Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Wensi Institute, Institute of Optics.

Since establishing this institution with the support of Lü Xiang, Bo Jue has begun his exploration of optical lenses.

First, regarding the crystal of watches and clocks, after numerous tests, Bojue decided to use transparent and colorless PVC foam.

This is not only because PVC foam is not easily broken, but also because it is easier to process than glass.

For glass that cannot yet be mass-produced, its cost is also lower.

It wasn't until after using it for a while that I discovered its shortcomings.

"This PVC foam is too delicate. It's easy to get scratches and deformed."

"Its light transmittance was already low, and now it's even worse than glass!"

Looking at the feedback from the military and the watch face that was completely scratched, Bo Jue shook his head, feeling that although the PVC was good, it was not as good as glass in some aspects.

However, the firing and processing of glass lenses is extremely difficult, especially large flat glass.

He still hasn't found a way to solve this problem.

Now, he can only explore various optical lenses according to the emperor's requirements.

In particular, the "jian di" and "jian tuan" mentioned in the "Mozi" are the concave and convex lenses mentioned by the emperor.

By combining lenses, Bo Jue discovered many optical phenomena and even further improved the telescope.

However, he still did not invent the microscope that the emperor had mentioned, nor did he invent anything else.

He felt that his mind was a complete mess, as if something was about to burst forth, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

Left with no other option, he could only study the Mozi, hoping to gain more inspiration.

Chen Jiru and others came under these circumstances.

They were welcomed by Bo Jue as soon as they arrived at the Wensi Academy.

Many craftsmen who admired Chen Jiru came out to greet him.

Even Lü Xiang, who happened to be at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, personally came to meet them:

"The arrival of distinguished guests has brought great honor to Wensi Academy."

"Let us sit down in the main hall, along with the Lord's engineer."

They invited the engineers with honors or even titles to join them at the Wensi Institute to welcome Chen Jiru and his entourage.

He truly hadn't expected that renowned figures like Chen Jiru, Chen Renxi, and Zhang Pu would come to Wensi Academy.

Fang Yizhi, who invited them, showed even more goodwill.

If these people spoke up for the Wensi Academy, the scholars' contempt for the Wensi Academy's artisans and officials would certainly lessen.

As the head of the artisans, he would face far less criticism.

Chen Jiru was extremely amiable and showed no contempt for these people; on the contrary, he praised their achievements.

The artisans and officials of the Wensi Academy felt as if they were bathed in a spring breeze, believing that Chen Jiru truly deserved to be called a renowned scholar.

It wasn't until Chen Jiru and Bo Jue discussed the Mozi that they discovered Chen Jiru's understanding of optics was very superficial.

However, Lü Xiang still said:
"After listening to what Master Mei said, I suddenly understood."

"Wensi Academy has an affiliated Wensi School, which is one of the nine major schools in the capital."

"I wonder if Master Mei would be willing to condescend to serve as the headmaster?"

These words came as a surprise to those who heard them.

However, Lü Xiang also had his own difficulties, namely, in last year's provincial examination, only two students from Wensi Academy passed the Ming Suan Ke Juren examination.

This ranked last among the nine academies, even inferior to the industrial and commercial schools, which were mainly for the sons of eunuchs in the imperial court. This made the teachers and students of Wensi Academy feel quite ashamed.

The original headmaster of the school resigned voluntarily, and now they can't find a replacement.

Some teachers and students are even leaving, and Wensi Academy may have to close down.

Therefore, despite his audacity in requesting the appointment, Lü Xiangcai hoped that Chen Jiru could serve as the headmaster. At least his reputation could be used to stabilize the school's teachers and students.

Chen Jiru chuckled upon hearing the request, and was about to decline it as usual, when Chen Renxi said from the side:

"Master Lü, you are unaware of this. Master Mei is acting on the Emperor's orders to preside over the Citizens' Committee of the National Assembly."

"I'm about to be incredibly busy, how can I possibly have time to be the headmaster of the school?"

This matter just happened yesterday, and only a few well-informed ministers know about it.

The students of Wensi Academy were quite surprised, as they had not heard of this before. Bo Jue said:

"Is Mei Gong going to take up a position in Congress?"

"From now on, we'll be colleagues."

"The engineers' association we established at the Shaofu Temple is now under the supervision of the Congressional Industrial Committee."

"As the chairman, Mr. Lü also serves as the vice chairman of the Industrial Committee."

This position is not as prestigious as Chen Jiru's position as director of the Citizens' Committee, but it is not far off.

Especially since this position was only a part-time one for Lü Xiang, it indicates that he had even more important responsibilities.

This surprised those who heard it, and the other engineers offered their congratulations.

Even Zhang Pu took a few more glances at Lü Xiang and began to take him seriously.

Listening to the flattery from the surrounding artisans, Lü Xiang chuckled and said:

"They are all nominal positions, just to show the status of engineers."

"If Mr. Ximing had become the president of the Laborers Association, he would certainly be the vice chairman of the Industrial Committee now."

"What's really important is industrial planning, which is overseen by Mr. Song."

This Mr. Song was Song Yingxing. He was ordered to establish the Caofeidian Iron and Steel Plant, and successfully used charcoal imported from overseas to smelt iron ore from Zunhua and Qian'an. This provided the north with a stable source of iron for firearms and reduced the expenditure on purchasing Fujian iron.

He also played a significant role in the establishment of the arsenal. His contribution was instrumental in the production of so many firearms by the Ming Dynasty last year.

After demonstrating the power of the new firearms in the Battle of Daning, Song Yingxing was granted the title of viscount and became the director of the Industrial Committee, responsible for drafting relevant laws and formulating industrial plans.

He was the true leader of the Industrial Committee; Lü Xiang and others were merely cooperating.

Considering that he had just passed the imperial examination three years ago and now held a position no less than that of a minor minister, Zhang Pu and the others were filled with envy, knowing that he was also a minister who was favored by the emperor.

"I thought that with His Majesty implementing the examination system, no one would be able to advance."

"I never imagined that there was a parliament outside of the traditional government, where anyone could serve."

"This Song Yingxing may not have the title of a high-ranking official, but his real power is no less than that of a high-ranking official; he is at least equivalent to a vice minister of a department."

"It took Zhang Wenyu five years to rise to the position of Vice Minister, but Song Yingxing did it even faster!"

He was incredibly envious of this, believing that a position in Congress was a shortcut to success.

However, getting a seat in Congress is not easy.

The parliament, which was still under preparation, was headed by the emperor and Liu Zongzhou.

Even if others wanted to get involved, they wouldn't have the chance.

Thinking of this, they looked at Chen Jiru again, knowing that this was the one who had risen to the top in one step.
-

After learning that Lü Xiang was working for the Industrial Commission, Chen Jiru paid even more attention to him.

He knew that someone like him, who rose so quickly through the ranks, would be ostracized anywhere.

Even if he had a very high reputation before, he would still be slandered when it came to power struggles.

That's why he was so eager to resolve the woman's matter, so as not to give others an opportunity to make trouble.

Now that he learned that Lü Xiang was working in the National Assembly Preparatory Office and was on good terms with Song Yingxing and others, he immediately realized that he should treat this person as a friendly colleague.

So after careful consideration, he said, "Wensi Academy is one of the nine academies, so we won't be unable to find the headmaster."

"But since Engineer Lü has invited me, I will temporarily take over for a while."

He agreed to teach at Wensi Academy and temporarily take over as the headmaster.

Lu Xiang, Bo Jue, and the others were overjoyed upon hearing this.

If their previous respect for Chen Jiru stemmed from admiration for a renowned scholar, they now began to regard him as family.

Some of their children were studying in schools, and naturally they hoped to have a good teacher.

Chen Jiru finally found a foothold in the capital and obtained the same position as Sun Qifeng as the headmaster of one of the nine major schools.

Zhang Pu sensed something was wrong, because Chen Jiru now had the resources to establish a new school of thought:

"With the Wensi Academy as their backing, whatever knowledge Mei Gong acquires can be quickly disseminated."

Even if his knowledge was imperfect, he had disciples and students to help him.

"Could it be that another competitor has emerged in the field of science?"

He only regarded practical learning as his opponent and did not want other schools of thought to emerge.

In particular, the founder of this school of thought was Chen Jiru, a renowned scholar who had survived a long period of decline.

Therefore, after leaving Wensi Institute, he invited Chen Jiru and Chen Renxi to visit Mingzhi Press Park.

This place is right across from the Wensi Institute. It was the place responsible for testing printing technology and has now become the largest distribution center for printed materials in Beijing.

In addition, the government offices responsible for publishing and printing all had branches here, which allowed for the rapid review and printing of manuscripts.

Regardless of where their headquarters are, newspapers in the capital all have branch offices here.

As one of the four major newspapers in Beijing, Zhang Pu's Ming Pao naturally had a presence here.
-

When the group arrived, staff at the Ming Pao branch were doing layout work for the newspaper.

Watching the printers, typewriters, and engravers busily printing out a trial version of the newspaper and then carefully proofreading it, Chen Jiru sighed:
“This branch of Ming Pao is no less than the bookstores in Jiangnan.”

"In the future, we won't need to go to Jianyang to print books; we can publish them right here in Beijing."

He inquired with great interest about the printing price, intending to have his article printed.

Zhang Pu said with a smile:

"Why would Mei Gong need to pay for printing books himself?"

“I will give Mei Gong the highest royalty rate, one-quarter of it.”

"This is the highest percentage; ordinary people can only get one-tenth."

“This is the royalty that Mingzhi Bookstore pays for printing books for Mr. Liu and Mr. Xu.”

Using Liu Zongzhou's Selected Works and Xu Guangqi's Complete Treatise on Agriculture as examples, this illustrates the current publishing rules in the capital.

These two can receive 25% of the royalties, which is the highest in Beijing.

Other celebrities who want to publish books generally only receive a royalty rate of 10% to 20%.

At even lower rates, one can usually only receive royalties or self-publish.

Given Chen Jiru's reputation throughout the world, he was entitled to receive the highest royalties.

Listening to Zhang Pu's story, Chen Jiru laughed heartily and said with considerable interest:

"In the past, I wrote 'Selected Sayings of a Hundred Schools of Thought,' but now I see that there are still things that need to be revised."

"Since Tianru is willing, I will entrust my new 'Selected Sayings of a Hundred Schools of Thought' to you for publication."

He accepted Zhang Pu's offer and planned to publish the book.

Zhang Pu was overjoyed and tried again:
"Does Master Mei have any leads on his appointment as the headmaster of Wensi Academy?"

"If you don't mind, I have some humble opinions."

Chen Jiru stroked his beard and smiled, looking at Zhang Pu as he said:

“You, Zhang Ximing, and your disciple both passed the imperial examinations, so you must be extremely skilled at teaching people.”

"This is not a shallow opinion; I should be listening attentively!"

These words made Zhang Pu laugh heartily, and he said to Chen Jiru:

"Uncle Mei, you may not know this, but the agricultural schools under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Imperial Garden Administration are closely related to the Academy of Agricultural Sciences."

"Many researchers from the Agricultural Academy, which was headed by my teacher Mr. Xu, were teachers at the Agricultural School."

"What Wensi Academy lacks most right now is teachers. I can arrange for more researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to take up positions at Wensi Academy."

"Or, to make it more legitimate, change Wensi Academy to a joint venture between the Academy of Sciences and Wensi Institute."

His words revealed his true intention: to incorporate Wensi Academy into the field of science, making it another point of dissemination for science.

If Chen Jiru agrees to this point, he will be unable to establish a new school of thought based on the Wensi Academy.

This made Chen Jiru ponder deeply, unsure whether he should agree to Zhang Pu's request.

Although he had a good relationship with Zhang Pu, he was closer to Qian Qianyi.

The pragmatic school, which absorbed the elites of the Donglin Party, was the ideal collaborator in his mind.

However, precisely because many scholars held this view, Chen Jiru was not that important to the practical school of thought.

Even if Qian Qianyi drew upon a wide range of sources, he wouldn't need Qian Qianyi's guidance.

If he were to establish a new school of thought, not only would it lack a core tenet, but it's also uncertain whether it could even stand the test of time. Faced with pressure from practical learning and science, it might be the first to collapse.

Therefore, while he hesitated in the face of Zhang Pu's suggestion, he also had the idea of ​​waiting for a better price, but he didn't say it out loud.

Seeing that Chen Jiru did not immediately refuse, Zhang Pu knew that the old gentleman was not opposed to science, and immediately said to him:
"My science originally came from Mr. Xu's Western learning; it is a way of supplementing Confucianism with Western knowledge."

"Later, the emperor felt that Western learning was too narrow, so he used mathematics, one of the Six Arts of Confucianism, as the basis to guide the creation of science."

"The Royal Academy of Sciences is a gathering place for science and is responsible for scientific research."

"The Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Academy of Marine Sciences, and the Academy of Military Sciences are all branches."

"Modern science has incorporated the knowledge of farmers, military strategists, and other schools of thought."

"The students wish to supplement their Confucian studies with the works of various schools of thought. We invite Master Mei and Master Zhitai to participate."

He formally invited Chen Jiru and Chen Renxi to join his scientific faction.

The two looked at each other in silence, unable to make up their minds.

They had heard of the name "science," but had never learned anything about it in detail.

Listening to Zhang Pu's account now, I realize that science has grown so much without us even noticing, and now has the Academy of Sciences as a solid base.

What does this mean? It means that even if science doesn't flourish, it can still maintain a foothold, just like the Academy of Arts and Sciences.

If it gains acceptance from some people, science will become a new school of thought alongside practical learning.

The two joined the scientific movement and became the founders of this school of thought, so their status is self-evident:

"The Song Dynasty Confucian scholars failed in governing the country, and Neo-Confucianism and the School of Principle had already declined."

Even with Liu Zongzhou, the School of Mind was destined for decline.

"The future belongs to new learning; can science become the mainstream school of thought?"

Contemplating this question, the two recalled that Zhang Pu had been ordered to work with Liu Zongzhou and Qian Qianyi to oversee the collation and annotation of the Four Books and Five Classics, and they both understood the emperor's intentions:

Clearly, the emperor intended to replace the traditional Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism with the three schools of thought: Xin Xue (the study of mind), Shi Xue (the study of practice), and Ke Xue (the study of science).

Zhang Pu's scientific school may seem weak now, but once its scientific theories permeate the Four Books and Five Classics and are studied by scholars across the land, it will inevitably become the dominant school of thought in the world. (End of Chapter)