Chapter 19

The next morning, while Zhang Hao was still in bed, Xizhi Cai had already rushed over. Not only did he come by himself, but he also brought a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance. The man looked at Zhang Hao with a puzzled and strange expression.

Zhang Hao didn't have time to think about it. In front of the guest, his current state was clearly impolite, so he hurriedly washed up.

What left Zhang Hao speechless was that Xizhi Cai didn't act like a guest at all. While Zhang Hao was washing up, he watched with great interest and occasionally expressed admiration and curiosity about Zhang Hao's toiletries.

After a hurried wash, Zhang Hao politely asked if the two had eaten breakfast, and both nodded to indicate they had.

"There's no need to rush to accompany us. Even though we've eaten, we can still have some wine. After I went back yesterday, I regretted it for a long time. I forgot about the wine Zigao promised me. I was craving it all night, so now it's just the right time to have some. We can chat while we eat, which will be more lively," Xizhi Cai said without a care.

It was early in the morning, and Zhang Hao didn't know what to say to such a person.

He called for breakfast, and Xizhi Cai started drinking, while the middle-aged man, introduced as Tian Feng, politely ate a couple of bites and then waited quietly.

Zhang Hao was deeply impressed by Tian Feng, who was much more famous than Xizhi Cai. Even in this era, Tian Feng's reputation was much stronger than Xizhi Cai's, making him a renowned scholar in Ji Province. He was the kind of person who could always find a meal and a position wherever he went.

Xizhi Cai had mentioned earlier that Tian Feng had just resigned from his post because he couldn't stand the eunuchs.

Zhang Hao clearly remembered the wicked smile on Xizhi Cai's face at that moment. It was evident that Tian Feng had come with some ulterior motives.

Perhaps Xizhi Cai had told Tian Feng about his arguments last night, and Tian Feng had some differing opinions, which is why he came over so early in the morning.

Under Tian Feng's serious gaze, eating became difficult. Zhang Hao quickly ate a bit and put down his chopsticks. Tian Feng, seeing the situation, immediately began his questioning, "I heard that Zigao has different views on the eunuchs' interference in politics?"

Zhang Hao nodded. Since Tian Feng was here, Zhang Hao naturally wanted to show his worth. Tian Feng was known for his integrity, but he wasn't a rigid person.

He first repeated the reasons from last night. Tian Feng listened with a frown, occasionally countering and sometimes deep in thought.

It had to be said that Tian Feng and Xizhi Cai were both wise and perceptive. Even with Zhang Hao's knowledge from over two thousand years in the future, he often found himself at a loss for words and had to resort to using Baidu to cope. They were no less intelligent than modern people; the difference was merely in their knowledge and perspectives.

For the entire day, Zhang Hao did nothing else but discuss these matters with the two men. He talked until he was hoarse.

This time, Zhang Hao brought out a powerful argument: the theory of land consolidation.

After listening to Zhang Hao, Tian Feng and Xizhi Cai were silent for a long time. Then Tian Feng sighed, "Zigao, you are truly a great talent, and I am not your match. To be honest, I don't understand why, with your talent, you can easily gain fame and a position. Why did you choose to buy an official post from the eunuchs? Don't you think such behavior is not what a gentleman should do?"

"A gentleman can be deceived by a method," Zhang Hao smiled. "From beginning to end, I have never been a gentleman. Of course, I didn't intend to deliberately ruin my reputation. In fact, I made a mistake in buying the post. But no matter what, I don't regret it. At least Zhang Rang has helped me a lot."

"As for what Brother Yuanhao said, I have considered it. But I don't have the time. Or rather, the Han Dynasty doesn't have the time!"

"Zigao, although I also feel that the current problems of the Han Dynasty are very serious, it hasn't reached that point yet, has it? Four hundred years have made the Han Dynasty deeply rooted in people's hearts," Tian Feng's face twitched as he stared at Zhang Hao.

"Public opinion? It's the opinion of the scholars, isn't it? In this era, the concept of public opinion is simple: it's the aristocratic families and powerful landlords, because they control knowledge and power. But the majority of the people are often overlooked. Why did the Yellow Turban Rebellion happen? No matter how magical Zhang Jue and his ilk were, if the people weren't struggling to survive, they wouldn't risk their lives to rebel!" Zhang Hao said directly.

"The Yellow Turban Rebellion has already drained the Han Dynasty's strength. The continuous rebellions in recent years further prove this. Have you noticed that this year, the Central Plains have been suffering from drought and lack of rain, and a significant reduction in grain production is almost certain. The aristocratic families and powerful landlords will certainly pass their losses on to the people. What will the people do when they can't survive? How many more rebellions can the Han Dynasty endure?"

Seeing the thoughtful expressions of Tian Feng and Xizhi Cai, Zhang Hao continued, "It's not just these issues; there are even more serious problems. Although the current emperor is not old, his health is said to be poor. If something happens, who will succeed him among his two sons? To some extent, the two princes already represent the eunuchs and the imperial relatives, with the scholars involved. If this issue erupts, the conflict will be extremely intense."

"Alas, the current emperor is truly a disgrace!" Tian Feng said without hesitation, which was his character, straightforward and unyielding.

"Zigao, I misunderstood you before. Of course, I still don't like your association with the eunuchs. Now I want to ask you, what do you really want to do? You know that the world is about to be in chaos, so why are you still doing business?"

"Me?" Zhang Hao pondered for a moment. Clearly, it wasn't the right time to reveal everything, as he had just met Xizhi Cai and Tian Feng.

"I want to change some things. I want to improve the lives of the people. I want to break the monopoly of the aristocracy on knowledge."

Seeing the puzzled expressions of Xizhi Cai and Tian Feng, Zhang Hao smiled, "It might sound a bit chaotic. Let me put it this way: I returned from overseas, and I brought more than just those useless treasures. I also brought many technologies and knowledge. For example, high-yield grain seeds and other crops that can help people have enough food and clothing. There are also many books, better and more practical papermaking techniques, and printing technology that can easily reproduce a large number of books."

"Really?" Tian Feng stood up excitedly and asked, "If what Zigao says is true, then you will have done a great deed."

"Of course, it's true. When the time comes, Brother Yuanhao and Brother Zhi can come with me to see. Since Brother Zhi is idle and Brother Yuanhao has resigned, you two can help me proofread the books and see which ones are suitable for widespread promotion. I have too many books, covering a wide range of topics, both ancient and modern, domestic and foreign."

Zhang Hao invited them directly.

Xizhi Cai looked at Zhang Hao thoughtfully, while Tian Feng, without any doubt, asked, "Where are they stored?"

"In Wu Commandery," Zhang Hao said without hesitation. "Actually, the reason I wanted to buy an official post was to have a legitimate position to use my resources. Otherwise, even proofreading the books would be difficult, and finding teachers to spread knowledge would be impossible without an official position. Without power, even if I print a lot of books, the aristocratic families and powerful landlords might hoard them, and the common people would still not have access to them."

Zhang Hao was painting himself in a positive light.

"Alright, I'll go with you," Tian Feng said without hesitation, which made Zhang Hao feel a bit guilty, but he thought he wasn't lying. He really wanted to do those things, just in the territory he controlled. It wasn't a complete lie.

"Then I'll go too. I'm alone and have nothing to do," Xizhi Cai laughed.

Zhang Hao was overjoyed. Ha, once we get to Wu Commandery, it will be hard for you to leave. Getting on the boat is easy, but getting off is hard!

"Zigao, when do we plan to leave?" Tian Feng asked.

"Probably in two days. I need to negotiate with the major merchants. No matter what we do, we need money and grain. Cooperating with these merchants will help me accumulate enough wealth quickly," Zhang Hao replied.

"Speaking of which, I don't know if you've considered this. When we leave, you need to be careful. Everyone now knows that you, the righteous man from overseas, are a wealthy man with countless treasures and a lot of money. In Luoyang, it's fine because the order is maintained and Zhang Rang protects you. But outside Luoyang, there will be many people who want to rob you. Even other eunuchs might have this idea," Xizhi Cai warned.

"In that sense, although Zhang Rang is greedy, he at least has some sense of shame and propriety."

"Hmph, there are too many villains in this world. Even a scoundrel like Zhang Rang can be called someone with a sense of shame and propriety, which shows how chaotic the world is," Tian Feng said angrily.

Zhang Hao was startled. Xizhi Cai's warning was timely. Although he had been notorious these past few days, the transactions had gone smoothly, and he had become a bit careless. This was partly because he had too much confidence in Huang Zhong, the mighty general.

But if someone really mobilized private troops or even the army to attack, it would be a problem.

Zhang Hao immediately thanked Xizhi Cai for the warning.