“Mom, you were the one who told me not to go out and play yet, but to learn something from Dad first. But… woodworking class? My little brother will definitely love it, but I don’t know a thing about it.” Upon learning that Ye Tao would be giving them woodworking lessons, Ye Wenxuan began to complain endlessly.

After the inauguration ceremony of Gondor, he had originally been given permission by his father to set up a small caravan and head towards the northern grasslands. He was eager to see the ocean surface dotted with huge ice floes that Dai Yun had described to them. However, on the one hand, Dai Yun herself said that they were still too young, and their bodies couldn’t withstand the climate there, and even the journey itself would wear them out. On the other hand, their mother, Tan Weishi, hoped that Ye Wenxuan would learn more from his father. That way, when he traveled with different eyes, he would perceive more than just the scenery. Dai Yun, who had extraordinary travel experience, deeply agreed with what Tan Weishi said. Back then, Dai Yun, a beautiful, intelligent, talented, and heroic young girl, galloped across the northern grasslands, trampling through the continuous pastures, passing through the secluded forests, traversing the desolate tundra, and finally reaching the sea. Not only did fantasy-loving children like Ye Wenxuan admire her, but in fact, everyone in the family envied her. It was precisely because of the hardships of these journeys that Dai Yun was later able to gain the family's approval as a young girl, become active in Danyang, subdue the unruly veterans of the Blood Kirin Army, and ultimately conquer Ye Tao in an unconventional manner. Every time this experience was mentioned, even just a small part of it, it made the whole family envious.

And Ye Wenxuan was naturally one of those who were bewitched by this kind of travel experience. Of course, he knew that he was too young now, and going to the northern grasslands in the spring and summer until the arrival of winter should be possible. Once winter arrived, he definitely wouldn't be able to handle it, and he would definitely be a burden to the companions who went out with him. However, taking a few short trips nearby to accumulate travel experience was still possible. He didn't expect to be able to travel for several years like his mother, Dai Yun, running all over the north before returning. He also had younger brothers and sisters, whether it was Ye Wenji, Ye Wenjun, or the little brother still in his infancy, all of them made him, as the elder brother, feel obliged to take good care of them. He couldn't bear to leave them too far or for too long.

Staying to take classes was certainly possible. His father could always turn complex principles into fascinating stories, into one spiritual adventure after another. Not only his siblings, but even the children at Yunzhou Kindergarten enjoyed listening to Ye Tao's lectures. But… woodworking class? Was he kidding? Ye Wenji would definitely love it, but Ye Wenxuan would be scratching his head.

“Look at you. Your father has so many government affairs every day, and he still has to take the time to prepare lessons. Isn’t it all for you guys? Your father… was probably about your age when he started sawing wood and practicing the basics. The initial changes in Ye’s Workshop started from that year. You’re a member of the Ye family, and now the Ye family is different from before. We can't just have exquisite craftsmanship, we also have to have the strength to protect these things, so that they won't be taken advantage of by villains. I know you want to be able to protect everyone in the future, but if a member of the Ye family can’t make something with their own hands, that's just too much, isn't it? Family education is family education. Anyway, go and listen. Besides, it won't really be a woodworking class… Your father wouldn't bear to let Jun’er go to class too.” Tan Weishi looked at Ye Wenxuan's slightly worried little adult appearance and found it very funny, but her heart was full of gentle care. This child was really very amusing. “You’re not afraid of being worse than your brother, are you?”

Ye Wenxuan shook his head vigorously and said earnestly, “Of course not. My brother and I are different, after all. I’ll be very happy if my brother does well. I’m just worried… that I’ll do too badly and disappoint Dad.”

Tan Weishi stroked Ye Wenxuan's head and said, “That won’t happen. As long as you study hard and don't be lazy, the things you learn will always be useful. Think about Uncle Suo Zheng. He’s a red-hot general who’s so busy that his feet don’t touch the ground, but he still makes his own furniture at home, doesn't he? Look at how happy your Uncle Suo Zheng looks every time he starts working at home. Woodworking must be a lot of fun.”

“Red-hot… it’s not like he’s going to Lan Kwai Fong.” Ye Wenxuan muttered.

“Cough,” Tan Weishi choked a bit, gently pinched Ye Wenxuan's ear, and asked, “You’ve been going out to play with the guards again? Who dares to take you to Lan Kwai Fong?”

“Tch, I wanted to go, but no one dared to. Can’t I just listen to them talk?” Ye Wenji pouted and said frankly.

With Ye Wenxuan's doubts dispelled, Ye Tao's class was set. Unexpectedly, as soon as the news spread, those old friends sent letters suggesting that the class be opened at the kindergarten. Ye Tao thought about it and agreed. With more little partners participating, this heavily modified woodworking class should be more interesting.

When the course started, after Ye Tao gave the first lesson, everyone suddenly realized that this wasn't a woodworking class at all. It was clearly a comprehensive course combining woodworking and handicraft production. What Ye Tao was teaching was not only woodworking techniques, but also his insights after years of experience, as well as the basic principles of dealing with people. In everyone's eyes, Ye Tao's personality was certainly not ambitious enough. He overthought things and tended to avoid risks. His calm and natural personality didn't seem suitable for mixing in officialdom. However, Ye Tao was an extremely admirable leader. Working in his hands, as long as you were truly talented, truly willing to work hard, and willing to endure hardship, you would definitely make a name for yourself. And following Ye Tao, you could come into contact with so many things. As long as you could open your mind and learn, you would definitely gain a lot. The most typical example was Lu Dan. Lu Dan in his twenties had been Ye Tao’s butler for a long time. Originally, everyone felt sorry for him, that a member of a prestigious family was being buried like this. Unexpectedly, after helping Ye Tao manage various businesses of Ye’s Workshop for a few years and participating in the establishment of the Blood Kirin Army, Federal Express, and so on, Lu Dan actually developed into one of the few domestic experts who understood technology, tactics, and was skilled in overall planning, with profound insights in both political and military affairs. After showing his talents in Yicheng, he now commanded the Zhenzhou military and government. Although he was still under Ye Tao’s command, he was already an out-and-out regional official. And Ye Tao’s ability to trigger other people’s learning enthusiasm was also something that everyone valued.

In one so-called woodworking class after another, Ye Tao first took out the models of those furniture and buildings one by one, explaining to everyone why a chair would develop from the most primitive seat slightly higher than the ground to the various styles of chairs it is today. Why there were so many kinds of chairs and stools in everyone's study, living room, bedroom, and other places, and why the style of furniture was different in each environment. The development of furniture and architecture actually represented the development of society itself. The different styles of architecture and furniture in each period also represented the different levels of economic development, political and moral structures, and so on, in different eras. When Ye Tao told these developments in beautiful and simple language, and then broke down each piece of furniture or architectural model for everyone to see, and even let everyone try to make simple things with their own hands, everyone quickly became immersed in it. Ye Wenji was like this, and so was Ye Wenxuan. Like Ye Wenxuan, as well as Tan Weiming, Tan Weiran, and Chi Lei’s children, who were relatively older and already had a basic education, they could quickly realize the value of these courses. This wasn’t just a woodworking class, but also a history class, a politics class, a morality class, and an ethics class. Learning these things would definitely be beneficial for life.

In the beginning, some of the ministers in Danyang were critical of giving woodworking lessons to the children of these important officials, saying that it was too crude, but soon everyone shut their mouths. The tutor that Tan Weiming sent to his son's side recorded all the course content while listening to the class, and quickly sent a graphic course record to Danyang.

“Hide when in concealment, display when in use. Stand upright, be fair in all matters. Block drafts and winds, avoid fog and dew. Serve superiors, protect subordinates, and never lose constancy.” – This was a passage that Ye Tao mentioned when talking about the function of screens. At that time, Ye Tao wrote this short passage on the blackboard in the classroom. The tutor was immediately stunned. This not only accurately stated the function and structural characteristics of the screen, but also contained the moral function of furniture in the text, becoming a powerful admonition. Ye Tao was not a well-known scholar. Although some works by Ye Tao and Tan Weixin had circulated within the Ye residence, everyone still regarded Ye Tao as a minister with a purely technical background. He could be a general, an excellent administrator, but not a scholar. Even when writing memorials and such, he wrote them as simply as possible, using plain language throughout. Although everyone found it easy to understand, after all, everyone felt that it was beneath his dignity. Even if he didn't want to write it himself, he should at least have someone around him polish it up. It's not like there was no one around Ye Tao, but that Feng Zi's writing style was becoming more and more like Ye Tao's. However, after the entire course record was circulated among several ministers, everyone fell silent. These few sentences had definitely not been seen before, and were probably original to Ye Tao, but the comprehensiveness and skill reflected in these sentences were truly amazing.

Tan Xiaopei never stood on ceremony with Ye Tao. He immediately sent a letter to Ye Tao, requesting him to keep all the course records complete, and to send one lesson to Danyang every time there was one. Tan Xiaopei planned to try opening this special “woodworking class” in Danyang as well. Ye Tao agreed readily, and the first batch of materials arrived a few days later. In addition to written materials and some illustrations, there were actually two recording discs…