On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

In the western suburbs of the imperial capital, at the foot of the Western Hills, there is the Royal Academy.

The morning light is dim and the mist is like gauze, covering this solemn university built on the mountain.

The building is built with dark blue bricks and black tiles, with flying eaves and brackets, and the courtyard is deep and full of ancient trees. The air is filled with the fresh scent of plants and the faint fragrance of ink, isolating it from the hustle and bustle of the world.

This is the cradle of the future pillars of the empire and an important soil for the new policy concept of "studying things and revitalizing the country" to take root.

On the east side of the main hall of the academy, "Mingde Hall", there is a spacious and bright classroom with clean windows and desks.

The sunlight shines through the large glazed window panes onto the brand new rosewood desk, casting mottled light and shadows.

More than twenty desks were arranged neatly. In front of each desk sat a student wearing a uniform indigo Confucian robe, aged between eight and twelve.

They were all children of officials of the third rank or above in the capital. Although they tried their best to maintain a proper posture, the curiosity and expectation in their eyes were difficult to conceal.

In front of the school, on the podium.

Lin Zhen was wearing a dark-colored casual suit with dark cloud patterns, and a thin cloak of the same color. He stood with his hands behind his back, his posture as straight as a pine tree.

His deep gaze swept across the young faces in the audience. His calm face was calm, yet he had an aura of majesty without even being angry.

Chu Xiling was wearing a moon-white brocade long skirt with an indigo gauze jacket over it. Her black hair was loosely tied up with only a white jade lotus hairpin in her hair. She was as cold as the moon and stood quietly half a step behind him.

She held a tray covered with a plain cloth in her hands, her eyes as calm as water.

"Greetings, Your Highness." The students saluted in unison, their voices clear and a little reserved.

"No need to be polite." Lin Zhen's voice was low and steady. "From today on, I will teach you the basics of mathematics and the study of things."

The students' eyes instantly lit up with excitement. What an honor it was to have the King of Zhenbei personally teach them.

What makes them even more curious is how magical the legendary "Study of Things" is.

Lin Zhen walked to the center of the podium, picked up a charcoal pencil, and wrote two big words on the huge blackboard behind him: Mathematics.

"Mathematics is the foundation of the study of things and the key to governing a country." His voice was not loud, but it reached every student's ears clearly. "Today, let's learn about digits and carry."

He turned around and drew a huge abacus frame on the blackboard, marking the place names of "ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and ten thousand" on it.

"Numbers have different sizes. Positions have different heights." Lin Zhen tapped the abacus with his fingertips. "When the ones place reaches ten, it increases by one to become the tens place. When the tens place reaches ten, it increases by one to become the hundreds place. And so on and so forth, ad infinitum."

He then wrote down several numbers on the blackboard: three, thirteen, one hundred and three, one thousand and three.

"Who will read out these numbers?" Lin Zhen glanced at the audience.

"Me, me!" A sturdy schoolboy named Li Hu raised his hand impatiently and said in a loud voice, "Three, thirteen, one hundred and three, one thousand and three."

"Okay." Lin Zhen nodded, "Li Hu, calculate three plus thirteen again."

"Three plus thirteen equals sixteen." Li Hu counted on his fingers and answered quickly.

"Thirteen plus one hundred and three." Lin Zhen asked.

"Thirteen plus one hundred and three" Li Hu scratched his head, a little hesitant.

"Three plus thirty-six in the ones place. One plus one in the tens place. One plus one in the hundreds place. That adds up to one hundred and sixteen," a clear-voiced student chimed in. His name was Wang Rui, with delicate features and an intelligent gaze.

"Good." Lin Zhen praised, "Wang Rui, calculate one thousand and three minus one hundred and three again."

"Three minus three zeros in the ones place. Tens zero minus zero zero. Hundreds zero minus one is not enough, so borrow from the thousands place. One thousand minus one zero. Hundreds ten minus nineteen. The total is nine hundred." Wang Rui's thoughts were clear and he spoke very quickly.

"Very good." Lin Zhen's eyes flashed with satisfaction, "The abacus is more intuitive."

Chu Xiling stepped forward at the right moment, placed the tray on the podium, and uncovered the plain cloth. Inside was a row of small, exquisite red sandalwood abacuses, each with a stack of bamboo sticks with numbers written on them.

"Everyone gets one." Lin Zhen said.

The schoolchildren excitedly came forward to receive the abacus and bamboo sticks, returned to their seats, and fiddled with the beads curiously.

"Now calculate according to the numbers on the bamboo sticks." Lin Zhen said.

The classroom was filled with the crackling sound of abacus beads. Li Hu's movements were rough, the beads clacking loudly; Wang Rui's movements were nimble, his fingertips flying; a delicate girl named Zhao Wan'er's movements were gentle and meticulous; and a slightly plump boy named Zhou Ping was a bit clumsy, his beads often getting stuck.

Chu Xiling walked slowly among the students, scanning their movements with her cold eyes.

She stopped in front of Zhou Ping's desk, leaned over, and gently pressed her fingertips on the bead he had misplaced. "After borrowing the tens place here, you should return one to nine."

Zhou Ping blushed and quickly corrected himself.

"Zhao Wan'er moves the beads accurately." Chu Xiling's cold voice sounded.

Zhao Wan'er raised her head, her face slightly red, and a hint of joy flashed in her eyes.

"Li Hu's force was too strong and the beads might be damaged." Chu Xiling said.

Li Hu stuck out his tongue and slowed down his movements.

With the help of the abacus, simple number and addition and subtraction operations became intuitive and interesting. The students quickly grasped the key points, and the classroom was filled with a relaxed and focused atmosphere.

After the math class, Lin Zhen erased the numbers on the blackboard and wrote two new big words: Gewu.

"To study the principles of all things," Lin Zhen said in a steady voice. "Today, we will observe the power of the waterwheel."

Chu Xiling stepped forward again and uncovered another tray. Inside was an exquisite wooden waterwheel model with a water tank, impeller, drive shaft, and a small millstone.

"This is a waterwheel model." Lin Zhen placed the model in the center of the podium, "Demonstrating how water drives the millstone."

He gestured for Chu Xiling to operate. Chu Xiling picked up the kettle and slowly poured clean water into the sink. The water flow hit the impeller, causing it to rotate, driving the drive shaft, which in turn drove the grinding disc to slowly rotate.

"Wow!" The schoolchildren let out suppressed exclamations, their eyes wide open.

"The water flow impacts the impeller, which rotates and drives the shaft, which drives the grinding wheel." Lin Zhen's fingertips follow the direction of the water flow, explaining the force transfer process. "This is the conversion of hydraulic force into mechanical force."

"Your Highness, why does the wheel turn when water hits it?" Li Hu couldn't help but ask.

"That's a good question." Lin Zhen nodded. "Water has a force. The impeller rotates due to this force. The shaft is connected to the impeller, so it rotates together. The millstone is connected to the shaft, so it also rotates. This is the transmission of force."

"If the water flows faster, will the millstone turn faster?" Wang Rui asked sharply.

"You can try." Lin Zhen gestured.

Chu Xiling increased the water flow. The waterwheel's impeller sped up, and the millstone also turned faster.

"The water flows slowly." Zhao Wan'er asked softly.

Chu Xiling reduced the water flow. The impeller's speed slowed down, and the millstone's rotation also slowed down.

"The faster the water flows, the greater the impact, the faster the impeller rotates, and the faster the millstone rotates." Wang Rui concluded.

"Good." Lin Zhen praised, "This is because the size of the force affects the speed of movement."

"Your Highness, can water wheels only be used to grind flour?" Zhou Ping asked curiously.

"Not really," Lin Zhen said. "Water power can be used for irrigation, spinning wheels, and iron smelting. It has many uses."

"What if there is no water?" Li Hu asked.

"You can use wind power, animal power, or even steam power," Lin Zhen said. "Steam power is even greater. We'll talk about it later."

The schoolchildren's eyes were filled with longing. This small waterwheel model seemed to open a door to a magical world for them.

In the afternoon, the class moved to the "Gewu Workshop" in the backyard of the academy.

The workshop is spacious and bright, with a complete range of tools.

On the long table in the center were dozens of unassembled waterwheel model parts.

"Now, divide into groups and assemble the waterwheel model," Lin Zhen said. "Four people in a group. Let's work together to complete it."

The students excitedly divided themselves into groups. Li Hu, Wang Rui, Zhao Wan'er, and Zhou Ping were naturally assigned to the same group.

"Let me install the impeller." Li Hu rolled up his sleeves, picked up the impeller and put it on the shaft.

"Wait." Wang Rui stopped him. "Secure the shaft to the base first. Align the impeller with the slot."

"I'll take care of the base." Zhao Wan'er picked up the base and bracket and carefully compared them with the drawings.

"I'm looking for screws." Zhou Ping rummaged through the pile of parts.

Chu Xiling was inspecting and guiding the teams. She stopped at Li Hu's team and watched them frantically.

"The base must be level." Chu Xiling reminded in a cold voice, "Insert the bracket vertically into the base hole. Pass the shaft through the bracket bearing and then install the impeller."

Wang Rui immediately understood. He instructed Li Hu to hold the base steady while Zhao Wan'er fixed the bracket. He then carefully threaded the shaft through the bearing and installed the impeller. Zhou Ping handed over the screws, and Wang Rui tightened them with a special small wrench.

"Place the water tank at an angle so it's aligned with the impeller." Chu Xiling instructed.

Zhao Wan'er carefully adjusted the angle of the sink.

"Try it." Li Hu couldn't wait to pick up the kettle and pour water.

The water flow hits the impeller, which rotates slowly and drives the grinding wheel to rotate.

"It's done!" the four cheered.

Other groups also completed their projects. The workshop was filled with the sound of flowing water and laughter. The students watched the waterwheels they had built with their own hands turn, their faces beaming with pride and satisfaction.

"Assembly is no easy task," Lin Zhen said. "It requires observation, reflection, and collaboration. This is the essence of practical application."

The students nodded in agreement.

As the sun sets, the students return to the classroom, each with a sheet of plain white rice paper spread out in front of them.

"Record what you learned today in your diary," Lin Zhen said. "Draw a picture of a waterwheel. Write about its principles. Think about its application."

The students immediately immersed themselves in writing and drawing.

Li Hu's painting is crude. The waterwheel looks like a big windmill, with the words "Water makes the wheel turn, and the wheel makes the mill turn" written crookedly next to it.

Wang Rui's drawing was very detailed, marking the direction of water flow and the path of force transmission. He also wrote down his thoughts that "water power can drive machinery and has a wide range of uses."

Zhao Wan'er's painting is delicate. She added a few flowers and plants next to the waterwheel and wrote "The speed of water flow affects the rotation speed, and the force has different sizes."

Zhou Ping's drawing was a bit messy, but he tried hard to write "I was very happy to load the water truck with my friends, and I learned the importance of cooperation."

Chu Xiling walked slowly among the students, occasionally leaning over to give them some pointers.

She stopped in front of Wang Rui's desk, a glimmer flashing in her cold eyes: "The diagram is accurate. The thinking is profound."

Wang Rui raised his head, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Li Hu's diagram can be more detailed." Chu Xiling said.

Li Hu scratched his head and chuckled.

"Zhao Wan'er's book is well illustrated with both pictures and text." Chu Xiling said.

Zhao Wan'er's face turned slightly red.

"Zhou Ping is a great partner." Chu Xiling said.

Zhou Ping smiled shyly.

As dusk fell, the students, accompanied by their servants, left the academy one after another. Only Lin Zhen and Chu Xiling remained in the academy.

"Ling'er, you've worked hard today." Lin Zhen said.

"It's my job." Chu Xiling lowered her eyes and sorted out the models and teaching aids on the podium.

"How are these children?" Lin Zhen asked.

"Li Huyong is bold, straightforward, and energetic," Chu Xiling said in a cold voice. "Wang Rui is intelligent, sharp, and thoughtful. Zhao Wan'er is meticulous, calm, and organized. Zhou Ping is a bit dull, but he's down-to-earth and willing to cooperate."

"All of them are capable of being made." Lin Zhen nodded. "The path of studying things requires the brave to explore the way. The wise to analyze the principles. The meticulous to seek perfection. The collaborative to gather strength."

"Yes." Chu Xiling responded.

The two walked out of the academy side by side. The setting sun cast its afterglow across the academy's quaint corridors, lengthening their silhouettes. In the courtyard, ancient trees grew lush and green, and birds chirped.

"Have you ever thought about teaching yourself, Ling'er?" Lin Zhen suddenly asked.

Chu Xiling paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashed across her cold eyes, and then she regained her composure: "I am not good at speaking."

"Not really," Lin Zhen said. "Ling'er's explanation was clear and concise. She was very helpful today."

Chu Xiling was silent for a moment, then whispered, "My husband teaches with dignity and wisdom. I can only assist him."

Lin Zhen said no more. He knew she had a quiet personality and didn't like to talk much in front of others. However, her patient guidance and accurate evaluation of the students today had left a deep impression on him.

"Tomorrow we'll talk about the principle of leverage," Lin Zhen said. "What teaching aids should Ling'er prepare?"

"We have prepared a model of a balance, crowbar and pulley system." Chu Xiling said.

"Good." Lin Zhen nodded.

The two walked slowly forward, their figures gradually moving away in the sunset.

In the academy, the evening bells ring melodiously, and the lingering sound remains.