"Science, what does science mean?" Lu Yan had heard the term for the first time.

"Science......" Liu Tao thought for a while, the orthodox explanation was clear to him, but when it came to some special terms, such as 'objective things', he needed further explanations, and he thought about simply changing the word.

So after thinking about it carefully, he explained: "It is the knowledge that explains the formation and operation of all things in the world on a verifiable basis...... Cangshan, Gewu Zhizhi in "The Book of Rites and University", you should know, right? ”

"Yes, the common goal of my generation of scholars, such as learning things, enlightenment, sincerity, righteousness, self-cultivation, family harmony, governing the country, and leveling the world." Lu Yan nodded.

That is to say, after a few hundred years, the first four have been forgotten, and there are only four left: self-cultivation, Qi family, governing the country and peace in the world...... Liu Tao couldn't help complaining. If you encounter something that doesn't make sense, you will either throw it to the 'punishment of heaven' or 'worship the ghosts and gods and stay away'.

"To put it simply, science is actually the process of learning things and enlightenment, in fact, in this regard, I quite admire Xunzi." Liu Tao said casually, "But don't say it to others." ”

"Well, I understand." Lu Yan was also stunned, and then nodded in understanding.

Xunzi's doctrine was not the mainstream in the Han Dynasty. In particular, Confucianism intends to put a layer of shackles on the monarch's neck, heaven and man induction, three outlines and five constants or something, and rain in the sky can be the monarch's immorality.

At this time, when I talk to them about materialism, it is basically a 'class enemy'. No, the descendants of Xunzi, the Yingchuan Xun clan, about the doctrine of their ancestor Xunzi, it is estimated that they are secretly spread within the clan, and they dare not talk about it publicly.

Liu Tao said that he admired Xunzi, he could in private, but he couldn't say it publicly, otherwise he would be finished.

After a while, a soldier brought a bucket of water. Liu Tao took the saltpeter powder, came to the barrel, smiled at Lu Yan and said, "Now, let's witness the miracle moment of science!" ”

After speaking, he poured saltpeter powder into the water, and a whole bag and a half pound of saltpeter powder were poured into it. Then he also found a wooden stick and stirred it in it to mix the saltpeter and water thoroughly.

In this way, slowly, some fog appeared in the bucket, and there was more and more fog, about ten minutes or so, Liu Tao lowered his head and knocked on the bucket, and the water in it had completely frozen.

"According to this standard, about four taels (Han taels), it's about the same, there's no need for so many ......" Liu Tao got up and looked at Lu Yan, "Or should you find a value, about how much water and how much saltpeter can freeze." ”

".................." Lu Yan hadn't reacted at the moment, and the whole person was frightened by the scene in front of him.

It was hard to believe that it was a bucket of water just now, but on such a hot day, it turned into a bucket of ice!

"I'm back to my soul!" Liu Tao stretched out his hand and patted it in front of him, and Lu Yan finally came back to his senses.

"Oh? Oh...... Brother, what did you just say? Lu Yan asked a little embarrassed.

"It's rare to have ice, don't you enjoy it?" Liu Tao pointed to the ground, "It's okay to eat directly, but for the sake of safety, it's better not to try it easily." But it's so cool, and it's comfortable to read around here or something. ”

"What do you mean, brother, can you still eat this ice?" Lu Yan couldn't believe it.

"It is said that eating it is not harmful to the body, but if you add half a catty of saltpeter, the taste is probably not much better. There seems to be a saying that it causes diarrhea, which is hard to say...... However, eating so much ice, the average person also gets diarrhea. Liu Tao thought for a while and said.

"Forget it......" Lu Yan hesitated a little when he heard this, but finally didn't dare to try. But then again, on such a hot day, it is really enjoyable to be able to lean next to this bucket of ice. Even the surrounding temperature has dropped slightly.

"Speaking of which......" After being immersed in it for about a while, Lu Yan came back to his senses, "Why does this saltpeter freeze when it melts into the water?" ”

"It seems that when the two are mixed, they absorb the heat in the water, and the heat in the water is absorbed, so it solidifies. In fact, if you take a closer look, you will know that there is still some saltpeter in it that is not completely integrated into the water......" Liu Tao pointed to the wooden barrel.

Lu Yan took a closer look and really found that under the ice surface of the wooden barrel, there was still some saltpeter powder. Remembering Liu Tao's self-muttering remarks earlier, he nodded: "No wonder my brother said that only four taels is enough." ”

"The other way ......around," Liu Tao pointed to the barrel, "as long as you dry this bucket of ice, you will still get the same amount of saltpeter." It's a bit of a hassle, but it's actually something that can be reused. ”

It is difficult to say whether it is possible to obtain salt by boiling it, after all, if it is iron or metal utensils, there is a concern that it will react when heated. Seriously, Liu Tao's chemistry grades, and even physics grades, are really not very good.

"This is what my brother calls science?" Lu Yan looked at Liu Tao.

"Strictly speaking, this is not ......," Liu Tao thought for a while, "After all, we need to understand the existence of 'temperature', and then we also need to understand what factors make saltpeter absorb the heat in the water and make the water freeze." ”

After a pause, he said solemnly: "The study of exploring and verifying, being able to accurately prove and withstand the test, rather than conjecture or speculation, to think about the laws of all things in the world is science." ”

"In "Xunzi", there seems to have been a similar concept." Lu Yan thought for a moment.

"If you want to talk about "Xunzi", what I admire the most is actually the sentence "Heaven is constant, not for Yao, not for ruin". The alternation of the sun and the moon, the transition of spring, summer, autumn and winter, should be a natural phenomenon, and the mystery can be solved after all. Liu Tao looked at Lu Yan, "It's not the concept of 'the king is immoral, or XX is immoral'." ”

"The problem is that there is no way to say it publicly." Lu Yan persuaded him.

"Of course I know this......" Liu Tao is really a little annoyed when he says this.

Confucianism set up the induction of heaven and man in order to have an opportunity to attack the Son of Heaven or even a certain political enemy in terms of morality and public opinion. After all, the greatest ideal of Confucianism is that 'the Son of Heaven rules by bowing the arch', and it is good to hand over all the power to them.

But the problem is that one or two come from the family, and they advocate 'family and country, the world', and their own family is not full, how can they take care of the people? Then something went wrong, the people's resentment boiled, and immediately came to a 'heaven and man induction', saying that 'the king is immoral' and looking for the emperor to take the blame.

As for the emperor is gone, it doesn't matter, change someone to be the emperor, the iron-beaten Confucian emperor can just be played by another person.

The problem is that under such rules, Liu Tao's remarks are equivalent to being the enemy of Confucianism and most of the big families. If the scientific theory can't be played, even if the Confucian is forced to be speechless, it is useless, and others can spray him to death with saliva.

That's why he's desperate to change the rules, or become a rulemaker. He really doesn't have the time and energy, mainly because he doesn't have the patience to accompany the family, the master of scripture, and the Confucian Hongru to slowly play the art of compromise.

"It's just this ice ......," Liu Tao pointed to the bucket.

"Brother, in fact, according to the rules, it's nothing." Lu Yan said with a smile, "Brother accidentally discovered this method of condensing water into ice, relieving our army's summer and summer troubles, and it is the way of heaven on our side...... What does my brother think of such a statement? ”