Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 251 My First Attempt to Show Off in Front of the Ancients Failed

Zhu Biao was born in the fifteenth year of the Yuan Dynasty's reign (1362), and was only fourteen years old in the second year of the Hongwu reign (1369).

What was I doing when I was fourteen?

I think it was either the second or third year of junior high. I spent my days at school and secretly read novels at night. I was going through a rebellious phase at the time and didn't think going to school was that great. All I could think about was how to have fun. Every weekend I would get together with some classmates and go out and have a blast.

The boy in front of us, who is only fourteen years old, doesn't even have a single true friend. He even has to think about the balance between the common people and the officials and gentry.

If I, Yang, were to continue treating him like a beast of burden, wouldn't that be going too far?

Seeing Zhu Biao's bewildered expression, Magistrate Yang, who rarely had a change of heart, couldn't help but smile and said, "Your Highness, I cannot answer your question. You will have to see for yourself and think for yourself."

After a slight pause, Magistrate Yang continued, "However, Emperor Taizong of Tang once said, 'A bronze mirror can straighten one's clothes, and history can serve as a mirror to see the rise and fall of dynasties.'"

"At the end of the Zhou Dynasty, the seven states fought for supremacy and were eventually united under Qin. After the fall of Qin, Chu and Han fought for supremacy and were eventually united under Han. The Han Dynasty began with Emperor Gaozu's uprising after slaying the white snake, which unified the country. Later, Emperor Guangwu revived the Han Dynasty, which was then divided into the Three Kingdoms by Emperor Xian."

"After that, the Five Barbarian Tribes invaded China, and the country returned to the Sui Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty lasted for two generations before it fell. It then flourished again during the Tang Dynasty. After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the country was in turmoil and was eventually unified under the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty fell to the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, and today the country has returned to the Ming Dynasty."

"Has Your Highness noticed that, apart from the Zhou dynasty falling to the Seven Kingdoms, the Three Kingdoms falling to the Jin dynasty, the Jin dynasty falling to the Five Barbarian Tribes, and the Song dynasty falling to the Jin and Yuan dynasties, all the others fell because the people rose up in rebellion, causing turmoil in the world?"

Zhu Biao nodded thoughtfully and replied, "Yes, my father once said that if one could survive, what common person would be willing to risk their life?"

Magistrate Yang smiled and didn't continue speaking. Instead, he led Zhu Biao out of the county town.

Just a short distance from the west gate of the county town, Magistrate Yang couldn't help but frown and mutter under his breath, "Damn it, it's getting worse and worse."

Zhu Biao covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, looking completely bewildered, and asked, "Brother-in-law, where is this stench coming from? Is it the manure you mentioned when I came last time?"

Magistrate Yang grunted with disdain and said, "That's right, it's well-rotted manure. We'll spread it on the ground now, and when we plow the land later, we'll turn it all over under the soil. We'll spread it again when we harrow the land next spring. This way, we can ensure the fertilizer content and have a good harvest."

Zhu Biao hummed in agreement, then suddenly asked, "Brother-in-law, do you think it's possible to make a kind of fertilizer that doesn't smell?"

When Zhu Biao asked him this question, Magistrate Yang was stunned.

Odorless fertilizer?

There are indeed odorless fertilizers; wood ash is one such example.

But where do ordinary people get so much wood ash to use as fertilizer?

This thing can only serve as a supplement at best.

If you really want to make fertilizer that doesn't smell...

Magistrate Yang's heart skipped a beat. He grunted and said, "Fertilizer that doesn't smell... As long as there are more and more scholars in the world, sooner or later we will be able to produce that kind of fertilizer that doesn't smell."

At this point, Magistrate Yang stopped in his tracks and said to Zhu Biao, "Your Highness, please come with me back to the county office. I will perform a few magic tricks for you."

Upon hearing that there was a magic show to watch, Zhu Biao became very curious and quickly followed Magistrate Yang back to the county office.

Upon returning to the county government office, Magistrate Yang immediately sent someone to fetch a jar, sand, charcoal, cotton, and white cloth, among other things.

After all the items were delivered, Magistrate Yang first smashed a small hole in the bottom of the jar, then plugged the hole with cotton, covered it with a layer of cloth, then sand, and finally powdered charcoal. He then went to his study to grind some ink, brought over a large basin of water, mixed it with ink, and added some yellow clay.

Magistrate Yang smiled and said to the bewildered Zhu Biao, "Your Highness, please observe that when this basin of sewage is poured into the jar, clear water will eventually flow out."

Zhu Biao stared blankly as Magistrate Yang slowly poured a basin of dirty water into a jar, and asked, "Isn't this water filtration? I know this trick, and I also know about water filtration with a water strainer, water filtration with thatch, and water purification pool."

WTF?

What is a water filter bag? And what are thatch and a water purification pool?

So, this official's first attempt to show off in front of the ancients failed miserably, and he even got taught a lesson by a native of the Ming Dynasty?

Gan!

Magistrate Yang, without changing his expression, put the jar aside, coughed lightly, and said, "Does Your Highness know why charcoal and sand can filter water? Why do those impurities adhere to the charcoal? Is the filtered water truly completely clean?"

"Also, why are the flames blue, red, and even yellow? Are all the different flames the same? And why is firewood used instead of charcoal when firing the kiln?"

Why can saltpeter be used to make ice?

"A candle can melt when heated, and iron can also be melted into molten iron. However, a candle can melt when heated in a water bath, while iron needs to be fired with charcoal to melt into molten iron. How much difference is there in temperature between these two processes?"

"Take iron ore for example. Besides iron, does it contain anything else? And what are those other things besides iron?"

"And then there's oil. Freshly extracted oil is black and viscous, but after distillation, there are many different kinds of oil. What are those residues?"

Zhu Biao was speechless for a moment before finally looking at Magistrate Yang and asking, "Brother-in-law, do you know the answer?"

Magistrate Yang did not respond, but instead gave a slight hum and said, "Your humble servant is naturally not able to know the answers to all the questions, but there are so many intelligent people in the world, and there will always be someone who can figure out the answers to one or two of them. Therefore, your humble servant intends to throw these questions to the students in the academy and let them figure out what is going on."

"I believe that once we figure out all these messy issues, it shouldn't be too difficult to produce odorless fertilizer."

As Magistrate Yang finished speaking, Zhu Biao was stunned once again.

No, what does all this random stuff have to do with odorless fertilizer?

What exactly did the scholars in the academy do to offend you? You want them to study these ridiculous questions.

Also, what was the reason I came to Ningyang County? How did it suddenly veer off to whether the fertilizer smelled bad, and then to water filtration?