The big man has a living father

Chapter 10 Who doesn’t have a family background in learning? !
Liu Che walked towards the carriage with a smile on his face: "Let's talk in the carriage."

After getting on the carriage, Huo Hai was not used to kneeling, so he sat down directly next to the table.

Liu Che didn't care, but looked at Huo Hai: "Since you can't wait to get to the chessboard, let's play a game. Do you want to play white or black?"

How could Huo Hai play Go? He looked at the chessboard and laughed, "Your Majesty, playing chess requires fairness, and the two opponents must be equal in strength and status."

"How can I, a humble commoner, be equal to Your Majesty? Let's play a game that is not so fair to both sides."

"Your Majesty, the moves are just like those in Go. No matter if they are vertical, horizontal, or diagonal, as long as you can connect five pieces, you win. In this game, the one who moves first has an absolute advantage. Your Majesty can play black first."

Liu Che watched Huo Hai introduce the rules of Gobang and raised his eyebrows: "Oh? Are you saying that I am not fair in handling things?"

Huo Hai saluted with both hands: "I dare not speak!"

Liu Che: "You dare not say it's unfair, but you still think it's unfair? Your chess game is interesting. You can connect the beads vertically and horizontally, and even diagonally? You mean you want to take a crooked approach? Well, let me see how you can play."

Liu Che thought for a moment and decided that the beginning of this five-piece move must be different from that of Go, so he placed the piece in the center of the board.

Huo Hai placed the white pieces next to the black pieces, saying, "Your Majesty, let's take this out today and let me stay in the far reaches of the martial arts world. Is that okay?"

Liu Che: "No."

Huo Hai frowned. How could he not even like Xuan paper? Xuan paper could solve the urgent need of Emperor Wu of Han. How could he not agree?
Huo Hai frowned and asked carefully: "Your Majesty, did you not see clearly...what materials did I use to write the article?"

Liu Che: "It's a white wooden board. You see it."

really!

It seems that our great Emperor Wu is shortsighted!
Huo Hai: "Your Majesty, that is paper, white paper, made with a similar process to hemp paper, but with a much higher output than hemp paper, and the cost is less than one-tenth of hemp paper."

Huo Hai didn't say that if the output is large, it is possible that the rate may even be reduced from one-thirtieth to one-fifth to one percent in the future.

Because when paper is mass-produced, it can actually be made from tree trunks rather than the bark of low-yield plants such as kudzu.

Even if we can't reach that output, it would be much easier to make it with bamboo.

The reason why the cost was not mentioned was because Huo Hai wanted to obtain the identity of the boss of the Royal Papermaking Bureau, make paper for Emperor Wu in exchange for his freedom, and make some money in the process.

Liu Che was shocked, but his face showed no expression: "Oh, it turns out to be paper. It seems that what you want to show me is not "The Goddess of Luo River" but this blank paper."

"So you think that paper can be exchanged for my permission to not enter the government?"

Huo Hai was a little surprised. The first time Liu Che played Gobang, he didn't make a random move. He actually considered it carefully. However, it was not much different from a random move: "Your Majesty, if you have paper, you have the right to speak. If you have the right to speak, you can be a father. ... We have won this game of Go."

Huo Hai pointed at the double triple convergence he had made.

Liu Che was stunned for a moment and wanted to ask you how you won, but after thinking about it, he realized that he could only bet on a three, and the other three would become a four with two empty ends. No matter how many times he bet on the four with two empty ends, he could always make it a five: "Interesting, continue."

Huo Hai continued: "Why was Dong Zhongshu so arrogant? It was because his family had a large collection of books. Relying on the appeal of books, he gathered a group of followers. Then he used his possession of books that no one else had seen to smuggle his own political views and private goods on the development of Confucianism into the books presented to the court."

"Your Majesty has paper and controls the Imperial Academy. You can have as many books as you want and edit as many books as you want. Controlling the pen means controlling the right to speak."

Huo Hai was not familiar with the history of the Han Dynasty, but only with the history of the following dynasties.

But it’s not that I’m completely ignorant about the Han Dynasty. After all, I’ve watched too many short videos and seen a lot of detailed things.

Later, during the Wang Mang era, Confucian scholars all over the world forged books and smuggled their own thoughts and ideas into the so-called "found ancient books from the Pre-Qin period."

For example, by borrowing the lost land tax policy of the Western Zhou Dynasty's well-field system, they fabricated the contents of the Western Han Dynasty's well-field system, which are so fake and illogical at first glance.

Wang Mang's life was too smooth. He truly believed that he was the chosen one of God and that the things he made up were really useful. As a result, the empire he had gained collapsed very quickly.

How could the country not collapse if it governed it using those imaginary phenomena and policies that the Confucian scholars used to support their own agenda?

But if we think about this more deeply, whoever controls the pen will control the right to speak.

During the Wang Mang era, he almost became the leader of Confucianism, so he led a group of like-minded Confucian scholars to build his dream home.

Now in the era of Emperor Wu, it was impossible to achieve unity among all the scholars in the world. However, the characteristics of paper compared with bamboo slips, which were easy to manufacture and easy to write on, were enough to crush them by the generation gap.

If Emperor Wu compiled a bunch of books that were favorable to him, claiming that they were Confucius's books, and they were burned by Qin Shi Huang, and he found them again, just imagine what the people of the world would do?
Dong Zhongshu jumped up to object?

There is no point in opposing it. In the time it took Dong Zhongshu to copy a book on bamboo slips, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had his writers write a hundred books.

Is the degree of spread the same level?
Isn't Dong Zhongshu Master Dong? Emperor Wu also called him Master Liu.

But as Emperor Wu made his move, he asked a fatal question: "Huo Hai, you have such a good brain, wouldn't it be better for you to work for the court?"

"The invention of paper may be luck. One day someone in the world will invent better paper to replace bamboo slips, just like the hemp paper that appeared in the past 20 years quickly became the document for land deeds. But to say that whoever controls the pen controls the right to speak... it takes talent from the prime minister."

Huo Hai continued playing chess, laughing awkwardly: "Your Majesty, you were the one who initiated the 'challenge'. I have won now. It's okay if you don't admit it."

"Have you misunderstood something? When did I ever challenge you?" Emperor Wu smiled.

Huo Hai: "Okay, okay, don't be shameless."

Emperor Wu stroked his beard and said, "As an emperor, why should I care about face? Even if I don't have any, others will help me to get it. For example, you will definitely not tell others."

Okay, okay, let’s play like this, right?

Huo Hai: "Your Majesty, there are ways to play with dignity, and there are ways to play without shame. I also have a plan, which is also a shameless way. Your Majesty, would you like to listen carefully?"

Emperor Wu had never lost in his battles with his ministers. He hadn't played with a child for a long time, so he immediately became interested and acted like a rogue: "Oh? I want to hear how powerful your plan is."

In Emperor Wu's view, one person cannot be good at strategy, judgment and reason at the same time. Simply put, it is impossible for Xiao He and Zhang Liang's brains to grow into the same person.

Since Huo Hai can write and play open plots, he is not good at playing secret plots.

Huo Hai said seriously: "Although Mr. Sima has not been given a high position in Chang'an in recent years, he is acquainted with almost all the older generation who are good at writing. I, a humble commoner, saw that these old predecessors lived a hard life, so I found a job for them."

"From today on, they will brag about me, Huo Hai, in all kinds of occasions where princes, nobles, and scholars appear in Chang'an City."

Emperor Wu was puzzled: "Oh? What's the use?"

Huo Hai was very proud: "Your Majesty, don't forget the Huo family's family tradition."

Emperor Wu frowned and said, "Your father is illiterate, and you have a family background in literature?"
Huo Hai was excited: "In a few days, all the wives of the princes and nobles in Chang'an City will know that I, Huo Hai, am a talented writer."

"Although my father is uneducated, he is extremely handsome. I have inherited everything that should be inherited from him, except that he is a little darker. This Chang'an City is very fertile. In less than half a year, I will definitely come back white-haired. By then, I will be called a handsome gentleman, right?"

Emperor Wu had a bad feeling.

Huo Hai continued to laugh: "Since Emperor Gaozu, these princes and nobles have gotten rid of vulgar interests and started to engage in culture. Whose children have not read poetry and books?"

As the saying goes, wealth cannot last for more than three generations. If it exceeds three generations, it is considered noble.

These nobles have been passed down since the time of Emperor Gaozu. The one who can delay the longest has passed it on to the third generation, and the one who passes it on the fastest has passed it on to the fifth or sixth generation.

Huo Hai: "My father didn't pass on anything good to me. He didn't have money or culture. He just left me with a good waist and some tricks to please women."

"Just imagine that all the daughters of the princes, nobles and officials in Chang'an admire my talent, and I, Huo Hai, am handsome and suave... Then I will be able to spend time with those noble ladies under the moonlight, in a romantic atmosphere, tsk tsk."

"Your Majesty, you don't want the grandchildren of all the princes, nobles, civil and military officials in Chang'an City to have the surname Huo in three years, right?!"

Huo Hai placed another chess piece and pointed at the chessboard, indicating that he had won again.

Liu Che looked serious.

He doesn't believe what others say. It's really hard to say about the Huo family! Besides, this kid is fearless and dares to play chess with me. If I ask him to pick up girls, how can he not do it?
However, Liu Che was not afraid of this: "The Huo family has a great tradition of learning, but have you ever heard that my family also has a tradition of learning?"

Huo Hai was stunned for a moment, but when he saw Liu Che grabbing the chessboard and pretending to flip it, he suddenly realized: "The rumor in the market that he used the chessboard to hit the prince's heir... the Han chess master?"

The Great Han Chess Master? Is there still such a term?

Liu Che was delighted: "It is my father, the late emperor."

Huo Hai was silent for a moment, then laughed heartily: "Great! The world's heroes are indeed as numerous as crucian carp crossing the river."

(End of this chapter)