After the sacrificial ceremony, Liu Bei, as usual, took Li You to oversee the military training, while Chen Xi led a group of civil officials to handle the aftermath. However, upon returning to the administrative hall, Chen Xi was surprised to see that Qu Qi, who was supposed to be studying agriculture in the greenhouse, was sitting there, calmly sipping tea.
"Hey, Hanmou, what brings you here?" Chen Xi greeted with a smile. Behind him, a group of civil officials, all dressed in black, also greeted Qu Qi. Everyone had met this miracle worker who had boosted Qingzhou's agricultural production.
"You guys are moving too fast," Qu Qi said with a wry smile.
"Huh?" Chen Xi didn't quite catch that as he sat at the head of the table, signaling for tea, pastries, and fruits to be served. They had work to do.
"I said, you're moving too fast. Governor Liu announced it too early. Promoting education can certainly win the hearts of the people and earn the praise of scholars, but have you considered this: just because they recognize your benevolence doesn't mean they won't clash with you. Qingzhou is strong, but not that strong yet," Qu Qi explained with a bitter smile. "You're essentially cutting off the foundation of the aristocratic families."
"What do you mean by that?" Chen Xi asked, massaging his temples in frustration. "Even if some people notice, they won't be able to stop it in the short term. And the widespread use of printed materials benefits the aristocracy too. Only a few will truly recognize the threat. Our greatest advantage is that paper is cheap and can be widely distributed. By the time they realize what's happening, the students from the lower classes will be able to compete with them. Plus, the benefits we offer will make them overlook this minor issue."
"You're too confident. The ones who can cause you trouble are always the top figures. Those families who can't see the problem might not even realize you've sold them out. Yes, the spread of paper benefits them, but its low cost benefits the lower classes even more!" Qu Qi frowned.
"But 99% of the aristocratic families only see the benefits," Chen Xi replied indifferently. "Most of them believe their bloodlines are superior to the commoners. They won't kill a potentially beneficial plan just because it might fail."
"And how do you plan to address the issue of teachers and the ongoing costs each year? Don't think I haven't thought about it. There are at least 200,000 children of school age in Qingzhou and Taishan. Even if one teacher handles five students for three years…" Qu Qi paused, then added, "By the way, your 'Thousand Character Classic' is pretty good." He complimented Chen Xi before returning to his serious tone.
Now, everyone, including Jia Xu, turned their eyes toward Chen Xi. After all, he had confidently stated that the issue would resolve itself in time.
"There's no easy solution. We'll have to rely on our resources. As for the tens of thousands of students, they don't all need to learn poetry, classics, and rituals in-depth. I've already said it will only be basic education," Chen Xi replied calmly. "By next year, we'll have fully consolidated Qingzhou and expanded our territory to the coast. Then we can open sea trade with Jiaozhou. The natives there aren't lacking in food."
Qu Qi frowned. He had visited Jiaozhou before and knew the area wasn't exactly hospitable. The malarial climate was harsh, but maritime trade had too many uncertainties.
"Gan Xingba has probably already been to Yizhou. If we use that as a staging post, there shouldn't be any major issues," Chen Xi added with a smile. "I sent Gan Ning to scout out a suitable island long ago."
"With that in place, you might just manage to scrape by with the resources and manpower. But now, I have to ask you the most crucial question," Qu Qi said, his tone serious.
"Go ahead, I'm listening," Chen Xi replied nonchalantly.
"What do aristocratic families mean to you?" Qu Qi asked.
"They're powerful families, rooted in bloodlines and centered around power, influence, prestige, and wealth—families that have existed for generations. And even if they decline, they can rise again more easily than ordinary families," Chen Xi said, somewhat uncertainly.
"And what is a noble?" Qu Qi pressed.
"An upper class that stands above others," Chen Xi replied casually. Then he paused, looking at Qu Qi. Around the room, the other officials also furrowed their brows, realizing what they had overlooked.
"It seems you've understood now. The aristocracy evolved into the aristocratic families. Their goal is to return to being nobility, to share the world with the emperor and divide the land among themselves," Qu Qi explained, scanning the room.
"Do you think the top families—the ones that have retained their noble glory for generations—will allow the lower classes to have the same opportunities as them? They won't. They are destined to sit at the top, looking down on the commoners," Qu Qi said with a smile, addressing Chen Xi and the others.
"Blessings and curses, all are from the emperor…" Chen Xi muttered to himself.
At that moment, Chen Xi finally understood why the aristocracy evolved into the aristocratic families, why the aristocracy became the scholar-gentry class, and why the nine-rank system came into existence. It had all been predestined!
Class structure was too important for the nobility. The scholar-gentry was just another form of nobility. From birth, their place in society was determined. The upper ranks had no room for the lower classes, and the lower ranks could never rise to become aristocracy.
"Indeed, generation after generation enjoys endless wealth and glory, just as the Zhou kings divided the land among the feudal lords. Nobles will always be nobles, their descendants blessed for hundreds of years. Compared to Liu Bei's current actions, which are severing the hopes of these families, the enmity is deep, and the allure of their promises is strong!" Chen Xi acknowledged Qu Qi's words with a heavy heart.
Chen Xi had to admit that the aristocratic families' vision was incredibly enticing for the families themselves. As for the common people, they had no part to play in this game.
Chen Xi believed Qu Qi's words more than his earlier speculations because history had shown that Qu Qi's predictions were accurate. The nine-rank system had indeed solidified the foundations of the scholar-gentry class!
"So, we're now fully at odds with all the top aristocratic families?" Jia Xu remarked, realizing he had been naive. Perhaps it was because no one in the room had come from a high-ranking noble family that they had missed this.
"Pretty much. But the good thing is that Chen Zichuan is still on your side. You guys are really lucky. Chen Zichuan has already proven his abilities, and I've heard that Cao Mengde sent his advisors to congratulate you. I'm betting it's nine out of ten that it's Chen Changwen," Qu Qi said, with a look that said they had been very fortunate.
"Thankfully, the Chen family is influential. Even though I've branched out, I'm still seen as a prominent figure in the family. Most of the top aristocratic families will be watching my every move. As long as I don't act recklessly, they'll believe this hasn't harmed their foundations," Chen Xi said, wiping a cold sweat from his brow. Today's events had been a close call.
"However, after this, many top strategists from the aristocratic families may abandon Liu Bei. Although you're a figurehead, you don't fully represent the Chen family. The threat of Liu Bei's actions still exists, and they'll seek ways to restore their former glory," Qu Qi said helplessly.
"They'll acknowledge Liu Bei's benevolence because he has a status comparable to theirs. But they will never allow the lower classes to rise and compete with them. They can pity the commoners, but they will never give them the chance to stand on equal footing," Chen Xi said with a bitter smile.