Tang Dynasty: Taking the Empress Dowager to a brothel, Father Emperor, what a coincidence!

Upon hearing Lu Deming's rebuttal, the officials from the powerful families below the stage all joined in the clamor.

"Master Lu is right. So what if you can calculate celestial phenomena? Can that put food on the table?"

"Your Highness, can what you've taught us be used to build bridges and roads, or to transport grain?"

"What the Tang Dynasty needed were capable ministers who could govern the country, not craftsmen who could perform acrobatics."

The outcry grew louder and louder.

Li Gang was so angry that he grabbed the teacup on the table and was about to smash it, but a hand held him down.

Li Chengqian looked at the aristocratic officials below, who were filled with indignation, and said with a mocking expression:

"Armchair strategist? Utterly useless?"

Li Chengqian clapped his hands and shouted loudly:

"Chu Mo, Ma Zhou, bring the things up. Let these frogs in a well open their eyes and see what real national welfare and people's livelihood are."

"Alright!"

Cheng Chumo's reply came from below the stage.

Immediately afterwards, the crowd was forcibly separated by the guards of the Eastern Palace.

A heavy flatbed carriage pulled by eight horses slowly drove into the center of the square.

On the carriage was a huge blue stone rock, about half a person's height.

Above the giant rock stood a frame made of thick logs, on which hung several oddly shaped steel discs.

A thick hemp rope runs through these wheels, one end tied to the giant rock, the other end hanging in mid-air.

The whole place fell silent.

Everyone craned their necks, staring at the strange device.

Li Yuan, sitting in his armchair, leaned forward curiously and asked:

"Erlang, what is Gaoming doing with this thing?"

Li Shimin shook his head; he was also completely baffled.

Li Chengqian pointed at the giant rock and gestured with his chin towards Lu Deming.

"Old Lu, this stone weighs 1,200 jin."

"I'll give you a chance. Pick ten of the strongest men from your noble families' guards and have them lift this stone for me."

Lu Deming snorted coldly:

"Pulling stones? What kind of debate is that?"

"Didn't you say that investigating things is useless? Today I'll show you the usefulness of investigating things."

Li Chengqian waved his hand impatiently.

"Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and pick someone."

Cui Mingan gave a wink to several heads of prominent families from below the stage.

Soon, ten burly guards were pushed out.

The ten men walked up to the shelf and grasped the hanging ropes.

Cheng Chumo stood to the side and shouted:

"Ready! Pull!!!"

Ten strong men exerted their strength at the same time.

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

The giant rock remained completely still.

The ten strong men were panting heavily, some even with blood drawn from the hemp ropes binding their palms, and the stone hadn't moved an inch off the carriage floor.

The crowd below the stage erupted in laughter.

Lu Deming said with a grim expression:

"A boulder weighing a thousand pounds is inherently difficult for human beings to move. What does this prove?"

"This proves your incompetence."

Li Chengqian turned his head to look at Ma Zhou, who was standing next to the carriage.

"Ma Zhou, go and demonstrate it to Grand Master Lu and all the esteemed officials present."

Ma Zhou walked up to the shelf.

The officials from prominent families in the audience burst out laughing.

Cui Mingan pointed at Ma Zhou and mocked:

"Your Highness, aren't you grasping at straws in your desperation? Ten strong men couldn't move it, and you're asking this weak, impoverished scholar to do it?"

"If this can be lifted up, I'll swallow this rock today."

Li Chengqian ignored him and simply nodded at Ma Zhou.

Ma Zhou walked to another thin rope connected to a pulley system.

He didn't ask for help; he simply stretched out his right hand and grabbed the rope.

Tens of thousands of eyes in the audience were fixed on him.

Ma Zhou suddenly pulled downwards.

A miracle occurred.

Accompanied by the crisp clicking sound of the stainless steel pulleys turning.

The massive boulder, weighing 1,200 jin (approximately 600 kg), slowly lifted off the carriage deck.

Ma Zhou retreated step by step, the rope in his hands tightening.

The boulder rose higher and higher until it was finally suspended steadily in mid-air.

The entire Taiji Hall square was deathly silent.

Lu Deming stared wide-eyed in shock at the scene.

Cui Minqian's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

A boulder weighing thousands of pounds, which ten strong men couldn't lift, was hoisted by a thin, poor scholar with one hand.

Is this something a human being could do?

Li Shimin suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, gripping the table in front of him tightly with both hands.

Li Yuan was so shocked that he ripped off a handful of his beard, wincing in pain.

"Father..."

Li Shimin turned to look at Li Yuan, his voice trembling as he asked,

"Did you see it clearly?"

Li Yuan nodded repeatedly:

"I saw it clearly! He's lifting a thousand pounds with one hand. This...this is simply divine strength!"

Among the ranks of military officers below the stage, Cheng Yaojin rubbed his eyes hard and slapped Yuchi Gong on the back.

"Old Black, am I seeing things? Is that kid some kind of superhuman strength?"

Yuchi Gong winced in pain and cursed:

"Bullshit! Didn't you see he was pulling on that thin rope that went through the wheel? That's thanks to the iron wheels."

Standing on the platform, Li Chengqian looked down at Lu Deming and asked:

"Old man Lu, did you see that clearly?"

Li Chengqian pointed to the giant rock in mid-air.

"Build bridges and roads, transport grain and fodder, and construct city defenses."

Is it your high-sounding classical Chinese that's useful, or is it my pulley system that's useful?

With this, a job that originally required a hundred laborers can now be done by ten people.

Have you ever calculated how many times the Tang Dynasty's national strength could have been increased if the manpower saved had been used for farming, military service, or manufacturing?

Lu Deming retreated repeatedly, his face pale as he retorted:

"This...this is sorcery. It borrows the power of ghosts and gods."

"You son of a bitch!"

Li Chengqian cursed directly.

"This is called a pulley system. It's based on the principles of mechanics. It's a real study of the principles of things."

Li Chengqian snatched a scroll of the Book of Documents from the table and threw it at Lu Deming's feet.

"You hold these bamboo slips every day, and you think you can increase grain production? You think you can make the Turks roll back to the grasslands?"

You cannot, but the investigation of things can.

Li Chengqian walked back to the table and took out a crystal-clear glass disc from his sleeve.

He then took a copper sphere filled with water, with two curved thin tubes attached to its ends.

"Ma Zhou, light the fire."

Ma Zhou immediately stepped forward and lit a charcoal fire under the bronze ball.

Before long, the water inside the copper ball began to boil.

Two powerful streams of white steam gushed out from the thin tube.

Under the reaction force of the steam, the copper ball began to spin rapidly on the support, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

The people below the stage were so frightened that they all backed away.

"And what is this?"

Li Shimin couldn't help but ask loudly.

"Father, this is called a gas-powered sphere."

Li Chengqian explained loudly:

"When water boils, it turns into steam, and the steam is released to generate thrust."

If this thrust is amplified and installed on a vehicle, the vehicle can run on its own without horses.

"If it's mounted on a ship, the ship can travel a thousand miles a day without sails."

The audience erupted in uproar once again.

A carriage without horses? A boat without sails?

This is simply unheard of.

Li Chengqian didn't stop; he took the magnifying glass and walked up to Lu Deming.

It was midday, and the sun was scorching.

Li Chengqian pointed the magnifying glass at the sun and focused it into a point of light on the scroll of the Book of Documents at Lu Deming's feet.

"Old Lu, do you believe it or not, I can burn your tattered book today without using a tinderbox, by borrowing the sun's true fire."

Lu Deming stubbornly insisted:

"Nonsense! The sun is high in the sky; how could mortals possibly use it?"

The voice just fell.

A wisp of blue smoke suddenly emerged from the scroll of the Book of Documents.

Immediately afterwards, flames shot up, and the entire scroll of bamboo slips burst into flames.

Lu Deming screamed in fright and hid behind him.

The powerful officials in the audience were devastated.

Their sacred way, which they have always been proud of, is challenged by these "miracles" that defy common sense yet are real.

So fragile it's practically defenseless.

Li Chengqian opened his arms and shouted:

"This is the investigation of things."

The study of things is to transform the wind, water, fire, and sun in the world—the great forces of nature—into tools that mortals can control.

It was transformed into the national strength of the Tang Dynasty.

It could keep the workshops of the Tang Dynasty running day and night, make the Tang army invincible, and allow the people of the Tang Dynasty to eat meat at every meal.

This is the true path to a powerful nation.

After a brief silence.

A deafening roar of cheers erupted from the Taiji Hall Square.

Countless people waved their arms excitedly, their faces flushed.

"Long live Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Long live the investigation of things!"

Among the ranks of military generals, Cheng Yaojin took the lead, drawing his sword from his waist and pointing it straight at the sky.

"May the Great Tang Dynasty prosper! May the Crown Prince prosper!"

All the generals roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

Traditional learning has been utterly defeated.

Li Gang and Kong Yingda looked smugly at Lu Deming, who was slumped on the ground.

You little punk, you dare to call yourself our equal?

I don't even need to lift a finger; my disciple will crush you.