The warm sun in winter always makes people feel very kind, but it is only in the morning, although the weather is a little cold, but in the streets and alleys of Xiangyang, you can see the old people basking in the warm place of Xiangyang, they are laughing and chatting, or looking at the children playing on the side of the road.

Everything was so peaceful, so calm.

Hook, who was on the balcony, couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

Compared with European cities, Daming's city brought a completely different feeling to him and all European guests. By contrast, it is impossible to see such peace and tranquility in the cities of Europe, where the poor are at any moment in turmoil, and the seemingly poor citizens in rags do not prevent them from turning into thugs at any time.

Here, however, it is difficult to see the ragged citizens, and the people they see, if not gorgeous, are at least clean and tidy, which is very different from the ragged clothes of many ordinary citizens in Europe, even if the upper body has patches, they will be washed very cleanly.

"My God, this must be heaven......"

Just as Hook felt the silence of the country in his heart, Rail's exclamation was heard.

"You see how peaceful and peaceful the people here are, how well they live, how well they have a good physique, their bodies are well-proportioned and beautiful, and I finally know why they call this place the Celestial Empire. ”

As a mathematician, Raïle not only visited the local academy with his son, but also went to welfare institutions such as hospices with great interest.

"Yes, everyone here can be taken care of, even those beggars and the disabled, they can be taken care of, and they can live a worry-free life in the almshouse."

"Don't forget, they forbid beggars to beg!"

The rebuttal from the side made Hook and Rayle just smile slightly, it was Newton.

"There are no beggars here because they have exiled all beggars."

Newton directly "revealed" a truth.

"This is because in this country the lazy are hated and disliked, and this lazy man is the one who can work, Newton."

Hooke's retort made Newton just shrug his shoulders casually, and then said.

"I'm talking about irrefutable facts."

In fact, in the past few days, these Europeans have been arguing over what they have witnessed, initially by a few academics, and then by all of them. It was in this debate that scholars split into two groups.

Unlike Hooke, Rayle and others who believed that Europe was more like an ignorant barbarian than the Ming Dynasty, Newton preferred to believe that Europe was not inferior to the Ming Dynasty, and after all kinds of comparisons along the way, even the most stubborn Europeans had long given up the idea of competing with the Ming Dynasty. But this does not prevent them from using the "dark side" to prove that the prosperity and stability of the Ming Dynasty has its own dark side.

Rail, who was reluctant to get involved in the debate, immediately digressed when he saw someone on the side of the road shoveling snow to the side of the road and piling it up next to a tree.

"You see, their lives are more elaborate, especially public health, even after a heavy snowfall, they will put the snow on the ground on the side of the road, and not let the snow pile on the road, I don't know what you think, but it seems to me that the people here are all extremely tidy, not only in their homes, but also on the streets, and now, I can look forward to the spring here, and I heard that their countryside looks like a big garden, and there is indescribable peace and tranquility."

Rail's words immediately aroused Hook's yearning, and he immediately thought of Rumens's description of Qinghe Academy.

"I've heard that every night, there are always people playing poetry and music there by the lake in Qinghe Academy, and I think that kind of scene is always fascinating."

For these scholars, since they came to Daming, they are like hillbillies, looking around curiously, and they will always sigh at the scenery they have witnessed.

Of course, some of these architects, although they were also inspired by the solemnity and beauty of Oriental architecture, seemed to lack the kind of luxury that attracted the heart of Oriental architecture for them who were accustomed to Gothic grandeur and Baroque luxury.

Of course, what makes them sigh the most is probably when they look at it from the balcony, the rows of neatly arranged and connected houses in the city, maybe the palaces in Europe are luxurious, and the churches are towering, but the ordinary urban civilians in Europe often live in a chaotic and dilapidated slum, far from being comparable to the Ming Dynasty.

For all this, it can only be the opinion of the benevolent, and the wisdom of the wise.

But in any case, in the eyes of the people, even though it was a cold winter, when they drove on the official road in a passenger carriage, when they passed through the snow-covered fields along the way, when they passed through the city, when they looked at the city walls, at the bustling and lively market, and when they looked at the people living here, they were attracted by the picturesque scenery here, but they were more immersed in it. Regardless of their position, each and every one of them will agree that it is more suitable for life and even academic research than in Europe.

While the scholars cheered at the relaxed academic atmosphere and rejoiced in the peace and quiet, Gerrit Deau, a painter from the Netherlands, was never involved in any debate. Instead, he just used the brush in his hand to depict everything he saw and heard along the way on the drawing paper.

As Rembrandt's first apprentice in Leiden, his reputation did not overshadow that of his teacher because his style was too similar to Rembrandt. However, it is still known for its innovation in painting techniques and subject matter. Unlike his teacher Rembrandt, who painted in a broad, fluid and expressive way, Deo invented a technique called "fine painting". This type of painting requires very fine and accurate brushstrokes to depict a scene up close.

Whenever they entered the city along the way, Gerritt would paint the scenery he saw along the long distance, and the best position was often from the city wall, and after coming to Gaoyou, he immediately went to the city wall and unfurled his easel, depicting the city, and always aroused the admiration of others, and the same is true today. A teenager on the side couldn't help but step forward and admire.

"Sir, your drawings are so realistic!"

This is a teenager, well-dressed, fair appearance, although he knows that in Daming is not like Europe, you can distinguish whether a person is rich or poor by virtue of the neatness of clothes, or whether you are educated, but as a painter, Gerritt still found his own way, looking at his teeth - the teeth of the rich are very neat, and the same is true in Daming, at least it can show that he is a cultured person, so he turned his head and smiled at the young man.

"Hello,"

The unexpected answer made Wang Yun stunned, he didn't expect that this Westerner could actually speak Chinese, although it was very blunt, although he was surprised, but his good upbringing made Wang Yun hurriedly salute.

"Hello sir."

No matter what country you are in, good manners will still make a good impression. Although Gerrit De'Or knew that the people here were polite, it did not prevent him from making a good impression of the boy in front of him. So naturally I chatted with this teenager. After learning that this teenager also likes to paint, he immediately asked in surprise.

"You like to draw too?"

Although Gerrit Deo had also been exposed to Ming painting in the academy, he was somewhat disappointed to find that his painting style did not seem to be appreciated by Ming scholars, and after discovering that Ming's painting style was completely different from that of the West, he was even a little worried about whether he would lose his job in the future.

"Yes, sir. Students have been learning to draw for many years. ”

However, Wang Yun, who is only a teenager, looks at the painting on the easel, and occasionally when he looks up at Gaoyou City, the whole city comes to life on the paper.

Noticing the appearance of the boy when he looked at the painting, Gerrit Deo also came to his senses, and he immediately said.

"I am a painter who has been hired by your emperor to come here, and if you wish, you can be my apprentice."

As if to show his importance, Gerrit De'o raised his head and said with a proud face.

"My teacher was Mr. Rembrandt, the best painter in all of Europe, and I was his best student!"

Of course, this is also self-exaggeration, but for Glitter Deau, he does not mind using this to elevate his status, and the reason is that he desperately needs a "student", a local student, so that he can use this student to understand this place.

"Moreover, I will go to the most outstanding academy in Daming......"

Looking at the young man in front of him with a look of interest, Gerrit Deo was even glad that he had begun to learn Chinese from the moment he got on the ship, and with his talent in language, although his tone was a little stiff, he could already communicate with the Ming people simply.

"The best academy?"

The words of the painter of Waiyi made Wang Yun's heart move, and he asked almost immediately.

"Is it Qinghe Academy?"

If it was Qinghe Academy, of course Wang Yun would not refuse, after all, entering that academy might mean that his life would change from now on......