How about we call Chapter 39 "The New Qin Dictionary"?
Prince Zichu of Qin immediately ordered that the project team for simplifying the written language be expanded to include the Grand Chancellor and the Prime Minister, with other assistants to be added as needed.
He sifted through the stack of papers handed to him, discarding those that simplified the text to make them impractical, and picked out some that looked simple. At least such people were focused on simplification, rather than thinking about other things.
Lu Buwei took the stack of papers handed to him by the servant, and he already knew who would be involved in this matter.
He began to express his gratitude: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust and kindness!"
A pair of ruler and minister: one feels he has the monarch's trust, the other feels that his two important ministers get along well.
Although the two had different ideas, it must be said that everyone was satisfied with the final result.
Other factions in the court have no intention of opposing it. Even the powerful Chu faction, led by Empress Dowager Huayang, has been keeping a low profile recently, let alone other factions.
On the surface, this job was given to the Crown Prince, but in reality, it was seen by outsiders as having smoothly fallen into the hands of Lü Buwei's side, and the position of Grand Master of Ceremonies was just an embellishment, unnoticed by anyone.
The remaining officials either watched coldly from the sidelines, were uninterested in the matter, or simply sneered and waited to see others make a fool of themselves.
Improving writing is not something that can be achieved by sheer effort, and the ability to study ingenuity may not necessarily be applicable to improving writing.
****
When Taishu Jiu was mentioned this time, Ying Zichu, after returning to his palace, remembered something he had forgotten. He remembered that the Grand Chancellor had said he would teach him chemistry, but how long had it been since he returned from the expedition? Where was his chemistry book?
Ying Zichu frowned and summoned Ying Zheng. When in doubt, he sent his son to handle matters, since they would be working together soon anyway.
Ying Zheng had just finished his greetings when he saw his father, without even looking up, writing something on a scroll laid out on the ground. He then casually instructed him, "I have already made arrangements for your advice. Grand Chancellor Taishu will assist you. The list of the remaining people is in the hands of Chancellor Lü. Go and get it from him later, and then make your own arrangements."
“You’ve been going to see Taishu Da Liangzao a lot lately, why don’t you go to Da Liangzao’s school for a few days for now… and while you’re at it, ask him if he has finished writing the chemistry book he promised me.”
"Yes." Ying Zheng bowed his head in agreement, but he had some doubts in his heart. Was it the chemistry teacher he saw at the school last time who would occasionally shout "left zero, right fire"?
Why is Father suddenly interested in this...?
He had doubts, but he wouldn't ask them directly. What his father had instructed him to do wasn't anything outrageous; he would just follow it.
****
After finishing his court duties and handling the day's affairs, Lü Buwei went to find Taishu Jiu to report the good news. Ying Zheng had arrived before him.
Because of this incident, Prince Chu of Qin directly placed Ying Zheng in Taishu Jiu's school for a period of time to study, and the tutor who served the crown prince also came along.
When Lü Buwei arrived, Ying Zheng was watching Taishu Jiu write furiously. Taishu Jiu was using elegant small regular script, with each character taking up little space on the entire sheet of paper, making the whole piece appear densely packed with text at a glance.
However, because the text is arranged neatly, it looks incredibly beautiful and has a unique charm.
Zhu Qing'ai was also at work wearing a vest. She recognized Tai Shujiu's handwriting at a glance. It was just like machine printing, neat and without any flaws, but of course, it lacked the graceful and lively quality of handwriting.
Although the arrangement is neat and elegant, being too uniform and meticulous would be criticized by netizens in later generations as lacking spirit.
Well, it fits the identity of Taishu Jiuqian Tong very well.
Zhu Qing'ai didn't have high expectations for him. As long as it was readable, that was enough. Anyway, her host wasn't aiming to become a calligrapher, so being rigid was fine. It was easy to understand at a glance, which was quite good.
Lu Buwei was also attracted by Taishu Jiu's incredible speed, and he also stood over there. However, without realizing it, he deliberately left a space one person away from Taishu Jiu.
One of Lü Buwei's retainers, quick-witted as ever, immediately drew a picture on paper, intending to flatter the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, and the Grand Chancellor.
Although the painting style at this time, as well as the painting skills of this retainer himself, were indescribable, comparable to the abstract art of later generations, Zhu Qing'ai took a look when she had a moment and really couldn't tell who was who among the three people he had painted.
The only difference between the three people in the painting is their height; it's not as high-definition and realistic as a screenshot she took directly.
After a while, Ying Zheng interrupted, saying that it was time to eat dinner. Even if simplifying the written language was important, one should not neglect one's health by neglecting sleep and meals.
Qin raised his hand and pressed down on the paper covered with writing, praising, "This is what it means to have style and character in calligraphy."
With a wave of her hand, a book bound in paper appeared in mid-air. The cover was blank, and the pages flipped open, revealing simplified Chinese characters on the pristine white inner pages. It was a comparison list of simplified characters written by Taishu Jiu according to their radicals and the Qin seal script currently in use.
Qin held the new book with great affection; anything that could strengthen her or be of use to her was naturally good.
For her, words are an important part of something.
Ying Zheng, upon seeing this, naturally did not want the dictionary to have any other name. He thought of what Qin thought and was anxious about what Qin was anxious about, and immediately asked Taishu Jiu, "Sir, have you thought of a name for the books to be compiled in the future?"
Taishu Jiu copied the Xinhua Dictionary, which wasn't his book, so he probably didn't think of a name for it. However, judging from Ying Zheng's tone, he seemed to have an idea, so he didn't mind giving up the naming rights.
He didn't invent simplified Chinese characters; he simply copied the Xinhua Dictionary from ancient times.
"No, Your Highness, do you have some ideas?"
Lu Buwei couldn't help but look at Taishu Jiu. So he just gave up the naming rights?
"In my opinion, it would be better to call it the 'New Qin Dictionary,' which would also distinguish it from the old Qin seal script."
Taishu nodded, understanding. Wasn't this still Qing'ai's naming method? And the name was indeed fitting.
Ying Zheng was pleased with Taishu Jiu's lack of ambition, but he was also embarrassed to take things for nothing. So he immediately decided that when he ascended the throne, he would give Taishu Jiu double his salary.
Lu Buwei was completely stunned. He was left with only one thought: the Grand Chancellor truly didn't care about merit or the right to name things.
"Your Highness has chosen a very good name. Let's put this title on the cover..."
Lü Buwei subtly signaled to his retainers with his eyes, asking them to recommend him for a calligraphy piece, or at least to write it on an inner page.
However, Ying Zheng glanced at 'Qin' and 'Qin' understood immediately, conjuring up the newly acquired book and placing it on the table.
Ying Zheng took a thin sheet of bamboo paper and placed it on top of the paper. He then took a medium-sized brush from the brush holder next to him and wrote down the words "New Qin Dictionary" on it, copying the words from the illusory book.
Unbeknownst to everyone, the four characters flashed with golden light for a moment, then dimmed, appearing ordinary and unremarkable.
How about this?
Lü Buwei: ?
If he remembers correctly, this character was only recently created, so how could the Crown Prince already know how to write it?
The handwriting was completely different from the writing of the Crown Prince that he had seen on ordinary days, and Lü Buwei suddenly began to have a conspiracy theory in his mind.
In fact, the Grand Tutor Taishu and the Crown Prince had already conspired together. The simplified characters may have been created long ago, just waiting to be made public.
He was a decoy, a pawn brought in; the King of Qin was a guillotine, all to pave the way for the Crown Prince's success...
He was utterly shocked, feeling that he had discovered a tremendous secret. He understood why Taishu Jiu had been so slow to enter the court to serve as an official.
The Grand Chancellor was actually a man of the Crown Prince, which is why he declined one Qin King after another. Therefore, he only had the title of Grand Chancellor but no real power.
Lu Buwei was almost brainwashed when he suddenly remembered that Ying Zheng was only two years old when Taishu Jiu was farming in Qin, and the crown prince was still in Zhao.
They probably couldn't have met across borders...
So, as rumored, Grand Master Taishu did possess the ability to read faces. After he politely declined King Zhaoxiang's offer, King Zhaoxiang died less than five years later. He also politely declined King Xiaowen's offer, and King Xiaowen died three days after ascending the throne.
Wait a minute, it seems he also politely declined the current King of Qin!
Lü Buwei's eyes widened slightly, and he suddenly felt afraid. All his power came from Prince Chu of Qin. If the prince died, even if he remained the prime minister, it would still be a case of "a new king, a new court"...
Lu Buwei looked at Taishu Jiu with a heavy expression. For the sake of his own wealth and glory, he decided to advise Ying Zichu to take care of his health.
Therefore, it's impossible for him to harm anyone; he's still thinking clearly.
We won't go into the dozens of letters of concern that Ying Zichu received from Lü Buwei afterward. Today, after all the commotion, the dictionary name was finalized. Not only was 'Qin' in a good mood, but everyone present was also in a good mood. Of course, this group did not include Lü Buwei, who was still thinking about advising the King of Qin to take care of his health.
After having dinner together, Lü Buwei left the school with a heavy heart. 'Qin' reminded Ying Zheng: 'Your father asked you to ask Taishu Jiu about the chemistry books, don't forget.'
"If you forget, it will be difficult to explain when you return to the palace."
Ying Zheng didn't remember that his mother was there at the time, but she was still able to speak up and remind him. Doesn't that mean she was paying attention to him all the time?
Unlike later emperors who disliked others spying on their whereabouts, Ying Zheng was now completely consumed by his love for his country, and his faint smile became more pronounced. 'Qin' expressed his confusion about his child's sudden happiness and posed a question mark.
Isn't this basic national consciousness? Why are you so happy about it?
"Mr. Taishu, do you still remember what you promised before?"
Taishu Jiu certainly hadn't forgotten, and he also had a chemistry book in his hand, which he had written himself to teach the group of alchemists in the chemistry class.
He could give him the book, even the original chemistry book he had. His only hesitation was that if he gave the book away, he wouldn't have anything to use in his teaching.
Seeing Taishu Jiu's predicament, Ying Zheng, in a good mood, said with concern, "If you are having trouble, I can go to the palace and speak to my father on your behalf."
“Actually…no,” Taishu Jiu decided, randomly selecting a lucky student and presenting their handwritten book to the King of Qin. “Your Highness, please follow me.”
Taishu Jiu led one man and one country into the chemistry classroom. He saw Xu Fu still reading and writing something, so he called him over.
"It's so late, have you had dinner yet?"
Xu Fu bowed respectfully, first to Ying Zheng and then to his teacher, before replying, "I'm going to the cafeteria soon, teacher. Is there anything I can do for you in the classroom so late?"
"Who else is around here? Is anyone in the lab next door? Go and call a few, that's all. You don't need too many."
"only."
When Xu Fu arrived with several people, Taishu Jiu saw that almost all of the 'committee members' he had appointed were present, so he said directly, "Bring me your handwritten textbooks so I can take a look."
Upon hearing this, everyone quickly went to their seats to find their textbooks, thinking that the teacher might be randomly checking their work, and they had to do their best.
Taishu Jiu first took Ji Yu's textbook. The handwriting was slightly unrestrained, and the content contained many of her own insights and experiences.
After reading it, 'Qin' commented: 'I think your father probably doesn't want to learn how to blow up Xianyang Palace.'
This statement is somewhat exaggerated, but almost everything Ji Yu wrote in her textbooks was related to gunpowder in some way.
If Ying Zichu were to learn this method, regardless of whether he could master it, the likelihood of him blowing up the palace afterward would be extremely high.
Ying Zheng: ...
Taishu Jiu: ...
Taishu Jiu silently handed the book to Ji Yu, and to avoid arousing suspicion, he praised her, saying, "With such diligence, she will surely become a pillar of the nation in the future."
'Qin': "Yes, my good son, Mother loves you!"
Ying Zheng sized up Ji Yu. He was indeed a talented person, but he was still too young and acted rashly.
The ten-year-old Ying Zheng made this assessment of the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old Ji Yu.
Ji Yu took the textbook with sparkling eyes and excitedly exclaimed, "Thank you for the praise, teacher!"
Taishu Jiu looked around and found that almost everyone had written their own opinions in their textbooks, some of which might not even be correct. Only one person had two notebooks, one for copying the chemistry book and the other for writing notes.
So he returned everyone's textbooks except for Xu Fu's chemistry book.
"I'll borrow your chemistry book for a while. In the next few days, find someone to sit with and read their chemistry book."
Taishu Jiu didn't even mention taking the book away, only saying that he was borrowing it. Considering the vast amount of human data, he was very confident that the chemistry book would dissuade Ying Zichu.
Xu Fu's book will probably be back in a few days, so he won't need to make another copy.
Taishu Jiu handed the book to Ying Zheng, adding, "Your Highness, if you are curious, you can take a look. There are many interesting things written inside."
Ying Zheng opened the book with a skeptical look. The first sentence read:
Chemistry is a fundamental natural science that studies the composition, structure, properties, transformations, and applications of matter at the atomic and molecular level. It originates from daily life and production practices and continues to develop alongside the progress of human society. *1
He was extremely familiar with these seal characters; they should all know him, and he knew them. He understood the meaning of each character individually, but he just couldn't understand them when they were combined into sentences.
What does all this mean?
"Can't understand it? This is the most plain-language introduction yet," Taishu Jiu said, turning to the alchemists, who were also his students, as if to prove that his writing was easy to understand. "Do you understand?"
Ji Yu, Xu Fu, and the others shook their heads, then quickly nodded. Ji Yu stood up and spoke the truth: "Once you get used to the content of the textbook written by the teacher, it is indeed easy to understand. However, this first paragraph is really confusing and hard to understand."
Qin hesitated, then spoke again to comfort Ying Zheng: "This kind of profound knowledge is not something everyone can master. It's normal not to understand it."
Taishu Jiu also said, "You only need to understand the later parts. You'll understand the earlier parts once you learn chemistry."
Apart from Ji Yu, the remaining alchemists were all excited. In their view, learning chemistry was tantamount to achieving great success in cultivation, which was practically equivalent to becoming an immortal.
That was their original intention in learning chemistry. And as they studied, they discovered that physics and chemistry are both subjects related to all things. How could they not be things that only gods could know?
"That's enough. You guys should hurry up and go to the cafeteria. Don't wait until it closes and then go hungry."
The students were touched by their teacher's concern and bowed before leaving.
Students of their generation didn't find the cafeteria food unpalatable because it was just as bad as food outside. Perhaps it's just a matter of personal taste. Qin, however, found the food unappetizing and felt sorry for her child.
****
When Ying Zheng returned to the palace, he brought with him the chemistry book that Xu Fu had copied, as well as several sheets of paper covered with dense writing.
On the way, Qin was still riding in the same carriage with him. Before the carriage reached the palace gate, she said to Ying Zheng, "So many words are still too eye-catching. It would be better to be more low-key."
"The book can be written after you ascend the throne. Although you cannot rule in person, you can use this matter to get rid of a group of people."
The two people, one from one country, locked eyes and understood each other's thoughts; they were plotting against the same person.
They wanted to make Taishu Jiu the mouthpiece of the young King of Qin, so that even if he could not immediately assume power after ascending the throne, someone in the court would speak on his behalf.
With such great uncertainty, it remains to be seen whether Lü Buwei and Empress Dowager Wang will be able to maintain control of the government in the future.
In this way, it won't be so difficult for them to reclaim power when they reach a certain age.
Ying Zheng was already showing signs of becoming a king. He felt no guilt for scheming against Taishu Jiu and making him a loyal subject. He naturally used the people at his disposal to make his plans. Morality is the last thing a monarch needs.
He doesn't seem like a child in his teens; he's more like a precocious adult, a cold-blooded political machine. Only when you see his acknowledged family members or his patriotic fervor can you see that he's not just a machine.
However, the order of their importance is another matter.
Qin used gentleness to conceal her true nature, and nodded with satisfaction: "Ji'er has taught you very well."
Whether as Qin or as the system, she agreed with Ying Zheng's idea. It was better for the host, Ajiu, to be a loyal subject of the King of Qin than to form factions and be purged in the future. Besides, she had arranged for the host to come to Ying Zheng's side to earn these points, which was exactly what she wanted.
If you want to earn lots of points, how can you do it without taking some risks?
Moreover, the host doesn't even have to use their brain to deal with political infighting; such a good thing is hard to come by.
Whenever Ying Zheng heard the title "Ji'er," he always had the illusion that he was of the same generation as his great-grandfather...
He had to react for a moment after hearing it, and he only didn't feel uncomfortable when 'Qin' referred to him as 'your great-grandfather'.
He didn't voice his thoughts, but spoke humbly in a low voice.
****
When Ying Zichu received the chemistry book, he was excited and almost immediately told his eldest son to go downstairs and not disturb him.
And when he turned to the first page...
Chemistry is a fundamental natural science that studies the composition, structure, properties, transformations, and applications of matter at the atomic and molecular level. It originates from daily life and production practices and continues to develop along with the progress of human society. *2
Wait a minute, what does this mean? He understands each individual character, but he doesn't understand them at all when they're put together!
What kind of immortal cultivation is this? He can't even understand the books.
Faced with the choice between summoning Taishu Jiu to the palace to teach him and continuing to have him serve the Qin Dynasty outside the palace, Ying Zichu tearfully chose the second option.
It wasn't that cultivating immortality wasn't alluring, but rather that he couldn't let go of his dream of the Qin Dynasty unifying the world.
The benefits of keeping Taishu Jiu outside the palace were clearly greater than bringing him into the palace to be taught, and he even read the chemistry book and studied the later parts carefully.
He was able to understand it this time, but he felt that it had nothing to do with cultivating immortality. For some reason, when he focused on reading the book for a long time, he felt extremely sleepy.
He had never felt this way when he read so many books before; perhaps he's just not suited for chemistry.
Besides, he's only in his thirties, he has plenty of time. Let's ask him again when Grand Master Taishu is less busy.
After reading the chemistry book for about a week, Ying Zichu gave up. Upon learning that the book was actually a textbook for a sorcerer, he immediately ordered it to be sent back.
This wait lasted for two long years. During those two years, Prince Chu of Qin ordered Meng Ao to attack the State of Zhao, capturing thirty-seven cities including Taiyuan, Yuci, Xincheng, and Langmeng.
In the third year of Prince Chu of Qin, in the third month, he ordered Meng Ao to also conquer Gaodu and Ji of Wei.
Wang He was then sent to attack Shangdang Commandery and established Taiyuan Commandery.
What was Taishu Jiu doing during this time? He hadn't even finished copying the Xinhua Dictionary; he just stopped looking at it and moved on to the next one.
Zhu Qing'ai still wanted to save face for her host. If it was just pure plagiarism, two years would be about right. Tai Shu Jiu would have to make some changes, deleting the content that was not suitable for the present, mostly those anecdotes that had not yet happened.
****
By April, Qin's attention had completely shifted. After two years of continuous warfare, the remaining states finally considered uniting.
Led by Lord Xinling of Wei, a coalition of five states—Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Chu—had assembled south of the Yellow River. Historically, the final outcome of this battle was Meng Ao's defeat, with the coalition pursuing him to Hangu Pass, where the Qin army closed the pass to avoid further battle.
Qin was unaware of the outcome of the battle, but it was extremely vigilant because the states of Han, Zhao, Yan, Wei, and Chu had come together.
Without exception, none of the five countries were allowed entry by her, and even when Zhao applied to visit the children, she firmly refused.
Aside from listening to the other side hurl insults at her from the border, she suffered no losses. Careless actions in war can lead to devastating losses.
Upon hearing the news from the border, everyone in the court was grave, especially Ying Zheng, whose information came entirely from Qin itself, and whose knowledge of the inside story was more detailed than that of others.
If he had a way of explaining how he knew, he would have liked to just reveal the information to increase his chances of winning.
Fortunately, although Ying Zichu was seriously ill recently, his mind was still fine, and he directly issued a warning to cut off his food supply.
He issued an ultimatum to the four states other than Wei, ordering them to abandon their involvement in the Qin-Wei conflict. That would have been the end of it, but the states that persisted would not receive a single grain of food from Qin from the day the war began.
Ying Zichu issued the order with a cold smile, also grateful that Qin had a talent like Taishu Jiu, who could manipulate the pain of several countries with some inferior grains.
However, he did not expect to directly disintegrate the five-nation alliance with this strategy. As long as they became suspicious of each other and stopped putting in their full effort, the army would be useless no matter how large it was.
Furthermore, given his extensive collection of prisoners during the two years of war, he believed that it was questionable how many able-bodied men the various countries could muster to resist.
Since King Zhaoxiang of Qin, the only thing Qin has lacked is food. People living within Qin territory don't have to worry about not being able to raise their children, nor do they have to be ruthless enough to kill their own children. If they really can't raise them, there are orphanages built with food provided by the court.
The grain production within Qin territory is more than enough to feed the current population. The prisoners were scattered and distributed to various places, and with their interests intertwined, it wouldn't be difficult for them to return. They could endure anything, but hunger would lead to death.
Therefore, he is confident of winning from every angle!
Qin was confident, but fighting five opponents at once was still a challenge for her, unlike before when she could easily crush them to victory.
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Author's Note: The next chapter will feature a massive free-for-all, with our old 'Qin' taking on five opponents at once! hhhh
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Chemistry is a fundamental natural science that studies the composition, structure, properties, transformations, and applications of matter at the atomic and molecular level. It originates from daily life and production practices and continues to develop along with the progress of human society. *12 are definitions of chemistry. (From an encyclopedia)
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