Chapter 91: A Talk on Building a Strong Nation Through a Strong Army

After the meal, everyone was pleasantly replete.

In the main hall, Chu Xiaoyu brewed a pot of tea and then personally poured a cup for each of them.

His own hand at such a thing left them all both flattered and startled; they thanked him again and again.

To each of them, Chu Xiaoyu was someone to be revered almost as a being beyond the mortal world.

And now this exalted presence had personally poured them tea? They could only be moved to heartfelt gratitude.

Zhou Wang took a delighted sip and fell into a trance, as though utterly lost in the tea's fresh fragrance.

Watching him make such a fuss over it, one could not help but think of that pitiable scholar from old fiction who clung to the comforts of a hard-won life.

"Ah, sir, this tea is richly mellow and intensely fragrant. Its flavor is superb. I have taken a great liking to it at once."

As he spoke, Zhou Wang kept glancing slyly at the tea leaves on the table, clearly wishing he could claim them for himself.

Being bled dry by such a band of old relics? Chu Xiaoyu could only admit he was already numb to it, accustomed to it beyond surprise.

Leaving aside the rest, there was that monkey.

Every time the Monkey King came, before he had been gifted the Universe Sack, he would always leave with the pockets of his loose robe stuffed to the brim.

If there was no more room, he would carry the rest in his hands.

And after receiving the Universe Sack, the Monkey King's depredations only grew more brazen; he practically wished to pack away everything in the entire estate.

It had to be said that when the Monkey King took advantage of Chu Xiaoyu, the so-called Supreme Immortal, he was never the least bit polite.

Now, with the opening of another immortal gate in the realm of the gods, Zhou Wang and this collection of Shang relics from thousands of years in the future were not quite as domineering as the monkey, but in essence they were much the same.

Anything on the farm that could be seen by them seemed to become a target for being bundled up and taken home.

As the farm's master, Chu Xiaoyu could only turn a blind eye to their habit of freeloading.

Cast the line long, and one day the returns would be considerable.

"Since you like the tea so much, feel free to take some with you," Chu Xiaoyu said with a smile. Seeing that Zhou Wang seemed eager to ask but too embarrassed to do so, he simply said it plainly.

Zhou Wang's face lit up with pleasure, though he still had to feign courtesy. "In that case, I thank you for your generosity, sir."

Hmph.

Getting the better of him and still acting modest.

"Tell me, then. How are things on your side lately?"

Chu Xiaoyu was very interested in the results of the two initial projects: land reform and universal education. How effective had the reforms been? How was the trial run among the common people going?

He wanted to know all of it.

At the mention of this, Zhou Wang became delighted. "Ah, we must first thank you for your guidance and instruction. The initial results have been excellent. The land reforms have been a great success, and as for universal education, the effects so far are most encouraging."

"And how should that be understood?" Chu Xiaoyu wanted more detail.

Zhou Wang immediately turned to Bi Gan. "Uncle, you are in charge of educational reform. Why don't you tell the gentleman about it?"

Bi Gan nodded. "Sir, it is like this. Following the ideas you gave us, we established schools in every village, settlement, and so on. Although the beginning was exceedingly difficult, after our tireless efforts, there are now more than a thousand village primary schools throughout all of Shang, not even counting the larger schools in the capital."

"Ah... over a thousand schools? Not bad at all."

Chu Xiaoyu pondered for a moment, then continued, "But with so many schools built all at once, you must be short of teachers, talent, and teaching materials, yes?"

Bi Gan's expression grew grave. "Yes, as you said, we are indeed short in those areas. Sir, do you have any good suggestions for this?"

Chu Xiaoyu shook his head. "In that respect, it is currently Shang's weak point. But when it comes to cultivating talent, education must begin with the young. If you wish to develop into a great nation, I am afraid I cannot help you with this predicament. You will have to solve it from within."

The strange immortal gate opened only to a very special kind of fate, and only those with such fate could pass through it.

Even as the farm's master, Chu Xiaoyu himself could not normally pass through that bizarre and uncanny immortal gate.

If one wished to send talent across from this side, that was nothing more than a fantasy.

"Your words are true, sir. We cannot solve every difficulty by running to you. The many ministers in my court will certainly find a way."

Zhou Wang very much agreed. "However, sir, I do have a few questions I do not quite understand."

Chu Xiaoyu lifted his teacup, took a sip, and then asked, "Which questions do you not understand? Go ahead."

"If Shang is able to achieve nationwide education in the next few years, what should I do after that?"

Before Chu Xiaoyu could answer, Su Hu blurted out, "I know this. Whether a country is strong depends above all on its army and how capable it is in battle. Heh heh, sir, I wonder if I'm right?"

Chu Xiaoyu nodded. "Correct. Whether a nation is strong or not depends most of all on the strength of its military. If a country possesses wealth enough to rival an empire, but its army is only at the level of green recruits, then in the end it will merely become cannon fodder."

"Whether a nation can truly rise depends on more than education and wealth. What sustains the rise and fall of a country is first and foremost an indomitable army. That is the very foundation on which a nation stands."

"In that case, sir, if that is so, how should a nation's army be managed?" Zhou Wang asked impatiently.

Chu Xiaoyu thought for a moment, his face reflective. At last he said, "This question must begin with national education as well. If you want to cultivate a force of soldiers who are obedient and loyal to the state, then education must start when they are still children."

"Um... sir, when you say education must begin with the young, that is a little too broad. Could you explain it in detail?"

Su Hu was a rough man, spending most of his days in the army camp. For terms that were a little obscure, he found them hard to grasp.

Chu Xiaoyu reorganized his words. "What I mean is simple: teach children knowledge from an early age. For example, let them learn to love their country, to care for its people, and to remember at all times that they are the future successors of that nation."

"Instill in them from childhood the idea that to love and defend the country is an honor, while betrayal is a disgrace. Only when the state is peaceful and stable can the people live in peace."

"One can also suitably add some outdoor activities to the curriculum, such as holding summer camps and the like... thereby strengthening each student's sense of unity..."

"When they reach the ages of eighteen to twenty, they must fulfill the state's military service requirements, and regard that as an honor."

"Within that, one may also conduct exercises... to put it simply, one side pretends to be the enemy, and then both sides engage in a large-scale mock battle..."