Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 214 People’s Heart

"Cun Gu, do you know science?" Meng Jun was in Ma'anshan. Xia Wanchun followed Meng Jun throughout the inspection of iron mines and steel forging technology. In his spare time, Meng Jun chatted with Xia Wanchun. Knowing that Xia Wanchun was a talented man, Meng Jun wanted to know what the scholars of this era thought about science and technology.

"Science? Is it a subject in the imperial examination? Chen Liang of the Song Dynasty once said, since the rise of science, scholars and officials in the world are either trapped in a day's submission of documents, or die of old age without getting a chance." Xia Wanchun replied hesitantly.

Meng Jun laughed when he heard this, shook his head and said, "Of course it is not the meaning of the imperial examination. There is nothing wrong with the imperial examination to select talents for the country, but the scholars are trapped in the eight-part essay, and the officials only know how to write beautiful articles but not practical work. Of course, science is not the meaning of the imperial examination subject."

Meng Jun continued, "In terms of preserving the past, in your opinion, is it more important to have a scholar who is well-read in poetry and books, or a craftsman who can innovate technology?"

Facing Meng Jun's inquiry, Xia Wanchun was silent for a while. He had never thought about this issue before. Craftsmen were considered lowly in the court, but in some measures issued by Meng Jun, the status of craftsmen was greatly improved. Not only outsiders, but even some officials in the shogunate had some objections, thinking that the rewards were too generous and too much was as bad as too little.

After a moment's hesitation, Xia Wanchun slowly replied, "Scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans all have their own uses, and there is no distinction between high and low."

"A good craftsman not only needs skills but also a foundation of talent and knowledge. I hope that in the future there will be a group of scholars who will not just talk about the Four Books and Five Classics or poetry and songs, but will devote themselves to practical work and become pioneers in changing the world." Meng Jun said with some emotion.

At that time, the technological levels of the East and the West were not much different. It was only at the end of the 17th century, especially with the emergence of the steam engine and the beginning of the Western Industrial Revolution, that the gap between the East and the West gradually widened.

After chatting with Xia Wanchun, Meng Jun felt that time was running out. He was not just talking about it. Now that the situation in the Jiangnan area was stable and the Qing army had not yet moved south, Meng Jun's focus had shifted to heavy military industries such as iron smelting and steel forging.

Meng Jun buried his head in his desk, writing down the theories he knew. These theories were unprecedented in this era. For example, in arithmetic, Meng Jun used simple Arabic numerals, and the corresponding addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, as well as some basic geometry, points, lines, surfaces, and other related mathematical theorems. Meng Jun even wrote about the general formation of the universe, a summary of the solar system, an explanation of the changes in the moon's phases, as well as the general outline of the world in geography, the continents and oceans, a rough description of Western countries, and a simple principle of the steam engine.

It was not until late at night that Meng Jun stopped writing and checked it over. He knew that these theories must be shocking in this era, but Meng Jun was now in a high position, so he felt that he could give it a try.

The next day, Meng Jun ordered Xia Wanchun to copy it again. The more Xia Wanchun copied, the more frightened he became. After copying, Xia Wanchun could not hold back his doubts and asked Meng Jun: "Your Majesty, how can the world be a sphere? If it is really a sphere, wouldn't the people below fall into the void? And where is this sphere placed?"

Meng Jun explained seriously, "This is a secret unknown to the world. Imagine, if the earth is like a chessboard, what is beyond the edge? And from a distance on the sea, the flagpole on the ship appears first, which is evidence that it is not the heaven and earth but a sphere. As for people falling into the earth, the core of the earth is like gravity, attaching everything in the world to its surface. No matter where you are, you will not fall."

Xia Wanchun was silent for a long time, and finally sighed: "The king's words are mysterious and unfathomable. The universe is so vast, and we are just a drop in the ocean, how can we know it?"

Meng Jun did not continue the topic, but instead said: "Cun Gu, I plan to build an experimental base between Wuhu and Ma'anshan, but I need a supervisor. Cun Gu, do you have the confidence?"

In Meng Jun's plan, this experimental base needed to develop hydraulic machinery, cement that could build roads and fortresses, and most importantly, innovations in all aspects of firearms.

The innovative technology was naturally proposed by Meng Jun, but for the specific implementation, Meng Jun had no suitable candidates. Liu Guaizi could not even recognize all the characters, and Mi Shun only knew how to make cannons and guns. He was a pure craftsman. It was impossible for him to develop it. After much deliberation, Meng Jun finally decided to ask Xia Wanchun.

After hearing this, Xia Wanchun was not happy, but said hesitantly: "My king, can I do it?"

"Haha, you don't need to doubt my judgment. If I say you can do it, then you can do it!" Meng Jun patted his shoulder and laughed out loud.

…………

Just as Meng Jun was preparing to start the new era of technology, in the land of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the lecturers of the Propaganda Department had already been in every town and village, carrying manifestos exposing the evil deeds of the Tartars, spreading the word everywhere, trying to ignite the anger in the hearts of the people.

They stood on the high platform of the market or under the ancient banyan trees in the villages and told the stories of the brutal acts of the Tartars, the massacres of cities and towns, the wanton killings, the barren fields and the ruins of homes.

In the teahouses of Shaoxing City, people sat together, whispering and discussing the news of the official. Some said, "The Tartars are cruel, how can we just sit there and wait for death?" Others sighed, "With the country in such a state and people suffering, what can we ordinary people do?"

Tao Luzhuo was born into the Tao family of Shaoxing. Since the Chenghua period, Tao Xing passed the imperial examination and became the first person in the Tao family to pass the imperial examination. By the Chongzhen period, when Tao Luzhuo came, a total of 39 people passed the imperial examination, including 16 Jinshi.

In an old teahouse, several elderly gentlemen were sitting around a table, the aroma of tea wafting in the air, but their faces were no longer relaxed as before. A white-haired old man stroked his beard and said in a deep voice: "The Tartars are killing people so badly that they have lost all conscience."

Tao Luzhuo took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Fortunately, King Zhou raised an uprising and recovered Jiangnan. Even the Tartar king Lekedehun was captured and killed. Now that the Southern Capital has been recovered and is across the river, we should do our best to help the righteous army."

"Yes, I thought the invasion of the Eastern Tartars was just another dynastic change. I never thought there would be an evil policy of shaving one's head and changing clothes." Zhao Liangsheng responded softly.

Everyone discussed it one by one, and finally decided to let their children either join the army, serve the shogunate, or provide food and wages. Not only these people, but people from other places were also talking about it.

These voices and discussions gathered into undercurrents, quietly surging in the land of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. People's hearts were filled with anger at the atrocities of the Tartars, and at this moment, joining the army became a trend.