NOVPUBThe disappearance of some technologies was due to national bans, while others simply vanished for reasons unknown. For example, the practice of piercing ox noses was known before the Pre-Qin era, but it disappeared during the Han Dynasty, reappeared during the Jin Dynasty, and vanished again during the Tang Dynasty. In ancient times, the most mysterious aspect of technology lay in how certain technologies would inexplicably disappear, while others, seemingly abnormal, would inexplicably emerge...
What Chen Xi needed to do now was to collect these enigmatic technologies and steer them onto the right path. Not to mention anything else, with his vision, he could at least discern better ways to utilize these advanced black technologies. As for materials, this world possessed a technology even darker than black technology called Nurturing...
Therefore, as long as the technology was advanced, materials were absolutely not an issue; top-tier black technology Nurturing could meet all your needs. Of course, this was an exaggeration, but generally speaking, for most of the technologies that could be utilized in this era, materials might not really be a problem.
"If you really find them useful, I can help you collect some. There are people in Qi State who enjoy collecting these things, but now their hobby has turned into watching dramas," Fa Zheng said with a sneer. There was a wealthy man in Qi State who used to love collecting these materials. They were not precious, but they were interesting.
"Oh, there are such people? Then I’ll go with you when the time comes," Chen Xi nodded and said. He was very interested in the curios of ancient times, as they sometimes contained high levels of technology.
"Mm, then let’s leave tomorrow afternoon. There’s no hurry at this moment. Lord Xuande’s orders are very flexible unless they are an order of life and death," Fa Zheng nodded and then signaled for the music and dance to begin.
By the time they had their fill of food and wine, the moon had already risen high in the sky. The opera performance Fa Zheng had ordered from Fragrance Pavilion was already prepared, and on the other side, Fa Yan and his guests were also enjoying themselves to the fullest.
Elders had much to talk about, whether it was the customs from different regions over a decade ago or an in-depth discussion on the Party Proscription calamity; Fa Yan and Lul Kang felt a bond of mutual appreciation, being both men of great learning. After their exchange, both sides had gained valuable insights.
It should be noted that both Fa Yan and Lul Kang were over seventy yet had very young sons. Lul Kang’s eldest son was just over thirty, while his second son, Lul Ji, was only ten years old. Fa Yan’s eldest son, Fa Zheng, was barely eighteen. Both felt a sense of pride in their advanced years but vigorous spirit.
In this era, having a son was considered a notable achievement among the noble families. Zuo Ci was remembered by posterity largely because he was a master of the secret technique of sexual cultivation. Take Sima Fang, for example. Before Sima Yi made a name for himself, Sima Fang was famous for having eight sons. It seems he had Sima Min when he was in his sixties—should this be considered a blessing?
"Please, Jir Ning," Fa Yan said with a smile as he gestured for Lul Kang to precede him, but Lul Kang also made a similar gesture, "I insist, Jir Mou, as host I should not precede my guest."
"Hahaha." Fa Yan laughed as he grabbed Lul Kang’s arm, "Both of us pushing back and forth isn’t a good look in front of others. Let’s go together."
"In that case, I will follow your lead," Lul Kang replied, laughing heartily.
When Lul Kang first entered New Linzi City, he was quite shocked. After meeting Fa Zheng, he knew that Fa Zheng was not just a prodigy but probably also a favorite of Liu Xuande. Otherwise, Fa Zheng wouldn’t have been tasked with handling such important matters. Compared with the rumors he had heard before, what Lul Kang witnessed with his own eyes was even more astonishing.
Upon meeting Fa Yan, Lul Kang naturally didn’t dare to rely on his own status and instead made a deliberate effort to ingratiate himself with Fa Yan. How could the host and guest not be utterly delighted with each other?
At the end of summer, the moonlit night was cloudless, with the bright moon hanging like a wheel in the sky, making the torches they had prepared somewhat redundant. Following Fa Zheng’s previous arrangements, they demolished the back wall of the station’s courtyard and set up the stage there.
The people of Linzi, upon hearing there would be an open-air stage, made preparations early. Likewise, for safety reasons, Fa Zheng had no choice but to mobilize the Tuntian Soldiers to patrol the area. By the time Chen Xi and his party arrived, the place was jam-packed; a sea of heads could be seen in every direction.
"So many people..." Chen Xi tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "I seriously doubt those at the back can hear." He then frowned and added, "And there’s no guarantee for safety either. What if there’s a stampede?"
"Bah, someone could choke on water and die. Watching a play is no different. Despite the large crowds each time, I’ve never seen any trouble. There are plenty of Tuntian Soldiers maintaining order, and no one dares to cause a disturbance. Previously, the actresses’ voices were not loud, and if there were any commotion, it wouldn’t be heard at all. Then it was agreed: anyone who dares to make noise and disrupt, we’ll all beat him up together!" Fa Zheng said with a sneer.
"That impressive?" Lu Xun said, astonished, "To attract such a crowd, that’s amazing."
"Bah, there’s more to it than that." Fa Zheng smirked and continued, "Mann Boning enacted new laws stating that anyone who incites public outrage can be killed by anyone without guilt—so, you know..."
"This counts as public outrage too..." Chen Xi said, pulling at his mouth, "Had I known there would be so many people, I should have built a theater."
"Makes sense. Alright, let’s be the first in Linzi to build one. We’re constructing New Linzi City anyway. I’ve always felt something was off about Fragrance Pavilion." Having been around Chen Xi for a while, Fa Zheng understood the importance of specialization and immediately drew a series of implications from Chen Xi’s casual remark.
"So it is. Tea houses for selling tea are one type of facility, restaurants for hosting banquets are another type, and taverns have morphed into different facilities. No wonder, theaters should also have their own buildings. It’s no wonder it always felt off to have operas performed in brothels!" Zhuge Liang also caught on, clearly less attuned to these matters than Fa Zheng.
"Social norms have a stronger binding power than laws and regulations, so right now Boning is incorporating those reasonable social norms into trial laws, and the results are clearly effective," Fa Zheng said with a smile.
Seeing Lu Xun covering his mouth, fearful of inciting public outrage, Fa Zheng reassured him with a smile, "However, it’s not a problem to speak softly for now. Someone who watched the play left behind a ’Qi’ technique, indicating his satisfaction with the performance but lamented that the voices were too soft, hence he left behind such a method."
Fa Zheng stopped speaking at this point, and only continued when Zhuge Liang asked, "The technique can amplify the voice so it is audible for more than three hundred steps, and what’s more miraculous is that within that range, the volume of the sound remains consistent."
"That must be at the level of ’secret techniques,’" Chen Xi said, tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Which master would be so bored to do this?"
"Not sure, it just left a name, Qu’e, on the bamboo slip. Indicating that, in the future, if there was a chance, he would come back to listen to the operas and hoped a seat would be reserved for him. Then he blabbered on about how he was off to Eastern Wu to kill someone," Fa Zheng said with a casual shrug. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes or monthly tickets. Your support is greatly appreciated. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
