Chapter 35 Taishu Jiu: Who Blown Up My School?
Qin didn't think it was necessary to use sulfur to bleach paper to make it white. While sulfur dioxide produced by burning sulfur could indeed bleach animal hair, leather, and paper, these things would turn yellow under direct sunlight, so this bleaching method wasn't very effective.
Why not simply replace the raw material with tender bamboo, and put a medicinal liquid made from the leaves of a plant similar to peach and bamboo leaves into the papermaking vat? The resulting paper will naturally be pure white.
It was also the most useful method of making bamboo paper that emerged later.
She tried to ascertain the other party's identity. At this time, sulfur was a primary ingredient in alchemy, so…
"Tsk, I think he's gotten so used to alchemy that he even adds sulfur to papermaking..." 'Qin' glanced at Xu Fu speechlessly and complained, "If he loves sulfur so much, he should study gunpowder instead. Gunpowder is also made primarily of sulfur."
With many ministers watching, Ying Zheng did not dare to ask Qin in public whether sulfur was used in papermaking, or what gunpowder was.
He looked at Xu Fu, who was waiting, paused, and casually asked, "What is the position of squad leader?"
Xu Fu respectfully replied, "Your Highness, Master Taishu has grouped us fifty-two into one class, and I am the class leader appointed by Master Taishu. I am responsible for managing the class and collecting and distributing homework on a daily basis."
He then pointed and said, "Papermaking is something we've learned recently; these are the work of the little people."
He carefully arranged the items into a stack, picked them up, and handed them to Ying Zheng.
Ying Zheng took the stack of papers; they were indeed excellent, pure white and flawless. After reading them, he put them back in Xu Fu's hands without making any special comment.
He still remembered what his motherland had said: papermaking didn't seem to require sulfur. So what was the point of using sulfur to fumigate it? Was it to make it more expensive?
It must be said that Ying Zheng had grasped the true essence of alchemy: alchemy is simply putting expensive materials into a furnace to refine them.
If the ingredients weren't expensive, how could they trick princes and ministers into eating them? If they weren't expensive, how could they quote an exorbitant price to freeload off the princes?
Unfortunately, most of the expensive materials at this time are heavy metals, so if you actually ingest them... the consequences are predictable.
Xu Fu had a sudden inspiration. He tore a piece of paper in half and said with a smile, "Listen to this sound. My teacher once said that good paper has a pleasant sound."
"The Grand Chancellor actually said something like that?" Ying Zheng took the paper with a skeptical look and tried it out himself. He didn't find it particularly pleasant to hear. "I don't find the sound of this paper tearing pleasant. Next time, let's not waste it."
'Qin' seemed to recall something because of Xu Fu's words, and a slightly sad expression appeared on his face: "The Grand Chancellor did say that. At that time, it was King Zhaoxiang who heard these words. Now, things have changed."
She sighed softly. Those present couldn't hear her voice, but with that sigh, they inexplicably felt a cool breeze blowing through the bright weather, and a sense of sorrow welled up in their hearts, suddenly giving them a feeling of lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn.
But no one showed it, not even Ying Zheng. He merely felt a tremor in his heart and sighed inwardly, but his face remained calm and serious.
"Only, I was being reckless."
"Fine, you lead the way, I'll take a good look at this so-called 'school'."
"Yes, Your Highness, please." Xu Fu first bowed and greeted Ying Zheng and the many court officials behind him, then raised his hand to invite Ying Zheng and the others to follow him into the school.
Ying Zheng secretly observed the mother country members strolling around him out of the corner of his eye, thinking about finding a time to talk to them about it.
Her emotions came and went quickly; she promptly put King Zhaoxiang out of her mind, which was evident from her quickened pace. It seemed she had spotted something interesting and had already entered the depths of the campus ahead of the rest of the group.
****
This place is called a school, but it's actually the large mansion near Xianyang Palace that King Zhaoxiang Ying Ji gifted to it.
Because Taishu Jiu himself didn't live in the city much, when he later wanted to set up a school but lacked space, he simply converted the land into a school.
We must also thank King Zhaoxiang Ying Ji for his generosity. Such a large mansion is rare in Xianyang City these days, and it can easily accommodate less than two hundred students.
There are also some empty rooms that can be converted into dormitory-style accommodations for students.
Because the area under Taishu Jiu's control is the largest source of grain in the world, the school he runs naturally needs food, and all the food and lodging at the school are free.
He didn't accept the tuition fees that were popular in this era, and even gave the students food.
Leaving aside the wealthy alchemists and Mohists, the remaining students were still very grateful to him.
Now, Xu Fu led a group of people through the campus. The students coming and going were all from the school, both male and female. They were all very natural, and when they met, they greeted each other politely and then took their leave to go about their business.
After taking a stroll around the campus, Xu Fucai led everyone to visit their classrooms.
“In the morning, there is usually free time. The classrooms of the three classes will be empty, or you can go to the classroom on the east side to learn to read and write,” Xu Fu pointed to the east, where the sound of reading could be heard from time to time, and added, “However, the Mo family or alchemists generally do not go there. Only illiterate craftsmen will go to learn.”
"The chemistry classroom over there should be empty. Would you like to go and take a look?"
Xu Fu skillfully used the 'professional terminology' that Taishu Jiu had taught him, while also having his own ulterior motives. As someone who was involved in the field of chemistry, he naturally wanted to invite His Highness the Crown Prince to visit their chemistry class first!
Most importantly, there are basically no people in the chemistry class in the morning, which is the safest time of day, so he doesn't have to worry about accidentally being accused of assassinating the crown prince.
Ying Zheng pointed in the direction Qin had left: "Was it over there?"
Xu Fu shook his head after looking at it: "Your Highness, that is a chemistry laboratory, not a chemistry class."
"Then I'll go check out this 'chemistry lab'."
Xu Fu hesitated before advising, "Your Highness, perhaps... we should just forget about it. The laboratory is a little dangerous."
Seeing Ying Zheng's expression that said, "I won't listen, I'm going anyway," Xu Fu was anxious. Did he not know the character of the group of people in the chemistry class?
When the king summoned all the magicians in the country to the palace, he traveled a long way, thinking it was a good job. In the end, the king tested his skills and selected fifty-two people to be put into this school.
Although he has now come to like this novel school and Mr. Taishu, who is also the principal and teacher, he still can't forget Qin Wangzichu's test for them.
Doesn't he understand his peers? Those people claim to have real skills? They're just using tricks!
While it's true that you can fool people, well... never mind that's not the point. The point is that some of the people they sent over weren't normal. To normal people, they seemed crazy, and to crazy people, they seemed insane.
The only time he could be peaceful was when Taishu Jiu was around.
Now that the Crown Prince of Qin is going to a dangerous laboratory, he can only... clear the area first to prevent anyone from secretly refining pills inside.
Xu Fu wore a sorrowful expression and said tactfully, "Please allow me, Your Highness, to have the people inside make room for you..."
They were practically shouting that there was an assassin.
Xu Fu was also shocked, his pupils dilating in disbelief. Which student was secretly refining elixirs inside and then blew up the laboratory?!
Don't ask him why he said "again"... Xu Fu quickly turned to look at Ying Zheng's expression and explained in a very fast voice: "It's nothing, it's nothing, it's just that the alchemy furnace exploded."
"It's not like the whole school exploded, so it's not a big problem."
"The lab is dangerous, I'll go check it out first."
Ying Zheng pushed Xu Fu aside and strode towards the laboratory. Even though he knew that his motherland would not be harmed by such a small accident, he was still subconsciously worried.
Concern can cloud judgment; all I could think about was getting to her side as quickly as possible.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, you can't go in!" Xu Fu anxiously followed Ying Zheng, but dared not actually reach out to pull him away. He could only plead with a pained expression, "Your Highness, if there's no fire inside, then everything's fine. Don't believe me! Let me go and call the people inside out, and we'll tidy things up before you go in..."
He was afraid that when Ying Zheng went in, the unburnt materials inside would explode again. If something happened, the principal, as a pillar of the country, would be fine, but he, a mere sorcerer, would surely be buried with him.
For the sake of his own life, he mustered his courage and ran in front of Ying Zheng, spreading his arms to block him: "Your Highness, please listen to my advice. There's really nothing to see in the laboratory. It's just an empty room with a few tables. Teacher Taishu hasn't had time to set it up yet. Usually..." Its biggest use is probably for some people to secretly refine elixirs inside.
Xu Fu seemed to be wearing a mask of pain. Why did he have to choose this moment to refine elixirs? He could feel his heart throbbing with every breath.
Just as Ying Zheng was about to push Xu Fu aside to go inside, a disheveled man ran out of the laboratory with a look of joy on his face: "It's blown up! It's really blown up!"
"Oh, it's Class Monitor Xu." The newcomer calmed down, wiped his face, and said that Xu Fu was the most popular and eloquent person in the class, so he was the class monitor. He took a deep breath and said excitedly, "The academic representative, I saw it next door, she blew up the lab!"
"Ahem, no, it's just that the thing exploded!"
An old man came running from a distance, panting, and first bowed to Ying Zheng: "This humble subject greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Ying Zheng failed to enter the laboratory after going back and forth, and could only help the old scholar up first: "Old sir, there's no need for such formalities."
The old man was the teacher who taught the craftsmen to read. He was usually quite kind, but now he was so angry that he was puffing out his beard and glaring: "Didn't I tell you yesterday that His Highness the Crown Prince was coming to inspect the country with his ministers today? What are you doing? You've really embarrassed me!"
He preemptively reprimanded Xu Fu and the alchemist behind him: "Go and reflect on your mistakes!" Only after saying this did he apologize to Ying Zheng, "Your Highness has been frightened. I will definitely teach them a lesson later."
Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow, finding the old man quite interesting; he hadn't even said anything yet, and the old man had already finished speaking.
Even officials who are good at cultivating a respectful and courteous image find it difficult to punish people. This old gentleman seems to have taken all the officials here into account. He said, "No need to reflect on your actions. You just ran out with a happy look on your face. It must be a good thing, right?"
The alchemist who had just come out then realized that the boy, who was about ten years old, was actually His Highness the Crown Prince who had come to inspect the area. He hurriedly paid his respects and then said, "Your Highness, it is indeed a good thing. My teacher, Taishu, taught us thunder magic before and mentioned gunpowder, a derivative of thunder magic. Senior sister must have succeeded, which is why there is such a commotion."
"Your Highness, this is wonderful news!" Xu Fu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and quickly tried to excuse his class's academic representative, "The academic representative must have been so engrossed in her research that she neglected her sleep and meals..."
Xu Fu realized his mistake halfway through his sentence and hurriedly asked, "Is Ji Yu alright?"
But the Taoist priest who came out suddenly looked bewildered. He tried to recall the scene, but couldn't remember what had happened. He stammered, "Is everything alright?"
Ying Zheng immediately guessed that his mother must be inside. While the old master was asking Xu Fu what was going on and no one was paying attention to him, he slipped past and entered the laboratory.
There was no other way; His Highness the Crown Prince had already gone in, so a whole string of people rushed in after him. Wang Yuan was at the very front, and it was time for him to show his status as a capable subordinate of His Highness the Crown Prince!
****
As soon as Ying Zheng entered the laboratory, he waved away the thin layer of dust in front of him. Sunlight streamed into the room through the wide-open window, and the particles, tinged with a pale gold by the sunlight, floated in the air.
He saw Motherland smiling gently at the woman beside her, and the woman was also laughing, only more arrogantly. She laughed loudly: "Hahaha, it's done! As expected, Teacher Taishu was right, gunpowder is feasible."
Qin leaned forward, his hands resting on the table, intently watching the things in the hands of the person next to him. Hearing the noise at the door, he turned his head and smiled gently: "Zheng'er is here, come and see."
The woman also looked up at the approaching boy, and she keenly noticed that his gaze was not fixed on her.
Ji Yu said with absolute certainty, "You can see her too."
Ying Zheng frowned, displeased. What did he mean by saying he could do it too? He should be the one saying that.
He said coldly, "That's the question I should be asking you."
The people who followed her in only heard the second half of the sentence. They all looked at the woman standing in the sunlight in the center of the room with confusion. What did she say?
Why did they come in like this? It's not what I expected.
Ji Yu laughed, a wild and slightly neurotic laugh. Her answer was completely irrelevant: "I told you I'm not seeing things or crazy. His Highness the Crown Prince can see it too. You can't possibly question whether His Highness the Crown Prince has a problem with his brain, can you?"
Ying Zheng: ...
In an instant, he guessed why this person could see. He looked at 'Qin' with a puzzled gaze, wanting to ask her in public if she was crazy, but if he asked, he would indirectly insult himself, so he didn't ask.
Seeing this, 'Qin' leaned close to Ji Yu's ear and said, "Are you crazy?"
Of those present, only Ying Zheng could hear the question. Ji Yu looked bewildered, staring at 'Qin' for a while before clutching his head in confusion...
"Why can't I hear, can't understand, can't remember, can't distinguish..." She closed her eyes tightly and then opened them again, as if trying to sort out her chaotic mind.
Ying Zheng was inexplicably pleased by Ji Yu's words, perhaps because only he could see and hear them and he was still a normal person.
Seeing Ying Zheng's relieved expression, 'Qin' smiled slightly, her eyes narrowed so subtly that it was almost impossible to discern what she was thinking... But was he really still a normal person? She smiled without saying a word.
Ying Zheng knew that one could not reason with fanatics, especially not with those who were both intelligent and fanatical about something. So he acted as if nothing had just happened and turned to Xu Fu, saying, "Have someone tidy up the laboratory first."
In a way, Yu was lucky this season. She was on the edge of the normal and the abnormal. She could see but couldn't hear. She was in the middle of an explosion but her mother was able to save her. How could she not be called "mad in time"?
Ji Yu pondered for a moment before realizing, "Oh, so this is His Highness the Crown Prince who came to inspect the area." She suddenly understood and bowed to Ying Zheng, saying, "Ji Yu greets His Highness the Crown Prince."
Ying Zheng automatically translated it in his mind: Ji, the fourth son in the family, Yu, the surname Yu.
He nodded calmly: "What you just made is gunpowder?"
When Ji Yu talked about gunpowder, he became excited again: "Of course!"
She added regretfully, "It's a pity it was all blown up just now, and the lab was destroyed too. I don't know if the money my family gave me this month will be enough to rebuild the lab..."
Ying Zheng actually quite admired Ji Yu, mainly because the power of gunpowder had just been demonstrated, and it would be a pity not to use it on the battlefield.
"You don't need to pay for the lab's repairs. I will send people to rebuild it. Here, give them a reward."
The attendant following behind immediately handed Ji Yu a money bag. This was specially prepared for the inspection, with the intention of rewarding the outstanding students with money.
Ji Yu was stunned for a moment, then took the money bag and thanked him.
"However, we should put up a sign at the entrance of this chemistry lab from now on, prohibiting the ignition of gunpowder indoors."
Ji Yu gave an awkward yet polite smile at the right moment. She was quite obsessed with gunpowder, but she wasn't completely oblivious to social niceties.
She usually doesn't bother to put on an act, so she felt a little embarrassed when she was called out. But soon, she was happy that she could buy more ingredients to continue frying (crossed out).
The old scholar who followed in looked heartbroken. He severely reprimanded his granddaughter and decided to personally write the document "[Prohibition of igniting gunpowder indoors]". Knowing what kind of person his granddaughter was, he instructed her, "Next time, remember to find an open space, not in the laboratory."
She muttered to herself, "...Okay..."
The old scholar stepped forward, pulled his granddaughter around, and looked her over from left to right. He was worried about her, but also said matter-of-factly, "It seems that the gunpowder is not powerful enough. You need to keep trying. This is far from what Master Taishu described."
Ji Yu subconsciously turned around, and the direction she was looking was where 'Qin' was standing. She pointed at a pile of useless things: "What's wrong with it? The table is cracked in two."
The old scholar noticed it too, and looked bewildered: "How did you, Shu'er, emerge unscathed...?"
Ji Yu said earnestly, "It must be that gunpowder and I are destined to meet, and it can't bear to hurt me."
Qin covered her mouth and chuckled, clearly the child was afraid of being forbidden from researching gunpowder.
After Ji Yu finished speaking, she seemed to be lost in thought, as if she had forgotten something. She looked around blankly, and when she looked at Ying Zheng, it was as if she was trying to remember something, but she couldn't recall it.
A moment later, she really attributed her safety to being too lucky, as if the heavens were looking out for her!
If she can't master the art of explosives, who can?!
"Don't look anymore, she's already forgotten." 'Qin' walked to Ying Zheng's side. Since she spoke, no one in the room found the scene strange, as if Ji Yuzhen had only escaped because of luck.
Ying Zheng turned and walked out of the room, saying that he wanted to wander around by himself, and then shook off the ministers behind him.
He waited until no one was around before speaking, "When she could see, I was very dissatisfied. Now that she has forgotten you, I am angry. How could she forget your life-saving grace?"
Qin smiled helplessly: "Why are you suddenly acting so childish today?"
'Qin' turned to look at Ying Zheng and sighed, "No one was an exception before you. King Wu of Qin died after seeing me and trying to lift a tripod because of the conflict between the two states. Ying Ji died less than two years after seeing me."
“She is extremely lucky; she just forgot about me. My only wish is for my child to live a safe and healthy life.”
Ying Zheng was surprised but also found the matter quite reasonable: "When King Wu led his warriors Ren Bi, Wu Huo, Meng Shuo, and others to Eastern Zhou, after seeing the Zhou tripod, he competed with Meng Shuo in lifting it, and that was the reason..."
Qin's expression suddenly turned cold, and he said, "He saw me, or rather, he saw more than just me."
"Although I could see that his luck had suddenly broken down, I still... I shouldn't have argued with her out of anger. I affected him, and that caused him..."
The word lingered on her lips for a long time, but she never uttered it.
"Fortunately, she died at my hands in the end."
Ying Zheng understood that among those in Zhou, besides the Zhou people, there was only 'Zhou'.
With no one around, he spoke even more boldly, comforting 'Qin': "Mother, the past cannot be changed, so there's no need to care too much. Even if there was a mistake, I believe it was 'Zhou's' fault."
Qin was amused by Ying Zheng's serious expression. She said, "If Zhou hears you say that, she'll change her expression."
I wonder where he learned to lie so blatantly.
'Qin' believed that this person/country was definitely not her. She always said what she meant and never lied.
Ying Zheng, without changing his expression, told a hellish joke: "Then 'Zhou' will probably be even angrier, because she no longer needs to be angry."
Qin smiled and nodded: "Yes, in the end I won."
"And I've gotten used to this. I've tried countless times. I can't save people who can't see me, and even those who can see me gradually go insane or die after I save them... Forgetting is the best outcome."
"It's as if everything was predetermined, and my influence on this world is as if I never existed."
She said self-deprecatingly, "The only sight and legend I have left in this world is what I gained that day thanks to 'Zhao's' help... It's really... (laughable)... Ah..."
Her voice grew increasingly ethereal, becoming more and more otherworldly, so intense that Ying Zheng couldn't help but take two steps forward.
He said, “Mother is wrong. Your legacy in this world is not just from that day, but also from me. As long as I am here, Mother will be known to the world sooner or later.”
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The author says: King Wu of Qin lifting the tripod was not a momentary impulse. He did it to challenge the authority of the Zhou emperor, to demonstrate his military strength, and to seize the tripod. But the outcome was...emm, people always have to pay the price for overestimating themselves (crossed out).
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King Wu, who said there was no need to care too much: In the end, I misplaced my trust in my great-nephew!
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Ji Yu is a fictional character, a female artist known for her work on explosions. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, unmarried women were ranked according to their birth order: Meng (伯), Zhong (仲), Shu (叔), and Ji (季). Adding their father's surname, such as Jiang, they were called Meng Jiang, Zhong Jiang, Shu Jiang, and Ji Jiang. For example, in the story of Meng Jiangnu crying at the Great Wall, Meng is her birth order at home, and Jiang is her father's surname. Incidentally, if I remember correctly, the prototype for Meng Jiangnu cried at the Qi Great Wall, not the Qin Great Wall.
-The papermaking process is based on the description of the plant in "Tiangong Kaiwu" by Song Yingxing. The plant in question does not have a specific name, only a description of its appearance.
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