You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

a few days later.

The newly appointed Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Yao Qisheng, joined forces with the Ministry of Justice to arrest Zhou Peigong on three charges: cheating in the imperial examinations, accepting bribes, and abandoning someone after starting a relationship.

Overwhelmed with shame after being imprisoned, Zhou Peigong hanged himself from a roof beam.

He also left behind a suicide note filled with repentance.

The whole process was swift and unexpected; the death was hasty and pathetic.

But anyone with eyes can see it all – murder to silence.

Soon~
Rumors circulated that Yao Qisheng and Zhou Peigong, two close friends, had once quarreled over a woman in a brothel, and Yao Qisheng harbored resentment, seeking revenge as soon as he gained power.

In short, nobody thought much of it.

A purely treacherous person won't succeed in officialdom.

People are generally wary of petty people and tend to be on guard.

Yao Qisheng was usually kind and honest, but also shrewd and meticulous in his work. At crucial moments, he dared to act like a villain, betraying his close friend for a good price. In the turbulent world of officialdom, it is often people like him who rise to the top.

……

Yuquanshan Imperial Palace.

Jiang Qingyun locked himself in his room and carefully reviewed the original test paper that Yao Qisheng had sent, scrutinizing it word by word, and gained a great deal from it.

He couldn't help but sigh:
The imperial examination system was truly an "exquisite" design.

The selection process in the imperial examinations was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. Instead, the chief examiners used only a few thousand words to conduct a soul-searching process on unfamiliar candidates.

Was the examinee Hai Rui or Xu Jie? Xun Yu or Yang Biao?
They are all hidden in the article.

One side expresses itself cautiously, while the other side scrutinizes it meticulously.

Candidates express their innermost thoughts through writing, while examiners select like-minded allies based on those same words. Ultimately, this leads to a mutually beneficial partnership.

Of course, mistakes can happen, and there are many examples of people mistaking Wang Mang for the Duke of Zhou.

After all, where in the world is there a lie detector that is 100% accurate?

Jiang Qingyun thought to himself that the so-called "literature as a vehicle for conveying the Way" might have another layer of meaning.

The reason why some talented people always fail the exam is not necessarily due to bad luck, but because the examiners think that their articles and viewpoints make them think that this person is definitely not one of their own.

……

As Aristotle once said: "Intelligent people are like gold, which are sparsely and irregularly distributed throughout the world, but can resonate with the right frequency."

No distance can prevent resonance.

Even fools are the same.

This year.

Forced to study in his country attic due to the London plague, Newton made some progress in calculus, optics, and universal gravitation.

Newton's childhood was lonely.

My father died early, and my mother remarried.

Newton was a recluse in his youth.

Reading, reading, and more reading.

"Little Niu, what are you thinking about?"

A freckled country maid placed her enormous breasts on the table.

Newton, a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, who was reserved, quiet, and never hit women, was a golden catch in her eyes, with a promising future.

Women in the countryside in the 17th century had a very pragmatic view of marriage: marry a man for food and clothing.

"calf?"

The maid called again.

Newton then temporarily escaped from the magnificent world of physics, and then nudged the plump obstacle on the table with his thin elbow.

You've stepped on my manuscript paper.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

The honest and simple maid's face was flushed, but her expression was not embarrassed.

"Hey girl, this is your lunch."

"Thanks."

Bacon, fried eggs, fried fish, pork sausage, beans, mushrooms, black pudding, and a bowl of warm tomato soup.

A typical English lunch, unchanged for centuries.

London chefs' recipes have remained unchanged for generations.

……

Newton, who was in his adolescence, was not particularly interested in women.

Because his mother was an extremely unreliable and selfish woman, after her husband's death, she resolutely refused to raise young Newton and instead remarried a gentleman.

Unfortunately, Madame Bovary had not yet been published at this time.
Newton was eating lunch while reading the newspaper from seven days prior.

The front-page headline is: What impact will the global civil service examination system of the United Empire have on Europe?

The next item is—the Pope announced a major breakthrough in his work in the East!

The next item is—renowned architect Professor Hook will oversee the reconstruction of London after the Great Fire!

The next item is that the famous mathematician Leibniz published his paper "The Theory of Abstract Motion" and dedicated it to the Paris Academy of Sciences.

Flip through it again~
An advertisement for tea stated that a pound of sea-freighted tea would cost ten pounds.

And several prominent figures in the community have called on Downing Street to grant the company partial trading privileges and to issue shares publicly.

Newton watched intently.

However, the sound of footsteps echoed from the attic stairs again.

"Little Cow, there's a letter for you."

An enthusiastic maid rushed up.

Two letters.

A document from my mentor, Professor Barrow, at Cambridge University.

Professor Barrow told himself that the plague in London had largely subsided and he could return to school.

"Great, now I can continue my research on gravity."

The second letter came from the Philosophical Journal of the Royal Society, which published his paper, “Light is a high-speed stream of particles produced under special circumstances.”

Newton was very happy.

This feeling is roughly equivalent to a graduate student publishing their first SCI paper and feeling extremely proud.

"Little Niu, shall we go to the hillside to sunbathe?"

The maid asked cautiously.

"No, I'm going back to London."

Newton's gaze didn't linger on the maid's voluptuous body for even a second!

The maid is heartbroken.

……

London is rebuilding from ruins.

Last year, a sudden fire not only destroyed half the city, but also drove away the plague that had been raging for a long time.

Newton strongly suspected a connection between the Great Fire of London and the disappearance of the plague, a phenomenon worthy of study.

Trinity College, Cambridge University.

Inside the teaching assistant's dormitory.

Newton wrote to a prestigious journal in the field of biology, hoping to inspire a leading figure in the field to take the lead in studying this interesting phenomenon.

That's right.

He used one word: interesting.

He then forgot about this trivial matter.

But in the following month, his nightmare began.

In his paper "The Wave Nature of Light" published in the Philosophical Journal of the Royal Society, Professor Hooke bluntly denounced Newton's particle theory as heresy.

Newton was a modest man who rarely argued with anyone, except in the field of science.

This marked the beginning of their conflict.

Clearly, Hooker has the advantage.

Many physicists in London supported Professor Hooke and relentlessly suppressed the newcomer Newton, who was fresh out of school.

The reason for this is not hard to guess.

First of all~
Hooke was eight years older than Newton and was renowned in fields such as architecture, mathematics, and astronomy. Now, he was invited by the Royal Court to design the redevelopment of London.

By praising Hooke, we can build good karma and benefit from it in the future.

What was Newton, a poor researcher?
Secondly~
Hooke graduated from Oxford University, and Newton graduated from Cambridge University.

Therefore, Oxford University alumni fervently supported their fellow alumni in suppressing primary school students from neighboring schools.

Newton was a loner and not very popular, so his Cambridge alumni were not very willing to lend a helping hand.

Moreover.

Professor Hooker's reputation is well-deserved; he is a genius scientist who has already achieved worldly success.

……

Newton was severely criticized, and Hooke and his supporters quickly gained public support. Newspapers ridiculed Newton.

Just one month.

Newton held the following titles:

"A whimsical country bumpkin", "an opportunist trying to climb over giants", "a rebellious child disliked by his mother", "a freak who is very likely to like the same sex", "a comical person".

Newton was so attacked that he foamed at the mouth.

He wrote in his diary:
Because of the controversy surrounding my earlier paper, I suffered a heavy blow to my mental well-being. I lost my peaceful and meaningful life, and was disturbed by this pointless argument. It was utterly boring, and I increasingly regretted publishing that paper so rashly.

But his strong sense of pride wouldn't allow him to admit defeat.

Newton tirelessly submitted articles to various journals, attempting to explain his view to the public that light is a stream of particles.

This behavior angered Hook.

Objectively speaking, Hooke was actually a kind and tolerant person.

If Newton had remained silent, Hooke would never have continued to entangle himself with an unknown nobody.

But Newton not only didn't remain silent, he also jumped around and made a scene, which offended Hooke.

Readers should know that academia and officialdom share some similarities. For example, under no circumstances should one admit to being wrong. Admitting to being wrong can lead to utter ruin.

London newspapers.

Front page headline: Renowned professor Hooke issues a debate invitation to the unknown Newton!
This means that the "War of Light" has reached its climax.

Newton couldn't refuse Hooke's friendly invitation; to do so would truly ruin his life. To refuse would be to show guilt, to refuse would be to err.

We have no choice but to fight!

……

After 10 days.

The Royal Academy of Sciences.

A gathering of wise men and righteous men filled the court.

In full view.

Professor Hook, dressed in a £50 suit, strode confidently into the Academy's exhibition hall, which could accommodate 500 audience members, surrounded by a group of gentlemen.

Hook removed his beaver hat and saluted the crowd.

Yayh~
The crowd responded in unison, a gesture of support.

Tens of seconds later.

Newton, dressed in a suit worth five pounds, walked into the demonstration hall alone.

He looked flustered and nervously removed his hat to salute the crowd.

Nayh~
The crowd present also raised their voices in unison, expressing their opposition.

There is an Eastern proverb: "Respect the clothes before respecting the person; clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse."

There is a Western proverb that says: A true gentleman is always impeccably dressed, and a fine hat is a gentleman’s best calling card.

Inside, reporters from all sides gathered.
It is well known that journalists are a group that thrives on chaos; if they could, they would prefer a celebrity to get into trouble every day.

One journalist wrote in his notebook: "Hooke is so elegant, Newton is like a clown."

……

Hook walked up to the podium and looked around at the crowd.

"I am Hook."

"Before demonstrating the wave nature of light, please allow me to introduce a small masterpiece—the large-scale model of London. This model fully considers factors such as topography, sanitation, water supply, public facilities, and security. I believe that London, reborn from the ashes, will become the most advanced and civilized city in the world."

Yayh~
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

The reporter wrote again in his notebook: Hooke was confident of victory, while Newton was filled with anxiety.

Hook's move was actually akin to using someone else's name to gain influence, deliberately emphasizing his official status in an attempt to win over more people to his side.

There are reasons for this, of course.

5 days ago~
Hooke couldn't help but read Newton's paper again. After careful examination, he had to admit that Newton's theory of particle flow was based on evidence.

Of course, there is some basis to my own theory of fluctuations.

This is terrifying.

We absolutely cannot lose a debate.

Otherwise, Newton would have become famous.

Rising to prominence by stepping on celebrities is a common shortcut in both Eastern and Western academia.

……

During his hour-long argument, Hooker's presentation was impeccable. A very few scientists listened with rapt attention, while most were drowsy, feigning interest.

Science is boring.

Only a very small number of people truly love science; most are just pretending to be cultured.

"I'm done speaking."

"Before this debate, several gentlemen generously donated a total of £520 to express their support for my position. I would like to donate all of this money to the reconstruction of London."

Wow~
There was thunderous applause at the scene.

Then came the heartwarming scene of kindness.

One by one, well-dressed gentlemen and ladies walked onto the stage, first announcing their long surnames, and then elegantly donating money to the poor wretches.

This is their favorite occasion.

The reporter wrote again in his notebook: Hooke was philanthropist, Newton~
At this time~
Hooke's student approached Newton, holding his hat.

"Little Cow, would you be willing to offer a little bit of love to those poor homeless people?"

Newton's face turned ashen, and he shakily pulled 10 shillings from his pocket.

"I left in a hurry, and this is all I have."

"It's ok."

The student took the money, carefully counted it, and then put it into the cap.

"Newton, a researcher at Cambridge University, donated 10 shillings."

The crowd booed loudly.

Newton was in a sorry state, sweating profusely.

The reporter shook his head and wrote: Newton was selfish and stingy.

……

Finally, it was Newton's turn to speak.

"Gentlemen and ladies, I am Newton."

Stuttering leads to ridicule.

"I believe that light fluctuates."

Hook stood up.

"Excuse me, what you're saying now is my opinion."

After two seconds of silence, the audience burst into laughter.

Newton took off his top hat to wipe his sweat. His vision blurred, his throat was dry, his thoughts were completely disrupted, and he was rambling incoherently.

Half an hour later~
The chairman of the Academy of Sciences stood up.

"The Academy of Sciences is a sacred place, and everyone who stands here to speak is an elite member of the scientific community. Given your performance today, I suggest you step down."

Yayh~
The crowd booed in unison.

The next day.

The headline on the second page of the newspaper.

"Newton was a complete clown."

The journalists used inflammatory language to describe Newton's poor performance, denying not only his scientific literacy but also his morality.

10 shillings and 520 pounds.

Which is better or worse?

It's clear at a glance.

As Aristotle once said, people always like to judge scientists by simple moral standards, because morality is easy to comment on, but science is difficult to comment on.

In short, Newton became a pariah at Cambridge University, and was ridiculed wherever he went.

……

However, Hooker was not going to let him off the hook.

Because he was horrified to discover that light might very well be wave-particle duality! In other words, he was right, and Newton was right too.

We must overthrow Newton, we must completely overthrow the particle theory of light, otherwise our stain will remain for centuries.

Hooke, in his quest to defend his academic standing, has repeatedly taken drastic and merciless actions.
The infighting within the scientific community is no less intense than that in the officialdom.

When it comes to academic disputes, people are eager to exhume and mutilate each other, because the academic world is typically black and white.

A few days later~
London newspapers have once again broken the news: "A despicable scholar actually applauded the London fires!"

The title is too shocking.

All the newspapers were sold out that day.

Everyone wanted to know, who exactly was this person who dared to defy the world? (End of Chapter)