Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

After receiving the imperial decree, Xun Shuang did not immediately enter the Eastern Palace to preach.

According to etiquette, a set of procedures for "status" must first be completed: the imperial edict is read aloud, the seal of the Grand Tutor is handed over, the officials of the Eastern Palace greet and pay homage, and then the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat records the documents and the Grand Master of Ceremonies signs them—so that everyone in the world knows: this is not a private appointment by the Crown Prince, but a personal appointment by the Emperor.

On the day they arrived at the East Palace, the wind outside Chengde Hall was still cold, but the hall was quieter than usual.

Xun Shuang entered the hall, but instead of looking at the Crown Prince sitting behind the desk, he first focused his gaze on the stacks of "regulations" and "formulas" on the side of the hall—sealed strips, transcription books, and numbered labels, all neatly arranged like a small government office.

He already had a preliminary judgment in his mind.

After the ceremony, Liu Bian returned the greeting, addressing the student as "Grand Tutor".

Xun Shuang merely nodded slightly, not in a hurry to begin speaking, but instead asked a seemingly ordinary question:

"Who instructed Your Highness to do these things recently?"

Liu Bian did not answer, but instead gently shifted his gaze to Xun Yu.

Xun Yu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"Uncle, His Highness has set his own rules. I am merely following and executing them."

Xun Shuang's eyebrows twitched slightly: "Independence?"

Xun Yu, neither humble nor arrogant, concisely explained each of the requirements for the Eastern Palace examination, from "sealing" to "copying in the office," from "only signing the paper with a number" to "no unauthorized opening," and from "documentary practice" to "limited words and steps." When he got to the part about "blocking backdoors," he paused:

"His Highness said—if people go astray on the road, the rules must be established first."

Xun Shuang remained silent for a long time after listening.

Only then did he truly focus his gaze on Liu Bian—the boy sat upright, his eyes clear and bright, like a lamp, not dazzling, but steady.

Xun Shuang spoke slowly, as if he were giving Xun Yu a judgment, or as if he were setting a standard for himself:

"The crown prince is not precocious."

"Those who are precocious are often curious and competitive, and their words are flowery but superficial."

He looked at Liu Bian and continued.

"Your Highness is fond of establishing laws and regulations, values ​​procedures, knows the dangers yet is able to endure them, and is famous but not attached to fame."

He paused, then added an even stronger sentence:

"What's even more remarkable is that he does things not to 'make people see' but to 'make things happen'."

Xun Yu's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained silent.

Xun Shuang frowned slightly, then changed the subject:

"But that's precisely why—Your Highness is too sharp."

"A sharp edge is too obvious and easily attracts jealousy. If Your Highness only knows how to set rules but not how to conceal your sharpness, the more firmly the rules are set, the faster the knife will fall upon you."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian felt relieved.

A tutor who can directly say "Feng Taiming" is truly capable of teaching.

Xun Shuang stopped beating around the bush and said directly:

"I will not follow the old practice when lecturing at the Crown Prince's Palace."

"The old practice was to simply recite the chapters and explain the principles. No matter how well one explained them, it was still empty talk when it came to practical application."

"I propose a new law for Your Highness: 'The classics are the foundation, and practical matters are the application; there will be daily lectures, bi-weekly reports, and monthly meetings.'"

As he spoke, he tapped the table three times with his hand, as if erecting three pillars:

"Firstly, in the morning, we will discuss the meaning of the scriptures, not just the dead texts—we will talk about how to establish 'status' and how to use rites, so that His Highness will have a clear understanding."

"Secondly, during the midday meeting, we discuss political affairs, not empty refined pursuits—using the existing documents, seals, transcriptions, and receipts from the Crown Prince's Palace as examples, we explain how 'laws' should be implemented, so that His Highness has clear guidelines."

"Thirdly, he read historical records in the evening, without reciting the timeline—he pointed out the causes of the country's downfall, the chaotic situation, and the abuses of powerful ministers, and discussed the 'priorities and priorities,' which made His Highness's eyes burn with anger."

"One case every ten days." He looked at Xun Yu. "You choose a recent matter, whether it's a legal case, a granary matter, or a personnel matter, and have the Crown Prince personally draft three measures: superior, medium, and inferior. It's not about having him meddle too much, but about having him know how to manage."

"Meet once a month." He then looked at Liu Bian, "and have all the officials in the Eastern Palace write down the things they've done and the procedures they've followed as 'formulas'—print them out. So that the rules can be transmitted, investigated, and those responsible can be held accountable."

Liu Bian's eyes lit up after hearing this.

This is not a pedantic Confucian scholar; this is someone who uses classical texts as weapons and Confucianism as a framework.

He stood up and bowed, his tone sincere:

"I have benefited from the teachings of the Grand Tutor."

Xun Shuang said calmly, "Enjoying what you have isn't a skill; being able to hold onto it is."

-

That night, Liu Bian summoned Xun Yu to a side hall and also sent someone to invite Xun Shuang to sit at the same table.

Stacks of sealed files were already laid out on the table: three volumes of policy examinations and one volume of administrative affairs, all sealed and unopened, numbered in a row, like a neat line of soldiers.

Liu Bian got straight to the point:

"Since the Grand Tutor wants to 'use things for practical purposes,' then let's start with this matter."

"I wish to review the documents with the Grand Tutor, the Master, and myself."

Xun Shuang glanced at the pile of papers, then suddenly chuckled—a very faint laugh, yet as if he had finally seen a way forward:

"Alright. Let's first observe people's hearts, then discuss the meaning of the scriptures."

-

The following day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the Eastern Palace's "Examination Room" was set up.

First, remove the sealed envelope, but do not open the name-sealed envelope.

Xun Yu wrote the grading notes, steady and fast; Xun Shuang read slowly, but his eyes hit the nail on the head; Liu Bian focused on three things: the steps, the records, and the risks.

In the first stack of papers, eight or nine out of ten were beautifully written, but empty.

A plethora of eloquent words, yet none put to practical use.

Xun Shuang gently placed a test paper down and said only four words:

Words are better than deeds.

Xun Yu nodded: "He is suitable for scholarly discussions, but not for a county clerk."

Liu Bian didn't argue, but simply moved the exam paper aside—keeping people like this around would drag the Crown Prince back to the old ways.

When they came across a "book of laws and regulations," all three of them stopped writing.

That test paper didn't pile up clauses; it only listed three lines of "key points," and the "case handling process" was written like a walking diagram.

Detain the witnesses first, not the powerful and wealthy; seal the receipts first, not the houses; keep a copy first, then submit it to your superiors for approval.

Finally, among the four "risk points," there was even a response to "interference from superiors":

"Do not disobey orders, do not overstep authority. Please change the name to 'first verification' and leave a written record as evidence; if it becomes urgent, please transfer it to the Court of Justice for review, and I will not take responsibility or be blamed."

Xun Yu raised his eyes: "This man looks like he used to be an official."

Xun Shuang replied, "It's not unusual to have served as an official; what's rare is to have maintained one's 'status' after serving as an official."

Liu Bian tapped the exam paper and said softly:

"Make a note of it first."

Another "policy questionnaire" was issued, addressing the issues of famine and refugees.

He didn't shout slogans, but first wrote down three things for the seven days: set up the grain register, open the soup kitchen, and establish inspections; he wrote down two things for the thirty days: clear the warehouse register and establish spot checks; and he even dared to write "establish joint liability and establish a reward" for the ninety days - rewarding those who found embezzlement and holding the clerks who handled the matter accountable.

The last sentence was written with great precision:

"Only when laws and regulations are established can we dare to distribute grain. If grain is distributed first, there will surely be people who use it to curry favor."

After reading it, Xun Shuang sighed softly:

"This person understands people's hearts."

Xun Yu added, "He also knows how to use methods."

Liu Bian pressed the exam paper down as if it were a brick:

"Mark it again."

Following this, a proclamation outlining "status, propriety, and benevolent governance" was written in a dignified and respectful manner, both appeasing the people and blocking the path of powerful figures. Two measures were even more decisive:

One provision was "to register households and establish a system for resuming business within a specified period"; the other was "to provide grain per mu, issue relief loans in the form of vouchers, and repay the debts in the autumn."

They provided both a way to survive and a means to make a living.

Xun Yu's eyes lit up slightly: "This person can write, and he can also suppress."

Xun Shuang said, "It's not enough to just suppress them; you have to make them submit."

Liu Bian said softly, "Stay."

-

By the afternoon, the three of them had circled seven "available" entries.

Only then were they moved into the "name-opening room" and the name seal removed.

One by one, the nameplates were opened, and finally, the real names appeared on the paper.

The first person: Chen Qun, a native of Yingchuan.

Liu Bian was slightly taken aback when he saw the name.

The Nine-Rank System.

This person must be kept!

Xun Yu was somewhat surprised: "The Chen family scion... is here too."

Xun Shuang nodded: "Yingchuan is full of talented people, and the Chen family is no less so. This boy will be able to manage people in the future."

Liu Bian was immediately appointed as the Chief Clerk of the Eastern Palace Law Office (on probation) – in charge of legal documents, case files, and procedures, and also in charge of the “re-signing of official documents” rules.

The second person: Deng Mo, a native of Nanyang.

The three steps of disaster relief and the audit of warehouses are written in the most rigid terms; the words are not fancy, but they are as sharp as nails.

Liu Bian's official position: Assistant Clerk of the Eastern Palace Granary – in charge of grain registers, issuing relief and loan contracts, and conducting random checks on records; he was to be put on trial for thirty days, and if he could keep the books, he would be retained.

The third person: Lu Jing, a native of Runan.

The answer to the question about the market and currency was surprisingly good. First, he established a "bill of exchange template", then set up a "chamber of commerce guarantee", and then proposed "counterfeit goods verification" - all based on the principles of the charter.

Liu Bian's official position: Chief of the Eastern Palace Market Office – responsible for the circulation of goods and market regulations, and cooperating with Cao Cao's merchant guild.

The fourth person: Zhang Heng, a native of Hanoi.

The announcement was the most well-written, capable of reassuring the people, suppressing the powerful, and leaving room for maneuver; its sharp edge was hidden between the lines.

Liu Bian's official position: Assistant Director of the Eastern Palace Proclamation Office—in charge of the wording and format of proclamations, lists, and regulations. All external documents passed through him first, and then through Xun Yu.

The fifth person: Shen Su, a native of Chenliu.

The answer to "no countersignature on the document" was the most clever, neither resisting the authorities nor taking the blame, almost turning "procedural justice" into a life-saving technique.

Xun Shuang looked at the name and said calmly:

"This person may not be the most upright, but they will certainly be the most capable of surviving. The Crown Prince has a long road ahead, and someone needs to know how to survive."

Liu Bian nodded: The Chief Recorder of the Eastern Palace Documents—responsible for keeping records, countersigning, sealing, and transcribing, specifically to prevent "reversals after the fact".

The other two, one skilled in copying and the other in accounting, were both listed as "waiting candidates" and were put on trial in the copying room and the accounting room.

-

The paper was closed, and sunlight slanted in through the window.

Looking at the row of new names on the table, Liu Bian felt as if someone was building the beams one by one.

He looked up at Xun Shuang, then at Xun Yu, and suddenly smiled—a smile that, for the first time, revealed the pride that a young man should have:

"The Xun family is indeed full of talented people."

Then, he silently added a sentence in his mind:

"I want all the heroes of this world to serve the Han dynasty."

"The Xun family is just the first step."