Chapter 333: Let Master Xun Be Principal, Persuade Qi State to Surrender!
“The scenery of Little Sage Courtyard truly isn’t bad; no wonder Master Xun has resided here for so long.”
The humid, salty sea breeze brought about a sense of laziness and comfort.
Li Mo took a sip of the tea prepared by Fu Nian and said with a smile.
If he had truly left Han State with Jing Ni back then, perhaps he would have chosen to come here.
But Jing Ni was too presumptuous at that time.
How could Luo Network possibly allow them to live in peace?
Besides Fu Nian and Master Xun, there were also the young man named Yan Lu and Zhang Liang accompanying them.
Master Xun stared intently at the relaxed-looking Li Mo and said in a calm tone, “I’m just getting old and too lazy to move around.”
He hadn’t left the Little Sage Courtyard for decades.
The last time he left was because of this person in front of him.
“So you should go out and take a look; the world today is very different from when you were young.”
Li Mo set down his teacup, as if implying something.
Master Xun caught the hint and slowly replied, “Indeed, when I was young, the world was divided among seven states.”
“But now, there is only Qi State and half of Chu State left.”
“In just two years, you have truly changed this world.”
As soon as the words fell, Li Mo shook his head.
“It’s not me who has changed the world; I merely accelerated the process.”
“If it weren’t for me, by the trends of fate, the world would still unify.”
Master Xun didn’t say anything more, nodding thoughtfully.
Two years ago, he had seen Ying Zheng.
At that time, he sensed an unusual aura from Ying Zheng.
A force that could swallow rivers and mountains, a fierce ambition.
This was something the kings of other states did not possess.
“By the way, are those papers and printing techniques working well?”
Suddenly, Li Mo shifted the topic.
Master Xun looked over at Fu Nian beside him.
Fu Nian, the leader of the Confucian school, was in charge of all affairs.
With Master Xun’s status here, such matters naturally didn’t require his direct involvement.
Fu Nian, sensing Master Xun’s gaze, hurriedly replied, “Thanks to the National Advisor’s printing techniques, all our Confucian scriptures have now been compiled, allowing every Confucian disciple to receive copies, which is much more convenient than passing them around as before.”
Speaking of this, Master Xun also showed a look of satisfaction.
“It seems that your Confucianism’s transmission of culture and teachings has become easier than before.”
Fu Nian nodded, “Indeed.”
Li Mo smiled, “Would you like your transmission to be even more widespread?”
Master Xun was just about to lower his head to drink tea, but suddenly raised his head sharply at those words.
With a piercing gaze, he fixed his eyes on Li Mo.
If it were someone else saying this, he would certainly look down on it.
But coming from Li Mo, it was a different story!
Even Zhang Liang and Yan Lu, who were accompanying them, perked up instantly.
Master Xun raised the teacup in his hand and asked, “How can it be more widespread?”
Li Mo countered, “Have you heard about the establishment of schools in Qin State?”
The four nodded in unison.
They had already heard about this matter.
Qin State set up schools across the country, irrespective of social status; as long as one met the age requirement, everyone could enroll.
Li Mo continued, “Not only schools, I intend to establish a university in Xi’an as the highest educational institution.”
“All students who graduate from the university can participate in the imperial examinations.”
The concepts of university and imperial examinations left the few people confused.
“What is a university, and what is the imperial examination?”
Zhang Liang stroked his chin and thought for a while but still couldn’t guess what it meant.
Li Mo explained the meanings of university and imperial examinations, and they were all taken aback.
Fu Nian, in disbelief, exclaimed, “Does the National Advisor mean that students who graduate from the university can take the imperial examinations, and those who score exceptionally can join the court as officials?”
This pathway to entering the officialdom was unheard of for them.
It should be noted that in this era, to become an official, one could only rely on recommendations and inheritance.
One could say that only the children of nobility had the chance to become officials.
However, this imperial examination system would provide such opportunities to everyone in the world.
Master Xun immediately showed a keen interest in this approach.
He also finally guessed Li Mo’s purpose for coming.
“The National Advisor has come to poach some teachers from me?”
To run a school, one could not be without teachers.
Elementary and middle schools were one thing, but the higher the institution, the deeper the knowledge required to teach.
It would be perfectly fitting to bring over such outstanding Confucian disciples from Little Sage Courtyard to be teachers.
However, Li Mo shook his head.
“You are only half right, Master. I’m not here to poach teachers; I want to bring you along as well.”
A school cannot be without teachers, and it also cannot be without a principal.
Having Master Xun, the highest-ranking Confucian, as the principal would be more than enough!
The three outstanding Confucians looked towards Master Xun.
Master Xun had not engaged in matters for many years in Little Sage Courtyard, and now that Li Mo asked him to be principal, it was akin to bringing him back into the fray.
“Alright.”
Master Xun didn’t think much and nodded in agreement.
This was a significant opportunity for Confucianism.
It was not just an opportunity to propagate Confucian culture but also to enable more Confucian disciples to become individuals like Li Si and Han Fei.
The three outstanding Confucians hadn’t yet had the chance to be surprised by Master Xun’s quick agreement.
Li Mo then added another statement.
“However, before that, I want to trouble you with one more thing.”
Looking at the smile on his face, Master Xun felt as though he had fallen into Li Mo’s trap.
“Please speak, National Advisor.”
Li Mo stated frankly, “I would like to ask you to persuade Qi State to surrender.”
“What?”
“Persuade Qi State to surrender?”
Compared to the shock of Fu Nian and Yan Lu, Master Xun remained considerably more composed.
His reputation in Qi State was extremely high.
Moreover, Empress Dowager had always held Confucianism in high regard.
If there was anyone who could speak on this matter in front of her, it must be Master Xun.
Master Xun smiled wryly, “So this is the true purpose of the National Advisor’s visit?”
Exchanging the future paths of Confucian students for persuading Qi State to surrender.
From the moment Li Mo first mentioned the alluring system of imperial examinations, Master Xun had realized he had set the stage for what would follow.
Li Mo said slowly, “Confucianism centers on benevolence, and this is not for myself, nor for the Qin State.”
“Rather, it is for the royal family of Qi, for the citizens of Qi. I believe you should understand the reasoning behind this, Master.”
The situation in the world is almost at its conclusion.
If the Chu State were to fall, the Qi State would be left vulnerable.
The final result of stubborn resistance is national destruction and family ruin.
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