When the mainstream books in China were the Four Books and the Five Classics, most scholars regarded them as classics and this would continue for hundreds of years.
The West has already used various instruments to conduct physical and chemical experiments and recorded scientific principles in books;
While Yongli was dreaming of a secluded place in Yunnan, an apple had already hit Newton on the head; the mayor of Magdeburg was whipping his horse with a whip and competing with the two hemispheres.
Well, all this will end in the hands of our wise and powerful young emperor, who knows the past five hundred years, the future five hundred years, and wants to live another five hundred years.
Ginis, Johann Adam Schall von Bell and others exchanged glances with expressions of surprise and astonishment.
What the young emperor dictated were basically books on natural sciences, and they were very accurate.
Such as "The Telescope", an optical work that introduces Galileo's telescope, "The Complete Book of Mining and Metallurgy", a masterpiece on mining and metallurgical technology written by a German miner and metallurgist, and even "On the Structure of the Human Body", which involves anatomy.
Xu Guangqi was also very shocked. He only knew that the young emperor was very interested in Western learning, so he asked him to find some foreigners, give them the right to meet him, and specifically named Johann Adam Schall von Bell.
But he didn't expect that the young emperor was so familiar with Western things, or that he had a considerable understanding of technology.
Could it be that he got inspiration from being a carpenter, or was he secretly learning Western skills in order to become a better carpenter?
Xu Guangqi shook his head and dismissed this unreliable idea.
Zhu Youxiao paused, still feeling somewhat unsatisfied. He took a sip from his teacup and said, "That's all for now. Translate and publish it as soon as possible. I've also approved the construction of a library in Beijing. You can grant me the building now. As for—"
After a pause and hesitation, the young emperor finally made a decision amidst the anxious and expectant gazes of the crowd.
"You may reside permanently in Beijing and temporarily preach according to the 'Ricci Rules.' In the future, whether the rules will be added to, subtracted from, or modified, and whether the area of residence will be expanded, will depend on the specific social response and the Jesuits' contributions and assistance to our Ming Dynasty."
The so-called "Matteo Ricci Rules" are Christian missionary strategies and methods that have been compromised and modified to suit the characteristics of the Chinese people.
It probably includes the following points: Confucianism excludes Buddhism, missionaries grow beards and hair, wear Chinese scholar clothing, and maintain a tolerant attitude towards traditional Chinese customs. Chinese believers can continue the traditional worship of heaven, ancestors, and Confucius;
Religious ceremonies were held in Chinese characters, local people were allowed to serve as clergy, and the Bible could be translated into Chinese;
They also refer to the Catholic "God" as "Lord of Heaven," acknowledging that the traditional Chinese concepts of "Heaven," "God," and "Laotian" are essentially no different from the Catholic "one true God."
That’s right, “God” is the concept of the supreme god in the Chinese Confucian classics “The Book of Songs”, “The Book of History”, “The Book of Rites” and the Twenty-Four Histories. It is a word that has existed in China since ancient times.
In ancient times, it also referred to the gods who ruled over all things, as well as ancient emperors. For example, "The vast God, the guardian of the people" and "This is the secret of God, passed down by the ancient teacher."
In other words, Matteo Ricci changed the concept, making Catholicism easier for the Chinese to accept.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. Learning from history, it was their consensus to preach according to the "Matteo Ricci Rules" and there was no resistance.
Historically, after Matteo Ricci's death, some fanatical missionaries believed that Ricci was too accommodating to the Chinese and was too slow in developing believers, so they adopted radical missionary methods.
It was precisely because they rejected Confucianism and strictly prohibited Chinese believers from offering sacrifices to heaven, ancestors, and Confucius that they aroused the disgust and suspicion of the public. Shen Guan, the Nanjing Ministry of Rites Minister who was partial to Buddhism, took advantage of the opportunity and caused the "Nanjing Incident."
This blow dealt a heavy blow to the spread of Catholicism in China. Missionaries were expelled, imprisoned, and even killed, leaving them with almost no foothold in mainland China.
The lesson is profound. How could people like Nicolas Trigault and Johann Adam Schall von Bell repeat the same mistakes?
Therefore, as soon as these missionaries set foot on Chinese soil, the first thing they had to do was to carefully study the Chinese language and culture, and even aimed to master Beijing Mandarin.
Then, they took off their monk robes, put on Confucian robes, and devoted themselves to studying Chinese classics, history, and ethics, looking for the points of integration between Eastern and Western cultures.
At the same time, they also focused on interacting with celebrities from both the government and the public, hoping to win the favor and trust of Chinese literati and scholars. This was also the missionary strategy of "combining Confucianism and transcending Confucianism" pioneered by Matteo Ricci.
Ginnige bowed and said, "Your Majesty, besides translating books, I wonder what other kind of help I can provide to satisfy you."
"First, let's build a gun factory." Zhu Youxiao pointed at Tang Ruowang. "Let Missionary Tang be in charge of supervising the construction."
Tang Ruowang bowed and said, "It is an honor to serve Your Majesty."
Zhu Youxiao smiled and nodded, then casually picked up the telescope and said, "As for this telescope and the instruments and equipment you brought, I need a lot, but it would take too long to purchase them from overseas. So, we can proceed with the purchase and construction at the same time, hoping to complete it in the shortest possible time."
After a pause, the young emperor added, "If you can recruit craftsmen and technicians from overseas, or scholars and teachers, they will all be treated generously, and you will also be rewarded."
Whether it was adopting the theory of taking what was available, introducing and learning from it, or purchasing it directly, Zhu Youxiao was prepared to use them all and start modern scientific research in the Ming Dynasty in the shortest possible time.
Science and technology are the productive forces, and science and technology can revitalize a country. Zhu Youxiao firmly believes in this.
Ginni nodded vigorously and said, "As Your Majesty wishes, we are willing to do our best to complete your mission."
What the young emperor said was not difficult to do, and they did not need to go back to Europe. They just needed to ask the merchant ships returning home to purchase and recruit.
As for manufacturing locally in China, there is no problem with guns and cannons, but there are some difficulties with the transparent glass. However, it is not insurmountable. At worst, we can wait for the recruited craftsmen and mirror makers to arrive and then manufacture it.
"Mr. Xu," Zhu Youxiao said, turning to Xu Guangqi, "I will leave the arrangements for Missionary Jin and the others in your care. They can also write memorials and petitions, which you will submit. I will immediately arrange for office space and the necessary funds. You should begin your work as soon as possible."
"Also, the 'Elements of Geometry' and 'The Principles of Measurement' translated by Xu Qing and Matteo Ricci have begun to be printed and will be available soon." The young emperor smiled, revealing two rows of white teeth.
"The work of recruiting orphans of appropriate age from across the country has already begun, starting with the capital and expanding to Shuntian Prefecture. The teaching at the Academy must also be prepared as soon as possible!"
"Elements of Geometry" and "Principles of Surveying" are so important that, not to mention their great use in manufacturing and surveying, they are also indispensable for artillery aiming and ranging.
Horizontal throw, oblique throw... cut, the oblique throw formula is too damn difficult, I gave it all back to the teacher!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
