Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 438: Tricked into getting a cheap apprentice (Additional chapters, asking for monthly tickets)

"That's right." Wang Dayuan nodded. "I heard from Your Highness that Tao Wanhu is the new Minister of the Privy Council. From now on, the military preparations will be handed over to you. Not only is it your job to build cannons, but when I leave next year, I'm afraid the Longjiang Shipyard will also be handed over to you."

Tao Guangyi swallowed his saliva and hesitated, "I just arrived and I have been entrusted with this important task. Isn't this a bit..."

Wang Dayuan said immediately, "Since you were able to guess the purpose of this boat at a glance, you must be an extraordinary person. The position of the chief officer of the Military Academy's Armament Department has been vacant for a long time, but the lord has been unable to select a suitable candidate. This is because those who understand military affairs do not understand craftsmen and craftsmen who understand construction do not understand military affairs. Moreover, the chief officer must also understand firearms. It is so difficult to find such a person.

"Since the lord has taken a fancy to Tao Wanhu, then Tao Wanhu must be an extraordinary person in this field."

Tao Guangyi was also a little surprised that Lu Jin thought so highly of him, so he said, "Okay, then we should go take a closer look at this boat next?"

"That's not necessary. His Highness asked you to come here to take a look because he hopes you can be clear about your future responsibilities. Now that you have seen the ship, you can go directly to meet His Highness. I can lead the way for you." Wang Dayuan said immediately.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Wang."

So the group went straight into the city and went to the central government. They waited in the former general's mansion for a long time before being led by the guards to see Lu Jin.

"Your Highness Tao Guangyi, the guilty minister Ning Anqing, and Prime Minister Li pay homage to His Majesty the King of Chu."

"Humph!"

Led by Wang Dayuan, Tao Guangyi and his party came to the second hall and immediately bowed to Lu Jin who was at the top. However, at this moment, a cold snort suddenly came from behind them. Ning Anqing and others knew without even turning their heads that Yang Hui must be making trouble again.

Lu Jin was also a little surprised, and waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite, who can tell me who the person behind is?"

Everyone stood up straight, and Tao Guangyi immediately introduced, "Your Highness, this beast is Yang Hui, the inspector of Zhejiang East of the Yuan court. He is not a surrendered minister, but when the city was captured that day, I tied him up, so he should be considered a prisoner."

"Oh, then what does he mean now? Did he surrender or not? If not, what is he doing here? Why isn't he dead yet?" Lu Jin asked again.

This time, before Tao Guangyi could say anything, Yang Hui took the initiative to say, "Bah, you are just a traitor who usurps the throne and claims to be king. How dare you ask me to surrender? I am a Jinshi in the eighth year of Zhizheng. I eat the salary of the emperor and I am loyal to him. How could I be subdued by a thief?"

Everyone was horrified when they heard this, but Lu Jin suddenly laughed out loud, "Oh, since you want to be loyal to your Tartar emperor, why didn't you commit suicide in Jinhua? Or are you planning to come here to assassinate me to be loyal to your Tartar emperor?"

Ask Yang Hui to assassinate Lu Jin? Of course he didn't have the courage to do that. He didn't even have the courage to commit suicide, so how could he do such a thing?

Yang Hui immediately raised his head with contempt, "Humph, the traitor has committed many evil deeds, and God will punish him. Why do you want to dirty my hands?"

As soon as these words came out, Li Dingbang, who heard the noise outside the door, immediately came in with two of his personal soldiers, swords drawn, "Your Highness, do you want to drag this guy out and kill him?"

Lu Jin said, "Didn't you hear him say that he was a Jinshi in the Yuan Dynasty?"

Yang Hui immediately raised his head and snorted again, "Hmph, it's good that you know it. If you are sensible, you should surrender to the court early and apologize for your crime."

Lu Jin ignored him and continued, "This fellow at least has hands and feet, can speak, and can read and write. He is more useful than cattle and horses. It would be a pity to kill him. It would make me look intolerant. Besides, he is just a pedantic scholar. What can he do to me even if he is alive?
"He has a Chinese surname, but he likes being a slave to the barbarians. If that's the case, I'll send him to the Dangtu Iron Mine to do hard labor. After two years, when we conquer Chengzhou, I'll exile him to an island and sell him to the Ainu as a slave. He likes being a slave to the barbarians, right? I'll make his wish come true!"

"Yes!" Li Dingbang waved his hand, and two personal soldiers immediately stepped forward and grabbed Yang Hui's arms.

"." Yang Hui couldn't hold it in any longer. He didn't know where Chengzhou was, let alone what the Ainu were, but it didn't sound like a good place. He immediately struggled and said, "Traitor, just kill me if you have the guts!"

"Want to die? I won't let you die. If you keep screaming, I'll exile you to Pingzhou. I heard that the headhunters in the mountains of Pingzhou like to eat people. You weigh more than 100 pounds, so you should be enough for them to cook a pot of meat."

"."Yang Hui stopped talking immediately. It was so horrifying. This rebel leader actually wanted to hand him over to the cannibalistic barbarians. He might as well go to Chengzhou and be a slave to those Ainu people. It is better to live a miserable life than to die. When the imperial court destroys this rebel, they will definitely take him back, they will definitely!
When Yang Hui was dragged out, Tao Guangyi and others looked at their noses, their noses at their mouths, and their mouths at their hearts, pretending not to hear anything. It was not until this guy was dragged away and no sound was made that Lu Jin spoke to Tao Guangyi.

"Tao Siwen, right? (Tao Guangyi's pen name). I read the letter you sent to me. Although you got seven points right in the cannon sketch you drew in the letter, you didn't understand the most important three points. You saw the cannon in Jinhua. Do you know what the three points are?"

Tao Guangyi immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness, I have seen it. It is the ear axle."

"Yes, the ear shaft is the key part connecting the gun body and the gun carriage, and it is also an important pivot for controlling the elevation angle of the gun. A gun without an ear shaft cannot be fixed firmly and cannot exert its due combat power.

"But compared to others, you've done pretty well. At least you guessed that the range of a cannon is related to the length of the barrel, and you also guessed that the range is related to the airtightness of the shells. You also have a relatively good understanding of firearms, and you've even tried to make rockets yourself. Although they don't have much practical value, your ideas are worth affirming.

“Now I let you be the Minister of General Assembly, responsible for the manufacture of weapons for the entire army. To be honest, you are not qualified, but what I value is your spirit of exploration of firearms. You don’t follow the rules and dare to try new things. This may be more important than whether you can make cannons.

"It's actually not difficult to make cannons. You can learn it if you try. But the spirit of daring to explore and try can't be learned. So I decided to let you be the Minister of the General Armament Department of the Privy Council." Lu Jin said immediately.

Tao Guangyi was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately knelt on one knee and said, "Thank you for your respect, Your Highness. I will work a hundred times harder in the future and will never let Your Highness down."

"Very well, get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After arranging for Tao Guangyi, Lu Jin looked at Ning Anqing and Li Xiang and asked them, "What's the matter with you two? I heard that you two were persuaded to surrender by Tao Siwen. Since you surrendered, what are your plans for the future? If you don't want to work for me, I can let you go home and live a good life in the future. If you are willing to serve me, I can also arrange an official position for you. What do you think?"

The two looked at each other immediately after hearing this. Ning Anqing hesitated for a moment before saying, "When a country is about to fall, there must be evil. Now there are treacherous ministers in the Yuan court who are causing chaos and framing loyal officials, so that Huaibei changed its generals before the battle, and heroes are rising up all over the world. The Yuan Dynasty is already showing signs of its demise.

"As I traveled all the way from Jinhua, I saw that your Highness's territory was reducing land rents, promoting agricultural tools, and changing the currency system. The people lived and worked in peace and contentment. It was clearly a scene of great peace and order. I realized that your Highness was not the evil villain rumored, but a true wise ruler.

"I have studied hard for ten years and have acquired some skills. In this era of great change, I do not want to return home and die in the fields. Now that you are here, I am willing to serve you!"

Lu Jin nodded, "That's fine, then what are you good at? What kind of official are you willing to be?"

Ning Anqing was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect Lu Jin to let him choose his own official position. He hesitated and said, "I don't know about this either. It's all up to your Highness to arrange."

Lu Jin thought for a moment before saying, "You were originally a member of the Privy Council of the Yuan court, so you should know something about military affairs, but have you ever read a military book?"

"Yes, I have read all the Five Classics and Seven Books."

"Very good, then where are you from? Do you have any family members?" Lu Jin asked again.

Ning Anqing immediately replied, "My hometown is Luoyang, and I am a passer-by in Henan Prefecture. My family is all in Luoyang, but I haven't contacted them for a long time, and I don't know how they are doing now."

"Luoyang? That's a bit far." Lu Jin frowned. His family was still in the enemy-occupied area, which was not very safe. They might be held hostage or threatened. But as long as he was not allowed to lead the troops, there was no need to worry too much. Just let him keep a low profile, so he said again.

"Since you have read so many military books, let me test you. Why did I attack Jinqu in June?"

Ning Anqing immediately thought that this was the entrance exam, so he thought about it carefully before analyzing it.

"June and July are the hottest months of the year and the busy farming season. There are not many civilians available to transport supplies. It is not the best time to send troops. However, Your Highness is forcing troops to be sent at this time, which shows that Your Highness is in a hurry. This is one reason.

“Secondly, Jinqu is a narrow, long and closed place, with mountains on both the north and south sides, and only one exit in the east and west directions, connecting Hangzhou and Shaoxing in the east and Raozhou and Xinzhou in the west.

"If it is to guard against Hangzhou, then there is no need to send troops to Jinqu. Your Highness has occupied Pujiang County east of Jinqu at the beginning of this year, blocking the eastward passage of Wuzhou Road. The Yuan army in Jinqu cannot threaten Hangzhou. Therefore, the reason for sending troops is not in the east. In the end, there is only one reason left, the west!
“Combined with the fact that Your Highness was eager to send troops to attack Jinqu in June and July despite the scorching heat, I speculate that Your Highness wanted to use troops in Raozhou Road and Xinzhou Road after the autumn harvest this year. The attack on Jinqu was only to clear the threat from the rear of the army in advance to prevent the army from being attacked from both sides.

"If the attack on Jinqu is just to cover the attack on Raozhou, then the troops used in the direction of Raozhou must be quite a lot, at least much more than the troops used to attack Jinqu this time."

Thinking of this, Ning Anqing suddenly raised his head and looked at Lu Jin, "Your Highness wants to attack Jiangxi Province with all his strength after the autumn harvest this year?!"

Lu Jin looked at him with satisfaction, but did not give a direct answer. Instead, he said, "You are quite smart. Why don't you stay in my Privy Council as a counselor and help with military affairs?"

He did not deny it, but acknowledged his ability, which meant that he had guessed it right. Ning Anqing immediately understood, and then he knelt on one knee and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your appreciation, Your Highness. It is what I wish for, but I dare not ask for it."

"Well, get up." Lu Jinxu helped him with his hand, then looked at the last Prime Minister Li and asked.

"What about you, are you going home or staying to serve?"

"I am willing to serve Your Highness." Li Xiang said immediately.

"What was your original position? Where is your hometown?"

"Your Highness, I used to be the chief clerk of Wanhu Mansion in Wuzhou Road. My native place is Quzhou and my family is also in Quzhou." Prime Minister Li answered again.

This position is similar to Liu Ji's, both of them are from Wanhu Mansion, but they are not in the same place.
Lu Jin nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "You go to the Imperial Guards first and learn how to do things from the instructor. Then, next year, you will go to sea with Mr. Wang on that big ship. When you come back, you can go to the Navy to be an instructor."

Li Xiang was a little surprised. "The huge ship at Longwan Wharf? Going out to sea?"

"Yes, you will know when the time comes."

"Yes, thank you for your appreciation, Marshal." Li Xiang also bowed immediately. Lu Jin raised his hand to let them stand up, and then said to the three people, "Since you have been assigned, you should get familiar with your duties as soon as possible. I don't keep idle people here. I hope you can all get familiar with your respective jobs as soon as possible."

"Yes, we will take our leave." Several people bowed immediately.

However, just as Ning Anqing and Li Xiang took a few steps back and turned around to leave, they saw Tao Guangyi standing there hesitantly, as if he wanted to say something but didn't dare to.

Seeing this, Lu Jin asked again, "Si Wen, do you have anything to say?"

Tao Guangyi immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness, I have some personal matters to ask."

Ning Anqing and the other man also stood up after hearing this.

Lu Jin felt amused when he heard this. He had deliberately written a letter to Tao Guangyi to lure him. With Tao Guangyi's curious nature, it was impossible for him not to take the bait. Even if he didn't say it, Lu Jin could guess what he was going to ask. However, he still pretended to be puzzled and said, "Private matter? Tell me now."

Tao Guangyi then asked, "May I ask Your Highness, is the Gongshuzi that I found in Zhu Danxi's house real?"

Lu Jin nodded, "It's true. I've heard that Mr. Danxi is a great doctor of the time. I originally planned to recruit him to be my medical officer, so I sent someone to deliver a letter and a book to him, but the old man refused to come because of his old age. He only sent an apprentice, that's all."

Tao Guangyi thought that he was right. Ning Anqing and Li Xiang also suddenly realized how Tao Guangyi got in touch with Lu Jin. It turned out to be Zhu Danxi.
Tao Guangyi hesitated again and asked, "Your Highness, I read that book and it said that Gongshu Ban had created a device that could carry people to the sky. Is this true?"

Lu Jin nodded again and said, "It's true, but it's a device that can carry people and fly into the air. But whether it can fly or not is not certain. It depends on how you define flying."

When Tao Guangyi got a positive answer, his eyes widened and his breathing quickened. Ning Anqing and Li Xiang next to him also looked at each other and saw the disbelief in each other's eyes.

Tao Guangyi asked again, "What does this definition of flying mean? Your Highness, what do you mean by this? I don't understand."

Lu Jin then explained, "There is no such thing as weight in this world. It is people who set the scales (weights and balances) that give rise to weight. There is no such thing as length in this world. It is people who set the size that give rise to length. There is no such thing as height in this world. It is people who set the altitude that give rise to height. I call this the quantification of physics.

"The word altitude comes from Guo Shoujing, the Grand Tutor of the Yuan Dynasty. I think it's a good word. Do you know what it means?"

"I don't know about this."

“If we look for heights on land, it is difficult to establish a benchmark because the heights are different everywhere. However, the sea surface is different. The sea surface is almost the same height, so it can be used as a benchmark for heights.

"Altitude is based on sea level. Ten feet above the sea level is called an altitude of ten feet, and ten miles above the sea level is called an altitude of ten miles. This is a way of measuring height. Only when you know the height first can you define what is empty and what is heaven."

Tao Guangyi frowned and asked in confusion, "Are the heights of the sky and the air different?"

Lu Jin shook his head. "Sky is a word, and there is no distinction. People call the sky above their heads the blue sky, the sky, the jade sky, the nine heavens, the sky, and the heaven. These names are all OK, but if you want to fly up, you should always establish a height first. Even if it has no height, you have to set one.

“People often say that you don’t know how high the sky is. If you don’t even know how high the sky is, how can you know how high you can fly to be considered as flying?

"So Gongshu had his own definition of the height of the sky. Two hundred miles above sea level is Tianmen Pass (Karman Line). Above 200 miles above sea level, Gongshu called it heaven; below 200 miles above sea level, Gongshu called it empty, and flying in this area is called aviation; if you fly above Tianmen Pass, exceeding 200 miles above sea level, and flying in the star field where we are, it is called aerospace, which is what you call flying to the sky, such as flying to the moon, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, etc.

"Continue to fly outward, out of the star field we are in, and fly in the Milky Way. This is called aerospace. This is the difference between aviation, aerospace, and aerospace."

Everyone was shocked. There were many implications in Lu Jin's words. In order to know how high one could fly to be considered as flying, people set a certain height for the sky. But Gongshu Shi also divided the concepts of aviation, aerospace, and aerospace into three different concepts. What does this mean? Doesn't this mean that Gongshu Shi can already fly to the Milky Way?
Gollum—

Tao Guangyi swallowed his saliva and asked again, "Then does Your Highness know how to fly?"

"Of course I know. If it's just manned flights below Tianmen Pass, that is, aviation, then I know at least seven or eight ways to make aircraft. If it's space travel, that is, flying to the moon or Mars, then I also know a way. But if you want to fly into the Milky Way, I do know a way, and in theory I can fly there, but it's impossible to do in practice."

"why?"

"Because if we want to fly, we can fly anytime, but the moon and Mars are too far away from us. It takes several days to go to the moon, and three to six months to go to Mars. And if we want to fly out of our star field and into the Milky Way, it will take about 16,000 years, and the human lifespan is only a hundred years. Even if we fly out by then, our bodies may have turned into ash. So it is actually impossible."

"." Everyone was stunned. It only takes a few days to go to the moon, but it takes several months to go to Mars. How did they get all that time? Did Gongshu Shi go there?
Tao Guangyi swallowed his saliva again and asked, "Then Your Highness, how can a person fly?"

"That's easy. If you want to fly, the key is speed."

"speed?"

"Yes." Lu Jin clapped his hands and said, "You only need to run 23 miles in the breath when I clap my hands, and you can break free from the shackles of the earth, break through the Tianmen Pass, and fly into the sky; run 34 miles in one breath, and keep flying, and you can fly to the moon in just a few days; run miles in one breath, and then keep flying at this speed for years without sleep, and you can fly out of our star field and into the Milky Way."

"." Everyone was stunned. After a while, a few people reacted. Before Tao Guangyi could speak, Ning Anqing laughed dryly twice and said, "Your Highness is really a joke. How can a person run sixteen miles in a breath? Even riding a thousand-mile horse can't do it."

Lu Jin said seriously, "Who said I was joking? Xunzi said: When you stand on a height and wave, your arm does not become longer, but people can see you from afar; when you shout in the wind, your voice does not become faster, but people can hear you clearly; when you borrow a carriage and horse, it is not because you have fast feet, but you can travel a thousand miles; when you borrow a boat and oars, it is not because you can swim, but you can cross rivers and lakes; a gentleman is not born different, but he is good at making use of things.

"Of course, we can't run that fast if we rely on ourselves, but that doesn't mean we can't ride on something that can run that fast. There are many things that can run faster than a thousand-mile horse. Have you ever calculated how fast an arrow shot from a strong bow and crossbow can go? Have you ever calculated how fast a cannonball shot from a cannon can fly?
"If you haven't calculated, how do you know you can't run faster than a horse? If you haven't calculated, how do you know there is no swift creature in the world that can fly at that speed?"

Ning Anqing was immediately speechless and opened his mouth, not knowing how to respond.

Tao Guangyi's eyes lit up when he heard this. At first, he thought Lu Jin was joking. How could there be something that could run so fast in the world? But when he heard Lu Jin's two examples of arrows and cannonballs, his mind was instantly opened. Yes, who said it must be a living thing? Can't dead things be used? Cars and ships are also dead things. Can't they be used to carry people?

What kind of person is Tao Guangyi? He was planning to tie a bunch of rockets to a chair and blast himself into the sky. Is he someone who can be judged by common sense?

Anyway, regardless of whether others believe it or not, Tao Guangyi believes it. You see, what His Highness said is well-reasoned and convincing. If you ask others how to fly, can they tell you these things?
Thinking of this, Tao Guangyi immediately knelt on one knee and bowed, "Please teach me the art of flying!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin immediately looked at him as if he were an idiot, and then said expressionlessly, "Don't push your luck. I let you be the Minister of the Privy Council because I saw that you have some talent and you have contributed to the Wuzhou Road, so you have made some contributions. That's why I let you be the Minister.

"You are not my disciple, why should I teach you such a unique skill?"

However, Tao Guangyi immediately understood what Lu Jin meant, and immediately knelt down with his other leg, and bowed respectfully, saying, "I wish to serve Your Highness as my teacher, just as I serve my parents!"

Seeing this, Lu Jin became even more calm and deliberately said, "You are willing to take me as your master, but I don't accept just anyone. It's not easy to learn the real Gongshu Secret Canon."

Tao Guangyi looked at Lu Jin blankly, not knowing what Lu Jin meant.

Lu Jin looked at the man in his thirties in front of him, pinched his chin and said, "If you want to learn the real Gongshu Secret Canon, you have to shave your beard."

Tao Guangyi was stunned when he heard this, and he touched the goatee on his chin, wondering, "Why is this?"

"Because when studying the chemistry of Gongshu Secret Canon, you often have to refine some poisonous things, and they are extremely poisonous, and there are poisonous gases. Sometimes you need to wear a gas mask. It is not convenient for you to wear a mask with a long beard, and there will be gaps. Aren't you afraid of smelling the poisonous gas and poisoning yourself to death? If so, why would I accept you? I don't want to collect your body.

"Besides, don't you Confucians say that you shouldn't grow a beard when your father is still alive, and you shouldn't celebrate your mother's birthday when she is still alive? I heard that your father is still alive, so why are you growing a long beard now?"

Tao Guangyi was speechless for a moment. He thought to himself, although my father is still alive, my son is already 16 years old. I am almost a grandfather. Isn't it normal for me to have a long beard?

But Confucianism does have a rule that one should not grow a beard while his father is still alive.
So he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I am willing to shave. Your Highness, do you have any other requests?"

Lu Jin looked him up and down and said, "You have to cut your hair short, too. You are not allowed to tie it up in the future."

Tao Guangyi's eyes widened. "Why? My body and hair are given by my parents, how can I damage them at will?"

Lu Jin said immediately, "Aren't you going to fly to the sky? Even something as light as an arrow is difficult to shoot into the sky. If you want to send a person weighing more than 100 pounds into the sky, it will be even more difficult to carry an extra penny. Your long hair must weigh at least half a pound, right?

"Besides, what's the saying that one's body and hair are inherited from one's parents? That's all bullshit. Have you read the whole book Gongshuzi? What does the materialistic worldview say?

"The core of Gongshu Secret Canon is materialism. What you see is the truth. Tell me yourself, did you have such long hair when you were born? If you can't even seek truth from facts, what's the point of learning Gongshu Secret Canon?!"

"Of course not that long, but."

"But what? Confucianism says 'those with braids and tattoos are barbarians', but does it mean that those who shave their heads are also barbarians? I just asked you to cut your hair short. I didn't ask you to shave your head like a monk, nor did I ask you to tie your hair into braids like the Tartars. People have short hair when they are born, and there is nothing wrong with that."

Tao Guangyi gritted his teeth and said, "I am willing to cut my hair short. What else do you want, Your Highness?"

Tsk, this is actually agreed to. Lu Jin immediately said, "Since you want to become my disciple, I also want a gift. It doesn't have to be too expensive, a carp or a wild goose will do, both must be alive."

Tao Guangyi heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. Fortunately, Lu Jin didn't say anything. If he had to castrate himself before learning Gongshu Secret Canon, then he might not learn it.
"This is what we should do. I will definitely provide it! Master, do you have any other requests?"

Lu Jin stood up and said, "Get all these ready, fast and bathe for three days, and after three days, follow me to worship the Holy Ancestor Gongshu Ban."

After saying that, he left the hall directly, leaving Ning Anqing, Li Xiang, and Tao Guangyi who was kneeling there staring at each other.

Ning Anqing suddenly felt a little regretful and doubtful. Could the lord he had just pledged allegiance to be a lunatic? But he didn't look like one.
(End of this chapter)