Chuzhou, under the rule of the Wu Kingdom, has become a military center since the advent of Xuanhe. Chuzhou is close to the Huaihe River, and on the other side of the river is the sphere of influence of the Jin Kingdom. Of course, it must be strictly guarded. Therefore, from the first year of Jingkang to the present, the Jinling court has been deploying heavy troops in Chuzhou. It has also continued to build defense facilities on the banks of the Huai River and raise the embankments (the embankments were raised because the Yellow River captured the Huai River), and built cities and embankments. The project has never stopped for eight or nine years. Even after Zhao Huan, the emperor of Jinling, paid tribute to his younger brother Zhao Huan and declared himself a vassal, and changed his title to King Wu, a new round of construction of the Chuzhou city defense triangular fortress was still in full swing.
The so-called "triangular fort" is...a triangular fort, not a bastion. Because its shape is not a "triangular pyramid", but a "triangular pyramid". At first glance they look similar, but the ability of the two to withstand shelling is not on the same level at all - the outer wall of the "triangular platform" has a larger bevel, which can bounce the shells away, and because the bottom is large and the top is small, the structure is It is very stable and difficult to be completely destroyed.
The outer wall of the "triangular platform" is basically vertical. Although there is a certain chance that the cannonball will bounce away if one corner of the triangle is facing outward, it is incomparable with the "triangular platform" shape. And because the wall is vertical, it will still be destroyed by cannonballs.
The reason why the Wu court built a "triangular platform"-shaped fortress outside the city wall of Chuzhou was of course because Wanyan Xiebao and the craftsmen sent by the Wu state did not learn mathematics, physics and chemistry well, and could not tell what a triangle platform was? What is a triangular prism?
So now, only the Northern Song Dynasty truly possesses the "bastion" technology. The three parties, Dai Jin, Wu State, and the Pseudo-Song Dynasty, actually possess the "triangular fortress" technology.
Among them, Wu State directly called it "Triangular Fort", while Dajin initially called this kind of castle "Dwarf Fort". Later, they felt it didn't sound good and changed it to "Han'er Fort" because it was from the Han people. I learned it.
After the technology of "Han'er Burger" was passed to the Pseudo-Song Dynasty, Wan Yanyan felt that "Han'er" was a contemptuous term, so he removed the word "er" and changed its name to Hamburg... Later, the Japanese also After learning how to build this kind of triangular fort, they called their own triangular fort "Japanese hamburger".
On the top of the newly built triangular fortress outside the west gate of Shanyang County, Chuzhou Prefecture, some distinguished guests seemed to have arrived today. A large shed was built and a thick brocade curtain was hung. There were also soldiers and servants from the Chuzhou Prefectural Government and the newly established Huaidong Appeasement Envoy, who were busy running back and forth between the triangular fort and the Shanyang fork next to the triangular fort, taking food boxes one by one from the fort. It was taken out from a restaurant inside and presented to a high triangular fort with a wide view for the nobles on the triangular fort to enjoy.
To the west of the Triangle Fort is Shanyang Wharf - a canal wharf. In the days when the canal was not washed away by the Yellow River, all the goods shipped to Kaifeng Prefecture on the Southeast Six Routes had to pass here.
But now the canal has been destroyed by the diversion of the Yellow River, and the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty is no longer in Kaifeng, but in Shuntian Prefecture in Beijing further north. Therefore, Shanyang Wharf is no longer as prosperous as it used to be, but it is still very lively.
Because Shanyang County in Chuzhou is still an important town for the north-south trade!
The Song Dynasty has always separated war and commerce...war is war, trade is trade, they are two different things!
Therefore, no matter whether it was the Jin Dynasty, the Pseudo Song Dynasty, or the Northern Song Dynasty across from Chuzhou, the business at Shanyang Forgery Market was carried out as usual, and the boats and boats were always connected on the Shanyang Wharf.
However, at Shanyang Wharf today, there are no merchant ships loaded with goods, and no merchants running around to make profits. There are only a bunch of bright official ships with flags and banners fluttering. There were also many fresh officers and soldiers in bright armor and people dressed as servants, eating and drinking on the dock with their heads covered.
It seems that some important person is leaving Shanyang County for a long trip today, so he borrowed this triangular fort to set up wine and practice.
On the triangular fort, inside the curtain, there were two to three hundred people sitting. They all sit on their knees on soft cushions, with a small table in front of each person, and a few drinks and dishes on the table. These people were all dressed as scribes, wearing loose Confucian clothes and Dongpo scarves on their heads. They looked elegant enough. In the area near the outer "corner" of the triangular castle, four longer low-leg tables were placed side by side. Behind the low-leg tables sat three men and one woman, a total of four people.
The woman among them was also wearing a white Confucian dress, but did not wear a Dongpo scarf. Her long hair was simply pulled into a bun with a hairpin. She is not young, she looks to be in her forties, with an elegant temperament and a bit of charm. Although she is a woman, she is still chatting and laughing among a group of men. She looks like a strange woman who often walks around Shilin.
This strange woman is none other than Li Qingzhao, a lay scholar from Yi'an.
The three people sitting in a row with Li Qingzhao were an old man and two middle-aged people in their forties. The old man looked to be in his seventies, with white beard and hair, but he was still energetic. He was Zhao Huan's teacher Geng Nanzhong.
Two middle-aged men in their forties, one white and fat, the other black and thin. He is fairer and fatter, has an elegant and graceful demeanor, and at first glance he is a well-educated man. The darker and thinner one always smiles when he speaks, and his tone is very gentle, which makes people feel like spring breeze. He has obviously been trained for a long time.
These two are not mortals. The fat and white one is Hu Yin, Zhao Kai’s Hanlin scholar. The black and thin one is even more powerful, he is Kong Jie, the 48th generation Yanshenggong.
It turns out that the people gathered here today, except for Hu Yin and Kong Jie, are all famous scholars and scholars from all walks of life in the southeast. They are going to Qufu to worship Confucius and to attend the Confucianism conference convened by Zhao Kai.
"Mr. Zhitang, I have something unclear, and I would like to ask you for advice."
After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food. Geng Nanzhong felt that the time was almost up, so he changed the subject and got down to business.
"Mr. Geng, it's okay to ask. The lower officials will tell you everything they know."
The person known as "Mr. Zhitang" is Hu Yin. His official position was not particularly high, but he was very accomplished in Confucianism and was particularly proficient in "the study of studying things and understanding principles", so he was called "Mr. Zhitang".
Geng Nanzhong smiled and said, "That's what I'm asking." He thought about it once, "This time the officials summoned the famous Confucian scholars from Southeast Asia to go north to Confucius. What exactly are they going to say to you?"
yes? say what? Do you want to use high-ranking officials and generous salaries to bribe everyone? But our moral character is so noble...should we agree immediately? Or is it better to say no and then agree?
As soon as Geng Nanzhong's question came out, more than a hundred great Confucians and more than a hundred great Confucian students present all looked at Hu Yin as a gentleman...
When Hu Yin heard this, he smiled bitterly - it is impossible for a high-ranking official to have a generous salary!
If you want to have high-ranking officials and generous salaries, do you need the Confucius Conference?
Hu Yin sighed, put away his wry smile, and said to Geng Nanzhong: "Even if Mr. Geng doesn't ask about this, I will still talk about it. The official invites you to go north to Konglin, but I have three questions to ask."
ask questions?
The great Confucians said in their hearts: If you answer correctly, you will be rewarded with a high official position and a generous salary?
Hu Yin then added: "The first question: ask the sky. The second question: ask the government. The third question: ask the heart."
What does it mean?
The great scholars present were all confused.
Why are these three questions a bit mysterious? Is it possible that the emperor who reopened the Song Dynasty was also a Taoist emperor?
Hu Yin started to explain the questions to everyone again.
These three questions are not mysterious at all, but they are difficult to answer!
"The so-called asking about heaven means asking about heaven's principles, destiny, heaven and man...and return to heaven!"
This question may seem mysterious, but it actually asks about "world view"! How did this world, the world that Zhao Kai lives in, come into being? Is there a master? Who is in charge? The relationship between the Lord and people, etc.
What?
No gods theory?
materialism?
That’s okay! As long as it can be said to be better than Catholicism, Tianfang Sect and Buddhism!
This is an era when science is not yet advanced, so it is difficult to answer the "question of heaven"!
"The so-called political question is about Confucian politics, not the country's politics." Hu Yin continued, "In addition to being officials, what else can Confucianists do? If there is no sole authority of the imperial court, what can Confucianists do? ?”
This question is still difficult!
Zhao Kai asked what is the value of Confucianism? Can we call it Confucian values?
In addition to becoming an official through the imperial examination, what else can Confucianism offer?
Can your Confucianism still exist in a place where there are no imperial examinations for officials?
This is another big problem for Confucianism!
And in the original history, Confucianism got zero marks on this question!
In places where Catholicism does not control political power, there is still Catholicism. In places where Tianfang Sect does not control political power, there is still Tianfen Sect. In places where Buddhism does not control political power, there is still Buddhism... Even Taoism, which cultivates immortality, does not rely on political power. support exists.
But Confucianism...is gone without the imperial examination!
Can such a school and sect still fight against Catholicism, Tianfang Sect, and Buddhism? If Confucianism always fights against the five scum, Zhao Kai's global colonization will not be able to continue... because the colonized people will not be able to take the imperial examination and will soon be assimilated by other sects.
As for the imperial examination... how many years can you ask American Confucian scholars to go to Beijing to take the exam? And it’s not even possible to hold the American Civil Service Examination! The imperial examination system is only feasible in places with dense population, relatively prosperous culture, and relatively stable society.
"The so-called questioning of the heart," Hu Yin said, "Why do we Confucians want to learn Confucianism... If we can't be officials, should we learn Confucianism? If we can't be officials, can we still get rewards for studying Confucianism?"
This is of course the Confucian outlook on life!
Besides being an official, what else can a Confucian scholar do? What else do you want to do? If you don’t practice Confucianism without an official position, how can Confucianism survive?
In the Catholic Church, if you don’t become a priest, you don’t believe in God and you don’t pray, right? Tianfang Sect doesn’t stop believing in religion and praying if you don’t become a jurist, right? Buddhist laypeople still chant sutras every day and eat vegetarian food!
When you come to Confucianism, you don’t want to be an official anymore? Such Confucianism has no vitality and is unlikely to shine in the future colonial era.
