Isolated town in northern border region

Xiao Lie smiled, showing no panic on his face, because he knew that his path was definitely the right one!

"That's a good question, Scholar."

He took a step forward.

You say that the common people are ignorant of propriety, righteousness, and social hierarchy.

"I ask you... is it that common people are inherently ignorant of etiquette, or that aristocratic families prevent them from learning it?"

"Why don't we go to the countryside and ask any tenant farmer if they want their children to learn to read and write?"

Upon hearing this question, the entire room fell silent!

Xiao Lie's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail, hammering into their bones.

Before the land was distributed to the people in northern Xinjiang, they toiled all day but still couldn't get enough to eat. Did they have time to study?

Before the road was built in northern Xinjiang, the people were trapped in their villages and could hardly move an inch. Did they have any chance to see the outside world?

"You, scholar, you say 'the scholar-officials educate the people'... but what I see is not education, but deception! It's monopoly!"

"Monopolize the land, monopolize knowledge, monopolize the path to advancement!"

"Then you say, 'Look, the people are indeed foolish; they cannot do without us.'"

"Do you have any shame?!"

Sima Chunfeng's expression changed slightly.

"King of the Northern Frontier, what you're saying..."

Xiao Lie did not give him a chance to interrupt.

"You just asked... if there are no scholar-officials, who will govern the country?"

"Let me tell you! On the official roads of northern Xinjiang, there are now iron machines called 'trains' running, and most of the workers who drive them are local people from northern Xinjiang."

"They can recognize signals, read maps, and repair equipment; they couldn't even write their own names before."

"In the steel mills in northern Xinjiang, the craftsmen who watch the furnace fires can judge the temperature of molten steel at a glance and draw a cross-sectional diagram of the blast furnace by hand."

"They used to be vagrants, tenant farmers, the untouchables you call them!"

"They learned these things not because some scion of a wealthy family taught them, but because they had their own land, their own work, and their own lives, and they were willing to learn."

"Education is not charity; education is giving people a chance to stand up."

He paused, his voice lowering.

"You say I myself employ scholar-officials... How laughable!"

"I employ Shen Chongyuan because he is a veteran of many battles, and he is not from a noble family."

"I employed Zhou Xun because he was knowledgeable in practical matters, and he was just a merchant by origin."

"I employ Xiao Xiong because he can stabilize the Northern Barbarians for me on the grasslands. Xiao Xiong of the Great Chu's Azure Wolf Cavalry, I need not elaborate, do I?"

"I employ those who are useful, not because of their noble birth!"

"And those 'scholar-officials' you speak of... can they forge iron? Can they drive trains? Can they raise hundreds of thousands of warhorses on a barren piece of land within three years?"

"All they can do is sit on the Wenhua Terrace, write beautiful articles, and then say... 'The people are ignorant and cannot do without us.'"

"I'm not afraid to tell you, once the Northern Frontier is better developed, I will open schools throughout the country, so that all children can read and write, and the common people can enjoy the same rights as your noble families!"

"Once those children grow up, I will appoint them to official positions!"

"All matters of state should be decided by the people!"

After Xiao Lie finished speaking, the entire hall remained silent for a long time.

Sima Chunfeng opened his mouth, but this time he didn't say anything.

He discovered that all of Xiao Lie's responses were things he himself had already done.

The trains, steel mills, land redistribution, and road construction in northern Xinjiang are all there.

He could argue that Xiao Lie's theory had flaws, but he couldn't refute the existing facts.

He gripped the edge of his sleeve, his knuckles turning white, but in the end he said nothing and retreated.

Jiang Jun put down his teacup, looked around the hall, and spoke in a steady and resolute voice.

"In my opinion, the key to policy proposals lies in practicality, not in flowery language."

"Although the words of the top scholar are eloquent, what the King of the Northern Frontier said are all based on his personal experience and have proven effective."

"Therefore, in the third round... the King of the Northern Frontier wins."

Best of three.

Xiao Lie showed no extra expression, only nodding slightly towards Jiang Jun.

Jiang Min excitedly rushed out of the pavilion, no longer caring about her princess demeanor, and threw herself into Xiao Lie's arms.

Xiao Lie gently rubbed Jiang Min's head and comforted her softly.

"Okay, okay, I'm here."

…………

That night, Jiang Jun summoned Xiao Lie to the Imperial Study.

After the door closed, he picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"Alas, I drank too much today. I haven't been this happy in a long time."

Xiao Lie glanced at Jiang Jun.

"With your drinking capacity, you'd have to sit at the kids' table even in northern Xinjiang."

Jiang Jun's smile froze.

"Aren't you afraid I'll punish you for disrespect if you speak to me like that?"

"You should know that if you die in Jing, your royal uncle will probably be willing to cede territory to my Great Jing."

Xiao Lie sat down on the ground, looking like a rogue.

"Come on! Go ahead and kill me if you dare!"

"If even a single hair on my head falls here today, your entire Jing Kingdom's capital will become part of my Northern Frontier's peaceful domain!"

Jiang Jun pursed his lips.

"This is boring, you don't understand humor at all."

"Actually, ever since you went to the northern frontier, I have been trying to find out about you. I know everything you have done this past year."

"To be honest, if you had been born in my Great Jing Dynasty, I would gladly offer you the throne!"

Xiao Lie was taken aback for a moment, then smiled at Jiang Jun.

"As long as you rule the Jing Kingdom, you can take any technology from the Northern Frontier at will."

"As long as the people can live a better life... that's enough."

Jiang Jun stepped down from the throne, squatted in front of Xiao Lie, and extended his right hand.

"Aren't you afraid that the states of Chu and Jing will eventually go to war?"

"You should understand that the only way to create a truly prosperous era is through the unification of the world!"

Xiao Lie grasped that hand and used it to get up.

"So what?"

"If we are walking the same path, does it really matter who unifies the world?"

Jiang Min smiled and nodded.

"Indeed, if you lose, I will guarantee you a worry-free life!"

Xiao Lie raised his chin.

"Want to beat me? Try it."

Jiang Min laughed heartily, released his grip, and turned back to the dragon throne.

"Let's get down to business. In the first round, why did you send Sima Yuanchen 30,000 warhorses?"

Xiao Lie spread his hands.

"Because the climate of Jing Kingdom is not suitable for warhorses from the north."

Jiang Jun paused for a moment.

"You mean...?"

Xiao Lie picked up his teacup.

"Sima Yuanchen will definitely do everything in his power to build a strong cavalry for the Jing Kingdom once he gets those 30,000 horses."

"But the more he invests, the greater his losses."

"By the time when many of those horses died from acclimatization problems, his fortune would be almost gone."

Jiang Jun looked at him.

"You had this planned all along?"

Xiao Lie stood up.

"Am I that stupid?"

After saying that, Xiao Lie turned and left.

He paused when he reached the door.

"When will the Third Prince Jiang Tai be released?"

Jiang Jun's voice came from behind.

"I will send someone to escort him to the northern frontier first thing tomorrow morning."

"However, you'd better watch out for my third brother!"

Xiao Lie turned around.

"How so?"

Jiang Jun sneered, but instead of speaking directly, he asked about something else.

"When Jiang Min and you went to Bingzhou, you were assassinated, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lie narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then frowned.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Jun immediately spoke up.

"If it's inconvenient for you, I'll let him die on the road. As for Sister Min'er... let her resent me."

Xiao Lie waved his hand.

"No need, I'll deal with him myself!"

He pushed open the door and stepped into the night, the lights of the imperial study behind him shut out the moment he closed the door.

The next morning, Xiao Lie stood at the city gate of Wenshu City waiting for a carriage to slowly approach.

A corner of the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a slender young face.

It was none other than Jiang Tai, the third prince of Jing Kingdom.

He glanced at Xiao Lie, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded at him and lowered the carriage curtain.

When the carriage passed through the city gate, Xiao Lie did not follow. He simply stood there and watched the carriage go further and further away.

Bisu stood beside him and whispered.

"Your Highness, shall we go together?"

Xiao Lie withdrew his gaze.

"No rush. Let Jiang Tai go first; I still have some things to take care of."