Chương 207: Youzhou Academy

Liu Ce returned to his study in the Liu residence, closed the door, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Being a leader isn't easy," he muttered to himself.

"You have to delegate authority, but you can't completely ignore things; you have to plan for the long term, but you also have to keep a close eye on the present... It's exhausting."

He sat down at the desk and spread out the paper again.

"However, the work still needs to be done."

He began writing a detailed plan for the "Youzhou Academy".

"The academy is divided into two parts: the Academy of Arts and the Academy of Martial Arts."

As he wrote, he muttered to himself, "What does the College of Arts study? Local governance, agriculture and water conservancy, criminal law, arithmetic and accounting... Hmm, in short, training civil servants."

As he pondered this, he chuckled, "If we were to bring over the modern civil service exam system... never mind, that's too unethical."

"The martial arts academy is simple: military strategy, formation training, horsemanship and archery, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, terrain surveying... Oh, and they also have to teach first aid, which can save lives on the battlefield... In short, to train military generals."

Liu Ce became more and more enthusiastic as he wrote, and began to list out a detailed course schedule: Faculty of Arts: Classical texts (essential; you can't get by in this era without them).

Official document formats (how to write memorials, notices, and letters) The Laws of the Han Dynasty (Abridged Version: Knowing What You Can and Cannot Do) Agricultural management (when to sow seeds, how to prevent pests) Water conservancy projects (how to repair irrigation canals without them collapsing) Household registration statistics (how to count people without making mistakes) A First Look at Criminal Justice (How to Prevent Innocent People from Being Wrongfully Accused in Trials) Geography and Culture (Understanding the situation in each state and county) Commercial Arithmetic (Shen Wansan could be a guest lecturer) (to be added later) Career paths after graduation: the outstanding ones are directly appointed to official positions, the next best ones are appointed to minor positions, and the worst ones have to find their own way out.

Martial Arts Academy: Physical training (push-ups, running, lifting weights) Basic weaponry (try out swords, spears, halberds, and other weapons to find the one that suits you best).

Basic Equestrian Skills (...) Formation identification (what is a fish scale formation, what is...) Essentials of Military Strategy (Sun Tzu's Art of War, Wu Zi's Art of War, etc.) Practical combat (two teams fighting each other using wooden weapons) Reconnaissance techniques (how to infiltrate, how to keep watch) Logistics management (supplies transportation, camp setup, etc.) First Aid Basics (Battlefield First Aid: This Can Save Lives) Topographic mapping (how to draw a map without making it an abstract painting) Career path after graduation: to be appointed to a military position, starting as a platoon leader or squad leader.

...

At this point, Liu Ce paused to think, then added: "All students, regardless of their academic or martial arts background, must attend two 'thought classes' each month—taught by me personally."

What are we talking about? We're talking about "establishing a heart for heaven and earth, and establishing a destiny for the people," "water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it," and "an official who doesn't serve the people might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes."

And "loyalty to the emperor and love for the country"...

"We need to instill the right values in them." Liu Ce nodded in satisfaction.

"Otherwise, if I end up cultivating a bunch of corrupt officials, warlords, and tyrants... and people who are not loyal to me, wouldn't all my efforts have been in vain?"

...

"Faculty of Liberal Arts Textbooks:

"Practical Government Affairs" – a collection of case studies compiled from the experiences of Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and others, covering everything from tax collection and judgment to disaster response, all practical and useful information.

"New Compilation of Agricultural Practices"—A Guide to Potato and Sweet Potato Planting, A Manual for Using the Curved Plow, An Introduction to Irrigation Engineering...

"Illustrated Guide to Machinery"—How to build a blast furnace, how to install a waterwheel, how to rivet the plates of a Mingguang armor...

"The Way of the Merchant"—Shen Wansan's business acumen, the production and sales chain of fine salt, wine, and paper, and accounting methods...

"Commentary on the Han Laws"—this requires a professional; Liu Ce is only responsible for setting the requirements: the language should be accessible, the cases should be vivid, and illustrations would be best.

...

"Martial Arts Academy Textbooks:

"A New Interpretation of Military Strategy"—Interpreting ancient military strategy in modern language, with case studies.

"Complete Collection of Battle Formations" - by Li Shimin... those battle formations, with illustrations.

"Reconnaissance and Counter-Reconnaissance" - The signature skills of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"The Use and Maintenance of Ordnance" - From Swords to Repeating Crossbows.

...

"Well, I'll make up some modern military theories myself, like 'blitzkrieg' and 'psychological warfare'..."

He became more and more excited as he wrote.

This is unprecedented! Where were there such systematic academies at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty?

But then I thought about it again, and it's not so bad. After traveling through time, you should leave something behind.

If the Youzhou Academy can be successfully established and a group of talents who can both govern the region and lead troops into battle can be cultivated, then even if I do not strive for supremacy in the future, these people can still reduce the chaos in the Han Dynasty by a few years and reduce the suffering of the people.

"To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people..." Liu Ce recalled the four lines of Zhang Zai that he had copied, smiled, and said, "I've already made up my mind, so I have to do something practical."

"The school site is located outside Zhuoxian County, nestled against the mountains and facing the water, in a tranquil environment... It will have school buildings, a playground, a library, dormitories... everything you need."

"Money isn't the problem," Liu Ce calculated.

"The state government has hundreds of millions in savings; that's enough to build several colleges. The key is talent—who will be the teachers?"

The Faculty of Arts is easy to manage; people like Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xun Yu, and Xun You can all teach part-time.

The martial arts academy is even simpler; Qin Qiong, Zhao Yun, Xue Rengui... aren't they all veterans of countless battles?

The medical school has renowned physicians like Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing in charge.

"We can also invite Cai Yong to lecture on Confucian classics..." Liu Ce's imagination ran wild.

"Once the academy is built, I'll be the number one principal of the Han Dynasty..."

Liu Ce's wrists ached from writing, so he looked up and stretched his neck. Before he knew it, it was already dark.

Cai Yan gently pushed open the door and entered, carrying a food tray: "Husband, it's time for dinner."

Liu Ce looked up and realized that his neck was stiff.

"So fast?" He stretched his shoulders and looked out the window. Sure enough, it was already dark and the stars were out.

Cai Yan placed the food plate beside the table and glanced at the papers spread out on it: "What is my husband writing?"

"The academy plan," Liu Ce said, pulling her to sit down.

"Look, there's an arts academy, a martial arts academy, and a medical academy in the future. Once these academies are built, Youzhou will have no shortage of talent."

Cai Yan looked at them carefully, her eyes growing brighter and brighter: "My husband is very thoughtful. However... these teaching materials will probably take a lot of effort."

"I'm not afraid," Liu Ce laughed.

"I have plenty of time—after all, Wenruo and Fengxiao do the actual work, I just need to give instructions."

Cai Yan smiled, pursing her lips.

As the two were talking, footsteps came from outside the door, followed by a burst of chatter.

The five Zhen sisters filed in one after another...