Han officials

Chapter 254 Prepare for a rainy day
Inside the council chamber, Wei Zhe couldn't help but smile slightly as he looked at the letter before him.

Wow, Zhuge Liang was only twelve years old?

This surprise really caught everyone off guard.

Before he could even make a move, Prime Minister Zhuge delivered himself right to his doorstep.

Although he is a bit young and may not be able to become a talent before the world is unified, he is still a top talent!

At least Wei Zhe always believed that Zhuge Liang's expertise in domestic affairs was superior to his military strategy.

If Liu Bei hadn't squandered most of his resources at Yiling, causing a talent shortage in the Shu Han army, Zhuge Liang probably wouldn't have personally led troops on numerous expeditions to the east and west, and frequently launched northern expeditions.

He was able to restore the Shu Kingdom from the brink of collapse and even support six Northern Expeditions. His talent in internal affairs was unparalleled. What's even more remarkable is that he was also a multi-talented person who liked to work overtime, which made him even more perfect.

If he were to be more careful with his son's demands, he might be able to continue to enjoy the services of a "prime minister of all time."

The happiness of Liu Shan (A Dou) was something that no emperor in later generations could help but envy.

Most importantly, Zhuge Liang's talent was no less than Huo Guang's, but he did not have Huo Guang's shortcomings, which is quite remarkable.

To be honest, even Wei Zhe couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at this moment.

With Zhuge Liang as his backup, he at least didn't have to worry about the situation of the dynasty dying out after only two generations.

After all, he was able to turn the tide even in a mess like the Shu Han state, so he could probably handle Huo Guang's situation as well.

Of course, these are the most extreme scenarios; Wei Zhe is not that incompetent.

With Zhuge Liang around, Wei Zhe simply had another layer of protection!
There's no way around it; the eight characters "鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已" (to devote oneself wholeheartedly to the cause until death) are simply too valuable.

Others might just talk the talk, but Zhuge Liang truly put his words into action.

For a moment, Wei Zhe burst into a rare, hearty laugh.

A moment later, in a good mood, he waved his hand and approved Zhuge Xuan's request.

Wei Zhe not only allowed Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Jin, and Zhuge Jun to study at Dongshan Academy, but also wrote a letter to Lu Zhi, Zheng Xuan, Cai Yong, and others, asking them to take good care of them—don't be shy!

As the saying goes: Jade that is not carved cannot become a useful object.

For the sake of all living beings, let's make things a little harder for young Zhuge Liang!

It's a pity that Zhuge Dan hasn't been born yet, otherwise we could have wiped out the entire Zhuge family this time.

It is worth noting that later historians gave the three Zhuge brothers the nickname "Dragon, Tiger, and Dog".

For example, the *Taiping Yulan* once stated:

"Zhuge Jin's younger brother Liang and his cousin Dan were both renowned and served in different states. At that time, it was said that Shu had obtained the dragon, Wu had obtained the tiger, and Wei had obtained the dog. Dan served in Wei and was as famous as Xiahou Xuan. Jin served in Wu and the Wu court admired his elegance and refinement."

This refers to the three Zhuge brothers, who, although from the same clan, served different periods in the Three Kingdoms.

Among them, Zhuge Liang was highly valued by Liu Bei and served as the Chancellor and Grand Tutor of Shu Han, and was associated with the dragon.

Zhuge Jin was highly valued by Sun Quan in Eastern Wu and became the Grand General of Eastern Wu; he was a tiger.
Zhuge Dan then defected to the Cao family and became a general of Cao Wei. He was a dog!

The reference to Zhuge Dan as a "dog" here is not sarcastic, but rather refers to a "meritorious dog," meaning a general who has rendered meritorious service.

Similar examples include the Xun family's Eight Dragons, the Sima family's Eight Worthies, and the Ma family's Five Constants.

It can only be said that our ancestors were too far ahead of their time, starting to use the "boy band debut" model two thousand years ago.

Haha~ The pioneering ancestors of trendsetters, and the young people who are stubborn and inflexible, how strange!

……

Because he had gained the chance to become Prime Minister Zhuge for free, Wei Zhe was in a very good mood all day.

It's a pity that I can't share this joy with others.

So when Wei Zhe saw Wei Bo's chubby little face during dinner that night, he couldn't help but give it a good squeeze.

It wasn't until the little guy started squealing and crying that Wei Zhe exclaimed, "Kid, you're in luck!"

Seeing this, Guan Yan, who was standing to the side, immediately gave him a playful glare: "What's wrong with you this time?"

After saying that, she hurriedly rescued the pitiful little Wei Bo from Wei Zhe's clutches.

Seeing this, Wei Zhe didn't explain, but just laughed and said:

"It's nothing. The men down there found a piece of rough jade in the mine, and I'm just thinking about how to polish it."

Guan Yan didn't even blink when she heard this, after all, she had an abundance of beautiful jade in her private stash.

Compared to priceless jade, she cared more about her child's education. After handing the child over to a maid to take out for a walk, Guan Yan frowned slightly and said with concern:
"Cicada'er is not young anymore, shouldn't we find a teacher to enlighten her?"

Guan Yan rarely considered this kind of issue before, and even felt that it was okay to let her child play for a few more years.

However, a few days ago, after Madam Zhen in the mansion was found to be pregnant, Guan Yan instantly learned the trick without any instruction.

Speaking of Wei Zhe, he has had quite a few women, but so far only these two have gotten pregnant.

Because of this, Wei's father has been urging him to take more concubines so that he can have more children as soon as possible.

Liu has already begun her search, determined to find a woman who is fertile and worthy of her.

After a while, Guan Yan naturally felt some pressure.

Wei Zhe hadn't realized these things before, but now he noticed some clues.

This made him change his mind, and he began to ponder it.

A moment later, under Guan Yan's expectant gaze, Wei Zhe sighed softly:
"If that's the case, then so be it."

“In a few days I will send Yuanhua to the mansion. With his talent, he is more than capable of teaching Chan’er.”

Upon hearing this, Guan Yan was initially delighted, but then couldn't help but show a worried expression.

"Huayuanhua? Isn't this...?"

Although Guan Yan had always respected Hua Tuo, a physician was, after all, a lowly servant.

Unlike in later modern times, and even unlike in the Tang and Song dynasties, in this world, doctors are often called practitioners of magic arts, and their status is sometimes even lower than that of shamans.

At least sorcerers and shamans were often honored guests of governors and generals, but doctors rarely received such respect.

This is why Cao Cao did not hesitate to torture Hua Tuo to death in prison.

Because this world inherently lacks respect for doctors.

It is ironic that such renowned physicians as Zhang Zhongjing and Hua Tuo emerged precisely in this era.

Fan Zhongyan once said: "If I cannot be a good prime minister, I will be a good doctor."

It is clear that Confucian ideas are not static; they simply require guidance.

However, seeing that Guan Yan looked hesitant, Wei Zhe immediately comforted her:
“Children are weak and cannot bear the weight of sages and scriptures. It is actually a good thing for doctors to take care of them every day.”

"It will be fine to find a famous teacher later when Chan'er is stronger."

For young children, having too many high-level teachers at the beginning may not be a good thing.

At this point, Wei Zhe couldn't help but pull Guan Yan into his arms and sigh softly:

"I do not expect him to surpass his ancestors in the future. I will be content if he can live a hundred years without disaster or hardship."

Upon hearing this, Guan Yan couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion and immediately stopped worrying.

However, on the other hand, Wei Zhe's actions were not entirely for the purpose of elevating the status of doctors; the main reason was to ensure that Wei Bo, that chubby boy, could grow up healthy.

After all, the living conditions at the end of the Han Dynasty were extremely harsh, and the infant mortality rate was incredibly high.

Even with Hua Tuo's personal care, Wei Zhe couldn't be sure that his son would be alright.

It should be noted that Cao Chong was also Cao Cao's beloved son, yet he still died of illness in his childhood.

Of course, there was also a little something hidden in his mind.

If he were to be fortunate enough to unify the world in the future, Wei Zhe would hope that his descendants would take the "Huangdi Neijing" as their foundation. Perhaps one of his descendants with both money and time would develop the prototype of modern medicine.

Moreover, the short lifespans of the emperors throughout the Eastern Han Dynasty were truly frightening; they almost all died at the age of thirty.

If it were just one emperor, it would be fine, but unfortunately, apart from the beginning and the end, all the emperors in the middle were like this.

If the genes of emperors throughout history were flawed, then Emperor Xian of Han, who lost the throne, actually lived to be almost sixty years old.

Tsk tsk, if there's nothing fishy going on here, Wei Zhe could have drunk the Bohai Sea dry!

In this situation, it was naturally the best solution for the royal family to have medical expertise.

Even the most brilliant and powerful emperor must first save his own life before he can wield power and influence!

Even if the dynasty were to fall one day and the Wei family were to lose their throne, these royal family members would still have a skill to earn a living and wouldn't starve to death on the streets...

(End of this chapter)