Transmigrating to the Three Kingdoms as Lu Bu: I Have a Pseudo-Apocalypse System

On the eighth day of the first month of the 406th year of the Han calendar (205 AD), just after the Spring Festival holiday, Lü Bu convened the first court meeting in the Taiji Hall.

After all the ministers had arrived, Lü Bu got straight to the point: "My dear ministers, last year the fleet that circumnavigated the globe returned, confirming the theory of a spherical Earth. This tells us a lesson: practice makes perfect. Don't draw conclusions about things that haven't been tested. Besides the theory of a spherical Earth, there are many things that you have never seen, heard of, or even thought of."

He paused, then looked around at his ministers: "Therefore, I have decided that, starting this year, I will vigorously promote the study of things to acquire knowledge. The gods have told me that there are all sorts of unseen and intangible things at work in the universe. For example, gravity, buoyancy, air pressure, light refraction, sound propagation, heat, electricity, magnetism, as well as various chemical changes, biological changes, and even tiny insects invisible to the naked eye that make people sick."

The courtiers were stunned.

Chen Gong, the Second Grand Secretary and Minister of Revenue, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have never heard of any of these scholars. Could Your Majesty please explain in detail?"

Lü Bu laughed and said, "I will make things clear today. From today onwards, the Imperial Academy will add a Department of Natural Sciences, which will consist of five subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, and Geography. I will personally dictate the subject, which will be recorded, compiled, experimentally verified, and compiled into textbooks by the Imperial Academy's doctors. All students of the Imperial Academy must take the Department of Natural Sciences. Schools in various prefectures and counties should also gradually introduce courses on Natural Sciences."

Guo Jia cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid these new subjects are not easy to understand."

Lü Bu said, "That's why I said we should start with the Imperial Academy, letting the brightest students learn first. Once they've learned it, they can teach others. If one generation isn't enough, then two generations. If two generations aren't enough, then three generations. One day, the scholars of the Han Dynasty will not only be able to recite the classics, but will also be able to investigate things and explore the principles of heaven and earth."

The assembled officials exclaimed in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"

After the court session ended, Lü Bu summoned Liu Hong, Zheng Xuan, Ma Jun, Zhang Shao, and other officials who were engaged in scientific research to the imperial study and assigned them tasks in detail.

Lü Bu said, "Today I will teach you about physics. Physics is the principle governing all things. Everything in the universe operates according to certain laws. By mastering these laws, we can create more powerful things and enable the people to live a better life."

Liu Hong cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Lu Bu said, "Let's talk about gravity first. What is gravity? It's the force that attracts between any two objects. The greater the mass, the stronger the attraction. Why is the earth round? It's because gravity pulls everything towards the center, eventually forming a sphere. Why don't people fall off the ground when they stand on it? Because the earth attracts you. Why does the moon revolve around the earth? Because the earth attracts the moon."

Zheng Xuan asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, does this mean the moon originally wanted to fly outwards, but because it was held back by the Earth, it can only revolve around the Earth?"

Lü Bu nodded: "That's right, this is the principle of gravity. I'll give this law a name, the Law of Universal Gravitation."

Liu Hong sighed, "I have lived for decades and never imagined that such a principle existed in the world. Your Majesty is truly a god descended to earth."

Lu Bu waved his hand and continued talking about other basic knowledge such as buoyancy, air pressure, light refraction, sound propagation, thermal expansion and contraction, and the need for oxygen to burn.

The Imperial Academy scholars listened with rapt attention, frantically taking notes.

Ma Jun was overjoyed, writing down every single thing Lü Bu said and pondering it repeatedly.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, after the Lantern Festival, Lü Bu summoned the people from the Imperial Medical Academy again.

Lu Bu said, "Today I will tell you about bacteria. What are bacteria? They are tiny insects that are invisible to the naked eye. They are everywhere—in the water, in the soil, in the air, and even in your hands, mouths, and stomachs."

Ji Ben, the Imperial Physician, asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, how do you know it's there if it's invisible to the naked eye?"

Lü Bu said, "So I want you to make something called a microscope."

He took out a blueprint with a complex copper tube structure with glass lenses at both ends.

Lu Bu pointed to the blueprints and said, "This thing consists of two sets of lenses. The objective lens magnifies the image, and the eyepiece further magnifies the magnified image. Together, the two sets of lenses can magnify the image dozens or even hundreds of times. Then you will be able to see those tiny insects that are invisible to the naked eye."

Zhang Zhongjing took the blueprints, examined them carefully, and asked, "Your Majesty, how should these lenses be ground?"

Lü Bu said, "Glass can be ground into various shapes. Convex lenses can magnify, and concave lenses can reduce. Go find Ma Jun and have him take the craftsmen to grind them. The lenses need to be ground thin and clear enough for you to see clearly."

Yoshimoto bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Lü Bu added, "There is one more thing. The gods told me that many diseases are caused by these invisible little insects. For example, diarrhea, fever, and festering wounds are all caused by these little insects burrowing into the body. Therefore, I want to implement public health reforms."

Yoshimoto said, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

Lü Bu said: "First, drink hot water, not raw water. Boiling the water will kill any small insects. Second, wash your hands frequently before meals and after using the toilet, scrubbing them with soap or wood ash. Third, do not urinate or defecate indiscriminately; public toilets must be built in every prefecture, county, and town. Fourth, garbage must be collected and disposed of properly; littering is prohibited. Fifth, sewage must be filtered and settled before being discharged into the river; it cannot be discharged directly. Sixth, people with infectious diseases must be isolated and treated; they are not allowed to wander around."

Yoshimoto said, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid the people will find these measures difficult to accept in the short term."

Lü Bu said, "Therefore, I want the people of your Imperial Medical Academy to take the lead. We will first conduct a pilot program in Luoyang, and once we see results, we will promote it nationwide. The Great Han Ten-Day Report should also be widely publicized so that the people know why they should drink hot water and why they should wash their hands."

Yoshimoto bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

On the 20th of the first month, Lü Bu summoned the people from the Ministry of Works and Agriculture again.

The agricultural official in charge of agriculture was named Han Hao, a middle-aged man in his forties who was well-versed in farming.

Lu Bu asked, "Han Hao, have you planted the sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and chili peppers that I had Zhou Yu bring back last year?"

Han Hao replied, "Your Majesty, I have already arranged for people to plant them at the experimental farm. However, it is winter now, and they will not survive. We can only wait until spring."

Lü Bu said, "There's no need to wait until spring. I'll teach you a method: build greenhouses."

Han Hao was taken aback: "A greenhouse? What's a greenhouse?"

Lu Bu took out a blueprint, which showed a semi-circular shed with a bamboo frame and glass covering it.

Lu Bu pointed to the blueprints and said, "This is it. Build a shed with glass; sunlight can shine in, but the heat can't escape. The temperature inside the shed will be higher than outside, so you can grow things even in winter."

Han Hao asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, glass is so expensive, you're using it to build a shed?"

Lu Bu said, "Glass is not expensive now. After Ma Jun improved the process, glass production increased significantly, and the price dropped considerably. Besides, this is for breeding, not large-scale planting. We'll cultivate the seeds in glass greenhouses first, and then plant them in the open ground at room temperature once we have enough seeds."

Han Hao cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subject obeys the decree."

Lü Bu continued, "Sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, and chili peppers are all high-yield crops. Sweet potatoes and potatoes, in particular, can yield over a thousand catties per mu even when planted on barren hillsides. Once they are widely cultivated, the people of the world will never have to go hungry again."

Han Hao said excitedly, "Your Majesty is wise; I will certainly handle this matter well."