Chương 769: Compiling the Book, The Divine Martial Arts Encyclopedia

The first day of the first month of the twenty-fifth year of the Shenwu era.

The city of Luojing had just celebrated the New Year, and the air was still filled with the smell of firecrackers and the sweet aroma of sugar cakes.

The Taiji Hall was even more lively, as the annual New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly took place. Civil and military officials, dressed in brand-new court robes, stood in neat rows according to their rank to pay their respects to the emperor.

In previous years, around this time, Liu Ce would say a few auspicious words, give some gifts, and the court assembly would be over. Everyone would then go back to celebrate the New Year, visit relatives and friends, and drink heavily.

No one expected that His Majesty would be holding back something so big this year.

After the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" were finished and the officials had just straightened up, Liu Ce, sitting on the dragon throne, cleared his throat. Instead of the expected "Happy New Year, and best wishes to all my officials," he went straight to the point:

"My dear ministers, I hope you enjoy the New Year feast. Now that you are all here, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

The hearts of everyone below skipped a beat.

Experience tells them that if His Majesty says he "has something on his mind," it's definitely not a trivial matter.

The last few times he said he "had something in mind," it was either building a railway, launching a second industrial revolution, or constructing the Zhaoji Pavilion. Each time it was a massive project that kept the whole country working non-stop.

Everyone immediately perked up and listened intently.

Liu Ce said slowly:

"I've been browsing through the imperial library lately, and the more I look, the more upset I get."

Since the time of Fuxi and Shennong, spanning thousands of years and since the advent of writing, countless excellent books have been written. These include Confucian classics, historical records and biographies, works of various schools of thought, and poetry by literary figures—too many to mention.

Astronomical calendars, geographical records, yin and yang and five elements, medical and divination techniques, Buddhist and Taoist scriptures are all good things; Not to mention the various crafts, techniques, farm tools, and artisan methods, many of which are passed down orally from master to apprentice. There aren't even any books on them. If the master craftsman passes away one day, the craft will be lost with him, which is such a pity.

He paused, glanced at the civil and military officials on the steps, and said firmly:

"I want to revise a book."

He collected all the books he could find since the beginning of written records, whether they were classics, histories, philosophical works, or technical books, whether they came from the Central Plains or the Western Regions. He categorized them, proofread them, and compiled them into a complete and extensive work.

Future generations can simply flip through this set of books to read whatever they want, without having to search for rare copies or worrying about the craft being lost.

What do you think? Is this something we should do or not?

The hall was initially deathly silent.

Then, with a "buzz," it boiled instantly, like boiling water splattering in a pot.

The civil officials' eyes lit up, and their breathing became heavy. This was a momentous event for the ages!

When Qin Shi Huang burned books and buried scholars alive, countless classic texts were lost; later, due to continuous wars, even more books were scattered and lost.

Throughout history, books have been compiled, but they either only compile Confucian classics or only select historical records. I've never heard of anything like Your Majesty's "collecting, compiling, and organizing everything," even including the craftsmanship of artisans, medicine, divination, and astrology!

If this project is successfully completed, it will be a great achievement for the present and a benefit for future generations, even more worthy of being celebrated than conquering vast territories!

Xun Yu, standing at the head of the literary class, stepped forward, his voice tinged with excitement, and bowed, proclaiming loudly:

"Your Majesty is wise! This is a cultural achievement unprecedented in history!"

By collecting all the classics in the world and compiling them into one volume, we can preserve the wisdom of the ancients and benefit future generations. Its achievement is no less than that of Yu the Great controlling the floods and the Duke of Zhou establishing rites!

We, your humble servants, believe that this matter must be carried out! There is no time to lose!

The civil officials, including Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Zhuge Liang, and Xun You, followed suit, their faces flushed, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

"Your Majesty's action will benefit generations to come!"

"Your humble servant is willing to serve you with utmost loyalty and devotion in the compilation!"

"To have witnessed this with my own eyes, I have no regrets in this life!"

The military officers were completely bewildered.

Zhang Fei nudged Guan Yu beside him and whispered, "Second Brother, what did His Majesty say? A letter? What kind of letter? Why are you so excited?"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and nodded slightly: "It's a good thing. Compiling classic texts and preserving cultural traditions is a great achievement."

Cheng Yaojin scratched his head beside him: "What cultural heritage? I don't understand it. Anyway, His Majesty says to do it, so it must be right."

But then again, they're including even the skills of blacksmiths and carpenters? Then could they include my old Cheng's three-pronged attack technique too?

Qin Qiong, standing beside him, glanced at him sideways and said, "Give me a break. You dare to include your three tricks in a grand ceremony? Don't mislead future generations."

Cheng Yaojin objected: "Why not! My three-strike technique is invincible throughout the world..."

The two whispered to each other, and although they didn't understand the profound meaning, it didn't stop them from shouting "Your Majesty is wise!"

Anyway, His Majesty never makes a mistake, so just follow along and shout.

Liu Ce nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the excited crowd below.

He knew that intellectuals were powerless against this kind of thing.

"Since everyone agrees, then it's settled."

Liu Ce slapped the armrest of the dragon throne and made the decision on the spot:

"I will name this book 'The Great Canon of Divine Martial Arts'."

I personally oversaw the project, with the Crown Prince assisting me. The core tasks of compiling, collating, and finalizing the entire book were all led by the Hanlin Academy, which selected the most learned people in the land.

The Ministry of Rites was responsible for coordinating with local governments to collect lost books from the people. They would find whatever was missing. Personnel selection, logistics, and other miscellaneous matters were also under the Ministry of Rites' jurisdiction.

The Imperial Observatory, the Royal Hospital, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Royal University, and the Royal Academy of Sciences—these specialized departments were responsible for compiling and editing specialized categories such as astronomy and calendar, medicine and pharmacology, engineering and construction, and agriculture and commerce.

All departments contributed personnel and resources, cooperating fully. Anyone who dares to shirk responsibility or delay the drafting of the letter will be held accountable by me.

"Your Majesty, we obey!"

All the officials bowed in unison, their voices booming so loudly that the beams of the palace hummed.

The officials of the Hanlin Academy were especially excited. Being able to preside over the compilation of the "Divine Martial Arts Encyclopedia" was a great honor that would make them famous throughout history. It was something that even their ancestors' graves couldn't buy!

Guan Ning, the Minister of Rites, was both excited and troubled. He was excited to be able to participate in the grand event, but troubled by the task of collecting classics and coordinating logistics, which he knew would require a lot of running around.

It's all worth it, no matter how tired I am!

After the court session ended, the officials had no interest in visiting relatives and friends during the New Year; they all returned to their offices and began their work.

The Hanlin Academy held a meeting that day to select editors and determine the classification system; The Ministry of Rites issued an official document overnight, which was sent to all provinces across the country, ordering local officials to search for books from house to house. Those who donated books would be rewarded, and those who failed to report their possession of books would be punished.

The Ministry of Works and the Royal Academy of Sciences were even more proactive. On the same day, Song Yingxing summoned the old craftsmen and technicians of the Ministry of Works and asked them to quickly compile their skills into written form, writing down everything from steelmaking methods and machine tool manufacturing to railway repair, the more detailed the better.

"We used to say that we shouldn't pass on our skills to outsiders, but things are different now!" Song Yingxing slammed his hand on the table, his face solemn.

"Written into the 'Divine Martial Arts Grand Canon,' so that future generations can see it forever! This is the true inheritance!"

Anyone who hides it is letting down their ancestors and future generations!

The veteran craftsmen all understood this principle and nodded in agreement. They went back and stayed up all night writing their manuscripts.

Zhang Zhongjing and Hua Tuo, along with the people from the Imperial Medical Academy, organized medical books and prescriptions from past dynasties, as well as their own medical experience, categorizing them into internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, and so on, leaving no area untouched.

"To compile all medical knowledge into a grand encyclopedia, so that everyone in the world can see a doctor and understand medicine, would be a great virtue." Zhang Zhongjing stroked his beard, his face full of satisfaction.

The festive atmosphere of the New Year hadn't even faded when a wave of "book-repairing fever" swept through the entire city of Luojing.

Once the imperial edict was issued, the entire country sprang into action.