Chapter 395: They died miserably, and their ashes were scattered!
Lin Beifan considered ten thousand possibilities!
He thought about how he would discuss the different customs of various places, how he would talk about the magical flora and fauna he encountered everywhere, and how he would explain unsatisfactory, seemingly miraculous natural phenomena…
But he never thought that as soon as he opened his mouth, he would say, “The world is round. Is this something a scholar like you should say?”
That’s a matter of science, something scientists are studying, not something for scholars like you to discuss!
So, Lin Beifan was momentarily caught off guard!
But compared to that, Lin Beifan remained relatively calm, after all, he was a successor to socialism who grew up under the red flag and received the influence of materialism.
Although he had experienced transmigration and was now linked to a system, he still believed in science! But Yao Zheng sitting beside him was very unsettled: “Teacher, you say the world is round… how is that possible? The sages have always told us that the sky is round and the earth is flat! So, the world should be flat, not round!”
The old man, Luo Guanghai, shook his head with a faint smile. “Little Zheng, your viewpoint has always been the common view! Since we started reading and writing, our teacher told us that the sky is round and the earth is flat! This conclusion all comes from the sages, from the ancients! But have you ever thought that the sages could also be wrong?”
Yao Zheng immediately asked, “How could the sages be wrong… why wouldn’t the sages be wrong?” The old man chuckled and said, “They are essentially human, just more learned and knowledgeable than ordinary people, so they can enlighten others and are revered as sages by us! But being human, they can make mistakes too! They have always said the sky is round and the earth is flat, but is there any proof?”
“This…” Yao Zheng furrowed his brow, seemingly unable to recall anything. “You see, they actually have no evidence to prove their viewpoint! But everyone regards them as sages and treats their words as if they were absolute truths, so over time, a lie becomes the truth!” The old man smiled, his gaze filled with wisdom.
“Then, teacher, you say the world is round, what evidence is there?” Yao Zheng asked.
“There is a lot of evidence; let me explain to you!” The old man spoke confidently. “For example, when we watch a large ship pass by on the shore, as the ship moves away, have you noticed that the ship gradually disappears from our view, making it impossible for us to see it?”
“Yes, it does disappear!” Yao Zheng nodded.
“Furthermore, it disappears very systematically! The first thing we can’t see is the hull, then the deck, and finally the whole ship.”
“Yes, what’s the problem with that?” Yao Zheng was puzzled.
“That’s a big problem!” The old man slammed the table and said excitedly, “If the world were flat, we should be able to see the ship from beginning to end as it sails away. So, what does this indicate?”
“Uh…” Yao Zheng was speechless, sweat forming on his face. “To be precise, this world should be a spherical shape, just like the sun we see!” The old man chuckled. Once again, Yao Zheng challenged, “Teacher, you say the world is a spherical shape, then how do we stand on top of it without falling off?”
“Well… I have limited knowledge and shallow insight, so I can’t explain it at the moment! But I have a method that can prove that people can stand on a spherical surface!” The old man picked up a clean bowl, scooped some soup from it, and placed it on the ground.
Before long, ants came over and climbed onto the bowl. The old man picked up the bowl, triumphant, and said, “Look, this bowl is curved, similar to half a sphere! But the ants can stand on it without falling off, and even when I invert the bowl, they still stay put! Similarly, if ants can stand on a sphere, why can’t we?”
“This…” Yao Zheng was once again speechless. The old man looked at Lin Beifan, “Lord Prime Minister, do you think what I’m saying makes sense?”
Lin Beifan nodded, “Indeed, there’s some logic to it! Old sir, please continue with your discoveries!”
The old man Luo Guanghai’s enthusiasm for discussion was ignited: “Apart from discovering that the world is round, I have also found that our world actually revolves around the sun, and not the other way around!”
Lin Beifan: “Huh!”
Lin Beifan was once again taken aback. This old man really had an endless stream of astonishing ideas!
“That’s impossible!” Yao Zheng was shocked once again, exclaiming, “The land beneath our feet, the origin of all things, the center of the universe, how could we possibly revolve around the sun? And look, teacher, the sun rises from the east and sets in the west every day, clearly indicating that the sun revolves around us!”
The old man smiled faintly, “Zizheng, you’ve made another cognitive mistake! We have always believed that the land beneath our feet is the origin of all things, the center of the universe. But who told us that?”
Yao Zheng sweated on his forehead, “The ancients, the sages…”
“The sages are also human, and they can make mistakes too! They have always said that our place is the origin of all things, the center of the universe, but is there any evidence to support their conclusion?”
Yao Zheng sweated profusely, “There seems to be no evidence…”
“That’s right, they had no evidence, so their conclusion is not reliable!” The old man continued, “So, do you have any evidence, teacher?”
The old man shook his head and said, “I have limited abilities and shallow knowledge, so I don’t have clear evidence, but I can try to demonstrate it for you!” With that, he took a candle and a bowl.
“Let’s assume this candle is the sun!” He then took another bowl and said, “Let’s assume this is our world, a spherical world!” The old man held the candle and moved it around the bowl. “This is what we originally believed, that the sun revolves around us. But, in reality, it can also rotate like this!” He fixed the candle in the center of the table and held the bowl.
“The world turns from west to east, day and night!” Lin Beifan and Yao Zheng nodded.
They turned around one more time.
“Look, just like from west to east, day after day, sunset and sunrise!”
Lin Beifan was once again taken aback. This guy, he’s even bringing up the theory of relativity!
This senior is quite extraordinary!
Yao Zheng was drenched in sweat, unable to find words. He felt like his entire worldview had crumbled.
The old man grinned triumphantly, “These are some of the conclusions I’ve drawn from traveling around and studying various texts, observing the changes of the sun, moon, and stars! Although my viewpoints may deviate from the norm, I firmly believe that I am right!”
Yao Zheng was so frightened that he slumped into his seat, his face covered in sweat.
The old man paid no attention to him. Instead, he looked at Lin Beifan, who remained relatively composed, and asked with a hint of anticipation, “Lord Prime Minister, what do you think of my knowledge?”
He had high hopes for Lin Beifan! After all, he was someone with unconventional ideas, responsible for inventions like the Hot Air Balloon, Hovercraft, and Cement, a person whose thoughts should be open and active, and who should be able to understand him!
Lin Beifan gave a thumbs-up, “Old sir, your knowledge is truly eye-opening and compelling. However, you weren’t the first to propose the idea that the world is round.”
“Really? There’s someone else with similar views?” The old man was very excited.
“That person is called the Moon Worshipper, not only a great scholar but also the most powerful figure in the world today, reigning supreme!”
“Ah, the Moon Worshipper, sounds like a formidable character! And he also discovered the idea that the Earth is round. I’m not alone in my beliefs!” The old man sighed.
“But, old sir, do you know what happened to him when he proposed this idea?”
“What happened to him?” The old man asked.
Lin Beifan smirked, “When he proposed this idea, he was beaten to death by the Son of Heaven and a group of people! He died miserably, with no remains left, and his ashes were scattered!”
“Wow!” The old man shivered all over.
“Furthermore, regarding the heliocentric theory, you’re not the first to propose it either! From what I understand, there was a man named Copernicus who first suggested this idea. But do you know what happened to him?”
“What happened to him?” The old man had a bad feeling.
Lin Beifan covered his face, “He had an even worse fate than the Moon Worshipper. He was burned alive by people!”
“Oh my!” The old man felt a chill run down his spine.
“Why did they all die?”
“What else could it be? Because their ideas challenged the accepted beliefs of the world, causing confusion and anger among the masses, so they were dealt with!” Lin Beifan gave a meaningful look, “Old sir, you’re the third!”
“Oh dear!” The old man turned pale and collapsed. “Teacher! Teacher, what happened to you?” Yao Zheng hurriedly supported him and anxiously called out.
The old man was drenched in sweat, “I’m fine…”
“Teacher, don’t say you’re fine; your back is soaked in sweat!”
The old man blushed and argued, “It’s just because I’m feeling a bit weak!”
The two old men sat down again, their faces covered in sweat, as if they had just gone through a trial.
“You know, illness comes from the mouth, and disaster comes from the mouth!” Lin Beifan drank while smiling, “So, some things are better kept to yourself. When people get too excited, they might do unexpected things, and it’ll be too late to regret it!”
“Yes, yes, Lord Prime Minister, you’re absolutely right!” The two of them accepted his advice with humility.
“Alright, don’t think too much about it. Let’s have another drink to calm your nerves. After we finish our drinks, we can talk about something else!” Lin Beifan poured more wine for them. After a few more drinks, they finally felt less shaken.
