Chapter 445 Tradition really means backwardness? Did the ancients know about steam? !
Neither Tian Qi nor Zhang Gui expected that Fan Jingwen would suddenly make such a remonstrance after experiencing the steam locomotive.
However, Zhang Gui didn't feel so strange about it.
Because in history, when the steam train appeared in the late Qing Dynasty, some Confucian officials in the Qing Dynasty were also afraid of it, saying that it would shake the Dongling Tomb, and the smoke and dust would spoil the purple air in the sky and affect the national destiny.
Although Fan Jingwen has a strong character in history, as a Confucian official, he also inevitably feels a sense of unfamiliar panic about new things.
In fact, Fan Jingwen is not the only one who thinks this way, Ni Yuanlu and other officials of the East Palace also have such worries at this time.
Fortunately, Tianqi is an emperor whose side job is to study science. To be precise, this side job has almost become his main job.
Therefore, Apocalypse pays more attention to using experimental methods to verify, especially after using the thunder and lightning experiment to prove that thunder and lightning do not distinguish between loyal and traitorous, it made him more determined that only the results reflected in the experiment are the objective laws, and he said: " Whether it will vibrate the dragon's veins, you have to experiment to know, if it really can vibrate the dragon's veins, the ancestors will give me a dream."
After Tianqi said this, Fan Jingwen and others were not good at speaking.
Zhang Gui said again: "Your Majesty is right. Specifically, the dragon's veins will be reflected in the geographical advantage, and the geographical advantage is reflected in the agriculture. Therefore, I think it is better to select one mu of farmland near the railway as the experimental field, and then test it in the field. In other places, where the sound of locomotives cannot be heard, choose an acre of farmland with the same level of fertility as the control group, and see if the crop yield is affected, so you can know whether it has affected the dragon veins and Feng Shui."
"Very good, just do it!"
Apocalypse said.
Fan Jingwen couldn't say anything more after seeing this, and he was not obviously willing to let the court do an experiment.
As far as he is concerned, he is a little too surprised by the huge monster that can travel on the railway without the use of oxen and horses.
He has always been educated by Confucianism, and he has a reverence for the ancients in his bones, especially the ancient sage Gu Mingjun. He thinks that both a king and a minister should follow the ancients, and now he is wondering whether there was such a thing in ancient times. car.
Fan Jingwen really wants to go back and look through ancient books.
At the same time, he is very worried about one thing now, that is, if there is no such locomotive that does not use human and animal power to achieve progress after searching through ancient books, does it mean that it is wrong to worship the ancients, that is to say, the ancients are not the same as today?
Ni Yuanlu also has the same worry as him, worrying that traditional things are really not worth pursuing, but backward things that should be abandoned, and people today should innovate.
Not long after, Wen Tiren, Bi Ziyan, Qian Xiangkun and other court officials were also ordered by Tianqi to come to the steam locomotive test base in Xishan to experience steam locomotives.
After experiencing the steam locomotive, the three views of people like Wen Tiren and Bi Ziyan were also collapsed.
Bi Ziyan even took the initiative to ask Qian Xiangkun, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, "Da Zongbo, you know the past and the present, do you know that the ancients mentioned this kind of cart that doesn't use oxen, horses or people? Did Zhuge Kongming build it, or Luban? "
Bi Ziyan became serious after hearing this: "So, the ancients were no better than the present? This world really needs to be reformed."
"How does this say?"
Qian Xiangkun was startled suddenly, and asked Bi Ziyan.
Bi Ziyan replied, "What do you think is the most urgent issue that needs to be resolved before Uncle Guo returns to Beijing, besides pacifying the enslavement of slaves? That is how to turn the large amount of coal mined by the Hanhai Coal Mine into silver." As for us Confucian officials, we have no choice but to ask Uncle Guo to come back, fulfill the agreement, and buy these coal mines. As a result, Uncle Guo really bought these coal mines as promised. It turns out that I only understand now that Uncle Guo purchased a large amount of coal from the Hanhai Coal Mine because he knew that this kind of coal-eating locomotive was about to appear! If the ancients did not know about this locomotive, does it mean that the ancients would not be able to solve this problem, and we still have to rely on modern people?"
Hearing what Bi Ziyan said, Qian Xiangkun also realized the problem, and couldn't help saying: "So, today's people are more capable than the ancients? God, no wonder I have thousands of civil servants who have read poetry and books, Now he still needs Uncle Zhang Guo and his relatives to take charge of the government!"
"However, everyone reads the books of ancient sages and sages. Why does His Highness know that this steam locomotive can move itself by eating coal? From Baodi?"
After all, Bi Ziyan is an official who is good at managing money and food, and his brain is more flexible than Qian Xiangkun, a minister of rites who is only good at discussing rites and scriptures. He soon thought of why Zhang Gui knew that they did not know this key issue. From Bi Ziyan's point of view, these scholar-bureaucrats must have read more books than Zhang Guojiu.
Qian Xiangkun also nodded: "This is the puzzling part."
Bi Ziyan already walked towards Zhang Gui on his own initiative, bowed and bowed: "Please enlighten me, why does Your Highness know that there are such utensils in this world, but they are powered by burning coal instead of chariots and horses. They are all people who read the books of ancient sages and sages, why is it that His Highness has this wisdom? Has His Highness read the only book that we have never read, or is it His Highness who has realized it himself?"
Seeing that Bi Ziyan asked seriously, Zhang Gui replied seriously, "I didn't read it from the books of the ancients alone, but I realized it myself. But it cannot be said that the books of the ancients are really helpless." Yi, otherwise, it is not enough to answer why the public reads the sages' books but does not know, but Gu knows."
The other civil servants on the side also nodded after hearing what Zhang Gui said.
Bi Ziyan saluted again because of this: "So I want to ask for advice."
"This has something to do with not taking the imperial examination alone. Because I don't take the imperial examination alone, I read a lot of things alone. I don't just read Confucianism. I also read "Nine Chapters of Arithmetic" and "Mengxi Bi Tan", so I have some impressions In addition, now that His Majesty has realized the use of coal-burning steam to pump water to benefit agriculture, he also thought about whether it is possible to use coal-burning steam to drive the wheels so that the car is no longer driven by humans and animals. Therefore, to be precise, today can There are steam locomotives because we stand on the shoulders of giants. This does not conflict with Zhang Zi’s sage’s unique learning. A new breakthrough."
Zhang Gui replied.
Chief Assistant Wen Tiren knew the meaning of Zhang Gui's words, so he said conclusively: "Your Highness's words can be said to be enlightening, it should be like this, we must continue to innovate, we must dare to innovate! We must learn from others' strengths. Fortunately, the current imperial examinations in this dynasty are no longer just As for the knowledge of one family, Sheng Xiang followed Yao and Shun far away, and he was also good at politics and harmony among people!"
Although Bi Ziyan knew that Wen Tiren was flattering Zhang Gui, he couldn't refute it, so he just nodded and said with divergent thoughts: "Coal can be the power of locomotives, and I have also read "Mengxi Bi Tan". It has oil, and according to today's view, coal can be the power source required for vehicle transportation, so can oil also be the power source required for vehicle transportation in the future?"
Zhang Gui nodded: "Maybe there is, or it is very likely, you can go to the Shu and ask the imperial court to set up an official office to investigate this thing!"
"As it should be!"
Bi Ziyan replied happily as if he had spied a glimpse of the secret.
"No!"
But at this time, one person shouted, deliberately refuting Bi Ziyan's actions, saying: "The leader in governing the country is governing and selecting people. How can we waste the country's money and destroy nature? Such a fear of harming the harmony of the sky and the ties of the earth. Coal is enough, why talk about oil. The sages regard thrift as a virtue, and we should follow suit, how can we over-exhaust the things of nature?!"
(end of this chapter)