Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 330 Envy-inducing
With the matter of "He Mai" on his mind, Lu Beigu had a simple meal at his sister's place before returning to Shen Kuo's residence.

This time, the courtyard gate was open, and the sound of clanging and knocking could be heard from inside.

He pushed open the door and entered, only to see Shen Kuo with his sleeves rolled up, gesturing at a small, crystal-clear piece of South China Sea crystal in the afterglow of the setting sun, with some grinding tools scattered around him.

If Lu Beigu remembered correctly, this should be the leftover scrap material from the South China Sea crystal that he bought last time in order to make a prism. It can no longer be sold, but it can still be used to make small utensils.

"Brother Cunzhong, you really never have a moment's rest," Lu Beigu said with a smile.

When Shen Kuo saw it was him, he put down his work and wiped his hands: "You've come at the right time. I was just thinking about the follow-up to that prism. Hmm, judging from your expression, you seem to have something on your mind?"

Lu Beigu then closed the gate to the courtyard, pulled Shen Kuo into the house, and then recounted in detail how Fan Xiang had summoned him, how Zhou An wanted to "purchase" hot air balloon technology, and how Fan Xiang suggested that Shen Kuo handle the matter.

Upon hearing this, Shen Kuo raised his eyebrows slightly, showing little surprise. Instead, he smiled and said, "Privy Councilor Han is indeed insightful, able to see the wonderful use of hot air balloons in the military. It is a good thing that this thing can be used by the country. This matter is easy; the blueprints and figures are readily available. I will go to the State Administration of Civil Affairs tomorrow to handle it."

"That's excellent, thank you for your trouble, Brother Cunzhong."

Lu Beigu nodded, then addressed the crucial point: "How should the proceeds from this 'purchase' be distributed? The hot air balloon project was made possible entirely by Brother Cunzhong's painstaking efforts and immense energy. I think..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Kuo waved his hand repeatedly to interrupt him: "That's not right! The most important part of this thing is your ingenious idea of ​​'thermal buoyancy'. Without your brilliant idea, even if I had the skills to do anything, I would be like a cook without rice. I'm just following the clues and doing my best. You should take the lion's share of the money."

As a scientist, Shen Kuo was well aware of the value of "knowledge".

Lu Beigu insisted on refusing: "The idea is just a castle in the air. What made it a reality was Brother Cunzhong's repeated experiments and improvements, which even delayed his preparation for the provincial examination. During this period, Brother Cunzhong did all the repeated debugging. So, both in terms of courtesy and reason, you should get more credit."

After much refusal, Lu Beigu saw that Shen Kuo was determined. He pondered for a moment and then suddenly said, "You give me six and I'll give you four. How about that? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have thought of such a wonderful thing."

Shen Kuo shook his head and sighed, "I think it would be better if I took three, you took six, and the remaining ten percent went to Brother Zihou. Although he wasn't directly involved, this matter started because of him. More importantly, the palace examination is just around the corner, and we can't let him really get sick from cold and hunger. You don't know, Brother Zihou has been going hungry lately. Although he hasn't said anything, how could I not know?"

Lu Beigu nodded slightly and said, "Brother Zihou is so poor, we really can't sit idly by. How about I give five, you give four, and Brother Zihou gives one?"

He ultimately wanted to leave more for Shen Kuo.

“You are six, I am three, and Brother Zihou is one,” Shen Kuo corrected.

Seeing Shen Kuo's insistence, Lu Beigu knew that his mind was made up, so he stopped arguing.

"Alright, we'll do as you say."

The plan was settled, and both of them felt it was appropriate.

Shen Kuo was in a good mood, but then he remembered something else. He went out and picked up the small crystal: "Speaking of this crystal, I remembered something else. That day at Minxian Temple, I used a polished prism to project an artificial rainbow, which attracted a lot of people to watch in amazement. Afterwards, many people inquired about the price and asked how much it cost. Now only you and I know the secret to polishing it. Why don't we open a shop to sell this 'artificial rainbow mirror'? I'm sure we can make a lot of money."

"Brother Cunzhong, I'm afraid this thing will be difficult to make a living from."

Lu Beigu listened, then pondered and shook his head: "First, South China Sea crystal is very valuable, and the cost is extremely high; second, opening a shop will incur expenses such as rent and labor; third, although a scholar can run a business, we are about to enter officialdom, so we will have to entrust it to someone else, and it will be difficult to find a reliable person with this ability in a short time; fourth, and most importantly, once this prism is shown to others, its principle will not be too secretive, and it will be very easy to imitate. At that time, everyone can make it, and the profit will be thin. I'm afraid we won't even be able to recover the cost of opening the shop."

"That makes sense."

Shen Kuo stroked his chin, frowning in thought: "What if we sell this method directly to someone who knows its value?"

"Who will it be sold to?" Lu Beigu interjected, then answered his own question, "The reason why the Three Departments' case is about buying the technology of 'hot air balloons' is that this technology can be further developed and become a powerful tool for the military and the country. As for ingenious toys such as prisms, they will definitely not care about them."

After careful consideration, Shen Kuo also felt that this matter involved a lot of risks and the benefits outweighed the rewards, so he said dejectedly, "In that case, this Rainbow Mirror can only be regarded as a fun thing for us to do?"

Let's leave it at that for now.

Lu Beigu nodded, but then he changed the subject: "However, Brother Cunzhong, if we're talking about the use of crystal, I have another idea that might be more effective and difficult for others to imitate."

"Oh? Please tell me!" Shen Kuo was immediately intrigued.

“It’s eyeglasses,” Lu Beigu said slowly. “The elderly have poor eyesight and find it very difficult to see close objects and distinguish small characters. If we could make convex lenses from crystal to help them focus the light, they could see clearly. If we could make eyeglasses that fit each individual, although they would be expensive, there are many elderly people in the capital who would not hesitate to buy them to relieve their blindness. Moreover, the technical threshold for this is extremely high. Only those who know how to do it and why it is so can do it. It is extremely difficult to imitate.”

In fact, the prototype of eyeglasses or magnifying glasses already appeared in the Song Dynasty. The notes "Dongtian Qinglu" recorded that "when an old man's eyesight is poor and he cannot distinguish small characters, he will put this object in his eyes and the characters will become twice as clear and large."

However, people in this era used crystal lenses in a very primitive way. They only knew how to use crystal, but did not know that they needed to have their eyesight determined by an eye exam and then be finely ground in order to make usable glasses.

Lu Beigu then explained the concept of optometry to Shen Kuo by saying that it was "to measure the distance at which one can see clearly and to determine the degree of lens protrusion." He also explained in detail the principle that lens grinding should be in accordance with pupillary distance.

Shen Kuo was already well-versed in optics and had long been familiar with the principles of lens focusing and imaging. Hearing Lu Beigu's words now was like a revelation.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

Shen Kuo's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he clapped his hands in admiration: "To base one's understanding on human vision is truly a profound principle that no one before has ever expressed. My brother is truly a genius! I know a little about this subject, but after your guidance, I feel enlightened. This matter has great potential!"

He became more and more excited as he talked, and almost immediately wanted to try grinding the lenses.

Seeing his reaction, Lu Beigu knew that he had successfully piqued the great scientist's interest.

He looked up at the sky and said, "Now that the hot air balloon and the purchase have been agreed upon, we can discuss the details of the glasses later. It's getting late, Brother Cunzhong, you should rest early, as you still need to go to the office tomorrow."

"Okay, okay!" Shen Kuo readily agreed, but his mind was clearly already on studying the glasses.

Seeing this, Lu Beigu couldn't help but smile, then took his leave.

Shen Kuo was extremely efficient in his work. The next day, he took the letter of authorization given to him by Fan Xiang and went to the Three Departments to handle the "purchasing" matter.

He brought detailed diagrams of the hot air balloon's structure, insights into material selection, buoyancy calculation data for different sizes, and operational precautions.

The officials in charge of the case were also quite interested in this novel thing. After some verification and negotiation, they finally settled on a "peaceful purchase" price of 530 guan.

Shen Kuo signed and sealed the document, received the permit, and then went to the Salt and Iron Bureau's accounting office to exchange it for cash for profit sharing. The Salt and Iron Bureau then sent a cart to transport it back to Hongqiao. This was a "huge sum" in a physical sense, which could only be transported by cart.

After placing the heavy copper coins in the side room and locking them, Shen Kuo immediately sought out Lu Beigu and Zhang Zai. The three of them divided the money according to the previously agreed-upon plan of "Lu six, Shen three, Zhang one".

Zhang Zai held the unexpected fifty-three strings of cash, his hands trembling slightly.

This money was undoubtedly a lifeline for him, but he truly felt unworthy of it.

Zhang Zai initially declined repeatedly, but under the firm and sincere attitude of Lu and Shen, he finally accepted it with tears of gratitude. To exaggerate a bit, the warmth in his heart was almost overflowing.

After dividing the money, Shen Kuo enthusiastically brought up the old idea again: "Now that we have some capital, perhaps we can give the matter of eyeglasses a try? But how to start is something we need to consider."

Lu Beigu also needs to earn some money to redeem the old Lu family house, and he doesn't want to pawn the provincial gold medal which has great commemorative significance, so he is quite serious about this. He pondered and said, "If we can get a highly respected scholar who is suffering from poor eyesight to try it out and get his praise, then we can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Shen Kuo's eyes lit up: "That makes sense! But I wonder which scholar would be suitable?"

Lu Beigu smiled slightly, already having someone in mind.

"Prime Minister Song is a man of profound learning and high moral character. He spends many years reading and writing, which has greatly damaged his eyesight. I often see him frowning and trying to read carefully, which is precisely what he suffers from. I would like to make him a pair of suitable glasses as a gift. If this item is indeed effective, Prime Minister Song will surely praise it."

Shen Kuo clapped his hands: "Excellent! If Lord Song is willing to give it a try, that would be even better!"

With the plan settled, the two began preparations.

Shen Kuo was responsible for deduce and calculate the relationship between the focal length and curvature of convex lenses of different diopters based on the principles described by Lu Beigu, and tried to make several pairs of glasses as test products, while Lu Beigu prepared the simple tools needed for optometry.

That day, it was time to go to the Song residence to study again.

Lu Beigu arrived as usual with several volumes of manuscripts. During a break from class discussions, Song Xiang picked up a copy of the official gazette as usual, but unconsciously frowned slightly, clearly finding it quite difficult to read.

Seeing that the time was right, Lu Beigu stood up and said respectfully, "Sir, you have been working hard these past few days and your eyesight has been worn out. I am truly worried about you. Recently, my friend and I have been studying ancient books and came across a prescription that may alleviate this problem."

"Oh?" Song Xiang put down the official gazette, rubbed his temples, and looked at him with a hint of curiosity. "What wonderful remedy is it? Is it a dietary therapy or a medicinal poultice?"

Over the years, he has tried many methods to treat his eye disease, but with little effect.

"The method is not based on decoctions, but on the use of specially made crystal sheets to adjust the light and make objects clear."

Lu Beigu explained, “Presbyopia and myopia have very different mechanisms. Presbyopia is caused by the hardening of the lens, making near vision blurry, and requires a convex lens to help focus; myopia is caused by an elongated eyeball, making distant vision blurry, and requires a concave lens to diverge light. My friend has done a lot of research in this area and has already made a preliminary device called ‘glasses.’ I wonder if you would allow me to roughly measure the distance between your eyes and the interpupillary distance so that I can make a pair, which may relieve your reading difficulties.”

He deliberately spoke in detail and based his words on classical texts to increase credibility.

"Crystal flakes have such miraculous effects?"

Based on his trust in Lu Beigu and the urgent need to alleviate his eye ailment, Song Xiang pondered for a moment before finally nodding: "Alright, since it's your intention, let's give it a try. How do you need the measurement?"

Lu Beigu quickly said, "Please, sir, have a seat."

He stepped forward, took out a piece of thin rope that had been prepared beforehand, and carefully measured Song Xiang's pupillary distance. He then marked the distance and took another piece of thin rope to measure the distance from the top of his ear to the root of his nose.

He then took out a homemade eye chart and eye shield and gave Song Xiang an eye test.

"Sir, please use one hand to hold this board and cover your left eye. I will hold this piece of paper in front of you and move it slowly. Please tell me when I can clearly see the smallest line of text on it."

Lu Beigu explained while demonstrating.

Song Xiang complied as instructed.

Lu Beigu slowly moved the paper, carefully recording the minimum distance at which Song Xiang could read clearly, which was roughly equivalent to the "distance of clear vision" in modern optometry. He then performed the same test on the other eye. Throughout the process, although Song Xiang found this method quite peculiar, seeing Lu Beigu's methodical operation and meticulous measurements, his doubts gradually dissipated, replaced by a sense of anticipation.

After Lu Beigu obtained the data, Shen Kuo devoted himself to the production of the glasses.

Shen Kuo chose East China Sea crystal, which was of better quality and more expensive than South China Sea crystal. He selected light-colored crystals with uniform texture and then deduced the required focal length and lens curvature based on the measured "distance of clear vision". He repeatedly polished and checked the crystals. He also found tortoiseshell, which was tough and lightweight, and carefully made the frames to ensure that they were comfortable to wear.

Several days later, a pair of exquisitely crafted, slightly rustic tortoiseshell-framed crystal glasses was finally completed.

Lu Beigu also specially prepared a small piece of soft silk to use for wiping the lenses.

Upon arriving at the Song residence, he respectfully presented a small wooden box to Song Xiang.

"Sir, these are glasses that my students and friends made based on the measurements taken the other day. We respectfully present them to you. If they are ineffective, please discard them; if they are of even the slightest use, we will be overjoyed."

Song Xiang's curiosity grew even stronger as he looked at the peculiar object in the box.

Following Lu Beigu's instructions, he carefully placed the glasses on the bridge of his nose. Because the measurements were very accurate, the "legs" on both sides hooked onto his ears.

At first, the world seemed no different.

Song Xiang instinctively reached for the teacup that was placed a little further away, but stopped abruptly halfway up his arm.

The glaze patterns on the teacup and the subtle scratches on the rim were surprisingly clear to the eye!
He blinked incredulously, then subconsciously picked up a slightly denser copy from the desk.

Normally, he would have to squint to barely make out the words, but now it was as if an invisible hand had wiped away the dust, and each character was clear and sharp, leaping off the page!
"This"

Song Xiang looked around the study. Everything that required careful observation, such as the labels on the spines of the books on the bookshelves, the inscriptions on the calligraphy and paintings on the walls, and even the veins of the swaying bamboo leaves outside the window, was now easily presented before his eyes.

His eyes seemed to have returned to the state they were in decades ago.

This seasoned official, known for his composure and steadiness, was momentarily speechless. He simply touched the frame of his glasses with his fingers, repeatedly bowing and raising his head to confirm this incredible change.

After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh of relief and exclaimed in amazement, "How amazing! For many years my eyesight has been failing, and reading words has been like looking at flowers through a fog. Today I can finally see them clearly again!"

Looking at Lu Beigu, Song Xiang didn't say anything, but the idea he had been pondering was now settled.

The following day, the Central Secretariat remained as solemn and dignified as ever, with documents being exchanged frequently.

Song Xiang showed up as usual; he usually just came to sign in and show his face.

Because he had no official duties, although he held the prestigious titles of Grand Academician of the Guanwen Hall and Minister of War, enjoyed the regalia of a prime minister, and had an office in the Secretariat, he had no actual official business to handle.

However, he was clearly different from usual today; those exquisite tortoiseshell-framed crystal glasses were now firmly perched on his nose.

At first, the officials of the Secretariat did not immediately notice anything unusual, only that Song Gong seemed to be in better spirits today.

It wasn't until Song Xiang held a gazette and, at an ordinary distance, scanned the words with a reading speed much faster than usual, without any hesitation or delay, that people gradually noticed the unprecedented object on his face.

"Lord Song," a servant finally couldn't help but point to the bridge of his nose and ask curiously, "What are you wearing?"

Song Xiang looked up from the documents, his eyes clear behind his glasses.

He smiled slightly, raised his hand to gently adjust the frame of his glasses, and said with a hint of delight, "These are 'glasses.' My eyesight has been failing for many years, but recently I have been fortunate enough to have these things to help me, and my vision has returned to normal."

"As clear as ever?"

The official was greatly surprised upon hearing this and leaned closer to examine it closely: "It has such a miraculous effect? ​​I wonder where you obtained it? To be honest, Lord Song, I have also found it extremely difficult to read documents in recent years."

This conversation immediately attracted the attention of several elderly ministers nearby who also suffered from eye ailments.

They all gathered around, watching Song Xiang effortlessly read the tiny characters, marveling at his skill and revealing undisguised envy in their eyes.

This is genuine envy; there's no faking it.

In ancient times, scholars who wanted to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom had to study diligently. However, lighting conditions were poor, so many of them had vision problems in middle and old age, varying only in severity.

This is a fatal blow to officials.

It's obvious that an elderly person with poor eyesight needs to be very close to see who is in front of them. They need to rest their eyes after reviewing official documents for a short while, and they may even go blind at any time. How could their subordinates not feel the urge to deceive or look down on them?

In conclusion, this kind of thing has a huge impact on individual authority.

"May I ask, Lord Song, where is the craftsman who made this item? I would like to purchase one as well!"

"Yes, yes, if we could see so clearly, why would reviewing documents be such an agonizing ordeal?"

This enviable news spread quickly, and even the ministers in the neighboring government office heard about it.

Although Fu Bi and Song Xiang had a casual relationship, unlike Wen Yanbo, Fu Bi had no direct grudge against Song Xiang and suffered greatly from presbyopia.

Upon hearing the news, he simply put down the memorial he was holding, which required him to hold it far away to see clearly, and walked straight over.

"Brother Gongxu."

Fu Bi smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, his tone quite warm: "I heard you've acquired a treasure that can cure your blurred vision? May I see it?"

His gaze was intense, making no attempt to conceal his desire for a clear view.

When Song Xiang saw that it was Fu Bi, he also stood up to return the greeting, showing no sign of disrespect.

He generously took off his glasses and handed them to Fu Bi: "This is it, but it needs to be made to order. If you wear someone else's glasses, you may feel dizzy because of the difference in the distance between your pupils and the degree of your vision."

Fu Bi carefully took it and tried it on, imitating Song Xiang.

He wore Song Xiang's glasses, and while the effect wasn't as good as Song Xiang's own, he could still clearly feel the difference.

"What a wonderful thing! Where did you find such a skilled craftsman, Brother Gongxu?"

Fu Bi stroked the smooth tortoiseshell frame, unable to put it down.

Wen Yanbo, who had a long-standing grudge against Song Xiang, was sitting in the Hall of State Affairs at this moment. He seemed to be focused on his official duties, but in reality, he was listening to the commotion outside and occasionally glancing at the lively area out of the corner of his eye.

Wen Yanbo was equally curious and even envious, but out of pride and consideration for past grievances, he was determined not to stoop to asking.

Hearing Fu Bi's praise, he merely gave a barely audible hum and continued to pretend to handle official business, though he was inevitably somewhat distracted.

Song Xiang observed Fu Bi's reaction and had already made up his mind.

He put his glasses back on and said slowly to Fu Bi, "This item was not purchased from a craftsman in the market. It was specially measured and customized for me by my student Lu Beigu and his friend based on ancient books and the principles of optics."

"Lu Beigu? The provincial top scholar this year?"

Fu Bi was surprised, then suddenly realized: "No wonder he could come up with such an exquisite thing, I wonder..."

His tone was slightly hesitant, clearly indicating that he desperately wanted to ask for a pair for himself, but was hesitant to ask directly.

Song Xiang understood his meaning, smiled slightly, and then changed the subject: "If Yan Guo is interested in this item, it wouldn't be difficult to commission one."

But then he hesitated for a moment, seemingly troubled.

Fu Bi immediately said, "Brother Gongxu, please speak freely about your difficulties. I would be extremely grateful if this item could help me."

"To be honest, although my student was fortunate enough to be the top scholar in the province, with the palace examination approaching, I am always afraid that my knowledge is not yet up to par and that I may make mistakes on the day."

Song Xiang then revealed his purpose: "Your son-in-law, Feng Dangshi, was the top scholar in the first year of the Huangyou reign. Now he has returned to the capital to take up his post. Could you ask Yanguo to put in a good word for him to come to my residence before the palace examination to exchange ideas?"

Feng Jing, courtesy name Dangshi.

He is the most recent person in the Song Dynasty to have achieved the "Triple Crown" (winning the top honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations), having won the top honors eight years ago. While his understanding of scholarship may not be as profound as Song Xiang's, he certainly has unique insights into examination techniques.

That year coincided with the appointment of Wen Yanbo and Song Xiang as prime ministers, Gao Ruona as vice minister, and Pang Ji as privy councilor.

Now, eight years later, things have changed drastically.

Not long ago, Feng Jing returned to the capital under the arrangement of his father-in-law, Fu Bi, and served as the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Director of the Jixian Academy, Co-editor of the Daily Records of the Emperor, and Judge of the Capital Inspection Office.

Song Xiang and Fu Bi had only a casual relationship, and he had previously hesitated to ask the popular "Feng Sanyuan" on behalf of his disciple. However, now that Fu Bi needed his help, the situation was naturally different.

"I wondered what it was about, but it's a trivial matter."

Upon hearing this, Fu Bi realized what it was about and immediately laughed heartily, "Although I am busy with official duties these days, it is only right and proper to take some time to guide the younger generation. Brother Gongxu, rest assured, I will go back and tell him to choose a day to visit your residence and exchange ideas with the provincial champion of this year's examination."

For Fu Bi, exchanging a little of his son-in-law's free time for a pair of glasses that could greatly improve his work experience and even extend his political career was a very worthwhile deal.

Moreover, forging a good relationship with a promising provincial scholar is not necessarily a bad thing for son-in-law Feng Jing.

(End of this chapter)