Half a Spoiler Chapter 184

The cleanup work at the former site of Jingyuan lasted for a long time. During this period, online discussions remained highly active. To satisfy netizens’ curiosity and to give primary school students about to enter middle school an early warning about upcoming exam outline adjustments and increased knowledge points, the TV station specially produced an episode of a program.

Invited to introduce the matter to netizens was a university professor from the history department.

“…During the reign of Emperor Xiaoming, the cultural industry of the Great Zhou flourished, producing a large number of excellent literary works. It was also during this time that the literary genre of the novel emerged – for example, the famous ‘The Detective Cases of Imperial Censor Jia,’ which is widely recognized as the world’s first suspense novel.

“Those literary figures shone like brilliant stars, illuminating the Zhaoming Golden Age. As to who among them was the most outstanding, the literary world has never reached a consensus. Therefore, when discussing these matters, the first person to be introduced is usually the renowned educator and literary figure Chu Sui.”

The life experience of Chu Sui was very complex. She first served as an advisor to the Marquis of Quanling. After the Northern Park Rebellion, she traveled alone to the eastern region and became involved in the Eastern Rebellion. During this time, she wrote the famous proclamation “An Indictment of Wen Yanran,” which has been passed down through the ages. Although the court historians deliberately concealed her name as the author, historians have confirmed through analysis of the writing style of her previous works that this proclamation was indeed written by her. However, by that time, Chu had already pledged allegiance to Emperor Shizu of the Later Zhou, and since Chu Sui herself was an outstanding talent, this period of her life was omitted from the Later Zhou History. It was only mentioned in passing in the New Book of the Zhou.

The paper documents discovered this time at Jingyuan include the manuscript of Chu Sui’s Rhapsody on Agriculture. This work was written while she served as an erudite at the Imperial Academy. Apart from its literary value, it also records changes in the main types of crops grown during that period. The line “cotton puffs white as clouds” most likely describes the spread of the technique of cotton fluffing.

In addition to Chu Sui’s manuscripts, the books found at Jingyuan also include works by Lu Liangcheng. Many students know that Lu Liangcheng was first sent to the western region at the start of his official career. After returning to the capital, due to poor health, he temporarily resigned from his official post and spent three years at the Imperial Academy as a doctor, which played a positive role in encouraging Central Plains scholars to take up official positions in the Dan and Tai Provinces.

He also came from a noble family and was highly talented in literature. However, what made Lu Liangcheng most famous was not his achievements in rhapsodies and other literary forms, but his promotion of language.

After being dispatched to Tai Province, in order to enhance trade and communication with vassal states, Lu Liangcheng quickly mastered the languages of the small western kingdoms and contributed to the spread of Zhou characters. His work Zhou Characters is one of the world’s earliest dictionaries.

While the history professor was explaining, a steady stream of bullet comments kept scrolling across the screen:

[I’ve heard this from my teacher before.]

[Not only have I heard it from my teacher, I’ve also been tested on it.]

[Not only have I been tested on it, I’ve also gotten it wrong.]

[Not only have I gotten it wrong, I’ve also been punished by having to copy it as lines.]

[Question 1: Which of the following countries established a stable trade relationship with the Great Zhou Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Shizu? A. Qiuche; B. Luojia; C. Luonan; D. Dabo.]

[…Excuse me, is this a multiple-answer question?]

[The correct answer is B (tapping on the screen).]

[I don’t accept this! Why is the answer B? Didn’t Qiuche, Luonan, and Dabo all establish trade relations? In the end, Luonan even became Luonan Commandery!]

[“It really is B, because Luojia was the only one that established a trade relationship using gunpowder during the reign of Emperor Shizu. The others had already been established for a long time, but after the successive efforts of Emperors Xiang, Si, Dao, and Li to restore order and achieve good governance, those vassal states had grown less connected to the imperial court, so it’s easy to overlook them.]

[As for Luojia, it was a country that hadn’t had much contact with the Great Zhou before. Just as it began to show signs of rising, it happened to coincide with Emperor Shizu’s ascension to the throne. So the people there decided to try their luck and see if they could bully the young emperor.]

[That was a good plan. Maybe don’t plan again next time.]

[The Great Zhou had a young ruler, and the court was fraught with uncertainty. Having gone through several rebellions in succession, with powerful local clans in the border regions secretly colluding with Luojia, plus the Wuliu tribe volunteering to serve as vanguard… actually, it made a fair amount of sense.]

[The entire plan was logically coherent and had extremely high feasibility on paper, making one can’t help but suspect it was Zhang Bingshan’s idea.]

[“You’re all forgetting one thing – the general guarding the border at the time was Zhong Zhiwei, a former Minister of War who was rumored to have been demoted from the central government to a local post because she offended the emperor. On paper, her personal record really did look like she might be prone to disloyalty.]

[Did Luojia really speculate that General Zhong and Emperor Shizu were outwardly harmonious but inwardly at odds?]

[Judging from the unearthed documents, yes.]

[Zhong Zhiwei: …]

[What else could they doubt? Doubting the bond between Emperor Shizu and her ministers? That Wen Yanran and her ministers were deeply devoted to each other is widely recognized. Moreover, she was truly broad-minded. Even after learning that Chu Sui had written that proclamation, she never held it against her, and even helped cover it up. Even the historian who wrote the Later Zhou History didn’t mention it.]

[What an absolutely beautiful relationship between ruler and minister. If I were someone like Chu Sui, I’d be moved to tears!]

While viewers were spamming the comments, the old professor continued speaking cheerfully:

“This time at the former site of Jingyuan, archaeologists also discovered some letters, which should have been written by Du Daosi, a minister of Emperor Xiaoming, to her younger cousin Gao Changjian. In the letter, Du Daosi mentioned something: she was growing old and frail, and intended to retire, planning to spend her remaining days traveling around with Ren Feihong. After she passed away, she would have her family bring her remains back to Yong Province for burial. From this, we can conclude that it is highly unlikely that Du Daosi was buried as a companion in Heling.”

“One line in that letter reads, ‘A thousand autumns, and the melody falls silent; a hundred years, and the strings are broken. In the green hills of that old place, we shall reunite and renew our old friendship.’ From this, it is speculated that Du Daosi gave up the opportunity to be buried in Heling, perhaps in memory of an old friend of hers from the past. For a minister of the Zhaoming era, this was a very difficult decision to make. Moreover, according to historical records, Du Daosi in her early years had the carefree, untethered demeanor of a wandering cloud or wild crane – she loved to sing freely and drink heartily. But after entering official service, she acted contrary to her former nature, appearing exceptionally upright and solemn. People of her time described her as ‘possessing the strengths of both the Cui and Du families.'”

“Some scholars believe that many of Emperor Shizu’s ministers had the characteristics of ‘pragmatic idealists,’ and it was precisely such a group of people who were able to turn the tide and save the Great Zhou from the brink of national destruction.”

[The name Du Daosi sounds very familiar…]

[Du Daosi was an official during the reign of Emperor Shizu. She participated in the final phase of the southern river channel project. Later, she was reassigned to the northern region, where she also made contributions to the development of the northern section of the Grand Canal. If during an exam you encounter a question like ‘Which of the following officials participated in the excavation projects of both the southern and northern sections of the canal?’ you can’t just select old acquaintances from the Ministry of Works like Xin Bian and Zhao Qushu – you have to include Du Daosi as well.]

[Thanks for the explanation above – you’ve successfully awakened my psychological trauma from my student days.]

[…There were just too many events during Emperor Shizu’s reign, and they’re way too hard to remember. I’ve made up my mind – I’m going to choose the science track in high school!]

[A word of advice from someone who’s been through it: thinking you can escape Emperor Shizu’s presence by choosing a subject track is useless. Exam points related to her include but are not limited to: physics, chemistry, biology, politics, history, geography, language, and even math (lightly).]

[No helping it. Who can deny that during the Zhaoming era, places like Jingyuan, Heyuan, and the Southern School of the Imperial Academy were essential stops for ministers on their ‘home leave with pay’ journeys? Emperor Shizu was an involution queen with immense work enthusiasm, and her behavior directly influenced her ministers’ enthusiasm for showing up to work. As a result, Emperor Shizu was very concerned about her ministers’ physical health. She told them that if they felt too stressed, they should take some time off – go teach at a school, or do some scientific research.]

[That’s Emperor Xiaoming for you – redefining what it means to ‘take a break.’]

[Not surprising at all. Didn’t the Miscellaneous Records of Zhaoming include the advice Emperor Xiaoming left for later generations? That famous method of balancing work and rest.]

[…The comment above is referring to that famous work-rest balance method that I’ve been trying to understand since elementary school and still haven’t grasped even after entering the workforce, right? You know, the one that goes: ‘If you get tired of handling state affairs, go study science; if you get tired of studying science, go handle state affairs.’]

[Thanks a lot. I’ve ‘learned’ it to the point of ruin. :)]

[And with all that, Emperor Shizu still said she ‘wanted to retire’?! Isn’t that just being two-faced!]

[This woman wouldn’t be wronged at all if she ruled as emperor for another thirty years!]

[Maybe she really did want to retire, but she also genuinely loved working.]

[Indeed, humans are walking contradictions in capital letters.]

[No, no, no – please believe that on this issue, most people are more like me: honest about wanting to retire, truly wishing we could retire – salaried workers T_T.]

[Maybe that’s just Emperor Shizu’s speaking style. According to records, she also said she didn’t know how to play chess or perform divination.]

[Emmm… is it possible that Emperor Shizu actually really wasn’t that good at them? After all, the historical text that mentions this is the New Book of Zhou, and its reliability isn’t exactly top-notch.]

[Emperor Shizu also said she didn’t understand warfare.]

[…]

[………]

[Now I finally understand why Shi Zhuhe said he was ‘not very familiar with the art of war.’ If even Emperor Shizu admitted she didn’t understand warfare, then ‘not very familiar’ is probably the highest praise other military commanders could receive.]

[Shi Zhuhe: ‘You think I’m being modest? No, I’m actually showing off.’]

[Just to add: Emperor Shizu not only said she didn’t understand warfare, she also said she didn’t understand state governance, and also didn’t really understand agriculture or trade issues.]

Just as a few pieces of information scrolled by, a wave of silent wails followed.

[If I hadn’t read Emperor Shizu’s manuscripts on her research into auxin, I would have actually believed that she didn’t understand state governance =_=.]

[Doesn’t understand trade issues… I wonder what Luonan, which was still a vassal state back then, would think if they saw this sentence.]

[Luonan: Dare not think, dare not think [screaming in terror].jpg]

[Luonan: Wow, you don’t understand trade? So when you made us plant sugarcane back then, was it because you had a particular craving for sweets?]

[I am a student at Kangda University. I hope that the teachers will use standards more in line with popular understanding when evaluating our students. Please don’t try to be consistent with a certain founding president surnamed Wen in every single matter. Thank you.]

[In stark contrast, Emperor Li always believed that he not only understood everything, but was also very good at everything.]

[…At least in terms of lacking self-awareness, he bore a faint resemblance to Emperor Shizu.]

[Later generations concluded that Emperor Li’s greatest contributions to the Great Zhou were two things: First, his daughter was Wen Yanran. Second, on his deathbed, he agreed to let Wen Yanran succeed to the throne.]

[Actually, Emperor Li and Emperor Shizu resembled each other in more than just the above. There was also their private lives – they both complained that the food in the palace wasn’t good.]

[…Just how bad was the court cuisine during the Great Zhou period, that even someone as resolute as Emperor Shizu couldn’t stand it?!]

[Actually, it wasn’t that it was truly bad. Emperor Li said this because after years of constant pleasure-seeking, his sense of taste had gradually become numb, but his desire for enjoyment had not diminished, so he began to despise the palace meals. As for Emperor Shizu, when she said this, she was tactfully advising the people in the palace not to spend too much effort on cooking delicacies, which fully demonstrated her own simple living habits.

↑ I was just tested on this stuff in my last exam.]

The comments were growing more and more numerous. Just then, the history professor gave a meaningful smile and said calmly, “Since the next part involves some knowledge of the sciences, please welcome my colleague, Professor Zhang from the Chemistry Department of University X.”

The history professor’s smile gave many soon-to-graduate students watching some bad premonitions.

Professor Zhang from the Chemistry Department, who had been waiting in his seat for a long time, stood up, straightened his clothes, walked to the podium, picked up the microphone, and greeted the audience before beginning:

“During this cleanup work at the former site of Jingyuan, the most important discovery was a major breakthrough in chemistry and pharmaceutical science.”

“As can be seen from the records, Emperor Shizu used pentosan from wheat straw with dilute hydrochloric acid to produce furfural. Furfural, acetic anhydride, and nitric acid can produce nitrofural triacetate. Phosphoric acid and sodium carbonate can be combined to produce trisodium phosphate. Nitrofural triacetate and trisodium phosphate can produce nitrofural monoacetate.”

“Then, by evaporating urine, she produced urea. By electrolyzing saturated brine, she produced chlorine gas. Chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide can produce sodium hypochlorite solution, which is then oxidized to obtain hydrazine hydrate. Next, using ethanol and concentrated sulfuric acid, she produced ethylene. Ethylene was then combined with chlorine gas and passed into sodium hydroxide solution to obtain ethylene glycol. Urea and ethylene glycol can produce ethylene carbonate. Then, by adding hydrazine hydrate, she synthesized 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone. Finally, 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone and nitrofural monoacetate underwent a condensation reaction. The end product was furazolidone – at that time, the most powerful antibacterial drug in the Great Zhou, and indeed in the world.”

“This invention, like the early firearms, was at least a thousand years ahead of other nations. If it could be said that the armies of the later Zhou, after having their equipment updated by Emperor Shizu, could essentially bulldoze hostile forces regardless of tactics, then with this antibacterial drug, a similar kind of ‘bulldozing’ could be achieved on the therapeutic level against many difficult and complicated diseases.”

“The drug first appeared in the 47th year of the Zhaoming era and maintained its transcendent status for the next several hundred years, only gradually being replaced by antibiotics after the 15th century. Many students know that the concept of antibiotics was actually mentioned in Emperor Shizu’s notes as well – it’s just that, limited by the science and technology of the time, it could not be realized for a long time.”

“A person’s life is finite, yet within her limited time, Emperor Shizu left behind a great wealth that later generations could not fully digest even after several hundred years. Even if she had not been the reigning emperor of her time, she would still be worthy of remembrance by all.”

[Although I don’t understand it, thank you, Emperor Shizu.]

[Thank you, Emperor Shizu +1.]

[As clever as I am, the moment I saw the physics teacher come on stage, I knew that the content that followed would be impossible to understand…]

[Unlike the comment above, the moment I heard the words ‘Emperor Xiaoming,’ I knew that there would be some questions beyond the syllabus today.]

[A history major here, speaking up: This is not what I wanted to hear today. Throws things !!]

[What the upperclassmen said was right. No matter what the starting point is, any introduction related to Emperor Shizu ends up on the irreversible path of integrating the humanities and sciences TAT…]

[No wonder the university president reminds new students not to neglect certain subjects, even if the freshmen plan to major in language or history – without some understanding of physics and chemistry, it’s inconvenient to grasp the detailed circumstances of Emperor Shizu’s reign.]

Translator’s Words:

One last chapter to follow!