warring states careerist

Chapter 183 Infinite Changes and New Strategies ([-])
When Shi left to go to work, a Mohist asked Mozi, "Shi's method is something I have never used before. Are those numbers really more accurate than the blind man's ears?"

Mozi didn't answer yes or no, but asked rhetorically: "Do you still remember that when the grass and silk were made, the first thing you should do was not to write?"

That incident has passed for a long time, but the inkman still remembers it clearly, and he says it is true.

"It's suitable to say that it's not the right way to argue with your mouth about things like shadows not moving. Sometimes, people's eyes can deceive themselves, so why can't their ears? Things that cannot be changed in the world are just like the ups and downs , whether you can see it or not, even if it is covered with dark clouds, as long as you have a calendar, you can know."

The disciple asked: "Sir, do you think that the Will of Heaven that I mentioned is like a calendar? It's like a calendar that can predict the waxing and waning of the moon several days in advance?"

Mozi nodded and sighed, "A lot of things he said sounded wrong, and I even thought it was unreasonable. But I believe that the method he said, if it can be verified, it is correct."

"After defending the city, if this is done, I will send people to Yandi and then go north to see if the Midsummer Night in the Northland is extremely short according to the "Shan Hai Jing"."

"If that's the case, the explanation that fits the "Shan Hai Jing" is a possible correctness. Whether it is true or not is unknown, but at least it can be verified with facts than the explanations of those people now."

"There are many possibilities for everything, but only when the truth is consistent with the facts can it be said that it may be right."

"If this matter is properly done, Mohists must learn their geometry to defend the city in the future."

The disciple also said: "I think so too. If it can be done, I must learn those boring geometry."

Mozi asked with a smile, "Don't you have doubts?"

The disciple shook his head and smiled, "It's not just doubts, it's really a bit mysterious. It's like a disciple who is good at running and knows that people with big and strong legs can run fast. Strange."

Mozi pointed to the paper beside him and said, "Riding the Wind and Flying the Clouds, if you can learn it, it will not be mysterious. Let's see whether he is right or wrong. Even if he is wrong, there is still time to make up for it."

…………

The artisan gathering place in Shangqiu City, because of the defense of the city, all kinds of craftsmen are gathered together to make all kinds of strange defensive utensils or armor and spears.

This is not the Mohist's workshop, it still adopts the industrial and commercial food official system.

But those potters and masons were gathered together by the Mozhe to make the equipment for defending the city according to the Mozhe's rules and regulations.

The tile pottery pipes two feet five inches long and six in circumference are being fired in the kiln. These potters were able to make some pottery pipes for urban drainage, and these things are not difficult to make.

It’s just that the Mohists require that the sizes be the same, and they use some special rotating pottery wheel tools to try to make every item produced the same, and some people use a ruler to check it.

These pottery pipes are cut into two halves, and when they need to be used, they are combined into one, so that they can be easily connected and transported. When necessary, only the joints need to be sealed with mixed mud.

Mozi's workshops have special weights and measures to ensure that even if these utensils are not a set, they can also be used interchangeably.

It's just that the Mohist's management method is really strict. To be precise, when defending the city, it is actually stricter than the management under the previous industrial and commercial food official system.

Harsh methods can produce good enough utensils, but this method cannot last long. If it is used to govern the country, it will turn the empire into "defending the city all the time".

The Mohists who built these pottery tubes are busy checking and preparing charcoal, rice bran and other things, so that they can be stuffed into the pottery tubes at that time.

The huge wooden blowing bellows and the pulling device of the orange lever device are all being prepared intensively.

Correspondingly, Shi was also busy calculating the direction and approximate distance of Chu people's excavation.

Without a table of trigonometric functions, you can only use the most stupid means to calculate with delicate measuring ropes.

The positions of the wells listening to the sound are all fixed, and the direction is basically fine. It is suitable to mark a range on the map of Shangqiu behind him. Generally speaking, there is nothing wrong with it, but the error is slightly larger.

Most of those who were busy with him didn't fully understand the reason behind it, but they learned a lot from following him, which is no longer a mystery in their eyes.

At the time of precise measurement and calculation, I cursed in my heart that it would be too difficult to start from scratch. After 30 or 20 years, I must catch a group of the best scholars in mathematics and let them do their best to fight for money. It took ten or twenty years to come up with a function table, and it wouldn't be so troublesome.

The calculated results are always more accurate than the measured ones, but unfortunately those weird ones are not pi, which is not so easy to remember.

A few days later, the blind men kept reporting the directions of the voices they heard, and it was appropriate to use the results multiple times to correct errors.

According to his calculations, Chu people's digging speed is not fast, and there is enough time, but if they want to make another contribution to the Mohists, they can't dig until Mozi can come forward and judge.

When the Chu people's tunnel was about seventy or eighty steps away from the city wall of Shangqiu, Shi Jiaoren carefully took down the picture of Shangqiu and came to Mozi.

Most of the Mohists who are in charge of military city defense are there, and pointing to the points he calculated, he said: "Basically, it's here."

Mozi looked at it and asked, "How much is the difference?"

"Ten steps?"

All Mohists nodded one after another, ten steps is a completely acceptable error, even if Mo Zi stepped forward to make the Chu people get closer, it would still be within this range.

If you can be sure, then you can prepare to dig a tunnel to fight back now. At that time, you only need to prepare a special stethoscope-like crock made by the Mozhe, and you can determine the exact location of the Chu people after approaching, so as to preemptively strike.

The Mohist then asked the Mohist who was a potter, "How are those pottery pipes prepared?"

"My lord, it's enough for a hundred steps. It can be connected after passing the inspection. The rest of the charcoal stove, wormwood, and the pepper skins and straws we brought are all complete. The bellows can also be used at any time, and those who follow can There are also quite a few people who are skilled at pulling the bellows."

Mozi took another look at Shihua's position and said, "I believe in Shi."

He didn't say this for the right to listen, but for the rest of the Mohists who are in charge of military operations and have voting rights, and everyone present agreed.

Or say: "Although Shi's method is not very clear, it should be right. It is said that Shi is just a warlock, but I think he is impressive in astronomy and geography."

The sorcerer here refers to the sorcerer in "Six Secret Teachings", not the alchemist.Terms such as astronomy and geography have already existed at this time.

"Yi" once said: Look up to observe astronomy, and look down to observe geography.The original meaning is not the astronomy and geography that Shi thinks, but the meaning inside the Mohists is closer to the understanding that Shi is familiar with.

Gong Zaoye joked: "A person who can write the Classic of Mountains and Seas, doesn't he know astronomy and geography? Well, sir, I can tell you that if the calculation is correct this time, in the future Mohists who learn to defend the city will learn your geometry. And It is said that if the defense of the city is completed, people must be sent to the north of Yandi, or to the North Korea of ​​Jizi, to see if the sky there is longer on Midsummer Night."

At this time, the saying that the shadow of the sun is one inch shorter before traveling thousands of miles, but the forged "Shan Hai Jing" has already been put forward, Shi said with a smile: "Even if you don't talk about this matter, I will ask you to do it. I said in the future As long as this matter can be confirmed, the disputes between Lie Yukou, Yang Zhu and others about the geography of the world will be settled on their own."

"It's just that we not only need Mohists to go to this matter, but also bring people from other schools as witnesses. I think we Mohists can spend money, food and silk. This is a major event that benefits the world, and they may not have so much money." money."

He said it casually, everyone laughed, and said that since he said so casually, he didn't care whether the location of the acupuncture point was correct, it seemed that he knew it well.

Now that he has decided to trust Shi, Mozi said: "In this case, we must prepare to dig a crypt to surprise the Chu people. Since you choose Yanxun, follow what Shi said, let those escape alive when the time comes, and don't kill them."

"A person who is alive and has listened to the righteousness of the Mohists returns to the Chu camp, and kicks the problem back to the Chu people. Let the Chu people solve it. This is a good way to deal with the enemy."

"If this is done, the first skill of preparing acupuncture points should be appropriate."

Everyone had no objection, and took a long breath, thinking that the possibility of mistakes in mathematics is small, and this matter should be regarded as a sure thing.

Shi also selected some sharp-tongued mohists who are proficient in Chu, Chen, Yangxia, Fangcheng and other local dialects. When they get close, they will judge where the other party is from and shout out.

Since it is unlikely that the diggers are nobles, and those who dig the pit together are unlikely to speak a language barrier, it is likely that only one dialect will be needed at that time.

After the matter was agreed upon, some details had already been mastered by the ink writers, such things as digging holes and pipes had already been done a lot, and various details had been practiced countless times in actual combat.

After confirming the position, do it near the city wall, so that the Chu army who was watching from a high place outside the city would not notice Mo Zhe's actions because of the angle of view.

A large number of ink carts were gathered, pretending to be transporting grain, and the carts were filled with the soil dug out of the pits.This kind of camouflage had already been prepared when it was discovered that the Chu people started digging burrows.

When the new iron tools are distributed, tools such as copper, stone, and bone must be removed, and the efficiency will be several times faster.

How to straighten, how to prevent subsidence, how to avoid underground springs, these Mohists have talents who have practiced it several times, and there is no need to come forward at all.

However, after observing the movement of Chu people in the distance, he went to the vicinity of the tunnel, hoping to turn those techniques into theory and record them for future generations to learn.

A few days later, a disheveled mohist came to Mozi's big tent excitedly, and said repeatedly: "Shi is right! I can already hear the movement of Chu people's digging! He Shi calculated the position, but only Two steps are not enough!"

When Mozi heard this, he just smiled, as if he had expected it.

The few Mohists were shocked, and they looked at the picture of Shangqiu with a line, and they couldn't stop praising.

Two steps, even if the enemy has already dug close to the city wall, it is extremely rare for Mo Zi to come forward and estimate based on decades of experience!
As long as it is within ten steps, it is considered to be more than half successful, and within two steps, it can almost be said to be perfect.

Could it be that those weird numbers really have such abilities?Is there really a method that is not weaker than Mozi's decades of experience?

Mozi just smiled, but said in his heart: "With dozens of years of experience in defending the city like me, among the disciples, only Qin Huali can make a calculation that is less than two steps away. The appropriate method can be learned extensively. , Mohist's city defense skills are endless in the world, and they must be passed down!"

The joy in his heart far surpassed the fact that he had dug through the matter itself.

Even if the calculation is wrong, with the iron tools and his personal presence, he can still fight back against the siege of the Chu people.

And to accomplish this thing is to make Mozi excited by the many methods of Mozi. Maybe it is really as Shi said, as long as it is compiled into a book and promoted, it can be passed on to the world and last forever!

Shi Shi, who was continuing to observe the Chu people's camps on the city wall and calculate the distance between the camps, got the news, packed up in a hurry, and brought a few Mohists who were proficient in dialects to the tunnel under the city wall.

A huge stove has been set up, filled with smoky materials such as wormwood and pepper skins, ready to be ignited.

The thick pottery pipe is connected to the stove, leading into the dark cave. There is a big copper bell next to it. If you are ready for a butt attack, you only need to pull the copper bell inside to ignite the fire immediately.

The strong Mohists are preparing all kinds of strange weapons, such as hooks, iron suits, barbarian spears, chief spears and other weapons that cannot be called.

The pre-configured eyewash medicine is also packed in jars and transported inwards. There are men and women in charge of digging the caves, and the division of labor and cooperation is very fast.

The cave is very spacious, and the long pottery pipes are stretched all the way close to the ground, and the mud has been applied to prevent air leakage.

Inside the cave, every twelve steps, a large room was dug out on both sides for the garrison of soldiers, and there were small pottery pipes on it for ventilation.

Between twelve steps, there must be a very narrow place, a person can just pass through, and there are a bunch of large shield-like wooden doors beside it, which are hollowed out and can be attacked with spears, and can be blocked at any time to prevent thick smoke if necessary come here.

Near the end of the cave, there was only a faint light, and the inkmen did not dare to use a big fire to avoid suffocation. They could only use some small torches. Fortunately, there was turpentine and vegetable oil, which would be able to illuminate.

There are wooden supports in some dangerous places. It seems that the Mozhe who is in charge of digging the tunnels should be from a place like a copper mine, and he is extremely skilled in doing it.

Shi Shi walked into the last big room, and an ink man was holding a special weird pottery urn covered with cowhide, and put his ear on it to listen to the movement.

Shi didn't dare to speak loudly, and the rest of the Mohists were ready with tools at any time, and behind them were wooden shields to block the enemy.

Shi secretly admired all this, and said in his heart that Mo Zhe is really skilled in digging pits, and with those defensive equipment such as pottery pipes, ventilation, and blowing wind, there is indeed no one in this world who wants to smelt iron and mines more suitable than Mo Zhe that's it.

The Mohist who listened to the voice listened carefully for a while, then whispered: "It should be Mr. Chen, just two steps to our side."

The Mohist who was in charge of force inside nodded and signaled to do it.

Shi suddenly thought of something, and whispered: "Let them dig for a while, capture dozens of people alive, and then smoke away the people behind."

(End of this chapter)