The day before the Persian envoy arrived, Shao Shude had just met Wu Lujue from Xiang Xiong.
"Why are you here so late?" He asked directly, somewhat displeased.
The stations along the way made preparations for you, delivered messages, and entertained people, but it took a year to get a reply.
"There were internal disputes and it was difficult to make a decision." Wu Lujue was also a little depressed: "Some local kings had objections to this, and my uncle spent a long time convincing them one by one."
"But Jidenimagon is involved?" Shao Shude asked.
"Your Majesty is wise." Wu Lujue said in an admiring tone: "Jid Nyimagon sent two groups of envoys one after another. Several local kings had some back-and-forth. My uncle had to find a way to persuade him, which took more than half a year."
Shao Shude nodded slightly, accepting his statement.
He was too lazy to care about what method the Lu family used to convince the Tuwang, whether it was threats of force or political compromise. What was important was that they unanimously agreed and decided to follow Brother Tie as the leader and complete Shao Shude's vanity of "opening up the map."
Heart.
"It won't happen again, right?" he confirmed.
"No more." Wu Lujue replied.
In fact, how can you dare to guarantee this kind of thing? But when it comes to this matter, how can you answer? If the Supreme Emperor is angered, he will directly contact other families, although it may not be able to sway the Lu family.
status, but it will definitely cause trouble. Even if he seeks out Jidenimagon, do you think they will be unwilling to do so?
"That's good. This matter should not be delayed. Let's leave in a few days." Shao Shude said: "Go directly south from Qingtang, enter Zhongyun, and then go west to Khotan, which will be closer."
"Okay." Wu Lujue responded.
He is very obedient, just like Brother Tie. That boy agrees to everything now. Even if you ask him to bark like a dog, he will agree as long as there are no outsiders. But the more this happens, the more anxious he is. What will happen if he really gets his wish?
,Hard to say.
"I will give Lushi General Xuanwei and Dingyuan General the rank of officer. You can decide which one to give, just give your name." Shao Shude added: "As for you, you can be the official of the court meeting."
Although Wu Lujue didn't think these official positions were of any use, he thought that they could always improve his status. If there were major changes in the future, there would be another way out, so he responded obediently: "I obey the order."
Shao Shude laughed and said: "The Wulu family has been a large Tubo family for a long time, but now it seems that they can't take any advantage in Luozhe. It's better to think of ways to shrink our strength and manage Xiangxiong well. There are only a few people left in Luozhe.
It's enough to keep talking in the court. Are there any enemies on Xiangxiong's side?"
"Back to Your Majesty." Wu Lujue said: "Logically speaking, after accepting the descendants of Ersong, the descendants of Yundan are enemies. But looking at the situation, it is a mess. I am afraid they are not very interested in the Ersong family.
It is impossible to kill them all. In this way, Xiangxiong will be safe on all sides, with only a few border troubles left."
"Where are the side problems?" Shao Shude asked.
"In the south." Bu Lujue gave a brief introduction.
Shao Shude understood after listening for a long time.
Tubo has a large territory at the southern foot of the Himalayas, but its rule is not stable. The local princes often rebel. Especially since Tubo has been in civil strife for decades, many princes have seen the weakness of Tubo and it is possible to break away from the rule.
of.
To deal with these people, we usually attack both the military and political sides at the same time.
In terms of politics, it means vigorously coaxing people together. In the feudal system, the princes and princes make the final decision on local affairs, as long as the Zanpu is still the main one.
Military means are ranked lower. Because of the local transportation and environment, troops are generally not used. Only when political means cannot solve the problem and Zanpu is unwilling to give up some land will the army be dispatched to pacify it and deter other potential ambitions.
Home.
"It's up to you in the south to win over and conquer. Tubo has been in chaos for so many years, and it's difficult to unify. But it can still be done to keep one side safe, and the Lu family can do it well." Shao Shude said: "I
I'm watching you. If he does well, he will be a good and capable official, and I can promote him to serve as an official in the Central Plains."
"I will definitely bring this news back." Bu Lujue said sincerely.
Shao Shude smiled again.
People may be genuinely happy, or they may be pretending, but more likely they are half-truths.
Is it attractive to work as an official in the Central Plains? Yes.
Are they all willing to come? Not necessarily. It can even be said that most of them are not willing to come.
But once this gesture was made, it gave them a thought and strengthened their centripetal force.
After sending Wu Lu to sleep, the matter of Brother Tie's departure from Beijing was finalized.
Reminiscent of the fact that a while ago, he tentatively requested to take his eldest son on the road with him, but Shao Shude refused.
Haha, what are you thinking about? Your eldest son is yours, so you just want to take him away, right?
This also made Shao Shude more vigilant.
This iron brother is definitely not a fuel-saving lamp. He sent his wife to someone else's bed himself and gave birth to a child. He can bear this humiliation. What else can't he do?
In view of this, Shao Shude decided to win over the Meulu family more deeply.
He has the whole world in his hands, and the conditions he offers are beyond what Brother Tie can match. Just live your whole life in a miserable state. You are just a passer-by in this place like Shang Hung. You may get rich, but that's it.
, as a reward for your obedience.
****
On November 23, Shao Shude summoned the Persian envoy in the Hehuan Hall of Shangyang Palace.
Early in the morning, Mrs. Liu scolded the two junior palace officials outside the palace.
Adie's two daughters were scolded until they burst into tears, and they left after a long time.
He lay lazily on the bed and got up to dress up after a long while. Sitting in front of the mirror, he felt some stains and lumps on the delicate inner thigh skin, so he went to take a shower again.
She had become accustomed to the comfort, luxury and convenience of the Great Xia court, and she gradually fell into this wealthy life.
Mrs. Liu walked in angrily, took one look at Mr. Shao's plump body, and then looked at her small airport, feeling even more annoyed.
"Hu Meizi, a fallen flower, has been seducing the saint all day long." She murmured in a low voice: "In the beginning, I was dying and crying, but now I don't even blush. If I continue like this, we will see how the saint will die.
I just forgot about you."
The Hao family was far away and naturally couldn't hear it, but the maids following Liu family could hear it clearly.
But what can they say? This lady is the adopted daughter of the empress. She has become a sixth-grade canon of the Shangyi Bureau as soon as she comes. She can almost walk sideways in the harem, and ordinary concubines can't really offend her.
Outside the dormitory hall, Wang Yanfan had already surrounded the holy driver and headed towards the main hall. The canopy was like clouds, and the ceremonial guards were like forests, which was vast and majestic.
This is the "simple and unpretentious" "home life" of the Great Xia Zi, the supreme emperor.
After arriving at the main hall of Hehuan Hall, the Persian envoys Elbrus and Tam had been waiting for a long time.
After seeing Shao Shude, they crossed their hands in front of them and bowed.
"No courtesy." Shao Shude said with a smile while sitting on the dragon chair.
There is a reason why the meeting place is set at Hehuan Hall.
This palace has a main hall, side halls, and several pavilions and pavilions. It is located at the southernmost end of Shangyang Palace, across the river from other palaces.
Hehuan Hall did not exist in the Tang Dynasty and was completed only after Shao Xia established it. Its style is very different from other palaces in ancient China.
The whole body is made of strips of stone, bricks and large wood, and was designed by the late Master Mani and a group of his students.
The main hall is very open and adopts a large dome structure without a single pillar, so the view is unobstructed.
The lighting is also very good, it can be said to be brighter than any other palace in Ziwei and Shangyang Second Palace.
Shao Shude later visited the Forbidden City and was very disappointed with the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which was the highest standard for holding court ceremonies.
He never thought that the internal space of this palace, which was built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, was so small and the lighting was so poor. The Siena Cathedral, which was three hundred years earlier than it, was larger than this palace and the internal space was even wider.
The specifications of the palaces in the Tang Dynasty were slightly larger than those in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but they were essentially the same, because even in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, construction technology was basically stagnant. Later architectural textbooks only covered a small part of ancient Chinese architecture.
After finishing the lecture, he mentioned the large-scale buildings in the Middle East and Europe at length, which already explained the problem very well.
Things that are designed based on experience and are not guided by architectural, mathematical, and mechanical theories are just like this. This is the main reason why he must point out the subject of mathematics, which requires the guidance of scientific theories and not the accumulation of experience.
"I have read the credentials." Shao Shude said, "How does this palace look like?"
To be honest, Tam was a little shocked and Elbrus was also a little dumbfounded.
The Hehuan Hall was hidden among the green trees and red flowers. When he climbed up and looked into the distance, he really didn't notice this building. Seeing it, the two of them felt as if they had arrived in Bukhara.
"This palace has cultivated a large number of talents for me." Shao Shude said: "When we first designed it, I told them not to be afraid of failure and to find reasons for failure, but there must be gains. They did not let me
Disappointed, it took several years to complete. Of course, it may be small compared to Hagia Sophia, and it may not even be as big as the Nestorian Church in Talas, but I am very satisfied.”
"Your Majesty knows about Hagia Sophia?" Tam asked numbly.
"Of course I know." Shao Shude smiled.
This building was designed by physicist Isidore and mathematician Antimus four hundred years ago. It took five years to complete and then stood for fifteen hundred years. Its internal space is large enough to enclose the Forbidden City.
The Temple of Harmony is built into the palace, and due to the extensive use of glazed windows, it has good lighting, making it a symbol of the glorious era of Eastern Rome.
"As a king who is rich all over the world, I feel that His Majesty, the great Supreme Emperor, also needs such a palace to commemorate his golden age." Tam quickly reacted and said immediately.
After the translator finished, Shao Shude laughed loudly and said: "But such a building is not in line with our culture. I built the Hehuan Palace, which has destroyed the overall style of Shangyang Palace. The word style is difficult to explain. You can understand it yourself.
Bar."
Tam is a smart man. After listening, he added: "Your Majesty, style is not a problem at all. We can calculate it during the design, and it does not necessarily have to be a dome."
"Oh? How to design it?" Shao Shude asked.
"Does Your Majesty know conic sections?" Tam asked.
The translator didn't know how to describe the professional mathematical terminology, and he couldn't even find the corresponding Chinese vocabulary.
Shao Shude asked someone to bring paper, and Tam didn't show any stage fright and started drawing directly.
"So it's this thing." Shao Shude said.
This is mentioned in the Imperial College textbook "Geometry", but it is relatively superficial. After all, Master Mani is not a professional mathematician, and his knowledge is relatively limited.
Shao Shude didn't know when later Arabs began to use this knowledge, but a hundred years later some mathematical works were published in Baghdad. Scholars used conic sections to solve cubic equations. Later, these books were introduced to Europe. Hundreds of years later, Europeans came here
Based on this, the parabola theory was developed.
Of course, it would be fine if it were just a parabola. However, when the gunpowder invented in China was introduced to the West——
In the Age of Discovery, ballistics was derived from mathematical parabolas, which was a compulsory subject for every aristocratic naval officer who served as captain...
There is no doubt that systematic scientific theories are extremely important.
Without scientific guidance, you can only fire based on experience, let alone iteratively improve the artillery design.
You can only imitate what other people's gun barrels look like. For example, the "Red Coat Cannon" as a naval gun was copied into an army cannon by the Ming Dynasty, but they actually had better lightweight army field artillery.
You can't design because you don't know the principles and can only reverse engineer. This is terrible.
After Shao Shude read it, he was silent.
"Your Majesty..." Tam called softly.
"Building this kind of building will cost me several years of income." Shao Shude sighed.
The fiscal revenue in a few years is a bit exaggerated, but the cost cannot be small. Once construction begins, the entire country will be greatly affected, and it will indeed not be able to launch a war in a short period of time.
"A great king needs a unique memorial." Tam said half-truthfully.
"You are the lord of the stars, you can unify the entire east and let everyone live and work in peace and contentment."
"You are the kind messenger of heaven, the leader of the northern kingdom's athletes, who make the rough grassland tribes civilized."
"You are the king of kings, and deserts and oases are also the fruits of your martial arts."
"You are so great that people can't help but worship. The essence of the past, the miracles of art, the achievements of genius, as well as the documents, canons, and books all need your protection. Your noble Majesty, you really need a magnificent building.
You have created a palace to display and display these things. Even after a thousand years, this palace will not become a majestic monument, but will still be there for everyone to look up and admire your supreme achievements."
Shao Shude was so excited that he stood up, stroking his beard and looking eager to try.
Elbrus and Tam looked at each other, feeling secretly happy.
"But -" Shao Shude frowned and added: "I lack talents. To design such a magnificent building, it may be possible to hire mathematicians from Baghdad, right?"
"Does Your Majesty know the city of Harran?" Tam asked.
"I don't know."
"Two mathematicians were born in the city of Harran, namely Baitani and Tebit." Tam said: "There are students from them in Bukhara, and there are also students from Khwarizmi who came out of Bukhara.
Do research locally. If Your Majesty needs it, I can have some books sent over, and Your Majesty will know after taking a look."
Baitani is the author of "Table of Stars". While working at the Baghdad Observatory, he published a book refuting many errors of the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy. He discovered the Earth's perihelion and believed that the Earth moves in an elliptical orbit - obviously
, this violated the "Creator Sutra", so he had to remedy it by using scientific theories to explain the "fact" that the Creator created all things.
Later, Copernicus repeatedly quoted Baitany's works to refute the church's "geocentric theory" - of course, Copernicus was also "guilty".
Baitani's achievements in mathematics were mainly the development of spherical trigonometry, which was later spread to Europe.
Tebbit is probably best known for his "affinity number" (Terabit number). This man translated many ancient Greek works. At the same time, he was found guilty by the Temple of the Creator in his hometown for scientific research, so he fled to Baghdad and continued his research.
.
Not to mention Al-Khwarizmi, a native of Central Asia whose algebra textbooks and example collections published a hundred years ago were all the rage.
"I can't understand the work." Shao Shude asked, "Can you ask someone to explain it? I'm very interested."
Elbrus and Tam were in a bit of a dilemma.
Famous mathematicians are usually followers or advisors of nobles, and it is not an easy task to invite them over.
"If you don't come, how can I build the palace?" Seeing that they were silent, Shao Shude asked, "Or do you want me to send someone to invite you?"
Elbrus, Tam was shocked.
"Send people to invite" has many meanings. Sending a few people means inviting, and sending tens of thousands of people also means inviting.
These barbarians are just rude!
"Your Majesty, please do not be impatient..." Elbrus said.
"I am in a hurry to repair the palace, so I will send people back quickly to convey the message. Each person will bring ten horses. Go and return quickly. Otherwise, I will send out an army." Shao Shude shook his sleeves and said unhappily.