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

Chapter 70 Inheriting the Sages' Ultimate Skills and Ambushing the Old Man, Deceiving the Talented Woman of All Time

Given Liu Bei's current status as a renowned figure in the country and his position as a regional governor, if he wishes to see someone within the territory of Mount Tai, he only needs to send someone to inform them and have them come to the governor's office.

However, to show respect and courtesy to Cai Yong, Liu Bei still had Zhao Yun prepare generous gifts and personally visit him.

This greatly surprised Cai Yong, since the two had practically no connection whatsoever.

But he only took it as Liu Bei's admiration for him. After all, when he was proofreading books at Dongguan, his inscriptions on steles attracted more than a thousand carriages every day to view and copy them, filling the streets.

Thinking of this, he was filled with emotion. The past is gone, more than ten years have passed, and the most glorious years of his life are long gone.

All he wants now is to live a peaceful life and prevent his children from having to wander with him.

Therefore, he was not arrogant towards the governor of Taishan County. He personally went out to greet him and led Liu Bei into the hall.

After the host and guest were seated and exchanged pleasantries, Liu Bei spoke frankly and explained the purpose of his visit.

"I have taken the liberty of visiting you today to request that you, Lord Cai, come out of seclusion and help me promote education. Taishan County has suffered from war for a long time, and its schools have been abandoned and its classics scattered. Although I am eager to revive education, my talents and knowledge are insufficient, and I fear I am not up to the task. If I could obtain your assistance, it would not only be a blessing for the students of Taishan, but also for the cultural heritage of the world."

Getting a renowned scholar like Cai Yong to serve you is no easy task.

If this unparalleled genius and renowned scholar could agree to his request, countless prefects and governors would have already made their move to gain immense prestige.

Liu Bei immediately expressed his sincerity, saying, "I have ordered the Ministry of Agriculture to set up a school on 20 acres of land outside Fenggao City, and I intend to invite renowned scholars from all over the country to teach the children in the county."

"He also sent envoys to various prefectures in Qingzhou and Xuzhou to search for scattered and lost books, make copies and store them in the prefectural libraries, and allow scholars in the prefectures to enter the libraries to read them, so as to broaden their knowledge and improve their customs."

"However, the classics and historical texts of today are all from the time of the sages! Many of the texts are erroneous, and the distorted interpretations of common scholars have led to numerous errors, which may mislead later scholars."

"Therefore, I wish to invite Master Cai to serve as the literary clerk of the prefecture, so as to rectify the literary tradition and continue the lost learning of the past sages! This is also my wish."

Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Cai Yong's eyes lit up, and he looked intently at Liu Bei. This prefect, who was renowned throughout Hebei for his martial prowess and famous throughout the land for his integrity, actually placed such importance on civil administration as well?

He was particularly moved when he heard that Liu Bei was going to send envoys to various prefectures to search for lost books.

These rare and unique books, these treasures of unparalleled learning, are precisely what a great Confucian scholar like him could not refuse.

Liu Bei once said that he wanted to establish a moral compass for the world, a destiny for the people, and a peaceful era for all generations!

When Cai Yong heard this bold statement, he was full of praise and felt that the man's heroic spirit was soaring to the sky. He was indeed a hero of the world!

But he always felt something was missing!

This sentence seems to be missing a part, so when you read it, it always feels like the momentum is incomplete, and that soaring momentum just doesn't come through.

But at this moment, after listening to Liu Bei's words and deeds and his spirit of putting the world first, Cai Yong suddenly felt that the image of this prefect was complete!

This sentence is missing the part about integrity that Liu Bei just mentioned—to continue the lost learning of the past sages!

To establish a moral compass for Heaven and Earth, to secure a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for the world!

At this moment, Cai Yong couldn't help but blurt out, "This is what I wish to do, I wish to lend you a helping hand!"

This work, which continues the legacy of past sages, is full of gems and perfectly encapsulates the lifelong aspirations of this great Confucian scholar.

But he had already wasted half his life; more than a decade of wandering had worn away most of his ambitions. Most importantly, he had two daughters, and for their safety, he couldn't risk appearing in public!

How could he protect his daughter's safety if his enemies found out?

Cai Yong's expression darkened slightly, and he bowed to Liu Bei, saying, "Your Excellency's ambition is lofty, and your heroic spirit truly soars to the heavens. However, I am but an old man, and I fear I may fail to live up to Your Excellency's high expectations."

"In his life, Yong suffered misfortune because of his talent and was punished for his words. He was exiled to Wuyuan and lived a life of wandering on the rivers and seas for twelve years. If it weren't for the protection and care of the Yang family, Yong would have been buried in a foreign land long ago. Now, Yong has no other wish but to live a peaceful life, raise his two daughters to adulthood, teach them to read and write, play the zither and lute, and live out his life in peace."

"If Your Excellency wishes to rectify the literary tradition and establish the classics, there is no need to seek the distant and the near. During the Xiping era, Yong and other scholars rectified the Five Classics, inscribed them on a stele, and erected it outside the gate of the Imperial Academy."

"That stele still stands today, containing all the classic texts of the world. Your Excellency can send the prefecture's scholars to Luoyang to copy the stone scriptures and bring them back to Mount Tai to teach the children. This is a prudent approach; there is no need for Yong to do it personally."

Liu Bei was not discouraged. It was not easy to recruit a genius like Cai Yong, a great Confucian scholar of the time, to serve under his command.

It should be noted that even after Dong Zhuo became the prime minister, he still had to invite Cai Yong to serve him, in order to enhance his own prestige.

The three government offices frequently recruited Zheng Xuan and recommended his most outstanding disciples, all in order to employ such great Confucian scholars and enhance their own prestige.

To a great Confucian scholar like Cai Yong, who had once served the imperial court, Liu Bei's current position as a minor prefect seemed insignificant. His renowned reputation, which shook the world, might not even surpass that of Cai Yong.

If Cai Yong were to actually serve him, his prestige would likely rival that of the Three Ministers.

Even if they couldn't compare to the Three Prefectures, their prestige far surpassed that of other prefects and governors.

Therefore, Liu Bei remained calm and nodded to Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun understood, picked up an exquisite wooden box from the side, which was obviously one of the gifts, and presented it to Cai Yong with both hands.

Cai Yong thought Liu Bei was at his wit's end and wanted to win him over with generous gifts, so he quickly waved his hand and declined, saying, "Your Excellency, there's no need for that. Although I am poor, what I value most in my life is only music and books. Gold, silk, and other valuables are nothing but external things to me, so Your Excellency need not trouble yourself."

Liu Bei laughed and said, "What does Lord Cai take me for? How could I possibly bother you with such a vulgar thing? Please take a look and see what's so special about this item?"

Cai Yong, still somewhat skeptical, took the wooden box and opened it.

Inside, there was indeed no gold or jewels, but a smooth wooden board.

The wooden board was only a foot square and about half an inch thick. The wood was fine and dense, clearly a carefully selected piece of high-quality pear wood.

To his surprise, the wooden board was engraved with rows of raised characters in reverse, each character protruding and the strokes reversed. At first glance, it looked like a celestial script, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the first four lines of the poem "Guan Ju" from the Book of Songs: "Guan guan cry the ospreys, on the islet in the river."

A beautiful and graceful lady is the object of a gentleman's affections.

Cai Yong, puzzled, asked, "What is this? Does Your Excellency intend to have poems and classics engraved on wooden boards as a gift for the scholar? However, this seems quite laborious and difficult to preserve."

It's no wonder Cai Yong misunderstood. People today are still used to carving text on bamboo slips. When he saw this wooden board, he assumed that Liu Bei wanted to carve classic texts on the board and then spread them widely.

Humans cannot imagine things they have never seen.

Ultimately, people today are still not used to using paper. Cai Yong never imagined that characters could be printed on paper using ink.

Liu Bei smiled calmly again, and took out a stack of papers from the box. These were the popular Zuo Bo paper of the time. Cai Yong would not write on anything but Zuo Bo paper; he was the most accustomed scholar of his era to using paper!

Then Liu Bei asked Cai Yong, "Does Lord Cai possess any calligraphy?"

Cai Yong hesitated for a moment, but out of his trust in Liu Bei as a renowned scholar, he still called out to the screen behind him, "Yan'er, bring the inkstone and inkstone from the table."

A moment later, a beautiful young girl emerged from behind the screen. She was only a child, but it was already clear that she was a beautiful and wicked girl.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were like autumn water. Her bright eyes swept around the hall and finally landed on Liu Bei. She looked him up and down without any fear.

The ink in her inkstone was already ground, indicating that she had just been practicing calligraphy.

"Father, the inkstone has arrived." Cai Dan placed the inkstone on the table, but instead of leaving, he stepped behind Cai Yong and stood there, his eyes still curiously looking at Liu Bei.

Liu Bei's fame was known throughout the land.

Her father also praised this hero highly; otherwise, he wouldn't have felt at ease returning north to the Yang family after hearing that he had taken office as the governor of Mount Tai.

She was also very curious about what made this hero so different.

At such a young age, her admiration for heroes surpassed that for dashing young men.

Cai Yong wanted to scold her and send her back, but he couldn't bear to speak harshly to this young girl, so he could only pick up the ink stick and prepare to grind the ink.

Liu Bei laughed and said, "There's no need to study any further; this is enough."

He then took a brush, dipped it lightly in the inkstone, and then evenly brushed it onto the raised surface of the wooden board.

Next, he took a piece of Zuo Bo paper from the table, placed it on the ink-coated wooden board, and then took out a clean brush and brushed the back of the paper evenly several times.

"Lord Cai, please take a look." Liu Bei gently lifted the paper and handed it to Cai Yong.

Cai Yong's gaze fell on the paper, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The paper was printed with the first four lines of "Guan Ju"!

Although ink stains remain on the paper due to poor technique, this is clearly because Liu Bei is not skilled in printing. If he finds a highly skilled craftsman and trains him in printing, his skills will surely improve!

So he knew all too well what this meant!

As long as he can carve out the printing blocks, he can continuously print out corrected books for students all over the world to use!

Liu Bei then calmly said, "Lord Cai, I wish to present this woodblock to you so that your woodblock printing skills may benefit students throughout the land."

"It should be known that although there are inscribed steles in the Eastern Pavilion, how many people in the world can personally go to Luoyang to copy the Stone Classics? Even in Taishan County, there are only a handful of families that collect books, and poor students cannot even obtain a single volume of the Book of Poetry or the Book of History. Even if they have the desire to learn, it is all in vain if they have no books to read."

"But this technique is different. As long as Master Cai carves it properly on a wooden board, just like this 'Guanju,' only one woodblock is needed to print hundreds or thousands of copies of the text. Every scholar in the world will have a copy, and the classics will never be lost again."

"At that time, even poor children from remote and impoverished areas could hold a stone scripture in their hands, recite the words of the sages, and be grateful for the kindness of Lord Cai."

Cai Yong was so excited that his whole body trembled. At that time, all the scholars in the world would remember his name, Cai Yong, and be grateful for his passing on of the sage's teachings.

This is the grand aspiration that every Confucian scholar yearns for!

After this, he will likely become the next Sage after Confucius and the Second Sage.

At this moment, Liu Bei decisively stood up and said with a smile, "I know that Lord Cai still has doubts, but if you want to carry out this work that will benefit scholars all over the world, I am afraid that you alone are not capable enough. You need the assistance of the prefecture government in terms of manpower, finances and resources. Therefore, I cordially invite you to the prefecture government to join me in this righteous cause."

"Moreover, scholars throughout the land still prefer to use bamboo slips, and very few use paper. If we wish to implement this printing project, we still need Lord Cai's assistance to change this custom. Our prefecture will also promote the use of paper instead of bamboo slips through government decrees. Only by complementing each other can we ultimately accomplish this great undertaking."

Upon hearing this, Cai Yong's hands trembled slightly with excitement as he said, "Everyone says that Liu Bei has the ambition of a hero and the spirit of a hero."

"Upon seeing it today, Yong knows it is indeed true!"

"Your words constitute a great undertaking for the world; your actions represent a joint effort in righteousness; your plans and schemes will benefit future generations and scholars throughout the land. If I were to refuse again, I would truly be failing the expectations of the world and the teachings of the sages. How could I dare disobey?"

Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "In that case, I will prepare the prefectural office and wait for Lord Cai's arrival."

After Liu Bei's carriage had driven away, Cai Yong stared at the table full of gift lists and couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

Twenty bolts of fine Shu brocade, one hundred reams of Zuo Bo paper, ten packets of pine soot ink, two Duan inkstones, one guqin (a seven-stringed zither), and five hundred catties of gold and five hundred catties of silver ingots.

After reading it, he frowned slightly and said, "This Liu Bei first bestowed upon me a name that would last for eternity upon his arrival, and then left me with a gift of a thousand pieces of gold. This is far too generous and unreasonable. How can I possibly repay him?"

Cai Yan sighed softly, picked up the piece of paper printed with the poem "Guan Ju" from the table, and smiled, "Father, you've already returned it, so what are you still worried about?"

Cai Yong was taken aback: "What can I use to repay you?"

Cai Yan waved the paper around: "Sister, of all those poems, you chose this one, 'Guan Guan Jujiu,' on the river's islet. Father, you're well-read; surely you understand what Lord Liu means? If you go to the prefectural government, you'll be like a lamb entering a tiger's den; you'll never go with you again."

"If this is a gift for a visit, it is indeed strangely generous. But if it is a betrothal gift, wouldn't it be quite appropriate?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than a coquettish voice came from behind the screen: "Ayan! What do you know, you're just a child!"

The curtain was lifted, and a young girl stepped out gracefully. She was Cai Wan, the eldest daughter of Cai Yong, whose courtesy name was Zhenji.

She was sixteen years old, already of marriageable age. She wore a moon-white deep robe, her long black hair was tied up and hung down, and only a plain silver hairpin was worn in her hair, but it could not hide her beauty that was as beautiful as a woman of the highest caliber.

Her features were exquisite, possessing both her father's refined and scholarly air and the gentle and graceful beauty unique to women from Jiangnan.

At this moment, her stunningly beautiful face was flushed with shyness, making her even more captivating.

She glared at her sister in embarrassment and annoyance, then turned to Cai Yong, biting her lip and saying, "Father, don't listen to her nonsense."

Cai Yong looked at his eldest daughter's shy yet reproachful expression, and then at his youngest daughter's cunning and lively face, and was immediately stunned!

He remained stunned for a long time, muttering, "I only remember that everyone praises Liu Bei's heroic spirit and outstanding appearance, but they forget that he also possesses the strategies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi! His schemes are simply like those of a ghost or god. And what he's after here is far more than just this old man!?"

His eldest daughter was gentle and virtuous, and his younger daughter was clever and cunning; he couldn't bear to part with either of them. He couldn't help but ask them, "Is it too late for me to change my mind?"

Cai Wan's face turned slightly pale, while Cai Yan laughed lightly: "Father wants to turn a perfect event into a feud?"

Would you rather forsake eternal fame and bear the scorn of a lifetime?

Cai Yong sighed and slapped his thigh. Wasn't Liu Bei supposed to be a refined gentleman? How could he have ambushed an old man like him!

He was just a Confucian scholar. In terms of military strategy and tactics, how could he be a match for Liu Bei, a famous general of the time with the strategies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi?

He could only sulk and move his belongings into the prefectural government office.

This meant that when Liu Bei hosted a welcome banquet for him, he didn't give Liu Bei a friendly look and refused to talk to him.

This is understandable. After raising their daughter for over ten years, it was suddenly taken away by someone else. No father-in-law would be happy about that.

With this connection to Cai Wan, Cai Yong was completely bound to Liu Bei, and his reputation would ultimately be used by Liu Bei.

However, Liu Bei was not angry about Cai Yong's attitude.

The saying goes, "A gentleman can be deceived by his principles."

Once the matter was settled, after he had been angry for a while, everything fell into place naturally.

Moreover, since the two families were now considered old friends, Liu Bei was even able to meet Cai Wan before the marriage. She was indeed a lady from a scholarly family, not only beautiful but also elegant and refined, with an outstanding temperament.

No wonder it was able to cultivate an empress and a famous general of the Temple of Martial Arts.

Liu Bei had already decided that she would be in charge of educating their future children, and that she would surely raise a Taizong of the same caliber as Li Shimin and Zhu Di!

By the time Cai Yong was settled, it was already the end of the twelfth lunar month.

Since taking office in Mount Tai, he has been busy for almost half a year, quelling bandits, investigating powerful families, attracting refugees, recommending virtuous and filial officials, and providing relief to orphans and widows. Now that things are gradually settling down, he can finally take a break and enjoy a rare moment of leisure.

He can finally say with a clear conscience, "After fighting for so many years, can't I enjoy myself a little?"

Then play the music, then dance!

However, playing music was still possible. Sometimes, Cai Wan would burn incense and play the zither in her own courtyard. The clear and melodious sound of the zither would be heard throughout the courtyard.

As for dancing or anything like that, there really isn't any.

Unlike other governors who kept courtesans, he used all his wealth to support more than two thousand elite retainers.

Mount Tai does have official prostitutes; after all, in the Qi-Lu region, Guan Zhong pioneered the female brothel, which is their ancestor.

Liu Bei didn't even have anyone to eat their fill, yet he didn't care about the hunger and cold of the world.

He did not abolish official prostitutes and brothels, thus giving both men and women at the bottom of society a way to survive.

They simply dismissed all three hundred or so courtesans who were old, frail, and intended to retire.

However, Zhen Jiang, upon hearing that Liu Bei was interested, specially went to learn dance for a period of time.

Women dress up for those who appreciate them.

But as the year drew to a close, as the lady of the house, she had no time to learn to dance.

Because at the end of the year during the Han Dynasty, customs were very important.

On the Laba Festival, people worship their ancestors and all the gods. Every household cleans their courtyards, cooks sheep and slaughters cattle, and prepares for the New Year.

Although Liu Bei ordered that there should be no extravagance and that everything in the mansion should be kept simple except for the usual sacrificial rites.

However, as a noblewoman from a prominent family, Zhen Jiang still managed to make the New Year's celebrations in the mansion quite lively and colorful.

Seeing that he rarely had any free time, Zhen Jiang smiled sweetly, stepped forward, took his wrist, and pulled him from beside the desk into the courtyard.

He was gently led by her hand, her graceful figure slender and her black hair flowing in the breeze, and he could smell the fragrance along the way. Liu Bei felt his heart pounding like a drum.

How can life be the same no matter who you live with?

He was absolutely captivated by this stunningly beautiful and poised young lady from a prominent family.

When she turned around, her black hair was flowing in the breeze, and Liu Bei felt that she was shining with beauty in the spring sunshine.

She led Liu Bei to the courtyard, pointed to the peach wood charms and colorful silk that had been prepared under the eaves, and said with a smile: "The Lüshi Chunqiu says that in the last month of winter, officials are ordered to perform the Great Nuo, dismembering animals to send away the cold air. Peach wood charms drive away evil, colorful silk welcomes good fortune, and reeds ward off evil spirits."

"When I was at home, I would personally hang peach wood charms and reeds every New Year's Eve to pray for peace and good fortune in the coming year. This year is the first New Year's Eve that I will spend with my husband, so I thought I would pray with him for peace and good fortune, and for many more such days to come."

Liu Bei gazed at her fair, almost glowing face, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

In the past, soldiers were used to being rough and tough, and they never had such delicate thoughts.

He watched Zhen Jiang's graceful figure and directed several of her maids to hang peach wood charms in front of the courtyard, depicting the two gods Shen Tu and Yu Lei. He also tied colorful ribbons to the trees in the courtyard and hung red lanterns in front of the door.

Soon, the entire prefecture was filled with joy.

The same was true throughout Fenggao City, where lanterns and decorations were everywhere, and smoke rose from chimneys in every neighborhood.

The peaceful and tranquil scene made him feel somewhat dazed for a moment, unable to believe that it was already the chaotic end of the Han Dynasty.

So he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Zhen Jiang's slender waist from behind, and placed his large hands on her flat stomach.

Zhen Jiang blushed slightly, then smiled gently and said, "Husband, please don't make things difficult. There are specific rules for these things. The peach wood charms must be hung early, and the reeds must be hung neither too high nor too low. If the time is missed, the prayers will not be effective."

Liu Bei breathed softly into her ear, inhaling the delicate fragrance of her hair. His large hands began to wander, and he said, "These matters can be handled by the maids. Why don't we go and do something more important?"

A blush instantly spread from her ears all the way down her fair neck. Her husband was perfect in every way, except that he was absolutely obsessed with her body.

It seems that whenever they are together, he can't help but want to consummate their marriage and enjoy intimate moments together.

In her husband's words, this is called true heroism.

But she knew that if her husband carried her away now, she probably wouldn't have the strength to get out of bed until late at night.

The New Year's Eve vigil will be completely delayed.

Fortunately, at that moment, Zhang Fei's voice came from outside the courtyard. He was always so bold and unrestrained, his voice arriving before he did, his loud voice making the lanterns under the eaves sway slightly.

"Big brother! Big brother!"

"Hey? What are you doing here, Big Brother?"

"Tonight is New Year's Eve, and the county government has prepared a Nuo opera performance to exorcise evil spirits. It's quite a lively event! I didn't see my elder brother, so I came to invite him."

"And I specially hunted a pig. According to the customs of our Yan and Zhao region, on New Year's Eve we must beat drums to drive away evil spirits, drink wine, and stay up all night to pray for blessings in the new year. Second Brother and Zilong are both here, just waiting for Eldest Brother to come along!"

That's one good thing about Zhang Fei: his loud voice meant Liu Bei never had to worry about him stumbling upon anything.

Liu Bei had already parted ways with Zhen Jiang by this time. He held her hand and stood side by side with her in front of the trees in the courtyard, as if they were decorating with lanterns and colorful decorations together.

Upon seeing Zhen Jiang, Zhang Fei immediately bowed and said, "Ah, sister-in-law is here too. Greetings to sister-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei turned his head, looked at his third brother with affection, and said, "Third brother, aren't you of marriageable age now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Jiang smiled gently and said, "Does Third Uncle have a woman in mind? As the saying goes, the eldest brother is like a father, and the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. If Third Uncle has a woman in mind, then as the eldest sister-in-law, I should naturally arrange the marriage for him."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fei scratched his head and said, "Marriage? What's the point? It's nothing compared to training my troops and indulging in hearty food and drink."

"If you're interested, sister-in-law, why not arrange something for your second brother? He seems to have taken a fancy to a young lady!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed and smiled at Zhen Jiang, saying, "I never expected such a pleasant surprise. Tell me quickly who it is."

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