When Cui Lie thought about how glorious he was in the past, he now felt how pathetic he was. His irritable mood did not get any comfort at all, but instead became more anxious and resentful.

We all rebelled against Dong Zhuo together, so why did I have to go to jail and suffer the consequences? Now that Dong Zhuo is dead, why am I not included in the rewards?

Is this fucking fair?

One can imagine how frustrated Cui Lie felt, especially now that Wang Jing, a young man from aristocratic family, not only had no intention of helping his senior, but instead wanted to establish an Imperial Academy of Engineering and select engineers. This move undoubtedly shook the foundation of Confucianism.

It is simply insulting to put lowly craftsmen on the same level as Confucian scholars!
But in addition to his anger, Cui Lie also saw a good opportunity for him to fish in troubled waters.

Therefore, he jumped up and down, trying his best to show off, and even dragged a few of his former friends into the water to show his strength.

Among them was Ma Riti, who held a prominent position in the Confucian community. After all, he was the grandson of the Confucian scholar Ma Rong, and he also held the position of Taichang. Regardless of his reputation or status, he had a strong appeal among the Confucian scholars.

However, Cui Lie was smart, and Ma Riti was not stupid either. They were too lazy to pay attention to him, and even said sarcastically: "Brother Wei Kao, I have resigned from my official position, and this matter has nothing to do with me. If you want to be fair, why not let the court give you the position of Taichang?"

If I can do it, why would I need to come to you?

Cui Lie was so angry that he cursed loudly. Ma Riti's words were really disgusting.

The Five Classics Doctors were originally under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Academy, which in turn was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites. Therefore, if Wang Jing wanted to establish the Imperial Academy of Engineering, he had to grant corresponding status and treatment. It was impossible to bypass the Ministry of Rites.

Ma Riti can be said to be the first to bear the brunt of the responsibility and has no choice but to bear the responsibility.

If he objects, facing Wang Jing, a powerful official whose power surpasses that of Dong Zhuo, how could Ma Riti dare to jump out and block Wang Jing's way unless he wanted to live forever?

But if I keep silent, I won't be able to explain to the Confucian community.

So Ma Riti's choice was to quit. Resignation itself can be interpreted in many ways. To Wang Jing, Ma Riti could say that this was his way of giving in and compromising. I can't do your job, so I'll give up my position. Please find someone who can do your job for you.

Facing doubts from within the Confucian community, Ma Riti could also say that his resignation was a reflection of his dissatisfaction and protest against Wang Jing.

Anyway, no matter what you say, the final right of interpretation belongs to Ma Riti. With this move, he was able to extricate himself from the matter and stay out of it.

It can be seen that after so many years of official career, Ma Riti's political wisdom is not low.

On the contrary, Cui Lie seemed to have made all the calculations, but in fact he was only clever but not wise. He thought that the court under Wang Jing's leadership was the same as before.

Cui Lie was helpless in the face of Ma Riti's poor performance. In fact, he had tried to compete for the position of Taichang before. He even had to hold his nose and beg Huang Wan for it. After all, Taichang, one of the Nine Ministers, was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Taiwei Mansion.

However, Huang Wan had previously communicated with Wang Jing and knew Wang Jing's determination to do this, so he did not dare to offend him at all, let alone stand up for Cui Lie.

So Cui Lie had no choice but to come to Ma Riti again today.

But before he could even open his mouth, Ma Riti started talking to him till the end. In the end, he had no choice but to leave in anger.

Cai Yong couldn't bear to see Cui Lie leave angrily, so he turned around and said to Ma Riti, "Uncle Weng, why is it so? Cui Weikao is a famous scholar in Jizhou after all, and the Cui family is also a prominent family in Anping County. If you offend him, aren't you afraid that he will cause trouble for you in the future?"

Ma Ritian was quite disdainful of this: "I would be afraid of a person who reeks of money?"

In fact, Cai Yong could best understand Cui Lie's feelings at this moment. After all, he had experienced such things before: "Alas, he once held a high position, but now he has fallen into the dust. It is normal for him to feel resentful. I hope he can see things more positively."

Ma Ritian waved his sleeves and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about him. It's unlucky to talk about him too much."

Ma Riti then changed the subject and took Cai Yong to start studying New Confucianism.

Now that the split of Confucianism is a foregone conclusion, Ma Riti can still see the situation clearly. If he can't beat them, he will join them. In the past, when a hundred schools of thought were contending with each other, Confucianism was not even a prominent school among the various schools of thought at first. It was beaten by powerful schools such as the military school, the Taoist school, the Mohist school, the Yin-Yang school, and the school of diplomacy. Confucius traveled around the countries to promote Confucianism but ended up with great difficulty, and the princes looked down on Confucianism.

Could the current situation be more difficult than before?

Ma Riti did not care about temporary victory or defeat. He believed that the popularity of Confucianism had its merits, so he did not intend to confront Wang Jing. Instead, he was prepared to go with the flow and gain his own benefits from it.

This is what a smart person should really do.

Crying and making a fuss are what fools do. But right now in Luoyang, the person who can really make the decision is neither the emperor sitting in the palace nor the officials in the court, but Wang Jing, who has already established the power.

Cui Lie failed to see the situation clearly and thought that he could make Wang Jing change his mind by winning over a group of rabble. How foolish he was.

Ma Riti had access to a lot of first-hand information from Wang Jing through Cai Yong, so he had already analyzed Wang Jing's style of doing things.

Beneath that seemingly gentle appearance, Wang Jing's true nature is strength and dominance. He is a person who will not easily change his mind.

It was because Ma Riti knew this clearly that he did not jump around with Cui Lie and his group of old stubborn people. Otherwise, he would have died without knowing how he died.

In the small study room of Situ Mansion, father and son sat opposite each other.

"Dezu, have you thought about it? Once you accept this identity, countless Confucian scholars will regard you as a traitor to Confucianism. You must know that three people can make a tiger, and accumulated criticism can destroy a person. Can you really bear it?"

"Father, a real man should do what he should do and not do what he shouldn't do. I have been taught by a saint, and I know that I must practice this myself. What's more, my lord is right. If we don't change, we will perish. The imperial dynasty is in turmoil, and the people's livelihood is in decline. It's time to change. If someone must lead the way forward, I am willing to shoulder the responsibility and clear the way for future generations."

After accepting from Wang Jing the idea that productivity is the cornerstone of civilization advancement, many social problems that Yang Xiu had previously been puzzled about now had answers.

Therefore, when faced with his father's question, Yang Xiu's answer was very firm and without hesitation.

"Oh, why is it like this?"

Seeing his son grow up so quickly, yet become so unfamiliar, Yang Biao didn't know whether to be happy or sad for a moment: "According to my original plan, I just want to pave the way for you first. When you come of age, I will use the family's connections and resources to recommend you as a filial and honest official, accumulate reputation and qualifications, and then choose a wise master to serve you. Even if there are some twists and turns in the future, you should be able to walk steadily."

Unfortunately, the plan did not change fast enough, and Yang Biao had no time to pave the way for Yang Xiu. Because of meeting Wang Jing, Yang Xiu became obsessed with physics and died on the spot.

To be honest, Yang Biao refused at first, and even got angry with Yang Xiu for this, scolding him for not doing his job and degenerating.

But Wang Jing's subsequent actions left Yang Biao dumbfounded.

The title of Gongshi is full of flaws. Wang Jing chose this name to disgust the Confucian school, as if to provoke: "Don't you discriminate against all kinds of craftsmen and think that these are all weird and lewd skills? I insist on setting up Gongshi, whose status is similar to that of the Five Classics Doctors. What can you do to me?"

Yang Biao also came from a Confucian family, so he naturally felt disgusted and rejected this.

But the benefits offered by Wang Jing are so tempting!
The Imperial Academy of Engineering was first established, and Yang Xiu was among them. This move alone is enough to be recorded in the history books and be remembered forever!
Such fame and benefits, not to mention a young man like Yang Xiu, could not control himself. Even Yang Biao himself, if he put himself in Yang Biao's shoes, felt that he might not be able to control himself.

If a person opposes something, it must be because this thing harms his own interests.

But what if this matter is beneficial to you?

Where there is benefit, no matter how much one objects before, one will still shout out "It's delicious" afterwards. "Father, I have realized this matter, please allow me."

"Forget it. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Since you have ambitions, how can I stop you? I just hope you will always remember that this is your home and I am your father. No matter what the situation is, I will always stand behind you."

"Thank you father."

Yang Xiu was grateful and said goodbye to Yang Biao with tears in his eyes.

After leaving Situ Mansion, Yang Xiu turned back into the cold and arrogant wise man he once was, but this time, he was no longer confused and hesitant. He already had a dream in his heart that he was willing to fight for his whole life.

In the study, Yang Xiu's biological mother Yuan came in with ginseng tea: "Has Xiu left?"

"Well, he left in a hurry. He must be doing something big."

Yang Biao took the ginseng tea, held his wife's hand and comforted her: "Dezu has grown up, he knows what he is doing, you don't have to worry too much."

"I hope so."

Yuan's eyebrows were still filled with worry. "Alas, I only hope Xiu'er can be safe and sound, but you men are restless. You always think about doing great things and leaving your name in history, but it makes us women suffer."

She was born into the Yuan family of Runan. Her father, Yuan An, served as Si Tu during the reign of Emperor Zhang of Han, Liu Zhuang, and helped Yang Biao a lot. Therefore, Yang Biao always respected and loved Yuan and never lost his temper with her.

Yang Xiu was the only son of the couple and was also very smart, so he was spoiled by Yuan since he was a child. Otherwise, he would not have developed such an aloof and arrogant personality.

Today, the Yuan family of Runan has been divided into three. In addition to Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao who established one branch in the north and one in the south, there is also Yuan Wei in Luoyang. The once powerful force has now been divided into three. It is difficult to kill people with a fist that cannot be clenched.

This is why Wang Jing kept Yuan Wei alive. He would not do anything stupid like Dong Zhuo. Keeping Yuan Wei alive could also contain Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. Killing Yuan Wei would only make the Runan Yuan family completely controlled by the two Yuans. This would be useless except for venting anger and would make the enemy more difficult to deal with.

Especially Yuan Shao. Although many people in the history of the Three Kingdoms despised Yuan Shao, this does not prove that Yuan Shao was weak. It was just that Cao Cao was too strong.

Even Cao Cao talked about defeating Yuan Shao all his life, and the Battle of Guandu was also the most dangerous battle in Cao Cao's life.

It is never too cautious to deal with such an enemy.

At present, the Yuan family of Runan in Luoyang was also suppressed and excluded from all sides because of the relationship between Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao. Their lives were getting harder and harder, so much so that Yuan Wei hardly left his house and lived in seclusion to the extreme, just because he did not want to be misunderstood by Wang Jing and intensify the conflict between the two sides.

With this previous experience as a lesson, Mrs. Yuan, who was also from the Yuan family of Runan, naturally did not want her son to do anything great. She just hoped that he could live a peaceful life without any disaster or illness.

His wife was also worried about their son's future, and with good intentions, Yang Biao did not dare to say anything harsh, and could only persuade her kindly: "Qi Hou Wang Jing is a responsible person, he will take good care of Dezu, you can rest assured."

Yang Biao was quite optimistic about Wang Jing, even though there had been several frictions between the two sides before and he had even been threatened by Wang Jing with a list.

But up to now, Wang Jing is already at the peak of his career, and even those with vision can see that he will be the future ruler of the Central Plains.

Yang Xiu was able to follow him around and be deeply trusted. This was a great opportunity and a blessing that many people would wish for.

Yang Biao naturally couldn't let his son ruin his own future, so he could only try his best to comfort his worried wife Yuan.

Xianyun Villa, the technical research and development department of Qiqiao Pavilion.

"Dezu, I finally caught you? Come over here and give me a hand!"

Lu Fang raised his head from a pile of scattered parts. His face was covered in grease, but he looked very energetic. After seeing Yang Xiu, he even smiled, revealing two rows of white teeth.

Who could have imagined that the young man who left his family and traveled thousands of miles from Chenliu to Luoyang to follow Wang Jing in his career has now become the number one celebrity in the Mohist Academy and a top genius who is proficient in physics and Mohist mechanical engineering?
Even in a few days, he would be awarded the title of "Gongshi", becoming one of the first craftsmen to receive such an honor since the founding of the Yanhan Dynasty.

But Lu Fang didn't care about these things at all. Now, he was immersed in the ocean of knowledge. His obsession with physics and mechanical engineering was deep in his bones and he couldn't extricate himself.

Lu Fang was originally just Wang Jing's steward, and his father was just a small carpenter. If it weren't for Wang Jing, he would have no chance to succeed under the class system of the imperial dynasty.

Now he has been exposed to physics and has learned Mohist mechanical engineering from Mo Shi, becoming a typical example of how knowledge changes destiny. His story is still talked about by countless people in his hometown of Chenliu.

But it was obvious that Lu Fang did not pay attention to these. He was immersed in the ocean of knowledge at this time and could not extricate himself. Even after improving the giant stone cannon, he was still not satisfied and started to tinker with new things.

When Yang Xiu heard Lu Fang's call, he walked closer to take a look. He stared at the strange-looking machine on the ground and asked in surprise, "What is this?"

"This is a silk loom. After my improvement, the old silk loom that originally had fifty, sixty or even a hundred steps was finally reduced to twelve steps. The difficulty of production was greatly reduced, and the production efficiency was greatly increased. If this kind of machine can be promoted, it will definitely benefit people's livelihood."

Lu Fang's face was full of excitement. After being exposed to Wang Jing's new ideas, his view on technological progress has become fundamentally different from before.

The improvement of productivity is by no means some magical technique, but it can greatly enrich material output and improve people's living standards.

Lu Fang was born in Chenliu, so he had been accustomed to the prosperous local business ecology since childhood.

Li Shiqi, an advisor to Liu Bang, once said: "Although Chenliu is small, it is a strategic point in the world, with convenient transportation in all directions."

In fact, Chenliu County was not small at all. It was not only a large county in the Central Plains, but also, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, included 17 counties under its jurisdiction: Chenliu County, Xiaohuang County, Cheng'an County, Ningling County, Yongqiu County, Suanzao County, Donghun County, Xiangyi County, Waihuang County, Fengqiu County, Changluo County, Weishi County, Qi County, Changyuan County, Pingqiu County, Jiyang County, and Junyi County.
Before Liu Xie, Emperor Xian of Han, became emperor, his title was King of Chenliu.

At this time, Chenliu County had a population of over one million, making it one of the most populous counties.

In order to feed this huge population, local officials in Chenliu area throughout the dynasties attached great importance to the development of water conservancy and fully utilized the natural geographical advantages of Chenliu, so that the planting area of ​​crops such as rice fields continued to expand.

Not only rice was planted, but also wheat, rice, fish, shrimp and crab were abundant, and mulberry, hemp, tea and bamboo were also planted in sufficient quantities. The corresponding downstream industries such as fish processing, textile, tea making, weaving, and pharmaceutical industries were also at the leading level in the country at that time.

The Northern Song Dynasty established its capital in Kaifeng, and Chenliu was included in it, which shows how strong the economic foundation here is.

Since Lu Fang was born into a carpenter's family, he naturally had access to a lot of textile industry experience and participated in the maintenance and manufacturing of textile machinery.

It is a pity that the Confucian scholars of the Yanhan Dynasty did not attach importance to the development of technology. Most of the existing various types of looms and silk looms were spontaneous market economic behaviors among the people, and were developed by a few wealthy and powerful people to meet production needs.

But their abilities, knowledge and resources are limited, so unless a super genius emerges, it would be a pipe dream to want to make improvements.

In history, the person who successfully improved the silk loom was the great inventor Ma Jun, who was more than ten years before he was born.

However, Lu Fang had improved the technology of the silk loom in advance, allowing this technology to be released decades earlier.

Lu Fang happily pulled Yang Xiu to help test it: "Dezu, please help me see what shortcomings this new silk loom has."

Yang Xiu smiled and rolled up his sleeves. He then took a few wrenches and started tinkering with them together with Lu Fang. "Zhengliang, you haven't reported your new silk loom to the workshop yet, right? Aren't you afraid that I'll take all the credit for it?"

"It's just a little fame, what's the point? But if you really want to grab it, I can give you the credit, but remember to share the money you earn with me. I still have a lot of experiments I want to do." (End of this chapter)