Chương 171: Banquet, Visit

The banquet was lavish, featuring chicken, duck, fish, and meat, as well as Youzhou specialties—roasted sweet potatoes, stewed potatoes with meat, and distilled liquor.

Cai Yong took a bite of the roasted sweet potato and exclaimed in surprise, "This... is as sweet as honey, what is it?"

"This is called sweet potato," Liu Ce explained.

"It yields fifty shi per mu, is drought-resistant, and easy to grow. Now that Youzhou is planting this, the people no longer have to go hungry."

...

Cai Yong then tasted the stewed potatoes and meat and drank the distilled liquor, praising it repeatedly.

After a few rounds of drinks, Cai Yong became more talkative.

"Bo Lue, you have governed Youzhou very well."

He pointed out the window, "As I've traveled here, I've seen the crops growing vigorously in the fields, the people smiling, and the markets thriving... It's much better than Jizhou. Jizhou now, sigh, that fellow Wang Fen, all he does is put on a show."

Liu Ce humbly replied, "Father-in-law, you flatter me. Youzhou has a weak foundation; I have only done my duty."

"Duty?"

Cai Yong shook his head and said, "How many governors and prefects can't even fulfill their duties! Look at Wang Fen of Ji Province, and then look at the officials of You Province before... Sigh, let's not talk about it. You..."

Liu Ce humbly replied, "Father-in-law, you flatter me. It's all thanks to Xuanling, Keming, and Wenruo for their hard work."

......

Fang Xuanling and the others quickly raised their cups: "Lord Cai is too kind. It is all thanks to our lord's excellent leadership."

One cup after another, Cai Yong became a little drunk.

He chatted with Uncle Liu, the old steward of the Liu family—the two were about the same age and got along quite well.

"Brother Liu, your young master... no, he should be called a marquis now, he's really got something out of him."

Cai Yong patted Uncle Liu on the shoulder, "Don't worry, my daughter will marry him!"

Liu Bo chuckled and said, "Master Cai is right. Young Master has been clever since he was a child, and he is even more remarkable now."

later...

One talked about his experiences in Luoyang, the other about interesting things in Youzhou; one discussed classics, the other told folk tales... They chatted happily.

Liu Ce watched from the side, secretly amused: His father-in-law has found a kindred spirit.

After the banquet, Liu Ce escorted Cai Yong back to his residence.

The next day, in the northern workshop area of Zhuoxian County.

Liu Ce was accompanied by Cai Yong and Shen Wansan.

The workshop area is divided into papermaking workshops, printing workshops, blacksmithing workshops, carpentry workshops, and brewing workshops, which are neatly planned and orderly.

Liu Ce first took Cai Yong to see the paper mill.

In the huge pool, raw materials such as hemp and tree bark were soaked. The craftsmen stirred, steamed, pulped, made paper, and dried it... After a whole process, the snow-white paper was produced.

Cai Yong looked at it and nodded, saying, "This paper is finer than Cai Hou's paper, and the cost must be lower, right?"

Shen Wansan chimed in, "Lord Cai has a discerning eye. Our paper is affordable for the common people. It's the paper that's currently being used in government offices and schools throughout Youzhou."

Cai Yong didn't react much—he had seen paper in Luoyang before, and although the paper in Youzhou was better and cheaper, it wasn't shocking enough.

But when they arrived at the printing workshop, Cai Yong's expression became quite interesting.

Movable type printing.

Liu Ce had the craftsmen demonstrate: picking out the required characters from the font library, arranging them in the printing frame, applying ink, laying out the paper, pressing... In a short while, a page of the book was printed.

Cai Yong's eyes widened, and his mustache stood on end.

He strode forward, picked up the newly printed page, his hands trembling.

The handwriting is clear, neatly arranged, and the ink is even.

"This... this..."

Cai Yong was so excited he could barely speak.

"A book completed in an instant? No need for copying? How was that possible? These characters... are they cast in bronze?"

"It's the character '陶' (tao)."

Liu Ce explained, "We carve the characters into clay, then fire them into pottery, making them hard and durable. We make more of the commonly used characters and fewer of the less common ones, using them as needed during typesetting." (Improved version) He had the craftsmen disassemble the mold and show Cai Yong the small ceramic characters.

Cai Yong picked up a character for "person" and examined it repeatedly, then looked at the printed page of the book, and then at the grid of typefaces covering the wall...

"A miracle... it's truly a miracle!"

Cai Yong's voice trembled with excitement, "With this, the printing speed can be a hundred times faster! The cost can be reduced a thousand times! Books will no longer be the exclusive domain of aristocratic families; even children from poor families can afford to study!"

He grasped Liu Ce's hand, tears streaming down his face, and said, "On behalf of all scholars in the world, thank you! On behalf of all the people in the world, thank you!"

Liu Ce was a little embarrassed: "Father-in-law, you flatter me. It's just a small invention."

"A small invention?"

Cai Yong shook his head and said, "This is a momentous event that will change the world! With the popularization of books, education can be popularized, and the people's wisdom can be awakened! This is a meritorious deed for the present and a benefit for future generations!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, pacing back and forth in the workshop, muttering to himself: "The Analects can be printed, the Classic of Filial Piety can be printed, the Book of Poetry can be printed... all the classics of the world can be widely disseminated..."

The old man's eyes reddened afterward.

As a scholar, he knew best the difficulties of disseminating books. A book had to be copied by hand, which was time-consuming, laborious, and prone to errors. Now, with printing, the dissemination of knowledge would undergo a revolutionary change.

After Liu Ce waited for him to calm down, he said, "Father-in-law, I was just about to discuss something with you."

"Go on," Cai Yong said, finding Liu Ce increasingly pleasing to the eye.

Liu Ce pressed his advantage, saying, "Father-in-law, I want to establish village schools in Youzhou. After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, there were millions of refugees in Youzhou, children were deprived of education, and the moral order collapsed. If this continues, it may lead to chaos. Therefore, we must reopen the village schools to educate the people."

Upon hearing this, Cai Yong nodded solemnly and said, "This is the right path. I am gratified that you have this intention, Bo Lue."

Liu Ce continued, "Regarding the teaching staff, I have considered a few options: First, retired officials and unsuccessful scholars who are willing to teach will receive three shi of grain per month from the prefecture; second, literate soldiers who take turns teaching will be recorded as having performed a military merit."

He looked at Cai Yong and said, "The remaining teaching staff will have to be arranged by my father-in-law. You are a great Confucian scholar with students and friends all over the world. If you can recruit some people to teach in Youzhou, the prefecture will also provide three shi of grain per month."

Cai Yong stroked his beard and smiled, "That's easy. Although I am not very talented, I still have some influence among scholars. Writing a few letters and inviting some students and friends over should not be difficult."

Liu Ce was overjoyed: "Thank you, father-in-law!"

He added, "As for school-age children, regardless of social status or whether they are vagrants, all can attend school for free. Regarding books—" He looked at Cai Yong and said, "Let's use the books my father-in-law brought from Luoyang, plus the books I got from you earlier."

Cai Yong laughed and said, "The books are no problem. My books are meant to be read. Instead of letting them get moldy in my study, I'd rather take them out to educate the younger generation, print them in Youzhou, and spread them widely throughout the land. That would be a good thing."