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

Yuquanshan Imperial Palace.

"Isaac Newton, a man from beyond the borders, pays his respects to His Excellency the Grand Chancellor of the United Empire. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

clap~
With the sound of horseshoe sleeves clapping, he performed three kowtows and nine bows, his movements meticulous.

This set of etiquette is correct, but outdated.

In a daze, I was transported back to the Qing Dynasty!
Jiang Qingyun looked at Newton, who was dressed in Confucian robes, bowing with his hands clasped, tall and thin, with a mediocre temperament, and began to have some doubts.

Is this really Newton?

Could it be someone with the same name?

"Give me a seat."

"Thank you, Chief Minister."

"Newton, what did you do before coming to China?"

“I am a physicist in London.”

"what?"

Jiang Qingyun could hardly believe his ears. When did Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism spread to London? Or had he encountered a super fraudster?

……

Newton calmly explained:

"Your Excellency, I am a physicist who also loves studying Confucianism. I believe that physics and Confucianism are closely related, and may even have originated from the same source!"

"is it?"

Jiang Qingyun was dumbfounded.

Newton explained very seriously:
"Yes, I think physics and Confucianism are actually two branches on the same tree. They share the same roots and are inextricably linked."

"So you call yourself a psychologist."

"Yes."

Have you read the Analects?

"Recite it like a stream."

What about the Four Books and Five Classics?

"Recite it like a stream."

The third eunuch, who was standing solemnly in the corner, chuckled, laughing at the foreigner's arrogance.

Jiang Qingyun turned his head.

"Get the book."

"Yes."

Jiang Qingyun picked up a copy of Mencius from the newly compiled set of Confucian classics.

"Newton, let me test you. Mencius met King Hui of Liang."

Mencius replied, “A territory of a hundred li is sufficient to make one a king. If the king implements benevolent policies for the people, reduces punishments, lightens taxes, and encourages deep plowing and weeding, then who can rival him? Therefore it is said: The benevolent are invincible.”

Exactly!
Jiang Qingyun looked at Newton thoughtfully and suddenly realized that his appearance had changed. His whole demeanor was moderate and peaceful, and apart from his blue eyes, he was almost the same.

Is this the influence of culture?

……

"Newton, since you call yourself a physicist, then explain what benevolence is from a physics perspective?"

"The first driving force of the universe is benevolence."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyun was greatly surprised.

"I don't recall Aristotle saying that?"

Newton was also taken aback, but remained calm.

"Prime Minister, Aristotle was a heretic in Neo-Confucianism; his theories are full of fallacies. I have devoted myself to the study of Neo-Confucianism in London for 27 years."

What did you conclude?

"The principle of the universe is universal gravitation. The principle of all people is the order and discipline of human relationships. There are nine stars in the sky, revolving around the sun. There are common people, who are named according to benevolence. The reason why all the stars revolve around the North Star is gravity, and the reason why the people serve their leader is virtue. The Prime Minister is the sun, releasing infinite gravity and radiating scorching light. All the planets in the entire universe revolve around the sun because of gravity. Gravity is my latest achievement in the study of physics. If the Prime Minister is interested, I am willing to demonstrate the mysteries of the sun's gravity and the mysteries of light to you live through a series of interesting experiments."

There was silence in the hall.

Although I didn't quite understand it, it felt like a very sophisticated form of flattery.

Just by listening to the choice of words and sentence structure, you can tell that this flattery has transcended the mundane and reached the highest heavens.

Zhou Shao was stunned.

Suksaha was also stunned.

The Third Eunuch thought to himself, "If this guy voluntarily castrates himself and enters the palace as a eunuch, he'll definitely have a bright future."

……

Jiang Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief.

It's confirmed, it must be Newton!

In the 17th century, only Lord Bull could articulate these theories.

The global imperial examination system yielded fruitful results.

One Newton is worth three thousand foreign scholars!
If we were to bring in figures like Hooker to the court, the future of the United Empire would be bright. Global domination would be a piece of cake; they might even break free from Earth's influence!
"Wow, I didn't expect a foreigner like you to have such a deep understanding of Confucianism. That's impressive. What are your plans for your future?"

"At the behest of the Grand Secretary."

"Imaginative or practical?"

"I want to do both things at the same time, focusing on both theoretical and practical aspects."

The crowd inside the hall stirred.

Even the most magnanimous Zhou Shao revealed a mocking smile, thinking this person was too arrogant.

Jiang Qingyun laughed and said, "Newton, do you know what the Doctrine of the Mean is?"

Newton nodded: "I know."

"Does your behavior now conform to the Doctrine of the Mean?"

“The Doctrine of the Mean means being neither arrogant nor humble, neither exaggerating nor belittling oneself, having self-awareness, and acting within one’s capabilities. Therefore, I conform to it.”

Their eyes blazed with fury.

Suksaha, relying on his status as a loyal subject of the emperor, burst out laughing on the spot.

Newton glanced back and found the man repulsive, bearing a striking resemblance to an old acquaintance.

Jiang Qingyun pondered for several seconds and decided to put it to the test.

"Newton."

"exist."

"I'll give you two jobs: first, to edit books; second, to mint coins."

"Please grant me a suitable official position, Prime Minister. As the saying goes, if the name is not correct, the words will not be proper. As a foreigner, it will be difficult for me to manage my subordinates without an official position in the Empire."

"can."

Jiang Qingyun left the scene.

A short while later, the Third Eunuch came out holding the imperial decree.

"The Grand Secretary has decreed that the foreign scholar Newton has made significant contributions to the study of Neo-Confucianism, which is truly remarkable. He is hereby granted the rank of a sixth-grade official and appointed to serve in the Cabinet."

"Thank you Lord for your grace."

The Third Eunuch bowed with a smile: "Lord Niu, from today onwards, you are a citizen of the Empire."

……

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

The Grand Secretary's sudden promotion of a foreign official sparked widespread discontent in the capital's officialdom.

They dared not express dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister, so they could only unleash their malice upon Newton.

Ministry of Rites.

A group of successful candidates in the imperial examinations met.

"I began my formal education at the age of five, studied diligently for twenty years, and became proficient in all the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections. Only then was I qualified to sit in the Ministry of Rites and compile the sayings of the sages and scholars. Does he, a mere ox, think he can open his mouth and recite scriptures?"

Everyone laughed.

while speaking.

Newton lifted the curtain.

The crowd didn't back down, and looked at the intruder with smiles.

"I am Newton, commissioned by the Prime Minister to write this book. You must be my subordinates, right?"

Everyone stood up in unison.

"Greetings, Lord Niu!"

One person steps forward.

"May I ask, Lord Niu, who your teacher was in London, and what scriptures you studied?"

"I taught myself."

How long have you been studying?

"Three months!"

The room erupted in thunderous laughter; some people even fell to the ground, kicking their legs, as if they wanted to laugh themselves to death on the spot.

A foreigner, a master of science, and a self-taught individual—what a hilarious combination!

……

Newton remained calm: "I presume you are all learned men?"

An old man immediately chimed in.

"I dare not accept such praise. I, Xu Tong, have only studied for 35 years. I can barely say that I understand some of Confucius and Mencius' teachings, but I dare not claim to be an expert. The teachings of the sages are vast and profound. Let alone a lifetime, even three lifetimes would not be enough to study them all."

"Yeah yeah."

The crowd started making noise again.

Newton lifted the corner of his robe, sat in the middle, picked up his teacup, and slowly skimmed the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, feeling that the foreigners' actions were too localized.

Could it be that a gentry gentleman is hiding under the skin of a foreign devil?

Newton spoke.

"You barely understand? Then you're unqualified officials?"

"Lord Niu, my colleagues and I are just being modest. We may not be comparable to the great Confucian scholars, but we are certainly no less than you, Lord Niu."

"is it?"

"of course."

"I do not believe."

Newton's arrogance successfully angered everyone.

Xu Tong took the lead again. "Lord Niu, since that's the case, how about we have a contest?"

"Okay, what should we compete in?"

"You are the superior official; you set the questions. As long as they are within the classics, history, philosophy, and literature, we'll accept them no matter how they are phrased. And if we lose..."

"How to do?"

"Whatever you say, we'll do it."

"If you lose, tomorrow you will all take off your official robes and run a lap around the capital."

What if you lose?

"I took off my official robes and ran a lap."

"It's a word."

"In black and white."

"Whoever cheats is a little dog."

"make a deal!"

Newton smiled smugly, and Xu Tong smiled smugly as well.

……

The bet caused a sensation in the Ministry of Rites.

Everyone put down their work to watch this interesting match, mainly to see the foreigners make fools of themselves.

The servants hastily erected a fighting platform using wooden planks!

Xu Tong bent over:

"Please, Master Niu!"

Newton walked unceremoniously onto the ring, which was only big enough for two people, lifted his robe, and sat down with an air of nonchalance.

Yao Qisheng, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, suddenly experienced a rapid twitching of his eyelids.

"broken."

"what happened?"

"Why do I have a feeling this guy is pretending to be weak while actually being strong?"

"Not that much."

Yao Qisheng stopped talking, but he always felt that this Newton was a troublesome character and might be here to cause trouble.

In the arena.

Newton: "How about we compare our memorization skills?"

Xu Tong: "Are you sure?"

"Sure."

Xu Tong was smug and repeatedly bowed to his colleagues, eliciting cheers. Everyone in the Ministry of Rites knew that Xu Tong was famous for his ability to recite texts, earning him the nickname "Living Library."

"Lord Niu, how shall we compete?"

"Sign the contract first."

"No need. Since it is a gentleman's agreement, there is no need to put it in writing."

"I do not believe."

"Good, good, good."

Xu Tong was enraged once again.

With everything in black and white, signed and sealed by both parties, and even with multiple intermediaries acting as guarantors, the officials of the Ministry of Rites were eager to see the drama unfold.

……

Newton's voice was as calm as the autumn wind.

"Xu Tong, what's the point of reciting in order? Let's have a competition to see who can recite it backwards fluently, okay?"

"sure."

Xu Tong thought to himself, "So what if I can recite it backwards? It's impossible for me to recite it fluently, but I'm definitely not as good as you."

"Please have a highly respected person specify the content to be endorsed."

Everyone turned to look at Yao Qisheng.

Of all the people present, he was the highest-ranking official.

Yao Qisheng took a deep breath.

"Then let's start with the third section of the 'Gongsun Chou' chapter of Mencius."

Several young officials volunteered to serve as referees for the match.

An inverted hourglass!

Game start.

Newton's voice was clear and resonant: "Ah, the goods are available, and you, my lord, possess them!"

Xu Tong closed his eyes and recited: "Ah, to obtain the goods is possible, and so does Your Excellency."

When reciting "Chen Zhenwen", Newton continued to speak at the same pace, while Xu Tong was three words behind.

When reciting the second section, "Jingzi said," Xu Tong was already thirteen characters behind.

When Newton recited the ninth section of the Gongsun Chou chapter, "Liu Xiahui was disrespectful," smoke began to rise from Xu Tong's head, visibly billowing white smoke.

The place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was stunned by Newton.

When Newton recited "I am unmoved at forty" without stammering, Xu Tong suddenly opened his eyes, let out a scream, spat out blood, and fell off the stage.

"Master Xu?"

The crowd helped the barely alive Xu Tong to his feet.

Only then did the aloof Newton open his eyes, survey the crowd, and say, enunciating each word clearly: "Who else!"

……

A photographic memory is the ceiling for ordinary people.

A photographic memory is merely the floor of genius.

Newton was a genius among geniuses. For his brain, which could simultaneously and fluently operate calculus, mechanics, alchemy, and theology, the skill of reciting backwards was simply insignificant.

Would a Windows 11 PC be afraid to open a Minesweeper game for the first time?

Faced with Newton's overwhelming arrogance, the officials of the Ministry of Rites fell silent.

As he was preparing to leave, someone asked, "Lord Niu, does your bet still stand?"

"Of course it counts!"

That night!

Xu Tong jumped into Shichahai Lake, but lost to a cow in the memorization section, which was his forte. He simply couldn't find a reason to continue living.

The next day.

Newton, holding the wager, personally went to the scene to supervise the punishment.

Some people were indignant.

"Lord Niu, aren't you being too harsh on them?"

"Screw you! A bet's a bet, what, can't afford to lose?"

Newton was instantly enraged. Recalling the humiliation he suffered at the London Academy of Sciences, he wished he could chop off Hooker's head and use it as a football.

In such a vast city as London, there isn't even enough space for a desk.

Damn it!

"start!"

As soon as the gong was struck, the seven scholars, who had covered their faces, began to run naked, attracting a huge crowd of onlookers on both sides of the street.

After running only half a mile, someone collapsed and cried out in pain.

"A scholar can be killed but not humiliated."

Newton ordered the bailiffs to hold the man down, while he held an inkstone in his left hand and a brush in his right, and wrote two large, black characters on the man's back: "Ugly Disguise".

Become famous in World War I!
The name of the Bull Demon King is known throughout the capital.

As a result, he had no subordinates.

But Newton didn't rely on his subordinates' help at all. He wrote "On the Confucian Principles of Physics" on his own in just three days, seamlessly integrating physics into Confucianism.

……

After submitting "On the Confucian Principles of Physics," Jiang Qingyun was overjoyed.

His own name is embedded in the chapters on gravity, optics, and celestial bodies. In the books, he is described as possessing gravity, emitting light, nourishing Confucianism, and nurturing all people.

That's absolutely amazing!!

Huang Zongxi died, but he was succeeded.

They are not the younger generation, but a monstrous wave.

Jiang Qingyun sighed:
"This young man has seamlessly integrated physics and Confucianism, making it a perfect and logically consistent work. This is a book that can be used for all time."

Such a comment shocked the capital.

Thus, the United Empire finally possessed a complete spiritual core.

……

At the Yuquanshan Imperial Palace, birds sang and danced, and laughter filled the air.

The Grand Secretary drank wine while watching the dance.

Newton, without glancing to the side, bypassed the women and walked to Jiang Qingyun's side.

"Greetings, Grand Secretary."

"Sit down. What are you holding in your hand?"

"This is new money that I, Your Majesty, have overseen."

Jiang Qingyun reached out and took it. Sure enough, it was one of those coins with serrated edges, well-made, with a clear design. The front had his own portrait on it, and the back had Chinese characters and a flag printed on it.

"Bring me a knife."

Jiang Qingyun scraped the surface of the coin hard with a knife a few times and was quite satisfied with its hardness.

The quality of 17th-century coins was very important; they had to withstand the wear, corrosion, and impacts of circulation.

What is the production volume of this coin?

"Prime Minister, I have recently designed a complete coin-making machine that can ensure that the weight and size of each silver coin have minimal error. Give me three years, and the coins can replace all the silver ingots in circulation."

"Currency exchange?"

"Correct."

Newton spoke calmly, certain that the Prime Minister had understood the unspoken meaning behind his words!
Jiang Qingyun was overjoyed. "Cash exchange is great! Cash exchange is especially great!" (End of Chapter)