Chapter 156

The second year of Emperor Wanli, spring.

Feng Zijing, an investigating censor of the Huguang Surveillance Commission, was demoted to guard Baling, due to an impeachment by the Grand Coordinator Liang Liang Menglong.

Chen Chen Yisong, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice after completing his three-year evaluation; Chen Dong, Left Junior Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was promoted to Minister of the Court of Judicial Review after completing his two-year evaluation, with one year of probation reduced due to merit.

He He Yongqing, Director of the Office of Transmission, retired due to his parents' old age and his own illness, and was posthumously awarded the title of Minister of the Ministry of Rites; Ni Ni Guangjian, Left Director of the Office of Transmission, was promoted to Director of the Office of Transmission after completing his nine-year evaluation.

Hai Rui, Investigating Hai Yushi, was promoted to Right Vice Hai Yushi-in-Chief of the Censorate after completing his one-year evaluation, with two years of probation reduced due to merit.

Xue Li, Hai Yushi patrolling the East City, memorialized that Zhang Zhong, a eunuch of the Directorate of Imperial Horses, had beaten his own mother to death and requested a strict investigation; Yan Rongshu, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Revenue patrolling the Court of Imperial Entertainments, impeached Wang Zhaoyong, a eunuch of the Directorate of Imperial Banquets, for beating a kitchen worker to death while demanding his customary meat allowance, and requested a severe investigation; both were handled according to the law by the judicial offices.

Zhu Zhu Xixiao, Right Regional Commander in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, cited the precedent of the Duke of England Zhang Mao, requesting the posthumous conferral of a princely title on his elder brother Zhu Zhu Xizhong.

The Ministry of Personnel stated that the posthumous conferral of Zhang Mao could not be used as a precedent. Although Zhu Xizhong served through three reigns, he only fulfilled the ordinary duties of a subject and official, never achieving extraordinary feats on the border or facing great difficulties in war. His rewards during his lifetime were sufficient to compensate for his labor, and it was difficult to grant him superior honors for his merits after death. Posthumously conferring a princely title was truly not appropriate.

The Emperor issued a rescript saying that without merits on the border, one should not be conferred as a prince. Because Zhu Xizhong's merits were high but difficult to confer as a prince, he was granted the title of Earl of the Cheng-Guo Prefecture, moved to the Southern Zhili, and a new prefecture was established, stationed at the Longjiang Shipyard.

Because Zhu Zhu Xixiao, in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had violated regulations by making excessive requests, he was ordered to stay in retirement.

When the order was issued, everyone praised the Emperor for his clear rewards and punishments.

These were all contents from the court gazette.

In addition, there were other contents, such as the Emperor holding a court ceremony at the Huangji Hall for all officials to offer congratulations and perform the eight-bow ritual, the promotion of Zhang Chen, Assistant Regional Commander of the Western Route of the Jizhou Garrison, to the rank of Assistant Regional Regional Commander while continuing to assist in the defense, the dismissal of Li Congshan, the coordinator under the Ren post in Luowengu, and the order for Qi Qi Jiguang, Left Regional Commander, to return to the capital to report on his duties.

After Liu Liu Sanpao read it once and formed a general impression, he folded it carefully and put it into the box at his side.

He glanced at the bright sky; it was just past noon, which was a suitable time to waste away.

Liu Liu Sanpao couldn't wait to take out a stack of new newspapers from the box beside him and place them on the table.

These were newspapers from the previous few issues; he had already read the other contents and had specifically saved "The Legend of the Heroes of Yuan and Ming" unread, preparing to save them up and read them all at once for enjoyment.

Liu Liu Sanpao had finished reading the second volume last time.

It was just at the point where the world was in chaos, the people were destitute, and even the Huangjue Temple, which wealthy families often made offerings to, could not make ends meet. Thus, the unlucky Zhu Chongba was sent away by the abbot of Huangjue Temple to wander the world and fend for himself.

Zhu Chongba left Huangjue Temple, went south from Haozhou to Hefei, then turned west into Henan, walked all the way north to Ruzhou, Chenzhou, and other places, went east through Luyi and Bozhou, and his footprints covered the north and south of the Yangtze River.

And every section during his wanderings could be described as ups and downs, making people applaud in admiration.

Surprise: outwitting mountain bandits to escape cleverly.

Danger: fighting evil cults where demonic monks delude the masses.

Anger: joining forces with heroes to kill corrupt officials.

Luck: forming good bonds when the White Lotus appears in the world.

It was not until Zhu Chongba ended his "growth period" and returned to Huangjue Temple that the story came to a temporary end; the ordinary Zhu Chongba from the first volume had gradually become brave and resourceful.

And Liu Liu Sanpao, having suffered from the slow updates, swore that he would never open this text again until a volume was finished.

Fortunately, after this issue came out today, the third volume was finally published.

Liu Liu Sanpao took out the latest issue of the newspaper from his bosom and placed it at the bottom of the stack of new newspapers.

After checking the order, he rubbed his hands, nodded with satisfaction, and began to read with relish.

It is said that after Zhu Chongba returned to Huangjue Temple, the world was in turmoil, the Red Turban Army rose up, and the bold declared themselves kings; the White Lotus Cult attacked cities and seized strongholds, establishing their own government...

Days spent reading novels always pass quickly.

Noon gradually turned to dusk, and the bright sky just a moment ago seemed to darken in the blink of an eye.

Creak...

With a groan from the old door, Liu Liu Sanpao's room door was slowly opened.

Liu Liu Sanpao was startled before he came back to his senses, and when he looked up, he saw his grandfather standing at the door.

He hurriedly stood up: "Grandfather."

Liu Daneng had his trouser legs rolled up, his lower legs were covered in mud, he was carrying a bucket in his hand, and he squeezed out a smile on his face: "We're eating fish today, may there be fish every year."

Liu Liu Sanpao wanted to speak but stopped, and finally couldn't help but advise: "Grandfather, the academy issued quite a lot of New Year's goods, enough for us to use for the New Year; don't go picking up other people's fish anymore."

Liu Daneng frowned: "That is your marriage fund; if you don't know how to be frugal, do you want to be a bachelor for the rest of your life and let the Liu family line end?"

Having said this, he snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Clearly, he was unhappy because his mood had been spoiled.

Liu Liu Sanpao was already used to this kind of conversation where they were talking at cross-purposes, so he silently began to tidy up the things on the table, then walked out of the room to prepare the evening meal with his grandfather.

His ancestral home was a farming family in Guangdong, and his family had always been poor.

As for how a poor family could move to the capital...

Liu Liu Sanpao's father was originally a child student, and after marrying and having children, he continued his studies at the government school.

And then he died suddenly.

Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the normal state of human life.

But after Liu's father died, Liu Liu Sanpao's mother was heartbroken and sought death repeatedly; people from the surrounding villages tried to dissuade her, and finally, it alarmed the county government to come and offer condolences.

Unfortunately, although she was stopped more than ten times, when Liu's father was buried and Liu's mother was keeping vigil alone, she couldn't be stopped—she "swallowed a block and hit the coffin hole," which is to say, she bumped her head to death to follow him in death.

At that time, Liu Liu Sanpao was only three years old and personally experienced all of this.

When he thought about this in his childhood, there was only grief in his heart.

When he grew up, he felt some resentment toward his mother for leaving him behind.

Until... he looked at the memorial arch for the chaste woman in his home.

Until he knew that the memorial arch for the chaste woman could exempt taxes, exempt corvée labor, and allow entry into the county office without examination.

Until he remembered his mother's strange behavior of seeking death more than ten times.

Only then did Liu Liu Sanpao understand that behind every incomprehensible thing, there is a reason.

And from that time on, Liu Liu Sanpao developed an uncontrollable resistance to so-called chaste women, the principles of Neo-Confucianism, and even the Four Books and Five Classics.

Once the resistance arose, what followed naturally was that his classical studies plummeted.

His grandfather Liu Daneng saw this in his eyes and was anxious in his heart, and he heard somewhere that the prefectural and provincial examinations in Shuntian Prefecture were far simpler than those in other places.

So he sold the tax-exemption quota to the local gentry, exchanged it for a large sum of silver, and led Liu Liu Sanpao to Shuntian Prefecture.

Unfortunately, even though Liu Liu Sanpao's household registration had changed to that of a superior person, he could not change his resistant mindset.

His studies had never improved.

Fortunately, by a stroke of luck, he was admitted to the new academy outside the Donghua Gate through his talent in side-path skills like mathematics.

This result of settling for second best had disappointed his grandfather Liu Daneng for a long time.

Liu Liu Sanpao looked at his grandfather's busy figure, couldn't help but sigh, and stepped forward to help his grandfather.

Tonight, according to the customs of Guangdong, they were to make a fish head soup, and the fish body would be steamed.

The grandfather and grandson worked together, and this first lunar month was not considered lonely.

Liu Liu Sanpao had a flexible mind and was always able to do two things at once when doing these things.

He thought again of the article he had published in the new newspaper last time.

That was the closest he had ever been to the Emperor—the Emperor thought his logic was a bit scattered and personally gave him pointers on how to layout and use words.

Unfortunately, there were no stories like in the storybooks where he gained the favor of a noble person, was given countless opportunities, and then soared to the sky in one step.

He was only paid for his manuscript based on the layout fee, and there were no other benefits.

Perhaps it was because his thinking about "force" was not accurate enough.

At that time, he said that an object is stationary when it is not subjected to force, and the Emperor did not quite agree.

And he asked him in return, if this were the case, then after the force was removed in an instant, the object should stop instantly instead of continuing to move.

This made Liu Liu Sanpao realize that he might have thought something wrong.

Although the Emperor finally recognized the inspiration brought by his ideas and included the manuscript.

But afterward, Liu Liu Sanpao had been thinking about this problem.

Where exactly was it wrong?

Liu Liu Sanpao sprinkled a few grains of coarse salt into the fish head soup absent-mindedly.

The object itself is stationary... it only moves after force is applied... then, after the object loses the effect of force, the object should indeed return to a stationary state immediately.

Why does it take a period of time to stop?

Could it be that the force was not removed immediately, and the example he thought of had hidden mysteries?

Or... his premise itself was wrong, and an object not subjected to force is not necessarily stationary?

Liu Liu Sanpao let his imagination run wild.

For a while, he had no clue.

Even until he finished eating, he was still thinking about this problem.

This was when the two of them were cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks.

Knock.

Knock, knock, knock.

A short and forceful knock on the door sounded.

The grandfather and grandson reacted immediately and hurried to open the door—in the poor alley and humble room, neighbors mostly shouted or slapped the door, rarely knocking so politely. In the past two months, only Liu Liu Sanpao's classmates and teachers had such wealthy manners.

Liu Liu Sanpao hurriedly wiped his hands on his clothes.

Liu Daneng turned his back to tidy up his beard and hair and squeezed out a smile.

Liu Liu Sanpao stood behind Liu Daneng, watching the door being pulled open, and sure enough, he saw his teacher standing at the door.

"Teacher Li."

"Young Master Li!"

Li Li Chengming stood at the door and nodded to Liu Daneng with a smile: "Elder, I am borrowing your son for a while."

As he spoke, he beckoned to Liu Liu Sanpao.

Liu Daneng tactfully dodged away.

Liu Liu Sanpao pursed his lips, paused for a moment, and then lowered his head and walked toward Li Li Chengming.

Every time this Teacher Li came, he never asked about his grandfather's name, but whenever there was something to do, he never consulted his grandfather's opinion, taking it for granted that he could be summoned at will.

Although his manners and speech were full of etiquette, the arrogance in his bones was almost overwhelming.

This teacher was from a family of imperial relatives, so such arrogance was normal, but Liu Liu Sanpao still felt uncomfortable getting along with him.

And yet, he was his teacher.

It was truly extremely awkward.

Li Li Chengming turned and walked in front to lead the way, asking about his well-being: "Has this New Year been comfortable? Are you short of silver? The academy can advance you a quarter's share as appropriate."

Liu Liu Sanpao hurriedly replied: "I am not short of anything, Teacher."

Li Li Chengming nodded and started chatting about other family matters.

He was nineteen this year, and after two years of tempering, he had matured a lot compared to when he went to Zhejiang to acquire bankrupt sea merchants at seventeen.

After coming out of the narrow alley and walking onto the main road, Li Li Chengming, fearing walls have ears, began to talk about business: "I called you today for no other reason than to take you to a place."

Liu Liu Sanpao was startled.

He asked curiously: "Are we going to do an experiment?"

There were always many experiments in the academy.

Like throwing objects from high altitudes, dismantling waterwheels, etc.

Li Li Chengming shook his head and smiled: "No, we are going to the Siyi Shi Guan (Bureau of Translators)."

Liu Liu Sanpao looked blank.

The county academy and government school would not introduce the major government offices of the central government.

Seeing this, Li Li Chengming explained thoughtfully: "The Siyi Shi Guan is for receiving vassal states and has nine bureaus, including Mongol, Jurchen, Western Barbarian, Western Heaven, and Siam."

"It is mainly for translating for envoys who do not understand the language, and also for translating various foreign books."

Li Li Chengming, considering Liu Liu Sanpao's background, introduced it briefly and did not make it too complicated.

Hearing this, Liu Liu Sanpao was even more confused: "Then Teacher is taking me to..."

Li Li Chengming told him everything he knew, very open-mindedly: "Last time, regarding your thinking on force, the Emperor said that your desire to explore and curiosity are very rare."

"It just so happens that there are some foreign books in the Siyi Shi Guan that have similar thinking. The Emperor asked me to lend you the translated books for reference, hoping you will continue to work hard."

Liu Liu Sanpao was overjoyed and deeply grateful.

Li Li Chengming looked back at the young man behind him and couldn't help but feel some emotion.

Don't look at his cousin saying it was just a coincidence that there were some translations; in fact, he had been secretly collecting them for a year, sending several batches to the Siyi Shi Guan one after another, clearly taking it to heart.

Even so, he often privately complained that the progress was slow and the quality of the translations was low, etc.

As for whether there was a connection to the fact that Tu Tu Xiying, the Minister of the Court of Ceremonial, was sprayed until he retired home, Li Li Chengming just felt it was hard to say.

Anyway, he never dared to be negligent about things the Emperor entrusted to him.

It was the first lunar month, and there were more and more people in the capital after nightfall.

People were coming and going on the street, shoulder to shoulder.

The two walked very slowly.

The guards around Li Li Chengming also had to stay closer to avoid any omissions.

The Siyi Shi Guan was outside the Great Ming Gate.

It was close to the imperial road of the palace, so it was hard for it not to be lively.

Although the Emperor, in order to save silver, exempted the Aoshan Lantern Festival, he at least had some conscience and took out the long-stored gunpowder from the Bureau of Weapons and the Bureau of Military Equipment to make fireworks, barely making it bright.

In the Emperor's own words, it was called firecrackers ringing in unison, and a sea of people.

Along the way, there were flamboyant young masters showing off, groups of wealthy young ladies, scholars reciting poetry, children jumping and bouncing, along with pleasure boats, lantern riddles, singing girls soliciting customers, performers, fights, and playful children; it was hard for it not to be lively.

Liu Liu Sanpao passed through these prosperous places all the way—he did not pass through this direction on his way to the Donghua Gate for school.

Not to mention being dazzled, this atmosphere made his nose sore.

He stared at a couple with a child for a long time.

The father was holding the child on his shoulders, the mother was smiling like a flower beside them, and a firework exploded, illuminating the area and reflecting Liu Liu Sanpao's envious expression.

Suddenly, Liu Liu Sanpao only felt his shoulder being patted.

"Let's go." Li Li Chengming withdrew his hand and turned around.

Liu Liu Sanpao came back to his senses and hurriedly followed Li Li Chengming.

Not long after.

The two arrived outside the Court of Ceremonial.

The government office had a plaque with the two characters "Honglu," and lanterns were hung on the left and right of the gate, bright and imposing.

It was now the holiday period for the New Year, but there were still people on duty.

Li Li Chengming used the face of his imperial cousin, the Emperor, and took Liu Liu Sanpao straight in.

It was a restricted area of the government office, and Liu Liu Sanpao didn't know the rules, so he had to lower his head and didn't dare to look too much.

After following Li Li Chengming into a public office room, he dared to look up and look around curiously.

There was a clerk standing in the middle of the room, and seeing Li Li Chengming coming, he stood respectfully to one side.

Li Li Chengming waved his hand, and the clerk guarded outside the door.

In the center of the room was a small table, covered with books, and a chair was placed perfunctorily beside the table.

Besides that, the whole room was full of bookshelves.

Liu Liu Sanpao, by the dim candlelight, could only see that every book within his sight had crooked characters on it, clearly not Chinese characters.

"What is displayed on the bookshelf are all books that have not been translated yet."

Li Li Chengming said, then walked to the table and patted the books on the table: "These twenty or so books on the table are the translations."

"The academy has already told the Siyi Shi Guan; after school starts, you can come here to read these books, but you cannot damage them or take them away."

Liu Liu Sanpao hurriedly followed and cast his gaze toward the books on the table.

He said in surprise: "Are there so many books about force?"

Can a simple question extend into so many works?

Li Li Chengming shook his head and said in an elusive tone: "It's even more than this; these are books from a thousand years ago in the West, and later, books from recent years will be gradually translated."

"Of course, you had better only use the things of the foreign barbarians as reference and inspiration, and do not believe them entirely."

Liu Liu Sanpao was startled.

A thousand years ago... that was too long ago; at that time, I fear the West had not yet been civilized.

But his teacher was not a person who made a fuss about nothing.

Liu Liu Sanpao, with curiosity, picked up a book from the table... "On Floating Bodies," the title was very strange.

He looked at the author again, well, the name was also very strange, Archimedes; he didn't sound like a person with good fortune.

Liu Liu Sanpao wiped the cold sweat from his hands, opened the first page, and began to read.

Li Li Chengming patted Liu Liu Sanpao on the shoulder and instructed: "Read slowly; just tell the clerk outside the door when you finish. I won't accompany you."

Seeing that Liu Liu Sanpao didn't respond at all, he smiled and turned to leave the room.

After Li Li Chengming instructed the clerk outside the door again.

He did not leave the Court of Ceremonial directly, but instead went around toward the main hall of the Court of Ceremonial.

The main hall of the Court of Ceremonial was brightly lit, with two Embroidered Uniform Guards guarding the door.

Seeing Li Li Chengming coming, they did not stop him and let Li Li Chengming enter the main hall.

There was another figure sitting in a chair in the main hall, reading by the lamp at night.

Standing beside him was a person with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, imposing without being angry.

"Your Majesty, I have brought the person over." Li Li Chengming saluted softly.

The person sitting in the main hall of the Court of Ceremonial was none other than the Emperor himself.

At this time, Zhu Zhu Yijun was reading "The Book of Calculation."

He didn't lift his head and gave a grunt: "Tell Xu Jie that this will be the precedent from now on; those with sufficient talent should be sent to read the translated books of foreign vassals."

Li Li Chengming was a bit puzzled, but he didn't ask much: "I obey the decree."

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked up at Li Li Chengming and waved his hand: "Since you came out secretly, don't be so rigid; get up, we are all family, ask directly if you have anything to ask."

Hearing this, Li Li Chengming slowly stood up.

After pondering for a moment, he asked cautiously: "Your Majesty, I have also read a few of the translations given to Liu Liu Sanpao. Since they are stones from other hills, why not print another copy directly for the students of the academy to borrow?"

Only to see the Emperor suddenly close the book and say something without beginning or end: "Are they really just stones from other hills?"

Li Li Chengming was silent for a moment.

Finally, he answered: "Perhaps there are golden words, but I don't understand them."

Zhu Zhu Yijun laughed; not understanding is the greatest understanding.

He stood up and stretched, then followed up on Li Li Chengming's question and answered: "You have opened one of the seven orifices, so you can see them as ordinary books."

"If someone who hasn't opened the seven orifices reads them, they will either discard them like worn-out shoes or be directly harmed."

"Only by reaching the threshold can one read these things and turn them into one's own use, pushing through the old to bring forth the new."

The most important thing is the heart's orifice.

Only by seeking knowledge to read these things can they be called stones from other hills.

Enlightenment, enlightenment, how can it rely entirely on spoon-feeding? If the true nature of the foundation is not changed, reading more will be harmful rather than beneficial.

Why can only Liu Liu Sanpao read them?

Because he has truly begun to think about things in the material world!

Although it is a very simple thought, although it is a clumsy summary, and errors are everywhere, this is the sign of having opened the heart's orifice!

This is a very important premise.

Zhu Zhu Yijun wants students who have opened their heart's orifices, not academic tailors who have read through translations.

Does the Great Ming Dynasty urgently need to engage in scientific things to save its life?

It's not that urgent yet.

Contrary to being eager for quick success and instant benefits, natural philosophy is to lay the foundation for future generations—he is not delusional enough to see the unification of the four basic forces in his lifetime.

Since it is not urgent, it must be done steadily.

On one hand, open academies to select students, give them corresponding social status, and support corresponding interest groups.

On the other hand, let the leaders take the backbone to push through the old and bring forth the new, slowly evolve, and establish a system based on their own cultural connotations.

Even if they chew on the content Liu Liu Sanpao has chewed, they cannot directly show students the translations.

Only the indigenous culture derived from one's own thinking is more stable.

If it is completely Westernized, what is the point?

Li Li Chengming didn't quite understand, and didn't know what it meant to be harmed, but he nodded thoughtfully: "No wonder the translations chosen by Your Majesty are so ancient; it turns out it was because you didn't want to affect the students' true selves."

Zhu Zhu Yijun laughed: "True self, this word is used correctly; it is indeed to maintain the true self, but it is not just the students'."

"Also, it's not that I deliberately chose such ancient ones, but that in the West, thinking about mechanics has also been regressing rather than advancing over the past thousand years."

"It's no better than ours."

At this time, Galileo and Newton were still young.

Natural philosophy had not yet formed a system.

It would have to wait until, relying on philosophical speculation, the authority to judge right and wrong was transferred from the church citing the Bible to scientific demonstration, that is, after decentralization, before these people would have a share in founding their own schools.

This point has many similarities with the current Great Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zhu Yijun stuffed the "Book of Calculation" in his hand into Li Li Chengming's arms: "If you have finished reading the previous 'Elements of Geometry', you can look at this one."

After finishing geometry, it's time to learn Fibonacci's algebra.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at his cousin, sigh, unfortunately, his talent is limited, he can only learn from predecessors and cannot push through the old to bring forth the new; otherwise, after one plus one, he should start engaging in algebraic geometry integration.

Li Li Chengming, who was secretly teased, was completely unaware and silently accepted the translation gifted by the Emperor.

Then he saluted respectfully: "Your Majesty, I will escort Your Majesty back to the palace."

The Emperor came out secretly; if he doesn't go back early, if Empress Dowager Li finds out, the one who will be unlucky will definitely not be the Emperor.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was displeased: "I just came out, what's the hurry? I'm moving to the sleeping palace the day after tomorrow, and I won't have this opportunity then."

Li Li Chengming's expression turned bitter, and he was speechless.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhu Yijun comforted him: "Don't be afraid, Viceroy Gu and the Embroidered Uniform Guards are following, and I won't play any 'White Dragon in Fish Clothes' (incognito) games."

Li Li Chengming looked up at Gu Gu Huan, the Viceroy of the Beijing Garrison beside the Emperor, and barely twitched the corners of his mouth.

He looked uneasy and asked cautiously: "Where else does Your Majesty want to go?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun had already made a plan and laughed: "Isn't there a literary gathering at Gu Assistant County Magistrate's clubhouse tonight? Find me a private room with a good view where I can hear clearly; I'm going to listen in."

(End of this chapter)