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Wang Zhong himself can write and count. When he was 17 years old, the Datong Army regained Nanjing. He has been doing odd jobs as a former eunuch.
Due to the long-term stay in Qintianyuan, the little eunuch was influenced by what he saw and heard, and he started to study quietly, and often went to the library lazily.No one knew how well he was knowledgeable, and they regarded him as an ordinary handyman, but after more than ten years of study and research, Wang Zhong could already be called a mathematician.
However, he is very timid and lacks self-confidence, and usually bows down to everyone he sees.
Pascal was quite curious about this servant, so he began to discuss mathematical problems.Influenced by Pascal, Wang Zhong soon had a new understanding of air pressure and liquid.
The master and servant get along well, as if they have been friends for many years.
It wasn’t until Pascal read Wang Zhong’s research manuscript that he finally couldn’t help but said: “Wang, I think you can publish your own results.”
"Forget it." Wang Zhong didn't want to cause trouble. He was very confident in his knowledge, but not confident in his body and identity.
Pascal said: "Give me these manuscripts, and I'll hand them over to Xiao Zhangyuan of Qintianyuan for you."
Chapter 883 [Getting ahead]
The calculus created by Xiao Shixuan was initially extremely imprecise, with loopholes in logic and derivation.
He said that he could use calculus to calculate the twelve equal laws, which is also a bit of bragging.Because using this method requires not only calculus and analytic geometry, but also an in-depth study of mechanical waves.
In recent years, Chinese mathematicians have been working together to perfect calculus.
Some scholars start from dynamics, while others explore from pure geometry.The definition of infinitesimal also troubled them.Even if Zhao Han himself came off the stage and said that infinitesimal quantities are functions with a limit of 0, some mathematicians still expressed dissatisfaction.
The naming of various terms also made Zhao Han's brain ache.
Derivatives have not been properly defined, continuous variables are called "transfers", and derivatives of transfers are called "transfers".There are so many similar terms, plus all kinds of symbols, Zhao Han has no time to study, and he can no longer understand the current "Acta Mathematics".
"Hello, Master Xiao." Pascal greeted with cupped fists.
Xiao Shixuan was the head of the Qintian Academy, but he seldom participated in administrative work, and the daily management was left to the vice president.He had never even seen Pascal, and asked in confusion, "Your Excellency?"
Pascal replied: "My Chinese name is Bosco, and I don't speak Chinese very well. People can't understand when they speak too fast."
"Please sit down, what's the matter?" Xiao Shixuan didn't like wasting time.
Pascal took out the eunuch's manuscript: "This is the achievement of a gentleman, please take a look at the Xiao Zhangyuan."
Xiao Shixuan nodded: "I will watch."
"I'm leaving." Pascal got up and left.
Xiao Shixuan didn't think this person was rude, on the contrary, he liked him very much, he didn't like politeness and nonsense.
Xiao Shixuan continued to do his own research, and he didn't pick up these manuscripts until he had lunch at noon to look through them.It was nothing at first, but after looking at it, he put down his chopsticks completely and read in one breath until half the afternoon.
In today's Chinese mathematics circle, many people are perfecting calculus, and Wang Zhong's manuscript is also like this.
Wang Zhong has two main achievements: giving the proper definition of continuity and derivative, and proposing the correct concept of sequence and series.
"Ding ding dong!"
Xiao Shixuan rang the bell on the table, and the assistant and student came in immediately: "Sir, what are your orders?"
"Is there a new fan named Bao in our courtyard?" Xiao Shixuan asked.
The assistant said, "Yes, it's Bosco."
Xiao Shixuan asked again: "Is there anyone named Wang Zhong?"
The assistant thought carefully, and finally shook his head: "It seems not."
"Call Bao Sike...forget it, I'll go there by myself." Xiao Shixuan picked up the manuscript and went out.
The next day.
Wang Zhong was taken to Qintianyuan by Pascal. Although he had worked here for more than ten years, he seemed extremely nervous today.
Entering the inner courtyard, he saw a group of doctors, masters, bachelors, and graduate students standing in the courtyard without speaking. Wang Zhong was so frightened that his neck shrank and his waist bent down involuntarily.
"Clap clap clap!"
Xiao Shixuan took the lead in applauding, and the rest also applauded.
In Chinese characters, "挕保Fall the gun and annoy the frequent pockets and famine traces.
Where did Wang Zhong experience this kind of treatment? He was a eunuch in Nanjing when he was 12 years old, and he has been working as a handyman since he was 17 years old.No one has ever looked at him directly, and several times when he asked people for advice, he was greeted with cynicism.If it wasn't for Pascal's easy-talking behavior, he wouldn't even dare to ask Pascal for advice.
The moment the applause sounded, Wang Zhong felt light all over, walking as if he was stepping on clouds.
Although the people around are applauding, there are those who despise and those who are jealous.Asking them to applaud a former eunuch is more to choose face for Xiao Shi.
Of course, there are also those who applaud sincerely, but the number is not many.
Xiao Shixuan stepped forward and took Wang Zhong's hand: "I have been in charge of the Qintian Courtyard until now, but unexpectedly there are dragons and crouching tigers hidden in the courtyard. I didn't find out until yesterday. When Your Excellency's article is published, I will ask Your Majesty to give you a bachelor's title."
"Many...thank you for your support." Wang Zhong was so excited that he was trembling all over.
Xiao Shixuan added: "You calculate all your results in public. Colleagues in the mathematics hall must listen, and colleagues in other halls can also listen."
Pascal followed in, sat among the crowd, and watched Wang Zhong calculate his academic achievements.
He likes it here, likes the atmosphere.
On the French side, there is currently only one French Academy.The academicians inside are mainly writers, and the original intention of establishing the academy was only to study, improve, and promote French.
As for the French scientists, they are all researching at home. If they want to communicate, they can only rely on correspondence or read papers published by each other.
It’s great here in China, where many scientists gather together and can communicate and discuss anytime, anywhere.
In fact, there are also in various provinces in China, not all in Nanjing, and their communication also depends on correspondence.
Some of the teachers in schools all over the country hold positions in both schools.Zhao Zhenfang, the eldest princess of the dynasty, although she is far away in Tianjin and no longer works as a teacher, she has always been a master of Qintian Academy and has published academic papers every year.
Half a month later, a new issue of "Datong Monthly" was released.
Wang Zhong's deeds appeared on the second edition of the news, and quickly became a hot topic in Nanjing.
How could a former eunuch be an official and a bachelor?
Simply unheard of!
The focus of common people's attention is the former eunuch, who was awarded a small courtyard by Xuanwu Lake because of his great academic contributions.
So there is this kind of words to encourage children to study: "My dear, you should study hard and learn that arithmetic. The eunuchs are good at calculating accounts, and the Lord Long Live has given you a small house. You will definitely be able to get a big one in the future." !"
At the same time, matchmakers also began to come to the door.
A decent boudoir girl would definitely not want to marry an eunuch, but a widow with children would.
Wang Zhong has an official status and has no children. After the widow marries, not only will her life be settled, but her children will not be abused.
After receiving several matchmakers, Wang Zhong was moved by the words. He also wanted to have a woman as a companion at home, and he also wanted to leave incense for his family.
Finally, Wang Zhong asked the matchmaker in front of him: "The Yuan family you mentioned, would you like to change the child's surname?"
"Change it, definitely!" the matchmaker laughed.
"My surname is Feng..." Wang Zhong suddenly closed his mouth, feeling that there was no need to tell the matchmaker, and continued to ask, "This Yuan family brought her two sons and one daughter, will her in-laws be willing?"
The matchmaker said: "She was originally from Jiangsu. Her parents-in-law died of the plague long ago, and her husband also died of the plague. Later, she remarried to a widower and came to Nanjing to join relatives. After a few years, her husband died again. The old woman did not hide the truth from the king. My lord, the neighbors say that she is Kefu, and she will not be able to remarry even if she remarries. But people have checked with her husband. It's not that her fate is hard, but that her two husbands are not lucky. This Yuan family is good at housework, and her children are also good If you teach filial piety, you will definitely be harmonious and beautiful when you marry back home."
"It's good to be diligent, good to be filial, hehe." The more Wang Zhong listened, the more satisfied he became.
Not only will he have a wife, but he will also have three children, a good wife in church, and both children, which was unthinkable before.
Hard life Koff?
Lao Tzu is a eunuch, he wiped out the Ming Dynasty, if he can still live well, who can be harder than my life?
Taking out dozens of rewards and sending the matchmaker out in person, Wang Zhong was in a happy mood.He couldn't help straightening his waist, bowing his knees all the year round, which made his shoulders a little hunchback, and now it seems that even his shoulders have straightened, and he said to himself with a smile: "This new dynasty is really good, Long Live Lord is also a good emperor, we can do it too." Be a decent human being."
Pascal's house was not far from him, and Wang Zhong already regarded the foreign devil as a friend, and rushed to share his joy happily.
"Scholar Wang is here, please come in!" The servant who opened the door was another eunuch.
There were quite a few eunuchs left in the previous Ming Dynasty, and many of them were doing odd jobs in various yamen.
Wang Zhong recognized this person, cupped his hands and said, "Brother Zhang."
"Don't dare, dare not." The eunuch surnamed Zhang bent even more, his eyes filled with envy and admiration.
This person went to buy a newspaper specifically, wanting to know why Wang Zhong was able to be an official.As a result, apart from written reports, the rest of the content is like a heavenly book, and they can't understand it at all, and they can't even feel jealous.
Pascal invited Wang Zhong to sit in. Instead of "Chinese Philosophy and Ethics" on the table, there was a copy of "San Zi Jing" and a set of "Great Harmony Dictionary".
"Brother Bao, I'm going to ask for a wife." Wang Zhong said happily.
Pascal asked: "What is a wife?"
Wang Zhong explained: "A husband is a husband, and a wife is a wife."
"Oh," Pascal suddenly realized, and said with a smile, "congratulations."
Wang Zhong asked, "Don't you ask for a wife?"
Pascal replied: "Women are troublesome and take up my time."
Wang Zhong was speechless for a moment.
Pascal suddenly said: "Wang, I don't have many friends in China, can I ask you some questions?"
"Talk." Wang Zhong said.
"In Europe, the world was created by gods, and men were made by gods out of dust. Is there such a legend in China?" Pascal asked.
Wang Zhong said with a smile: "Two years ago, His Majesty ordered the Hanlin Academy to compile and print a book "The Collection of Chinese Myths". Brother Bao can buy it and have a look. In our place, the world was initially chaotic and looked like an egg. The same. The great god Pangu was conceived in the chaos, he was born with an axe, and he split the chaos..."
Wang Zhong told several myths in a row, Pascal listened to them fascinated, and compared them with Western myths.
Dayu to control the flood?Noah's Ark?
Why is there a great flood in both eastern and western mythology?
Pascal keenly felt that there was an essential difference between Europe and China.When Westerners encounter floods, they run around in boats to survive.When the Chinese encountered a flood, they worked together to subdue it.
People here have no original sin, and don't need atonement.
"Do you really believe in the sky and ancestors?" Pascal said doubtfully.
In "Chinese Philosophy and Ethics", Alejandro said that Chinese people's belief in Buddhism and Taoism are false.The only thing Chinese people really believe in is the sky and ancestors.And the sky is not the sky that can be seen from looking up, but a concept similar to gods that breed and control all things.It's just like a god, but not a god, more like a conscious universe.
Wang Zhong said with a smile: "God and ancestors, you must believe this."
Pascal thought about it.
As a mathematician and physicist, this guy seems to want to devote himself to studying philosophy after he came to China. Zhao Han might vomit blood if he finds out.
Chapter 884 [The Chinese countryside in the eyes of the French envoy]
When writers and artists from France lingered to appreciate Chinese paintings, architecture, music, and operas, France was making Colbert try to crack the secret of feces.
All the way from Guangzhou to Nanjing, Colbert was surprised to find that these big cities are all very clean, and there is no scene of stinking feces.
Colbert asked the Chinese envoy many times, but the Chinese always laughed and said nothing.
On this day, Colbert got up very early and finally met the manure collector.
"Dong Dong Dong~~~"
At five o'clock, that is, at 4:12 in the morning, the Drum Tower began to drum.
The soldiers stationed on the city wall have been converted from police officers to inspectors.After hearing the drumbeat, the gatekeepers began to get up and wash.And many people who wanted to enter the city were already waiting outside the city gates.
“Dangdangdang~~~”
After an unknown amount of time, the morning bell rang and all the gates of the city opened on time, and the sky was still only dim.
The missing engraving devices in the Bell and Drum Tower were all changed to clocks in the new dynasty of Datong.Every city has a sundial, which can be used to adjust the error of the clock through the sundial on a sunny day.
People of all colors line up to enter the city. Although they do not receive city tax, they still have to go through routine inspections.
For example, if the dung truck does not have a cover, it is resolutely not allowed to enter the city.There were still people making troubles about this incident at the beginning, but the residents in the city were very supportive, otherwise the dung trucks crossing the street would stink.
Colbert was on guard before dawn, following a group of dung collectors through the streets.
Throughout Nanjing, there are at least four thousand practitioners related to feces.Not only some people go to the city to collect manure, but after the manure is transported out of the city, there must be someone to sort and process it.
Colbert followed all the way, and soon saw a strange picture.
Three groups of different people came to the alley one after another.
The first wave is to deliver water, and the water cart is dragged forward by mules.For those households without wells, if they need to buy water today, they will hang a water sign at the door the night before.When the water delivery worker saw the water sign, he stopped the mule cart and knocked on the door of the family.
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