Chapter 318: Chapter 208: False Superiority
After finishing dinner, the Fourth Prince took Zhao Yao for a walk in the courtyard.
After their walk and digestion, the Fourth Prince began to teach Zhao Yao the Li family’s script.
Although the Li family’s script looks strange, it’s simpler to write than the current script. Besides, the Li family’s script evolved from the current script, making it recognizable and not hard to learn.
After studying for two hours, Zhao Yao recognized many of the Li family characters.
Seeing Zhao Yao learn so quickly, the Fourth Prince was very pleased.
"Fourth Brother, the Li family script isn’t difficult, but it looks so strange and ugly." Zhao Yao still thought the simplified characters from Zhao Yao’s dream world were more attractive.
The Fourth Prince laughed and said, "Indeed, it is both strange and ugly, which is why the Li family script isn’t spread to outsiders; only the Li family members know it."
"Fourth Brother, I think the Li family script should be considered a secret code unique to the Li family, not really a script." Zhao Yao said with a smile as he looked at the weird Li family characters he had just written, "Those who don’t know the Li family script would think it’s some kind of ghostly scribble."
"You’re right, it is indeed the Li family’s secret code."
Mentioning secret codes, Zhao Yao suddenly thought of Morse code.
Morse code is more like a secret code than the Li family script; in the future, it could be used for communication.
Seeing Zhao Yao frowning in thought, the Fourth Prince asked, "What’s the matter?"
"Fourth Brother, do other noble families have their script besides the Li family?"
"They used to, but not anymore." The Fourth Prince said, "Since the unification of writing, those scripts are no longer used and have gradually disappeared. The reason the Li family script has survived till now is that Li family members must learn it, and they are required to copy books in the Li family script every year."
Zhao Yao looked surprised, "Why such a rule?"
"Because the Li family wants to pass on the knowledge and books they possess to future generations, and this is always the foundation of the Li family’s survival." The Fourth Prince said warmly, "If one day someone takes all the Li family books, they won’t recognize the Li family’s collection either."
"But didn’t the Li family preserve many original texts?"
"Those original texts are hidden in very secret places by the Li family." The Fourth Prince said, "The Li family will not allow these rare books to be lost or taken."
Hearing the Fourth Prince’s explanation, Zhao Yao finally understood why the Li family maintained their library.
"So the Li family created their script because of this."
"The ancestors of the Li family were foresighted, and over the years, the Li family’s collection has become even larger than that of the Kong family."
"Does the Kong family have their script?"
Hearing Zhao Yao’s question, the Fourth Prince couldn’t help but chuckle, "My silly tenth brother, most of the characters we use now were created by the Kong family."
"What?" Zhao Yao was shocked to learn this for the first time, "So that’s how it is."
"Many of the books we read now are compiled by the Kong family." The Fourth Prince was amused by Zhao Yao’s stunned look, "In this regard, the Li family is not as good as the Kong family."
"But, Fourth Brother, isn’t your maternal grandfather teaching at the Imperial College?" Zhao Yao pretended to be innocent, "In this respect, isn’t the Li family better than the Kong family since the Kong family doesn’t teach at the Imperial College?" Interestingly, when Grandpa Emperor established the Imperial College, he only invited Li family members to teach there, but not members of the Kong family. To this day, none of the professors at the Imperial College come from the Kong family.
The Kong family has its academy, and its members study there; they won’t study at the Imperial College. Actually, many Kong family members want to study at the Imperial College, but they dare not break the clan rules to do so.
"The Kong family has its academy, and they look down on the Imperial College."
The Kong and Li families appear cordial on the surface, but in truth, they secretly compete and each considers the other beneath them.
During the previous dynasty, the Li family was not as prominent as the Kong family. However, in the Great Zhou, the Li family’s status and influence are higher than the Kong family. Over the past two decades, the entire family of Kong Taichang has tried to surpass the Li family but has not succeeded.
The Kong family sneers at the Li family behind their backs, accusing them of being lapdogs of the Imperial Family, only capable of cultivating officials for the Imperial Family, and not focusing on literature.
The Li family finds the Kong family laughable. Back in the day, the Kong Family Head went against ancestral teachings, not only supporting the illegitimate Prince Yun in his fight for the throne but also committing numerous heinous acts for him. Compared to the Li family, the Kong family seems more like lapdogs.
Faced with such criticism from the Li family, the Kong family couldn’t even come up with a retort. Although the previous Family Head has been expelled from the Kong family, back then, he was undoubtedly a true member of the Kong family.