"What's his name? Why did you come to take the imperial examination at such an old age? Zhu Youxiao turned his head to look at Shen Tingyun and asked.

"Back to Your Majesty, his name is Wang Zheng." Shen Tingyun hurriedly said.

Obviously, Xu Guang used his carriage to send Wang Zheng to His Majesty was somewhat suspicious, so Shen Tingyun did not hesitate and decided to tell His Majesty everything about Wang Zheng.

It's just that after hearing this name, Zhu Youxiao was stunned.

Most people who know a little about the history of the late Ming Dynasty should have heard the name Wang Zheng. This is a name that cannot be bypassed, although it is not as famous as Lu Xiangsheng and Sun Chuanting, but this person has a great role and is very important.

"Your Majesty, Wang Zheng's father is a private school teacher who is good at mathematics; My uncle was well versed in the art of war and was good at making weapons; Wang Zheng's own knowledge is also very good, and he won the promotion at the age of twenty-four. ”

Shen Tingyun kept talking, but Zhu Youxiao didn't continue to listen, because the information about this Wang Wei kept appearing in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he understood.

Wang Zheng and Xu Guangqi are both leaders of Western studies, and the two are called the kings of the south and the north by later generations, which is a very high praise for the two.

The reason why Wang Zheng has not been admitted to the imperial examination for so many years is because he has put most of his energy on science.

Moreover, Wang Zheng is very thoughtful about his thoughts, thinking that there is a problem with the thinking of the Ming Dynasty, the academic atmosphere is very problematic, corruption is rampant in officialdom, the armies in various places have no fighting spirit, and there is something wrong with the country.

Wang Zheng once turned to Buddhism for help, and later converted to Taoism, giving himself the Taoist name "a person".

Later, after discovering that Taoism could not save the country, Wang Zheng turned to Catholicism.

After the Battle of Salhu, Wang Zheng once wrote to the imperial court, vigorously advocating practical learning, hoping to enrich the country and strengthen the army.

Wang Zheng wrote to the emperor as a person when he entered the Beijing entrance examination, and was willing to serve the country with "cloth clothes from Rong" and actively train troops to prepare for war.

Later, Wang Zheng referred to the ancient military books and wrote the book "Covenant of Soldiers"; Soon after, he wrote the book "Guest Question," in which he concretely put forward a strategy for controlling the enemy.

This is a person who still has ideas in his heart to serve the country, the same as Xu Guangqi; is also entangled between the Ming Dynasty and Western studies, but after entering Catholicism, he lives very entangled because of the problem of concubines without heirs.

At the same time, he has a very deep research on mechanics and wind machinery manufacturing. Wang Zheng compiled a new illustration of the artifact, which clarified many of his ideas.

It can be said that this person is a very highly accomplished scientist in the Ming Dynasty, both in mechanics and mechanical manufacturing.

At the same time, he also has the feelings of worrying about the country and the people, and he can be said to be a very remarkable person.

Wang Zheng entered the government in his fifties, and occasionally served as the governor of the Guangping Prefecture of Zhili, the governor of the Yangzhou Prefecture of Nanzhili, and the secretary of the Shandong Provincial Judge, but he never ascended to a high position, nor did he have the opportunity to practice his ideals.

He is also very good at mathematics, and has a very high attainment in mathematics and geometry.

Zhu Youxiao breathed a sigh of relief gently, turned his head to look at Shen Tingyun beside him, and asked, "Why didn't you say it?" ”

Shen Tingyun was a little helpless.

I've been talking about it for a long time, and you haven't had any reaction, what else can I say?

But naturally he didn't dare to say this, Shen Tingyun could only say: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister has finished speaking." The rest of the ministers don't know much, if Your Majesty wants to know more, you can ask Xu Ge Lao. ”

After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "Forget it, don't ask." ”

After saying this, Zhu Youxiao didn't have the heart to continue looking, turned around and walked back, and said at the same time: "Go back to the palace!" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Everyone didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly followed Zhu Youxiao and walked back.

After Zhu Youxiao went downstairs, he turned to Chen Hong and instructed: "Let someone go to Xu Guangqi and let him enter the palace immediately, I have something to tell him." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty. The slave and maid immediately arranged for someone. Chen Hong hurriedly said.

By the time Zhu Youxiao returned to Xiyuan, Xu Guangqi had already arrived.

Seeing Zhu Youxiao walking in from outside in civilian clothes, Xu Guangqi was stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly saluted: "Minister Xu Guangqi, see Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Youxiao motioned for him to be excused and said, "Okay, let's just say it." ”

After Xu Guangqi sat down, Zhu Youxiao asked, "Wang Zheng, are you familiar with him?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty. Not very familiar. Xu Guangqi said.

After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao frowned and asked directly: "I went to the Gongyuan today, and I saw your carriage to send him to the examination room." You don't know him well? ”

"Back to Your Majesty, it's just like-minded." Xu Guangqi hurriedly said.

Zhu Youxiao nodded.

Xu Guangqi's words, Zhu Youxiao still believed it, because he didn't need to hide it from himself.

Above the court, they form a party, and they don't know it, so there is no need to hide this kind of thing from themselves.

"Let's talk about it." Zhu Youxiao nodded and said.

Hearing Zhu Youxiao's words, Xu Guangqi hurriedly said: "I heard about Wang Zheng because I saw a book written by him, the name of this book is "The Diagram of Strange Instruments in the Far West". ”

"The book "Illustrated Strange Artifacts of the Far West" is divided into three volumes. The first volume discusses various mechanical principles such as the center of gravity and specific gravity, among which "its technique can be carried by small force, so it is called heavy, also known as power art, and the main purpose is that there are numbers, degrees, and weights of heaven and earth creatures, and the number is the algorithm, the degree is the measurement, and the weight is the science of this force and art." All of them are mutually beneficial, so we should first discuss the ontology of importance to clarify the reason why legislation is so. “

"The second volume deals with levers, pulleys, axles, inclined planes, and other mechanical instruments;"

"The third volume has 54 mechanical drawings with explanations, including 11 drawings of lifting (transporting heavy objects from the bottom up), 4 drawings of gravity (plane traction of heavy objects), 2 drawings of rotating weight (extracting heavy objects by using the principle of reels), 4 drawings of solving wood (cutting off giant trees), 1 diagram of calcing stones (cutting off boulders), 1 diagram of turning cones (rice licking machine), 1 diagram of water sundial (3 hydraulic timing enterprises), 1 diagram of substitute tillage (machinery for ploughing fields), 4 diagrams of water ploughing (high-pressure water cannon for firefighting), and 9 diagrams of water intake and 15 diagrams of turning mills."

"Most of these machines are agricultural tools, all of which benefit people's livelihood and are exquisitely made. After the ministers saw it, it was quite beneficial, so they invited Wang Zheng to the capital. ”

This time, he went to participate in the imperial examination, also thinking of serving the imperial court. If he fails to pass the imperial examination this time, then the minister also wants to recommend Wang Zheng to His Majesty, and such talents should not be buried in the countryside. It's just that the minister didn't expect His Majesty to see him first. ”

After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Where did he learn these things?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, the minister also asked Wang Zheng. In April of the 46th year of Wanli, 22 Jesuits, including Jin Nige and Deng Yuhan, came to the Ming Dynasty and brought more than 7,000 books, some of which recorded this knowledge. ”

After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded.

"In fact, Wang Zheng's translation and painting of "Illustrated Strange Artifacts in the Far West" is derived from the three books brought this time."

"These three books are: The General Theory of Mathematics (1608) by the Dutch mathematician and engineer Stephen (1548-1630), the most recent publication in Europe at that time;

"The German miner and metallurgist Georg. Bauer's (1494-1555) epoch-making masterpiece The Complete Book of Mining and Metallurgy (1556); ”

"On All Kinds of Process Machinery" by the Italian engineer and technologist Lamelli.

Hearing Xu Guangqi's words, Zhu Youxiao said: "There is something I want you to do. ”

"Your Majesty, but it doesn't hurt to say it." Xu Guangqi hurriedly said.

"It's actually quite simple. I want to collect more of these books and have them translated into Da Ming Chinese. It's up to you. Zhu Youxiao thought about it and said.

After hearing this, Xu Guangqi was immediately overjoyed.

In fact, a long time ago, Xu Guangqi hoped that His Majesty would accept these ideas of his own, and even the Catholicism he believed in. In his opinion, it was an ideal country.

Now His Majesty finally has such an idea, although I don't know what the reason is, but it is enough to make Xu Guangqi happy.

So Xu Guangqi hurriedly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry, the minister will do it immediately." ”

"What do you want to do?" Zhu Youxiao looked at Xu Guangqi and said directly.

Immediately he wrote to the missionaries from all over the country, telling them all to come to the capital and bring all the books they were carrying. These people know the Ming language, can write the Ming script, and even have translated books in their hands. ”

Xu Guangqi said with excitement in his tone: "As long as Your Majesty asks them to preach, they will definitely come happily." ”

In fact, there are many Catholics in the current capital. This result is due to Matteo Ricci, who had tried to preach in this land countless times, and had bumps and bumps, and the road had never been smooth, but after entering the city of Beijing, the situation changed a lot.

According to the practice at the time, Western missionaries were supposed to be buried in Macao after their deaths, but under the mediation of the cabinet chief Ye Xiang Gao, the Wanli Emperor made an exception and allowed Matteo Ricci to be buried in the Tenggong fence in the western suburbs of Beijing, making him the first Western missionary to be buried in Beijing.

When Matteo Ricci first arrived in Beijing, he lived in a hotel dedicated to foreign envoys, and was later allowed to live in a private house in the city for a long time, and was allowed to carry out missionary activities.

Matteo Ricci chose a plot of land within the Xuanwu Gate, where he built a church known as the Nantang, the oldest surviving Catholic church in Beijing.

Zhu Youxiao knew these things very well in his heart, but he was not ready to accept the teachings of Catholicism.

The power of the religious theocracy and the power of the emperor was itself in conflict.

Zhu Youxiao does not want a religious state, let alone religious involvement in politics.

In the land of China, religious power has never reached the top, and it has always been the world of imperial power.

Zhu Youxiao didn't want foreigners to get involved, so he wouldn't accept their teachings, and he didn't think that Catholic teachings could save the Ming Dynasty.

However, looking at Xu Guangqi's appearance, he is obviously preparing to preach, which is naturally not good.