Chapter 9

In the front courtyard of the Cai family, a large number of mats were laid out, and the scholars sat on their knees, chatting and drinking, with people moving around from time to time.

Cai Yong, along with Ma Rizhan, Lu Zhi, Yang Biao, and other senior figures, were seated in the garden pavilion, surrounded by green shrubs and blooming flowers, making the scene very lively.

From Qin Feng's perspective, this famous literary gathering of the Han Dynasty was similar to a noble wine party in the West, with a bit more exchange of talents and a bit less mundane chatter, providing a good opportunity for ambitious people to enhance their reputation.

Qin Feng had gained some fame by presenting an advanced arithmetic method. As he had just arrived in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, none of the guests at the gathering recognized him, making it inconvenient to join directly. Therefore, after arriving at the garden, he called a servant to fetch the guest list.

He took the guest list and looked it over. Although he did not recognize most of the scholars from the major families, there were a few familiar names.

"Surprisingly, there are Chen Lin, Kong Rong, and Xun Yu, these great people." Qin Feng had read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and played Three Kingdoms games. He knew that to achieve something in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, he needed the help of famous scholars. However, he also understood the principle that greed leads to indigestion, and it was better to make friends with these brilliant people one by one.

So, who should he start with? After some thought, Qin Feng decided to start with Xun Yu.

Xun Yu, whose courtesy name was Wenruo, was an outstanding politician of the Eastern Han Dynasty, with an intelligence of over 95, and was called "my Zifang" by Cao Cao. More importantly, after joining Cao Cao's camp, he recommended many great people to Cao Cao, such as Xun You, Zhong Yao, Chen Qun, and Guo Jia.

"Steward!" Qin Feng approached Cai Lin, who was giving instructions nearby, with a smile.

Cai Lin, seeing it was Qin Feng, did not dare to be negligent. In his view, Qin Feng was very talented and had gained the favor of the master. His future was boundless, so he spoke very politely. "Oh, it's you, Zijin. The master even asked me to find you."

"Steward Cai, I see there is a Mr. Xun Yu among the guests. Could you tell me which one he is?" Qin Feng asked politely.

"The Xun family of Yingchuan is a prominent family of the present. Xun Yu has been praised for his talent since he was young." Cai Lin explained briefly, then looked around the garden, smiled, and pointed. "That white-faced scholar over there is him."

Qin Feng looked over and saw a scholar in his twenties, with a refined appearance and elegant manners, talking animatedly with those around him. "Thank you!" Qin Feng thanked him and walked over.

How could he make an acquaintance without seeming abrupt? Qin Feng couldn't think of a good way for a moment.

To stand out, one had to make friends with great people, just like modern people had to muster the courage to apply for jobs at major companies. Qin Feng, who wanted to stand out in the Eastern Han Dynasty, could not miss any opportunity. Since he couldn't think of a better way, he decided to just go for it. He walked over and said, "Gentlemen, I am Qin Feng, Qin Zijin. I apologize for the intrusion."

There were two people talking with Xun Yu, both prominent scholars from Luoyang. Upon hearing this, the three of them sized up Qin Feng.

Qin Feng felt a bit awkward. What should he say? Have you eaten? Damn!

"Ah, could you be the Qin Feng, Qin Zijin, who is proficient in arithmetic at Mr. Cai's residence?" Xun Yu said in surprise.

"I dare not claim proficiency, but that is me." Qin Feng wiped a sweat, realizing that having a bit of fame was a good thing, as people knew him wherever he went.

Arithmetic was part of numerology, which was a major school of the I Ching, the first of the Six Classics. Being proficient in arithmetic was also a talent of the orthodox path. Especially after Cai Yong spread Qin Feng's Arabic numerals and multiplication table, everyone in Luoyang knew about him.

Xun Yu, knowing Qin Feng's talent, invited him, "Brother Zijin, please sit."

Qin Feng bowed slightly and sat down.

"This is Yang Shi from the Yang family of Jingzhao, and this is Zhang Beinian from the Zhang family of Zhang Xun." Xun You introduced them. (These are minor characters, don't worry about them.)

Qin Feng greeted each of them in turn.

All four were young men. After a few cups of wine, Yang Shi said, "Yesterday, my uncle told me that the current emperor once said, 'Attendant Zhang is my father, and Attendant Zhao is my mother.' Tsk tsk..." There was a hint of disdain in his words.

"Hmph, recently, Zhang Rang and others were all ennobled, enjoying great honor. If eunuchs can be ennobled, where does that leave us, the learned scholars?" Zhang Beinian took a sip of wine and said with a heavy tone.

In the sixth year of Guanghe (183 AD), the power of the eunuchs, led by Zhang Rang, reached its peak. The twelve eunuchs, including Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, were all ennobled and enjoyed great favor, known as the "Ten Attendants." Emperor Ling once said, "Attendant Zhang is my father, and Attendant Zhao is my mother." Thus, the Ten Attendants became even more arrogant, building grand mansions on a scale comparable to the imperial palace. They also appointed their relatives to high positions in the provinces and prefectures, where they abused their power, harming the people and acting with greed and cruelty.

Qin Feng, who had studied the Three Kingdoms script at the drama academy, also knew this piece of history. He said casually, "The chaos caused by eunuchs is more ferocious than tigers..."

Xun Yu, hearing this profound statement, was impressed.

"Brother Wenruo, what do you think about this?" Yang Shi asked. He knew that Xun Yu had been praised for his talent since he was young and really wanted to hear his opinion, even if it was just a superficial understanding to answer the questions of the elders at home.

"Brother Zijin, what do you think about this?" Xun Yu looked at Qin Feng with bright eyes.

What do I think? Naturally, the more chaotic, the better. As the saying goes, "fishing in troubled waters." However, Qin Feng couldn't say that. Seeing that Xun Yu was probing him, he decided to use his knowledge from over a thousand years later to attract the attention of these great people.

Qin Feng said, "The current emperor is deceived by eunuchs, favoring the small-minded and distancing the virtuous. Zhang Rang and others control the government, known as the Ten Attendants. They sell official positions, impose heavy taxes, and cause the people to suffer. I have heard that in recent years, the Taiping Dao has risen, and many poor people have joined this religion. The people's resentment is widespread, and if it continues, it will surely lead to chaos."

"Right, right, just like that. The people's resentment is widespread, and if it continues, it will surely lead to trouble. Brother Zijin's insight is profound, and it has enlightened me. Please drink this cup full!" Yang Shi hurriedly poured wine for Qin Feng, thinking to himself that he must remember these words. Tonight, when Uncle Yang Biao asks about major events, he won't be able to stump me, hehe...

Xun Yu was deep in thought. This Qin Feng was indeed extraordinary, with profound words that revealed the current state of the world.

Qin Feng had played the Three Kingdoms game several times. In the game, an army of ten thousand could hold off an NPC army of one hundred thousand because you had a famous general, while the other side had mediocre ones. Therefore, he knew the importance of talent. Not having territory was not a problem; as long as you had people, everything else would come in time.

Seeing Xun Yu deep in thought, he raised his cup and said, "Brother Wenruo, please!"

"Oh, please!" Xun Yu's view of Qin Feng had changed significantly from before. Initially, he had only seen Qin Feng as someone with special talents, but now he no longer looked down on him. "This person has great talent, not inferior to the famous scholars." Xun Yu thought to himself and decided to make friends with Qin Feng.

Qin Feng was more than happy to make friends with Xun Yu. The four of them drank and chatted, and Qin Feng talked about the geography and culture of the world from his future. Everyone was amazed. To ensure that Xun Yu and the others understood, he used some wine to draw a world map. Xun Yu and the others were stunned when they saw it.

"Brother Zijin, you say that the Roman Empire is a republic governed by a senate. Is there such a political system in the world?"

Yang Shi scratched his head and said, "Tsk tsk, Brother Zijin, tell me more about Egypt. It has a history of ten thousand years. Cough, and also about the queen, please!"

Xun Yu's mind was not on the queen. Seeing the world map on the table gradually fade away, he was shocked. It seemed that this Qin Feng, Qin Zijin, not only had talent but also had a broad vision, knowing about countries thousands of miles away and having a map of the world in his mind. "Brother Zijin, your talent is great, and I cannot compare."

"I am ashamed!" Qin Feng hurriedly said. He didn't expect that a world map would impress this great figure of the Three Kingdoms so much.

At this moment, a young man in the garden stood up and suggested, "Gentlemen, it is rare for Mr. Cai and others to gather. Why don't we recite poetry and compose verses to enhance the drinking mood? If Mr. Cai and the other seniors could comment on our works, it would be a wonderful story."

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