It was sunny on the sixth day of September in the fifth year of Tongguang Year (920).
Outside Lindu Posthouse, five miles west of Luoyang City, there is a forest of ceremonial guards, which is a spectacular sight.
Shao Shude, the supreme emperor of the Great Xia Empire, came here to greet the Persian scholars who had come from afar. As soon as the news came out, it immediately caused quite a sensation. And as the news spread further and further, the influence is still there.
continues to spread.
It turned out that more than ten scholars from Persia, the "small country" in the west, were so valued by the saint!
What are their abilities? What's so special about them? This is the news that everyone is thinking about.
In fact, this is also Shao Shude's purpose.
As for the new dynasty, how could he not set an example as the emperor?
He has set an example and will naturally lead some people to follow this path. Even if there are only one or two, it is good.
The prince followed closely behind and watched silently.
His understanding of the new dynasty's political affairs is not as thorough as his father's. So far, he thinks the biggest use is probably to collect taxes.
Although he was less involved in the fiscal and tax reform some time ago, a unified plan was finally formed, and he was present when the meeting asked questions about the correctness.
Just one feeling: Great Xia is inseparable from commercial taxation. The new dynasty's elegant government undoubtedly greatly promoted the development of commerce and was of great benefit to the court's tax collection.
The second realization is naturally the famous saying of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty: "The Han family has its own system, which is originally based on the overlord's way. However, it is purely moral education and uses Zhou Zheng!"
In addition, there is out-migration to make room for future population growth and delay the crisis of conflict between man and land.
His understanding of the New Deal was generally limited to these three parts.
A few days ago, when his father proposed to welcome the Persians with great fanfare, he was a little surprised.
The twelve Persians, who at best were Persian scholars and at worst were craftsmen, received such courtesy. Not only did the ministers not expect it, but he, as his son, was also surprised.
I recall that Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the former Tang Dynasty, welcomed Master Xuanzang and sat beside him. This courtesy was equally touching.
You don't have to worry about Li Shimin's purpose. As soon as he set an example, the position of the Buddhist family in the Tang Dynasty was established.
During the Tang Dynasty, Confucian scholars not only had to fight against warriors, but also against Buddhism and Taoism, which was very hard.
At the end of the Xia Dynasty, perhaps because of his father's actions today, he established a certain academic status in one fell swoop.
Suddenly, the bells rang in front and the drums played loudly.
Shao Chengjie picked up his spirits and looked ahead.
On the post road that had been swept in advance, dozens of knights reined in their horses and then dispersed to both sides, revealing a four-wheeled carriage.
After the carriage, a second one and a third one appeared...
"It turned out to be the Silver Saddle Warrior personally escorting him." Shao Chengjie suppressed the surprise in his heart, and a smile slowly appeared on his face.
The Persians on the carriage looked around, with expressions of surprise, joy, and perhaps a hint of fear.
In such a grand occasion, if something is not done well, will Khan actually punish him?
How will he be punished? Tied to the tail of a horse and dragged, trampled by horse hooves, or simply hanged?
This is probably the idea.
The smile on Shao Chengjie's face grew wider. He had dealt with Persian and large food merchants, and had a little understanding of the stereotypes in their minds. The image of his father in the west was more likely to be "Khan" rather than
"Emperor".
The music gradually stopped and the carriage stopped.
Twelve Persian scholars, guided by the clerk of Honglu Temple, slowly stepped forward.
****
"You have gone through wind, frost, rain and snow, and traveled thousands of miles to come to Luoyang to teach the truth." After the protocol officer introduced the twelve Persian scholars one by one, Shao Shude said with a smile on his face: "Such a feat will definitely shine in the annals of history. Future generations.
Reading between the lines, you will definitely feel the grand scene today. Come, please ride in the car with me."
After saying that, Shao Shude stepped forward and grabbed the leading Persian scholar named Bardiya, and with his uneasy expression, he boarded the imperial chariot.
The remaining eleven people were also led to other imperial chariots one by one.
The royal relatives, officials, and generals who accompanied him looked at this grand scene of courtesy and had mixed feelings.
There are not many people who can ride in the same carriage as a saint. How virtuous and capable the Persians are. To receive such a favor is really speechless.
The sound of drumming started again, the imperial chariot rumbled forward, and the palace guards held up their support and gathered around, heading for Luoyang.
"Can you speak Uighur?" Shao Shude asked in Uighur.
Bardia was a little confused when he heard this.
In fact, if he could speak Turkic, he would be able to understand it fairly well, but obviously not.
The interpreter who was riding the horse slowly beside the royal chariot first said it in Sogdian and then repeated it in Persian.
"Honorable Khan, I can speak Sogdian and Persian." Bardia's nervousness was slightly relieved and he said softly.
The translator immediately repeated his words in Chinese.
Shao Shude nodded and said, "I heard that when you passed through Dunhuang, you explained mathematics to the students?"
"Honorable Khan, I am surprised that there are so many schools in the city under your rule, and they also teach mathematics." Xu Shi talked about his professional field, his nervousness mostly dissipated, and said: "I
I taught them some knowledge that even the teachers had not mastered, and their reaction was not very strong, but there was a vague curiosity."
"Oh? Are you saying you don't like new knowledge?" Shao Shude asked.
"No, on the contrary." Bardia said: "I gave a boy an exercise book printed in Samarkand. He expressed his gratitude cautiously. But not long after, the boys who had gone home from school also came.
Everyone wants to get a copy of the exercise book. I only gave away two copies. This is all I have."
Shao Shude smiled happily.
The people he met in Dunhuang should be young people from Shazhou Prefecture School. Some of them did study mathematics. The level of PhDs in mathematics could only be described as average.
But he was very happy to see everyone's thirst for knowledge so strong.
"How do you feel along the way?" he asked.
"Honorable Khan, I don't know if China is the holy land of my dreams that allows me to display my talents and leave a unique mark in history." Bardia said: "I have already experienced the western half of your country.
, I have some understanding of some customs and culture. But I think this is not the whole picture. At best, it is just a microcosm of the real situation. It is an incomplete and unread preface. This huge masterpiece of China is about to be opened to me and my friends.
.”
Shao Shude smiled even more after hearing this.
He has read some essays written by Persian and food merchants in the Tang Dynasty. It can be seen from the lines that those people often take the corner of Chinese society they see as the whole, and then introduce it to their hometown people. This is like a blind man touching an elephant, which is a bit specious.
Feel.
But Baldia, the mathematician, is very cautious and has strong logical thinking skills. He does not jump to conclusions easily and must be proved. Is this the worldview of a man with science?
"From your perspective, what is the perception of our country in Persia?" Shao Shude asked.
"They think Khan is a very ambitious and conceited person." Bardia said: "Your country's war behavior violates common sense and the gains outweigh the losses."
"What do you think?"
"I am not in a hurry to draw unfavorable conclusions. I personally think that China is a country that deserves praise in many aspects."
"for example?"
"Your army is very powerful, and this has been proved on the battlefield." Bardia said: "Your city is huge, and I have confirmed it through my eyes. The roads are wide and well maintained, and the people are civilized and...
Not barbaric. The officials are well versed in philosophy, law and agricultural knowledge. Most of them have outstanding thoughts and subtle emotions. I think the next one hundred years will be their heroic age."
This rainbow fart seems to be more powerful than Tam!
But Shao Shude can still hold on. He knows that the cultures of different nations are different, and the tone of their speech is the same. Even rational mathematicians are not immune to the influence of cultural traditions, and their emotions are relatively unrestrained and exposed.
If their tone of voice, word choice, and format are as reserved as the Chinese, that would be nonsense.
The five-mile journey passed by, and the carriage quickly approached the Dingding Gate in the south of Luoyang City.
When the towering city wall appeared in front, Shao Shude asked again; "How is this city?"
"The same surprise, this is the second time I have experienced it. The last time was in Chang'an." Baldia raised his head, looked at this huge city that is rare in the world, and said: "Actually, when I first entered your country,
, I saw Khan's people building houses and warehouses and talked to the workers."
"How do you feel?"
"Please forgive me." Bardia said: "Your country does not widely apply theoretical knowledge in architecture. The craftsmanship used are often the result of slowly moving forward on narrow established roads and being passed down orally from generation to generation.
.There is a complete lack of knowledge in mathematics, architecture, and mechanics. Your country’s architecture is an existence without brains and thoughts.”
This evaluation was quite unkind. Bardia pointed out quite professionally that the construction workers in Daxia only had word-of-mouth experience, and they only knew what to do, but not why.
Shao Shude was not sure what kind of building he saw. It was probably a privately built house or warehouse, or somewhere like that in the Western Regions. If it was a project for the imperial court, an architect would definitely be asked to come up with the drawings and designs.
But then again, there is no point in fighting for these things. The level of the builders may not be very high. In the eyes of the successor of Khwarazmi, it may be just like that.
"This is exactly why I invited you here, because you have unparalleled knowledge and I hope it can be shared." Shao Shude said.
"The ocean of knowledge is extremely vast, and I have only picked a few fruits." Bardia said: "China is a powerful civilized country with a long past and a present that makes it difficult for me to see the whole picture. There is no doubt that China has accumulated a lot of knowledge.
A wealth of intoxicating knowledge. And, just like the warmth and courtesy shown by Khan, there is no exclusion of outsiders, no tall fence to close itself off. Therefore, I must conduct serious research. Just like the Prophet
What he said is, 'Knowledge, even if it is far away in China, should be sought after.'"
"The truth and everyone who pursues the truth are welcome here." Shao Shude was infected by his attitude, put away the smile on his face, and said solemnly.