Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 387 Royal Sound Broadcast

After arriving in Linqing, he got off the imperial boat and went to Jinan, where the emperor gave lectures at the Shandong Academy of the Imperial College.

Under the organization of the Shandong Inspector, there were more than just local Shandong scholars who came to listen to the lectures.
After the imperial examinations, many failed candidates who returned to their hometowns were still staying along the canal, visiting friends and studying. After hearing the news, many failed candidates from other provinces also gathered in Jinan.

Among them were two brothers from Jiangxi, the older one was thirty-three years old, the younger one was only twenty-four.

"You won't be able to pass the exam this time. It's a rare opportunity for His Majesty to give a lecture on new science today, so you must listen carefully." The elder brother looked forward to it and said to his younger brother, "You should have chosen the natural science subject. Why did you choose the history and humanities subject with me? Otherwise, you might have passed the exam this time!"

The younger brother smiled and said, "It's all the same. This year's exam questions were all written by the emperor. My elder brother and I are still too old-fashioned in reading the old classics. Although I like to study miscellaneous knowledge, I have only read some old miscellaneous books. It's a pity that our predecessors in Jiangxi have never invited new scholars to give lectures like Shanxi and other places..."

His elder brother shook his head and sighed: "What a pity! If we can achieve the joint victory, our Fengxin Ersong's claim will be confirmed..."

"It's just an empty name, it's just Jiangxi..."

The elder brother's name is Song Yingsheng and the younger brother's name is Song Yingxing.

During the "big cram school" in the capital at the end of last year and the beginning of this year, places like Shanxi were able to invite Wang Zheng and others to teach Shanxi candidates taking the imperial examinations. Sun Chuanting became a newly-crowned Jinshi at the age of less than 18, which certainly proved that "temporary cram school" was very effective.

However, the Jiangnan region represented by Jiangxi is much slower in this regard, or still somewhat resistant.

The Jiangxi business community also has many guilds in Beijing, but Jiangxi candidates basically still prepare for the exams as before. Whether they can make temporary progress depends purely on the individual.

The Song brothers both passed the provincial examination last year, and they were the only two students in the same county who succeeded. Although they were called "the two Songs of Fengxin", they were only studying in a private school and had limited connections. Now, both brothers have passed the provincial examination, but Deng Liangzhi, the teacher in their private school, is still just a student and did not pass the examination last year, which shows that the learning resources they have are very scarce.

Therefore, it was certainly a rare opportunity for them to meet the emperor on his southern tour lecturing on new learning at Shandong Academy on their way back home today.

"I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to be selected and enter the temple to listen to the holy music in person." Song Yingsheng was worried while waiting.

"That's probably difficult, so naturally, Shandong local scholars will be given priority," Song Yingxing consoled him, "even if it's outside the palace, it's good to listen to the eunuchs reciting your majesty's sermons."

There were so many people coming that the emperor could only preach in the hall.

There is limited space in the hall, so naturally only a certain number of people can listen inside.

Now, Zhu Changluo has arrived at the former Prince De's Palace.

"This place is called Xiting Spring. Originally, there were many springs in the palace. The Jade Belt River runs through dozens of springs, and pleasure boats can travel on them. Now, Your Majesty has graciously ordered the palace to be converted into an academy, so Shandong students can study here. They sigh that this is a really relaxing place. On weekdays, students like to recite classics and discuss knowledge here."

Zhu Changluo just smiled and said nothing.

The original Prince De's Palace occupied almost one-third of the area of ​​Jinan City. Of course, the palace was the best. Prince De was very lucky. This palace was known as the Little Spring City. The Yudai River in the palace was where he played. Scholars may have thought that reading here was very artistic, but most of those who stayed here often were probably not hard-working people.

Of course, he was right to think that such a "university" should have a good environment.

"Let's go. Now that we're done, it won't be too late to come back and stroll around in the afternoon."

Zhu Changluo left the viewing pavilion and walked slowly towards the lecture hall which was converted from the main hall of the palace.

"How are the preparations going over there?" he asked casually.

"According to your majesty's order, the priests and Shen Xing will go to Jinan first. I have ordered people to listen to the priests' orders. Right now, Shen Xing is trying to speak, and it should be ready soon."

Zhu Changluo nodded and said, "Knowledge is everywhere. Academies should not only teach and educate people, but also study and apply what they have learned."

"Your Majesty is right." The director of the Shandong Academy of the Imperial College was the Shandong Inspector who held the title of Deputy Censor. He nodded hastily and said, "I was not careful enough. After your Majesty's suggestion, some scholars from other provinces were added to the palace to listen to the lectures. I have given the list to Eunuch Zou and Duke Jingguo."

"This is a small matter. I am about to give a lecture on the stage, and scholars will naturally be honored to be able to see the emperor. I am afraid there will be many requests, after all, you are working in Shandong."

"…I am ashamed."

Isn't it because he is afraid of accidents? Although there are guards to protect the emperor, they are all students from the academy that he is familiar with, so the potential hidden dangers will naturally be smaller.

The emperor felt that they were all scholars of the Ming Dynasty, and it would not be good to arrange all the scholars from other provinces outside the palace due to coincidence. Naturally, they could only change the list temporarily.

Therefore, we hurriedly prepared the registration and "lottery" procedures.

We walked all the way to the former bedroom of Prince De behind the main hall of Prince De's mansion, which is now the library of the academy.

The layout of the palace is generally similar. The front half is like the "front court", with many offices of the palace's affiliated departments in addition to the main hall. The back half is the living area, plus the garden.

The previous round of palaces being converted into academies actually involved the issue of building grade, which some people were very concerned about. After the main building was used for schooling, Zhu Changluo did not care much about the problem of professors and students' residences in the academy "exceeding the regulations". In fact, the interiors of large buildings are mostly open bays supported by pillars, and the layout is fine. Although some of the main halls and side halls are double-eaved structures, in the end, only some of the ridge beasts and animals were removed.

Sitting in the main room of the library, Zhu Changluo looked around and asked, "What do they mean by registration and lottery? How do they actually do it?"

Upon hearing this, Zou Yi immediately replied, "Your Majesty is personally lecturing on the new learning, and the scholars are excited. After all, there was an incident last year when candidates gathered in Shandong, so they are a little scared. Some were selected by drawing lots, but most of them were recommended by officials from all levels of Shandong."

Zhu Changluo didn't care: "You know it in your heart. One house, seven courtyards, eight ministers assisting in the administration. What I want is not to build up cliques again."

"The servant understands."

Zou Yi knew that the emperor deliberately proposed to give students from all over the country opportunities. Firstly, on the surface, it was to educate scholars all over the world to turn their hearts to new learning rather than to bestow favors on Shandong. Secondly, after delegating power, he would use many methods to control the future larger court.

The eunuchs had to help the emperor keep an eye on who promoted whom. There was nothing wrong with promoting others out of public interest, but if there were to be factional struggles in political affairs out of selfish motives in the future, the emperor would have accumulated a lot of clues and materials.

After a while, Erzhuzi came running over excitedly: "Father, Master Shen has a very loud voice! What's the reason?"

"You didn't ask Dean Wang and the bearded man?"

"What they said...my son couldn't understand..." Zhu Youzhu was a little embarrassed.

"Then study hard and think carefully in the future." Zhu Changluo smiled and knocked on his head, "I told you, but you didn't understand. Now, just think that every trade has its own knowledge. Even though Master Shen is just a storyteller, they also have their own knowledge."

"……Oh."

"Go find your mother. You ran away with them early, and your mother is worried about you."

In the large lecture hall in front, Song Yingxing and Song Yingsheng were pleasantly surprised to enter the Duanli Gate first and came to the open space in front of the hall.

They were all lucky enough to enter the hall.

When they got here, they could already hear voices coming from inside. "...Someone is telling a story in there?" Song Yingxing said in amazement, "What a loud voice!"

After a while, someone could be heard saying in a not very clear voice: "Move... to the left... three centimeters..."

After a while, he was still telling stories, and his voice seemed to be brighter.

Inside the palace, Huang Kezan and Xie Tingzan were also very surprised. They looked at each other and said, "What's the reason for this?"

Xie Tingzan shook his head, looking at him from afar and sighing: "Your Majesty is extremely knowledgeable, I'm afraid it's the wonder of studying things naturally."

"... the stage caisson, the water tank..." Huang Kezan murmured, "Is this some kind of formation? I'll have to ask Master Shen about this later."

"I think this was probably researched by the scholars of the Institute of Research." Xie Tingzan saw Wang Zheng just watching from the side, so he walked over to greet him, "Dean Wang, what's the reason?"

Wang Zheng turned around and saw the two men. He greeted them first, then smiled and said, "Your Majesty will give lectures along the way, so it will be useful to bring us along. In addition to doing some experiments for the scholars to see and show the wonders of studying nature, we also need to make the holy sound pure and sound like a red bell. The principle behind this is vibration."

"……shock?"

"Xie Nietai, haven't you heard the sound of drums, cymbals, and bells? The drums vibrate, the cymbals vibrate, the bells vibrate, and that's how the sound is loud." Wang Zheng explained, "But how can the voice be as loud? Later, your majesty reminded me and asked Shen Xingshou and the opera troupe..."

Then he pointed to the podium and said, "Look at that caisson, does it look like a horn? And those water tanks, put together, look like drums. I heard that all opera stages are made like this. Ever since the invention of the telescope, it has been called the clairvoyant, and the Institute of Research also has people who are studying the super-ears, which ultimately study how sounds are transmitted..."

The pulpit where the emperor would sit was now being temporarily arranged.

Above, there is now a conical caisson supported by a wooden frame, and at the four corners of the base of the wooden frame are four pairs of interlocking water tanks.

The storyteller Shen Honglin stood there and kept testing his voice, which was amplified a lot. Not only could it be heard clearly anywhere in the hall, but it could probably be heard a lot outside the hall.

In this era without loudspeakers, people became interested in super hearing after they had the ability to see more than a thousand miles away. The Institute of Research has indeed made some conclusions in the field of acoustics.

Nowadays, we have absorbed the experience of folk art, which has not been paid attention to by most people, and set up such a forum with a sound amplification effect.

The conical caisson can collect and reflect sound from above, and the water tanks placed lower around the pulpit are like drums. After receiving the sound, they will resonate to a certain extent, achieving a sound amplification effect.

Huang Kezan and Xie Tingzan were surprised when they heard Wang Zheng say that sound seemed to travel faster through solid wood and ropes than through thin air.

"If you don't believe me, go outside the temple and see the cotton threads."

The two men looked up and saw that there were indeed several wires extending from the caisson to the outside of the hall.

They stood up with Wang Zheng and saw a row of copper trumpets like suona mouthpieces hanging outside the palace gate, with wires connected to the back.

"That's why we can hear some of it outside the hall. The sound comes from the cotton thread on the ceiling of the caisson. If you two listen carefully at the door, you can hear two sounds. The sounds from the speakers seem to be slightly faster."

Huang Kezan and Xie Tingzan couldn't hear it.

Wang Zheng smiled awkwardly: "I can only say that this is a preliminary experience, but it is better than nothing."

"No, no, it's really an eye-opener... No, it's an ear-opener."

Then he praised the emperor's knowledge again.

However, Xie Tingzan knew very well that the Second Prince and the scholars of the Academy of Scientific Research had left the fleet in advance and arrived in Jinan to make preparations. The wonderful sound transmission of this lecture hall was probably a practical example of the emperor's intention to promote new learning.

In the past, when people talked about learning, these "strange skills and tricks" were not put on the table.

And now, this is the stage where the emperor gives lectures.

The two chatted with Wang Zheng for a few words, and saw him go back into the hall. They turned around to look at the scholars who were already waiting outside the hall, and after looking at each other, they prepared to go over and remind them again of the etiquette of listening to the lecture.

After saying this, they continued to wait for the emperor to ascend the throne.

There were many Shandong local officials in the court. When there was nothing else to do, the scholars who were "fortunate" enough to hear the emperor's music in person would seize the opportunity to "ask for knowledge" from these officials.

After all, most of the officials who are qualified to come here today are Jinshi graduates.

Actually it’s face recognition.

It was not surprising that the Song brothers appeared around Xie Tingzan.

After Xie Tingzan heard them introduce themselves, he looked at Song Yingxing and asked, "Are you Song Changgeng from the Second Song Village in Fengxin?"

"I am... the second Song of Fengxin. How dare I accept the title? Your Excellency is joking."

Xie Tingzan just smiled and replied: "Since I have this opportunity, I will try my best to understand your majesty's knowledge."

Song Yingxing's heart moved, and he pulled his brother's sleeve and bowed together: "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Neitai."

Xie Tingzan smiled even more brightly and nodded: "Not bad, not bad."

Both were from Jiangxi, and the Song brothers were "selected" to enter the palace, of course, because of Xie Tingzan.

Ever since he recommended Xu Hongzu and learned that the emperor had invited him to have a meal alone, Xie Tingzan became more cautious.

He wrote to his family and asked about the young people in Jiangxi. He especially reminded them to pay attention to the young students who were famous in miscellaneous studies. The two Songs in Fengxin were a small topic last year. After all, the two brothers passed the imperial examination in the same year, and Song Yingxing studied a wide range of subjects, especially in agriculture and industry. The family of Xie Tingzan, a local official, was interested in collecting information and reported it to Xie Tingzan.

So there was this round of wide-ranging support.

When Xie Tingzan saw him thanking Song Yingxing for his guidance, he knew that Song Yingxing probably understood that he was able to enter the palace not just by luck.

This is enough.

Xie Tingzan didn't care too much at the moment, he was casting a wide net anyway.

How could he know how much help and rewards this young man would bring to him in the future?

(End of this chapter)