My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 327: North and South Advance
Speaking of Zhou Yu, here comes Zhou Yu.

Just a few days after Zhuge Jin, Bu Zhi and Lu Yi had initially reorganized the shipyards and water conservancy affairs in Wujun, Zhou Yu, Han Dang and others also returned to Wujun one after another.

Zhou Yu was captured in March this year and later surrendered. Before that, he had been unemployed in Wujun and underwent a slight "reform" for several months.

However, in the middle of the following year, he and several other relatively unstable Jiangdong surrendered generals were summoned to Jiangxia County and received by Liu Bei in person. They stayed in front of Liu Bei for several months, and were gradually given things to do, which slowly won their hearts over.

There is naturally no need to elaborate on the process, and Zhuge Jin never thought of snatching this job - professionals do professional things. In terms of winning people's hearts, Zhuge Jin believes that his level is far inferior to Liu Bei's, so he should just leave it to his lord to worry about it personally.

Han Dang was promised to be released by Yuan Tan in early October, and the deal was completed soon afterwards. It should not have taken two or three months to get there. So he came to Wujun only now, and it was obvious that he was delayed because he went to Jiangxia to meet Liu Bei.

Han Dang arrived in Xuzhou in late October. He was first received and instructed by Guan Yu for a few days, and then someone was sent to Jiangxia. He arrived in November and was reformed for more than a month. Then he took a boat down the river with Zhou Yu and was sent back to Wujun to serve as an errand for Zhuge Jin.

With the arrival of Zhou Yu and others, it was already the New Year of the seventh year of Jian'an.

This year is at least a peaceful year for the southern region. The annexation war in the south has just ended, so there won't be much trouble during the New Year.

During the slack season, water conservancy projects and shipyards were temporarily halted to allow the people to rest.

However, there is no need to stop personnel work during the Chinese New Year. Instead, it is a good opportunity to let go of the guard of hierarchy, build relationships and encourage each other.

Zhuge Jin was still very polite to Zhou Yu and others. As soon as they arrived, he held a banquet to welcome them and showed them courtesy.

"Gongjin, Yigong, I believe you have gained a lot from your stay with your lord these past two months. Now that we have returned to Wu, we must work together to exterminate the traitors and 'cleanse the Han dynasty from evil.' Let us not harbor any more suspicion or grudges."

The past is the past. I once trusted a traitor, but now I have come to my senses. Fortunately, I didn't make a big mistake."

Zhou Yu and Han Dang had no idea how Liu Bei had reformed them, but they respectfully pledged to move forward.

In the past, they could not see the situation clearly, could not tell the good from the bad, and simply used violence to subdue others.

Now I know that in such troubled times, there are some people who truly want to establish a long-term stable order and who truly care about the long-term plan.

It was New Year's Day, and Zhuge Jin didn't want to spoil the mood, so he just said a few words.

The other Jiangdong generals who surrendered or were captured were deeply moved when they saw that Han Dang was sent back and submitted.

Some of those who were reluctant to lower their prices in the past six months have softened their stance after seeing this.

I had already surrendered, and my heart was even more reverent and resolute, needless to say.

For example, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin, who were captured during the Battle of Jurong last year, were all Jiang thieves, ignorant of morality and uneducated. Initially, they simply thought that since Sun Ce dared to use thieves like them and give them the opportunity to rise to prominence and promotion, they should be loyal.

Over the past six months, I've gradually come to understand that Sun Ce's willingness to employ bandits wasn't a novelty. Guan Yu was equally adept at employing them, and he didn't discriminate against bandit origins, as long as they held principles. And Liu Bei was equally adept at winning over people of all backgrounds.

Now that Han Dang is convinced, Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin’s loyalty is no longer a concern.

It goes without saying that other middle and low-level generals such as Xu Sheng were even more convinced.

Only a few captured generals, whose clansmen and private soldiers had been decimated by Liu Bei's army in the three major battles of Minzhong, Jiangyin, and Jurong, and whose relatives had been killed, could not let go of their grudges. Zhuge Jin had no hope for such people, so he simply imprisoned them to prevent them from defecting to the enemy and causing harm.

If anyone really dares to escape from prison, he will be shot on the spot without mercy.

……

Zhuge Jin held banquets every day to win over the generals and treated them with courtesy, which made the generals relax for more than half a month. In the blink of an eye, the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month was over and the New Year atmosphere finally faded a little.

After the Lantern Festival, it was almost time to start work. On the 18th day of the first lunar month, Zhuge Jin took Lu Su, Bu Zhi, Lu Yi and Zhou Yu to start practicing the "latitude navigation method" he taught for the first time.

That is, it is a kind of navigation observation technology that allows people to determine their current latitude on the sea surface and the corresponding specific north and south directions.

The new ship had not been built yet, and Zhuge Jin could not let them actually sail on the high seas and conduct field verification, but it did not matter, because this technology originally started with "observation". One must first learn to observe the sky at night, write down the characteristics of the stars, and then learn the star algorithms for different dates and latitudes.

These things can be practiced on land or on a coastal vessel, not necessarily on the open sea. A solid grasp of offshore techniques will give you peace of mind when applying them to the open sea.

As high-ranking officers, these individuals might not necessarily understand all the details, nor would they have the time to learn them, but they must understand the principles. Subsequent practical applications could be handled by professional navigators and mathematicians in the fleet.

To learn all this, you first have to break through some layers of window paper and learn some basic common sense - for example, you must first believe that "the earth is round, and the moon, the sun and the earth are all orbiting" before you can talk about the law of latitude.

As for whether it is the "geocentric theory" or the "heliocentric theory", it is not important. The geocentric theory can solve the latitude problem, and the heliocentric theory can also do it.

Then, you have to learn some basic principles of trigonometric functions. Even if you can't calculate them, at least you should know what is going on. The rest can be solved by looking up numbers in tables and substituting them into formulas when the time comes.

Zhuge Jin had high hopes for these people and dared to teach them because they were the most intelligent civil and military officials in Yangzhou. If they were replaced by students with lower intelligence, they might not be able to learn even if they wanted to.

"…So, if you want to sail in the open sea without getting lost, the key is to use this method to observe the stars and determine the north and south. In the next one or two years, you should take advantage of the time when new ships are still being built here and send ships to sail along the coastlines of Xu, Yang, and Qing states.
Every month at each location, the angles of several important stars above sea level at night must be carefully measured and compiled into a chart—just like this one. This way, we can first determine the latitude of each coastal area of Yangxuqing Prefecture on Earth, accurate to the second.

In this way, in the same season and on the same date, when you go out to sea in the future, you can look up the table of angles between the star map and the main stars and the sea level, and calculate your location which corresponds to the county on the shore.

For example, if you want to sail due east from Dongmou County, the easternmost tip of Donglai County, you must first consult a table showing the changing patterns of the altitude angles of the main stars near Dongmou County over the twelve months. Once you're out at sea, follow the daily changes to ensure the angles of the stars you see each night match the table. This means you're neither drifting south nor north, and are always sailing due east of Dongmou County."

After Zhuge Jin finished explaining the initial knowledge of the "Earth is Round" theory, he gave a simple example to try to illustrate the problem. While speaking, he also took out a star chart and waved it in front of Lu Bu and Lu Zhou. When everyone saw this mysterious thing, they immediately felt that it was very high-end and hurriedly took it respectfully.

Bu Zhi was the only one among the four who had some knowledge of astronomy and calendar, but he also found it extremely difficult.
Lu Su and Zhou Yu were both pragmatic people who didn't know much about astronomy. The more they read, the more mysterious it became.

Lu Yi, the youngest of the four, didn't quite understand it either, but he knew someone who did, so he asked Zhuge Jin, "Sir, this is difficult to understand. I wonder if we can find someone else to discuss it with us after we return. I will keep it strictly confidential and won't let anyone know unless necessary."

Zhuge Jin knew that at least dozens or even hundreds of people would learn this kind of thing in the future. After all, there would be several fleets in the future and it would be impossible for them to always act together. Each fleet would have to be equipped with this kind of talent, so the confidentiality level could not be too high.

He wasn't worried about the enemy camp learning it. Firstly, it was difficult to learn, and secondly, it was a system-wide project; learning any one part would be useless. Having navigation technology without new ships was useless.

As for wanting to steal the entire dragon, it can only be said that you are thinking too much. With the speed of information dissemination and the efficiency of knowledge dissemination in the Han Dynasty, this is impossible. Zhuge Jin himself needs systematic training.

Zhuge Jin then asked pragmatically, "Who do you plan to consult?"

Lu Yi was honest: "I would like to discuss this with my uncle (Lu Ji). Although he is four years younger than me, he has been gifted with astronomy and calendar science since childhood. With him teaching me, I might be able to learn faster."

Zhuge Jin didn't mind having more talent. He hadn't expected Lu Ji to understand this at the age of fifteen. Even if his other studies were just pedantic Confucianism, it would still be enough. This kind of person deserves proper guidance, letting him know that devoting himself to the study of calendar and astronomy can also serve the country.

Seeing Zhuge Jin nod, Lu Yi, Zhou Yu and others were also touched by his broad mind. As they discussed it, they sighed:
"Your Excellency is truly a scholar who can write this scroll. Even if we study hard for a lifetime, we can only scratch the surface of your knowledge. We are far behind."

This time, Zhuge Jin didn't try to be pretentious. He chose to speak the truth: "These secret scrolls, as well as the star maps and star charts demonstrated on them, were not created by me. I only provided the basic ideas, and Aliang helped me with the details."

Just kidding, Zhuge Jin was just a teacher in his previous life. No matter how high his academic record was, he only understood theoretical principles. When it comes to practical skills, eight Zhuge Jins put together are still not as good as Zhuge Liang.

In history, Zhuge Liang observed the astronomy and geography, and knew a little about everything. Now that he has received Zhuge Jin's systematic theoretical guidance, he will naturally achieve twice the result with half the effort when he puts it into practice personally.

When it comes to advancements in astronomy and geography, the heights that Zhuge Liang in this life could reach at the age of 22 are estimated to have surpassed the forty-year-old in history. This is also the area in which Zhuge Liang in this time and space grows the fastest, because these things require the highest foundation in mathematics and physics. With the help of his elder brother, he will naturally soar to the sky.

When Lu Su and Zhou Yu heard that Zhuge Liang had taken time out from his job to help his elder brother with these things the previous year, they were immediately impressed. Zhuge Liang was at least five years younger than his elder brother, and to have such prowess in his early twenties, the legendary "ten times more talented" was indeed not entirely groundless.

"It turns out that these models were written by Kong Ming. No wonder they are so subtle and profound. There are some things that we really cannot help but believe. There are people in this world who are born with knowledge." Zhou Yu sighed with true admiration, obviously admitting that he was completely inferior.

Zhuge Jin laughed and said, "Aliang wasn't born with knowledge. He just learned by analogy. He learned too quickly. He only came into contact with this knowledge in the second year of the Jian'an period."

In just four years, he has made great progress by devoting a little time to study besides his official duties. Now he is far better than his teacher. I am in Yangzhou, and I have to send someone to Jingzhou to consult him.

It's a pity that he can't personally come to Xuyang's coastal areas to conduct an on-site survey. He doesn't have the time, so you can follow his methods and imitate them, which can be considered as learning and practicing at the same time."

Lu, Zhou, Bu Lu each humbly accepted the advice, took time out from their studies to strengthen their abilities in this area, and then began practical training. Needless to say, the details are self-explanatory.

……

Zhuge Jin spent most of the first month of the year on talent training. By the second month, the first batch of key talent finally learned the general principles.
After practicing a few times on the shore, I also started going out to sea and practicing near the coast. The so-called near the coast here means at least fifty miles or more than a hundred miles out to sea, to ensure that there is no land in sight and that the stargazing view is not blocked by clouds over land.

As long as there is the horizon in all directions, and it is best if the wind and sea are calm to facilitate observation, the relevant work can be carried out.

After practicing for a period of time, Zhou Yu made the fastest progress, followed by Lu Yi, and Lu Su and Bu Zhi also made some progress, at least they were able to enter the field.

After February, the construction of the shipyard and the research and development of new ships also resumed. In this way, while building ships, new personnel can be trained in new navigation techniques on old ships, without delaying either end, and the progress of the entire project is very smooth.

It is similar to the later practice of "building a flat-deck aircraft carrier while first using an old aircraft carrier to train carrier-based aircraft pilots."

After observing carefully for a while, Zhuge Jin felt more reassured about the combination of Lu Su and Zhou Yu who were about to be sent to Langya and Donglai in the north.

Moreover, Zhuge Jin also knew one thing, that is, when Zhou Yu was entrusted with the task of taking care of Sun Ce's son before his death last year, he led thousands of die-hard navy troops to break through and take refuge in the Zhoushan Islands for several months.

That period was extremely difficult, and many soldiers' families were unable to follow them to the island. Most of the soldiers Zhou Yu brought were unmarried. Those who were married directly joined Liu for the sake of their families, not wanting to work and cause trouble for the doomed Sun family.

Zhou Yu himself lost his wives and concubines when he was fleeing. Although it is not certain whether they died or not, they did not return. The Han Dynasty did not prohibit women from remarrying, so it was normal for women who were lost during the war to want to remarry under an assumed name, or to feel embarrassed to return and feel ashamed.

Zhuge Jin has a second sister in his family. She is 23 years old and still unmarried, which makes her an older leftover woman. The main reason is that the women in the Zhuge family are highly "educated" and know too much, so most men look down on them. It's the same reason why it is not easy for female doctors in later generations to find someone they like.

When the eldest sister got married three years ago, she was already 22. The second sister was two years younger than the eldest, but she got married three years later and is now 23. She is very picky about the man's appearance, and he must not be sickly and have some knowledge.

Since his sister liked him, Zhuge Jin had no choice but to help her. Anyway, he never expected to get rich by marrying his sister. It didn't matter if he had a lower status or a smaller official position.

Zhuge Jin worked so hard just for his sister. It doesn't matter whether a man is rich or has a high position. Anyway, no matter how rich or high-ranking he is, he can never be higher than her brother.

Zhuge Jin found an opportunity to confront Zhou Yu and asked him to follow his heart and not curry favor with Shangguan.

After considering it, Zhou Yu expressed his belief in the talent and character of the woman from the Zhuge family, and naturally did not dare to have any other extravagant demands.

He also had a sense of propriety and knew that he should hold whatever official position he was supposed to hold. Since he was a surrendered criminal, everything in the future would depend on his own merits. He would never dare to expect support from the Zhuge family or promotion without any merit.

Regarding this point, Zhuge Jin certainly made it clear in advance that he would not do things like promoting relatives, and everyone should rely on their own abilities.

Since this was Zhou Yu's second marriage, he didn't make the decision too far in advance and prepared for it in just a month. Then Lu Su and Zhou Yu said goodbye to Zhuge Jin and headed north to Xuzhou Langya to take up their posts.

(End of this chapter)