Strength is born of law; weakness and chaos are born of favoritism

"I've seen the diagrams. The so-called Stove Bellows is actually Wind Fur," the boy said with a smug smile. "The wind-blown fur coat that Qiu Sheng made is similar to the one I made when I was ten years old, but it's far inferior to my elder brother's. Its biggest flaw is that it's too bulky. When using it, one person needs to hold it up while another person pushes it from below."

The old man shook his head. "Zhun'er, comparing Qiu Yan to Fei'er is biased."

The boy, referred to as "Zhun'er," laughed and said, "But what I said is true. Even if Qiu Sheng has some talent, he is already over twenty. Even if he turns to specialize, his achievements will be limited."

The old man shook his head again. "Your vision is limited; you only see the surface. You only see the simplicity of the mechanism, but you don't realize that such a structure is easier for people to remember and learn. This bellows Stove Bellows is ultimately for human use."

"Even so, it's not enough to prove that his talent is comparable to that of my elder brother!" Zhun'er shook his head to himself.

The old man sighed and said, "Even if this Stove Bellows's structure is cumbersome, you didn't notice that the diagram contained unfinished ideas; clearly, not everything he had in mind was written down!"

Zhun'er said dismissively, "Uncle, I think you're overthinking it."

Seeing Zhun'er's appearance, the old man knew that the other party was young and impetuous, with a youthful temperament, and how could he be easily convinced? Besides, Qiu Yan was a Confucian scholar. He didn't expose him, but simply said, "You've seen the diagram of the Stove Bellows's mechanism, but have you seen the copy of the Rainbow Bridge?"

"Oh? I've never seen this before. But it's just a bridge; how can one judge its skill from it?"

As Zhun'er was speaking, the old man took out a scroll from his bosom and spread it out on the table.

Strangely, the painting was entirely black, with no other colors visible.

A glint flashed in Ke Zhun'er's eyes, her gaze sharpening, before her expression changed. She asked in surprise, "What kind of bridge is this?"

"That Qiu called it the 'Rainbow Bridge'," the old man said, pointing to the black scroll. "This bridge is 24 feet wide, spans 75 feet, and has an arch span of 15 feet. Each arch consists of six wooden beams arranged in a staggered pattern. Qiu called this method 'Stacked-Beam Arch'. It can build twenty-two rows of arches horizontally to form the bridge body, which are connected side by side without any other support. From a distance, it looks like a rainbow crossing the river!"

"This..." Zhun'er's eyes widened. "Although this method can stabilize the bridge, it's choosing the difficult over the easy. Why not use bridge pillars for support? It seems like a publicity stunt!"

"So, your skills are still lacking. Learning about government affairs can't be just theoretical; you have to apply what you've learned. Do you know why Qiu Sheng wanted to build the Flying Rainbow Bridge? It's because the bridge in Water Mouth Town is built over a rapid current, and every July and August, when the mountain water rises, it washes away the bridge pillars. Once the pillars are gone, where will the bridge be?"

Upon hearing this, Zhun'er broke out in a cold sweat. He stared at the scroll in front of him, his eyes trembling slightly and his lips moving as if he were calculating something.

It turns out that this Rainbow Bridge was a method left behind by Qiu Yan when he passed through a village called "Water Mouth Town" on his way north.

At this time, bridges were mostly pillar bridges, meaning the bridge structure was supported by pillars.

However, this method is not suitable for Water Mouth Town because the Han River through the town. The water is rapid and the bridge will collapse in the summer. Now, just after August, the bridge has collapsed again. Qiu Yan happened to pass by when it was being rebuilt, took a look, and left a structural diagram.

Water Mouth Town was still within the territory of Jiannan Circuit, and the local officials knew Qiu Yan's reputation. With the interference of the Soul Dao and the Divine Path, it was eventually built.

This bridge does not need bridge pillars, so there is no need to worry about it being impacted by the rapid current.

Afterwards, the bridge was named "Qiu Scholar Bridge" by the villagers, and also called "Qiu's Rainbow Bridge".

After a long while, Zhun'er, covered in sweat, let out a long sigh and said, "Indeed, this kind of Flying Rainbow Bridge rainbow bridge is extraordinary. Even I might not be able to come up with it. However, I don't believe that Qiu Yan, a scholar, could come up with such a method. He must have some kind of lineage. Otherwise, why doesn't he make a fuss about designing such a flying bridge? Instead, he acts like nothing's wrong, leisurely traveling and studying."

The old man sighed again and said, "That's what's truly alarming. Qiu Sheng left behind the Stove Bellows and the Rainbow Bridge, and then departed gracefully, seemingly unconcerned. Clearly, his ambitions lay elsewhere, and he didn't take these things too seriously."

Upon hearing this, Zhun'er's face immediately turned ugly. Anyone would be unhappy if what they were pursuing was not valued by others.

What he found even more unacceptable was that this person, who didn't value mechanical science, traveled around studying and occasionally did so, yet managed to leave behind amazing things. This contrast made Zhun'er secretly jealous and inexplicably hostile.

The old man seemed oblivious to Zhun'er's expression, continuing, "Besides, although he hasn't deliberately flaunted it, the Rainbow Bridge and the Stove Bellows are there for all to see, their fame spreading daily. It's only a matter of time before he becomes famous throughout the land. Moreover, this is a valuable qualification; if he becomes an official in the future, he might be able to use it to advance his career."

"Hmph!" Zhun'er snorted coldly upon hearing this. "The method of using the Wind Fur was recorded in ancient books, but it was lost to the Historical River due to the rise of the Divine Path in later generations. Qiu Yan's use of this to achieve his goal is truly opportunistic! As for the Rainbow Bridge, it was merely an adaptation to local conditions. Once my Mechanism Arts Great Cheng, I will be able to accomplish the same thing in the same situation!"

He spoke with great magnanimity, but then his tone shifted, and he said in a deep voice, "Uncle, let's not go back yet, let's take a trip to the Eastern Capital!"

"Oh?" The old man raised an eyebrow, knowing his provocation had worked, but his face remained expressionless. "Going to the Eastern Capital? But didn't you say earlier..."

"What happened before is now, but I've changed my mind! The Confucianism Apricot Altar Dao Discourse, with academies Eastern Capital over the Eastern Capital, attracting people from all walks of life. It's a rare opportunity, how can I miss it? I, Tian Zhun go and see what outstanding young talents are among the Confucianism!"

The old man hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Very well, let's go to the Eastern Capital then." After saying that, he put away the scroll, took out a few coins from his sleeve, and placed them on the table.

After doing all this, the old man and the young man got up and left.

During this half-day, the two talked quite a bit, revealing some concerns that could potentially cause a stir if spread, yet their words were spoken openly and honestly. However, the people at the next few tables seemed not to hear them at all, showing no concern whatsoever.

Before long, two figures in dark robes disappeared into the crowd.

Crackle!

The hall where Prince Yan was hosting a banquet was in complete chaos. After Qiu Yan left, Prince Yan calmed down for a while, then flew into a rage, smashing objects wildly, breaking whatever he could touch!

"How dare he! A mere scholar dares to threaten me, a prince! This is outrageous!"

The ground was littered with shards of porcelain, leftover food, and overturned tables and chairs, many of which were of considerable value.

The maids and servants watched from the sidelines, but dared not step forward to offer any comfort, remaining silent as if trembling with fear.

After smashing for a while, Prince Yan stopped, panting heavily. His anger subsided slightly, but then his face turned fierce.

"Does Qiu Yan think he'll be all set just because he's connected with the Principle Sect Academy? I have spies within the academy too. With a little trickery... Ah!"

He was contemplating revenge when he suddenly screamed, covered his head with his hand, and collapsed to the ground, rolling around!

Upon seeing this, the maids and servants panicked. They hadn't dared to step forward before for fear of incurring the king's wrath, but now it was clear that the Prince Yan was unwell and could not be ignored.

But once they stepped forward, they didn't know what to do.

Just then, a faint voice came from the side—

"Go... go and invite Miss Han over! Go quickly!"

It was Gongyang Yi who gave the order. At this moment, he was slumped in a corner, his face pale and his expression haggard. After saying this, he appeared to be out of breath.

Upon hearing the order, a servant responded and hurriedly left. Not long after, he returned with the scholar dressed as a young master.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Gongyang Yi struggled to his feet. He bowed to the scholar and said, "Miss Han, please save my lord."

"That's easy to say," the scholar replied in a clear voice, clearly a woman disguised as a man. She took two steps forward, a glint of light flashing in her eyes. Her gaze fell on Prince Yan, and then she smiled, "Well done Qiu Yan! To use such methods to restrain others—if there are evil intentions, punish them severely! This aligns with the principle of 'just rewards and punishments, not benevolence towards subordinates.' Insightful! Insightful!"

As he finished speaking, the folding fan in his hand snapped open with a "whoosh," revealing a line of words written on its surface—

Strength and order arise from the law, while weakness and chaos arise from ignorance!

A nation's stability and strength stem from acting in accordance with the law; while turmoil and decline arise from violating the law and submitting to human will and commands.

Each of these ten characters exudes an air of dominance and brooks no argument; they are as firm as iron and unyielding as ever!

A sense of charm and artistic conception flows forth!

Then, "Miss Han" fanned herself with her fan, and the airflow flowed onto Prince Yan's body. A circular headband-like shape vaguely appeared on his head before merging into his flesh and blood. Prince Yan immediately stopped screaming and recovered, but his robes were covered with shards and soup, making him look extremely disheveled.

"Li Jie, you're lucky. If you hadn't been carrying your ancestor's fan, you would have had to wait until your thoughts calmed down before you could get rid of the excruciating pain." Miss Han looked at Prince Yan and shook her head. "However, this is only a temporary solution. If you harbor ill intentions towards Qiu Yan again, the scene just now will repeat itself."

"What?" Prince Yan Li Jie, turned pale. "Please, Sister Wei, save me and eliminate this threat."

"I don't have the ability to eradicate it completely, but you can try to find a solution from the Golden Crow Dao," Miss Han said, closing her folding fan and turning around with a smile. "However, I advise you to stay away from the Daoist Daoist Sect; people outside the secular world cannot be trusted."

She turned around and said, "Moreover, the paperweight and Jade Basin were given to you so that you could pursue your studies, not steal. You should know that Literary Qi is one of the pillars of Dragon Qi. To disturb Literary Qi will naturally result in a backlash. Qiu Yan is just a facade; otherwise, why would he dare to touch you? Isn't he afraid of the backlash from Dragon Qi? Isn't it because you sowed the seeds of evil and are now reaping the bitter fruit? Take care of yourself and don't cut yourself off from the dragon."

After speaking, Miss Han strode out the door, fanning herself with her fan, leaving Prince Yan with an uncertain expression.

As evening fell, Qiu Yan arrived at the gate of the Principle Sect Academy in the carriage of Zhen Zhizuo and others.

Along the way, Zhen Zhizuo also introduced a lot of information related to the Principle Sect, including many insightful remarks, which aroused Qiu Yan's interest in the two gentlemen Great Chen Junior Chen, and made him want to learn from them.

Some distance from the main gate, the group got out of the carriage. Five Confucian scholars came to greet them, followed by more than a dozen servants. The scene was quite impressive, but Zhen Zhizuo's face immediately darkened.

Seeing this, the leading Confucian scholar gave a wry smile and said, "Brother Zhen, please don't blame Huazhang. These past few days, He Shuchang Heavenly Principle Debate, and he couldn't get away, so he sent us here."

ps:

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