Sima Qian
太史令
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2006
- Messages
- 732
Chapter 29: The Origin of New Ideas
Since Wang Jun brought his towering ships down from Yizhou,
The royal ghost has pined in the city of Nanjing.
Ten thousand feet of iron chain were sunk here to the bottom
And then came the flag of surrender on the Wall of Stone...
Cycles of change have moved into the past,
While still this mountain dignity has commanded the cold river;
And now comes the day of the Chinese world united,
And the old forts fill with ruin and with autumn reeds.
"Thoughts of Old Times at West Fort Mountain," Liu Yixi (A.D. 772-842)
Except for the navy, Chinese casualties were light during the Stinky Toilet War. Nevertheless, advances in medicine had made it possible for simple first aid kits to be provided to Chinese soldiers, and on the recommendation of military advisor Zhu De, Mao decided it would be a good idea to establish a training center for army specialists who would focus on treating combat wounds. These medics would be skilled in everything from first aid to surgery, and would carry the necessary equipment with them to the front lines, if there were such a thing in a future war.
Shanghai and Beijing were preoccupied with building the Great Wonders at the time, and most of the coastal cities had their hands full producing ironclads to offset the heavy losses in naval battles with the Japanese, so the training center was established in 1850 AD at an inland city, Xi'an, southwest of Beijing.
Contrary to Zhu's expectations, medics did not need to be immediately dispatched with the Chinese troops, although a few did serve on naval vessels to treat some injuries from enemy bombardment. But with the cramped space aboard the ships, combined with an inability to replenish medical supplies, severly limited their effectiveness.
And what could a medic be expected to do when a hole has been punctured in the hull of an ironclad? wondered Mao. Try to patch it with a piece of gauze?
And so ironclads continued to be sunk around the Japanese coast, although new ones were being built at a steady pace in coastal cities. Freight trains carried cartload after cartload of coal to the shipyards, as these vessels relied on it for power.
But one particular shipment of coal had a strange surprise in it. There was a railroad tunnel in the hills leading to Dalian, on China's eastern coast, and after one train emerged from it, the engineers on board were startled to find that the typically black coal had turned white. Unable to believe their eyes, they sifted through the load, only to find that the coal was still fine, but a strange white powder had somehow covered the top of the black substance.
When the shipment arrived in Dalian, the locomotive engineer apologized to the governor for the unexpected impurities in the coal, but instead of being punished, he was congratulated for his discovery. It turned out that the white powder was a strategic resource, although one that was no longer in heavy use.
Indeed, the cavalry were the only military divisions that still required the use of saltpeter, and those were no longer being trained anymore. Still, there was nothing wrong with a resource bringing a little bit of extra commerce to Dalian.
"Bah, it's still just saltpeter though," the governor of Beijing told Mao. "There's something far more important going on here, and I am sure you will agree with me when I tell you that iron and coal shall rule the world."
And so in 1856 AD, what would arguably be the most important building ever constructed was completed in Beijing. Instantly the production rate doubled, fueled by the speedy processing of raw materials and incredible energy output of the Iron Works. Unfortunately, Beijing was not a coastal city, and the Iron Works would turn out to be of no help in terms of producing new naval vessels.
Meanwhile, the Stinky Toilet War continued to rage on, mostly in the southern islands of Japan. Control of Toyama and Hakodate repeatedly passed between Tokugawa and Gandhi, leaving the citizens devastated by the ravages of war. The population of these once thriving cities dwindled, as most residents either perished in the battles, fled to other places in search of food and basic supplies, or were unwillingly drafted into the Japanese military.
Mao, however, continued to ignore these developments. If India and Japan battled each other to a standstill, the Chinese people would be mostly unaffected and could still lead their peaceful lives, despite the technical existence of a war with Japan. Mao did not want to make peace with Tokugawa yet, even though the mutual protection pact with Gandhi had ended long ago, in 1848 AD. He would let the war drain the resources of the two other countries, depleting their treasuries and cutting off funding for scientific research.
But on November 24, 1859, it was Professor Charles Darwin who dropped a bombshell. The Newton's University Press had printed 1,250 copies of his masterpiece work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. It was a thorough explanation of his theory that he had refined over the years of analyzing the data he had gathered, and instantly it took the academic world by storm.
Player's note: Yes, this is very spooky. November 24, 1859 was the exact date of the publication of the first edition of Darwin's book. The second edition was published shortly thereafter on January 7, 1860. (Thanks to Wikipedia for the info.) And in this game, Theory of Evolution was built in 1860.
Denounced by many well-known scholars in India and Japan, The Origin of Species was hailed in China as the greatest scientific achievement in the history of mankind. Those religious fools never learn, thought Mao. They still think they have this "God" on their side. Soon they shall feel the true crushing might of Chinese science.
Science advisor Deng Xiaoping, knew that unless something was done immediately, China could be missing out on a great opportunity. He had heard that the Japanese had discovered espionage, and the Indians had discovered communism as well, and if these new ideas were not brought to China soon, the Theory of Evolution could result in some rather unappealing rewards.
"I urge you to make peace immediately," he told Mao. "It is safe to teach the scientific method to foreigners now, as there is no chance left for them to make any interesting use of it."
After thinking it over and consulting with foreign minister Zhou Enlai, Mao decided to trust Deng's recommendation. Escorted by a fleet of ironclads to the Japanese port of Izumo, he met with the Shogun to hammer out a peace treaty.
And thus the Treaty of Izumo of 1860 AD brought the Stinky Toilet War to a close. Tokugawa had by this time recruited sanitation experts of his own, averting a serious olfactory disaster in Kyoto, but in the meantime Japanese scientists had accomplished very little. The secrets of espionage and the scientific method were added as part of the peace treaty.
Chinese casualties: 1 rifleman, 1 cavalry, 2 frigates, 11 ironclads
Japanese casualties: 1 rifleman, 2 cavalry, 3 longbowmen, 11 samurai, 1 galleon, 2 frigates, 6 ironclads, unknown other casualties inflicted by Indians
India, however, was still at war with the Japanese, and it would be unfair to the Indians if they were not taught the scientific method as well. Mahatma Gandhi was thoroughly impressed by the discoveries of Chinese scientists, and offered a copy of Karl Marx's great work, The Communist Manifesto, in exchange. Mao added the newly acquired secret of espionage to the bargaining table, and Gandhi readily paid a fair price for it as well.
And so momentarily, all three great civilizations in the world were at exactly the same place in terms of scientific advancement. But that would not be for long.
By the time the second edition of The Origin of Species had hit the bookshelves in early 1860 AD, the people of Shanghai had completed a magnificent sculpture illustrating the Theory of Evolution, and the path of the descent of man from ancient creatures.
Emboldened by this breakthrough, scholars at universities around the nation came forth to present their newest ideas as well.
Scientists at Newton's University of Shanghai developed a radical new idea of the composition of matter. It turned out that some of the most puzzling aspects of chemistry and physics could be explained in terms of a most fundamental unit of matter in the universe - the atom.
A professor of economics at Newton's University introduced a new form of organized business, protected by legal status and empowered by financial incentives. Soon enough, the majority of parties involved at Wall Street and Smith's Trading Company were no longer individuals and limited partnerships, but corporations.
Oil was discovered in the desert near Hangzhou, right by the Indian border. Though it was not yet known how to put this new resource to use, some industrialists and businessmen were eager to start harvesting and refining it already.
And once again, China surged ahead of the rest of the world, now the sole master of three new secrets. Mao was confident that his ambitions for domination could soon be fulfilled.
Since Wang Jun brought his towering ships down from Yizhou,
The royal ghost has pined in the city of Nanjing.
Ten thousand feet of iron chain were sunk here to the bottom
And then came the flag of surrender on the Wall of Stone...
Cycles of change have moved into the past,
While still this mountain dignity has commanded the cold river;
And now comes the day of the Chinese world united,
And the old forts fill with ruin and with autumn reeds.
"Thoughts of Old Times at West Fort Mountain," Liu Yixi (A.D. 772-842)
Except for the navy, Chinese casualties were light during the Stinky Toilet War. Nevertheless, advances in medicine had made it possible for simple first aid kits to be provided to Chinese soldiers, and on the recommendation of military advisor Zhu De, Mao decided it would be a good idea to establish a training center for army specialists who would focus on treating combat wounds. These medics would be skilled in everything from first aid to surgery, and would carry the necessary equipment with them to the front lines, if there were such a thing in a future war.
Shanghai and Beijing were preoccupied with building the Great Wonders at the time, and most of the coastal cities had their hands full producing ironclads to offset the heavy losses in naval battles with the Japanese, so the training center was established in 1850 AD at an inland city, Xi'an, southwest of Beijing.
Contrary to Zhu's expectations, medics did not need to be immediately dispatched with the Chinese troops, although a few did serve on naval vessels to treat some injuries from enemy bombardment. But with the cramped space aboard the ships, combined with an inability to replenish medical supplies, severly limited their effectiveness.
And what could a medic be expected to do when a hole has been punctured in the hull of an ironclad? wondered Mao. Try to patch it with a piece of gauze?
And so ironclads continued to be sunk around the Japanese coast, although new ones were being built at a steady pace in coastal cities. Freight trains carried cartload after cartload of coal to the shipyards, as these vessels relied on it for power.
But one particular shipment of coal had a strange surprise in it. There was a railroad tunnel in the hills leading to Dalian, on China's eastern coast, and after one train emerged from it, the engineers on board were startled to find that the typically black coal had turned white. Unable to believe their eyes, they sifted through the load, only to find that the coal was still fine, but a strange white powder had somehow covered the top of the black substance.
When the shipment arrived in Dalian, the locomotive engineer apologized to the governor for the unexpected impurities in the coal, but instead of being punished, he was congratulated for his discovery. It turned out that the white powder was a strategic resource, although one that was no longer in heavy use.
Indeed, the cavalry were the only military divisions that still required the use of saltpeter, and those were no longer being trained anymore. Still, there was nothing wrong with a resource bringing a little bit of extra commerce to Dalian.
"Bah, it's still just saltpeter though," the governor of Beijing told Mao. "There's something far more important going on here, and I am sure you will agree with me when I tell you that iron and coal shall rule the world."
And so in 1856 AD, what would arguably be the most important building ever constructed was completed in Beijing. Instantly the production rate doubled, fueled by the speedy processing of raw materials and incredible energy output of the Iron Works. Unfortunately, Beijing was not a coastal city, and the Iron Works would turn out to be of no help in terms of producing new naval vessels.
Meanwhile, the Stinky Toilet War continued to rage on, mostly in the southern islands of Japan. Control of Toyama and Hakodate repeatedly passed between Tokugawa and Gandhi, leaving the citizens devastated by the ravages of war. The population of these once thriving cities dwindled, as most residents either perished in the battles, fled to other places in search of food and basic supplies, or were unwillingly drafted into the Japanese military.
Mao, however, continued to ignore these developments. If India and Japan battled each other to a standstill, the Chinese people would be mostly unaffected and could still lead their peaceful lives, despite the technical existence of a war with Japan. Mao did not want to make peace with Tokugawa yet, even though the mutual protection pact with Gandhi had ended long ago, in 1848 AD. He would let the war drain the resources of the two other countries, depleting their treasuries and cutting off funding for scientific research.
But on November 24, 1859, it was Professor Charles Darwin who dropped a bombshell. The Newton's University Press had printed 1,250 copies of his masterpiece work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. It was a thorough explanation of his theory that he had refined over the years of analyzing the data he had gathered, and instantly it took the academic world by storm.
Player's note: Yes, this is very spooky. November 24, 1859 was the exact date of the publication of the first edition of Darwin's book. The second edition was published shortly thereafter on January 7, 1860. (Thanks to Wikipedia for the info.) And in this game, Theory of Evolution was built in 1860.
Denounced by many well-known scholars in India and Japan, The Origin of Species was hailed in China as the greatest scientific achievement in the history of mankind. Those religious fools never learn, thought Mao. They still think they have this "God" on their side. Soon they shall feel the true crushing might of Chinese science.
Science advisor Deng Xiaoping, knew that unless something was done immediately, China could be missing out on a great opportunity. He had heard that the Japanese had discovered espionage, and the Indians had discovered communism as well, and if these new ideas were not brought to China soon, the Theory of Evolution could result in some rather unappealing rewards.
"I urge you to make peace immediately," he told Mao. "It is safe to teach the scientific method to foreigners now, as there is no chance left for them to make any interesting use of it."
After thinking it over and consulting with foreign minister Zhou Enlai, Mao decided to trust Deng's recommendation. Escorted by a fleet of ironclads to the Japanese port of Izumo, he met with the Shogun to hammer out a peace treaty.
And thus the Treaty of Izumo of 1860 AD brought the Stinky Toilet War to a close. Tokugawa had by this time recruited sanitation experts of his own, averting a serious olfactory disaster in Kyoto, but in the meantime Japanese scientists had accomplished very little. The secrets of espionage and the scientific method were added as part of the peace treaty.
Chinese casualties: 1 rifleman, 1 cavalry, 2 frigates, 11 ironclads
Japanese casualties: 1 rifleman, 2 cavalry, 3 longbowmen, 11 samurai, 1 galleon, 2 frigates, 6 ironclads, unknown other casualties inflicted by Indians
India, however, was still at war with the Japanese, and it would be unfair to the Indians if they were not taught the scientific method as well. Mahatma Gandhi was thoroughly impressed by the discoveries of Chinese scientists, and offered a copy of Karl Marx's great work, The Communist Manifesto, in exchange. Mao added the newly acquired secret of espionage to the bargaining table, and Gandhi readily paid a fair price for it as well.
And so momentarily, all three great civilizations in the world were at exactly the same place in terms of scientific advancement. But that would not be for long.
By the time the second edition of The Origin of Species had hit the bookshelves in early 1860 AD, the people of Shanghai had completed a magnificent sculpture illustrating the Theory of Evolution, and the path of the descent of man from ancient creatures.
Emboldened by this breakthrough, scholars at universities around the nation came forth to present their newest ideas as well.
Scientists at Newton's University of Shanghai developed a radical new idea of the composition of matter. It turned out that some of the most puzzling aspects of chemistry and physics could be explained in terms of a most fundamental unit of matter in the universe - the atom.
A professor of economics at Newton's University introduced a new form of organized business, protected by legal status and empowered by financial incentives. Soon enough, the majority of parties involved at Wall Street and Smith's Trading Company were no longer individuals and limited partnerships, but corporations.
Oil was discovered in the desert near Hangzhou, right by the Indian border. Though it was not yet known how to put this new resource to use, some industrialists and businessmen were eager to start harvesting and refining it already.
And once again, China surged ahead of the rest of the world, now the sole master of three new secrets. Mao was confident that his ambitions for domination could soon be fulfilled.
... to be continued
