national surname chiming

Chapter 151 Mr. Miao Yi
Shen Shuren's courteous treatment to Song Yingxing not only made Song Yingxing feel quite ashamed, but could even be described as "flattered".

Even the Song family's wives, children and relatives were all panicked.

Among Song Yingxing's sons, the eldest is over 30 years old, and the youngest is slightly older than Shen Shuren.Seeing their father, who had just been promoted from a seventh-rank official position, sitting in the carriage, while the royal censor and military preparation minister of the imperial court were riding horses by the window, they always felt apprehensive and unreal.

Along the way, Shen Shuren chatted and laughed happily, and the scope of topics was open-minded. They talked about the content of physics and chemistry that both parties were interested in, but they were generalized. They didn't rush to ask the other party to solve any specific technical problems immediately.

This kind of attitude made Song Yingxing cry even more, deeply feeling the kindness of Yu Yu.

However, as he was talking, Shen Shuren suddenly became strange and abrupt, and said some words that were not in tune with the atmosphere.

The two of them had just talked about "Heavenly Creation", when Shen Shuren said suddenly: "Mr. Song, this junior is going to point out a shortcoming in your writing and writing."

Song Yingxing was stunned for a moment, thinking that the other party had some knowledge in specific machinery or agronomy, and wanted to pick on the technical mistakes in the book, so he was ready to cooperate with humility:
"Oh? I don't know if it's a lower official... Is there any mistake or omission in the old man's book?"

Shen Shuren: "The biggest mistake is in the preface! In the last paragraph of the preface of this book, you actually said that "Heavenly Creation" is a useless book, 'a beggar with a great career, a literati, throwing away his desk. Not related either'.

Isn't this statement absurd!Somehow, I, Shen, am also a Jinshi on the second list, and my reputation is known all over the world.Didn't I read this book well before I took the Jinshi exam?

Not only did I read it, but I also applied what I had learned. Inspired by some of these KitKat institutions, a new type of crane was created with the combination of Chinese and Western, which was also used in the reform of the imperial court’s water transportation, which greatly reduced the loss of repeated loading and unloading of grain!
At that time, I was only a student of the Imperial College, and I worked as an official directly bought by the Jujian. Although I was only an eighth-rank official, I did not forget to serve the country with practical knowledge of world management!As for being admitted to Jinshi, it was after I made meritorious service in assisting water transportation in the Hedao Yamen and was promoted to the seventh rank.

Even if I don't take the exam, my practical talent can still be an official!How can it be said that a book that has helped me so much in my career as an official is 'improving my career and having nothing to do with it'? "

Song Yingxing was already prepared to be picked on, but he didn't expect Shen Shuren to say such words in the end, which really moved him to tears.

When he wrote the preface of "Heavenly Creation of Things", he said that at the end, which was also an angry statement, hating that iron can't make steel.Knowing that my book has to be printed with money, no one will share it, and it is impossible to sell it.

He has feelings for all the other words in the book, but for this sentence, he has longed for someone to slap him in the past few years to prove him wrong and prove that this book "isn't useless for progress".

Now, Song Yingxing was so happy with this slap in the face of a two-list Jinshi who had gained a reputation for admonishment in front of the emperor, and wanted to be slapped a few more times.

He sighed deeply with conviction: "Shen Daotai taught you the right lesson! The old man was really ignorant and short-sighted back then, because he lost his savings for many years on the manuscript and was angry for a while, so he said these cynical words.

Among the scholars in the world, how can anyone be obsessed with profit?No, four years after this book was published, the whole world finally has the first exception!Shen Daotai, you are an exceptional sage! "

When Shen Shuren heard him mention the sad past of losing money, he also followed along and asked:

"Sir, why did you lose your savings for many years for this book? This book has detailed illustrations, and the cost of engraving and printing should be more expensive than other books that only have text. I have also engraved a lot of books, so I have some understanding of the market , such a large book, I'm afraid it cost two or three thousand taels of silver?"

Song Yingxing nodded: "It really cost nearly 3000 taels. At that time, each volume was first printed with [-] volumes, but in the end it was too much to give away for nothing."

Shen Shuren recalled it thoughtfully, and suddenly realized: "No wonder, I saw that you said in the preface that this book originally had five volumes, but the second volume of 'Audience and Music Rhythm' is too refined, and I think it's not my business. Therefore, Linzi deleted'.

Now that I think about it, I’m afraid it’s because I don’t think those two volumes were written well and lacked the essence, but because I didn’t have money?Are the manuscripts of those two volumes still there?This official has other great uses, so let's print it.

I don't take your money for nothing. In the past two years, I have benefited a lot from "Tiangong Kaiwu".

You originally lost 3000 taels, plus the two volumes that were not printed, the total is 5000 taels.I will double it for you, take 1 taels, and let me continue to reprint "Tiangong Kaiwu" from now on, how about it? "

It was also impossible for the ancients to talk about copyright sharing, so Shen Shuren was more straightforward and bought out the system directly. He didn't say that this was a copyright, but it was just a retouching, plus making up for Song Yingxing's previous losses.

The two volumes of "Audience and Music" in the preface of "Tiangong Kaiwu" mentioned by Shen Shuren were lost in history because Song Yingxing lacked money and did not engrave them.
However, there are sporadic fragments that were later quoted in other books. According to archaeological research, it can be roughly inferred that,

These two volumes study the acoustic principles of musical instruments, some stage performance techniques and prop techniques in the late Ming Dynasty, and the analysis of the principles of shadow puppet and puppet show kaleidoscope.

Among them, the volume "Melody" is more valuable because it involves the acoustic part of physics. For example, it can be seen from the outflowing fragments that Song Yingxing wrote "After the length of a string is shortened by a certain percentage, the pitch It can improve five degrees (one round of Gongshangjiao Zhengyu, corresponding to one octave in the west)", and there are many other simple acoustic studies.

Of course, it must be admitted that the ancient Chinese civilization was not dominant in this respect.Because the ancients did not like to use mathematical tools to study art accurately and quantitatively, but only liked to discuss the theory in a large and general way, regardless of art.

In contrast, the ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras, in the 6th century BC, summed up the mathematical ratio between the change of string length and the change of pitch. (The craftsmanship of ancient Chinese tuners is very good, even better, but only based on experience and feel, no one summarizes the principles of acoustic mathematics)

Although Song Yingxing was 2000 years later than Pythagoras, he still made up for this neglected shortcoming. Part of his content was also borrowed from the Western mathematical thought translated by Xu Guangqi.

To put it bluntly, the industries and handicrafts involved in these two volumes are more irresponsible than the first three volumes. It is purely the entertainment industry, similar to the service and soundtrack technology of the film industry later, which is why it is so unpopular.

Therefore, if the first three volumes of "Tiangong Kaiwu" will only be criticized by a very few very rigid defenders as "uncanny skills and obscenity", then if the last two volumes are printed, according to the degree of social openness at that time, I am afraid Even enlightened people will spray it as "unique skills and obscenity".

After all, in the 21st century, there are still many people who criticize entertainment technology as "serving actors", let alone the 17th century?

They are all serving the actors and actresses. If this is not a "kinky" coincidence, what else is a "kinky" coincidence?

However, no matter what other people's psychological burdens are, all of these don't exist here with a magnanimous gentleman like Shen Shuren.

What happened to studying the techniques used by the actors?Which of those scholar-bureaucrats who are "all Zheng Yingchao" doesn't go to the land of Qinhuai fireworks?
Listen to music every day, and people are not allowed to study acoustic physics?

Song Yingxing was moved to tears, but he did not forget to remind Shen Shuren of this point: "Shen Daotai, I will accept the price you offered, and I know that this is because you are flattering me. But it is up to you to promote the art of acting as an actor. I'm afraid it will be inconvenient to your reputation..."

Shen Shuren responded domineeringly: "I'm afraid of a bird? I was successful in my youth, and I have achieved great success. I have all the achievements that should be tested, and I have long been fearless. It just so happens that I can rescue two volumes of scientific works that should have been lost. Who else should I? Back to the University Ye, let someone bring you the silver, and leave the rest to me."

Song Yingxing's family was controlled to death, and they also had a deeper understanding of Shen Daotai's righteousness and openness.

……

The group soon returned to Daye Tieshan. Shen Shuren gave the Song family very preferential treatment. He found a big house for Song Yingxing to retire from, and asked him to draw blueprints every day to do calculations and do some research. old age.

The "copyright fee" of 1 taels of silver was given as long as it was offered. On the day after moving in, Shen Shuren directly asked his servants to send over the white cash.

Song Yingxing has been an official for six years, and he only managed to save 3000 taels of books.Now he has suddenly earned 1 taels. Based on his original routine of being an official without corruption, he may have to be an official for 20 years to save so much money.

The money was in place, and they also fully felt the respect. The Song family also quickly put themselves into the state of working hard to serve Shen Daotai as if they had been beaten with chicken blood.

In just a few days after that, Shen Shuren was still worrying about some technical details such as blast furnace refractory brick materials and coke burning technology.After Song Yingxing came, although he couldn't give him the answer directly, he was able to help with the research and provided a lot of detailed ideas.

Shen Shuren was able to provide the general direction, but not the detailed principles. He conspired with Song Yingxing to make up for the shortcomings, and his work efficiency increased several times at once.

In just ten days, Song Yingxing came up with the first technological innovation that made him worth the fare——

Shen Shuren was not very good at chemistry in his previous life, and the mainstream science and technology history books he read in his previous life would only say that he wanted to "study refractory bricks", but Shen Shuren didn't know the specific chemical composition ratio of refractory bricks.

Song Yingxing is from Jiangxi, and after a few days of thinking about firing together, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and suggested that Shen Shuren spend some money and a lot of money to go to his hometown in Jiangxi, find some craftsmen who are good at firing high-temperature kilns in Jingdezhen, and summarize and investigate together.

"Shen Daotai, I have lived in Jiangxi for most of my life, and I have studied and observed kilns. After some china clay is mixed with ordinary brick clay, it can make the kiln more refractory. Why don't we continue to mix along this line of thought? .”

After being reminded like this, Shen Shuren also realized that some burnt brick clay containing aluminate and bauxite components seems to be more promising for high temperature resistance.

With the details of the direction forward, he approved the money with a swipe of the pen, telling Song Yingxing to build a laboratory if he wanted to, and to buy machines and materials as he wanted, and just leave an account.If you are going to Jingdezhen to invite kiln masters to do experiments, you can spend whatever you want, don't be afraid to spend money.

Song Yingxing was greatly encouraged, and in the following December, within a month, he helped Shen Shuren figure out several technical difficulties.

(End of this chapter)