After leaving the Cai residence, Fei Qian was still feeling excited. He had been in the Three Kingdoms era for some time now and had finally managed to attach himself to a powerful figure. Although it was in the civil official quadrant, Cai Yong was still a prominent figure. Now, Fei Qian had an additional layer of protection, albeit a modest one, when venturing out.
However, when Fei Qian returned home, he suddenly remembered something that made him break out in a cold sweat. He had used modern English letters and numbers at the Cai residence! If someone were to investigate these symbols thoroughly, it would be hard to explain. He might even be treated like a lab rat and dissected!
Fei Qian wanted to slap himself a few times for showing off.
At this time, Dong Zhuo had just entered the capital and was busy with various military alliances. His main focus was on winning over the military forces left behind by General He Jin. He hadn't yet found the time to meddle in politics, so the Han government was still functioning along its original trajectory. Many officials hadn't received new directives from their superiors, but overall, the system was running relatively smoothly.
The Han Dynasty's control over literature and thought was also extremely strict. In his previous life, Fei Qian only knew about the Qin Dynasty's Emperor Qin Shi Huang's infamous "Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars." However, after arriving in the Three Kingdoms era, he realized that the Han Dynasty had done things no less severe than the Qin.
Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Dynasty was extremely concerned with controlling the thoughts of intellectuals. He showed no mercy to what he deemed heterodox teachings, though part of this was also due to Legalists taking advantage of the situation to suppress rival schools of thought—silencing those who usually spouted nonsense by eliminating them, thus bringing peace to the world.
Emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty took up this banner and innovatively created the crimes of "Great Sedition" and "Silent Treason"—even if you didn't say anything, if the authorities believed you had thought it, you were guilty! The Qin Dynasty was relatively short-lived, and Confucian scholars often cited the "Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars" as the most damning evidence against it. How many people died in that event? Less than 500. In the Han Dynasty, however, the number of people executed for literary or textual offenses exceeded 1,500, with over 50 recorded cases in historical texts.
From the perspective of the state, there were roughly two types of troublemakers: those with the intent but not the courage, and those with the courage but not the intent. Which type was safer? Those with intent but no courage could become dangerous if given the opportunity. However, those with courage but no intent, no matter how bold, posed little threat without malicious intent.
Thus, for rulers, it was better to allow the bold but not the scheming. Any writing, drawing, or speech that didn't align with the government's needs was swiftly censored.
The most critical issue was that the Han Dynasty had the crime of "Silent Treason," which could be prosecuted based on mere suspicion. Even more alarming was that the Han Dynasty had a zero-tolerance policy toward witchcraft and sorcery, executing offenders immediately without hesitation. Even princes and princesses implicated in such cases were beheaded without question.
If Fei Qian's scribbles were identified as some form of witchcraft or sorcery, he wouldn't even get a chance to explain himself. He would simply be executed on the spot.
What to do? Turning back to the Cai residence now would be improper and only raise more suspicion. Fei Qian had no choice but to wait until the next scheduled visit to Cai Yong's residence to address the issue. In the meantime, he needed to prepare an explanation for himself.
As Fei Qian walked toward his study, filled with regret, he tried to recall the origins of Arabic numerals. Weren't they actually Indian? And didn't they only reach China during the Song or Yuan Dynasty? What was India called during the Han Dynasty? Tianzhu? Wasn't that the Tang Dynasty monk's term?
Ugh, this was giving him a headache. Fei Qian really wanted to slap himself. If only he hadn't used those symbols, he wouldn't have landed himself in such trouble.
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Cai Yong had deep accomplishments in literature and other fields, but in another sense, his mind was relatively pure, unlike the politically astute Minister Wang Yun. This might also be why he achieved so much across various disciplines—after all, a person's energy is limited, and focusing too much on one area might leave others lacking.
At this moment, Cai Yong was holding Fei Qian's calculation sheet, studying it carefully from all angles. He muttered to himself while tracing his fingers over the paper. He could roughly guess that the diagram was a schematic of the square city, but what did the annotations mean?
Although Cai Yong could solve the problem himself, it was clear that Fei Qian had done it much faster. Cai Yong needed over ten sheets of paper of the same size to work through the problem, while Fei Qian had solved it on just one. Although Cai Yong didn't understand the symbols Fei Qian had used, his intuition told him they were key to the solution.
Delving into such mysteries was Cai Yong's passion, and he often lost track of time. This time was no exception. As he pondered and sketched, he didn't notice the sky darkening. The servants in the Cai residence were accustomed to their master's habits and silently lit candles for him.
However, it was already past dinner time, and Cai Yong still hadn't emerged from his numerical world. The old steward, worried that Cai Yong would harm his health by skipping meals, called out to him several times, but Cai Yong didn't respond. In desperation, the steward went to fetch Cai Yan, Cai Yong's daughter.
Cai Yan had recently had a falling out with the Wei family.
Cai Yong wasn't particularly fond of the political climate during Emperor Ling's reign and disliked getting involved in the conflicts between eunuchs and imperial relatives. As a result, he also didn't care much for the young talents involved in court politics. When it came time for Cai Yan to marry, Cai Yong carefully selected a match from the prominent Wei family of Hedong.
The Wei family had risen to prominence during the time of Wei Qing and had since become one of the nation's leading families, so influential that they didn't even need to participate in court affairs to wield significant power. Cai Yong believed that marrying Cai Yan to Wei Ning, the second son of Wei Ji, was the best possible arrangement. He thought that with the Wei family's wealth and influence, Cai Yan's future would be secure, and he, as a father, could rest easy.
Unfortunately, like many other aristocratic families, the Wei family had a penchant for alchemy and elixirs. Cai Yan's husband, Wei Ning, regularly consumed substances like Five Minerals Powder and Nine-Cycle Golden Elixir as if they were snacks. Not long after Cai Yan married into the family, Wei Ning died of internal bleeding.
The Wei family, of course, didn't believe their son was at fault. Instead, they blamed Cai Yan. Regardless of her status as the daughter of a literary giant, she was labeled as a husband-killer.
Cai Yan, strong-willed and furious, returned to her father's home without even taking her dowry.
Cai Yong, as a father, was both heartbroken and helpless. His beloved daughter had been treated as worthless by others. From then on, he kept Cai Yan at home and severed ties with the Wei family.
When Cai Yan learned that her father had once again lost himself in his studies, forgetting to eat or sleep, she smiled slightly, picked up a lantern, and made her way to the hall where Cai Yong was.
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**Note:** The term "莫须有" (baseless accusation) wasn't invented by Qin Hui—Qin Hui, standing to the side, wore an expression of having been wronged for a thousand years. In the Han Dynasty, the famous general Han Xin and a chancellor named Wang Shang both died under this charge. Those interested can look it up. Additionally, speaking and writing in ancient times carried significant risks, so time travelers should be cautious. Also, claiming knowledge was "bestowed by immortals" isn't a good excuse either—it might just land you in deeper trouble.