Top Scholar

Chapter 446 Friendships are Mutually Beneficial (Please vote with monthly tickets!!)
In the small courtyard.

Zhu Shou scoffed at Su Lu's words, unconvinced, and said, "Do you think you're a god, that your words can become law?"

"Of course I am not a god, nor can I make my words come true." Su Lu shook his head and said seriously, "But my school of thought emphasizes that true knowledge comes from practice. Since I dare to say this, it is natural that I have verified that there is no problem."

"How did you verify it?" Zhu Shou asked curiously.

"Simple." Su Lu gave a few instructions in a low voice, and Xiao Yu'er quickly found a scale and an iron kettle.

Su Lu weighed the kettle on a scale and found it weighed five jin (approximately 2.5 kg). However, the weight marked on the scale indicated four jin (approximately 2.5 catties).

Su Lu then asked Zhu Shou, "Both are made of iron, one is heavy and the other is light, which one can float?"

“Logically, iron objects should sink to the bottom. If we insist on saying one can float, it should naturally be the lighter one.” Zhu Shou scratched his head vigorously and said, “But why do I feel that it should definitely be the teapot that floats?”

"Because you're smart," Su Lu laughed. "Now let's verify it—remember, practice is the sole criterion for testing truth!"

He then threw both items into the water tank at the same time. The weight sank to the bottom with a thud, but the kettle, as expected, floated up.

Su Lu then smiled at Zhang Zhong and said, "Please trouble you to retrieve the weight from the scale, sir."

Before Zhu Shou, all the eunuchs were like diligent little bees. Zhang Zhong rolled up his sleeves without complaint, picked up the weight, and handed it back to Su Lu.

Su Lu thanked him and then threw the weight into the kettle in the water vat.

The kettle just wobbled a little and remained floating on the surface of the water.

"Look, brother, it's a full nine pounds of iron now," Su Lu laughed. "And it still hasn't sunk."

"Yes, why is that?" Zhu Shou scratched his head and said, "Whether or not it can float has little to do with its weight itself."

"Brother, you truly have a knack for this!" Su Lu praised, making sure to keep up with the emotional value aspect before nodding in agreement.
"The principle is very simple. Brother, you see, this pot is indeed very heavy, but it's hollow inside. When you put it in water, it 'squeezes' the water out of the pot. The water that's squeezed out supports it from below—the more water that's squeezed out, the greater the supporting force."

Su Lu picked up the pot and put it back into the water, letting Zhu Shou observe the details of the drainage. He then said, "Even if there's a weight inside the pot, as long as the total weight doesn't exceed the supporting force from the drainage, it won't sink!"

As he spoke, he threw another iron lock into the pot, but the pot still floated steadily on the surface of the water. Then he concluded in a deep voice:
"The same principle applies to Zheng He's treasure ships. They are extremely heavy, but their hulls are also huge. The amount of water they can displace is more than a few million kilograms. Moreover, the interior of the ship is not solid; it consists of cabins and passageways, like countless iron kettles pieced together. The weight is actually far less than the displacement, so it can float!"

"Well said!" Zhu Shou clapped vigorously and said, "It's very clear, logical, and based on the truth! It's easy to understand and completely irrefutable!"

He then smiled at Zhang Yong and said, "I think my friend is much more capable than the teachers who lecture the Emperor!"

“Su Jieyuan is indeed remarkable,” Zhang Yong nodded and smiled.

"Where did you learn that from?" Zhu Shou asked Su Lu with great interest.

"This is the 'Law of Buoyancy' that my master observed and summarized using his profound knowledge," Su Lu said with a smile.

"Therefore, when building a ship, as long as its maximum displacement is calculated first, it is known whether the ship can float and how much weight it can carry at most."

"I see..." Zhu Shou listened very attentively, pondered for a moment with his hands behind his back, and then nodded emphatically, "It seems that the treasure ship you mentioned does indeed exist."

Then he added, "Based on this, could we also build ironclad ships?"

"As I said, it only depends on the relationship between displacement and weight. As long as it doesn't exceed the maximum displacement, gold, silver, copper, iron, and stone are all acceptable," Su Lu nodded.

"Then I can build an ironclad ship that can rampage freely and not be afraid of being attacked by fire. Wouldn't I be invincible?" Zhu Shou was thrilled with his idea.

“That’s how it is in theory. Although there are still many problems to solve, such as rust prevention and power…” Su Lu said encouragingly, “But at least it’s a direction.”

"Hahaha, I'm such a genius!" Zhu Shoucai couldn't hear what he said after that. He laughed triumphantly, his tail wagging high in the air.

"..." Su Lu didn't emphasize the difficulties anymore. After all, this was the stage of deception. The most important thing was to paint a picture of the future and arouse the other party's interest.

This is based on his experience selling courses in his past life...

"Alright, the task of building ironclad ships for the Emperor will be entrusted to you in the future." After laughing, Zhu Shou assigned him the task.

“Don’t give me that,” Su Lu shook his head decisively. “I have an exam to take, I don’t have time.”

“Alright, I’ll have the Emperor issue an edict tomorrow.” Zhu Shou laughed again, “Let’s see if you dare to disobey the edict.”

"Why does this word sound so familiar?" The two looked at each other and burst into laughter. Zhu Shou laughed so hard he wiped away tears and said, "Then we'll wait until you finish the exam, and then have the Emperor issue the decree."

“That won’t work either.” Su Lu shook his head and said, “I still have to prepare for the next exam after I finish the first one.”

"What, are you already cursing yourself to fail before you've even taken the exam?" Zhu Shou asked with a smile.

"It's not a curse, it's just self-awareness." Su Lu smiled and changed the subject, saying, "Let's not talk about these unpleasant things anymore, let's continue talking about Zheng He's voyages to the West?"

"Alright, that's exactly what I came for." Zhu Shou's attention was immediately diverted. He ordered someone to set out tea, snacks, and a footstool, and then comfortably leaned against the stove before saying, "Let's begin."

"Last time I gave a general introduction to the wonders of Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean. This time, let's start with the voyages themselves..." Su Lu then adopted the posture of a storyteller and began to chat with Zhu Shou.

"After bidding farewell to Emperor Yongle at Liujiagang, Zheng He's fleet sailed for over three months, reaching the waters off the island of Majapahit in the South Seas. The soldiers, weary from their voyage, were naturally overjoyed to finally see land. Zheng He ordered them to dock to replenish their freshwater and provisions, unaware that a disaster was quietly approaching..."

Su Lu's vivid narration made Zhu Shou feel as if he were there, as if he were a member of Zheng He's fleet. He hurriedly asked, "What happened there?"

"It turns out that there are two kings in this small country fighting for territory, and the country is in complete chaos. The Western King's army even mistook our thirty soldiers in charge of procurement for reinforcements from the Eastern King and slaughtered them! More than twenty brothers were killed in the streets, and only Commander Wang Jinghong was left to crawl back to the ship with his seriously wounded guards..."

"Waaaah!" Zhu Shou could no longer lie still. He sat up and shouted, "How dare you offend my divine might and kill my heavenly soldiers! Destroy this insignificant little country!"

"That's what Zheng He said too!" Su Lu slammed his hand on the table, his voice suddenly rising:

"The generals were also furious. At his command, the fleet immediately raised its sails, lined up, and rushed into the harbor. The cannons were all covered, and the dark muzzles were aimed at the harbor. They unleashed a fierce bombardment, instantly turning the capital of the Western King into a sea of ​​fire!"

"Excellent!" Zhu Shou exclaimed excitedly, slapping his thigh and saying, "The barbarians fear our power but do not appreciate our kindness. We must repay them tenfold!"

"Brother, you were right again. The Western King was terrified out of his wits. How could he dare to delay? He personally bound the general who had mistakenly killed the soldiers, and led his entire court, carrying a letter of surrender and gold and ivory, to see Zheng He in a panic..." Su Lu continued, his eyebrows dancing with excitement:
Zheng He sneered at their words and pointed to the cannons below the ship, saying: "The blood of the Ming soldiers cannot be erased by a simple 'accidental killing'! Either you, the Western King, kill the murderer to appease my brothers, and then lead the Eastern King to swear an oath never to fight again and to acknowledge the Ming Dynasty as your suzerain! Or today, I will make your tiny country disappear from the map of Southeast Asia!"

"Wow, Eunuch Sanbao is so impressive! I never imagined there could be such a valiant hero among eunuchs!" Zhu Shouxin exclaimed with admiration. "I want to be like him someday..."

"That won't do." Zhang Yong and the others were terrified and quickly added with a double entendre, "Young master, don't get too into character!"

"Don't spoil my fun." Zhu Shou waved his hand and pressed Su Lu for an answer: "But aren't the Eastern King and the Western King at war? Would he agree to this?"

"To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next chapter!" Su Lu slapped the door lock in his hand, as if it were a gavel.

"Don't give me that! You're stopping at the most exciting part, are you trying to keep me up all night?!" Zhu Shou snapped. "Hurry up and tell me! If you don't, I'll make you come to the palace with me to serve the Emperor!"

"Hey, I didn't mean to keep you in suspense, bro," Su Lu said helplessly. "It's just that the story is so captivating that you feel like I'm leaving a hook no matter where I stop..."

"I don't care what you say, just tell me!" Zhu Shoucai wouldn't listen to his explanation, glared at him, and said domineeringly.

"Hey, how can you treat your friends like this?" Su Lu wasn't buying it and sighed unhappily, "You're not just asking for something, you're forcing me into this."

"Huh? Do I have to ask nothing of you too?" Zhu Shou was taken aback by this.

“Of course, the left and right sides of the character ‘朋’ are exactly the same!” Su Lu said seriously, “So you have to do the same things you ask your friends to do.”

As Su Lu said this, not only did he break out in a cold sweat, but Zhang Yong, who was standing next to him, was also terrified, fearing that he would mess things up.

But Su Lu said this after careful consideration. If you want to be valued by the other party, you must first respect yourself! Blindly flattering and obeying will only make you look like a slave.

What the other side has no shortage of is lackeys...

Therefore, Su Lu had no choice but to take a gamble.

“What you said makes sense.” Zhu Shou actually agreed with him, nodding and saying, “I was being presumptuous.”

Zhang Yong and Zhang Zhong were immediately startled. They had watched this man grow up, and when had they ever seen him back down?
How did running into Su Jieyuan turn things into something like brine curdling tofu?
"Okay, I was wrong too. Friends shouldn't take things so seriously." Su Lu said, offering a slap followed by a sweet treat.

"Then I'll tell you another one..."

"Yes, yes, yes." Zhu Shou nodded vigorously, overjoyed.

Su Lu continued, "The Western King was so frightened that he collapsed on the treasure ship, repeatedly shouting, 'I obey! I obey!' He immediately beheaded the commanding general and offered sacrifices to the fallen soldiers. He then sent someone to summon the Eastern King, who had long been terrified by the Celestial Empire's military might and dared not disobey. The two kings knelt before the eunuch Sanbao and swore a blood oath, vowing to cease hostilities and make peace, to regard the Great Ming as their suzerain for generations, to send tribute of rare treasures every year, and to designate the best port for the exclusive use of the Great Ming fleet..."

P.S. The next chapter will be available tomorrow morning. Please vote with your monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)