably unique.

"Your Majesty is wise." All the officials praised in unison.

Wang Yun rolled his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, I think this is not possible."

His words seemed particularly out of place among the officials, and for a moment they all looked at him.

Liu He frowned and said, "Oh? What do you think, Situ?"

"I dare not." Wang Yun said, "But I think that although these books are extremely precious, there must be many people who want to get them. However, at such a price, those who have the financial resources to buy one or two books are rare. These 50,000 books, let alone selling out, even if we want to sell 10,000 books, I am afraid it will take more than a month or two. The construction of the two official schools is imminent, and Liu Yan, Cao Cao, Goguryeo and other bandits are also ready to start a war at any time. Relying on selling books to replenish the national treasury is a wise move by the emperor, but I am afraid it is too late."

"Your Majesty, I also agree with Si Tu's opinion." Many ministers stood up and supported Wang Yun.

Lu Zhi looked at them and then said, "Your Majesty, what Situ said is indeed reasonable. Although I have been favored by Your Majesty and have a small fortune, I can only afford to buy more than ten of these paper books at the moment. Ordinary families, merchants, and even ordinary people can afford even more."

"That's right. As the saying goes, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. The war on the border is very urgent. Your Majesty must think carefully about it."

General Huangfu Song also echoed it.

Liu He looked displeased: "I have received news a long time ago that Liu Yan is seriously ill in bed, and he is on his deathbed. Yizhou is unable to send troops. Although Goguryeo and Buyeo are somewhat powerful, with the ability of General Zilong, and the assistance of Generals Tian Yu and Tian Chou, it is not difficult to defend the city, wait for reinforcements, and then attack. As for Cao Aman in Yuzhou, I can order Liu Bei and Sun Jian to send troops to harass his city at the same time, so that he will have no time to look north for a while. In this way, I can buy a few months to complete the book selling matter."

He glanced at the officials. Among these officials, except for Qian Li, Meng Jian, Shi Tao, Huo Qing and others, most of the others were extremely wealthy. He had deliberately put 50,000 books on the table in the court today and talked about it. When the bookstore opened, who among these officials would dare not patronize it?
What's more, they are all great scholars of the time. Not only are they addicted to books, but they are also book lovers. Seeing such treasures, how could they not take action?
Especially those who have sold a large amount of land in recent months in order to avoid land tax have accumulated a lot of cash in their hands. Liu He wants to take this opportunity to make a fortune from their pockets.

Just when Liu He was full of pride, Wang Yun said again: "Forgive me for being so bold, but I think your majesty's move is a risky one. Although Liu Yan is about to die, his son is still alive. Many generals in Sichuan have long wanted to take revenge on the court because of Lei Tong's death."

"Goguryeo and Buyeo have a strong military force. Our army is in Youzhou, but we have few soldiers and generals. Although General Zhao Zilong is the bravest of the three armies, he may not be able to protect Youzhou without any loss. If there is any mistake, Youzhou will be lost, and the northern barrier will be lost."

"As for Liu Bei and Sun Jian, they are far inferior to Cao Cao in terms of military strength and command. Even if they join forces, it will not be easy to contain Cao's army. Cao Cao can send two generals, each with 50,000 troops, to meet the enemy. But now Cao's army already has 300,000 or 400,000 troops. After blocking the Sun-Liu coalition, it can still attack. Your Majesty must be on guard."

At this point, Xun Yu, who had been silent, also stood up and said, "Your Majesty, what the Minister said is indeed not groundless. Yuzhou has reported that since the beginning of spring, Cao's army has increased its troops at the front line. Now there are no less than 200,000 troops stationed. Their intention to attack is obvious."

Liu He frowned slightly: "What good plan does Situ have?"

Wang Yun immediately replied: "I have a plan that can prevent the emperor from falling into the trap of merchants and allow the court to collect a large amount of money and grain within a month."

"Oh? There is such a good thing?" Liu He stared at Wang Yun.

Wang Yun said, "Your Majesty, you can divide these 50,000 books into several parts, sell them at a slightly discounted price to several wealthy merchants and several powerful families, and let them buy the books at once and then sell them on their own. In this way, the court's crisis will be resolved immediately, and the subjects can also do their best for Your Majesty and the country to show their loyalty."

"Situ has a good plan." Meng Jian said sarcastically, "These 50,000 books, even if they are a child in their teens, would know that it is a good business with a huge profit. Could it be that Situ wants to snatch this business from Your Majesty and take it into his own hands? He can gain a reputation for loyalty and make a fortune at the same time. It can be said that he kills two birds with one stone."

"How dare you." Wang Yun shouted, "Guanglu Xun, I am an old minister whose loyalty is known to the sun and the moon. How can you judge a gentleman by your own mean standards?"

"A sincere heart? I don't think so," Meng Jian retorted.

"you……"

"Okay, how can we behave in the court?" Liu He said impatiently, and the two of them quickly apologized.

He thought about it for a while, then said: "What Situ said is not unreasonable. Since I want the merchants and ministers to help the country, they should be rewarded. Relying on the imperial power to wantonly exploit the subjects and take whatever they want is definitely not the behavior of a wise monarch."

"Your Majesty..." Meng Jian's face changed and he wanted to say something else, but Liu He waved his hand to stop him.

"How about this, I will divide these 50,000 books into 100 lots. Different books will be priced from 200,000 coins to 600,000 coins for books like The Analects and I Ching. Each lot will have a different price, ranging from tens of millions coins to hundreds of millions coins. We will then sell them separately in the business, and the rest will be up to you to fight for."

"Your Majesty is wise and this move is a great blessing for the world." Wang Yun and many ministers complimented and praised him.

However, Wang Yun did not intend to stop there. He continued, "Your Majesty, I have another request."

Liu He frowned and asked, "What else do you want, my dear?"

"I think that Your Majesty can just print a batch of books every once in a while, and you don't need to hand them over to the merchant companies, but sell them directly to the first investors. As long as they have never committed any crime, such transactions can become a long-term practice. Your Majesty can collect money and treasures in the palace, and you can make the trade more prosperous, and at the same time share the benefits with your subjects, so that all the people in the world will appreciate your kindness more and more. In this way, the hearts of the people will be won, and it can be said to be a saintly act for all ages."

"This point..." Liu He hesitated for a moment.

Qian Li said, "Your Majesty, I think it is too early to say whether this can be made a regular practice. After the first batch of transactions are completed, we can listen to the opinions and actions of the investors and then make a final conclusion."

His words were very much to Liu He's liking: "Just follow Daozhun's words, and do it now."

"According to the order."

Outside the palace gate, many ministers gathered around Wang Yun.

"Situ, how should we divide these 100 books?"

"Yes, there are indeed quite a few ministers in the court who are eyeing this covetously. It is simply a case of too many wolves and too little meat."

Wang Yun smiled confidently, "Don't worry. I have already bribed Eunuch Hong in the palace, as well as several imperial guards. I also have a lot of dealings with the owner of the Anhan Trading Company in the city. As long as these 50,000 books leave the palace, I will get the news. My fellow officials, please wait in my house. Once we get the news, we will go to the trading company immediately and ask the owner to prepare a few more copies for us. What's the problem?"

"It turns out that Situ has already made preparations. In this case, we can rest assured."

The ministers all breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Yun's face suddenly became serious. "However, I have to say this beforehand. This is the first time we are selling this product. Please do not rush for quick success or do anything dishonorable. All matters will be arranged by me. If anyone covets a little bit of profit and ruins our plans, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Don't worry, Situ. We won't worry. In order to seize the monopoly right to sell this book for a long time in the future, we will definitely follow Situ's lead and will not dare to act on our own."

"That's good." Wang Yun was very proud.

(End of this chapter)