The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 323 Novel Discusses Major Events
What is Sanwei Study? And who is its owner?

Lu Yu was completely bewildered.

Shi Tao glanced at the sky, probably afraid of being late, so he pulled his hand and walked forward while explaining:

"Sanwei Study was the village school library built with donations from the Marquis of Qu."

"The name 'Sanwei' comes from the Sanskrit scriptures. I don't really understand it, but it probably means to stop distracting thoughts and concentrate on studying."

"As for the owner of the house, he is Qiao Zhou Qiao Yunnan, a scholar from Bazhou, Yizhou."

Lu Yu was immediately shocked: "...You even have some knowledge of Sanskrit scriptures?"

He comes from a family with a strong academic background, though he is not arrogant.

But the number of people in the world who can earn his admiration for his knowledge is extremely small.

I just heard Shi Tao say that the man was well-versed in various schools of thought, but I took it as just a compliment.

He believed that the other party was well-versed in military strategy and also had some knowledge of classical studies.

Looking at the bustling scene of the salt fields before us, it's likely that they possess considerable insight into the ways of industry and commerce.

But it shouldn't be that much knowledgeable.

But now it seems that I may have underestimated this great general of the Han Dynasty.

Seeing this, Shi Tao chuckled but offered no explanation.

It seems they've long been used to this expression.

Before long, the two arrived at the so-called "Lecture Room of a Hundred Schools".

It was actually just a simple wooden platform built under a tree.

Some straw mats were laid on top as cushions.

If there's anything special about it, it's probably that they've provided heel supports for the elderly and those with weak constitutions to make it easier for them to sit upright for long periods of time.

None of them are luxury items.

This shows that during his period of mourning, the Marquis of Qu still managed to live frugally and did not act improperly.

As for things like village schools and libraries, these are benevolent policies that benefit the local area and have nothing to do with personal enjoyment, so they are naturally not included in this category.

This incident alone made Lu Yu think more highly of that person.

Sure enough, at this moment, a simply dressed Confucian scholar was lecturing on the platform.

Upon seeing Shi Tao and the others arrive, he simply bowed and continued his story.

Lu Yuli listened for a moment.

They discovered that what the other party was talking about was not the traditional Five Classics and the works of various philosophers, but rather a novel or biography that was very likely fabricated by the author.

Novels are unofficial histories and anecdotes, based on hearsay and hearsay.

I do not demand rigorous textual research, but only take its metaphorical meaning.

Just like Qiao Zhou's novels, which tell the story of two countries that did not actually exist in history.

One is called Yinyu Kingdom, and the other is called Zhaojian Kingdom.

The former is weak, the latter is strong.

The two countries were enemies, so Gao Xianqing, a man from Yuguo, consulted the wise Fu Yuzi about how a small country could defeat a large country.

Fu Yuzi said that we should follow the example of King Wen of Zhou and Goujian, allow the people to rest and recuperate, improve the country's strength, and then consider war.

However, Gao Xianqing countered with the Han-Chu conflict, saying that when the Honggou Canal was demarcated, Zhang Liang believed that once the people were settled, it would be difficult for them to launch another attack. He suggested that they should take advantage of the victory to pursue Xiang Yu and quickly pacify the world.

To be honest, Lu Yu was just listening casually at first.

But upon hearing this, he couldn't help but show a serious expression of thought.

This passage from the novel, though seemingly absurd, is actually a microcosm of the current state of affairs in the world.

Since the Battle of Hedong more than two years ago, the Han army has been penetrating deeper and deeper into the Heluo region, coupled with the forced relocation of the capital by Cao Wei.

The balance of power in the world has clearly reversed.

At present, the Han dynasty is strong and the Wei dynasty is weak in the north, and due to the issue of the legitimacy of the Han dynasty, they are destined to fight to the death.

Isn't this exactly the situation between the Yu Kingdom and the Zhao Kingdom?
Lu Yu, having just surrendered from Cao Wei, inevitably tended to think from Wei's perspective.

How exactly did Cao Wei defeat Shu Han?

Should we, as Fu Yuzi suggested, allow the people to rest and recuperate, and accumulate strength? Or should we, as Gao Xianqing suggested, fight a swift and decisive battle, lest the tide turn and the opportunity for victory be lost?
If we want to win this battle quickly, which direction should we start from?
Is Bingzhou heading south?

Is Shangdang heading east?

Or should we launch a full-scale counterattack directly from Henan?
While pondering, Qiao Zhou then recounted how Fu Yuzi refuted Gao Xianqing.

The gist is that the social conditions of the Shang and Zhou dynasties and the Han and Chu dynasties were different and cannot be simply compared.

During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, kings and nobles were highly respected, and the relationship between rulers and subjects was long-standing. Everyone was accustomed to long-term and stable rule and would not be easily challenged.

Even if Emperor Gaozu were to go to that era, he would not be able to achieve the great feat of conquering the world with a sword and a horse.

Therefore, in that era, the only way to overcome the strong with the weak was to emulate King Wen of Zhou and proceed slowly and cautiously.

The opposite was true at the end of the Qin Dynasty.

At that time, the world suffered from the tyranny of Qin, to the point that there was a great uproar, and many heroes rose up.

If you want to conquer the world, you have to act quickly.

Whoever has the bigger fist and the faster speed will reap greater rewards.

Those who are slow will only be devoured.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu already knew the answer in his heart.

If this were more than ten years ago, when Han was weak and Wei was strong, and the world was newly settled, the Shu Han could only follow the example of Emperor Gaozu, seize every opportunity, and fight a quick battle to win against the strong.

Looking back now, at least after the Hanzhong conflict back then.

Shu Han fought for Xiangfan, pacified Nanzhong, swallowed Hexi, cut off Longyou, and took Nanyang. After that, it launched a northern expedition to Guanzhong and an eastern expedition to Hedong. It fought in rotation from east to west, taking one step at a time, and can be said to have maximized its military gains in the shortest possible time.

That's why we have this situation where the power dynamic has reversed.

Now, Cao Wei is in a weak position, and the world has shifted from the "end of Qin" to the "end of Shang".

It remains to be seen how the rulers and ministers of Wei, far away in Ye City, will deal with this situation.

"Are you Lu Zi, the esteemed master of the Lu family?"

A warm voice came from behind.

Lu Yu turned around and saw a middle-aged man dressed in plain clothes but with an elegant demeanor slowly walking towards him.

Without Shi Tao's prompting, Lu Yu had already recognized the person's identity.

Step forward and greet him:
“The disloyal one pays homage to my lord.”

The "Lord" that Lu Yu referred to was none other than Mi Wei, who had been observing mourning for more than two years by the salt lake.

After the mourning period, he relinquished all public office and only inherited his father Mi Zhu's title according to the established system.

That's why others addressed him as "Lord".

At this moment, Mi Wei heard Lu Yu refer to himself as "disloyal" and knew that he was referring to his past service to Wei.

The usual procedure would be to comfort the other party and explain that they were forced to serve Cao Cao and his son.

Now that he has returned to the right path, he remains a loyal and upright man of the Han Dynasty.

However, it was probably during his period of mourning that he met all sorts of people and his knowledge increased.

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei merely smiled faintly and said:
"The Marquis of Huaiyin once served as a physician to Xiang Yu. In his old age, he was killed and his clan was exterminated due to his disloyalty."

"But this disloyalty has nothing to do with his early service to Chu."

“Lü Bu, also known as Lü Fengxian, switched allegiances three times and also became enemies with the late emperor.”

"But he ultimately died at the White Gate Tower simply because he hindered Cao Cao."

"Even Zhang He, who is still trapped in Luoyang today, was a general under Yuan Shao in his early years, but that doesn't change the fact that he is now a loyal minister of Wei, does it?"

"This shows that heroes are not judged by their origins, but by what they do now and what they will do in the future."

At this point, Mi Wei stepped forward to help Lu Yu up, his face full of sincerity, and said:
"Lord Lu is no ordinary man, so I won't bother with any polite words like 'birds choose their trees'."

"I have heard that you are not favored by Cao Pi, which has caused you to waste your years and fail to fulfill your ambitions."

"Now that you have returned to the right path, and I am well aware of your great talent, I will spare no effort to recommend you for an official position that matches your abilities."

"But I wonder if Lord Lu will be willing to become a loyal and virtuous official of the Han Dynasty who will be remembered in history?"

(End of this chapter)