Chapter 95: Collective Madness (Two-in-One)

Zhao Shaozhu restrained his thoughts and walked into the room on the second floor, simultaneously noticing that Great Steward Fusheng was keeping watch downstairs.

What matter required such tight security?

After entering the room, at his father's signal, he closed the door behind him.

"Father?" he asked, puzzled.

Head of the Family Zhao did not stop his pace, pointing to the desk by the window, or more precisely, pointing to the object placed upon it: "The usage is written on the paper next to it; pick it up and take a look first."

Zhao Shaozhu did not ask further.

On the desk, the first thing he saw was a set of nested cylinders placed inside a tray.

After reading what was written on the paper, he picked up the cylinders and looked out the window.

The second floor of the book tower had a wide view, with no obstructions in front.

Zhao Shaozhu adjusted the cylinders, suddenly put them down, his eyes filled with astonishment. He took a deep breath and picked them up again to look into the distance.

Within the small field of vision, the movements of the guards in the distance outside Zhao Fu were all in plain sight!

The newly built government office was as if right before his eyes!

In that instant, Zhao Shaozhu thought of many uses.

A military weapon!

After the weather turns warm, which is coming soon, there would be no need to risk getting close to check the movements of the Evil Plague everywhere.

Zhao Shaozhu's breathing could not help but become rapid, and he said excitedly: "Father! This..."

Head of the Family Zhao waved his hand and pointed to another strange set of things nearby:

"There is also that, look at that one too!"

Zhao Shaozhu suppressed the words in his heart and steadied his breathing.

At the same time, he was even more puzzled.

Could such an important piece of military equipment capable of achieving tactical innovation not be the most important thing?!

Somewhat reluctantly, he gently put down the long cylinder in his hand.

Only then did Zhao Shaozhu look at the other object nearby.

Overall, it was part copper and part iron, assembled from various components of unknown use, with a cylinder on top—that was the position for looking through with one's eyes.

This object also came with an explanatory paper draft, with clear illustrations and text describing how to operate it.

The operation was not troublesome either.

On top of it was also placed a small transparent glass plate, inside of which seemed to be... a small flying insect?

This kind of small flying insect, smaller than a sesame seed, was very common.

"Just look at this?" Zhao Shaozhu muttered.

Wen Gu came over to adjust the lighting component and signaled to his cousin: Please.

Regarding the target of observation, to prove its use, the best way was naturally to take some water from the Zhao Zhai feng shui fish pond and observe the tiny animals moving inside.

When the Zhao Family renovated this residence, out of concern for the Evil Plague—since Evil Gu easily thrives in water—they filled in more than half of the original large pond, keeping only the fish pond for the feng shui purpose of suppressing the house and warding off evil.

Although it is winter now, after breaking the ice on top, there are still living tiny animals in the water under the pond.

However, who could be one hundred percent sure that there were no hidden Evil Gu inside?

To show Head of the Family Zhao, one naturally had to avoid these. Things brought here had to be handled with the utmost caution.

After Wen Gu arrived, he simply had Steward Fusheng go directly to find an observation target, such as the small flying insects in the warm room.

The warm room was used for growing vegetables in winter; the things planted inside were all to be supplied to the nobles to eat, and were managed by the Zhao Family's people.

The warm room was warm and had appropriate humidity, so it was inevitable that there would be some small flying insects.

When Great Steward Fusheng went over to ask for a small flying insect, the servants there thought the supplied vegetables had not been washed clean and that some noble had found a small flying insect in the vegetables, and they were scared pale.

After some busy work, Great Steward Fusheng finally brought over a small flying insect that had been swatted half to death.

Not to mention the medical miracle that occurred just now when his uncle looked at the flying insect with the microscope.

At this moment, Zhao Shaozhu followed the operating steps on the paper draft, adjusted it bit by bit, and then...

He suddenly stood up and backed away, even kicking over the stool behind him.

His complexion turned from red to green, and from green to white.

The muscles on his face twitched stiffly in segments, and he even had the impulse to turn around, draw his sword, and hack the desk to pieces.

"Th-this is?" his voice was unsteady.

"A small flying insect," Wen Gu replied, "a magnified small flying insect."

"You call this... a small! Flying insect?"

Just now, from the cylinder on that mount, what he saw was a monster with a ferocious appearance, and he could even see the long hairs on it one by one!

The color had not yet returned to Zhao Shaozhu's face, and at the thought that he had inadvertently eaten such a small flying insect when he was a child, he wanted to go and vomit. The color drained from his face even more.

Anyone who saw the image in the lens tube would be terrified.

It was indeed a huge psychological shock! Especially for someone like him who had accidentally swallowed a small flying insect; he could have ignored it before, but from this moment on, the image played back in his mind, and his mindset was different!

He breathed rapidly, suppressing the feeling of nausea in his heart.

After all, he was the young master of a faction, and once he confirmed that what he saw was indeed that small flying insect, he immediately thought of many things.

This Evil Plague that was creating chaos in the world was rumored to be a type of Gu insect, a type of Poisonous Insect that could reside in the human body; if one had this divine artifact...

The color returned to his face rapidly, and Zhao Shaozhu suppressed the discomfort in his heart and looked at the lens tube of the microscope again.

In order to confirm it personally, he adjusted the knob on the base and moved the target.

The image observed in the field of vision also moved accordingly.

After a long while, he stood up and said excitedly: "A divine artifact! This is a divine artifact!!"

Zhao Shaozhu walked quickly to Wen Gu: "How was this divine artifact made?"

Wen Gu poured a cup of tea and handed it over, explaining, "When I was on my Study Tour..."

Zhao Shaozhu sipped the tea to soothe the agitation in his heart, listening to Wen Gu recount the things he had seen on his Study Tour, and also learned of the various uses for this Microscope.

He finally understood now why his own father could not sit still in his wheelchair. He, with his perfectly fine legs, could not sit still either!

If his own father were not here, he would have wanted to run a few laps outside to vent the excitement and exhilaration in his heart!

In these chaotic times, for all sides and factions, the most important thing is not to strike out or expand how much territory they have, but to preserve themselves as much as possible!

This concerns their foundation and survival!

Shock and pleasant surprise were simultaneous!

Zhao Shaozhu asked impatiently, "With this divine artifact, can we find a way to suppress the Gu insects faster?"

Wen Gu nodded: "Using it, one can observe minute objects; perhaps we can see the original appearance of the Gu poison and find a way to restrain it."

Because of the visual impact just now, Zhao Shaozhu's complexion had still not recovered, but there was more excitement in his eyes.

His emotions were too agitated, and for a moment, he did not know what to say.

Wen Gu said: "The construction period was quite rushed, so for now, we can only make them like this. Once the craftsmen's skills improve and they are polished, and the magnification of the lenses increases, they can be magnified even further."

But that is just magnifying a few hundred times to observe some tiny animals; one shouldn't think about bacteria or viruses, but observing parasites is still possible.

A major power like the Zhao Clan surely has also organized physicians to study the Evil Plague; looking at the situation, progress has consistently been poor. Now that they have a Microscope, they can certainly quicken their pace!

Hmm, they must also recruit more talent related to medicine!

Zhao Shaozhu asked again about the kilns and workshops over at Qingyun Fang.

Wen Gu said: "Qingyun Fang has already stopped work, but the craftsmen involved with these two objects are still staying within the ward for the time being. Each of the craftsmen is only responsible for a part of the work and does not know that such objects will be made."

Confidentiality work has been ongoing.

Zhao Head of the Family finally sat down at this moment and said: "Bring those few craftsmen and their families to the Zhao Family's workshop and settle them in well."

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Head of the Family added: "After the New Year, open another ward to produce these Thousand-Mile Mirrors and Microscopes. Strengthen the guards, and also, cultivate more craftsmen in polishing techniques!"

Wen Gu also said: "Indeed, we must specially cultivate more craftsmen; if they focus on polishing one type of lens, their skills will improve faster, and they can produce finished products that meet requirements more quickly."

"The Microscope and that Telescope I prepared took quite a few days just to polish the lenses. The number of qualified finished products is limited; only these two were rushed out, and that was with good luck. If luck were bad, it might not even be possible to polish them in several months."

Upon hearing this, the Zhao father and son also felt a stronger sense of urgency. Who could guarantee that luck would always be good?

If they want to obtain more Telescopes and Microscopes, they still have to start from the side of the craftsmen!

The number of people who can be found in Xinzhou is limited, but they can set their sights on other places!

List this matter in the plan.

Uncle Zhao said to Wen Gu: "Your status is special. Although these two divine artifacts are kept secret from the outside, it is inevitable that some people will keep an eye on you. Is it possible that you need me to send you a few more guards?"

To prevent Wen Gu from overthinking and feeling resistant, Uncle Zhao was about to explain and persuade him a few more words.

Wen Gu immediately replied: "That would be truly great! Many thanks, Uncle!"

In the future, having elite bodyguards to pick him up and drop him off when going out means he won't have to worry about being ambushed. When at home, having a few more laborers by his side—the wages paid will certainly have to be added to the Public Office's budget.

What a good thing; why would he refuse?

Uncle Zhao was silent for a moment.

Zhao Shaozhu also looked at Wen Gu several times, but he could not see the slightest bit of reluctance on Wen Gu's face.

This cousin seems quite open-minded!

Uncle Zhao: "Then shall I assign you five guards?"

Wen Gu: "Ten, let's say. I have quite a lot of affairs after the New Year, and having more people gives me more peace of mind."

The guards by his side can take turns on duty, so they won't be overly fatigued and can better maintain their optimal combat state!

Uncle Zhao nodded: "Fine, I will assign ten guards to you!"

Based on Wen Gu's contributions alone, aside from other material rewards, guards don't count for much.

As for official rank, just as some old Clerks know, for the same title, the administrative level can be vastly different!

And Wen Gu is exactly like that now; he himself still wants to continue being a Ward Chief and does not want to move positions. But the leader has granted him greater power!

Besides money, grain, and goods, Zhao Head of the Family also agreed to several of Wen Gu's requests; for example, after the Glass craftsmen moved away from Qingyun Fang, Wen Gu wanted to poach a batch of ceramic-firing craftsmen over.

It was just firing ceramics, not a big problem, so Uncle Zhao agreed on the spot.

The number of ceramic-firing craftsmen is much larger than that of Glazed Ware craftsmen, and they are faster to cultivate.

After finishing the discussion about the workshops, Wen Gu took out a paper draft and handed it to Zhao Shaozhu: "This was originally prepared as a New Year's gift for you."

Zhao Shaozhu did not dare to underestimate the paper draft Wen Gu gave him, so he hurriedly took it and looked; what was drawn inside were also Glass products, also "mirrors," but the use was clearly different from the previous two.

"This is?"

"This is also something I saw during my Study Tour. Some people call it 'aidai,' and others call it glasses directly. It has miraculous effects for people whose eyesight has problems!"

Wen Gu used simple language to explain the problems of nearsightedness and farsightedness to the two of them.

"The lenses haven't been polished yet; the qualified Glass material that was made was soon consumed in the production of the Telescopes and Microscopes."

Zhao Shaozhu could understand: "Indeed, we must prioritize those two divine artifacts!"

Wen Gu said: "If there is spare capacity, I still hope the workshop can produce the glasses as soon as possible."

Regardless of poverty or wealth, regardless of status, most people will develop vision problems.

Especially the scholars of the present day; they read too many books and do not pay attention to eye care, so the probability of problems is even greater.

"For those fly-head-sized small characters, when reading fine books or secret letters, those whose eyesight is fine or has no major problems can use a Magnifying Glass. For those whose eyesight has problems and it is clearly affecting them, they must rely on glasses."

Zhao Head of the Family had known about the Magnifying Glass before, and Wen Gu also said he had made one and given it to Lady Shen.

Zhao Shaozhu had just seen it at Lady Shen's place and nodded repeatedly: "The Magnifying Glass is indeed convenient for reading tiny characters."

Wen Gu said: "When eyesight is dim and tired, one cannot distinguish fine text, but if one wears the corresponding glasses, the strokes become many times clearer!"

Nowadays, within Xinzhou, there are still quite a few people with talent and learning.

For the young and strong, those with high myopia have limited work they can do, and although their limbs are sound, they rarely go out.

Those who are older but in good health, and also suffer from presbyopia, are similarly restricted; reading documents is strenuous, and their office efficiency is low.

Wen Gu: "Talent is currently in short supply, and this is exactly the time when people are needed. If these two types of glasses can solve the problem of poor eyesight, more hands will be able to contribute to Xinzhou."

The father and son of the Zhao Family wore serious expressions.

How could they not know what Wen Gu was saying?

Especially Zhao Shaozhu.

Upon hearing Wen Gu speak of the problem of myopia, the look in his eyes turned gloomy.

He had a friend who loved literature and ink, but whose eyesight had developed problems; at five paces away, he could not make out a person's appearance.

When the Evil Plague spread, that friend mistook an evil entity for a normal person and delivered himself to be killed.

At the beginning of the chaotic times, when things became disordered, there was no strong sense of precaution; because of myopia, one could not distinguish whether the other party was a monster or a normal person, and thus missed the best time to escape.

As Zhao Shaozhu recounted these things, Wen Gu also felt regret.

It was truly an unjust death!

For a moment, there was silence.

When the sorrowful atmosphere faded, Wen Gu sighed:

"There are many people in the city who are clearly very talented, but their eyesight is too poor; they cannot go out, and they dare not go out. It is fine when the weather is cold, but when the weather turns hot, they are even more afraid to leave the house."

Zhao Shaozhu felt this deeply.

He had other friends of the same age who could only stay at home due to eyesight problems; having seen the previous example, they dared not go out, and their families dared not let them out, leaving them trapped at home, depressed and unfulfilled.

Wen Gu sighed again: "It would be fine if there were glasses! It is just that the lenses all need to be ground by hand, and for different eyesight problems, the lenses to be ground are also different. There are too few, far too few craftsmen who have mastered the technology of grinding lenses for light, and they also need to be trained specifically!"

The Head of the Family and Zhao Shaozhu only felt their heartstrings tighten once more.

Urgency +1+1...

Not to mention friends and relatives, even they themselves—especially the Head of the Family—are fine for now, but in a few more years, he might have presbyopia problems.

The father and son of the Zhao Family were both pondering where to go first to poach more craftsmen.

Craftsmen with skills in carving and polishing are certainly distributed among the other five clans; the problem is, should they poach from one clan first, or poach from all five clans at once?

The Head of the Family let out a long breath and made a mental note of it for now.

He said: "We will find the craftsmen and produce a batch of glasses as soon as possible."

Wen Gu said embarrassedly: "For the presbyopia glasses, my uncle and aunt should not need them yet, but I would like to order a pair in advance to give to Elder Hong. After the New Year, there will surely be many affairs at the academy, and the glasses can lighten the old gentleman's burden."

The Head of the Family readily promised: "Fine, the first pair will be made for Elder Hong!"

Since these glasses were brought out by Wen Gu, the first pair produced should naturally be for Wen Gu. Whoever he wants to give them to, that is who they will be made for first!

The Head of the Family thought of something and said to Wen Gu: "There is a small meeting on the third day of the New Year, with only a few people participating, to discuss affairs after the New Year. You should come and listen then; if you have any ideas, you can also share them with your elders."

Wen Gu stood up and bowed: "Yes! Thank you, Uncle!"

The small meeting on the third day of the New Year was a meeting of the true power elite of Xinzhou!

It was a sign of trust in Wen Gu, and also an opportunity for Wen Gu to come into contact with the top power holders of Xinzhou today!

Seeing that Wen Gu had already understood, the Head of the Family was filled with emotion.

As for the topics he had prepared for calling Wen Gu over earlier—"the tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind" and "young people love to stir up trouble"—they had already been discarded.

What standing above?

What wind and rain?

Stirring up what trouble?

None of it was a problem!!

Being lively is good; young people should be like this!

They can be even more active!

The Head of the Family encouraged him: "Don't be afraid; no matter how strong the wind and rain are, the Zhao Family will cover you! We are the protective umbrella that will shield you from the wind and rain!"

Wen Gu was very moved: "... Let's change the term, Uncle; this term is unlucky! I heard some things during my Study Tour that were not very good."

Although he did not know why it was unlucky, since Wen Gu said so, Uncle Zhao said with a smile: "Fine, let's change it; then we are the sanctuary that shields you from the wind and rain!"

Knowing that his uncle and cousin still had important matters to discuss, Wen Gu took his leave.

He had arrived carrying a heavy food box, and he left with a heavy food box as well, though it was now filled with pastries and wine specially provided by his uncle, and he had an attendant helping him carry it.

After Wen Gu left, Zhao Shaozhu held the Telescope: "Father! This Telescope is beneficial for combat and defense in spring and summer; we can let the generals know. But this Microscope... should we keep it secret for now?"

In the current state of the world, the security level of the Microscope must be higher than that of the Telescope!

This object concerns the changes in the situation!

The Head of the Family thought for a moment and said: "Let them know as well; we must let them see hope!"

During the Evil Plague, how many people had their psychological defenses broken and simply collapsed.

Even some who originally had very high combat power and were very valiant in battle were so frightened by the talk of ghosts and gods that they could not muster the energy to resist.

The various generals and strategists under his command, although their mental fortitude was already stronger than others, still felt lost and uncertain in their hearts. At first, the ghost and evil talk of some demonic monks and evil Daoists disturbed people's minds, so they had mercilessly killed a batch of them.

But in these chaotic times, various ghostly cults were still plotting in the shadows; if some twisted heresies appeared again in the future to shake people's minds, it could trigger even greater chaos.

It would be better to stabilize some of the upper-level personnel first.

This was the decision he made after weighing the pros and cons: "From the perspective of the overall situation, being able to stabilize the morale of the army outweighs the disadvantages!"

Zhao Shaozhu thought about it and felt it was correct.

Thus, he sent people to notify the various high-level officials.

In the gap while waiting, Zhao Shaozhu thought of the things Wen Gu had mentioned about his Study Tour regarding the targets observed by the Microscope, and he went to find a few more objects to observe.

The images under the Microscope might cause discomfort for scholars, but perhaps not for military generals. It was better to look at a few more things.

Following the order of notification, the chief official of the Patrol Guard Division, Pei Jun, arrived first.

Not long after, a group of people arrived one after another; these were all Zhao Family confidants who were stationed in Xinzhou City or had returned from outside to report on their work for the New Year, including both military generals and scholars.

Every single one of them is capable of influencing the political situation in Xinzhou!

It was just that after they arrived, they were told to wait outside first, and only after Pei Jun came downstairs and notified them to enter did they go upstairs together.

As for Pei Jun, she held her blade and stood guard outside the door on the first floor.

The few who entered the building noticed this, and a sense of caution was added to their hearts.

Regardless of what they were thinking when they went upstairs, a moment later...

Kicking stools, shrieking, speaking without thinking, and babbling nonsense!

A chaotic din of "meow-a-woof."

A scholar suddenly rushed to a window on the other side to vomit outside.

After a while, a military general pushed open a window and let out a series of shouts outside that lacked coherent meaning, devoid of technique but full of raw emotion, before being gagged and dragged back by two other generals.

The window closed again, but after a while, the scene repeated, only the person appearing at the window had changed.

Vomiting and laughing, crying and shouting, as if they had collectively gone mad.

The guards responsible for defending this small courtyard watched, stunned one after another.

Although, uh...

Although since this chaotic era began, many people have become psychologically twisted, mentally unstable, and prone to bouts of madness.

But these few big shots who hold great power have resilient minds; even when emotionally agitated, they shouldn't lose their composure like this!

The guards didn't know how to respond for a moment, and the leader felt a headache coming on.

Previously, Great Steward Fusheng had already told them that the Head of the Family, Zhao Shaozhu, and several big shots had important matters to discuss, and there would be some great commotion during the process, so they need not pay it any mind.

But the commotion just now was too bizarre. Several generals with high combat power had also entered today, and the guards were still uneasy, so the leader decided to walk closer to check the situation and confirm.

As they headed toward the library building, they saw that besides Steward Fusheng, Pei Jun, the chief officer of the Patrol Guard Division, was also guarding the entrance.

Pei Jun's expression was cold and stern as she stood holding her blade; the gaze she swept over them carried a chilling glint, seemingly telling the newcomers: those who approach without authorization, die!

The guard bit the bullet and looked toward Steward Fusheng.

Fusheng waved his hand, signaling that there was nothing wrong here and telling them to leave.

The leader had no choice but to temporarily suppress the doubts in his heart, lead his men back, and continue to observe with caution.

After a good while, there was finally movement again, and the few military generals and scholars who had entered earlier came out one after another.

Those with flamboyant personalities were still blabbering something in their mouths.

Those whose facial expressions were not well-managed seemed excited, their faces flushed and eyes smiling, yet at times dark clouds gathered, and their faces looked ferocious. After walking a few steps, they became solemn again.

The guards: Is this the aftereffect of having gone mad?

The second floor of the library building.

Everyone left, and the surroundings became quiet again.

Only the father and son were here.

The Head of the Family sat in his wheelchair, deep in thought.

Zhao Shaozhu wiped the sweat stains off the barrel of the telescope and carefully put the tube back.

Turning around, he saw the creased paper manuscript on the table.

Just now, the few military generals and scholars holding important positions had scrambled in their emotional agitation, and the manuscript was nearly torn.

He gently gathered up the manuscript.

These things must not pass through anyone else's hands!

After tidying up the room, Zhao Shaozhu sat down and let out a breath.

Thinking of the words Wen Gu had said today, he sighed from the bottom of his heart: "Back then, I really should have gone on a Study Tour!"

The Head of the Family deeply agreed and said with total approval: "Yes, I should have sent you on a Study Tour back then!"

(End of this chapter)