Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 2411: Chapter 2128: Education, Oh Education

When Jian Yong and Severus were meeting, the Han Dynasty was also about to enter a new year. Compared with previous years, the biggest difference this year was that no large-scale wars had broken out.

In practical terms, the large-scale war on the Northern Frontier had already ended at the end of the year before last, which also matched Chen Xi’s original plan—he simply hadn’t given the Northern Huns a chance to fight into the new year.

Thus whether it was the Grand Assembly in Chang’an at the beginning of the year, or the mid-year loans, in reality all of it was about internal adjustment.

Liu Ye’s violent forced-relocation style Village Merging was completed around June, barely managing to catch up with the Grain in Ear season. Of course, even if it hadn’t, it wouldn’t have mattered much; replanting a round was only natural. All in all, in terms of the overall situation, this year’s work really had been completed somewhat beyond expectations.

No major wars had broken out anywhere, the aristocratic families had successfully moved north, the common people of the Central Plains had more or less completed Village Merging and had begun to enjoy its benefits; likewise, the household registers that had been compiled long ago had finally begun to serve their intended purpose.

“Ha, to think we actually rushed and finished it completely in this last month.” Chen Xi lay exhausted across the desk, and everyone else wore the same expression. As for Lub Su, in this kind of cold weather, with snow still falling, he naturally wouldn’t be in the Political Office.

“We’ve finally made it to the planned time node. By the way, I haven’t heard Zilong screaming miserably lately.” Fa Zheng said with resentment, then quietly shifted the topic. “Fengxiao, have you been chanting recently?”

“Every day.” Guo Jia said, his face full of weariness. “But being able to finish ahead of schedule really did exceed my expectations. From today on, let’s start chanting scriptures.”

“It’s snowing, huh. The snow in Ye City is much heavier than in Donglai.” Liu Ye, wrapped in a fur-lined robe, looked at the heavy snow outside and said with a smile, “Next year it’ll be time for unification.”

“After working for so many years, it’s finally time to see the results.” Chen Xi pulled back the chair he’d been sitting on, went out to catch snowflakes. “A timely snow foretells a bumper year; next year’s harvest looks promising.”

“Ha, is there even such a thing as a bad harvest for you?” Li Youu seemed in good spirits as well, tossing out the joke casually.

“I’ve accumulated enough Spiritual Capacity to unify the Central Plains and cover the celestial phenomena of the Central Plains.” Chen Xi calmly looked around at everyone, stepped back in and shut the door, then looked at all those present and said, “Next year it’ll be time for us to use peaceful means to unify the Central Plains. This realm that’s been in chaos for so many years ought to return to grand governance!”

“You’re all here—oh, Zijing actually isn’t. Don’t tell me he’s frozen himself back home again.” Standing at the door, having just finished his remarks, Chen Xi shivered involuntarily as Liu Bei pushed the door open and the wind and snow rolled in.

“Greetings, my Lord.” “Greetings, Lord Xuande.” A scattered murmur of formal salutations; Liu Bei waved his hand to indicate they needn’t stand on ceremony.

“Zijing has frozen himself back home again. Speaking of which, Wen He still hasn’t returned?” Liu Bei closed the door casually, then sat down in the main seat that Lub Su had been occupying all along.

On the other side, Lub Su, wrapped in a big quilt like a caterpillar, was lying drowsily on the heated brick bed at home, occasionally tightening his big quilt around himself.

“Zijing, it’s snowing, come out and play in the snow!” Ji Xiang’s voice rang out. She was also from the Southern region, yet Ji Xiang wasn’t afraid of the cold at all; she was playing happily in the snow, and kept wanting to drag Lub Su out as well.

“Sister, leave my husband alone. Even if you kill him, he won’t come out. And you shouldn’t be playing with that icy cold stuff either—you’re pregnant.” Xu Ning looked at her elder cousin in panic. Could you please let me worry a little less?

“Relax, relax, there’ll be no problem.” Ji Xiang said carelessly as she rolled her own snowballs. “Hey, I’m a physician after all, and a very good one at that. I know these things even better than you do.”

“Zijing, come out and play, it’s not cold at all.” Ji Xiang continued calling to Lub Su, who was hibernating in the bedroom. “If you still won’t come out, I’ll bring the snowballs inside.”

“Sister, if you keep this up, Grandmother will be here in a while.” Xu Ning said helplessly. Lub Su’s grandmother was indeed very fond of Ji Xiang, especially since Ji Xiang had become pregnant not long after marrying in. Lub Su’s grandmother doted on her to no end.

“Fine, fine. We didn’t have this sort of thing back in our hometown.” Ji Xiang said helplessly. If Lub Su’s grandmother saw this scene, heaven knew what she would say of her. “Why is Zijing so afraid of the cold anyway?”

“Finally back.” Jia Xu opened the carriage door, looked at the white snow outside, and let out a sigh. For most of the latter half of this year he’d been squatting in the North, but by now things were basically fine. Jiangh Wan was indeed a rather outstanding young man.

In Jia Xu’s view, even if he hadn’t paved the way for him, Jiangh Wan, now in office as Regional Inspector, would still be able to handle affairs in the North. As it was, with the road already paved, Jiangh Wan would probably perform so brilliantly it would make people do a double take.

“Zijia, why so quiet?” Jia Xu, rarely, turned his head and smiled at this disciple of his. “Have you realized the limits of your Spiritual Talent?”

“The concepts of ‘state’ and ‘family-state’ really are completely different. What’s more important is that the difference between these concepts will trigger a great many conflicts.” Lu Yu said slowly.

For Lu Yu, these past six months were just like when Hu Zhao had taken Sima Yi all over the Northern Frontier to witness with his own eyes and accumulate experience. Although nothing had been explicitly taught, in the process of travelling and handling official business, to a great extent Lu Yu had come to realize certain things, and Jia Xu was increasingly satisfied with him.

“Think more, reflect more. If some matters can’t be handled with a mode of thinking that coordinates the whole picture, quite a few deviations will appear.” Jia Xu patted Lu Yu on the back. “Your Talent is very good, your mind is quick, and you’ve already experienced the warmth and coldness of human feelings—but a person can’t live in the past.”

Lu Yu nodded. Jia Xu treated him extremely kindly; in the past he had still been a shade distant, but by now he truly was training him as the heir to his mantle.

“What I’m going to say now, I’ll only say once. The rest depends on your own thinking.” Jia Xu gazed toward Ye City ahead, feeling the snowflakes falling onto his own Embroidered Robe. Having been born in the bitter cold of Liangzhou, this kind of temperature meant nothing to him.

“Please speak, Master.” Lu Yu said very respectfully.

“This was something Zichuan told me, and I find it quite interesting.” Jia Xu wore a faint smile, but Lu Yu could see a trace of irony in it.

“Zichuan said that education is divided into three types. The first mode is the simplest and also the most ordinary education. Of course, in the past very few people ever got to enjoy this kind of education. The core of this education lies in discipline, in rules and regulations. This method is simple: rote memorization, plainly telling the students what to do in the first step, what to do in the second step…” Jia Xu looked at Lu Yu calmly.

After a moment, Lu Yu nodded. “The education Marquis Chen has popularized seems to be of this sort. There’s no need to explain why this approach was chosen, nor the purpose or significance of doing things this way; you just have to do it.”

“Yes, this is the most ordinary educational mode. In Zichuan’s words, it’s large-scale manufacturing of people who can work.” Jia Xu said indifferently. “This sort of education is very meaningful.” Lu Yu silently nodded.

“Next comes what’s called aristocratic family education. For this type, the demands regarding rules and regulations aren’t particularly strict. The emphasis of this educational method is on planning for the future; its requirements for students are actually not that high.” Jia Xu stopped speaking; Lu Yu already understood. This was the kind of education he himself had once received.

“This type of education is about making choices, isn’t it? You have to test things yourself, think for yourself, and use your own ideas to plan the direction of your future, right?” Lu Yu said slowly. “This kind of education is more about guiding students to expand their thinking and broaden their horizons.”

“Yes.” Jia Xu nodded. “This is the method used to educate most Aristocratic Family Members. Below that is the method used for Legitimate Sons or certain special individuals. You only need to listen to this; there’s no need to delve into it. Who knows what it’s really like?” A trace of mockery surfaced in Jia Xu’s somber expression, and Lu Yu’s face instantly grew solemn.

“How to put this level of education… Zichuan once made a joke, saying that the students who receive this kind of education have parents who are the owners of this country, the makers of its rules and regulations. They have no need to train in how to obey rules made by others.” Jia Xu, thick with deep sarcasm, looked toward Ye City not far away.

A chill rose in Lu Yu’s heart; he suddenly realized he might be touching upon some ultimate taboo.

“Based on that premise, what they need to learn is how to make rules.” Jia Xu turned his head and looked calmly at Lu Yu, and cold sweat inexplicably broke out on Lu Yu’s body.

“The core of this education is decision-making, is choice. This kind of education will not directly teach you any solutions; it will only guide you to make your own choices, and then have you make your own decisions.” Jia Xu looked at Lu Yu and spoke calmly.

“This method will not answer whether your choices are right or wrong; it will only ask whether you agree with other people’s ideas. Perhaps you’re in the minority, perhaps you’re the only one who has made such a choice, but this isn’t about right or wrong—it’s about whether you agree with other people’s choices. If you don’t agree, then even what your own master has taught you, you can refuse to agree with it.” Jia Xu continued, using that same even tone to state a certain fact.

“After all, this world cannot be made clear in terms of right and wrong. Speaking in terms of agreement may be more fitting. That’s how Zichuan put it, and I think I can accept it.” The coolness of Jia Xu’s tone placed great pressure on Lu Yu.

“This kind of education doesn’t pursue literary flourish or ornate phrases, nor is it about how to present things to others. What it pursues is an internal method of analysis. There being no answers isn’t a problem; what matters is how you think. In Chen Xi’s words, this sort of education is very liable to produce individuals who, in the eyes of ordinary people, are extremists. But their logic is self-consistent, and matched with the power behind them, they will be very strong.” Jia Xu patted Lu Yu on the shoulder as he spoke.