Mythical Three Kingdoms

"At most within a ten-day period, the Li family from Yizhou will arrive, along with Zhao Yi from Jingyang, Ba Hao from the Shang Lands, and Zheng Ning from Shanyang." Liu Yan took a moment to respond as his reflex arc was somewhat slow.

Although I've never heard much about these people, the fact that Liu Yan could bring them here means they must be quite skilled. For tasks assigned to him, Liu Yan is indeed reliable.

"You handle the arrangements for their accommodations and such. I've noticed that since last year, you've been spending less money, but actually, you don't need to save money for us in this area," Chen Xi suddenly recalled the situation from the end of the year when the funds were being calculated.

"It's nothing. Now that our lord's power is growing stronger, and my reputation is also increasing, combined with previous years of generosity and financial aid, there's no longer a need to impress people as before," Liu Yan said with a slight helplessness. Scholars are still human, bound by desires and emotions.

In the past, when Liu Yan invited others, it was they who were granting him face, so he had to prepare extensively. Now, his invitations are seen as giving them face, allowing him to act more casually, and people might even describe him as carefree.

Previously, he would cater to others' preferences, but now being genuine and carefree is enough. Fortunately, Liu Yan has always been very self-aware and has a refined way of dealing with people. His reputation steadily rose within scholarly circles due to his consistent approach, regardless of his changing status.

Even when Liu Yan invited reclusive figures like Zhao Yi, Ba Hao, and Zheng Ning, they had no objections. In the realm of scholars, Liu Yan is practically a leader, and when he invites most noted scholars, it is considered an honor for them.

"Nowadays, I hardly need to use money; my network is enough to handle most scholars. Though they can only identify problems but talk a lot, it's still easy if they merely nitpick," Liu Yan smiled faintly. His reputation is now very valuable.

"Well done. I've allocated the same budget for you as last year. Later, you can gather a group to spread the word about Hanmou's agricultural research, trying to ensure that people in every corner of the Great Han Dynasty are informed. I'll handle the aristocratic families with Hanmou," Chen Xi expressed his satisfaction with Liu Yan, recognizing his talent.

"I've already gathered a group, and Chen Kongzhang is also prepared. Later, we'll recall the scholars who've been observing the common folk under our lord's rule and host a spring banquet," Liu Yan nodded, acknowledging these tasks posed no challenge for him.

By now, Chen Xi has somewhat understood that the noted scholars of the late Han were akin to public intellectuals. They excelled at critiquing, loved discussing metaphysics, poetry, and politics but couldn't solve problems.

If they could solve problems, they would have become officials long ago. Among scholars, only a few possess the strong ability to not only identify but also solve issues concerning the people's livelihood, while most are only eloquent.

However, waste is simply misplaced resources, let alone scholars. With Grand Scholar Liu Yan leading, a large group of scholars spends half their time praising Liu Bei's governance and the other half identifying discrepancies in local livelihoods.

The late Han's scholars regarded their reputation more important than life. Once they agreed with Liu Yan, they'd observe Liu Bei's governance. If local officials were covering things up, they'd surely expose it.

These people valued reputation over life. No offer of bribes or threats to their lives would sway them, as they were bound by their pursuit of fame, essentially becoming slaves to their name.

Therefore, sending scholar groups to criticize governance was effective. After all, they aimed to associate with mid to high-level officials and found mingling with the lower officials less meaningful than engaging with the common people.

Liu Yan offered them opportunities to gain prestige among the populace. Though they couldn't solve problems, merely identifying them and reporting back resulted in resolutions, hence boosting their positive standing among Liu Bei's subjects.

In the eyes of commoners, problems only got resolved when these scholars identified them; thus, the lower classes were quite fond of seeing these Confucian-robed, carriage-riding individuals.

Yet, nine out of ten scholars dismissively regarded the lower classes, paradoxically avoiding socializing with commoners while secretly reveling in the commoners' admiration.

Whether due to honor or recognition, these scholars generally performed commendably. Despite peculiar attitudes, once they promised not to exploit the commoners, they adhered to it, albeit with a certain disdain, showing a very strange mindset.

"I'll rely on you for that, Hanmou. Is your manuscript complete?" Chen Xi looked at Qu Qi, who would soon depart to travel the land.

"I've processed all the data from each planting season and documented my research. I only hope Zichuan can print a hundred thousand copies so that every village in the Great Han has one," Qu Qi said with a calm expression, looking at Chen Xi.

If this task is accomplished, Qu Qi believes that even if future generations of his family are merely average and steer clear from tarnishing their family's reputation, his name should ensure the Qu family remains strong for a thousand years, for food is eternal through the ages!

"That's currently impossible..." Chen Xi said with a bitter smile. Setting aside the challenge of printing a hundred thousand copies, distribution alone is an issue, not to mention the literacy rate problem. Printing doesn't ensure distribution, and distribution doesn't ensure comprehension.

The literacy rate of this era, well, it's best not to mention it. Excluding aristocratic families, it must be around 99.99% illiteracy.

"I've had all the related plants illustrated by skilled artists. Even those who can't read can learn by looking at the pictures," Qu Qi said proudly. He's genuinely striving to ensure people are well-fed, enabling them to focus on resisting the Hu People.

"The problem is I lack the ability to distribute these everywhere, at least not now, and printing a hundred thousand copies is extremely challenging," Chen Xi sighed. The Book Pavilion of Mount Tai barely contains ten thousand volumes...

Block printing is genuinely laborious. Illiterate craftsmen carve based on the shape of characters; any mistake ruins the whole block, especially since these books are meant to be timeless and used for education; errors are unacceptable.

"At most, five thousand copies, two thousand gifted to Yuan Gonglu, two thousand to Cao Mengde, and one thousand to Liu Jiyu. I'm truly committed to ensuring the Great Han's people are fed, even if it means funding the printing myself." Chen Xi made a face of pain.

"..." Qu Qi sighed helplessly, realizing he was somewhat wishful.