Chapter 1186: The Existence That Brings Pain

That night, Chen Xi hastily finished preparing the raffle box. It wasn’t very big, only about a foot square. He also had the craftsmen rush to make over a hundred hollow, sealed wooden balls. Speaking of which, the woodworking skills of this era were truly remarkable.

After painting the balls in various colors, Chen Xi placed simplified prize descriptions inside them. The raffle would be conducted fairly—what fun would it be otherwise if there were no fairness?

"Master, there are too many balls. They don’t all fit," Chen Yun awkwardly reported. "Though they can technically all fit inside the box, it would be difficult to grab them, and Master, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to give out red envelopes this way during the New Year?"

"Have the craftsmen remake it immediately. Give them 3,000 coins to get it done," Chen Xi ordered without hesitation. "As for whether it’s appropriate, it’s the New Year; it’s all about having fun."

"But Master, some of the items you put in are too valuable," Chen Yun commented after sending someone to fetch the craftsmen to remake the box. She turned back to Chen Xi, feeling uneasy about some of the contents.

"Are you referring to those specific ones?" Chen Xi didn’t even look up as he responded. He wasn’t the type to prohibit servants from asking questions. Since Chen Yun was involved in the process, she had a right to know.

"Yes," Chen Yun replied, her gaze fixed on five of the already sealed balls. She had seen them while refilling Chen Xi’s tea. Although the labels were brief, as Chen Xi’s personal maid responsible for organizing his documents, she could easily recognize the meaning behind the labels.

"It’s pointless if our family wins them all," Chen Xi said, rolling his eyes. "Do you want to take one for yourself?"

Chen Yun shook her head, refusing. She was just offering her suggestion.

"Then there’s nothing more to be done," Chen Xi smiled. The special raffle box had been designed with the perfect balance, ensuring that those who wanted to win could draw something meaningful.

The next morning, Chen Xi opened the doors to welcome guests. Before long, a large crowd had gathered in the main hall and the courtyard. Chen Xi couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed Lu Xun’s dark circles and slightly swollen face.

"Disciple greets Master. I wish you health and happiness for the New Year," Lu Xun greeted with a deep bow, different from the usual. It was, after all, a special occasion, and Chen Xi cheerfully helped him to his feet.

"Here, take half of your red envelope first," Chen Xi said with a grin, handing Lu Xun a neatly wrapped book titled Fundamentals of Management.

The content had been compiled by Chen Xi himself, based on his own understanding and various books he had read. He even had Cai Yan refine the text, removing any unnecessary verbiage, leaving only a concise volume of a few dozen pages. After Cai Yan’s revisions, the book had essentially reached the level of the foundational works of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

Chen Xi couldn’t help but wonder if Cai Yan had somehow "evolved" from reading so many books. After all, she had likely read through everything from both the classics and the more controversial works. By now, she must have gone through every text in the Tai Shan library.

After all, the library in Tai Shan had been organized and streamlined by Cai Yan herself. It was much easier to read now compared to when Chen Xi first wrote it. While the core ideas hadn’t changed, they had been blended with the wisdom of ancient sages.

Chen Xi had only realized this later while flipping through the revised versions. With these added annotations from the ancient sages, even the most unconventional ideas expressed in the text gained clearer context and understanding.

By this point, "Old Man Against Time," the pen name under which Chen Xi had written, was already considered a heavyweight figure. Thanks to Cai Yan’s refinements, the writings boldly challenged the philosophies of the Hundred Schools of Thought. However, most readers refrained from judging the author too harshly, focusing on the insights within the text.

As some scholars put it, "This person clearly belongs to the ranks of ancient sages and is someone capable of founding a new school of thought. In this era, it’s best not to evaluate him personally. Just read his writings and understand his philosophy."

Because of Cai Yan’s constant revisions of Chen Xi’s works, he began to regard her with a peculiar sense of awe. For someone to edit so comprehensively while preserving the original philosophy, it meant that Cai Yan had truly mastered the material.

Though Chen Xi had always thought of Cai Yan as an extraordinary reader, seeing her work now made him realize just how extraordinary. He remembered how, on one occasion, after mentioning a quote from an ancient book, Cai Yan had given him a look that practically screamed, "You’re lying; there’s no such book."

It boggled Chen Xi’s mind to think that someone had read through the entire collection of 300,000 volumes from the Han dynasty's Eastern Palace library—and remembered it all. What’s more, Cai Yan was barely over twenty years old. Her very existence was like a direct attack on everyone else.

At this rate, with her lifestyle of constantly reading ancient texts and without the hardships of life to distract her, Chen Xi figured that in another twenty years, Cai Yan would likely be able to recite the entire Eastern Palace library from memory. She was, after all, practically a walking library.

"This woman must have been born with her comprehension and memory skills maxed out," Chen Xi thought to himself with a hint of resentment.

Cai Yan, barely in her twenties, had once visited Zheng Xuan in Tai Shan. After a day-long conversation, Zheng Xuan had lamented, "The young are truly formidable."

From then on, Cai Yan had been widely regarded as a great scholar, with a reputation that almost rivaled that of the esteemed Confucian scholars. She was barely in her early twenties, yet had already earned the admiration of the intellectual elite.

Because of her frequent revisions of Chen Xi’s works, he had come to realize just how terrifying the ancient sages of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods had been. The foundation of Chinese civilization during those times wasn’t just an empty claim. The ideas he had written down—those sages had already discussed them, differing only in depth.

"Study hard. If you don’t understand something, feel free to ask Cai Zhaoji or Jia Wenhe," Chen Xi said with a smile, patting Lu Xun on the shoulder as the young man eagerly began flipping through the book.

"Lord Chen, what brings you to me?" Cai Yan’s gentle and refined voice rang out from behind, instantly quieting the courtyard. Half of the women present were Cai Yan’s students, and her scholarly demeanor, combined with her beauty, commanded a reverent silence from the crowd.

"I’m worried that he won’t understand. You’re familiar with this material and have plenty of free time," Chen Xi said, raising Lu Xun’s hand. Lu Xun stood frozen in awe; Cai Yan’s presence was so powerful that even children preferred her company over that of her own sister, Cai Zhenji.

"Management studies?" Cai Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, then nodded. It was true—out of everyone, she was likely the most suited to explaining the subject matter in a clear and concise manner. "If you don’t understand something, feel free to ask me, Bo Yan."

"Thank you, Teacher," Lu Xun hurriedly bowed. Cai Yan held a very special position in Liu Bei’s court. Initially seen as a mere ornament, her reputation had grown exponentially over time, and her vast knowledge now left many in awe.

After Lu Xun finished his bow, silence fell over the courtyard. Cai Yan briefly nodded to everyone before following a servant girl to the back garden. With her presence, most people in the front courtyard found it difficult to carry on a conversation.

Regardless of whether one was male or female, being able to remain composed and confident in front of someone as brilliant and elegant as Cai Yan was no small feat. Intelligence and beauty—these were virtues worth pursuing.

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