Chapter 92

"Teacher, there's one more thing I would like to ask for your help with," Liu Yao said.

"What is it?" Cai Yong asked, puzzled.

"It's like this, Teacher. I still don't have a courtesy name, so I was hoping to trouble you with this matter," Liu Yao said, somewhat embarrassed.

Cai Yong was taken aback and couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. This could be considered his dereliction of duty. Although men generally only receive a courtesy name when they come of age, for someone of Liu Yao's noble status, or for someone with a great scholar like Cai Yong as a teacher, it was quite common to receive a courtesy name earlier.

"Yao, follow me," Cai Yong said, leading the way to the back courtyard. Liu Yao naturally followed slowly.

Before long, Liu Yao followed Cai Yong to a place that resembled a warehouse. Pushing the door open, Liu Yao was stunned. Inside were densely packed bamboo slips, or rather, bamboo slips inscribed with characters. These were all the various books Cai Yong had collected over the years.

Cai Yong, looking at Liu Yao's expression, said proudly, "Yao, what do you think of my library? It contains many rare editions."

"Heh heh," Liu Yao's mouth twitched, and he forced a laugh. "Teacher, how many books are in here, and where did you get them?" If one were to estimate, Cai Yong's library was probably only slightly smaller than Emperor Ling of Han's imperial library.

"I can't remember exactly, but it's definitely more than ten thousand volumes. Many of them I bought, and many were gifts from friends. But a large portion came from the imperial library, which the emperor allowed me to access. It took me several years to copy all the books inside," Cai Yong said with a sense of pride.

Liu Yao looked at Cai Yong with admiration. One must understand that this was not the modern era with high-quality paper, making copying relatively easy. In this era, paper was expensive and not durable, so most copying was done on bamboo slips. A single book often consisted of dozens or even hundreds of bamboo slips. Cai Yong had personally copied at least five thousand volumes, which shows the effort he put in.

At this moment, Cai Yong began to browse through the thousands of bamboo slips. Giving Liu Yao a courtesy name was a significant matter that couldn't be taken lightly, so Cai Yong had to carefully review the books to make a decision.

Meanwhile, Liu Yao was silently thinking, "How many lottery chances do I need for ancient texts, papermaking, and movable type printing?"

"Host, you need a total of twenty lottery chances. Would you like to exchange them?" A mechanical voice appeared in Liu Yao's mind.

"Damn it," Liu Yao cursed inwardly. He had worked hard to complete a task and had only just earned twenty-eight lottery chances, and now he would be left with only a fraction. But Liu Yao knew the importance of paper and movable type printing, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Estimate, exchange."

"Congratulations, host. The exchange is successful. You have eight lottery chances remaining." At this moment, the blueprints should have already appeared in the ancient texts, but Liu Yao couldn't conveniently take them out now. He would have to wait until he returned to Youzhou to make further plans.

With paper and movable type printing, paper books could be produced. Then, Liu Yao's Academy of Literature could be established. With the help of a great scholar like Cai Yong, the faculty of the academy wouldn't be a concern, and countless talented commoners would emerge from the academy to serve him.

When the imperial examination system was introduced, the monopoly of talent by the aristocratic families and the inability of commoners to rise to prominence would be broken. This would not only bring Liu Yao a large number of talents but also severely undermine the prestige of the aristocratic families. It was a two-for-one deal.

"Ah!!" Cai Yong's excited cry interrupted Liu Yao's thoughts. "Yao, come and take a look. Is this good?"

"Please, Teacher, guide me," Liu Yao said respectfully.

Cai Yong, nodding his head, said, "Yao, you are the eldest son. Among the ranks of Bo, Zhong, Shu, and Ji, you are Bo. Yao means 'high.' How about we call you Bo Gao?"

"Bo Gao. Liu Bo Gao." Liu Yao repeated it a few times, finding it quite smooth, and agreed. As for the meaning of the name Bo Gao, Liu Yao didn't care and didn't want to know.

"Everything is up to the teacher," Liu Yao said.

After resolving Liu Yao's courtesy name, the two returned to the main hall. Liu Yao was ready to discuss the academy with Cai Yong and also to bring the old man to Youzhou to avoid any future problems in Luoyang.

"Teacher, I have a matter that can benefit all the people. I hope you will lend me a hand," Liu Yao said.

"Oh, what is it? If it truly benefits the people, I will certainly help without hesitation," Cai Yong said firmly.

Liu Yao smiled and said, "I wish to establish an academy in Youzhou, where all fees for poor children will be waived. On one hand, this will allow poor children to receive education, and on the other hand, it will help us cultivate capable commoner talents for Youzhou to serve me. Would you be willing to help me?"

"Good, good, good!!! Your action is righteous, Yao." Cai Yong, moved, said three "goods" in a row. He, Cai Yong, was also from a commoner background and had experienced the pain of wanting to study but being unable to afford it. Now, Liu Yao's plan to provide free education for poor children struck a chord with him. How could he refuse?

"Yao, such a righteous act, I will certainly lend you a hand. If there's anything I can do, just say so," Cai Yong stroked his beard and smiled.

"Ha ha, Teacher, in terms of finances, Youzhou is quite wealthy, but what we lack for establishing the academy are teachers. I hope you can help with this. I also hope you will take on the role of the academy's chancellor, to leverage your reputation among scholars," Liu Yao said with a smile. After all, Youzhou was not like Jingzhou, where scholars and literati were abundant, so they had to rely on Cai Yong's influence.

"Yao, rest assured. Once the academy is established, I will send invitations to my old friends, and many will surely join," Cai Yong agreed without hesitation. After all, teaching and nurturing talent was a great virtue, and Cai Yong would not refuse.

"Ha ha. If that's the case, I thank you, Teacher. Once the academy is established, I will present you with a gift. At that time, the bamboo slips in your library might no longer be needed," Liu Yao said with a smile. The appeal of paper books to scholars, especially great scholars like Cai Yong, was undeniable. This would certainly bring about a significant change in the literary world.

"Oh, what is it?" Cai Yong asked curiously. He had no doubt about his disciple's words and was now quite intrigued.

"Can't say, can't say," Liu Yao said mysteriously.

Cai Yong rolled his eyes and lamented his poor choice in a disciple.

"By the way, Yao, earlier you asked me to recruit some talented people. This time, one of my disciples, who will be your senior, will visit me. I will introduce him to you," Cai Yong said.

"Um, I didn't know I had a senior. Teacher, what is his name?" Liu Yao was taken aback and asked curiously. He didn't remember Cai Yong having other disciples. Historically, there was Wei Zhongdao, but with Liu Yao's appearance, that sickly man had long disappeared.

"His surname is Gu, his given name is Yong, and his courtesy name is Yuan Tan. He is from Wuxian in the Wu region," Cai Yong said.

Liu Yao was overjoyed. Gu Yong was a significant figure, serving as the Chancellor of Wu in the later Three Kingdoms period and an excellent administrator. He never expected Gu Yong to be Cai Yong's disciple, which was a pleasant surprise.