People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 738 Daming Engineering College shocked the audience
The setting sun gradually sank into the bottom of the river, and the last rays of light shone on the reviewing stand. It was only then that the envoys noticed several purple-robed officials sitting on the stand. Tie Xuan, the Minister of War, was using a brush to draw on the memorials, nodding to the demonstrations from time to time; Zheng Yi, the Vice Minister of Works, was holding a strange instrument, constantly adjusting the copper ring on it.

The one who frightened the envoys the most was the white-haired old man sitting in the middle - Duke of Wei Xu Huizu. This famous general of the founding of the country was leaning on a tiger-head cane with one hand, and with the other hand he was playing with a shark tooth necklace that he had torn off the neck of the pirate leader.

"My Lords." The Royal Guard suddenly raised his voice, "The Nanyang envoy has arrived."

The reviewing stand fell silent instantly. Xu Huizu slowly raised his head, and his cloudy old eyes swept over the envoys one by one. When his eyes fell on the Javanese envoy, the old man suddenly grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "I heard that your country is rich in black gold wood?"

The Javanese envoy's knees weakened and he almost fell to the ground. He certainly knew the threat in Xu Huizu's words - the transactions between Javanese nobles and pirates were clearly recorded in the pirate secret letters that were seized.

"thump!"

The Malacca envoy suddenly knelt down and knocked his forehead heavily on the bluestone slab: "Our country is willing to offer all the Hawksbill Turtle Islands, just asking for the protection of the Ming Navy!"

This kneeling statue set off a domino effect, with envoys from various countries prostrating themselves on the ground one after another. The Srivijaya envoy even took out the gift list he had prepared long ago and raised it above his head with trembling hands.

Xu Huizu picked up the gift list with his tiger-head stick and handed it to the Tongzhengshi beside him: "Tell Xia Yuanji that the site of the Nanyang Market has been chosen."

As dusk deepened, the sound of the treasure ship's anchor horn came from the river. When the envoys left in a daze, no one noticed that Zhu Biao and Chen Han were standing side by side in the shadow behind the reviewing stand.

"My father-in-law's tactic of making a warning to others is much more effective than declaring war directly." Chen Han looked at the staggering backs of the envoys, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the new nautical chart in his sleeve.

Zhu Biao chuckled: "If Zheng Qingzhuo saw this scene, he would probably rewrite the "Memorial on the Invasion of Nanyang" overnight." He suddenly pointed to the distance, "Look over there."

Under the willow trees on the river bank, several editors from the Imperial Academy in long gowns stared blankly at the treasure ship. The old scholar in the lead was still holding the remaining manuscript of "Instructions for Women" in his hand, but it was blown to pieces by the river wind.

What was even more ironic was Zheng Qingzhuo hiding behind the tree. The old scholar who had denounced "warmongering" in the court yesterday was now secretly tracing the structure of the treasure ship with a charcoal pencil on his sleeve. He was so focused on tracing that he didn't notice that his granddaughter, the girl who studied mathematics in the Women's Workshop, was recording artillery data with students from the School of Physics not far away.

"The old man is right." Chen Han suddenly sighed, "Some truths cannot be made clear with words alone."

He took out an indigo handkerchief and wiped his hands.

The number "7" embroidered on the corner of the handkerchief was still eye-catching in the twilight, just like the outlines of the treasure ships on the river, deeply imprinted in the minds of all witnesses.

After night fell, Longjiang Wharf became even more lively.

Students from the School of Physics held lanterns and measured the recoil of artillery pieces, female workers from the Women's Workshop pushed carts to deliver hot meals, and even the runners from the Five Cities Army came over to help carry the ammunition.

Amid the hustle and bustle, no one noticed that several envoys from Southeast Asia had returned.

They hid behind the piles of goods, recording what they saw and heard with trembling hands.

The Javanese envoy's notes were the most detailed, and he even drew a sketch of a ruler. However, he would never have imagined that this information would be sewn into the dark patterns of the cloth in the Women's Workshop before it was sent out of the Ming Dynasty, becoming the longitude and latitude of the next dragnet.

When the midnight watch drum sounded, Chen Han stood on the deck of the treasure ship and looked into the distance.

The Yangtze River under the moonlight looks like a spread indigo cloth, and the scattered warships are the most beautiful patterns woven by the Ming Dynasty.

As dusk fell, torches on the Longjiang wharf lit up one after another, casting the huge shadow of the treasure ship on the shivering Nanyang envoys.

The Javanese envoy Sumatra banged his knees heavily on the bluestone slab, and the cold sweat on his forehead soaked a large area of ​​the front of his official robe.

He stared at the pair of official boots embroidered with wave patterns in front of him, and the roar of the artillery fire just now was still echoing in his ears.

"Your humble servant...your humble servant is willing to offer a thousand loads of black gold wood, only asking for the blessing of the Heavenly Dynasty." His Chinese suddenly became fluent, as if if he hesitated for a moment longer, those black gun barrels would change direction.

Tongzhengshi Yang Zhan rolled the toes of his boots on the bluestone slabs and slowly unfolded the gift list.

The parchment shone yellowish in the firelight, and the Javanese characters written in cinnabar looked like a string of dried blood. "I heard that there is a three-meter-high coral tree in the Golden Buddha Temple in your country?"

Sumatra's pupils suddenly contracted.

That coral is a national treasure. Last year, the pirate leader offered to exchange it for ten ships of spices, but the old king refused.

He opened his mouth, swallowed the bitter saliva with his Adam's apple rolling: "I will write a letter and return to the country right away..."

"No need." Chen Han was just joking.

There was a sudden silence on the dock.

All the messengers understood the threat in these words - three days ago was the day when the pirates were destroyed.

The Malacca envoy knelt down, and the gift list in his arms fell to the ground: "The lower country is willing to open all ports!"

"A smart choice." Zhu Biao's voice floated down from the reviewing stand.

The golden thread on the prince's robe flowed like water under the torchlight, and he played with a glass dice with his fingertips. "Lord Xia is planning to build a market in Malacca. If you are sincere..."

The dice fell on the bluestone slab with a clink of a button, and the symbol "π" was clearly engraved on the side facing upwards.

The Srivijaya envoy suddenly came forward on his knees, holding up the rolled-up sea map with both hands: "This is the route map of the twelve islands controlled by our country. Your Highness, please accept it!"

When the parchment scroll was unfolded, low exclamations were heard all around.

The reefs and ocean currents marked in the picture are exactly the information the Ming Navy needs most.

Chen Han took the chart and paused on the outline of an island. The anchor mark painted with gold powder was exactly the same as the mark on the pirate's secret letter. "It seems that the friendship between your country and Chen Zuyi is much deeper than the rumors say?"

"Your Majesty, please understand!" The Srivijaya envoy threw his head to the ground, "That was all because the late king was deceived by treacherous ministers..."

His defense was interrupted by the sudden sound of a horn.

The muffled sound of iron chains twisting was heard on the surface of the river, and the side of the treasure ship slowly opened, revealing the black muzzle of the gun.

Zhu Biao walked down the stairs, the hem of his dragon robe brushing past the trembling envoys: "At this time tomorrow, I will see letters from various countries."

The prince's boot sole rolled over the glass dice. With a crisp cracking sound, the π symbol broke into two halves. "Write it in Chinese."

At midnight that night, the lights in Huitong Hall were still on all night.

Sumatra bit the pen, watching the letter he had written being rejected by the interpreter for the eighth time. The sound of the night watchman's clappers could be heard faintly outside the window, intertwined with the rustling sound of the Malacca envoy tearing up and rewriting the letter next door.

"Sir, the word 'chen' in 'eternal servitude' is written wrong again." The interpreter pointed at the crooked strokes on the paper, "It should be horizontal first and then vertical."

Sumatra stared at the ink clot in the inkstone and thought of the ruler he had seen during the day.

The precise markings, like the square Chinese characters before him, revealed an unquestionable order. He grabbed the brush and dipped it in ink again, but his wrist was suddenly held down.

"It doesn't matter if you make mistakes." Chen Han, who appeared outside the window at some point, handed over a blue booklet, "A copy of Thousand Characters, printed by Jinguo Workshop."

When the pages of the book are opened, the fragrance of indigo dye wafts out, and small Arabic numerals are marked next to the Chinese characters on the inner pages.

The Malacca envoy peeked through the window and gasped.

Those number combinations are clearly some kind of code.

He was about to retreat back into the darkness when he bumped into Xiaotao's smiling face.

The lantern in the girl's hand illuminated his pale face: "Sir, do you want to learn how to use an abacus? The Physics Institute's newly compiled "Algorithm Unification"..."

When the fifth watch drum sounded, envoys from various countries finally knelt in front of the Fengtian Hall, holding the neatly copied letters of credence.

The clattering sounds of looms were heard in the morning mist. Zhu Youwei and the female workers passed by pushing a cart piled with the "Navigational Mathematical Manual" wrapped in "π pattern".

"Princess!" Sumatra suddenly rushed to the front of the carriage, "Your humble servant would like to purchase this set of books!" His skinny fingers tightly grasped the scroll, and there were ink stains on the back of his hand with bulging veins.

Zhu Youwei's silver scissors arced at her fingertips: "What do you want in exchange?"

"A star disk that is a specialty of our country!" The messenger took out a copper ring from his arms. The edge of the ring was engraved with scales similar to those in the Physics Institute. "It can measure tides..."

He was interrupted by the sound of scissors snapping through twine.

Zhu Youwei piled the entire set of books in his arms: "Leave the star disk here, and I'll give you the books."

As she turned around, the hem of her blue skirt brushed the messenger's trembling hands. "Remember to write your review in Chinese."

When the morning sun completely jumped out of the river, the bronze bell in the Fengtian Hall rang loudly.

The envoys entered the hall holding the letters of credence and saw a strange device on Zhu Yuanzhang's dragon table. The base was made of fine iron from Southeast Asia, and supported a constantly rotating glass ball. The magnetic needle suspended in the ball always pointed to the north.

"This is a new sea instrument made by the Institute of Physics." Zhu Biao's voice came from the Danbi, "It is ten times more accurate than a compass." The prince tapped the glass ball with his fingertips, startling the envoys collectively, "I will give it to you today, I hope you will..."

"Eternal submission!" Sumatra suddenly shouted.

He knocked his forehead heavily against the gold brick, causing the "Navigational Mathematics" in his arms to fall.

The pages of the book flipped, revealing the sun and moon emblems drawn in red ink on the title page - it was written with special ink made by the Women's Workshop, which would not melt when in contact with water and would remain fresh over time.

When leaving the court, Chen Han ran into the Javanese envoy holding Haiyi in the corridor.

The old man suddenly asked in stiff Chinese: "Duke, can those numbers really count the entire ocean?"

"It's hard to calculate." Chen Han looked towards the dock, where the flag for the trial of a new ship was being raised, "but it's enough to calculate who is the master of the sea."

When the noon bell rang throughout Jinling, envoys from various countries boarded the return tribute ships.

They carried Chinese official documents in their arms and the "Algorithm Tongzong" in their sleeves, but no one noticed that in the cargo boxes on the bottom floor of the cabin, there were neatly stacked "π-patterned" cloth bags produced by the Women's Workshop.

Zhu Biao stood on the Yuejiang Tower and watched the sails gradually go away.

The river breeze ruffled the tassels of the jade pendant around his waist, and also brought the sound of the students from the School of Physics reciting their calculations.

The prince chuckled: "Chen Han, what do you think the first thing they will do when they return home?"

Zhu Biao stood in front of the carved railings of the Yuejiang Tower, looking at the shadows of the tribute ships drifting farther and farther away on the river, and tapping lightly on the bluestone railings with his fingertips.

In the distance, the recitation voices of students from the School of Physics drifted in with the river breeze, interweaving with the horn of the treasure ship raising anchor to form a wonderful rhythm.

"Chen Han." The prince suddenly turned around, the hem of his dragon robe brushing the still-dry morning dew on the steps, "Do you think that after these envoys return home, will they think that the only powerful thing about the Ming Dynasty is its artillery?"

Chen Han was bending over to adjust the new navigation compass on his waist. Hearing this, he looked up and smiled, "Your Highness, do you want them to see something else?"

Zhu Biao's eyes passed over the flying eaves and brackets of Jinling City and fell on the courtyards in the northeast corner with faint green smoke. "Let Yun Hu take them to the Engineering College. The navy's artillery is only an old item from three years ago. It's time to let the foreign countries see what the real 'Hongwu New Equipment' is."

When he said this, there was a faint smile on his lips. Chen Han immediately understood - in the past two years that Crown Prince Zhu Yunhuan had been in charge of the Engineering College, the strange skills hidden in the deep courtyard might not even be seen by the senior officials in the Ministry of War.

Three days later, in the morning, the Nanyang envoys of Huitong Hall received a gold-rimmed invitation. The Javanese envoy Sumatra held the gold-stamped invitation and looked at it again and again. It was written in Chinese and foreign languages: "Your Excellency is invited to visit Daming Engineering College at 9:00 pm to observe the exhibition of scientific and technological achievements in the 28th year of Hongwu." The signature was stamped with the Panlong seal of the grandson Zhu Yunhuan, and the ink was mixed with gold powder, which sparkled in the sun.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince personally invited me?" The Malacca envoy nervously straightened his wrinkled official uniform. "Where is this engineering college?"

The interpreter came in with a copper basin to help wash up. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Your Excellency, you may not know that this is a government office that specializes in developing new machinery. I heard that the six-spindle spinning wheel that was improved last year can do the work of five women."

When the envoys boarded the carriage with doubt, they found that there were eight Jinyiwei leading the way in front of the convoy. These usually cold-faced Tiqi were particularly friendly today, and the leading flag officer even took the initiative to introduce the scenery along the way. When the carriage passed through the red lacquer gate inlaid with copper nails, the Srivijaya envoy suddenly grabbed Sumatra's sleeve.

"Oh my God!" He pointed at the endless metal pipes on the courtyard wall. The copper pipes glowed dark red in the morning light, and white steam was emitted every ten steps. "Is that dragon's breath?"

The clear voice of a young boy answered him: "This is called a steam diversion tube, used to maintain a constant temperature in the laboratory."

The envoys hurriedly got off the car and saluted. Standing on the white marble steps was a young man in an apricot-yellow python robe, with ivory abacus hanging from his waist and the oriental pearl on his hair crown three points larger than the one on the Javanese crown. The crown prince Zhu Yunhuan was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and when he smiled, his eyes drooped slightly, but his every move exuded a sense of majesty without anger.

"You have come from afar, so there is no need to be polite." Zhu Yunxun gave them a false hand and turned to point to the towering glass dome building behind him. "What I want to show you today is the latest achievement of the 36th workshop of Daming Engineering College."

As the crown prince clapped his hands three times, the heavy bronze door slowly opened. As soon as the envoys stepped into the front hall, they were shocked by the scene that hit them and were speechless. In the ten-foot-high hall, a huge bronze celestial globe was suspended. The outlines of the seven continents and four oceans were inlaid with various gems and were slowly rotating in the air. Even more amazing were the twelve hydraulic clocks surrounding it. The pointers of each clock moved at different speeds, but they all accurately corresponded to a certain astrological change.

……

(End of this chapter)