Chapter 546

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“Your Highness.”

Walking through Bowen Academy, the students continually bowed to Xiao Ming, and Xiao Ming returned their bows all along the way.

This time he came to Bowen Academy not to check on the students’ learning progress. With the increasing number of students in the academy, he no longer worried about this problem, because as the number grew, the competition among students also became greater. If these students were not ambitious and failed to pass the semi-annual assessment, they would be eliminated and lose the opportunity to study at Bowen Academy.

This was not because Xiao Ming was cruel, but because all students of Bowen Academy received free room and board, and a basic monthly stipend. It could be said that he was supporting these students, so, unlike modern institutions, he did not support waste.

If they couldn’t even pass the most basic assessment, they weren’t qualified to enjoy these benefits. After all, his assessment was merely a test paper of the current standard, and as long as they could answer 70% of the questions correctly, they passed the assessment. In addition to the traditional written test, there was also a practical assessment.

For example, students of the Chemistry and Physics academies had to be able to independently complete a portion of experiments, testing their hands-on ability to apply what they had learned.

In the first half of the year’s assessment, Bowen Academy eliminated more than thirty unlearned and incompetent students. This severely stimulated other students. All students who entered Bowen Academy began to treat their studies seriously, no longer daring to just muddle through in the academy.

Under the protection of his guards, Xiao Ming went directly to the Astronomy Academy classroom. This group of students were all gathered by Xiao Ming from the populace. After passing basic assessments and proving they had some simple understanding of celestial phenomena, they officially became students of Bowen Academy.

“Commoner greets Your Highness.”

There were only seven people in the classroom, and these seven people varied in age, from sixteen to sixty.

However, he didn’t care about the age issue. His purpose was to tear away the veil of feudal superstition, as long as they could help him establish a basic scientific understanding among the people.

“Dispense with the formalities.” Xiao Ming smiled.

It was already evening when he arrived this time, and choosing this time was naturally not without purpose, because it was almost mid-month, which was when the moon was fullest, largest, and easiest to observe with a telescope.

To break down feudal ignorance among the common people, he first had to break down the ignorance in the minds of these seven people, because these seven people’s understanding of the stars came only from books on fortune-telling, and they were very familiar with things like ominous stars and malevolent stars.

Among these seven people, the elderly man who spoke first was the most eloquent. His name was Yan Zhengyi. He used to be a fortune-teller who set up a stall on the streets of Qingzhou. Later, when he learned from the newspaper that Xiao Ming needed people who understood celestial phenomena, he volunteered, hoping to become an advisor in King Qi’s residence.

Due to the idea of the divine right of kings, generally speaking, both vassal kings and nobles had people around them who were proficient in celestial phenomena. Before wars, these people would also be asked to deduce celestial phenomena to predict good or ill fortune.

“Did Your Highness keep us because you want us to divine good or ill fortune for Your Highness tonight?” Yan Zhengyi’s face wrinkled into a broad smile. He was already sixty-five years old. When Xiao Ming chose him, he immediately exclaimed that he was Jiang Taigong meeting King Wen of Zhou, which made Xiao Ming laugh wryly.

Before Xiao Ming could speak, Yan Zhengyi looked up at the gradually darkening sky. At this moment, a full moon had already risen from the east. He stroked his beard and said, “Your Highness’s ruling star is the Ziwei Star. This Ziwei Star is the Emperor Star, which proves that Your Highness has the appearance of an Emperor. After the chaos in Chang’an, the Ziwei Star has become even brighter, even overshadowing the other stars, which means that Your Highness is truly a hegemon of the world, and your future is limitless.”

“Hahahaha…” It must be said that Yan Zhengyi’s words made Xiao Ming very comfortable, but Yan Zhengyi certainly couldn’t see that he was from a different time and space.

The Ziwei Star in Yan Zhengyi’s words was also known as the North Star, the main star of Ursa Minor. The Big Dipper rotated around it through the four seasons.

If the sky was compared to a funnel, the Ziwei Star would be the tip of that funnel. This Ziwei Star, surrounded by other stars, was then used to symbolize a destiny of an “Emperor descended from heaven.”

Based on the range of stars surrounding it, born into a family meant being the head of the family; born into a country meant being the monarch of the country. Yan Zhengyi was using this method to deceive him.

Seeing Xiao Ming so happy, Yan Zhengyi also echoed his laughter. In his opinion, he had said the right thing.

However, as the two were laughing, one of the young men said disdainfully, “Your Highness, this Ziwei Star is just a star; it actually has nothing to do with destiny. As Chen Sheng and Wu Guang said, ‘Are kings, nobles, generals, and prime ministers born to be such?’ There have been countless people in history who claimed to be born under the Ziwei Star, but none who became rulers of the world were not strategists with great ambitions.”

“Huang Yanqing, what nonsense are you talking about!” Yan Zhengyi’s face suddenly changed. “How dare you slander something passed down by our ancestors!”

Xiao Ming put away his smile. He looked at the slightly plump young man and said, “This theory of celestial phenomena is the study of emperors. Why do you criticize it so?”

“Because Your Highness seeks us not for astrology or divination, but for celestial phenomena itself. Moreover, Your Highness’s Bowen Academy is also known for its unique knowledge. If Your Highness needed famous scholars, why would you seek them among the common people? There are naturally those proficient in astrology in famous temples across the world.” Huang Yanqing said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming nodded. This Huang Yanqing was indeed a smart person, and his words just now also proved that he did not agree with Yan Zhengyi’s charlatan stance.

“Hmm, you’re right. I didn’t ask you to come for astrology or divination, but to let you truly understand what these stars in the sky are?” Xiao Ming said indifferently.

Yan Zhengyi’s face changed. Like a swindler, every swindler knows that what they are saying is a lie, but they must make others believe it. Yan Zhengyi had only read two books on physiognomy, and he himself didn’t believe what he said.

Now that Xiao Ming spoke directly, he immediately chuckled awkwardly, not knowing whether to speak or remain silent.

Glancing at the now restrained Yan Zhengyi, Xiao Ming looked at the gradually rising moon, then said to the seven people, “Follow me.”

Then he led the seven people outside the classroom. At this time, Zhao Long and Zhao Hu had already aimed his telescope at the moon.

Seeing the telescope, all seven showed puzzled expressions. At this point, Xiao Ming stepped forward, adjusted the telescope, and said to Huang Yanqing, “Come and see what the moon in your eyes looks like?”

Huang Yanqing was quite composed and not at all restrained. He walked over, looked through it as Xiao Ming instructed, and then suddenly said, “Why does it look like a pockmarked face? Is this the moon?”

“That’s right, this is the moon in the sky,” Xiao Ming smiled.

Taking this opportunity, Xiao Ming explained the basic knowledge of the moon, Earth, and the solar system to the seven people. As Xiao Ming spoke, images flashed through the minds of the seven, revealing a shocking truth about the world.

“Alright, that’s what I wanted to tell you. If you can accept it, stay. If not, you can leave. I will not make it difficult for you.”