novelAbuy Chapter 97 My Xu family is determined to be the vanguard!
Chapter 97 My Xu family is determined to be the vanguard!
Chapter 97 My Xu family is determined to be the vanguard!
Guo Jia turned and walked to where the horse was tied, and untied the reins.
After mounting his horse, he said to Jiang Qin, "Gongyi, I'm entrusting the task of eliminating Peng Hu and Zhang Jie to you."
I have other important matters to attend to and must leave now.
Jiang Qin quickly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Military Advisor Guo, please go with peace of mind. The pit has been dug. If I cannot bury them, then I will have no choice but to bring my head to you."
Guo Jia nodded slightly, and then, with two attendants, rode straight to Nanchang City. In less than an hour, Guo Jia arrived at the gate of the prefectural governor's mansion.
Zhuge Xuan was processing official documents in the hall when he heard that Guo Jia had arrived, so he quickly got up to greet him.
These days, one of them takes care of the home and the other takes care of external affairs. Although they don't see each other often, they work together quite well.
Zhuge Xuan welcomed Guo Jia into the hall and ordered tea to be served.
Seeing Guo Jia's hurried demeanor, he asked, "Military Advisor Guo, has something happened to the bandits?"
Guo Jia finished his tea in one gulp, then took out Lu Yong's letter from his bosom, handed it over, and said, "It's something even bigger."
Upon hearing this, Zhuge Xuan quickly reached out to take the letter.
But when he saw the letter, he froze.
He held the letter up to his eyes to examine it carefully, then turned it over and read the contents of the letter.
His expression shifted from confusion to shock, and finally to a complex, indescribable look.
"Is this paper made by the Army Division?" Zhuge Xuan's voice tightened slightly.
"Yes—Huai'an has already tinkered with this great weapon after only a month away from home—" Guo Jia clicked his tongue twice.
Zhuge Xuan handed the letter back to Guo Jia, then pinched his arm hard, as if to confirm whether he was dreaming.
"The introduction of bamboo paper meant that even children from poor families and ordinary people could afford paper and access education."
Guo Jia continued, "But paper alone is not enough; there must also be content."
Huai'an's idea was to invite a group of prominent families with significant academic achievements to Wanling, and then decide whether or not to join them.
Zhuge Xuan hesitated before expressing his concerns: "Xu Kun is of noble character, indifferent to fame and fortune, and uninterested in power. I'm afraid it will be difficult to persuade him with just a piece of paper."
Guo Jia took the letter back from Zhuge Xuan, folded it again, and put it in his pocket. He laughed and said, "Xu Kun is not greedy for fame and fortune because no one has hit his weak point."
Why was Xu Ruzi so famous back then?
Not only because of his family background, but also because of his extensive knowledge and noble character.
Would he even care about a family like that?
Before Zhuge Xuan could come up with an answer, Guo Jia directly revealed: "Confucius's lifelong failure to achieve education for all" now has the possibility of being realized.
If the Xu family could contribute to this, how would it be recorded in history books?
After Xu Ruzi, the Xu family produced another virtuous man who assisted Liu Bei in promoting education and nurturing talent, thus benefiting the Han dynasty.
In the future, it will surely be recorded in history books.
Such a "legacy in history" is probably ten times more significant than the couch Chen Fan set up!
Zhuge Xuan's eyes gleamed.
Which writer wouldn't be excited by this way of "leaving their name"?
Zhuge Xuan suddenly leaned close to Guo Guo and asked in a low voice, "Military Advisor Guo, may I also make a trip to Wanling?"
Guo Jia glanced at Zhuge Xuan and replied, "You are the Prefect of Yuzhang; you cannot leave easily."
"Let whoever wants to be the prefect be it!" Zhuge Xuan replied nonchalantly, flicking his sleeves.
Guo Jia was both amused and exasperated. It seemed that the allure of "being remembered in history" was far greater than the official position of prefect.
"We'll discuss this later. Let's go to the Xu family first," Guo Jia said, changing the subject.
"I'll go with you right away." Zhuge Xuan didn't even bother packing his things, and pulled Guo Jia outside.
The two left the prefectural governor's manor, boarded a carriage, and headed straight for the Xu family manor.
They traveled in silence, and half an hour later, the two arrived outside the Xu family manor.
The bamboo groves surrounding the manor remain lush and green, and the manor gate remains ancient and simple.
Upon seeing Zhuge Xuan and Guo Jia arrive, the servants hurriedly went inside to announce their arrival.
Before long, Xu Kun came out to greet him personally.
He was still dressed in a plain, dark-colored robe, his face was thin, and his gaze was calm.
Upon seeing Zhuge Xuan and Guo Jia, he cupped his hands and said, "Lord Zhuge, Military Advisor Guo, please come in."
"We apologize for disturbing you, Master Xu," Zhuge Xuan returned the greeting, "We have come here today to discuss important matters."
Xu Kun stepped aside and led the two into the courtyard.
The three sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, and servants quickly brought tea.
Xu Kun picked up his teacup, took a sip, and glanced at the two men before asking, "You two have come together; surely it's for something important?"
Guo Jia didn't beat around the bush; he took the letter directly from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.
"Master Xu, please take a look at this first."
Xu Kun took the letter and looked down at it.
The paper is smooth and the clock is translucent.
He held the letter up to his eyes and examined it closely in the sunlight.
The paper surface is smooth, the fibers are finely distributed, and impurities are almost invisible.
The front of the paper has the characters for "paper" and "Chinese" written on it, and the characters are exceptionally clear.
He suddenly stood up, causing the stone table to shake and the teacup to almost tip over.
"Who made this?" Xu Kun's voice trembled slightly.
"Liu Yuzhou's subordinate, Military Advisor General Lu Huai'an!" Guo Jia added with a smile, "This piece of paper cost less than two coins to make."
"!" Xu Kun's eyes widened.
The trembling started in my fingers, spread to my arms, and then to my whole body.
He stared intently at the thin piece of paper in his hand, his expression constantly shifting, clearly indicating a storm raging within him.
Zhuge Xuan and Guo Jia did not disturb him, each sipping their tea and waiting for Xu Kun to break free from his struggle.
After an incense stick had burned for a while, Xu Kun finally sat down slowly.
His fingers gently caressed the paper, as if touching a diluted treasure.
"Less than two coins—" he muttered to himself after a long while.
He then looked up at Guo Jia and asked, "Army Division Chief, what does he want to do?"
"Borrowing books — free teaching materials — establishing official schools —" Guo Jia explained part of Lu Yong's plan.
As for the rest, he doesn't know yet.
Upon hearing this, Xu Kun shook his head and said, "Once knowledge is disseminated, the aristocratic families will have nothing to rely on. They will not agree to this."
Guo Jia smiled and said, "I only know a small part of Huai'an's specific plans."
As for how to appease the powerful families, you'll have to ask him personally.
Xu Kun remained silent.
Taking the opportunity, Zhuge Xuan said, "I was also planning to go to Wanling. If you don't mind, Xu Gong, you can come with me."
Guo Jia looked at Zhuge Xuan in surprise, thinking to himself, "Is this guy serious? He's just giving up the position of head of a prefecture like that?!"
Zhuge Xuan looked into Guo Jia's eyes and nodded with unwavering determination.
Well, it seems I can't persuade him otherwise.
But the problem is, Zhuge Xuan just packed his bags and left, so who will take over as the Prefect of Yuzhang?
But Xu Kun was still hesitant.
Because he had already figured out that Lu Yong wanted his Xu family to be the vanguard.
Even he had to carefully consider the consequences of doing so.
"————" Xu Kun lowered his head again, looking at the bamboo paper he was reluctant to put down, thinking to himself, "If this matter succeeds, my Xu family will be able to leave the most important mark in the long river of history!"
"What should we do?"
59
"Looking back and forth is not the behavior of a true man!"
"Done!!!"
Xu Kun's hesitation vanished, and he carefully folded the paper and tucked it into his sleeve.
"When do you two plan to set off?" Xu Kun asked.
Guo Jia and Zhuge Xuan exchanged a glance, and Zhuge Xuan spoke first: "First thing tomorrow morning."
Xu Kun shook his head and said, "There's no time to lose, let's go now!"