People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 257 Power

“Students should know that our natural science is still in a completely barbaric stage, just like the era of academic scarcity before the Hundred Schools of Thought, and it urgently needs scholars to explore and improve it.

Although I am a teacher, I am not much ahead of you, and there is not much I can teach you.

Perhaps in the future we will explore more topics in natural science together, and the Academy is actually a platform for us to explore and learn together.”

Looking at the students sitting closely together below, Hu Tao suppressed her nervousness and excitement and said the opening words of the class.

This class is the first class in Xuanxia Academy and is obviously of great significance.

Hu Tao, who was just an ordinary carpenter, feels inexplicably honored to be able to stand here and teach today. Who would have thought that such a humble person like him could talk about ideas and academics in front of students today.

He looked around at the students and smiled: "Students, you are lucky. You are a pioneering generation. As long as you achieve something, you may become the new philosophers in the future. I believe you have the ability to lead the new generation of thought."

The students' eyes were shining. They were all touched by Hu Tao's words and were full of expectations for the future.

If I can really bring about a new trend of thought as what these words say, and achieve achievements comparable to those of other philosophers, I will have no regrets about this honor even when I die. And this is obviously possible for my generation.

This first batch of students must be the best who have emerged from Xuanxia's education. Although they come from poor backgrounds, they are smart and hardworking. After entering the Academy, the highest institution of natural sciences, the achievements they can make are no lower than those of traditional scholars.

Just as Hu Tao said, natural science is now a new world waiting to be explored, and students have great potential.

Outside the classroom, Xu Chen and Zhang Zhongjing hid outside the door and listened for a while, nodding frequently at Hu Tao's opening words. Just from these words, it can be seen that Hu Tao's cultivation now is by no means comparable to that of the former carpenter.

Zhang Zhongjing stroked his beard and smiled: "The teachers in the academy are either craftsmen or alchemists like Gan Shi. If it were in the past, I would definitely sneer at such an academy, but I have to say that these people's knowledge and cultivation have surpassed their original status and can be regarded as qualified scholars."

Xu Chen continued to listen for a while, and Hu Tao had already started the formal lecture, teaching the various academic theories he had been researching for many years.

Most of these academic contents are related to the scope of mechanical engineering.

Today, Hu Tao has a natural science mindset. He no longer simply studies technical issues, but instead combines his own learning and research results to explore relevant theories.

In this process, his practical experience as a carpenter did play a significant role, but more importantly, it was his mature application of natural science methodology that determined his current achievements. He is indeed not just a carpenter, but an engineer who explored the theory of construction machinery, so he is naturally qualified to teach today.

"If it is really traditional scholars who come to teach, I would rather tear down this academy."

Xu Chen shook his head and said disapprovingly: "Xuanxia's new talents are definitely not worse than those scholars. The value they can create is more direct. Holding on to Confucian classics will definitely not produce today's microscopes."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongjing wanted to say a few words for the traditional scholars, after all, he himself was also a traditional scholar.

But when the words came to his lips, he felt at a loss for words. After all, he could not learn anything like a microscope by studying Confucian classics. In comparison, natural science was obviously more practical.

Even when talking about abstract social cognition, the teachings of naturalism have a self-consistent ideological system, and today's Xuanxia is the product of practice. Zhang Zhongjing had to admit that naturalism is obviously more advanced than Confucianism to some extent.

As for where the advancement lies, there is no need to look anywhere else. Zhang Zhongjing only needs to take a look inside the church. The fact that these students from the lowest social classes and teachers who were carpenters can stand in such an institution is the most direct reflection of the fact.

After all, you would never see such a scene in the Han Dynasty.

After a wry smile, Zhang Zhongjing avoided the topic and continued to attend classes outside with Xu Chen.

In fact, Zhang Zhongjing's identity is also very embarrassing. He would not discredit the traditional classics, history, and collections, but he also loves the current research on natural sciences. Whenever he talks about related things, he will feel entangled and uncomfortable.

All he could do was not think about those things and focus on the research at hand. Whenever he made some medical achievements, the joy he felt would outweigh all his worries.

In this first class, Hu Tao did not talk about anything in depth, but just talked about his theoretical achievements in recent years and the specific practical significance of this subject. In recent years, Hu Tao has studied machinery and has not only made considerable contributions to military equipment, but also invented many production-related equipment.

For example, the spinning and looms that brought epoch-making significance to the textile industry, this contribution alone is enough to go down in history. It increased the efficiency of the originally inefficient textile process by dozens of times. Otherwise, the people of Xuanxia would not be able to buy cheap clothes today.

Or it could be the hydraulic forging machines used for forging steel in various metal processing workshops, or the hydraulic lathes and drilling machines used for some cutting and drilling processes.

There are also hydraulic saws for wood processing, various improved water wheels for the folks, and countless other achievements.

Hu Tao is now a pioneer in this field and is creating academic theories. Once the theories are gradually perfected, more complex and precise instruments can be manufactured, and this academic discipline will have a foundation for widespread inheritance and learning.

But at the end of the class, Hu Tao said something that surprised Xu Chen.

"Before the end of today's class, I would like to start a research topic with my classmates, which is to find a more powerful force for humans to help us produce and live more efficiently."

When Hu Tao's voice came over, Xu Chen's eyes suddenly lit up.

But most of the students in the classroom looked puzzled.

A student asked: "Teacher, what do you mean by force?"

Hu Tao's voice was heard again, and his tone was very confident: "Power is something we can use to produce and live. It is very laborious for us to use our own manpower to produce and live, so we ride horses and oxen to use animal power, but animal power can only do a few things, so we use water power to drive machinery for irrigation and processing."

When he said this, the class became noticeably quiet, and the students were obviously lost in thought.

These words simply enlightened them and made them suddenly realize the significance of utilizing external forces. Not only did Xu Chen's eyes light up, but Zhang Zhongjing on the side also seemed to be thinking about something.

This novel statement is enough to arouse everyone's curiosity.

Hu Tao's voice was heard again: "I have spent most of my time in recent years studying the use of water power. Water power is indeed a very good source of power due to its continuous stability, but I also found that the current use of water power has reached its limit, so I wonder if there are other more powerful forces that can be used."

This time, Xu Chen looked at Hu Tao more seriously and couldn't help but smile. Maybe Xuan Xia could really become a great talent.

If one can think of this step, then that thing is not far away. Xu Chen is even about to blurt out the answer.

"steam!"

Hu Tao's voice was somewhat excited, but there was also hesitation in this excitement: "I drink hot water in Xuanxia. I also accidentally discovered a phenomenon when boiling water. As long as the water is boiled, there will be steam to lift the lid of the jar. Where does this force to lift the lid come from? Can we use it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a burst of exclamations in the classroom. Students talked about it and recalled this phenomenon they had seen in their own lives.

After hearing what Hu Tao said, they suddenly realized that there seemed to be some truth to it.

Hu Tao's words had not yet been finished, and he soon continued: "Recently, there was a tragic explosion of a boiler in the city's bathhouse. This boiler was the urn for cooking. Afterwards, we investigated and researched and confirmed that this was because the internal pressure of the boiler was too high and the explosion was earth-shattering. If we can use this great power..."

Zhang Zhongjing couldn't help but be surprised when he heard this. He looked at Xu Chen and said, "May I ask the Prime Minister, is this really feasible?"

Xu Chen smiled, turned around and left, leaving only one sentence: "Maybe, if he applies to you for research funding, you can consider agreeing to give it a try, just in case it succeeds."

Zhang Zhongjing was a little stunned and thought about it in his mind.

If Xu Chen hadn't said this, I would have had to think carefully about asking me for funding for such a fantastic project.

(End of this chapter)