Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 409: Persuading the King to Take the Throne
After hearing Lu Jin's explanation of yin and yang, positive and negative, Fan was just like a fool and said she didn't understand. Zhang Yunxiu stared at Lu Jin with admiration, while Fan Qiuchan frowned slightly and became even more confused.

"Yin and Yang, good and evil, positive and negative, these women know about it, and the zero in the Arab numbers is also quite strange, but what does the general mean by abstract?"

Lu Jin thought for a moment before saying, "Abstract, you can also understand it as something illusory, something that does not exist in the world, such as positive and negative numbers.

“Here is a bowl of rice. The one is a natural constant, a real thing. It can also be half a bowl of rice, expressed numerically as one-half, or written as a decimal, which is 0.5. But whether it is a bowl or half a bowl, there is rice here, and it is visible and tangible.

"But if I say there is a negative bowl of rice here, then that does not exist in reality. It is an abstract concept unique to mathematics. However, in mathematical calculations, negative numbers are real numbers that can be calculated. This is abstraction. There are also Tianyuan numbers and equations. These unknown numbers that do not exist can also be used for calculation."

Fan Qiuchan nodded as if he understood, and suddenly asked, "So, negative numbers are not completely imaginary. Can't debt be considered a negative number?"

Lu Jin nodded and said, "You can also understand it this way. The debt problem can indeed be regarded as a negative number."

Fan Qiuchan asked again, "But the Marshal just said that Chinese mathematics emphasizes reality and avoids abstraction. Is it wrong to emphasize practicality? Is the abstraction more important than practicality?"

Hearing this, Lu Jin asked irrelevantly, "Then what do you think education is? What is the purpose of teaching and educating people?"

Fan Qiuchan didn't expect Lu Jin's thoughts to jump so far. After thinking for a while, he said, "Teaching and educating people is of course to help people distinguish right from wrong, understand etiquette, and observe moral conduct."

Lu Jin did not comment, and then gave his own answer, "In my opinion, the purpose of teaching and educating people is to educate people, and the essence of educating people does not lie in what is written in the books.

"Learning language and literature is to enable people to learn to read, write and express themselves. The teacher teaches you to practice calligraphy and copy each word a hundred times. The teacher teaches you to read and recite. The teacher teaches you to write and think about the truth. These are actually teaching you how to learn.

“It is not important what you learn from books. What is important is that you learn the method of learning. In this way, even if there is no teacher to continue teaching you in the future, or you forget what is in the book, you can use this method to find the book again and study on your own.

"The same is true for abstract mathematics. The purpose of learning abstract mathematics is not just to teach you arithmetic, but to cultivate people's thinking logic and reasoning ability, so that people have a clear purpose when doing things, do things more methodically, speak more logically, and even when solving cases, they are smarter than those who don't learn mathematics.

"More importantly, it can cultivate a person's imagination."

"Imagination?" The more Fan Qiuchan listened, the more surprised she became. Lu Jin would occasionally utter a new word, which made it a little difficult for her to communicate with Lu Jin.

“It is the ability to meditate and imagine an abstract fantasy.”

Fan Qiuchan was even more puzzled, "Fantasy and illusion? Is this important too?"

Lu Jin asked back, "Have you read Gongshuzi?"

Fan Qiuchan nodded immediately and said, "I've seen it from a few of my nephews."

Lu Jin then said, "The Gongshu Secret Classic talks about the pursuit of knowledge through the investigation of things, and discovering the ultimate truth of heaven and earth through the investigation of things. Do you know what is the most difficult part of the investigation of things?"

Fan Qiuchan shook his head.

"The most difficult part of studying things is observation. Tangible things can be observed, but how can intangible things be observed? For example, the physics book in Gongshu Secret Classic mainly talks about sound, light, force, electricity and heat.

"The easiest thing to observe here is probably light, because human eyes can see it. As for the rest, sound, force, lightning, cold and heat, these things cannot be observed directly. If you don't have the ability to imagine, it will be difficult for you to understand and recognize them. Learning them will be like listening to a mystery. How can you master and utilize these great forces of nature?"

Lu Jin talked freely, but Dai and Fan Qiuchan were secretly surprised, and Fan Qiuchan asked again.

"What the Marshal said is wrong. Although we cannot see cold and heat, we can feel them. When it is cold, there will be frost and ice. When it is hot, ponds will dry up. And people also use cold and heat. Aren't we using the power of cold and heat to cook and smelt gold and iron?

"There are also thunder and lightning. Every summer, when it rains, there are thunder and lightning. But how can humans control such a thing as a punishment from heaven? If humans can control thunder and lightning, wouldn't they become gods?"

Lu Jin shook his head and said, "You are right about heat and cold. People can observe heat and cold, and can use heat, but this is only the most basic understanding of thermal energy, and it cannot be called a science.

"As for the thunder and lightning in the sky, you are wrong. When it rains and thunders, what you see is just the sound and light stimulated by electricity, not the electricity itself. Electricity itself cannot be seen, so it is not certain whether humans can master and utilize it.

"Let me put it this way. Fire can burn down houses, but it can also be contained in furnaces to cook and smelt iron. Floods can submerge the earth, but they can also be contained in canals to irrigate farmland. Lightning is also violent and cannot be contained, but like making fire, artificial weak electricity can be used by people."

Fan Qiuchan was even more curious, "If humans can really generate electricity like fire, what can electricity be used for?"

"There are many things that can be done. In physics, sound, light, force, electricity, and heat, these five phenomena can be transformed into each other. So, fire can cook rice and smelt iron, so can electricity. The power of water wheels and the power of cattle and horses can help people spin yarn and grind flour, so can electricity. Firelight can also be used for lighting, so can electricity. Sound can convey messages, so can electricity."

Fan Qiuchan was stunned. She didn't expect Lu Jin to give such an answer. She was even more puzzled and asked, "If what the Marshal said is true, if a person can master lightning, then he can do anything, right?"

Lu Jin said calmly, "You can say that, but you have to remember one thing, humans are just borrowing the power of nature, not the world. Humans can use electricity to meet their daily needs, and they can also do some things that seem miraculous to mortals, but humans are not gods after all, and there are no gods in this world.

"So the word omnipotent is not very precise."

Fan Qiuchan was even more curious and asked, "Then could you give me an example of a miracle that humans can do and what they can't do?"

Lu Jin thought for a moment before saying, "Electricity can do things like transmitting sound over a thousand miles and converting heat and cold into electricity, but helping people heal, achieving immortality, bringing the dead back to life, and bringing dead trees back to life are beyond human power."

Fan Qiuchan opened his mouth and said with emotion, "Although I can't manipulate life and death like the gods and monsters in the storybooks, if a person can reverse the temperature and send a message a thousand miles away, then he can be called a banished immortal, right? These generals now..." "Don't ask, they can't do it now. They don't have the time and energy. Now how to let the people live and work in peace and fill their stomachs, how to drive away the Tartars, and restore the Han Dynasty are the real things. Who has the leisure to do these things?"

Fan Qiuchan was choked for a moment, but then asked curiously, "Speaking of restoring the Han dynasty, I do have another question, but if I'm wrong, please forgive me, Marshal."

"You ask."

Fan Qiuchan asked immediately, "Since you started the rebellion, you now have hundreds of thousands of soldiers, thousands of miles of territory, and tens of millions of people. Many people call you the Great King. I heard that in this imperial examination, many Jiangdong scholars also advised you to become king. So why don't you become king yet?"

There were indeed many scholars who advised Lu Jin to take the title of king during this imperial examination, and some even advised Lu Jin to directly proclaim himself emperor and establish a country, saying that it was not right. Some also said that if Lu Jin did not take the title of king and proclaim himself emperor, how could the military officers and officials under him make progress? However, Lu Jin knew exactly what they were thinking, it was nothing more than that they were afraid that they would not be able to pass the imperial examination as well as others, so they wanted to take crooked ways to curry favor with the emperor in order to gain the credit of persuading him to ascend the throne.

I didn’t want to be king before because the time was not right. But now, I can really think about it and start preparing.

So Lu Jin immediately said, "Now is not the time."

Fan Qiuchan was stunned again when she heard this. She didn't expect Lu Jin to be so unreasonable. She thought Lu Jin would be modest, but Lu Jin didn't mean to refuse politely. Instead, he said that now was not the right time.
"If the Marshal is to be crowned king in the future, what title will he use?"

Lu Jin asked back, "I haven't decided yet. What king title do you think is better?"

Fan Qiuchan was confused and pointed at herself and asked, "Are you asking me about national affairs?"

Lu Jin said, "There are so many people discussing the matter of becoming king or emperor. Right now, there are so many scholars discussing this matter. What's the harm in saying it? Besides, even if you say it, I may not necessarily adopt it. I'll just listen to it."

Seeing Lu Jin being so generous, Fan Qiuchan was relieved and said tentatively, "How about the King of Wu? The commander controls the Three Wus, and it has been a tradition since ancient times to use the land as a title. It is only natural for you to be called the King of Wu."

Lu Jin shook his head. "No one who uses Wu as his name can unify the world. Besides, Wu is too regional. It always sounds like a secluded place. That's not good."

Fan Qiuchan was secretly puzzled. What was the reason? Aren’t Qin, Han, Tang and Song all ancient place names? They were all unified in the end. Or did Lu Jin have some taboo or special ideas?

So she asked again, "What about the King of Lu? The commander is Gongshu clan, and Gongshu clan's fiefdom is in Lu. It is customary to use the fiefdom of their ancestors as their title."

Lu Jin shook his head again. "First, the name Lu is too regional like Wu, and it doesn't seem like a unified name. Second, Lu is still in the hands of the Tartars. If I call myself the King of Lu but don't own Lu, wouldn't that make me a laughing stock?"

"What about the King of Chu? Among the seven major powers in the Warring States Period, such a title was not often used even by the princes of the unified country. And it just so happens that the Chu land coincides with the Marshal's current territory, so why not use Chu as the title?" Fan Qiuchan suggested again.

Lu Jin pondered for a while, then said, "This can be considered, but I still need to listen to other people's opinions."

Upon hearing this, Fan Qiuchan immediately laughed and said, "If the Marshal really uses this title of king in the future, don't forget that I also have the merit of offering advice and suggestions."

Seeing this, Lu Jin also laughed and said, "Why, if I really use Chu as my name, what reward do you want?"

"Well, I haven't thought about it yet. I was just talking." Fan Qiuchan didn't expect Lu Jin to be serious. She just thought Lu Jin was easy to talk to, so she made a joke. She didn't dare to really ask Lu Jin for a reward.

Zhang Yunxiu interrupted at this time and said, "I think we can give Miss Fan an official title."

"Oh? Give her an official title?" Lu Jin looked at Zhang Yunxiu curiously.

Zhang Yunxiu immediately explained, "Yes, Miss Fan is good at poetry and painting. It's rare that she is interested in your husband's Gongshu Secret Canon. Your husband has been looking for a painter, so why not let Miss Fan give it a try?"

Lu Jin immediately became interested and asked curiously, "You can also paint?"

Fan Qiuchan nodded, "I can indeed draw a little, but of course I can't compare to those great painters."

Lu Jin ignored that and continued to ask, "What are you good at painting? Portraits, landscapes, pavilions, or flowers, birds, fish and insects?"

Fan Qiuchan thought for a moment before saying, "Hmm~ I usually paint more flowers, birds, fish and insects, right? So, the Marshal really wants to find a painter?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin lifted up his son who was chewing a pumpkin and said happily, "It would be even better if he is good at painting flowers and birds. I am planning to find someone to draw a picture album. I wonder if Miss Fan is willing to help?"

Fan Qiuchan did not refuse, but asked curiously, "Does the Marshal want to draw a flower and bird album? Or do you want to weave official uniforms and find an artist to draw the patterns?"

Lu Jin shook his head and asked, "Have you ever heard of following a map to find a horse?"

"Of course I know. This is the story of Bole and his son. Could it be that the Marshal is planning to draw a flower and bird album and let people look for them according to the pictures?"

"more or less."

Fan Qiuchan immediately complained in his heart, thinking that this was not a good thing. The Flower and Stone Gang launched by the Early Song Dynasty led to the destruction of the Northern Song Dynasty.
-
ps: I have been busy these two days, so this chapter has less than 4,000 words. Together with yesterday's, I owe two chapters in total. I will make up for it later.

(End of this chapter)