A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 782 Caused by a Math Problem
After the official examination that day, Xuanfu Town soon fell into a boil, especially after the "Second General's Shooting Question", also known as "Wang's Calculation Question", was spread, and Xuanfu Town entered a wave of problem solving by the whole people.

This finale, the big question set by the Marquis of Yongning aroused the interest of countless people. According to the knowledge afterwards, not to mention some of the thousands of scholars who took the exam could not solve it, or even come up with ideas, and some even vomited blood in the exam, which aroused many people's interest. People are concerned.

Fortunately, he was fine, so everyone was relieved.

Only when it is difficult can it be challenging. Who would not be tempted to become a great master who established a sect?Not to mention the primary, secondary, and university students in Xuan Town, and even the officials, civilians, gentry, civilians, and soldiers in the town, all do calculations on paper in their free time, and all kinds of arithmetic books are selling very well in Xuanfu Town.

Even Li Banghua gathered Zhu Zhifeng, Ma Guoxi, Wu Zhi and others to discuss this topic.

Zhao Xuan is also famous now.

In fact, Zhong Xiancai is as famous as him, but Zhong Xiancai is now in Guihua City, not in the center of the storm of public opinion.Zhao Xuan was in the town, and when many officials saw him, they would joke, "Brother Zhao... I cannonball him, and you'll be all over the place."

Zhao Xuan didn't care about the people's jokes, he was obsessed with this arithmetic problem designed by Wang Dou.He keenly felt that the general had put a lot of hard work on this problem, and even more keenly felt that this arithmetic problem was the key to making his artillery battalion even more powerful.

As the chief officer of the artillery battalion, Zhao Xuan also had a little research on arithmetic, and there were not a few soldiers, scribes, etc. under his command who were proficient in rough mathematics.

He gathered elite soldiers and generals under his command to study this "Wang's math problem" for days. He just looked at the densely packed font equations on the blackboard, and his subordinates even used chalk to calculate a few blackboards. I can't touch the door of the question.

Zhao Xuan had a splitting headache, and said something to cut through the mess quickly. He keenly felt that he had to find out a key point first, but where is the key point?

Staring blankly at the math problem, he also felt like vomiting blood.

Soon, all the officials' examination questions appeared in this issue of Xuanzhen Times, and the "Second Generals' Questions about Shooting Cannons" was listed in the list, which was accompanied by the shocking content of the scholar who vomited blood in the examination, which caused a storm. Like a hurricane, it swept out of the town.

Wherever the newspaper went, it seemed that every place was boiling. When it reached the capital, the whole city was in a commotion. The teahouses and restaurants were hotly discussed, and even the illiterate people would say a few words: "You know, Xuan The officials in Fuzhen test their arithmetic, and a scholar vomits blood..."

"Really, what is so difficult?"

"I heard that Marquis Yongning set up the problem himself, and now it's called Wang's calculation problem..."

Countless people became interested in the exam questions in Xuanfu Town. For the first time, many people felt that arithmetic is so interesting.

The officials' examination in Xuanfu Town certainly attracted the attention of all officials in the capital. They all looked at the newspaper and analyzed the questions one by one. How many questions did you get right?

Could it be that I have studied hard for decades, and I am not even qualified to be an official in Xuanfu Town?
It was so overwhelming and so scary.

In addition, the topic of policy issues issued by Xuanfu Town is extremely sharp, just like the first one: "There is a state with a population of more than 34 at the beginning of the country. The annual tax of summer and autumn grain is more than 14 shi, and now it has a population of more than 60. , The summer tax and autumn grain are calculated at [-] shi a year, why is this? Please answer."

A discerning person can see that this involves the issue of the gentry. It is not the gentry's tax evasion and resistance, and their extensive land occupation. How could the population increase, but the tax and grain decrease?
People say that they are exhausted, but in fact, it is not the land and population, but also the financial problem that has exploded to the extreme?

It's just that this kind of question has been avoided throughout the ages, and it's good for everyone to know it well, and no one will raise it.Xuanfu Town appeared as an examination question this time. Could it be that the Marquis of Yongning wanted to challenge the privileges of the officials and gentry for thousands of years?What chess is he playing?

There are also the following questions, which make many people dissatisfied.

But Wang Dou is now in full swing, with strong soldiers and horses, who dares to challenge his majesty?I don't know if Li Banghua, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, was dispatched to the Border Army Town by His Majesty the Emperor because of targeting Yongning Hou Wangdou?
Therefore, the officials ignored these problems, focused all their attention on the arithmetic problems behind them, and deliberately guided public opinion.

On the surface, they also dismissed these arithmetic problems, emphasizing that the energy of scholars should still be put on the scriptures, just like Zhou Yanru, the chief assistant of the cabinet, said on behalf of all the officials: "The number of books is just a small way, four books and five classics, the sage speaks with great righteousness That’s the way to be dignified.”

His words were published in the newly established Huangming Times, but in private, Zhou Yanru and his staff studied these arithmetic problems with great interest, especially the "Wang's arithmetic problem", the more they studied, the more profound they felt. Measurement.

In order to solve the problem, he also dug out books such as Nine Chapters on Arithmetic, which he had long forgotten, from the pile of old papers, and pondered carefully.

Zhou Yanru is like this, and all the officials in Beijing are more attracted to the trend, and they will talk a few arithmetic terms in their spare time. It seems that otherwise, they can't keep up with the trend.

……

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

The sound of the abacus was like the sound of a torrential rain, and a large lacquered plaque of "Supper Clothes and Food" hung high on the Dongnuan Pavilion. In the pavilion, Emperor Chongzhen held his hands behind his back, holding the Xuanfu Times in his hand, just staring blankly at the outside in a daze.

In the pavilion, many eunuchs gathered, under the leadership of the eunuch Wang Dehua, who is in charge of the chief inspector of ceremonies, are nervously calculating.

In front of them, there were strip-shaped desks, with a pair of abacus on it, all of which were black and big calculations used by the household department.These large abacus are extremely long, each pair may reach five or six meters, and the counting unit is also very large.

From the numbers marked above, we can see that from one, ten, one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, and even all the way back, billion, trillion, Beijing, Gai, and Zi are all included, and some even include Rang, ditch, and run. , positive, load and other limit numbers.

Of course, for actual calculations, it would be nice to be able to reach billions and trillions.

At this time, many eunuchs lined up with Suan, pulling out their counters in a hurry, which was extremely spectacular.

And these big abacus are also shared by several people to increase the computing power.

There were also some eunuchs who wrote and calculated on the blackboard, and the blackboard and chalk in Xuanfu Town had also been introduced to Beijing, so it was indeed more convenient for cursive calculation.

How could Emperor Chongzhen not care about the official examination in Xuanfu Town?After the newspaper arrived, he researched it topic by topic step by step. Wang Douqian's policy proposition actually appealed to him because it reminded him of recent events in the capital.

Chen Xinjia proposed to train the new army in the capital, and Emperor Chongzhen very much agreed, but the training required food and pay, and the ministers had nothing to do. Zhou Yanru, the chief assistant of the cabinet, suggested that rich families and hundreds of officials should be assisted, and a yellow silk book was also set up.

Zhou Yanru's idea was perfect. At this critical moment for the court, all the gentry, officials and wealthy households in the capital would give generously to save the country's urgent needs. However, what is the reality?
All the officials shirked each other, and no one was willing to donate. In the end, under the hint of the emperor, Zhou Yanru, the chief assistant of the cabinet, took the lead in donating 1 taels of silver, and then the cabinet ministers donated 500 and [-] taels of silver, and went down to the hundred officials. You have one thousand and I have [-] taels, and the final figure is just a drop in the bucket.

The emperor was very dissatisfied, and then all the officials said that Qi Fu was rich, so they could help them pay, especially Qi Chen Jiading Bo Zhou Kui had just entered the marquis, and people said that Zhou Kui was rich, as a Qi minister, he should also take the lead.Emperor Chongzhen thought it was polite, Zhou Kui and others were also relatives, and he himself was his own father-in-law, so he would definitely help him with this.

So he sent the eunuch Xu Gao to ask for help: "We are all related, and we will work together to set up a department to prepare for emergencies."

Zhou Kui said, "How rich is the old minister?"

Xu Gao wept again and again, Zhou Kui had no choice but to donate 1 taels in the end, and then all the relatives you 30 and I [-], and the eunuchs gave you [-] and [-]. The whole capital was full of uproar, and finally only got [-] taels of silver, which is far from the initial investment of the new army, so how to start training?
Also because of this, Zhou Yanru was impeached.

Also, Hong Chengchou was ordered to rectify the capital. Although the methods were gentle and sophisticated, and he followed every step of the way, there would always be dissatisfaction with those who lost interests, and impeachment storms were about to break out. Whether Hong Chengchou would follow in Li Banghua's footsteps was extremely difficult to say.

Also, when Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen returned to the station at the beginning of the leap month, they almost launched a military riot, but they left their town for a long time and suffered a large number of casualties. The nearby officials and gentry took the opportunity to occupy the new army's fields.Cao Bianjiao was furious and beheaded a large number of gentry who occupied the fields, which made the discussion agitated.

The memorials to attack Cao and Wang came like a cloud, and there were more cold whispers: "The new army is really a disaster for the Ming Dynasty, and they know how to compete with the people..."

Although Emperor Chongzhen stayed in the army during the attack on Shushu, he was also exhausted physically and mentally. He wanted to let the two continue to train new troops in Yutian and other places, but he had no money or food, so he had to give up.In the end, it was decided to transfer Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen to Liaodong to guard Yizhou and other places at the request of Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen.

All kinds of things caused Emperor Chongzhen to suffer, especially the lack of money in his hands, which made him extremely distressed, but did Daming really have no money?Holding the Xuanfu Times in his hand, the emperor didn't take it seriously, and felt even more deeply that Xuanfu Town made a good proposition this time.

It's just that I have to think about it in my heart. The Imperial Examination in Ming Dynasty is extremely mature, and scholars have followed it for hundreds of years.Dou Ran's change will only make the situation more chaotic. The matter of the new army is already a headache, and Emperor Chongzhen doesn't want to add more troubles.

However, the emperor was still very curious about the "Wang's calculation problem". He heard that this problem was very difficult. All the officials and students in Beijing had calculated it in private, but no one could solve it.

Emperor Chongzhen didn't believe it anymore. He had hundreds of millions of subjects and countless talents. He couldn't even solve the arithmetic proposition of a warlord in a border town. He asked Wang Dehua to find an eunuch who was proficient in arithmetic in the palace and decided to solve this problem.

However, it has been half a day, and there is still no sign of people stopping their calculations, and the sound of abacus calculations like a torrential rain is still ringing non-stop.

Emperor Chongzhen frowned, walked back to the case, and flipped through the Huangming Times on the table.Compared with the Xuanfu Times, the Huangming Times is like a copy of the Dibao, which is more boring and less people voluntarily buy it. Therefore, after it is released, it will be apportioned by each department and household, and a monthly fee for the newspaper will be deducted from the heads of all officials.

After approving the memorial for a while, there was still a lot of abacus calculations in the pavilion. Emperor Chongzhen became impatient and asked a mere arithmetic problem, so many people still couldn't figure it out?

"How about it, is there no result yet?"

The emperor frowned even deeper, impatient and more curious at the same time, is this "Wang's calculation problem" really so difficult?
Wang Dehua pleaded guilty with a wry smile: "The servant is incompetent, please punish the emperor..."

He rubbed his forehead and said: "It's really the question of Marquis Yongning, this question..."

On a very cold day, dense beads of sweat appeared on his head, which made his slick face shine. It was obviously due to his excessive intentions. He finally gave the emperor an idea: "If you don't send this question to the Imperial College, After all, they are serious scholars, especially those who specialize in mathematics."

……

The Jingshi Guozijian is located in the Andingmen Gate in the east of the city. Although it is not as large as the Nanjing Guozijian, it still has a large number of students. In addition to studying the Four Books and Five Classics, they also have to study "The Encyclopedia of Nature and Principles", as well as laws and regulations, and the number of books. Ph.D. in Law, Calligraphy, and Mathematics.

But to be honest, these people's status is low, even if the doctor's degree is the highest, it is only from the ninth rank. How can it be said that the doctors of the Five Classics are all above the fifth rank?

However, today, the doctors of mathematics suddenly received an imperial order, asking them to calculate the "Wang's calculation problem", and they must be calculated to reflect the strength and majesty of the imperial court.

The entire Imperial College was a sensation, and the doctor of mathematics did not dare to neglect, and immediately gathered all the teaching assistants, direct lecturers, and elite students of mathematics to perform calculations according to the order.

However, they tried their best and encountered the same problem as Zhao Xuan. Where is the entry point?Dynamic solid geometry, where to start?

Seeing that the doctor of mathematics was at a loss, his face was pale and swaying, and the waiting Guozijian sacrificial wine and officials were surprised. Is this question so profound?Even the supervisor's Ph.D. in mathematics is at a loss?

It was a matter of the imperial decree, and they did not dare to relax. They continued to invest in the calculations of supervisors who were proficient in arithmetic. In the end, the entire Imperial College was mobilized.

……

"Fathers, our chance has come..."

The person who spoke was Qin Tianjian, a Westerner with a high nose and deep eyes and wearing a Ming official uniform. He was about 50 years old, with thick cheeks and long beard, and the light of wisdom appeared in his deep eyes from time to time, but he was in Qin Tianjian at this time. Tang Ruowang, a Western missionary who served.

This German, born in the 20th year of Wanli, whose real name is John and surnamed Adam, studied at Sanwangmian Middle School founded by the Society of Jesus. In the name of being dispatched by the Portuguese government, he traveled eastward to Daming.

At this time, the missionaries continued with the missionary methods of Matteo Ricci, such as "expelling Buddhism and supplementing Confucianism", "combining Confucianism and surpassing Confucianism". After everyone set foot on the land of China, they must study Chinese language and culture, and study Chinese classics, history and ethics. In order to seek the breakthrough point of their preaching.

Matteo Ricci's method was once very successful. For these Western missionaries who all took Chinese names, wore Chinese clothes, and were proficient in astronomy, geography, and familiar with Chinese classics, scholars and officials at that time had a great impression of them. And trust, even more senior Jesuit members like Xu Guangqi.

However, after Matteo Ricci's death, some fanatical missionaries believed that Matteo Ricci's thoughts were too accommodating to the Chinese, which affected the "purity" of Catholicism, and the speed of developing believers was too slow, so they began to change Ricci's missionary route and adopted a more radical approach. way of preaching.

They resolutely rejected Confucianism and strictly prohibited Chinese religious people from offering sacrifices to heaven, ancestors, and Confucius, which aroused great resentment and suspicion among the people at that time. Come, use the name of Confucianism to attack Buddhism as false, and call yourself Catholicism, also known as Tianxue."

He also said: "This generation steals the pillars and pillars, and secretly replaces the God of my holy religion, the Bible and other readings. This is the delusion of changing the summer with the barbarians. Moreover, the Catholic Church does not allow the tablets of the monarch, and it is not allowed to worship the ancestors and parents. It is true that the world has no father. also."

After the Nanjing missionary incident, all the missionaries were expelled and had to live in Macau. John was determined to change this situation. He also changed into Hanfu and chose the name from "Mencius". He took the Chinese name of Tang Ruowang to fight against the late Jin By chance, in the name of a military adviser, he went to the capital with all the missionaries.

Since then, Tang Ruowang has continued the line of Matteo Ricci, preached the religion gently, and allowed believers to worship ancestors and Confucius, etc., and made great progress in his work.For him alone, as many as fifty people were baptized, and there were many people from the royal family, clan, and eunuchs.

Because of his achievements, in the 13th year of Chongzhen, he was appointed by the church as the head of the Beijing mission area.Also because Tang Ruowang was proficient in mathematical astronomy, he was appointed by Emperor Chongzhen as an official of Qin Tianjian, translating almanacs, promoting astronomy, and making instruments.

Taking this opportunity, he developed followers such as Pang Tianshou, the eunuch of the imperial horse supervisor, and recommended many missionaries to serve in the prison.At this time, there were many blond and blue-eyed Westerners gathered around him, all of them were dressed in Ming Dynasty official uniforms.

Tang Ruowang and other missionaries paid close attention to Wang Dou very early on, especially after Wang Dou was made Bo and Marquis, Tang Ruowang and others paid more attention to it. After the Jingbian army went to Liaodong, and after the class teacher returned to the court, they also went to watch secretly .

Afterwards, Tang Ruowang sighed to the people around him: "What an elite young man, he is no worse than our Europa soldiers. The future of Ming Dynasty lies with them. Priests, please let this warlord of Ming Dynasty fall into the arms of the Lord."

But to the disappointment of Tang Ruowang and others, Wang Dou has always treated them indifferently, even not allowing missionaries to enter his territory.

Moreover, what surprised Tang Ruowang and others was that Wang Dou seemed to know the world very well, he also knew missionaries like them very well, and he even knew Europa very well.This made Tang Ruowang and others puzzled. How could a warlord who started as an ordinary soldier know so much?
Tang Ruowang was even thinking: "There is a saying in the East that a sage descended from heaven knows the heavens. Could it be that the Marquis of Daming is a saint descended from heaven?"

Besides, he couldn't explain the "magic" in Wang Dou's body, which also made them work harder and harder, hoping to gain Wang Dou's favor, and it would be best to finally join the religion.

At this moment, Tang Ruowang smiled at the people around him and said, "Fathers, this opportunity has come to show your talents. The knowledge we have accumulated in Europa, the crystallization of wise men such as Archimedes and Euclid, will let the people of this eastern country , be surprised."

A missionary beside him said with a smile: "Yes priest, news from the Imperial College came yesterday, they concentrated the strength of the whole school and still couldn't solve it. It seems that we still need to solve the problem of Lord Marquis. After all, mathematics is an important task." strict doctrine."

Another priest also laughed and said: "Orientals are full of romantic fantasies logically, while we Europeans are like Jews who count gold coins... But also because of this characteristic, we are suitable for studying rigorous and logical knowledge. It’s time for these Khitan people to open their eyes.”

Tang Ruowang said: "Father, I must correct you a question. After my careful research, the Ming people and the Khitan people have nothing to do with each other. In terms of relationship, the Khitan people are like the barbarians in Europe, and the Han people are the same as the barbarians in Northeast China today." Complicated situation. Even the old Khan Balik City is just the name of the Tatars for the city of Beijing. We should not tell them the name of the Khitan people, otherwise it will arouse their anger. After all, it is a barbarian. Zhi, now they consider themselves civilized people."

He said: "We can call them people from the Silk Kingdom, or people from Seris. Of course, their names are very complicated. Now they are called Ming people, and they are also called Chinese. The more I study this country carefully, the more confused I feel."

Another priest said: "China is what the Central Empire calls itself. I think they are too arrogant."

Tang Ruowang said: "This is a rich and powerful country. They have the right to be arrogant...Fathers, the title is not important. The heathen look up and surrender to the arms of the Lord."

All the priests painted the cross together, all of them were full of passion. The emperor had issued an imperial decree, but the students of the Imperial College could not solve it. If they calculated that math problem, what kind of uproar would it cause and how many people would look up to it?

At that time, they can also push out someone to serve as Grand Master in Xuanfu Town, and take this opportunity to get closer to the Marquis.

Tang Ruowang looked serious, took out the Xuanfu Times in his hand, and said, "Okay, priests, let's start calculating, and answer these math problems in the newspaper one by one."

(End of this chapter)