Three Kingdoms, Myth

Chen Xi couldn't guarantee that the textbooks he chose were the best, but he was confident that they were far superior to those chosen by others of his time. Sometimes, the wisdom accumulated over time and the broader perspective were enough to surpass most scholars.

"In that case, I'll contribute some funds as well," Liu Bei said without much hesitation. He had developed a habit of contributing to projects for the benefit of the people, and besides, he wasn't strapped for cash at the moment. Having just rented out some land, Liu Bei had plenty of spare money on hand.

"No problem, Lord Xuande. If you're willing to invest, that's even better. These foundational and welfare investments don't yield direct profits. In fact, they'll require continuous funding every year," Chen Xi warned Liu Bei upfront. Not everything Chen Xi did was profitable. Some endeavors were purely about love and welfare, with immense significance for the country as a whole. He was hinting that the money Liu Bei invested here would need to be continuously poured in, with no visible returns.

Liu Bei paused, momentarily stopping as he petted Ma Zhong. After a while, he turned to Chen Xi and said, "In the end, they are children of the Han. Since I, Liu Xuande, still have the means, I will invest. Let's give the people a chance, and give myself one as well."

"Lord Xuande's benevolence is admirable," Chen Xi said calmly. Investments with no return, purely aimed at improving the vision and quality of life for the people, required an understanding that it would take astronomical sums of money, something Liu Bei seemed prepared for.

"Hahaha, when I was broke before, living with empty sleeves was also quite refreshing. Even if I end up without a single coin, I still have the support of the people under my rule, and I'm happier now than I ever was! Money comes and goes quickly. Instead of hoarding it and wondering how to spend it, I'd rather hand it over to you, Zichuan, to use for the people's welfare!" Liu Bei said with a hearty laugh.

As Liu Bei patted Ma Zhong's hand, he couldn't hide his slight regret at the large sum of money he'd be parting with. But his generosity remained unshaken, showing that he had grown used to the large fluctuations in wealth that came with Chen Xi's handling of funds.

"Lord Xuande's wisdom is commendable," Li You and Chen Xi exchanged a glance, both satisfied with Liu Bei's current attitude of viewing wealth lightly.

"What's wise about it?" Liu Bei waved dismissively. "If I were truly wise, every child under my rule would have food and clothing. Let's start working on education right away!"

"Lord Xuande, it's best to take things step by step. First, we need to gather all the children under fifteen who are wandering without families. Then, we issue teaching credentials to scholars, giving those with credentials access to the library. At the same time, we'll register the students, offering free breakfast and lunch to those who aren't wanderers. This will gradually expand the household registration system, linking educational qualifications and library access to it," Chen Xi explained to Liu Bei, emphasizing that the process wasn't as simple as it seemed.

"Why not just handle the household registration in one go?" Liu Bei asked, puzzled.

"Because it can't be done all at once. If we only focus on registration, too many people will avoid it. But if we give scholars teaching credentials first, they'll gain access to the library, something they value. Once they get used to this, we'll introduce a third credential, and by then, most of them will accept it. Combining all three credentials into one simplified registration will encourage them to participate," Chen Xi explained.

Introducing new concepts was always challenging, but fortunately, there was a scholarly class that everyone aspired to join, and this class had things they wanted. Without these incentives, the task would be much more difficult.

"We'll register the children, but not their parents. Children are more open to new things, and when their parents see the benefits, they'll accept it too. Then we can set conditions—like requiring adults aged eighteen to forty to be literate in a thousand common characters to receive household registration and its associated benefits. They can continue their education if they wish... The key is to make the system as detailed as possible!" Chen Xi said proudly. He remembered how a certain country had implemented a similar system and actually achieved mass literacy.

Li You was so shocked that he spilled his drink. What was Chen Xi trying to do? In an era where ninety percent of the population was illiterate, this was truly an ambitious plan!

"This...," Li You muttered as he looked at Chen Xi. He was shaken. Previously, it seemed like Chen Xi just wanted to dethrone the aristocratic families. Now it appeared that Chen Xi was trying to fulfill the dreams of ancient sages! The phrase "Make all people understand" had been a lifelong aspiration for many wise men, who could only weep in frustration at its unattainability.

"But we don't have enough scholars to teach everyone," Li You quickly pointed out the biggest flaw in Chen Xi's plan.

"Don't worry, don't worry. It's only a thousand characters, it's simple. Even if we lack teachers, I'll find a way to make it work. There's an old saying: 'One can be a teacher if they achieve mastery, regardless of age.' If Gan Luo could become a prime minister at twelve, why can't we have young teachers?" Chen Xi said nonchalantly. He had already prepared literacy materials, including the "Thousand Character Classic," which he had learned as a child.

If he relied solely on his previous brain capacity, Chen Xi might have only memorized parts of the "Thousand Character Classic," but never the whole thing. However, thanks to the mental fortitude and enhanced memory from his awakened spiritual talent, he could recall it all easily.

"..." Li You was taken aback and mumbled, "One can be a teacher if they achieve mastery, regardless of age... Zichuan, you've effectively shut down any counterarguments. Very reasonable, dealing with scholars should always involve reason."

"Zichuan's words are indeed insightful. 'One can be a teacher if they achieve mastery, regardless of age.' This should become the guiding principle of our academies. I hadn't realized you were so knowledgeable in this area," Liu Bei said, deeply impressed.

"..." Chen Xi was speechless. Once again, he realized that wisdom accumulated over a thousand years, even if spoken casually, could easily outshine the thoughts of many ancient scholars. So many modern sayings had been refined over the centuries into guiding principles for good governance. Simply using them could lay the foundation for new schools of thought.

"Let's move on. Household registration won't be an issue. In this era, literacy is everyone's dream. As long as we provide opportunities for people to learn, even if they forget what they learned today, they'll keep trying. We won't face resistance here. So, we need to establish grading systems. Household registration should indicate a person's skills—even a carpenter should have a grade!" Chen Xi, deeply influenced by modern grading systems, was eager to implement them in the Han dynasty.