Chapter 407: A big gathering of orchid scholars from the island country
In Edo in April, the warm breeze blows.
In a medical clinic called "Shilando" in Motosaigi Town, fifty-one-year-old Lin Ziping smiled and greeted each of the two dozen orchid scholars and their disciples who were invited.
This "Shirando" is the first orchid school in the history of the island nation founded by the orchid scholar Otsuki Genzawa. It is both a medical school and a private school for orchid education.
Many scholars and their students who came from all over the country today knew or heard of the famous Lin Ziping, and also heard that he was in poor health. But when they came today, they found that Old Lin, whom they had not seen for several years, was actually red in the face.
Light, my body looks great.
"Mr. Ziping?"
"Ah, it's Mr. Ziping. I haven't seen you for many years. How are you?"
"Haha, okay, just like an eighteen-year-old boy."
Speaking of the early introduction of Western culture to the island country, it actually relied on a large number of Chinese classics from the late Ming Dynasty. Through books such as "Tiangong Kaiwu", "Elements of Geometry", "Agricultural Policy Complete Book", "Taishi Water Law" and other books, the Han Dynasty
Not only did the Han nationality bring the latest science and technology to China in the Ming Dynasty, but more importantly, the Han nationality also introduced Western science and technology to the island country, and China became an important channel for the introduction of Orchidism.
Although the island country in the 18th century implemented a trade-locked policy like the neighboring country, the Dutch used trade as a medium to trade with the shogunate. At the same time, they also brought a large number of Western books, technology, and instruments, which made the island people
I came into direct contact with Western culture through Nagasaki.
Basically, the early Orchid scholars in the island country started with medicine, and then came into contact with mathematics, astronomy, calendar, geography and other natural sciences and even the humanities.
Correspondingly, Daiqing next door was intoxicated with the dream of a heavenly kingdom, and the imperial autocracy reached its peak. Scholars clung to the Four Books and Five Classics and regarded natural science as a heresy. It was not until after the First Opium War that Li Shanlan came out.
Xu Shou, Hua Hengfang and a few others.
So don’t look down on the island nation. Basically, they laid the scientific foundation for the “Meiji Restoration” in the late 18th century. More than a hundred years of research on orchidology was transformed into “Bakumatsu Western Studies” in modern times, making it very fast.
Completed a leap to modern science.
Today, at the invitation of Lin Ziping and Otsuki Genzawa, we came to Shirando. In addition to many orchid scholars from Osaka and Nagasaki, there were also some people studying at Shirando. Among these people were samurai, businessmen, and businessmen.
Common people, there are also farm children who come from the countryside to study here.
Among these orchid scholars are Asada Goatetsu, Takahashi Yoshitoki, Yamakata Hatao who studied astronomy, Sima Ehan, Motoki Yoshiunaga, Kuchiki Ryuhashi, Katsuragi Hōshu who studied geography, Goto Uiharu who studied physics,
Hashimoto Yoshimune, Shizuki Tadao and others. The most famous scholar nowadays, Sugita Genpaku, who once wrote the anatomy book "Disintegration Shinsho", went to another place before and is on his way back day and night.
As for the owner of the local Shirando, Otsuki Genzawa, he comes from the Mutsu Ichinoseki Domain, and his current head is the Tamuramura who attacked the Shimadzu family with the Northern Navy. Otsuki Genzawa has been a doctor since he was a child, and went to Nagasaki to study the Netherlands.
He was now a famous surgeon in Edo. Lin Ziping was also a member of the Sendai clan, and he and Otsuki Genzawa had known each other for a long time.
Seeing the orchid scholars from all over the island gathered together, Lin Ziping had a feeling that "the world's heroes have fallen into the trap" and couldn't help but feel happy for Zhao Xin.
In his opinion, if Beihai Town has the help of these people, both surveying and railway surveying will reach a new level. Lin Ziping also has his own small thoughts. If Zhao Wangdian has so many island scholars to help, it is estimated that
He should show mercy to the island countries in the future.
The reason why Lin Ziping was able to come to Edo this time and summon these island orchid scholars through Otsuki Genzawa was mainly because the shogunate, Sendai clan and Hokkai Town formally signed an armistice agreement in February this year. Of course, Hokkai Town lent them to the shogunate.
That money also played a key role.
In fact, ever since the large iron ship from Hokkai Town arrived at Sendai Domain and Nagasaki a few years ago, many orchid scholars from the island country have been wanting to contact Hokkai Town. However, because the shogunate had issued an order strictly prohibiting contact with Tang Yi, and Hokkai Town
They were almost always in a state of hostility with the shogunate, so the orchid scholars of Edo and Nagasaki always kept a respectful distance from Hokkai Town.
In the history of this time and space, this large gathering of orchid scholars has become a major event in the natural science community of the island country. It was also from this beginning that a large number of orchid scholars from the island country rushed to Beihai Town to study or work, and the so-called orchid scholars
The style of study soon became "Tang Studies".
Without him, the natural science used and spread by Zhao Xin and others in this time and space is many times better than that in Europe, and a group of orchid science enthusiasts naturally gathered here.
As the "social equality concept" associated with natural science was introduced to the island country, it soon had a fierce conflict with the island society with a clear hierarchy. This completely broke through the concept of autocratic rule based on the hierarchy of generals, daimyo, and retainers.
Seriously threatened the shogunate's rule.
During this period, the shogunate intensified the persecution of some people who had returned from Beihai Town and instigated many prisons. Eventually, many people returned to Beihai Town to become naturalized and became Chinese, which was a slap in the face to the shogunate.
After listening to Lin Ziping's brief introduction to Beihai Town, the scholars present in Zhilan Hall were all speechless and exclaimed from time to time.
The famous painter and astronomer Sima Jianghan asked: "Mr. Ziping, did you say that there are several astronomical measuring instruments in the North Sea that even the Dutch do not have?"
"Exactly, what I use every day now are precision measuring instruments from the Royal Secret Collection of Beihai Town, which are far more advanced than those of the Dutch."
After Lin Ziping finished speaking, he took out some sketches of surveying and mapping instruments that he usually drew by hand, such as a total station, an optical theodolite, a three-dimensional coordinate measuring instrument, etc. It is impossible to explain how to use this thing without seeing the actual thing and just looking at the picture.
And the effect. Old man Lin just briefly talked about the function, which left all the island country scholars stunned.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! You only need to aim at the target and take a photo to know how far it is without walking?
In these days, both astronomers and geographers in the island countries used step counters to measure the earth when conducting field measurements, and then estimated the length of the longitude through the angles of Polaris at different locations. With the length of the longitude and latitude,
Only then can a new calendar be formulated.
Everyone began to circulate Lin Ziping's drawings, while Ma Tian Goli on the side asked respectfully: "Mr. Ziping, I heard that there is a huge medical clinic in Beihai Town, which can treat all kinds of diseases, including tuberculosis and smallpox."
To cure the disease?"
Lin Ziping nodded and twirled his beard and said: "That's true. That medical center is called Beihai Town Central Hospital. Zhao Dian has now popularized cowpox in every village and town in Beihai Town, and there has been no more suffering from smallpox. As for tuberculosis, it only takes one year.
It can be cured. There is also a machine that can see through the whole body of a person, and every detail will be revealed, and the disease can be detected early."
Everyone was shocked when they heard this.
However, Asada Godachi, a doctor, frowned and said: "Cowpox? I have only heard of human pox in the Qing Dynasty. Even if vaccinated, only 23 out of 10 can survive. What is the explanation for this cowpox? Is it related to cows? The fatality rate
how?"
Speaking of smallpox in the history of the island country, it was also very scary when it spread. The main route of transmission was North Korea. The most serious one during the Heian Dynasty even spread to Heijōkyo. All four brothers of the Fujiwara family who presided over the government at that time died. The death toll during the epidemic was as high as
1 million to 1.5 million people, equivalent to 25 to 35% of the total population of the island country at that time.
One of the reasons why the era name was often changed during the Edo period was the epidemic of plague, with smallpox being the number one culprit. The later "Sumida River Fireworks Festival" started during the Yoshizune period of the eighth shogunate, with the purpose of commemorating the people who died due to famine and plague.
Pray that the disaster will subside.
As for Daiqing next door, the situation is similar. Although China has had "variolation" since the Northern Song Dynasty, it has been kept secret. The reason why Han people were not allowed to live in the inner city in the early and mid-Qing Dynasty was that the Manchus were afraid that Han people would be infected with smallpox.
Lin Ziping explained to Ma Tian Gangli: "Cows are native animals. The human spleen belongs to the earth, and the earth attracts the earth. The same qi resonates with each other, and the same kind nourishes the other, so it can be effective. Since the application of this method in Beihai Town, there has been no damage.
None came back.”
Asada immediately exclaimed: "Amazing! I must go to Beihai Town to see it."
The disciple Takahashi Yoshitoki on the side bowed and said: "Sir, I want to study surveying and mapping with Mr. Ziping."
Asada Gangli knew that this son was interested in the astronomical calendar, so he readily agreed.
Lin Ziping looked around at everyone present and said: "Everyone, I have been ordered by King Zhao to invite you to go to Beihai to help. Right now, I have just taken on a big errand, which is to conduct surveying and mapping along the first railway in Beihai Town. The more manpower needed, the better!
"
"Mr. Ziping, what is a 'railway'?" Goto Haru Haru, who focuses on studying Neo-Confucianism, asked the most critical question. At this time, East Asia did not have separate names for physics, electricity, and chemistry. They were temporarily shared.
It was given a title, which was Qiong Neo-Confucianism.
After hearing this, Lin Ziping asked for paper, ink, pen and inkstone, and then wrote the word "railway" on the white paper. Then he raised his hands, gestured to everyone, and explained: "To put it simply, it is paved with steel.
the way!"
Later that day, in the meeting hall of the Edo Castle, the four elders of the shogunate gathered again. Matsudaira Sadanobu, the leader of the shogunate, couldn't help but be surprised after hearing the report sent by Wakatani to Horita Settsumomo.
"Pave the road with fine fine iron? Does Prince Zhao Dian have money but nowhere to spend it?" He frowned and thought for a moment, and then said to Ruonian: "Okay, you can go down."
In fact, Matsudaira Sadanobu didn't care too much about Beihai Town's large-scale recruitment of orchid scholars. On the contrary, he was eager to send those orchid scholars to Beihai Town, out of sight and out of mind.
Since the beginning of the "Xianbo Reform", although the shogunate has not banned the study of orchid in these years, it is still worried about various natural science knowledge with new ideas; the biggest problem is the impact on the original ruling ideas and order.
Since Matsudaira Sadanobu became the head of the old school, he admired Zhu Xi's knowledge and even rejected Orchidism. The "Prohibition of Foreign Studies" he is currently preparing is to teach only Zhu Xi's studies in the academic institutes directly under the shogunate, and prohibit the teaching of "different studies".
The purpose of "learning" is to prohibit the spread of other "heretical" doctrines, including Lanxue.
In the history of another time and space, the shogunate adopted a variety of means to suppress the spread of Orchidism, such as restricting freedom of speech, restricting the publication of Orchidism books, and promulgating the "Publication Regulation Order." Poor Lin Ziping was in 1792
After being sentenced to "seclusion", Old Man Lin gave himself the nickname "Master Liuwuzhai" and eventually died of depression.
However, in this time and space, because he defected to Beihai Town and became a naturalized citizen, Lin Ziping is now very lively. The energetic old man jumped up and down as soon as he returned to Edo, contacting Lan scholars everywhere, waving flags and shouting, which made the shogunate's Ruonian pay a lot of attention.
However, the main topic currently being discussed by the four senior middle school students was not the orchidology enthusiasts meeting at Shirando, but a letter delivered to the shogunate after six large ships from Hokkai Town arrived at Sendai Domain.
In this letter, Zhao Xin used a tone that was half discussion and half intimidation, asking the shogunate to provide long-term "labor export" to Beihai Town. The minimum annual limit is 15,000 people and the maximum is 50,000. In contrast,
Beihai Town will pay a labor fee to the shogunate per capita every year.
The treatment given by Zhao Xin was that in addition to two meals and clothing per day, plus a monthly salary of 3 Beihai Town silver dollars, these laborers would also be paid to the shogunate at three stones of rice per person per year.
In addition, Beihai Town will provide a batch of advanced iron agricultural tools to the shogunate to replace the decline in food production caused by the lack of labor in the island country. Samples of these agricultural tools have now arrived in Sendai Domain, and the shogunate can send people there at any time
visit.
Beihai Town is rich in both money and food. This is no longer a secret in the current shogunate. Ever since Makino Sadadanga went to Beihai Town and reported back to Tokugawa Ieki, the upper echelons of the shogunate were greatly amazed by the wealth of Beihai Town.
.Of course, most of them just don’t understand.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! If calculated based on 50,000 people, the rice shogunate alone can earn 150,000 koku. Moreover, Beihai Town only provides shelled polished rice, which is very unusual.
Already.
In addition, the hand-pulled rice transplanter mentioned by Zhao Xin in the letter is really eye-catching. Nowadays, a strong farmer can only work 5 to 6 acres a day, but the rice transplanter mentioned in the letter can only cover 5 to 6 acres.
It only takes two ordinary laborers to plant three to forty acres of rice in one day. This shocked the four middle-aged people!
(To put it simply, one acre of land in the Edo period was only a little more than 99 square meters, and 7 acres of land is equivalent to one acre of modern land.)
Matsudaira Sadanobu was naturally interested in advanced agricultural tools. His most important policy after taking office was to support agricultural development and increase the government's grain stocks. He did not panic when he had grain in hand. At present, the total population of the island country is around 25 million, and many farmers every day
I just live on a cup of soba noodles. If there is another natural disaster that affects half of the island country, the Matsudaira Sadanobu cabinet will have to step down.
After a moment of silence, young Yoshida Housonghei Nobuaki finally lost his composure and asked: "How about sending someone to Aoba City to take a look at the farm tools mentioned in the letter?"
It is certain to send someone to visit, but the key is how to report this matter to the young general. This is not just a few people sneaking across by boat privately, but tens of thousands of people going to sea to make money for the shogunate.
Matsudaira Sadanobu looked at Makino Sadada and said, "When Marquis Kasama went to Beihai Town, did he ever see those farm tools?"
Makino Sadaga recalled for a while and then shook his head. He was led by people from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Beihai Town and only visited some factories in general. What shocked him most was the gurgling molten iron and molten steel. As for the various types of
I don’t really care about the utensils.
In the next ten days or so, the four senior officials of the shogunate sent people to Sendai Domain to view farm tools while intensely discussing the feasibility of this matter.
To be honest, providing tens of thousands of laborers to Beihai Town is nothing to the shogunate. However, in the feudal era, since the etiquette of monarchs and ministers must be respected, food and appearance is very important, so during this period, the shogunate mainly discussed the distribution of labor shares.
Question: Naturally, the shogunate’s heavenly leaders will account for the majority, and those who have been closely related to the shogunate will also have to share the rain and dew, right?
Compared with the shogunate's dillydallying, the Mutsu feudal clans headed by Sendai clan reacted much faster. There was no way around it. In the past few years, everyone was so poor that they had no money, and farmers were grabbing it in large numbers.
Within half a month, three thousand peasants who came from Mutsu domain to catch young men had already boarded the ship and set off.
By this time, Deng Fei and Ding Guofeng, who had been stranded in Sendai Domain for many days, were really impatient with the speed of the shogunate's decision-making, so after communicating with Zhao Xin, they drove the Thunder and Thor to take a walk outside Tokyo Bay.
, and scared the young sea dog Gongfang so much that he ran to Zojoji Temple and hid for two days.
By the end of April, seeing the urgency of the situation, Makino Sadataga finally proposed and Matsudaira Sadanobu made the decision. The shogunate established a new organization - "Hokkai Enforcement", which was specifically responsible for the export of labor to Beihai Town. As for those orchid scholars who went to Hokkai
All the affairs of the town were also entrusted to Beihai Executive.
At this point, Beihai Town finally opened a pipeline to introduce labor from the island country.
At the same time, Zhao Xin also began to deal with the Qing army, the largest force of the Qing Dynasty outside the Pass, the Hunchun Camp.