Three Kingdoms: My Strategy Simulator.

If Li Ji were to make an analogy, these scholars were generally like a group of college students.

Therefore, they might not be very clear about the situation, but they would speak out and run around for what they considered injustice, and they would not think that the common people's death was insignificant.

Unlike the officials in the court, there were few who spoke out for the people.

Seeing that the group of scholars was completely overwhelmed and utterly bewildered by the condemnation of the surrounding refugees, Li Ji raised his hand to signal.

Immediately, the county soldiers maintaining order stepped forward to separate the refugees from the scholars, and then said to Jian Yong.

"Xianhe, it's going to be troublesome for you to appease the people."

"Easy to say."

Jian Yong responded, looking at the scholars who still seemed to be questioning their lives, but he understood Li Ji's meaning.

No matter how much he explained, these scholars would probably be skeptical and it would seem pale and weak.

On the contrary, the refugees themselves could easily shatter the psychological defenses of these scholars and maintain the lord's reputation.

However, compared to Jian Yong's thoughts, Jia Xu, who was more deeply aware of people's hearts, narrowed his eyes, realizing that this scene might have been deliberately arranged by Li Ji.

He deliberately brought these scholars into the refugee camp, and even the scholar who first questioned and scolded among the scholars might have been arranged by Li Ji himself.

The purpose was not only to raise Liu Bei's voice but also to create the first group of scholars who were completely loyal to and admired Liu Bei.

And these scholars, after joining the "Benevolence Academy", would also become role models, influencing future students generation after generation.

'Of course, I'm afraid Li Zikun also wants to use these scholars as free labor, and is afraid that they won't be attentive, so he first gives them a little psychological shock?'

Jia Xu pondered secretly, feeling that this multi-pronged approach was truly typical of Li Zikun's style.

After Li Ji and the county soldiers separated the refugees, and Jian Yong personally appeased them, Li Ji walked up to the scholars who were already somewhat questioning their lives and slowly opened his mouth.

"Everyone, first of all, you may have misunderstood one point, that is, the imperial court has not provided disaster relief!"

"Every grain of rice in the thin porridge of sand and stones that you despise comes from the granary of Wu County, and these refugees all come from the north, not the people of Wu County."

"And for every grain of rice, the lord could have left them in the granary to continue staying there, or like many corrupt officials, used the grain for their own enjoyment."

Hearing this, many scholars lowered their heads in shame, many scholars' pupils trembled, and many scholars even shed tears secretly.

For a time, in the hearts of these scholars, they felt that Liu Bei's originally benevolent image was infinitely elevated.

Words can deceive people, but the reactions of the people confirmed everything.

Lord Liu's benevolence was truly put into practice for the people.

Li Ji continued to speak.

"Perhaps, everyone's background is quite extraordinary, and you naturally look down on this thin porridge that can save the lives of the refugees, but this is already the best thing that the lord can offer."

"Including this seemingly chaotic refugee camp, it was also built by the lord at the expense of dispatching a large number of people to build some shelters for the refugees…"

"Because why are they refugees? It is because they have nowhere to live in their hometowns and have to wander around, in order to find a place to settle down and live."

"Although this place is simple and crude, it is already a rare place to live, and it is not that the lord is unwilling to give these people more land, but that the lord is only a county governor, and his strength is insufficient."

Speaking of this, Li Ji laughed self-deprecatingly, and then said.

"And you want to meet the lord, but it is also impossible. Because Wu County lacks money and food, and seeing the people starving and suffering from the cold, the lord has personally gone to Xu Province to borrow food from various counties."

That laughter, that light sentence, was like a muffled hammer gently hitting the hearts of the scholars.

What is shocking is not that a billionaire donates one million, but that a millionaire donates everything and uses all his connections to raise donations.

Suddenly, the scholars present all reacted.

Liu Bei… is just a county governor!

Even the imperial court has not provided disaster relief, but it is demanding that a mere county governor provide disaster relief?

Suddenly, a scholar walked out from the crowd, bowed deeply to Li Ji, and said.

"Lord Liu and Mr. Zikun once said that they wanted to 'govern the world with one county'. At first, I thought it was ridiculous; after hearing it again, I was deeply shocked; now, as I see it, Lord Liu and Mr. Zikun are trying to save the world with one county. What they say and do can be called one."

"The latecomer from Xiangyang, Ma Huan, is convinced! I am willing to follow the lord and be at his disposal to practice the way of benevolence!"

Immediately, many scholars felt their hearts surging and difficult to calm, and they felt that Liu Bei was truly a rare benevolent clan member in hundreds of years of the Han Dynasty, and the admiration and longing in their hearts were difficult to extricate themselves.

After seeing Ma Huan's behavior, one scholar after another bowed to Li Ji and said in unison.

"I am willing to follow the lord and be at his disposal to practice the way of benevolence!"

"I am willing to follow the lord and be at his disposal to practice the way of benevolence!"

Seeing this, Li Ji hurriedly stepped forward to help the scholars, and said, seemingly quite gratified. "If the lord knew about this, he would definitely sigh, 'My path is not lonely, the path of benevolence is not lonely either'."

"Today, I will send you a sentence to encourage you to not forget this ambition and forge ahead."

Immediately, Li Ji ordered someone to bring pen and ink, and found a long piece of white cloth, and then wrote on it.

[Establish a heart for the world, establish a life for the people, inherit the unique knowledge for the past sages, and open peace for all generations]

As Li Ji finished writing, the surrounding scholars felt a surge of numbness rushing to their brains as they read this sentence.

Perhaps, in Li Ji's view, the "Four Sentences of Hengqu" were already too commonplace in later generations.

However, it is undeniable that the "Four Sentences of Hengqu" are concise and broad, almost perfectly summarizing the spiritual identity that Confucianism should have, and further sublimating the realm that Confucianism should pursue throughout its life.

The impact it brought was not only that the scholars present could not control themselves, but even Jia Xu's expression fluctuated violently, and his breathing became a little heavier.

It was not until a moment later that Jia Xu seemed to calm down, but his eyes were still agitated as he whispered.

"Zikun, you really wrote something amazing!"

"How is it? Seeing these words, Wenhe, do you have the urge to risk your life to do this?" Li Ji asked with a smile.

This time, Jia Xu pondered for a long time, staring at the "Four Sentences of Hengqu" and observing them constantly, before leisurely saying.

"Yes."

Hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but turn his head to look at Jia Xu in surprise.

"Zikun, what kind of look is that? I once had ambitions in my heart, but…"

Speaking of this, Jia Xu paused, and then continued to remain silent.

However, just from Jia Xu's reaction, Li Ji knew how huge the lethality of this sentence was for the scholars.

"Wenhe, I plan to use this sentence as the academy motto of the 'Benevolence Academy'."

"This move is good for the Benevolence Academy; it is also good for the lord; and it is also great good for the world." Jia Xu expressed his attitude.

Afterwards, Li Ji arranged an area in the refugee camp for these scholars as temporary residences, and the environment was naturally extremely poor.

However, after experiencing a brainwashing session, coupled with Li Ji inserting the white cloth with the "Four Sentences of Hengqu" written on it into that area.

Those scholars, who mostly had quite good family backgrounds in the past, not only did not dislike the dirty and chaotic environment, but were as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood, with a posture of being ready to follow the path of the "Four Sentences of Hengqu" to death at any time.

Without a doubt, morale was available!

The manpower in Wu County was undoubtedly quite scarce. Previously, even for the normal progress of construction through "earth and wood laborers", Li Ji had set his sights on these scholars, wanting to recruit "temporary workers".

Now, wanting to carry out water conservancy development on a large scale throughout Wu County, it is conceivable that relying solely on the manpower of Wu County itself would be far from enough.

Therefore, if you want to implement "work-for-relief", these scholars are an indispensable part.

Without these scholars who can understand the water conservancy planning plan to command the laborers, even if the laborers have a lot of strength, they simply don't know how to start.

And if water conservancy development is really carried out on a large scale, it is conceivable that the conditions will inevitably be extremely difficult.

In a situation where everything is extremely tight, it is not impossible for these scholars to eat and live with many laborers.

Therefore, if these scholars have not undergone a spiritual baptism first, but are directly assigned tasks like tools, I am afraid that they will have to run away in a few days.

After all, the original goal of these scholars was only to participate in the entrance examination of the "Benevolence Academy". They don't even have a salary, and they even bring their own food. Can they be forced to work hard?

Now…

I'm afraid that even if these scholars died on the land of water conservancy development in Wu County, they would have no regrets, right?

Afterwards, Li Ji, who was almost racing against time, did not give those scholars much time to rest, and directly summoned these hundreds of scholars and more than twenty reluctantly transferred petty officials to explain "work-for-relief"!

Among them, the primary task is to let these scholars choose refugees suitable for "work-for-relief".

That is… the strong and young who still have labor!

This is also a must-screen, otherwise, for a full meal, I am afraid that even the old, weak, women and children will have to actively participate in it.

However, quite apart from how much the old, weak, women, and children could contribute to the arduous water conservancy development.

More importantly, the elderly and children would certainly die!

Therefore, it was undoubtedly necessary for the scholars and minor officials, after being assigned their respective tasks, to select the able-bodied adults who still possessed the capacity for labor according to the requirements. (End of Chapter)