The Fierce Teacher of Zhenguan: Starting with Teaching the Crown Prince to Make a Comeback

Chapter 181 Lu Ban
Li Yichen picked up a charcoal stick and drew a straight horizontal line on the spread-out coarse paper, then drew an arrow at one end of the line.

“Look closely, Xiaoman. This line represents a plane. This arrow represents the force I'm applying to it, and the direction is along this plane.”

Zhao Xiaoman squatted down beside him, staring intently at the paper, nodding vigorously.

Li Yichen then drew an upward-sloping arrow next to the main arrow and asked, "If I push it in this direction, will it feel any different?"

Zhao Xiaoman stared at the two arrows, her brows furrowed as she pondered, her fingers unconsciously tracing patterns on her knees.

After a while, he spoke hesitantly.

"Pushing at an angle... it feels like... the force isn't really being applied? It's like... it's like some of the force isn't being used to push it?"

“Yes!” Li Yichen lit the slanted arrow with a charcoal stick.

“This part of the force,” he drew a dashed line perpendicular to the plane on the slanted arrow.

"It's like pressing it onto a flat surface. Only this remaining part..."

He then drew a dashed line along the plane.

"That's what's really used to propel it. So you feel it's difficult because your strength has been diverted."

He put down the charcoal stick and looked at Zhao Xiaoman.

"Do you understand? Force has direction. The same force, but different directions, will have vastly different effects."

"By modifying the crossbow, lengthening the foot lever, and changing the angle of the connecting rod, you are actually adjusting the direction of force, redirecting as much of the 'wasted' force that goes elsewhere as possible to push the crossbow string."

Zhao Xiaoman stared wide-eyed at the arrows and dotted lines on the paper, muttering to herself.

"The directions... diverged... and turned to one place..."

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a look of sudden enlightenment.

"I understand! My dear teacher!"

Li Yichen smiled and nodded.

This child absorbs information very quickly, grasps it immediately, and can always find corresponding examples in life to understand it.

This intuitive and associative ability, derived from practice, is something that those who rely solely on rote learning can hardly achieve.

He looked at Zhao Xiaoman's cheeks, which were slightly flushed with excitement, and felt a sense of satisfaction.

This is a promising talent; with proper guidance, his future achievements are limitless.

“Xiaoman,” Li Yichen changed the subject and asked casually.

"His Highness the Crown Prince granted you permission to audit classes at the Hongwen Academy some time ago, why haven't you gone yet? Is there something wrong with the arrangements there?"

The excitement on Zhao Xiaoman's face vanished instantly.

He lowered his head, his hands nervously clutching the hem of his clothes.

His lips moved slightly, his voice so low it was like a mosquito's hum.

"No...nothing's wrong. It's...it's my father...my father won't let me go."

"Oh? Why won't Supervisor Zhao allow it?"

Li Yichen was somewhat surprised.

After Zhao Tiezhu was promoted to Assistant Director of the Imperial Workshops, he was extremely grateful to the Crown Prince and the Eastern Palace.

Logically, we shouldn't have prevented our son from going to this rare and blessed place.

Zhao Xiaoman lowered her head even further, her voice filled with embarrassment and a hint of fear.

“Father said…that’s where nobles study. I…I’m just a clumsy craftsman, I can’t even read all the characters.”

“If I go... what if I offend some important person, or... or what if I study for a long time but learn nothing, wasting His Highness's favor and bringing shame upon you, my teacher… to you…”

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Li Yichen quickly, then lowered his head again, his shoulders slightly hunched.

Li Yichen paused for a moment.

He could understand Zhao Tiezhu's concerns.

In this era of strict hierarchy.

A craftsman who had just escaped the status of a mere artisan and only obtained an official position thanks to his son's ingenious idea and the Crown Prince's exceptional promotion.

It's perfectly normal to feel apprehensive and insecure when stepping into a prestigious place like the Hongwen Academy.

It wasn't just simple fear, but a deep-seated, instinctive dread of crossing social classes.

"What about yourself?"

Li Yichen softened his voice.

Are you afraid? Afraid that you won't be able to learn those classic texts?

Zhao Xiaoman hesitated for a long time before nodding very slightly, her voice carrying a hint of grievance and frustration.

“I’m afraid… my teacher taught me to read, but I… I can’t remember them, and I can’t write them well.”

"Those characters are so winding and complex, much harder than drawing a mechanical diagram... I've heard that the books at the Hongwen Academy are as thick as bricks, and they must be full of characters like that... I... I definitely can't learn them..."

His voice grew softer and softer, carrying a sense of resigned helplessness.

Seeing his expression, Li Yichen understood.

What stands in the way of this child is not just the limitation of his personal talent in humanities studies.

There is an even greater, invisible yet incredibly strong chasm – the enormous psychological barrier brought about by social class and prevailing beliefs.

This gap cannot be bridged simply by teaching a few words or explaining a few principles.

He knew that what his teacher needed most now was probably not to continue imparting knowledge, but to give him some "ideological education."

He did this kind of work a lot in his previous life.

Li Yichen didn't speak immediately, but got up and poured Zhao Xiaoman a bowl of water, handing it to him.

Watching him nervously hold the bowl and sip the water, his emotions seemed to calm down a little.

“Xiaoman,” Li Yichen sat down again, his tone calm, just like when they were having a casual chat.

"Don't think about the Hongwen Academy or what your father said. I'm just asking you, what kind of person do you want to become in the future?"

Zhao Xiaoman held the bowl, paused for a moment, seemingly having never thought about this question.

He blinked, thought for a moment, and then whispered, "I...I want to be like my mentor."

This answer was somewhat unexpected for Li Yichen.

He smiled and pressed on, "Oh? Someone like me? What kind of person am I?"

Zhao Xiaoman answered faster this time, and her tone was much more certain.

"My mentor is a good person! He's kind to me and patient in teaching me. And... he's an exceptionally capable person!"

"My mentor knows everything!"

The child's words were simple and direct, filled with unreserved admiration.

Li Yichen sighed inwardly, knowing that he had become an idol for the children.

This has both advantages and pressures.

"So, what do you want to do after you become someone like me?"

Li Yichen continued to guide him.

Zhao Xiaoman was stumped by the question. He scratched his head, a puzzled look on his dark face. After thinking for a long time, he said uncertainly.

"If I become like my mentor... then... then I can help my father and the uncles in the Imperial Workshop to do their jobs even better!"

"Improve the process, just like modifying the crossbow mechanism, to make it easier for everyone to work."

His ideals remain closely tied to the world of artisans he knows and cares about, limited to the level of "helping" and "improving craftsmanship".

That's true, and it's practical, but it lacks a grander, more autonomous driving force.

Li Yichen knew it was time to give him some "fuel".

He looked at Zhao Xiaoman, his expression becoming more serious.

"Xiaoman, when you're alive, you need something to look forward to, something to strive for."

"You can't just think about what's in front of you, and you can't just think about becoming someone else, even if you think that person is great."

"You need to think about yourself, Zhao Xiaoman, what you really want to do in this life? What do you want to leave behind?"

Zhao Xiaoman looked at him blankly. "Thoughts," "ambition," "leaving something behind"—these words were somewhat unfamiliar to him. Li Yichen knew that empty talk was useless; he had to use stories.

He pondered for a moment, recalling a well-known story from his previous life that was relevant to Zhao Xiaoman's identity and situation.

"Come, Xiaoman, let me tell you a story from ancient times."

Li Yichen's voice softened, carrying a peaceful tone recounting the past.

Zhao Xiaoman immediately sat up straight, her eyes filled with anticipation.

He loved listening to his mentor tell stories; each story seemed to contain a profound truth.

“Long ago, in the Central Plains, there was a craftsman named Lu Ban.”

Li Yichen began to narrate.

"He was extremely skilled; he was proficient in carpentry, stonemasonry, and machinery. The things he made were both ingenious and durable, and people called him the 'Master of Craftsmanship'."

Zhao Xiaoman's eyes lit up. He had occasionally heard his father and the old craftsmen in the workshop mention Lu Ban's name, their tone full of reverence.

“But…” Li Yichen changed the subject.

"This Lu Ban, he wasn't born knowing everything."

“He’s just an ordinary person, and he might even be like you, not very good at reading and writing at first.”

Zhao Xiaoman opened her mouth wide in surprise.

In his mind, someone as capable as Lu Ban should be omnipotent.

"The reason he became a 'master of skill' was not because he read more classical texts than others."

"Of course, he must have learned to read and write, but it was because he had a strong drive and a great aspiration in his heart."

Li Yichen looked at Zhao Xiaoman and spoke slowly.

"He didn't just want to do the carpentry work in front of him well and earn some money to support his family."

"He genuinely enjoys tinkering with these things, thinking about how to make tools easier to use and how to create machines that are more labor-saving and can better help people with their work."

"He saw that people had a lot of trouble chopping down trees with ordinary axes, so he pondered and improved the shape of the axe to make it sharper and easier to chop down trees."

"He saw that people had difficulty transporting goods across the river, so he invented boats."

"He saw birds flying in the sky and wondered if people could fly too, so he tried to make flying things out of bamboo and wood..."

"Although he ultimately failed to make people fly, he dared to dream and dared to try."

Li Yichen's tone carried a hint of admiration.

"Do you think he did all this just to help his father improve the craft?"

Zhao Xiaoman subconsciously shook her head.

“Yes, more than that,” Li Yichen affirmed.

"He wanted to make it easier for everyone who cuts down trees, to make it more convenient for everyone who needs to cross a river, and even to let people see the scenery in the sky like birds."

“His ‘idea’ was very big. So he kept learning, kept thinking, and kept trying, no matter what others said or thought.”

"His ability to read and write was also to be able to understand more of the diagrams and records left by his predecessors, in order to realize his grand 'idea'."

"Later, his fame spread to all countries."

Zhao Xiaoman listened intently.

After the story was finished, Li Yichen didn't say anything more, but just quietly looked at Zhao Xiaoman.

Zhao Xiaoman kept her head down and remained motionless, clearly still immersed in the story of Lu Ban.

His small brows were furrowed tightly, and he was clearly deep in thought.

Lu Ban... he might not have been literate at first?
Does he also have such a strong desire?
Looking at Zhao Xiaoman's thoughtful expression, Li Yichen knew that the story had planted a seed in his heart.

After a long while, Zhao Xiaoman slowly raised her head, her eyes no longer filled with simple confusion.

“My mentor… Lu Ban… he had such grand ideas.”

"Yes, it's very big."

Li Yichen affirmed.

"Because he saw not only the wood and the axe in his hand, but also people and the inconvenience that people in the world face in doing things."

"What he wanted was to reduce this inconvenience as much as possible."

Zhao Xiaoman lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously picking at the fabric on her knees again.

Li Yichen continued, "You just said that you wanted to help Father and the uncles in the Imperial Workshop improve their craftsmanship, which is very good."

"But this shouldn't be the end for you. Think about it, when Lu Ban improved the axe, were only the carpenters around him the ones who benefited?"

Zhao Xiaoman shook her head.

"Does he build better boats, but only the people in his village benefit?"

Zhao Xiaoman shook her head again.

“Yes.” Li Yichen leaned forward slightly.

“Xiaoman, you have touched a plow and seen how hard farmers work all day with their backs bent over.”

"You've used a hammer, so you know how many times it takes to forge an iron object."

"You've modified crossbows before, so you know how much effort a small change can save a soldier, and perhaps even give them a better chance of survival on the battlefield."

He spoke slowly, but every word struck Zhao Xiaoman's heart.

Have you ever thought about how many farm tools in the world could be made lighter? How many water conservancy projects could be made more efficient?

"How many looms can weave more and better cloth?"

"How many ways are there to transport heavy objects without having so many people carrying them on their shoulders?"

Zhao Xiaoman's eyes gradually widened.

Some of the things his mentor said were things he had vaguely thought about, while others he had never dared to think about.

"It's not a big deal if you're slow at recognizing characters and can't write well."

“My mentor…” Zhao Xiaoman’s voice trembled.

"You...you want me...to think about...to think about important things like Lu Ban?"

"It's not like me, nor like Lu Ban."

Li Yichen shook his head, looking at him sharply.

"It's about making you think like Zhao Xiaoman herself. Think about how you can use your ability to understand 'force' and 'matter'."

"Do something for the Tang Dynasty, for the millions of people in the world who work hard like your father."

He paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"For example, could you try to figure out a plow that an ox can pull with less effort, allowing it to plow two more acres of land a day?"

"Or a waterwheel that can transport water from lower elevations to higher fields without human intervention?"

"Even... a carriage that can move on its own without being pulled by horses?"

Zhao Xiaoman's mouth dropped open. A carriage that can walk on its own without being pulled by a horse?
This...how is this possible?

But my mentor never speaks without a basis.

"This...can this be possible?"

He asked subconsciously.

"If you don't think about it and don't try, you'll never succeed," Li Yichen said.

"Lu Ban wanted to make people fly, but he failed. However, he thought about it and tried it."

“Xiaoman, what you need to establish now is this ‘idea’—to use your ingenuity and your mastery of the ‘principles of investigating things’ to make the hard and tiring work in this world a little easier.”

"Let the artisans of the Tang Dynasty create better and more powerful machines."

"This idea is the foundation for your future reading, literacy, and learning of everything!"

"With this foundation, you'll understand why you need to go to the Hongwen Hall. Even if you only understand a sentence or two or see a picture clearly, it's all for your great aspiration!"

(End of this chapter)