Chapter 132: Paper Books (Bonus Chapter)

Once everyone had taken their seats, Liu Yao began, "I thank you all, distinguished scholars, for attending the opening of our Youzhou Academy. I offer my sincere gratitude."

"Your Highness’s actions are for the sake of the nation and its people; it is only right that we old bones contribute our modest efforts," Kong Rong said with a smile.

"I truly envy you, Bojie. To have such an outstanding disciple as yours is a great blessing indeed," Zheng Xuan remarked, looking at Cai Yong, who could hardly keep his mouth from curving into a grin. Cai Yong had certainly gained much face in front of his old friends this time.

"You are too kind, Master Zheng. I dare not accept such praise," Liu Yao replied modestly. He then turned to Shi A and said, "Shi A, show our guests the items."

Shi A nodded and retrieved a dozen books from a bundle, handing one to each person present. On the covers were three large characters: "The Three Character Classic."

The group took them, examining the objects with curiosity. "Your Highness, is this paper?" Zheng Xuan asked, his voice stuttering, his heart filled with astonishment. When had they ever seen such paper? It was as smooth as silk, completely different from the paper they knew.

"That is correct, Master Zheng. This is paper, but it is a new variety developed by the craftsmen of Youzhou. It is smoother and easier to write upon than the paper invented by Marquis Cai, and the production cost is much lower," Liu Yao said with a smile. It was well known that the paper invented by Cai Lun was not only expensive to produce but also difficult to write on, which was why it had failed to circulate widely throughout the Han Dynasty.

The scholars looked at the books in their hands with excitement; this was a supreme treasure for the literary world. Cai Yong gazed at Liu Yao with joy. Liu Yao had previously promised him a great gift, but he had not expected it to be so substantial and so perfectly suited to his own heart.

"'At the beginning of life, nature is inherently good...' Hmm, Your Highness, who authored this 'Three Character Classic'? Why have we never read it before?" Sima Hui asked curiously while reciting the content.

"To be honest, I wrote this on a whim. It is simple and easy to understand, making it the perfect material for educating young children," Liu Yao said casually, showing no shame for his plagiarism—he had long since grown accustomed to it.

The group murmured as they read. Indeed, although the meaning was simple, it was catchy and rhythmic, making it an excellent primer.

While the other scholars studied the content, Cai Yong, a master calligrapher, was examining the font. "Yao'er, may I ask who copied this book?" Cai Yong asked with a frown. The characters looked unremarkable, but he found it strange. When a person copies text, the handwriting inevitably shifts with their mood—even he could not avoid this. Yet, this book remained perfectly consistent from start to finish, which piqued his curiosity.

Liu Yao smiled and said, "Teacher, why don't you and the other seniors swap your books and take another look?"

Hearing this, they exchanged their books. Upon closer inspection, they realized that every copy possessed the exact same font, with not a single stroke differing even by a hair's breadth.

"This... this... Yao'er, this was not written by a person?" Cai Yong was dumbfounded. If he could not recognize that this was not human handwriting, he would have to throw away his reputation.

"Correct. This was not written by human hands. It is another invention from Youzhou, called 'movable type printing.' We use clay characters arranged into a template, brush them with ink, and press them directly onto the paper, which is then bound. Therefore, these books in your hands did not require laborious copying; using this method, one can produce them in just the time it takes to brew tea," Liu Yao said with a touch of pride.

The group could not suppress their shock. They had assumed the books were hand-copied, which was why they were only interested in the paper. Now, knowing that this "movable type printing" could mass-produce books, it meant that the bamboo slips they had used for years could finally retire, replaced by these lightweight, portable volumes.

"Yao'er, what about my bamboo slips?" Cai Yong asked with concern. After arriving in Youzhou, his collection had been "borrowed" by Liu Yao. If it hadn't been Liu Yao, he would have chased after them long ago; those slips were the apple of his eye.

"Do not worry, Teacher. Your bamboo slips are doing very well; they are currently the templates for our Youzhou books. Your ten thousand scrolls will be transformed into this format before long," Liu Yao said, waving the *Three Character Classic* in his hand.

Cai Yong was overjoyed. He was already enamored with these convenient books. Previously, reading a single work required dozens or even hundreds of heavy bamboo slips, and any damage was irreparable, which always pained him. Now, he didn't need to worry about damage—if a book broke, they could simply print another.

"Good, good, good! Yao'er, you are truly thoughtful. This gift is magnificent," Cai Yong laughed heartily.

"You are too kind, Teacher," Liu Yao replied modestly.

"Your Highness, I also possess many rare editions. I wonder if I might bring them to Youzhou and ask you to..." Zheng Xuan said, feeling a bit embarrassed, as this was a request.

"Why not? The more rare editions, the better. Only in this way can the culture of our Han people be preserved forever," Liu Yao said with a smile.

"Your Highness is truly righteous!" the group praised in unison. In their hearts, they were already eager to return home and bring their rare collections to Youzhou. They felt that this trip had been well worth it.

"I wonder why you, Governor of Beihai, have come to Youzhou. You know the remnants of the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou have yet to be pacified. Are you not afraid that Beihai might fall while you are here?" Liu Yao asked with a serious expression. In history, it was around this time that the Yellow Turban leader Guan Hai had besieged Beihai, and it was only saved because Taishi Ci had slain the enemy general alone. Now that Taishi Ci was under his own command, how could Beihai possibly defend against Guan Hai?

Hearing the accusation, Kong Rong immediately explained, "Reporting to Your Highness, your subordinate recently recruited three men of great talent. With their help, Beihai is now peaceful, and the Yellow Turban leader Guan Hai has already been executed. Those Yellow Turbans have also been integrated into our ranks in Beihai."

"Men of great talent..." Liu Yao felt a flicker of doubt. Guan Hai’s martial prowess was not low; whoever killed him was certainly no mere nobody. He could not directly ask who these three were, but the figures of two men flashed briefly through his mind before vanishing.

"It seems I have misjudged you, Governor of Beihai. I apologize," Liu Yao said casually.

"I dare not, I dare not. Your Highness acts for the sake of the nation and the people; how could I blame you?" Kong Rong replied hurriedly.

Liu Yao looked at the sky outside the window and, seeing the sun setting, said, "Seniors, it is getting late. You should return to rest; there are important matters to attend to tomorrow."

The group agreed and, one by one, took their leave of Liu Yao.

"You'an, Genju, please wait a moment," Liu Yao said, calling out to Gu Yong and Bing Yuan, who were the last to leave.