Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

At the foot of Xishan Mountain, the few simple thatched houses that were once the "Gewuyuan" have now been completely demolished.

In its place stands a magnificent complex of buildings built along the mountainside.

With its blue bricks and gray tiles, flying eaves and brackets, these traditional Chinese buildings conceal a completely different core: a huge hydraulic forging machine room, a laboratory with constant temperature and humidity, a library with thousands of books, and a specially developed firearms testing ground.

This place has a new name—the Great Xia Academy of Sciences.

Xiao Chen was not wearing a dragon robe, but only a light blue outfit that allowed him to move around easily. He stood in front of the newly built main building with Mo Qi, Zhao Tie, and Han Lie.

The plaque hanging in front of the building bears four powerful characters written by Xiao Chen himself: "Seek Truth from Facts".

"Zhao Tie," Xiao Chen looked at the bustling construction site before him, where thousands of craftsmen were installing giant hydraulic machines gathered from all over the country, "are the men I gave you enough?"

Zhao Tie's eyes were bloodshot, but he was extremely excited.

Ever since the "arsenal incident," he has been obsessed with this place, spending every day and night here.

"Your Majesty, we have just enough manpower. But..."

Zhao Tie scratched his head and pointed to the huge waterwheels and gears, "But it's still too slow for our Great Xia craftsmen to assemble and debug these behemoths. Moreover, our craftsmanship is still lacking when it comes to polishing some of the precision parts."

"I know."

Xiao Chen nodded, his gaze falling on a secluded courtyard enclosed by a fence not far away, where a sign hung—"Western Learning Hall".

Just then, a commotion came from the courtyard gate.

A group of Imperial Guards escorted several carriages into the room.

The people who alighted from the carriage were dressed in various ways: there was a blond, blue-eyed foreigner wearing a Western priest's robe and thick glasses; there was an Arab merchant dressed in fine silk but speaking in broken Mandarin; there were also several Jiangnan craftsmen dressed in simple cloth clothes but with shrewd eyes; and a young scholar with a thin face carrying a huge book box.

Mo Qi quickly went to greet him and whispered to Xiao Chen, "Your Majesty, the person has been brought."

Those foreign devils were Father Michele Ruggieri and his assistant, whom they had invited from Macau. They were said to know some physics and mathematics.

That Arab man was an interpreter at the Thirteen Factories of Guangzhou and was knowledgeable about mechanics.

The latter few are renowned craftsmen from Jiangnan. For example, this one called "Feng San" can replicate intricate Western clocks without blueprints, simply by looking at them and touching them. As for that scholar…”

Mo Qi paused, somewhat helplessly: "His name is Xu Guangqi. He is a Juren (successful candidate in the imperial examination) from Shanghai County. He is obsessed with Western learning and recommended himself. I have investigated him. Although he has no official title, his knowledge is indeed solid, especially in calendrical calculations."

Xiao Chen's lips curled slightly: "Xu Guangqi? A good name. It seems that my Academy of Sciences really does manage to gather some notable figures."

He strode towards the crowd.

When Father Luo Mingjian saw Xiao Chen and his party, although he did not know their identities, he knew from the respectful manner of the Imperial Guards that they were no ordinary people.

He bowed in broken Mandarin: "Your Excellency, may the Lord bless you. We come from the West, bringing knowledge and the Gospel..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Chen interrupted him, saying in fluent Latin, "Father, I do not need the Gospel, I need your 'investigation of things to acquire knowledge'."

I have seen all the telescopes, clocks, and handwritten copies of Euclid's Elements that you brought.

Tell me, can you build cannons with a range exceeding three hundred paces? Can you build muskets capable of firing five rounds per minute?

Father Luo Mingjian was stunned. He hadn't expected that this young Chinese nobleman could speak Latin and would ask such "utilitarian" and "barbaric" questions right off the bat.

Xu Guangqi, standing nearby, suddenly brightened up. He carefully examined Xiao Chen, then looked at the magnificent buildings around him. Excitedly, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Student Xu Guangqi greets Your Excellency! What you have said is precisely my lifelong wish! Western learning excels in calculation and mechanics, but it is often used for whimsical and ingenious techniques. If its principles could be applied to the tools of a powerful nation, then China would be fortunate indeed, and all its people would be fortunate indeed!"

Xiao Chen looked at Xu Guangqi, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. This was exactly what he wanted—a practical talent with both a foundation in traditional Confucianism and the ability to embrace Western learning.

"You are Xu Guangqi?"

Xiao Chen smiled slightly, "I've heard of you. Your essay, 'The Principles of Surveying,' is quite good."

Xu Guangqi was greatly surprised. He had only shown this article to a few friends and had never published it. Who was this person in front of him?

Xiao Chen said no more, turned to the crowd, and spoke in a loud voice:

"From this day forward, this place is the Great Xia Academy of Sciences. It is not a monastery, not an academy, and certainly not a workshop."

"I will give you three paths."

"First, you shall enter the 'Western Studies Institute' to study Western astronomy, calendar systems, geometry, and physics. I require you to translate all available Western books, extracting their essence and discarding their dross. You will become my 'guest ministers,' enjoying double the salary, but—you are forbidden from proselytizing and from discussing state affairs."

Father Luo Mingjian's expression shifted, but in the end, under the cold gaze of the Imperial Guards, he chose to bow his head.

"Secondly, you will enter the 'Institute of Crafts.' Zhao Tie will be the head instructor. You will work with craftsmen from Jiangnan and mechanics from Arabia to disassemble, replicate, and improve all advanced machinery. I don't care what methods you use; I want the results: better steel, more accurate cannons, and faster guns!"

Zhao Tie immediately clasped his hands in a fist and paw salute: "Your Majesty, rest assured! I will squeeze them dry!"

"The third rule is to enter the 'School of Investigating Things'."

Xiao Chen looked at Xu Guangqi and the young artisan's children, "There are no entry requirements here, no regard for background, only talent. I will have you study mathematics, physics, chemistry, and mechanical drawing. It will be a three-year period. Those who pass will be awarded the title of 'Bachelor of Science' and can directly enter the Academy of Engineering or the Ordnance Department, with superior rank!"

Xu Guangqi trembled with excitement. Wasn't this exactly what he had been dreaming of? To apply what he had learned to practical use and to serve the world!

"This student wishes to enter the Academy of Natural Sciences and serve His Majesty with utmost loyalty!"

"good!"

Xiao Chen waved his hand. "Mo Qi, draft the decree. The Great Xia Academy of Sciences is directly under the Military Affairs Department. All those who enter the academy will be appointed officials of the imperial court and will receive generous treatment. However, those who steal secrets, leak information, or engage in passive resistance will be punished—"

Xiao Chen's gaze, like a tangible blade, swept across Father Luo Mingjian's somewhat pale face.

"My Imperial Guards will teach them what the rules of the Great Xia Dynasty are."

"Let's get to work!"

With Xiao Chen's command, the roar of machinery once again filled the foothills of West Mountain.

The water-powered forging hammer fell heavily, producing a deafening roar, like the first roar of a newly born empire to the world.

The doors of the Academy of Sciences have officially opened.

On one side, traditional Confucian scholars are still fighting tooth and nail for the imperial examinations, while on the other side, in this "special zone" forcibly opened by Xiao Chen, a quiet but era-defining technological revolution has already begun.