Since arriving in Yecheng, Zhuge Dan had met this renowned clan elder brother of his several times.
But if one counted the occasions when they actually sat down to speak at length, this was still the first.
Tea leaves as small as gardenia petals tumbled continuously in the pot as the water boiled. As the color of the water gradually changed, a faint and elegant fragrance slowly rose and drifted throughout the room.
That same subtle fragrance reached Zhuge Dan's nose and reminded him of the occasions when he had seen his father receiving the village elders of Xingyang.
They would praise each other's prestigious lineage, boast of their reputations for integrity, speak of various hardships, and seek opportunities for connection.
Those exchanges, often mixed with yellow and white goods, were only made less vulgar by the elegant fragrance of genuine tea such as this.
Now his clan brother…
"Guoguo has already shown me your studies."
The words carried a gentle smile, yet the content instantly caused Zhuge Dan's heart to hang in suspense. Only when he heard the words "your performance is excellent and worthy of praise" did he finally let out a breath.
Yet even as he relaxed, the first feeling that surfaced was disbelief.
For during this past month he had felt his greatest progress had been in military studies. Even so, compared with Jiang Wei, he could not even hope to see the man's back.
As for mathematics and engineering, when speaking with those who could be called his clan niece and nephew, Zhuge Guo and Zhuge Qiao, he could understand every individual word they said, yet once those words were combined into a sentence he could understand none of it.
And even so this could still be called "excellent" and "worthy of praise"?
All these expressions were seen clearly by Zhuge Liang. The faint smile on his face gained a trace of helplessness.
During the two years when he moved from Yi Province into Guanzhong, the situation had not yet been stable, so his family had remained in the fortified city of Jiangling to avoid the hardships of constant travel.
Though his son and daughter were not at his side, he maintained regular correspondence with his wife. Thus he knew well of Guoguo's intelligence and of Qiao's particular talent in mathematics.
As for little Jiang Wei, there was even less to say. The teacher had taught with care, and the "Kirin of Tianshui" had studied diligently. Not only did he explore many fields like his teacher, he could also review a thousand years of warfare and produce new insights when commenting on the battles of recent years.
By such comparison, Zhuge Dan's feelings of inadequacy were quite understandable.
But there was no need to explain all this in detail.
Zhuge Liang lightly stirred the tea and poured two cups. Gently swirling the now clearer liquid, he picked up several sheets of densely written paper before him and spoke leisurely as he read.
"The Son of Heaven will soon move the court back to the capital. The establishment of the new Imperial Academy may be expected."
The implication was clear.
Zhuge Dan did not hesitate.
From standing out among the youths of Xingyang to realizing the vastness of the world in Yecheng. From debating confidently with young scholars to encountering peers who were dragons and phoenixes among men. Added to this were the endless remarks he had heard since following his teacher Lu Su, saying things such as "you are the younger brother of Strategist Zhuge."
All these things urged him not to sink into comfort.
Seeing this resolve, Zhuge Liang's smile deepened further.
With friends who shared the same ideals, and successors who would carry the path forward, what more could one ask?
The conversation was as refreshing as spring wind. The faint fragrance of tea and the bright praise gradually relaxed Zhuge Dan, and without realizing it he felt a greater closeness to this clan elder brother.
Once relaxed, the eloquence for which he had once been praised in Xingyang finally found some use.
Several small anecdotes about studying in his hometown were told in a lively fashion. He even imitated the storytelling performers of Yecheng and recited a dramatic segment titled "Lu Zijing Bombards Cao's Army at Hulao Pass."
Seeing even his clan brother laugh heartily, Zhuge Dan's confidence grew. At last he could not restrain his curiosity.
"Brother, the thing you were reading earlier… what is it?"
Naturally he meant the sheets in Zhuge Liang's hand.
From Zhuge Dan's perspective, the paper was of fine quality and the cover rather elegant. What truly prompted his question were the four simple characters written on the cover:
Taixue Circulating Copy.
Though he asked, he had already guessed the answer.
Since the Former Han dynasty, each commandery had maintained residences in the capital to convey imperial proclamations and news of the realm.
Those working there would copy imperial edicts, promotions and dismissals in court, and curious events. These were compiled into reports and sent back to the provinces, once known as "Palace Gate Copies" or "Camp Gate Copies."
This Taixue Circulating Copy was likely something similar.
Furthermore, he recalled hearing that Liu Bei had long recruited talented commoners in Jingzhou, and after entering Yi Province had established schools in Chengdu, Hanzhong, and Guanzhong.
Now several people such as Jiang Wei had come to the Yecheng academy to debate learning. Though some unpleasant incidents had occurred at first, over the past two months scholars throughout Hebei had spoken nothing but praise for Liu Bei.
Considering this, the existence of a scholarly bulletin was entirely natural.
Zhuge Liang smiled.
"You already know. Why ask a question whose answer you understand?"
Then he simply placed the papers into Zhuge Dan's hands.
"You should read it as well. Perhaps in the future you may publish an article within it."
Seeing his elder brother calmly enjoying his tea, Zhuge Dan carefully opened the pages.
The copy was not bound with thread. Instead it was cut into elegant long sheets and folded in a zigzag pattern. Beneath the title on the cover was a smaller line of characters.
Spring Copy, Jian'an Year Twenty.
"Spring copy?"
"It is not easy for academies in different places to correspond. Thus for now there will be four copies each year according to the seasons. At the end of the year the best selections from the four will be compiled into an annual copy."
Zhuge Dan nodded silently. The arrangement seemed entirely reasonable.
Yet as he continued turning the pages, he soon felt a familiar difficulty.
Simply put, there were only two parts he could read easily: the title of each article and the name of its author.
"Using Water to Separate Materials and Extract Oil: A Reform Outline for Hydraulic Workshops"
— Jiang Wan of Xiangxiang
"Memorial on Venting Air Below and Stabilizing Water: A New System for Grain Storage"
— Mi Zhu of Donghai
"What Is Money? The Thousand-Year Evolution from Shells to Metal, Grain, Cloth, and Paper"
— Liu Ba of Lingling
"Reading the Zhoubi Suanjing's Theory of Measuring the Heavens through 'A Thousand Li Per Day Off by an Inch'"
— Zhang Song of Chengdu
"A Preliminary Discussion on Engraving Seal and Clerical Script upon Metal and Clay for Printing"
— Fa Zheng of Fufeng
"The Three-Gear Engagement Method and Mathematical Comparison of Lubrication Gaps"
— Huang Yueying of Miannan
…
After a brief glance, many of the names were people he had heard mentioned in stories about Liu Bei.
Through these articles that were difficult even to read, Zhuge Dan understood clearly the gap between himself and the outstanding talents of the age.
Turning further pages, he suddenly widened his eyes.
"Key Points for Building Glass Greenhouses and Their Advantages"
— Longzhong, Zhuge Guo
"Using Mathematics to Standardize Craftsmanship: A Brief Explanation of Measurement Tools"
— Langya, Zhuge Qiao
"On Horse Administration"
— Tianshui, Jiang Wei
Compared with the earlier essays, the writings of his two clan relatives were very easy to understand and even included diagrams explaining how to build greenhouses and create new mathematical tools.
Jiang Wei's essay, however, was the most comprehensible of all to Zhuge Dan.
First, he had some familiarity with military matters. Second, Jiang Wei's language was straightforward.
Yet it was also the most shocking.
He had believed military strategy was mainly about improvisation on the battlefield. But the essay clearly explained the concept that victory belongs to the side with more temple calculations.
Only now did he glimpse how difficult horse breeding truly was.
Seeing the expression of a thirteen-year-old boy twisting into frustration, Zhuge Liang found it rather amusing.
But Zhuge Dan soon recovered and asked,
"Brother, if I enter the Imperial Academy, will the books Boyue studies also be available…?"
"You may read them all."
"Then that is excellent!"
Such a mentality was natural for young people, Zhuge Liang understood. They always liked to compare themselves with others, especially peers of the same age.
Reaching the end of the spring copy, Zhuge Dan noticed that the compiler had deliberately folded the pages so that four sheets opened together.
The first page contained a poem titled "Lamentation."
The simple opening lines seized his mind.
"The Han in its final years lost authority.
Dong Zhuo overturned the natural order."
Zhuge Dan had been born in the seventh year of Jian'an. By then Dong Zhuo had already been dead for ten years, yet the chaos of the age still seemed endless.
Since childhood people had told him what chaos meant, what the Han meant, what good governance meant, what peace meant.
But he had never truly understood.
Now the poem felt like slender hands reaching into blood and revealing twenty brutal years of history.
He knew only that in the twelfth month Cai Wenji had debated fiercely with Jiang Wei at the academy and preserved a final shred of Yecheng's reputation.
He had never imagined her life story was like this.
Fixing the name "Chenliu Cai Yan" firmly in his mind, he turned the page.
The next page displayed the Proclamation to Restore Han, written in magnificent style. Placed beside the poem, its meaning was clear: the age of chaos was ending.
Turning another page, he saw yet another work by Cai Yan:
"A Study of the Five Musical Tones through Mathematical Ratios."
On one side of the proclamation lay a poem of grief. On the other side, a new study of music theory.
On one side the suffering of chaos, on the other the joy of scholarship.
Zhuge Dan could not find words.
He turned to the final page.
There were no proclamations, no poems, no profound essays.
Only a single sentence.
"Gather the knowledge of all beneath heaven, bring forth the beauty of the world. When virtue shines and spreads beyond the realm, people return to righteousness. This is the achievement of great peace."
He sniffed quietly and gently touched the page.
"I also wish for such a thing…"
Zhuge Liang lightly patted his shoulder.
Some things required no words.
Then he spoke of another matter.
"Since you grew up in Xingyang beside the Yellow River, you must be familiar with it. Would you care to accompany me to observe the river?"
Zhuge Dan felt immediately tempted. What young man did not dream of seeing the vast world?
Still, to be safe he asked,
"Will there be only the river?"
"Not only the river."
"There will also be… an old friend from Langya in Jiangdong."