Chapter 217: 215. Cultivating a Seedling

Xiao Shixuan had been to the Regional Commander's residence before — he came with his father, Xiao Weigong.

After Fei Ruhe led troops to drive out Sailübu and seize the entire Taihe County, father and son came to ask about the policy for returning home.

The result was that the surviving Xiao family members received land just like ordinary commoners. Houses, shops, workshops, and the like — as long as they could produce the deeds to prove ownership, everything was returned to the Xiao family. If they could not produce the deeds, then all of it was confiscated.

Zhao Zhenfang passed through without the slightest hindrance; officials coming and going all stopped to cup their hands in greeting when they saw her.

Seeing this, how could Xiao Shixuan fail to guess the truth?

Zhao Zhenfang was surely a family member of some high official!

Do not assume that certain people engaged in research have low emotional intelligence — they simply focus on different things; in fact, they understand plenty, they just do not show much concern for it.

Take this moment, for example: although Xiao Shixuan guessed the truth, he had no particular reaction. He had only come to discuss scholarship; if the conversation went well, he would stay, and if not, he would leave — he was not here to ask anyone for a favor anyway.

"Miss."

"May I trouble you to announce that I have brought back a great talent. Here are his mathematics manuscripts."

Zhao Han was handling official business when he suddenly heard that his younger sister had brought someone to see him. He first flipped through those mathematics manuscripts and was immediately drawn to the various algebraic symbols — because they evolved from cursive script, upon careful inspection he could still recognize the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches characters.

After a casual glance, Zhao Han said, "Invite them in."

Before long, the three young women led Xiao Shixuan inside.

"Ah!"

Liu Miaotong immediately covered her mouth; she recognized Zhao Han at a single glance, because Zhao Han had once visited the girls' school to give an inscription and a speech.

The identities of Zhao Zhenfang and Fei Rumei had not been deliberately concealed, nor deliberately publicized — hardly anyone in the entire girls' school knew.

"Second Brother, Young Master Xiao's mathematics research is excellent," Zhao Zhenfang said with a smile. "Young Master Xiao, this is my second brother. He is the one who introduced the Western numerals."

Second Brother?

Xiao Shixuan had assumed Zhao Zhenfang was the daughter of some high official; he never expected she was Zhao Han's younger sister. A look of astonishment finally appeared on his face, and then he cupped his fists and said, "Xiao Shixuan of Taihe pays his respects to Mr. Zhao."

"Mr. Xiao, a pleasure!"

Zhao Han returned the greeting with a smile. "Please, have a seat."

Xiao Shixuan found a seat and sat down, subconsciously glancing toward Zhao Zhenfang — and Zhao Zhenfang mischievously winked at him.

Zhao Han flipped through the mathematics manuscripts and asked, "You discovered all these formulas and theorems yourself?"

"Occasional insights," Xiao Shixuan replied.

"Well done. Keep working hard from now on," Zhao Han encouraged.

Xiao Shixuan had originally come to discuss mathematics, but upon discovering that his conversation partner was Zhao Han, he immediately said, "Mr. Zhao, I believe that what is even more important than formulas and theorems is changing the fundamental conception of how we study mathematics."

"Oh? Please, go on," Zhao Han said, somewhat surprised.

Xiao Shixuan said, "Take equations, for example. If we only discuss the calculation of complex systems of equations, using the Celestial Element method with counting rods is often easier. But I am firmly convinced that even where the Celestial Element method is more convenient to calculate, it will inevitably be replaced by the equation-solving method in the future."

When using counting rods to solve the Celestial Element method, once you have grasped the basics, it is often genuinely easier than solving equations.

Zhao Han asked, "Why do you say that?"

Xiao Shixuan began to speak with fervor and assurance: "The greatest difference between the Celestial Element method and equations lies in the unknown quantity. The 'Seeking Grain' chapter of *The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art* is, in fact, describing a system of three-variable linear equations in words, only without algebraic symbols and operational symbols. The ancients omitted these symbols and directly used counting rods — arranged as a matrix — to express them. There is a rare book called *The Dongping Mathematical Classic*, now long lost, but we can infer some of it from Li Ye's works… In the Song dynasty, Qin Jiushao was already using double-line and single-line symbols to represent addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division…"

Zhao Han listened with great care and attention, even though he had never even heard of these ancient mathematical books and mathematicians.

From Xiao Shixuan's exposition, Zhao Han roughly understood that there was an ancient book, *The Dongping Mathematical Classic*, which used nineteen characters — 'Immortal, Bright, Firmament, Han… Departed, Spring, Dark, Ghost' — to represent powers of the unknown. If you then added the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches characters, you could use a counting-rod matrix to express equations up to the nineteenth power.

During the Southern Song period, Qin Jiushao created operational symbols.

However, the invasions by the Jin and Yuan dynasties brought Song-dynasty mathematical development to an abrupt halt.

Although Yuan-dynasty mathematicians devised the Four-Variable Method, which appears to be an advance over the Song-dynasty Three-Variable Method, from the perspective of mathematics itself it was a regression.

Because the path went astray: they increasingly neglected the unknown quantity, increasingly neglected formulaic expression, and completely abandoned operational symbols. The Celestial Element method degenerated entirely into mechanical computation — you could understand it as mathematicians having compiled a certain program, and later generations simply used this program to solve problems.

The Jin-dynasty mathematician Li Ye, fearing that poor students could not understand the program, specially wrote *Sea Mirror of Circle Measurements*, forcibly assigning practical meaning to the counting-rod matrices — which in effect pulled mathematics away from abstract computation.

After grasping modern equations, Xiao Shixuan immediately perceived that Chinese mathematics had gone off course.

If viewed from the perspective of several centuries later, from the Han dynasty through the two Song dynasties, the developmental path of Chinese mathematics had no major problems, and there even existed the possibility of developing higher mathematics.

But the invasions by the Jin state and the Mongols caused a great regression in mathematical thought.

When European mathematics was finally introduced in the late Ming, the Manchu Qing came and did it all over again, thoroughly severing the development of Chinese mathematics.

Xiao Shixuan said, "For the traditional Celestial Element method, solving four variables is the absolute limit. But the mathematics of the Regional Commander possesses limitless possibilities."

Zhao Han, a humanities student who had long since forgotten most of his advanced mathematics, said with a touch of shame, "I have only put forward some crude ideas. My natural talent is limited; the development of mathematics still requires the collective effort of all under Heaven."

This bookworm Xiao Shixuan suddenly seemed to have learned how to flatter: "When Suiren drilled wood to make fire, that too was crude — who ever belittled his merit?"

"Hahahaha." Zhao Han took out the *Mathematics* and *Geometry* sent by Xu Ying, handed them to Xiao Shixuan, and said, "Starting next year, all levels of schools must study these. The first part of *Mathematics* has no problems; you may compile the theorems and formulas you have discovered into the latter half of *Mathematics*. If civil examinations are held in the future, mathematics will also be a compulsory subject."

Xiao Shixuan was overjoyed at these words. He carefully cradled the manuscripts in both hands, cupped his fists, and said, "I will devote every effort to compiling the book!"

Zhao Han asked, "Where is your native place?"

Xiao Shixuan replied, "Taihe County."

Taihe County had been grievously ravaged by the rebel Sailübu; the gentry and powerful families had either fled or died, so Zhao Han did not press further about the man's background.

"Are you short of silver?" Zhao Han asked.

Xiao Shixuan replied, "I am not short of money. When my family returned to Taihe County, we recovered three shops and an oil-press workshop. My father is also serving as Head of the Penal Section in Anfu County. I am lodging at my uncle's house and suffer no inconvenience."

Zhao Han thought for a moment and said, "Here is what I will do: I will give you an official post, attached to the Propaganda Department as Doctor of Mathematics, drawing a salary at the rank of Assistant Magistrate. From now on, devote yourself peacefully to mathematical research and pay no more heed to everyday trifles."

"Many thanks, Regional Commander!"

Xiao Shixuan was extremely happy. Since childhood he had loved reading miscellaneous books and had never been recognized by the world, yet now he had gained esteem here with Zhao Han.

What excited him even more was that previously there had only been Doctors of the Five Classics; now Zhao Han was appointing him Doctor of Mathematics, clearly treating mathematics as a discipline of equal importance to the Five Classics.

The two talked on until the Regional Commander's residence closed for the day; the young women were nearly asleep from listening but dared not leave early on their own.

In the end, Zhao Han personally escorted Xiao Shixuan out with full courtesy, drawing sidelong glances from the officials of the Regional Commander's residence.

Once that pair of cousins had left, Zhao Zhenfang smiled and said, "Second Brother, have I rendered meritorious service this time?"

"I'll record a major merit for you," Zhao Han said happily.

Fei Rumei was puzzled. "Is knowing arithmetic really a talent?"

Zhao Han said, "This man doesn't just know arithmetic. To have such learning at so young an age — he will surely become a great master of mathematics one day."

As for the development of Chinese mathematics — or rather, the development of science — Zhao Han was still very confident. If mathematics were incorporated into the civil examinations, with China's population base and the intelligence of its people, they would certainly be able to overtake Europe.

What needed to be done now was to sow the seeds and carefully nurture the seedlings.

Returning to the inner residence, it was not yet time for the meal.

Fei Rulan greeted him with a smile. "What good thing happened today, that you're wearing a look of delight?"

"You can even tell that?" Zhao Han couldn't help laughing too. "I found a young man of outstanding talent, so I'm pleased."

While Zhao Han was in high spirits here, Chongzhen was being driven to distraction by finances.

At year's end, he finally found a place to strike, because the salt tax had once again not been collected in full.

From Chongzhen's ascension to the sixth year of Chongzhen, the nationwide salt tax arrears totaled over three million two hundred thousand taels, with the Lianghuai salt tax alone accounting for over two million taels in arrears. At the time, the provinces were ordered to make up the shortfall quickly. Now the three-year deadline had arrived, and some provinces still had not paid in full.

Investigate and punish them severely!

At the same time, this year's land tax was also a complete mess, because military disasters were raging everywhere, and local officials kept requesting to defer payment for a year.

No taxes just because there was a military disaster?

Then what money would the court use to train troops and exterminate the rebels?

Thus, provinces like Henan, Huguang, the Southern Metropolitan Region, Jiangxi, and Guangdong — while dealing with rebels on one side — were pressed for taxes by the court on the other, and could only tighten their exploitation of the common people.

As for Shaanxi and Shanxi, Chongzhen was too embarrassed to press them. Those two places had already suffered severe drought for ten consecutive years.

In the blink of an eye, it was the tenth year of Chongzhen. The first thing the court did was dispatch a large number of tax-urging censors.

Chongzhen had also been burned by the eunuchs and dared not let them collect taxes again. This time, the tax commissioners were all rank-seven civil officials.

At the same time, Yao Yongji, Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang; Zeng Daowei, Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Huguang; Chen Hongmi, Prefect of Suzhou; Han Wenjing, Prefect of Yangzhou; Zhou Guangxia, Prefect of Huai'an… for failing to deliver the full tax quota, were stripped of their ranks and stripped of their posts, but ordered to continue their duties until the taxes were paid in full, whereupon their offices would be restored.

Ding Kuichu, who thought he had successfully slipped away, was still held accountable by the court because Jiangxi's taxes had been in arrears for many years. That fellow had retired and returned home, but had just finished the Lantern Festival when he was arrested and taken to Beijing to be imprisoned and tried.

Then, Chongzhen and Zhao Han both went dumbstruck.

A severe spring drought struck the entire country. This year was fated to be a great disaster year.

On Zhao Han's side, all of Jiangxi was in drought.

From the start of spring to the end of the spring planting season, not a drop of rain fell on any prefecture in Jiangxi. Local officials everywhere even began performing rain-prayer rituals.

In fact, Jiangxi had already suffered drought the previous year. The History of Ming contains only one line about it: "In the ninth year… Jiangxi also suffered famine."

In the tenth year of Chongzhen, Shaanxi and Shanxi went without saying. The most terrifying thing was that it spread to Zhejiang — the very heartland of the empire's wealth and tax revenue: "In the tenth year, Zhejiang suffered great famine; fathers and sons, elder and younger brothers, husbands and wives ate one another."

Later it continues: "In the twelfth year, the Two Metropolitan Regions, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Jiangxi suffered famine. Henan suffered great famine; people ate one another."

This was a nationwide great drought, known to history as the "Chongzhen Great Drought." Jiangxi's drought conditions would persist for three to four years.

The moment to test Zhao Han had arrived. Disaster conditions were far harder to deal with than government troops.

(End of chapter)