Chapter 89

They said that the Xu Shaozhan mentioned by Zhang Han and Xuan Hu Gong was none other than the famous Xu Guangqi of later generations. This man was indeed a prodigy during the late Ming Dynasty. In his early years, he was a scholar who traveled to various places to teach Confucian classics. In the middle of the Wanli period, after passing the provincial examination, he developed a strong interest in agronomy and hydraulics, and began to study astronomy and mathematics, laying a solid foundation in mathematics. After passing the imperial examination, he studied mathematics with the Western missionary Matteo Ricci and translated works on geometry. Terms in Chinese such as "parallel lines," "triangle," "diagonal," and "right angle" were all translated by Xu Guangqi with considerable effort. Even later generations benefited greatly from this elder's contributions. Not only did he study himself, but he also recruited many students in the court and among the people, and encouraged missionaries to teach geometry and mathematics at the Southern Hall. This was a positive development, and by the Chongzhen period, quite a few scholars had high levels of expertise in mathematics and geometry, with Sun Yuanhua being a representative figure.

It can be said that Xu Guangqi's level of expertise in various fields was undoubtedly the best of his time!

However, among the literati, those who were extremely conservative were very dissatisfied with Xu Guangqi's focus on astronomy and mathematics, including geometry. In the minds of the scholars, studying hydraulics and agronomy was already considered a waste of time, and devoting energy to astronomy and geometry was almost seen as a loss of virtue. Encouraging young scholars to study these subjects was considered heretical.

Of course, this level of criticism was merely an academic dispute, and no one wanted to ban Western learning. They were quite tolerant of the missionaries, whether they were preaching or teaching. At this time, China had not yet lost its confidence, which was very different from the situation a few hundred years later.

As a student of Xu Guangqi, Kong Minxue naturally had some grievances in his heart.

"Brother Zhi, what is your main area of expertise?"

Zhang Han finally understood why Kong Minxing was so interested in the blast furnace at the ironworks. It was because he was a student of Xu Guangqi. If he were an ordinary scholar, he probably wouldn't have much interest in such matters.

"I am ashamed to say..." Kong Minxing smiled, "I have a strong interest in agronomy, and also in mathematics. As for geometry, hydraulics, or the making of instruments, I have some interest, but I am not deeply involved."

Xu Guangqi's academic expertise was indeed very strong, and his disciples each had their own areas of specialization. Sun Yuanhua, for example, was an expert in the making of instruments and had manufactured a large number of red-barreled cannons in Dengzhou. When Kong Youde rebelled, he took the red-barreled cannons and the technicians who made them, including those who made guns and fire, with him.

Kong Minxing, on the other hand, was an expert in agronomy. He assumed that Zhang Han would not be interested in agronomy, as the ironworks and the various businesses of Heyu Sheng had little to do with it.

To his surprise, Zhang Han, after hearing this, said solemnly, "Brother Zhi, I have something to ask you. May I?"

Kong Minxing smiled, "What's the problem with that? We're just chatting, so we can talk about anything."

Li Shenming, at this point, protested, "Wenlan, are you going to let us stay hungry?"

Zhang Han laughed and quickly ordered a table of wine and dishes to be brought. This was a small matter and was quickly arranged. While waiting, the three of them watched the drizzling rain and the surrounding scenery from the pavilion. Zhang Han's courtyard was an old residence bought from a local gentry, with flowers and trees scattered throughout the yard. Some strange rocks were placed in the gaps between the pavilions, and moss climbed up the rocks and the walls, creating a lush green scene. The rain and mist added to the charm, making the ordinary residence feel particularly refreshing.

"We are all people of the world," Li Shenming said first. "We are always busy and never take the time to sit down and calm our minds."

Kong Minxing smiled, "If you didn't seek wealth, how could you live in such a residence and enjoy such scenery?"

Zhang Han also said, "There are many people selling wet firewood and carrying dumpling stands outside. Do you think they don't want to rest on such a day and chat with their children at home? They have no choice; if they don't work, they don't eat. Brother Zunlu, you are being overly sentimental."

"Can't I be sentimental once?" Li Shenming laughed and scolded, "You are so vulgar, it's disgusting."

Zhang Han said, "Then you are charmingly vulgar... Let's sit down and drink and talk."

These three, Zhang Han and Li Shenming were sworn brothers, and their friendship was well-established. This was their first meeting with Kong Minxing, but they already felt a strong rapport. The connection between people is often about whether their auras are compatible. Of course, it also depends on whether there are mutual benefits to be gained, which is the foundation of any relationship. On this foundation, whether a true friendship can be built depends on whether their auras are compatible.

Zhang Han was relieved that he and Kong Minxing could establish a preliminary friendship.

"This is chopped pepper fish head, made with a secret recipe. Please try it first."

Zhang Han calmly took a bite and then drank a cup of wine. The wine was not strong, but it was smooth and had a long aftertaste, which was perfect for neutralizing the spiciness. To Kong Minxing and Li Shenming, there was nothing unusual about it. The fish head was steamed with green and red peppers, making it colorful and appetizing. Both of them were not shy and took large bites.

"Cough, cough..."

"What is this taste..."

Both of them swallowed the fish meat in one bite, but they suffered. Li Shenming stood up and stomped his feet, and Kong Minxing's pale face turned red instantly. Zhang Han laughed and urged them to drink, and indeed, after each of them drank two large glasses of wine, the burning sensation in their mouths decreased significantly.

Li Shenming, at this point, put on a senior's demeanor and scolded, "Wenlan, your prank went too far."

Zhang Han, fearing that Kong Minxing would misunderstand, quickly explained, "This is chili pepper. The seeds are rare, and I had to send people to Shandong to find some. I kept some for planting and used the rest to treat the two of you. How can this be a prank... I ate a large bite myself first."

Kong Minxing was originally a bit angry, but now he understood. He pointed to the plate and said, "This is from Nanyang, right?"

Zhang Han said, "Exactly. Like corn and sweet potatoes, it was introduced from Nanyang. I should have explained, but I wanted to leave a strong impression on the two of you, so I pretended to be ignorant."

This was a form of apology, and Kong Minxing and Li Shenming laughed it off. They picked up their chopsticks again, this time prepared, and found the spicy yet flavorful taste quite appealing. The fish head was quickly finished.

"What I wanted to ask Brother Zhi about is related to crops from Nanyang..." Zhang Han then said seriously to Kong Minxing, "The chili pepper was just to make an impression. Spiciness is only used to stimulate the appetite; it cannot be a staple food. However, corn is very drought-resistant and does not require much fertilizer. It can be planted on slopes and in front of houses. When ground into flour, it is not very tasty but can serve as a staple food. At least, when combined with wild vegetables, it can prevent people from starving to death. Such a good thing, but the yield is too low. My estate has thousands of acres, and there are many places suitable for planting corn. People say that one acre of land only yields about one shi (a unit of measurement), which is less than millet, sorghum, or beans. Sweet potatoes are similar; they do not require fertile land and can even improve the soil after two years of planting, but their yield is also not high. I heard that Xuan Hu Gong tried planting them in Tianjin. Brother Zhi, I am very confused and hope you can enlighten me."

Kong Minxing sat still, and the leisurely and elegant demeanor of a scholar had disappeared. Instead, he was now solemn, showing respect to Zhang Han. Given Kong Minxing's status, he did not need to be so formal, but this attitude showed his high regard for Zhang Han.

After listening to Zhang Han's question, Kong Minxing's face showed a bitter expression. He hesitated for a long time before answering solemnly, "Wenlan's question is a big topic. To be honest, it could be answered in a thousand words. But here, I can't be that detailed. I can only say that success and failure depend on the people involved."

"Brother Zhi, are you saying that what Xuan Hu Gong did in Tianjin succeeded because he was there, and failed because he was not?"

"Something like that," Kong Minxing said. "There are many constraints. My teacher not only has to handle civil affairs but also has to pay attention to the court. Last year, due to the Eastern Tartars, the emperor entrusted him with the task of training a new army. For the past half year, he has focused most of his energy on training the army, and the affairs of the farm have been neglected. Without someone to manage it, the study of agronomy, which was not highly regarded, has been left unattended, and the efforts of the past have been wasted. As for the low yield of sweet potatoes and corn, my teacher has been experimenting with them for years. The main issues with sweet potatoes are: first, the seeds are difficult to survive the winter, and planting is easier in the south than in the north. In the south, the land is fertile, and rice yields are high, so they do not pay much attention to sweet potatoes, treating them as snacks rather than staple crops. Second, selecting good seeds is crucial. Like corn, carefully selecting seeds can increase the yield by at least 30%. Selecting the best seeds from the best varieties can significantly increase the yield. However, without the government's support, my teacher and I have limited resources and cannot achieve this. In fact, after years of planting, my teacher has described some methods for improving the yield of sweet potatoes in the 'Complete Book of Agriculture,' such as turning the vines, pruning the stems, cold bed seedling cultivation, pruning for seedling cultivation, winter storage of seedlings, and dry storage. If we could widely select good seeds, sweet potatoes could be widely planted in the north. If sweet potatoes could be widely planted along the nine borders, it would truly be a great benefit to the country and the people. Unfortunately, my teacher's appeals to the court and the emperor have been ignored, which is truly regrettable."