BSI Chapter 97 0095 [The Kaifeng Prefecture Was Alarmed]
Chapter 97 0095 [The Kaifeng Prefecture Was Alarmed]
Chapter 97 0095 [The Kaifeng Prefecture Was Alarmed]
As the "Prefect of the Capital Water Conservancy Bureau," Zhang Gong was very busy every year at the end of winter and the beginning of spring because this period was the annual maintenance period for the Yellow River.
He first arranged the annual maintenance tasks, then went to the upper reaches of the Yellow River to observe the melting of ice and snow in order to predict the upcoming peach blossom flood.
Then, they inspected the Yellow River from its upper reaches, going downstream to check for potential hazards in the embankment, thoroughly investigated the weak sections of the river, urged the progress of construction along the entire line, and directed the resolution of technical problems on-site.
The annual maintenance project along this section adjacent to Kaifeng City had already been completed, and no one dared to cut corners; in fact, they had to hurry up and finish it as soon as possible.
Even so, Zhang Gong still insisted on a thorough inspection.
It doesn't matter if tens of thousands of people drown in other places, but if there's a problem in the Kaifeng section of the river, that would be a much bigger problem.
At this very moment, subordinates are measuring the height and width of the dam.
Zhang Gong personally used an iron awl to probe the soil. Just by feeling the texture of the awl when it was inserted, he could judge the solidity of the dike and even speculate whether there were ant holes or cavities in the dike.
"What is that?" a plumber exclaimed.
Zhang Gong turned his head and saw a dark shape rising in the distance, already blown by the southeast wind over the Yellow River.
All the river patrol officials and craftsmen were drawn to it.
"Let's go take a look!"
Zhang Gong couldn't contain his curiosity and didn't even bother to inspect the dike.
The eastern, southern, and western suburbs outside Kaifeng naturally formed various agricultural zones. The northern suburbs, however, were a restricted area, home to a variety of royal gardens, and even a horse ranch covering a radius of 30 square kilometers in the northwest.
The Imperial Guard troops in this area were utterly corrupt; you could hardly find a soldier there. Only a few Qing Shui soldiers (the local troops responsible for protecting the dikes) were on duty.
Parts of the royal gardens and pastures were also inexplicably encroached upon and converted into farmland, with tenant farmers being recruited from who-knows-where.
While Zhang Gong led his men to investigate, nearby tenant farmers and soldiers were also running away.
There were also merchants and tourists leaving the city or crossing the river.
The patrol officers responsible for maintaining order in this area also arrived.
Hundreds of people gradually gathered here, all staring in disbelief at the hot air balloon.
The patrol officer Wang Ce was shocked and bewildered. Seeing that the other party was a group of scholars, he was afraid of offending some powerful or wealthy young men.
He walked over cautiously, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "I am Wang Ce, the head of the patrol office in the north of Tokyo. May I ask how you gentlemen address me?"
Xu Lai pointed at Xu Anshi and said, "This is the son of the former prime minister and former privy councilor, Song Xianggong."
Xu Anshi immediately rolled his eyes.
Wang Ce was extremely annoyed upon hearing this. Who didn't know that Song Xiang's descendants were always causing trouble?
Wang Ce then pointed to the hot air balloon and asked, "What is that?"
Xu Lai said, "Hot air balloons can be used to survey the terrain and also to observe enemy movements. We are currently testing and improving them, and will present them to the court once they are perfected."
Since it was a treasure to be presented to the imperial court, Wang Ce dared not obstruct it.
Shen Kuo stood in the wicker basket, observing the surrounding scenery through a telescope, and said excitedly, "Xingzhi, your telescope is really useful!"
"What did you say? I can't hear you!" Xu Lai shouted.
Shen Kuo then said, "Now I need to add pine resin and charcoal, and adjust the flames to control the hot air balloon's ascent and descent!"
Xu Lai shouted, "I can't hear you, speak louder!"
Hot air balloons have been continuously improved; for example, the number of layers of tung oil is reduced compared to the original design, because applying too much of this stuff would make them too heavy.
How to control the flame also requires hands-on testing, and the flame-breathing furnace should be improved according to the results.
Yu Sigong called out anxiously, "Come down quickly, let me go up and take a look!"
Merchants, pedestrians, and tenant farmers—initially filled with awe for the hot air balloon, some even kneeling in fear. Now that they understand it's a man-made object, more and more people gather around, pointing and commenting on it.
Zhang Gong finally arrived with his men, and demanded, "I am Zhang Gong, the Prefect of the Waterways. What are you all doing here? And what is that thing floating in the sky?"
"Greetings, Zhang Dushui!" The group of friends bowed in unison.
Xu Lai said, "Zhang Dushui, I am Xu Lai, a student of the Imperial Academy. My friends and I have built a hot air balloon, which we intend to present to the court. This item is beneficial to the country and the people, and the Water Conservancy Bureau can also use it."
"Would the water monitoring station need this?" Zhang Gong asked, puzzled.
Xu Lai waved a small flag and shouted towards the sky, "Come down, come down!"
Seeing the flag move, Shen Kuo quickly adjusted the gate, reducing the flames coming out of the vent. The hot air balloon slowly descended, and Xu Anshi and Lu Zhiyuan's page took the opportunity to pull back the rope.
The hot air balloon landed smoothly, and the surrounding crowd cheered.
Xu Lai took back the binoculars and handed them to Zhang Gong, saying, "Zhang Dushui, please look at this. Close one eye and look with the other. The telescope can be extended and adjusted until the image in the lens becomes clear."
Curious, Zhang Gong took the binoculars and observed the opposite bank using Xu Lai's method. He was able to see the crowds on the other side of the Yellow River very clearly.
"What...what kind of treasure is this?" Zhang Gong was so shocked that he could barely speak.
Xu Lai said, "This thing is called a telescope, also known as a telescope. If the Capital Water Conservancy Bureau needs to survey the terrain, and there are no mountains or cities nearby, they can take a hot air balloon to a high altitude and then use the telescope to observe the ground."
Zhang Gong imagined himself using a telescope in the sky.
Niubi!
Yu Shuying smiled and invited, "Please invite Zhang Dushui to ascend to heaven."
Zhang Gong automatically ignored the ambiguity. Looking at the hot air balloon in front of him, he wanted to fly up immediately, but he was also afraid of falling and dying.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Zhang Gong pointed to one of his subordinates and said, "You go up!"
"what?"
The subordinate official looked terrified: "This...this...it won't fall down, will it?"
"No. The wind is blowing from the southeast today. Even if it falls, it will fall into the Yellow River." Shen Kuo began to explain to his subordinate how to operate.
The subordinate, feeling weak all over, crawled into the wicker basket and gradually increased the valve size according to Shen Kuo's instructions.
"It flew—it really flew!"
The official lay inside the wicker basket, feeling both fear and excitement, even worried that the ropes might suddenly break.
When the creature returned to the ground, the crowd had grown to over two thousand, and more and more were arriving after hearing the news. Even curious onlookers from across the Yellow River came by boat from the Chenqiao Town ferry crossing.
"How is it?" Zhang Gong asked.
The official's legs were trembling, but he was incredibly excited and said, "It works great, it really works great! The scenery all around is clearly visible."
"It's my turn this time!"
Yu Shuying quickly climbed into the wicker basket.
"Whoosh!"
As the hot air balloon rose again, the surrounding crowd erupted in uproar.
The back residence of the Kaifeng Prefecture government office.
Today is a day off, and Feng Jing gets a rare rest.
He was tending to the flowers and trees in the garden, and the tool he was holding was the mulberry shears invented by Xu Lai.
"Magistrate, Magistrate!" The aide rushed in.
The position of Prefect of Kaifeng is not one that just anyone can hold; it is the exclusive responsibility of the Crown Prince.
If an ordinary official were to become the prefect of Kaifeng, the word "power" must be added before his title.
However, using the honorific "Da Yin" is acceptable, though it falls into the category of borderline titles.
Feng Jing continued pruning the flower branches, asking without looking up, "What's the rush?"
The aide said, "Tens of thousands of people have gathered on the banks of the Yellow River north of the city. It is said that there is a strange object that can help people ascend to heaven."
"Tens of thousands gathered? A strange object ascending to heaven?"
Feng Jing turned around abruptly.
The aide said, "That's what everyone's saying! And more and more people are rushing there after hearing the news."
"Get the car ready quickly!"
"It's all ready."
"Take a detachment of local soldiers and archers with you to guard against any riots outside the city."
"6
'
Feng Jing threw away the scissors and left without even having time to bring his ceremonial guard. On the way, he encountered the Vice Prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture and the Magistrate of Xiangfu County.
By the time they arrived at the scene, the number of onlookers had exceeded 20,000.
And the number is still increasing.
"Make way! Make way now! Disperse immediately!"
With soldiers and archers clearing the way, the officials quickly made their way through the crowd.
"Greetings, Lord Feng."
Students and officials alike came forward to pay their respects.
"What the hell are you doing?" Feng Jing shouted angrily, pointing at the hot air balloon. "Get it down now, or the whole city will come to watch. Who will be responsible if someone gets trampled to death?"
Xu Lai waved a small flag as the hot air balloon gradually descended.
During the brief pause in the descent, Xu Lai repeated his earlier words to Feng Jing.
Zhang Gong stepped forward to testify, stating that every word he said was true.
Feng Jing possessed a keen political sense: "Since it can be used for military purposes, it must not be displayed indiscriminately anymore. Take it back to Kaifeng Prefecture, where I will submit a memorial to the court for a decision. Who made it?"
Xu Lai recited the names of all his friends.
Feng Jing then asked, "Are you students of the Imperial Academy?"
Xu Lai pointed at Shen Kuo and said, "We are students of the Imperial Academy, while this Brother Shen is a candidate for the highest degree."
The hot air balloon had descended quite low, and Xu Anshi laughed from inside the wicker basket, "Haha, this was truly exhilarating—Master Feng is here too! Master Feng, it's me, Anshi. I've even had dinner at your house before!"
Feng Jing immediately remembered it.
That chubby kid came begging to study last year, shamelessly begging to be accepted. I reluctantly agreed, but he only attended two classes and then never showed up again.
Do you think your teaching skills are too poor?
Feng Jing suddenly realized that the name Xu Lai sounded familiar, because he also worked as a tutor at the Imperial Academy: "You're Xu Lai, the one who came in first place in last year's Imperial Academy examination?"
"Thank you for your concern, Master Feng," Xu Lai said, bowing.
Feng Jing inquired about the other people's information in detail, and soon felt speechless, as they were all descendants of old acquaintances.
He said, half-laughing and half-crying, "Hurry up and come back to the Kaifeng Prefecture government office. Don't cause trouble here!"
As the hot air balloon gradually landed, Xu Anshi climbed out of the wicker basket and shoved the binoculars into Feng Jing's hands: "Master Feng, please try it out. I'll teach you how to use it."
Feng Jing, somewhat bewildered, took a telescope and stood on the bank of the Yellow River to observe the opposite bank. After experiencing it firsthand, he exclaimed in shock, "This must not be revealed; it must be presented to the Privy Council immediately!"
The Northern Song Dynasty did a good job of keeping military secrets and equipment confidential; the blueprints for the Shenbi Bow were never leaked.
Don't overestimate the Liao and Western Xia dynasties; they were nothing but a bunch of amateurs. Those two evenly matched adversaries would never send spies deep into Song territory; at most, they would only conduct reconnaissance in the border regions.
"Disperse! Everyone, disperse immediately!"
Feng Jing rebuked the onlookers, and the officials and soldiers he brought immediately drove them away.
But the people didn't disappear immediately; instead, they slowly retreated, watching Xu Lai and his group disassemble and pack up the hot air balloon.
This thing is so amazing; it can actually fly into the sky.
It is estimated that the news will spread throughout Kaifeng within a day or two, and various bizarre versions will emerge.
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