Fazheng and Zhuge Liang both took Chen Xi's words to heart, planning to use their own resources to verify them later. If what he said was true, with their sharp minds, they would surely start planning accordingly.
"Heh, it's good that you remember. Whether it's true or not, you'll need to verify it for yourselves. What I said might not be entirely accurate. For now, the Han Dynasty remains dominant over the surrounding tribes," Chen Xi said with a smile. "Though the Xianbei are strong, they can't easily shake the foundation."
Chen Xi was confident in this. The Han Dynasty still held a significant advantage, and even Yuan Shao in the north alone would be enough to crush the likes of Helian and Kebineng completely.
The Xianbei were still in a state of dormancy. Before the central plains were weakened to the point of no resistance, the surrounding tribes had no chance of invading.
Chen Xi had never considered violently conquering the grasslands. Such bloodshed should not be imposed on the common people, whether they were border residents or nomadic herders. Whether they belonged to the wild nomadic civilizations or the currently dominant Han civilization, both were ultimately seeking survival, and there was no irreconcilable conflict between them.
Chen Xi could not bring himself to massacre the entire grassland. After all, humanity is divided into good and evil. Deciding the fate of millions with a single word, leading to national decline and civilian suffering, was not Chen Xi's goal. What he sought was a prosperous and strong nation.
A trace of mockery appeared on Chen Xi's face.
Compared to the Xianbei, with their mere three million people, the Han Dynasty, which had managed to prevent the spread of typhoid due to Chen Xi's early preparations, still had a population of around fifty million. As a nomadic tribe that hadn't even fully developed a civilization, the Xianbei had only one possible outcome after being defeated: slowly integrating into the Han people.
Chen Xi didn't believe that a tribe with an incomplete cultural framework could resist the world's most assimilative people, especially when the Han had such a comprehensive advantage.
Chen Xi's expression remained calm as he mused that sometimes, actions must be taken almost unconsciously.
Fazheng and Zhuge Liang had no idea that this issue would become a critical task once Yuan Shao was dealt with and the central plains were secured.
Ensuring the long-term stability and peace of the population under his rule was something Chen Xi needed to plan for in advance. Unbeknownst to them, Fazheng and Zhuge Liang had already started working on Chen Xi's behalf, their interest piqued prematurely.
"Enough about these matters that won't be relevant for some time," Chen Xi said, turning to pat Fazheng on the shoulder before proudly walking toward Wang Lie.
"Lord Wang, I've heard it said, 'The way of nurturing people lies in making virtue the foundation.' This book is a model of virtue for ordinary people. Would you permit me to spread it widely across the land? In return, Taishan will cover the expenses of your academy. I believe this book can establish virtue for the people of the world!" Chen Xi bowed deeply before Wang Lie, showing deference as a junior for the first time in front of others.
Given his rank, conferred through genuine military accomplishments, Chen Xi didn't need to show deference to anyone outside of royalty or elders. However, sometimes it was better to lower one's status.
"Chen Hou, there's no need for this!" Wang Lie, whose legs were not very nimble, tried to move but ended up using his cane to help Chen Xi up.
"Lord Wang, would you permit it?" Chen Xi no longer lowered himself, feeling that one show of respect was enough.
"Sigh, very well!" Wang Lie sighed deeply, as if releasing a heavy burden, and said, "I won't stop you. You don't need to put my name on the book or spread it across the world. Just ensure that people understand what virtue is. The rest has nothing to do with me."
Chen Xi was stunned. This meant that Wang Lie was abandoning all rights to the book and even relinquishing the legacy he had created!
Chen Xi had been prepared for Wang Lie to make things difficult for him, which was why he had shown deference in advance. However, he hadn't expected Wang Lie to be so generous.
This book was the culmination of Wang Lie's life's work, essentially his legacy. In this era, such things were typically reserved for one's closest disciples, with perhaps a few exceptional students allowed to copy it. If the core principles were published and widely distributed, the only outcome would be for this school's teachings to be absorbed by others.
The reason the Mohist school eventually declined, aside from suppression, was that its core ideas were absorbed by other schools of thought. This shows how crucial a tradition's core teachings are.
For people of this era, the importance lay not in the text itself, but in the interpretation of those words. Previously, the books from prominent families like the Pang and Huang families that Chen Xi had published lacked the core annotations, which had become a standard rule for Taishan's publishing house.
Similarly, the version of the Virtue Classics that Wang Lie had lent Chen Xi previously did not include the core annotations. Yet, even without them, the book's clear depiction of virtue had left a strong impression on Chen Xi and his companions.
"If you can use this book to establish virtue for the people, I have no regrets. There's no reason to lament the loss of its essence. Lier, bring the box from the bookshelf," Wang Lie said, having fully let go of his previous concerns. His virtue was nearly complete. The idea of establishing virtue for the world had never crossed his mind before. He now recalled what Bing Yuan had once told him: "To educate more people, you need to sit in a high enough position."
Wang Lie took the box from the young girl and handed it to Chen Xi. "Chen Hou, the essence of the entire book is in this box. But to establish virtue for the world, this book alone won't be enough."
"At the very least, it can be a seed. With three generations of effort, the nation may begin to change," Chen Xi said with a smile. Establishing virtue wasn't something that could be accomplished with just one phrase. He had considered this before but never found a suitable text, as many books on virtue seemed flawed to him.
Some books seemed to stifle the nation's fighting spirit, others corrupted it, and some twisted it. Overall, none were quite right.
Chen Xi valued Wang Lie's book because it didn't advocate forgiveness or tolerance but instead proposed different teachings for different people. For the powerful, it emphasized moral influence, while for the weaker, it relied on strength and authority. The book taught virtue at different levels according to the individual, but always with a clear standard.