CH 60

“Lu Pingyuan is dead?!”

“After the defeat at Fuping Ford Bridge, the Prince of Chengdu had his whole family put to death on account of slanderous lies. Not only him, but his brother, Lu Qinghe, was executed for treason too! 

“That, that…. how foolish of him!”

Just over ten days ago, Lu Ji had led his armies in battle against Luoyang. Rows of soldiers as far as the eye could see, drums of war that could be heard from leagues afar. It was a tremendous battle, the likes of which were rarely seen. Yet the Prince of Changsha, Sima Ai, held the emperor hostage as he personally attended the battlefield, arraying his forces at Luyuan. General and footsoldier fought alike, their hearts as one, for days on end before decimating Lu Ji’s forces. The Seven-mile River ran dry as its waters were dammed by countless corpses. In this battle, the Prince of Chengdu lost tens of thousands of soldiers. In his rage, he believed the false charges brought against Lu Ji and killed him, as well as his relatives.

Everyone who heard the news was shocked by it. The Lu brothers were famous for their outstanding literary talent. They were the foremost of scholars hailing from the eastern banks of the Yangtze River, and their renown had only soared after they had entered Luoyang. Who didn’t sigh in sorrow and woe at their sudden, futile demise?

“According to hearsay, before Lu Pingyuan breathed his last, he lamented ‘Would that I could hear the cranes of Huating cry once more; but alas, that day shall never come.’ That day, dark fog blotted out the sun, great winds tore the branches from their trees, unseasonable snow blanketed the earth – the Lu family’s grievance manifest.” 

The phrase “hear the cranes of Huating cry once more” brought the audience to tears. Yet another distinguished scholar, felled under the blade of the Sima clan. His kindred fellows mourned his departure and feared the advent of their own.

One of them dabbed his eyes with his sleeve and said, “If that is so, then certainly the Prince of Chengdu will withdraw his forces?”

Although Lu Ji’s death was regrettable, at least something would have come of this bitter battle if the siege of Luoyang was broken.

But the other shook his head, “The Prince of Hejian has sent his general, Zhang Fang, to aid the Prince of Chengdu in assailing Luoyang. I fear this war is not yet over.”

All were silent. It seemed the Prince of Chengdu would stop at nothing to obtain Luoyang. Who knew how many calamities were yet to befall the capital. Having lost the desire to converse, Cui Liang saluted before exiting the courtyard and making for his grandfather’s study.

He would have to report this matter in full to his grandfather, whose thoughts still lingered on Luoyang. But his grandfather’s age was over ninety already; what to do, if he were to fall ill from this upset?

Cui Liang sighed deeply, but all the same, he went to the study and reported deferentially, “Grandfather, I have received news of Luoyang.”

To his puzzlement, he received no reply. The old man, leaning on the rest, was deep in thought, staring at the text before him. Cui Liang worriedly stepped forth, “Grandfather?” 

A long while after, the old man finally spoke, “The Prince of Chengdu was defeated?”

Seeing that his grandfather had already surmised the outcome, Cui Liang quickly responded, “He lost the battle at Fuping Ford Bridge. So many died that, it’s rumored, the flow of the Seven-mile River was cut thereafter.”

“Utter defeat… Is Lu Shiheng still well?” the old man asked.

“The Prince of Chengdu massacred the Lu family…” Cui Liang said hesitantly, afraid his peace of mind would be disturbed. 

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And to think that the Prince of Chengdu had once been a man of great repute, that after a mere few years in power he would become so brutal and deranged. Now it was apparent that it was the Prince of Changsha who was brave and perspicacious, loyal to the emperor, and pillar of the state.

However, the old man had no interest in discussing the topic. With trembling hand, he pointed at the item on his desk, “This book, who printed it?” 

Cui Liang looked down and saw two books, one of which was the Diamond Sutra that he had sent a servant out to purchase. The scripture was beautifully elegant and profound. Even those who didn’t believe in Buddhism could appreciate its insights. Plus, it wasn’t all that expensive. Many of his contemporaries had added it to their collection. He thought it strange that his grandfather, a prominent Confucian scholar, would take interest in a Buddhist sutra.

He hurriedly answered, “It was printed by the Fifth-Order Marquess of Shenmen, Liang Feng. Apparently, it was taught to him by Buddha by way of a dream.”

The old man frowned, “And the medical text?”

“Ah, it was complimentary with the scripture, the posthumous work of Imperial Physician Jiang. It mentions quite a few methods of disease prevention. I’ve already ordered the servants to learn them, though I don’t know whether they’ll be effective,” Cui Liang explained. 

“Selling scriptures, gifting medical texts?” the old man muttered to himself. After a moment of thought, he suddenly said, “I want you to make a trip to the Liang Estate…”

※

Liang Feng was terribly busy recently. The bookworks’ business had far surpassed that of the other workshops’. The shops in both Jinyang and Gaodu were doing exceptionally well, making shipments of grain to the estate every few days. The estate had had to build two more granaries to hold it all. There was so much that they were set for the next year, let alone the next winter.

Even so, Cui Liang’s arrival was rather surprising, “Mister Cui wants me to print a book on his behalf?” 

Cui Liang, noticing Liang Feng’s astonishment, tried to tamp down his awkwardness, “Yes, that is my grandfather’s intention. The text in question is ‘Funerary Raiment,’ which he personally compiled. The reason this request was brought here is that the text contains many illustrations; just ten would be enough.  Whatever the price is, it will be paid in full.”

Truth be told, Cui Liang had no clue why his grandfather wanted the Liang Estate to print this book. The Diamond Sutra was unconventional, but one need only flip through it to guess how it was made – it was simple to print a book after the contents were carved onto stamps. It seemed too wasteful, and more importantly, embarrassing, to pay someone else to do it. Still, he went to the Liang Estate, for he could hardly disobey his grandfather’s orders.

Liang Feng was actually more confounded than he appeared. It was only reasonable that the Huai’en Temple would want to partner up with him. After all, it was his living bodhisattva billboard, that he was making money off of, not the sutra itself. There was no way the other nobles couldn’t tell how the book had been printed. Why didn’t they hire a few craftsmen to figure it out and print it themselves? Why come to his doorstep?

Not to mention that the Shangdang Cui family was no ordinary nobility. Cui You was just about the most prominent Confucian scholar in the entire commandery. He was a man of great age, and great esteem. And because he forbade those of the Cui family from taking up office, forcing them to deepen their learning instead, the whole family’s reputation was elevated. It would be laughable to think that such an educated family couldn’t figure out how to carve printing blocks. 

But after only a second’s pause, Liang Feng replied, “If that is Mister Cui’s wish, I daren’t refuse. As this text is much more substantial than the Diamond Sutra, I’m afraid it will cost a hundred thousand to produce the requisite printing blocks.”

His grandfather’s prediction had been accurate after all! Cui Liang was astonished. He’d thought that Master Liang would almost certainly decline, for if he took on their commission, then both taking payment and refusing it became somewhat of a faux pas. That was why he’d expected to lose face. Yet his grandfather had said there was a good chance he would accept, and that if he did, to invite him to their residence – he wanted to meet him face to face. How had his grandfather guessed that he would accept?

Cui Liang composed himself, and, as he couldn’t immediately blurt out his actual purpose in coming, only said, “Even a single copy of the Diamond Sutra costs twenty stone – is a hundred thousand really enough?”

Liang Feng smiled, “This is the work of Mister Cui, how could I be so crass as to disseminate it without express permission? That is just the cost of making the printing blocks. Once they’re finished they’ll be delivered along with the books to your residence.” 

Goodness, he was even going to give the carved blocks to them? That meant they’d be able to print however many copies they wanted. Cui Liang was amazed and warmed by his generosity. Then, recalling his grandfather’s instructions, he added, “That would be most excellent! Once the printing blocks are finished, would you perhaps be able to deliver them to the commandery capital yourself? My grandfather would like to personally express his gratitude.”

They not only wanted him to print books but deliver them himself? Liang Feng’s brow raised imperceptibly, though he didn’t refuse. He smiled faintly, “Mister Cui is highly respected; it’d be an honor to become acquainted with him. Of course I will deliver them in person.”

Now, Cui Lang’s concerns were fully settled. He hadn’t imagined Liang Zixi to be so agreeable, so courteous and gracious. He was a breath of fresh air compared to other rising literati, most of whom liked to put on pompous airs. Cui Lang couldn’t resist chatting with Liang Feng for a while more about Buddhist theology and having a simple meal, before contentedly leaving the Liang Estate.

From the information that Liang Feng had subtly drawn out from their conversation, he inferred that Cui You’s true interest wasn’t in printing “Funerary Raiment,” but in meeting him. The book was only a pretext, as he was too old to travel. Even though Liang Feng didn’t know what the acclaimed scholar wanted with him, there was no way he could refuse! Because this acclaimed scholar was once the supreme general, commander of the five divisions’ military affairs, Wise Prince of the East, Liu Yuan’s patron-mentor! 

In this era, the piety owed to one’s teacher was second only to the piety owed to one’s lord and one’s parents. The relationship between master and disciple, in some lineages of Confucian orthodoxy, was closer than that between father and son. He didn’t know whether he could accept his student’s treason against the imperial court, or how he would react when the Xiongnu began rebuilding their nation. But he had to meet him; it could be a way to learn more about Liu Yuan. There was no way Liang Feng would miss the opportunity!

Liang Feng let out a slight breath, then got up and headed towards his study, which had been expanded not long ago. The newly constructed room housed a tall wooden table, an enormous topological map placed upon it. It wasn’t as detailed as those of the modern era, but it was a useful visual aid for understanding the nearby terrain.

Upon Liang Feng’s entrance, Yiyan looked up, “My lord, the sand table of the area from here to Gaodu is nearly finished.”

“Very good.” Liang Feng walked up to the sand table and appraised it for a moment, asking “Were these mountains made according to scale?” 

Yiyan asked, “What does according to scale mean?”

Looking at Yiyan’s clueless expression, Liang Feng could only grin and bear it. Of course. How would it be possible for anyone in this era to know about scale or proportion, much less measure the dimensions of a mountain? The only tool they had was their intuition.

Liang Feng shook his head, “This will do. Once this model is completed, continue to broaden its scope. You need to go out more, at least until you know the Shangdang Commandery like the back of your hand.”

Yiyan nodded. He’d been constantly on the move recently. It wasn’t a task he could delegate to anyone else. Exploring the land was the surest way to familiarize himself with it. But now that he had to both construct the sand table and train the militia, the time he spent at the estate was lessened even further. Unlike before, it didn’t distress or agitate him so deeply. Because every time he passed by the villages where his people had once lived, he remembered the day he went to lead them to the Liang Estate. There was surely purpose in everything his lord instructed him to do, so he would spare no effort to do it! 

Liang Feng, not having noticed Yiyan’s expression, examined the sand table for a while more. Then he left the room, sat at his desk, took out paper and brush, and began to think. He had learned how to create terrain models back when he’d attended the military academy, but he’d forgotten most of it. What was the formula for calculating the height of a mountain again?

He scribbled about on the page, nearly chewing the end of his brush in consternation. Zhou Kan walked into the study, bearing a stack of ledgers, “My lord, we’ve received another two hundred stone of grain today. Going by the current budget, we have enough keep the estate fed for two years. Since grain prices are currently climbing, should we trade it for sliver?”

Liang Feng stared blankly at his beaming face for a moment, then suddenly said, “Jiaozhi, can you calculate the height of a mountain?”

“Huh?” Zhou Kan startled, then coughed embarrassedly, “Not really. But I think one of my grandfather’s old disciples knows a thing or two. He actually snuck off to apprentice under a teacher in Qing Province because of it. Nearly made my grandfather pass out from anger.” 

It was possible to switch schools in this day and age? Interest piqued, Liang Feng asked, “What’s his name? Is he still in Qing Province?”

“His name is Li Xin, courtesy name Ziyue, and he’s still in Qing Province. I heard he’s organizing all his school’s old records and documents. They’ve got their own special way of measuring mountains, I think it was called… ‘double-complement?’”

Double-complement? That sounded familiar… Liang Feng suddenly leaped out of his seat, “Is that new teacher of his surnamed Liu?!”

Zhou Kan jolted, then stuttered, “Yes, yes surnamed Liu. Do you happen to know of their school, master…” 

Of course he knew! Liang Feng nearly screamed with excitement. It must be Liu Hui! One of the best mathematicians of the Wei Jin era. He’d revised “The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art” and added his own “double-complement” method, which was then extracted into a separate book named “The Sea Island Mathematical Manual” during the Tang Dynasty. He was basically the ancestor of mathematical surveying! Everyone who’d learned the slightest thing about cartography knew about him!

How foolish he’d been. Mathematics had applications in far more than just accounting, it was the mother of all science! A disciple of Liu Hui would be an invaluable asset!

“Could you convince Mister Li to come to the Liang Estate?” Liang Feng instantly asked.

He was even calling him “mister” now? Zhou Kan had never seen his master so worked up before. He replied somewhat dizzily, “I, I’m afraid he might not come. The road’s far, and he’s obsessed with mathematics…” 

“If he’s willing to come, I can print all the works of his school, so that they may pass down for generations!” Liang Feng declared!

Perhaps there was nothing else in the world a researcher might care about, but could they really remain unmoved by printing and publication?

Zhou Kan had nothing to say this time. He knew about printing. Even though it brought in a lot of income, it still took a lot of time to carve the boards. The chance to have his school’s texts carved into printing blocks might really tempt that rascal Ziyue. Zhou Kan finally nodded, “I’ll write a letter to ask.”

“Hurry. I want it delivered to him as soon as possible!” Liang Feng took a deep breath and clenched his fist. 

If he could recruit a reliable mathematician, he’d be one step closer to realizing his aspirations!

The author has something to say:

Liu Hui is the most famous mathematician of the Wei Jin era. He was the one who wrote “The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art” and “The Sea Island Mathematical Manual.” He was the first person to develop the concept of decimals, and he also used the cyclotomic method to calculate π=3.1416. Basically, he’s super awesome! Although at this time, he’s already been dead for several years, cough cough~~ Young Liang, just be grateful you picked up a disciple of his!