Diqin Designer

Chapter 44: Transforming Daqin from Tables, Chairs and Benches

"Sir, what are these things?"

Guo Dian stood beside Li Nian, looking curiously at the things being moved into Liuying Palace by the guards.

These things are exactly the tables, chairs and benches that Li Nian asked the Shaofu craftsmen to make.

Things that are commonplace to people in later generations were rare and unseen things to people of Guo Dian's time.

Li Nian introduced them to Guo Dian: "This is called a 'chair', this is called a 'stool', this is called a 'table', and this is called a 'sofa'. Sofas, chairs, and stools are all used for 'sitting', just like this."

Pulling over a chair, Li Nian demonstrated to Guo Dian.

I swear to God, after more than half a month in Daqin, he finally sat on the chair again.

It turns out that it is more comfortable to sit like this!

"As for the stool, just sit on it. Do you want to try it too?"

Li Nian pointed to a chair and motioned Guo Dian to feel it as well.

Guo Dian hurriedly said: "How dare I use what you use!"

Li Nian said: "In my hometown, almost every household has tables, chairs and benches. They are used in daily life and there is nothing special about them. I let you sit here so that you can feel the difference between sitting like this and kneeling. After you sit here, talk about your feelings."

"And you, find chairs, sofas, and benches to sit on, and each of you tell me your feelings later." Li Nian called on a few more guards and palace maids.

Seeing that these people wanted to refuse, Li Nian said directly: "This is an order, do you want to disobey it?"

Guo Dian, the guards and palace maids had no choice but to do as Li Nian said and find benches, sofas and chairs to sit down.

Li Nian pointed at the table and said, "This is a 'table'. In later times, it can be used for writing, working, eating, playing, etc. Compared to today's tables and desks, it is taller and suitable for tall stools and chairs, so you can't kneel and sit on it."

Guo Dian looked at the table and said, "Sir, can one table be paired with several chairs?"

Li Nian smiled and said, "Yes, in my hometown, we don't practice separate dining. The whole family sits around the table with stools or chairs to eat, and everyone can chat while eating. From a hygiene point of view, separate dining is better, but the whole family sitting around the table to eat is conducive to enhancing family affection."

"A table is used for writing, so it should be readable, but it can also be used for playing. When I have free time, I will teach you a game called 'Mahjong' in my house. This game is very simple and I guarantee you will learn it!"

As a Shu person, how can I not play mahjong?

Of course, we must carry forward this national quintessence to the Qin Dynasty and give the people of this era some shocking entertainment for future generations.

Hearing Li Nian's words, Guo Dian and others quickly stood up and saluted: "Thank you, sir!"

Li Nian waved her hand and said, "Everyone, sit down and continue to feel it. This sofa can't actually be called a sofa. It can only be regarded as an extended wooden chair. In my hometown, a sofa is a cushioned multi-seat chair that is more comfortable to sit on than the wooden chair you are sitting on now."

"Chairs can be made not only of wood, but also of other materials, such as woven rattan. There are also many styles of chairs, such as the one we have today, and chairs that you can lie on and rock on..."

Listening to Li Nian's story, Guo Dian and others were very curious about what the rattan chair and rocking chair that the young master mentioned looked like.

A palace maid plucked up her courage and asked cautiously, "Sir, if the chair shakes, won't it fall off?"

Li Nian smiled and said, "Wait until I have someone make them, and you will know once you see them. By the way, how does it feel to sit on a chair, stool, or sofa? How does it compare to kneeling normally?"

By making tables, chairs and benches, Li Nian not only wanted to make his own life comfortable, but also wanted to promote them to the entire Qin Dynasty for use. It was a convenient thing to do anyway.

Guo Dian said, "My lord, this chair is more comfortable and convenient to sit on than kneeling. When kneeling, you need to put your knees on the ground, your calves on the ground, and your buttocks on your calves and heels. If the posture is not correct, your legs will go numb. But when sitting on this chair, you just need to sit up, and it is convenient to sit down and stand up." The maid who had just asked if she would fall off the recliner nodded and said, "I remember when I first learned to kneel, I didn't know how to sit, and my legs were sore and numb every day."

If you kneel for a long time without mastering the method, you will of course feel numbness and pain. Even if you squat on the toilet for a long time, you will feel that your legs are not your own when you stand up, let alone kneeling?

The maid said, "This chair is not only comfortable to sit on, but you don't need to learn how to sit on it. Does everyone in your hometown sit like this?"

Li Nian said: "In my hometown, few people know how to kneel and sit. Most people sit on stools and chairs. I have never learned how to kneel and sit since I was a child, so I am not used to it. That is why I asked the craftsmen of the Shaofu to make tables and chairs."

At this moment, a guard came in and reported to Li Nian: "Sir, Doctor Su Xu is here!"

Upon hearing that Li Nian's daily class time had arrived, Guo Dian and a group of palace maids and guards quickly stood up and waited for Su Xu to come in.

Although Li Nian can speak the elegant language of Daqin, there is still a gap between being able to speak and speaking fluently.

Therefore, he still studied with Su Xu, but after that day, Su Xu no longer guided him towards Confucianism and just attended classes honestly.

As soon as Su Xu came in, Li Nian bowed and said, "Greetings, Master Su!"

Su Xu returned the greeting: "Greetings, sir!"

Seeing the tables, chairs, benches and sofas in the hall, Su Xu asked curiously: "Sir, what are these?"

Li Nian said, "These are some things from my hometown. Master Su, why don't you use these things to teach me today?"

Su Xu looked at the tables, chairs, benches and sofas again. He had never seen these things in all his years, but this man said they were from his hometown.

Where did this person come from? Was he a barbarian or not? How could these things be used to teach?

Soon, Su Xu understood what Li Nian meant. These things were not used for teaching, but to let him sit on this thing called a "chair" and teach at the "table".

Just by sitting on the chair next to the table, Su Xu felt the benefits of the table and chair. The chair was comfortable to sit on and the table could hold more things. The person he was teaching was sitting next to him, at the same table, which was perfect for teaching.

This combination of table and chair is more conducive to writing, and it is also convenient to stand up and do other things. If you kneel, not to mention sitting down, it is definitely not as convenient to stand up as sitting on a chair. Compared with kneeling, sitting on a chair seems a little indecent.

This hometown actually had such items. It was definitely not the barbaric place he had imagined.

This made Su Xu even more puzzled about Li Nian's origins. He didn't look like a person from the Qin Dynasty, nor from the Six Kingdoms, nor was he a barbarian. So where did he come from?
At the end of one day's class, Li Nian asked Su Xu, "Teacher Su, what do you think of this table and chair?"

Su Xu thought about it and told his feelings honestly: "It is more convenient and comfortable than kneeling on a desk. Su also wants to prepare a set at home."

Li Nian smiled and said, "Master Su taught me a lot, but I have no way to repay him. Why don't I give Master Su a set?"

Su Xu thought about it and did not refuse: "In this case, Su thanks you, sir!"

Li Nian asked Su Xu, Guo Dian and others to sit on tables, chairs and benches, and deliberately asked about their feelings in order to arouse the interest of the First Emperor.

If we want to promote these things in the Qin Dynasty, is there a better channel than the official represented by the First Emperor?

In Zhangtai Palace, after listening to the eunuch's report, Ying Zheng glanced at the set of tables, chairs and benches placed in the hall and said, "He wants to tell me that these 'tables, chairs and benches' are useful through these people's feelings, so that I can promote them. He is quite clever!"

He had tried the tables and chairs and found them better than kneeling on a desk, so he said, "Although this is a small matter, it is indeed more convenient. Ask the Shaofu to make ten more sets of tables and chairs and send them to the palace. I will use them."

He planned to let all the ministers experience the use of tables and chairs during court meetings, and promote them first in the Qin Palace and among the ministers. With the palace and ministers taking the lead, the people would follow suit.

The first large-scale and formal change that Li Nian brought to Daqin actually started with tables, chairs and benches!
(End of this chapter)