jdhmnovel Chapter 182 Li Si Persuades the Farmers
Chapter 182 Li Si Persuades the Farmers
Li Si left the Court of Justice and hurriedly boarded the waiting carriage, speeding towards Xu Xing's residence. It was the dead of winter, the wind howling and the cold biting, but even such harsh weather could not deter Xu Xing's pursuit of knowledge. When Li Si arrived, he found Xu Xing engrossed in studying the precious rice seeds that Fusu had transported from the Baiyue region.
It wasn't until Li Si stepped into the room that Xu Xing suddenly realized someone had come to visit. He abruptly looked up, his face full of surprise, and hurriedly asked, "Oh my! Commandant Li, what brings you here?"
Li Si nodded slightly and replied solemnly, "I am here on the orders of His Majesty to discuss important matters with you."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xing was taken aback at first, then quickly replied, "Oh, I see. Please wait a moment, Li Tingwei. My humble abode is quite messy."
As he spoke, he quickly began to tidy up. Li Si looked around and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. The entire room was filled with grain sacks of all sizes, as well as various bamboo slips and books scattered all over the floor, leaving almost no room to step.
Xu Xing busied himself for quite some time, finally clearing a relatively tidy space. Then, with a face full of apologies, he invited Li Si to sit down and rest. After they were both seated, Li Si couldn't help but ask curiously, "With your talent and status, why don't you hire a few maids and servants to help you with these trivial matters?"
Xu Xing waved his hand repeatedly and replied righteously, "Nowadays, all the people in the world are suffering and living in great hardship. How can I enjoy the service of others with a clear conscience? Besides, I am physically healthy and it is not difficult for me to do these chores myself. There is really no need to trouble others."
Upon hearing these words, Li Si inwardly groaned, feeling that Xu Xing was nothing short of a bookworm with alarmingly low emotional intelligence. Hadn't his remarks inadvertently criticized countless officials in the court? After all, which official hadn't ordered around servants? Thinking this, Li Si frowned, his dissatisfaction with Xu Xing growing.
Despite his dissatisfaction, Li Si remained outwardly polite and courteous, though he clearly knew the true purpose of his visit. He slowly began, "Mr. Xu, have you ever considered passing on your accumulated agricultural experience to others?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a look of doubt appeared on Xu Xing's face. He then asked in return, "Think about it, how could I not want to do something that benefits everyone?"
Upon hearing this, Li Si nodded slightly, pleased with himself, and then continued, "In that case, in my opinion, would Mr. Xu consider taking up a teaching position at the Agricultural College?"
At this moment, Xu Xing couldn't help but look confused, and asked in bewilderment, "Agricultural College? What kind of place is that? And what exactly does the so-called appointment mean?"
Faced with Xu Xing's barrage of questions, Li Si smiled faintly and patiently explained, "His Majesty intends to establish an academy dedicated to the study of various skills, encompassing fields such as carpentry, craftsmanship, agriculture, medicine, and economics. As for the agricultural section, you were the first person I thought of. After all, you are not only the leading figure in the agricultural school of thought today, but also an official of our Great Qin Dynasty. Therefore, who else but you is suitable for the position of Dean of the Agricultural Academy?"
After hearing Li Si's words, Xu Xing shook his head slightly and sighed, saying, "Alas, to be honest, Li Tingwei, I currently need to focus on research and exploration of issues related to grain, and I really don't have much free time for lecturing."
Li Si smiled and said, "Sir, you are mistaken. In your spare time, you can teach, and during the busy farming season, you can take your students to the fields and teach on the spot while working. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"
Xu Xing sighed and said, "Many theories and ideas need to be explored in depth, but if I devote myself to teaching, the time I can spend on such matters will be greatly reduced. My grand ambition is to ensure that no one in the world starves to death, but what use is a large number of disciples if there are no high-yield grains? Isn't this putting the cart before the horse and failing to distinguish between what is important and what is not?"
Li Si pondered for a moment, then said slowly, “What you say is absolutely right. In that case, you might as well select a suitable person from among the farmers to be in charge of teaching, and you can personally guide them when you have time. Such an arrangement may be the best of both worlds.”
Xu Xing pondered for a moment and replied, "In that case, it is indeed a feasible plan. As for when to start the course, I need to discuss it with the farmers first and see who is the most appropriate person to send."
Li Si smiled and nodded in agreement: "The academy is still under construction, and there is still plenty of time. As long as Mr. Xu agrees to this, everything else is negotiable."
Xu Xing said loudly, "Why not? I think this is a good deed. However, I am currently occupied with many busy matters. If Li Tingwei has nothing else to do, I'm afraid I can't continue to entertain him."
Upon hearing this, the implication that he was being asked to leave was obvious. Although Li Si was slightly displeased, he maintained a smile on his face and said gently, "In that case, I will not disturb you any longer and will take my leave now." With that, Li Si slowly turned and left, his figure gradually disappearing into the distance.
Li Si knew that Xu Xing was preoccupied with matters of food, and that he would surely assign someone else to handle teaching and educating students. Li Si was not surprised by this situation at all.
Unlike other schools of thought during the Warring States period, these schools often worried that outsiders would learn all their skills, leading to sayings like "Teach your apprentice, and you'll starve." Therefore, they mostly only taught superficial knowledge, retaining the core elements, and would never fully impart their knowledge except to their own sons. However, this made family traditions highly susceptible to interruption due to various unforeseen circumstances, and the relevant techniques were gradually lost.
However, farmers are different; they desperately want everyone in the world to use their farming methods to increase crop yields and improve people's livelihoods. Therefore, persuading farmers to participate in agricultural colleges is relatively easy.
When Li Si returned to the Court of Justice, a minor official reported: "Your Honor, the list of names that General Meng requested has been submitted. General Meng is currently reviewing it alone and has driven us all out."
Upon hearing this, Li Si nodded slightly to indicate that he understood, and said, "Very good. Now that this matter has been settled, you may leave for the time being. I, the Minister of Justice, have made my decision."
The clerk quickly replied, "Yes, sir!" and then jogged away. Li Si glanced in the direction of the Treasury, but quickly looked away, no longer paying too much attention to the matter, and instead focused on handling the many affairs within his own responsibilities.