Chapter 2: Spreading Education Far and Wide

  Lu Dingnan woke up from his dream and suddenly found himself lying in his own room, but he couldn't remember how he got back. He pushed open the door and faced the bright sunlight in the small courtyard, looking at the flowers competing with each other in beauty, and his heart was filled with a burst of heroic spirit: I also want to compete with the heroes!

  He hastily washed and dressed, asked Wang Jinxi for instructions, and then slipped away to Lin Chong's mansion. He ran into Lin Chong, who was just taking out his Tang sword, and hurriedly grabbed him to ask: "Lin Chong, how is the matter of becoming a master?"

  Lin Chong let out a light sigh and said, "Learning martial arts is no problem, but wanting to become an apprentice like me might be difficult."

  Lu Dingnan let out a sigh when he saw Lin Chong, his heart skipping a beat as he thought the matter of becoming an apprentice was going to be blown off. But upon hearing that there was no problem with learning the art, he put his mind at ease again. He furrowed his brow and asked: "Isn't being able to learn the art the same as becoming an apprentice?"

  Lin Chong saw him and was puzzled, explaining: "Like an instructor in the army, he also teaches martial arts. But can he be a master?"

  Lu Dingnan was delighted, but had the opportunity to learn better martial arts. He was extremely excited in his heart and didn't consider what differences there would be. He said regretfully: "When can you teach people?"

  "This is still unknown for the time being. I am now preparing for this matter." Lin Chong had just received Lei Meng's notice to start work, and he couldn't determine when it would be done either.

  "Well, I'll just take a walk around then. You're busy, you're busy." Lu Dingnan said with little interest and walked away.

  Time passed quickly and another half month had gone by. Everything had settled down, Yang Tian withdrew from Huayue to Bairen, leaving behind over a thousand soldiers to guard the place.

  Yang Tian burst into the city master's mansion and shouted at Lei Meng who was sitting in contemplation, "I heard you're going to open a school to teach disciples?"

  "Yes, what's wrong?" Lei Meng raised his head and replied without thinking.

  "What are you teaching? Martial arts?" Yang Tian found a chair and sat down, then asked.

  Lei Meng glared at him and said, "Don't worry that I'll take your rice bowl, you also have a share in teaching." After a slight pause, he continued, "I'm also planning to build another pavilion to teach science and technology, just need to control the personnel well and keep sensitive content confidential."

  Yang Tian's eyes widened in shock. He stuttered: "Y-you... you want to change the world!"

  "What's wrong with that? At least we're living a bit more comfortably." Lei Meng said disdainfully, seeing Yang Tian's shocked expression.

  Yang Tian lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, then raised it to propose: "How about this? The commonly used scientific and technological knowledge in life should be popularized and promoted; the scientific and technological knowledge involving military affairs should be passed on to special warfare personnel first."

  "Hmm. The bear and the dog are similar in sight." Lei Meng chuckled. Letting special forces members learn military science and technology also made him feel more at ease, after all they had gone through thick and thin together.

  "Don't you want that princess?" Yang Tian brought up the marriage issue that had been circulating for almost a month again.

  Lei Meng lightly shook his head and said: "I'm not interested in a marriage of convenience. How about you go instead?"

  Yang Tian's heart skipped a beat, and he awkwardly said: "This, this isn't right, is it? She specifically mentioned marrying you." Then, with a look of disdain on his face, he said: "Something you don't want, why would I want it? Hmph!"

  Lei Meng shrugged his shoulders and said, "If we drag it out for a few more days, that Wang Jinxi will not be able to take it. Why don't you go see if that Princess is pretty or not?"

  These royal people are mostly quite good-looking, after all, their bloodlines have been selected. Yang Tian was slightly moved by what he heard, but he didn't dare admit it out loud, fearing that Lei Meng would look down on him. He stiffened his mouth and said: "Cut it out, that princess has nothing to do with me. I'm leaving, call me if you need anything." After finishing speaking, he quickly ran out.

  Lei Meng shook his head, in the two years of managing and planning the three cities west of the river, his temperament had matured a lot, so did Yang Tian. But Yang Tian only paid attention to the management of the army, he didn't care about anything else. The road was still very long!

  Two days later, Lei Meng used the paper to post announcements in Baihe City, Baishan City, Hexi and Huangyue City: Baihe City is free to recruit martial arts apprentices, food and accommodation are self-care! Only one thousand people are recruited! Recruitment will stop when full!

  As soon as this announcement came out, it caused a sensation in the four cities. Because under that natural environment, ordinary people's strength was still very weak, not to mention war, even diseases could make most people not live to their full age; while practicing martial arts, undoubtedly the best prescription.

  However, thinking is one thing and doing is another. After two years of governance by Lei Meng, many common people have lived a warm and full life, but not to the point where they can stop working.

  And this kind of apprenticeship teaching just meets such needs, when you want to learn, you can come and learn, when you need to work, you can go home, very free.

  As a result, many people flocked to the White River, and for a time the city was overcrowded. Lu Dingnan received news that he would stay in this place to learn martial arts, and Wang Jinxin repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay but couldn't keep him, after all his subordinates didn't lack such a second-rate master.

  Letting go of Lu Dingnan, Wang Jinxi, who was searching for novelty everywhere, also discovered a new continent. That is to say, the material used for this list is a kind of thing that has never been seen before, called "paper"! This seems to be very convenient. Sensitive he, squeezed open the crowd, leaned forward to carefully distinguish, only saw the white paper surface with dense and fine dots, thin layer, can't see what it's made of.

  He thought for a moment, then pushed through the crowd and headed towards the city master's mansion, wanting to get a clear understanding.

  As soon as Wang Jinxi entered the door, Lei Meng got up and wanted to escape. Wang Jinxi was in a hurry and shouted: "It's not about marriage, it's not about marriage! General Lei, please wait!"

  Lei Meng, who had stood up to leave, sat back down slowly, his eyes darting around, but still unable to think of why he had come. He asked, "I don't know what brings the king here?"

  Wang Jinxi saw Leimeng sit down, slightly relieved, found a nearby chair and sat down, slowly asking: "Forgive Ben Wang for being abrupt, I don't know if General Lei can tell Ben Wang where the paper posted on the street came from?"

  "Oh? The prince is interested in that paper?" Lei Meng was slightly surprised by Wang Jinxi's sensitivity.

  "To be honest, I have been searching for a substitute for wooden slips and silk fabric to write on, but so far, I haven't found any. However, today I discovered that paper on the street, and I think it's what I've been looking for. That's why I came to ask you. Can General Lei tell me about it?" King Jinxi slowly explained the situation.

  Lei Meng nodded. He appreciated people with insight like this, but as an opponent, he wasn't too willing to let the other side get it easily and had to make them pay a price for it.

  He furrowed his brow and said: "This is our secret, I'm afraid..."

  "What do you want, just speak out! As long as it's not too excessive, I can grant it immediately!" Knowing the elegant meaning from the sound of the zither, Wang Jinxi couldn't help but know that Lei Meng was asking for a price, so he very readily agreed to propose conditions.

  "Haha, doing business with smart people is easy, just say it and they understand." Leiming burst out laughing. Not feeling ashamed at all, he said loudly, "I don't want much, just the Black Chicken's past border town and nearby villages."

  "Good! No problem, although it's a bit out of the way. But it's also a place with exceptional people and spiritual energy. It's not a bad piece of land at all." King Jinxi heard the thunderous sound of only that one point being mentioned. He was overjoyed in his heart and readily agreed, then asked, "And, what about the method for making paper?..."

  "Hehe, no rush, no rush. Let's first finish the first thing and hand over that land before talking." Leiming was also delighted by Wang Jinxin's straightforwardness, it seemed like the transaction was a win-win situation.

  Seeing Wang Jinxi frowning, Lei Ming laughed and said: "Is the king worried that I will go back on my word? ... Hehe, as long as I am willing to send troops there for a trip, I believe Jin Yuan will give up even more land."

  Wang Jinxi's heart skipped a beat as he recalled Lei Mengjun's ferocity, and also the purpose of this trip to form an alliance. He couldn't help but feel his legs weaken, and with a forced smile on his face, he said: "General Lei is joking, that tiny piece of land, how could I not agree? I'll go take care of it right away!" After finishing speaking, he hastily retreated under Lei Mengjun's seemingly smiling yet not quite smiling gaze.

  The next day, Wang Jinxi came to visit Lei Meng after breakfast and handed over the land transfer contract. Lei Meng didn't say a word and also handed over the principle and process flow chart of papermaking.

  Looking at Wang Jinxi holding the map in a daze, Lei Ming laughed and said: "King Wang, looking at this map is not something that you, King Wang, can do. It's better to call a craftsman to try it out carefully."

  Wang Jinxi was worried, but he didn't dare to mention it. After all, the other person had a bigger fist and they had exchanged things on an "equal" basis, so arguing would be pointless. So, he didn't dare to linger and entangle with Qin, and hastily led his troops, as well as his own daughter, back to Jin Yuan.

  Yang Erwu and Yang Fu from Yangjiacun were overjoyed to learn about it, and kept asking Lei Meng to go back and take a look.

  He despised it in his heart, and he just came out for a while, thinking of going back. He was really a home-loving chicken. But he didn't dare say that on his mouth, so he just shrugged and asked them to find Yang Tian's people to escort him.

  Wang Ding's attempt to make peace with Wang Jinxi failed again, and he was struck by another thunderbolt. However, after learning about a new paper-making technique, he also developed a longing for paper, especially when he saw the real paper-making blueprint in his hands!

  Two months later, Jin Yuan successfully made paper according to the draft, and since then he has entered the era of recording with paper.

  At the martial arts hall, Lei Meng occasionally shows up to teach some martial skills. The rest of the time, Yang Tian sends out elite soldiers to teach combat techniques, mainly some basic skills such as internal energy and exerting strength, and tactics for killing enemies on the battlefield. There are no highly advanced martial skills being taught, because those require innate talent and perseverance, which ordinary people can't learn.

  Lu Dingnan was depressed for a long time and asked Lin Chong for advice. Lin Chong pulled him to a secluded corner and reminded him in a low voice: "All your actions are now under surveillance, if there is any mistake, the worst case scenario is that you will lose your life, and the lightest consequence is that you will not be taken seriously."

  "What's good about it?" Lu Dingnan asked with a sorrowful face.

  "Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors." Lin Chong dropped his book bag and chain, and hastily changed to another sentence, "Sincerity can move mountains and rivers!" After finishing speaking, he felt good about himself, narrowed his eyes, shook his head, and had a completely intoxicated look.

  Lu Dingnan listened and his eyes gradually became determined, nodding heavily.

  After Leiming built the martial arts hall, he saw that it was effective and then discussed with Huang Chu to build a hall to teach agriculture; he found Yang Tian to transfer 100 special warfare team members with higher intelligence to study military science and technology.

  Under the promotion of paper and carbon pen, knowledge was quickly learned by curious people. It is often seen that in tea houses or on street sides, there are three to five people gathered together discussing what they have learned about knowledge and theories. Or there are pragmatists holding crude prisms under sunlight, separating seven-colored light, spitting water mist, and producing fleeting rainbows... These enthusiastic knowledge lovers became the solid foundation for later construction.