Chapter 55 Studying isn't shameful.
Delaying the killing doesn't mean not killing at all. Given the current situation in South Korea, how long can it be delayed?
Although Qin made a promise, the matter was not discussed in the court, and Qin did not even look at him or hint that he should bring it up in court later.
Lü Buwei believed that he had already glimpsed part of the real world, and felt a sense of accomplishment in piecing together the truth through his own abilities.
He recalled the rumors that had circulated in Xianyang before. Apart from the time he personally went to pick up the king, the most recent rumors were from when King Zhuangxiang was still alive.
When the Qin state defeated five opponents with one, rumors circulated in Xianyang about the dramatic changes that occurred near the battlefield.
It seems that those were the ones who made the move. Later, Meng Ao even brought back a painting. Although he didn't understand it clearly on the spot, he went to ask Meng Ao about it later.
Looking back, what Meng Ao described as shattered and disappeared was the national spirit, but it's unclear which country's national spirit it was.
Lü Buwei didn't directly ask Qin about this issue because he actually had a bold guess: was the disappearing state spirit of Han the one who was killed back then? If so, then what Qin promised now was just empty talk. Han was already dead, and she couldn't kill it a second time. The order in which they killed it was no longer worth discussing.
His analysis was quite reasonable. After all, among the six states, the one in the most precarious situation was Han. At this time, Lü Buwei did not know that it was actually Wei who had died.
No matter what Zheng Guoneng said, he could only smile and express his gratitude. He was at the mercy of others, like a fish on a chopping board. He had already done the best he could.
Moreover, there are many foreign advisors among the various states now, which is quite a trend. He didn't really feel that there was anything wrong with working for Qin.
Planning for Han is also a way of repaying the king's "kindness in recognizing his talent," although this kindness refers to recommending him to Qin to realize his ambitions...
Once Zheng Guo was in working mode, he could even have a very lively conversation with Qin, not for any other reason than to understand the water and soil environment that Qin needed.
They also gained a deeper understanding of the target terrain from Qin's words. It can only be said that he is indeed a national spirit, and he is much more sensitive to land and rivers than Qin.
Zhu Qing'ai, who was remotely calculating data on-site and running a database simulation, thought: "It's best to do this kind of work less often next time..."
Behind the admiring glances are the results of her hard work!
When Zheng Guo was inspired and began to refine his plan, Zhu Qing'ai, as usual, turned on her surveillance camera to monitor the school. However, this time, because there was someone else working attentively next to her, she muted all of the dozen or so screens, as if she were watching a silent film.
Zheng Guo was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice the commotion here, while Lü Buwei was more focused on Qin's movements. Seeing that she wasn't planning to leave and seemed intent on controlling all sides from here, Lü Buwei quietly moved a chair closer to her.
Qin tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at him, which was no different from directly asking him why he sat down there.
Lü Buwei knew what Zheng Guo was like when he worked, so he lowered his voice and dared to speak to 'Qin'.
Are you looking at schools in various places?
Qin nodded slightly and said, "These are very important to me, so of course I have to keep an eye on them."
Lü Buwei nodded in understanding, and without asking any unnecessary questions, such as whether the King of Qin was important to her, or if so, why she hadn't seen the King of Qin's figure on these screens.
He understood that even if there were such things, they would only be for her to see; the ministers were not allowed to spy on the king's whereabouts.
He made conversation by saying, "The abacuses made at the school are really useful. With the special formulas, it makes calculating finances much faster."
Qin subtly set a trap for Lü Buwei: "You like it?"
Lü Buwei nodded generously and said, "Of course, with such a useful tool and a proper algorithm, the strengths of both sides can be better demonstrated."
He started out as a businessman, so it's no wonder he was drawn to such a tool. If he had had one when he was doing business, it would have been like adding wings to a tiger.
Qin casually said, "Since you like it, why not enroll in Qingjiu School? I remember the school doesn't have an age limit for admissions."
After saying the previous words, Qin turned his head and looked at Lü Buwei seriously, saying each word carefully: "If you learn it, you will be even more powerful."
Lü Buwei, who "lifted a stone to drop it on his own foot," said: "...Is it too late to say that I'm just being polite now?"
Although he did like these numerological arts, it wouldn't be appropriate for a prime minister to enroll in a school... According to 'Qin', the content taught in the school is very important, so he could secretly study it or ask the Left Prime Minister to teach him.
He decided against actually enrolling in the school, as he was preoccupied with the unfinished Lüshi Chunqiu and unwilling to give up the team he had painstakingly assembled. Instead, he turned to Qingjiu School for further study.
"I'm too busy with official duties to have the time." Although he didn't have time to enroll in school, he had time to secretly learn from the Left Chancellor.
"Oh? No matter how busy you are, you don't even have time to study?"
'Qin' stopped looking at Lü Buwei and returned her attention to the dozen or so screens. What would be a dizzying array of images for an ordinary person was just right for her. Doing a dozen things at once was a piece of cake for her.
Lü Buwei lived in Qin for many years. In fact, when he first met Qin, he could sense the influence of the other party on him. He attributed the inexplicable sense of kinship he felt to his own sense of belonging to Qin.
However, this emotion could not affect his assessment of gains and losses. So, as soon as Qin said this, he began to weigh the gains and losses involved, as well as Qin's intention in saying this.
In no time he understood. In the past, only the king could see the word "Qin". He was able to see it because of the dictionary in his hand. He looked down and saw that his palm was still pressed against the dictionary.
In fact, relying on a medium is also a form of spiritual constraint. If you want to ignore it, just take your hand off the dictionary.
The offensive thought vanished the moment it popped into his mind. He calmly realized that his emotions wouldn't allow him to have such a thought, while reason kept reminding him that this was an open conspiracy against his reputation.
In this era, teachers held a very high status. If he were to formally enroll, he would truly be a step below the Left Prime Minister.
"Life is like rowing against the current; if you don't move forward, you'll fall behind. If you don't study now, you won't have the chance later."
Qin raised her hand and tapped the screen, conjuring up some light gold text which she then added to the book in her hand. Her favorite thing to do was to stare at the chemistry classes or chemistry labs in various schools, where she would often find surprises.
She usually collects any new ideas that come to her in her book, hoping they might come in handy someday.
When Lü Buwei heard what Qin had said, he pondered it repeatedly, and the truth contained within it deeply shook his heart.
Of course, the most important thing is the attitude revealed by 'Qin', and the feeling that she is implying something. As the spirit closest to the King of Qin, what she said is undoubtedly worth careful consideration.
"Buwei will carefully consider this proposal, and perhaps he can go to the school to take a look when he has some free time."
"Hmm, no rush. You should think about how to explain the dictionary issue first."
Lü Buwei: ...
Some embarrassing, dead stories started to haunt him, and he really began to think about what excuse he could find to go to the palace tomorrow.
As he pondered this, Lü Buwei turned his attention to Zheng Guo's hands. In order to see the highest resolution map of Qin, Zheng Guo had his left hand on the dictionary and his right hand holding a brush, writing something on a piece of paper.
His posture was a bit awkward, but he was more confident when he put pen to paper than before. Before, no matter what he planned to do with those abstract lines, he would always add a sentence afterward: "Everything will be considered when we get to the actual site."
Now that he has this comprehensive map with no blind spots, and it's even three-dimensional, he's more confident when he puts pen to paper. He can decide on some less important things now, and he can wait until he's inspected the site before making any decisions.
Zheng Guo thought to himself, "This dictionary is really a good thing. If Han had a dictionary too, wouldn't they be able to see the national spirit as well? Wouldn't it be more convenient to do certain things?"
He didn't know why the dictionary worked, but that didn't stop him from indulging in occasional daydreams.
After working tirelessly by lamplight for a long time, Qin even managed to conjure up a ball of light to increase the brightness of the room, at least in the eyes of the two of them, the room's brightness had indeed increased.
To outsiders... Lady Lü Buwei had already urged the two of them to rest early twice, saying that reading in the dim light was bad for their eyes.
Lu Buwei pondered for a moment and decided not to explain to his wife. He simply comforted her and told her to go to rest early. He would help Zheng Guo with the conscription order for a while before going to sleep.
In fact, the two of them and their country discussed for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before Zheng Guo, with an expression of great satisfaction, began to tidy up the things on the table.
Qin had already left without anyone noticing, and Lü Buwei had already figured out what excuse to use to re-enter the palace. He asked Zheng Guo, "Has it been revised?"
"That's right, these are all." Zheng Guo handed a stack of papers to Lü Buwei. He was a little reluctant to let go. Back in Han, he used bamboo slips and had never used paper as fine as silk before. It was smooth, white, and thin.
Most importantly, I heard that the cost of making it is not high, and it is very popular in Xianyang City. However, the current production is only average, and only nobles in other countries will buy this paper for use.
He had seen paper before, but had never used it. He only started using paper after he moved into the Prime Minister's residence.
Lu Buwei bowed in gratitude, showing great respect and courtesy. Zheng Guo himself felt honored and held Lu Buwei in high regard.
"Then Mr. Zheng should go back to the courtyard to rest. Buwei should also go and rest."
As Lü Buwei was about to leave, Zheng Guo hesitated before speaking, "Prime Minister Lü, please wait. I have another question..."
"May I ask?" Lü Buwei stopped and pretended to listen attentively.
"I wonder if I will have the honor of seeing Guo Ling again tomorrow..." He was afraid that Lü Buwei would misunderstand, so he explained halfway through his sentence, "As you know, Prime Minister Lü, I am not ambitious. I just like these things. If I can hear a word or two of Guo Ling's guidance, I will die without regret."
Lü Buwei knew perfectly well that this person didn't want guidance at all; he just wanted to see the land from that bird's-eye view once again.
He also wanted to see it from that angle, to see the vast and boundless land, the rushing rivers, and his ambitions would easily well up in his heart.
No matter how many times I watch it, I'm still amazed. Is this the perspective of the gods?
But this was not something he could decide, and he just gave a vague answer without giving a definite reply.
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Author's note: As I write this, I turn on a landscape documentary. Seeing the scenery from an overhead perspective is truly exhilarating—perfect for stress relief!
*1. "Learning is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind. The mind is like a horse running on a plain; easy to let go, hard to rein in." This comes from Liang Qichao's speech at the welcome meeting for Shanxi merchants, a representative figure of the modern Chinese reform movement and Neo-Legalist school.
There are various opinions about the abacus.
Mathematicians such as Mei Qizhao of the Qing Dynasty believed that the abacus originated in China during the Eastern Han and Northern and Southern Dynasties. Their basis was a work by Xu Yue, a mathematician of the Eastern Han Dynasty, titled *Shushu Jiyi* (Records of Mathematical Techniques), which recorded 14 algorithms, the 13th of which was called "bead calculation," stating: "The bead calculation controls the four seasons and encompasses the three realms (heaven, earth, and man)." Later, Zhen Luan, a mathematician of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, annotated this passage: "The abacus is divided into three parts; the upper and lower parts are for stopping the beads, and the middle part is for determining the positions. Each position has five beads. The upper bead and the lower four beads are of different colors, with the upper bead representing five, and the lower four beads each representing one. The lower four beads govern the four seasons, hence the saying 'controls the four seasons.' The beads move in three directions, hence the saying 'encompasses the three realms.'" This text is considered the earliest record of the abacus in China. However, some modern scholars believe that the abacus described in *Shushu Jiyi* was at best a counting tool or a simple counting board only capable of addition and subtraction, and cannot be compared to the abacus that appeared later.
Scholars such as Qian Dating of the Qing Dynasty believed that the abacus appeared in the mid-Yuan Dynasty and was widely used by the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. Their basis was a proverb used by Tao Zongyi in the Yuan Dynasty, in the 29th volume of *Nancun Chuogenglu* (南村辍耕录), specifically in the section "Well Pearls" (井珠), to describe servants: "When servants first arrive, they say 'the beads on the abacus,' saying they move automatically without being moved; after a while, they say 'the beads on the abacus,' saying they move when moved; after a long time, they say 'the beads on the Buddha's head,' saying they remain still all day, not moving even when moved." This was later called "The Three Beads Playful Saying." Comparing veteran servants to abacus beads, moving only when moved, indicates that the abacus was already quite common among the people at that time. Furthermore, Liu Yin of the late Song and early Yuan Dynasty wrote a five-character quatrain titled "The Abacus" in his *Jingmu Xiansheng Wenji* (静穆先生文集): "No more old merchants dancing, no more cake sellers singing. Holding the counting rods, still hiding in the basket, how can I bear this hardship?" This also provides strong evidence that the abacus appeared in the Yuan Dynasty. Furthermore, in the section "Pang Jushu Mistakenly Releases a Debt for the Next Life" in the *Selected Yuan Dynasty Dramas*, it is mentioned that "I went to the abacus to calculate my age." By the Ming Dynasty, the *Luban Woodworking Classic*, compiled during the Yongle era, already contained specifications and dimensions for making abacuses: "Abacus style: 1 foot 2 inches long, 4.2 inches in size. Frame 6 fen thick, 9 fen in size... Two lines on the line, 1 inch 1 fen; five lines below the line, 3 inches 1 fen. Length and size are determined by the number of lines." In addition, works introducing the use of the abacus appeared, such as Xu Xinlu's *Abacus Calculation Method*, Cheng Dawei's *Direct Guide to Calculation Methods*, Ke Shangqian's *General Guide to Mathematics*, and Zhu Zaiyu's *New Theory of Mathematics*. Therefore, there is no doubt that the abacus was widely used in the Ming Dynasty.
With the discovery of new historical materials, some experts believe that the abacus originated in the Tang Dynasty and became popular in the Song Dynasty. Their basis is that in the famous Song Dynasty painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," a pharmacy is depicted with an abacus prominently displayed on its counter. After photographic enlargement by abacus experts from China and Japan, it was confirmed that the object in the painting is a string abacus similar in shape to the modern abacus. Furthermore, in 1921, a wooden abacus bead from a Song Dynasty residence was unearthed in Julu County, Hebei Province. Although submerged for eight hundred years, it still retains its drum shape and central hole, making it indistinguishable from modern abacus beads.
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