Mythical Three Kingdoms

"However, to maintain stability, the price must still be a bit high. After all, the technology is worth this price," Chen Xi explained somewhat awkwardly, perhaps also feeling a bit embarrassed.

It’s unclear whether it was due to the heavy blow Cao Cao received this time, but he deeply engraved Chen Xi’s words into his mind.

"Moreover, even if these luxuries like white porcelain and glass mirrors are priced higher, they won’t affect the common people’s lives," Chen Xi had indeed considered this, despite the awkwardly large price difference.

"But paper and roads have a very significant impact on people’s lives, possibly even transformative. Due to traffic issues, many people never leave their hometowns in their lifetime, and as for paper, even I know it could topple the aristocratic families you represent," Cao Cao suddenly looked at Chen Xi with a somber expression.

"Indeed, with Myriad Books representing knowledge and countless roads representing experience, they can indeed destabilize the aristocracy I represent to a certain extent," Chen Xi admitted with a nod after being momentarily speechless at Cao Cao’s statement.

"Then the cost of paper must be similar to those other things?" Cao Cao said, staring into Chen Xi’s clear eyes, which showed no evasiveness.

"Yes, it can be relatively higher, considering the quality of paper I produce is very high from the start," Chen Xi said after a brief pause. "Of course, if we were to lower the price, bringing it down to one cent per sheet wouldn’t actually be a problem."

"Then why not promote education? Didn’t Grand Commandant Liu promise to enlighten all people of the world at the altar of Mount Tai?" Cao Cao asked, staring at Chen Xi.

Cao Cao, not yet corrupted by time or power, still held idealistic thoughts and had not yet succumbed to reality. Thus, he could ask such questions and had the right to do so because if Cao Cao were capable, he would choose to do the same.

"Because it’s useless," Chen Xi shook his head and said. "If we can’t solve the problem of feeding people, lowering the price of paper makes no sense; it would only benefit the aristocracy that you mentioned, which I represent."

"If the people can’t free up one percent of the workforce while supporting us, then throwing in these papers only benefits the aristocratic families, as they can afford it with their complete education systems," Chen Xi said, looking at Cao Cao.

"What is the first thing the Cao Family does after stabilizing its rise and fall?" Chen Xi asked Cao Cao calmly.

Cao Cao recalled his father and grandfather’s generation, silently nodding. After escaping poverty, the family began educating the younger generations.

"For us, it’s a simple matter, but for the vast majority of common folk, it’s impossible—whether it’s finding a teacher, supporting students, or finding suitable textbooks—all of these tasks are challenging," Chen Xi said with a sigh.

"Take the current situation, for example. People like Wen Ruo say that Cai Gen Tan shouldn’t be a Mengxue textbook, but I can guarantee someone in the Xun Family would have gone through its philosophical content with their descendants step by step," Chen Xi said, looking at Cao Cao. "Do you think ordinary people can understand it?"

Cao Cao’s expression darkened, but he wasn’t the type to argue aimlessly. "They can’t. To explain such a book to a ten-year-old student requires the student to be bright and the teacher’s standards to be very high."

"As it stands, there are only seven or eight individuals capable of teaching such a book to an exceptionally gifted child. How many students do you think these seven or eight people could take on?" Chen Xi asked rhetorically.

"Their close friends’ and relatives’ children, their family members’ children—how could ordinary people meet teachers of this caliber?" Chen Xi gestured open-handedly toward Cao Cao. "That’s why, with educational resources controlled by aristocrats, opening it up only further suppresses the common folk."

"Of course, I admit this is only temporary, but do you know how long, based on my estimates, this temporary period might last?" Chen Xi asked Cao Cao.

"How long?" Cao Cao asked with a troubled expression.

"Two hundred years. It would take two hundred years, and that’s under stable and forward-moving conditions. If some more heaven-defying figures emerge from the aristocracy, the time needed for the rise of the Humble Families would be even greater. So, it’s not that I don’t want to act; it’s that I can’t," Chen Xi said with a bitter smile.

Under the current circumstances, Chen Xi admittedly has no way to cultivate talent; his available teaching resources limit him, and ordinary people can’t afford to support an idler scholar. Given the current situation, the cost of education is still too high.

The aristocratic families do have many scholars, but even if they are not outright shirking responsibilities, the extent of their efforts is questionable, and they can’t even be called masters according to the standards of this era. It would be surprising if they genuinely taught well.

Faced with this situation, Chen Xi indeed has no particularly great solution. Assessing a teacher’s diligence isn’t easy, even during evaluations. Of course, most have at least taught the commonly used characters and the Book of Virtue, which Chen Xi required.

As for other things, Chen Xi truly has no way to enforce. The prevailing practice of this era is such that, without suitable students, a mentor would rather take their knowledge to the grave. How many among these students—whose families have been disconnected from books for generations—meet such teachers’ standards?

While teachers are in short supply, lowering paper prices would only benefit the aristocrats, leading Chen Xi to maintain high prices to at least glean some pocket money from various aristocratic families.

After all, unlike current luxuries such as white porcelain and glass mirrors, over which aristocrats hesitate, paper and books are considered legitimate expenses by most aristocrats, who don’t mind spending more or less on them.

Thus, in swindling for money, both Chen Xi and the aristocratic families willingly play along. The fact that Zhong Yao’s annual expenditure on purchasing paper exceeds his yearly stipend highlights how popular the transaction is for both sides.

Although other aristocratic families don’t match Zhong Yao’s extravagance, they still annually make regular purchases, which Chen Xi uses to reclaim the copper coins hoarded by the aristocracies.

In summary, as far as Chen Xi is concerned, this is a case of the foolish and wealthy readily parting with their money, while the aristocrats deem it a rightful investment in knowledge.