Several strong eunuchs worked together to unload a long and narrow wooden trough from the huge flatbed cart with two rows of wheels. People who were close could clearly see that the wooden trough was full of water, and there was a small boat floating in it. The boat was only about one foot long and did not look particularly delicate at first glance, and was not even qualified to be a toy for officials.
Zhang Shou completely ignored some of the arguments in the hall. After everything was put in place and the water in the wooden trough gradually became stable, he walked forward and fiddled with the boat in the trough for a few times. After a while, he stood aside silently. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, for a long time, everyone around saw that the boat did not move at all.
At this point, Academician Kong, who had just been at loggerheads with Zhang Shou, could no longer hold back. He shouted, "Zhang Shou, this is the Wenhua Hall, the imperial lecture hall. Do you think this is a place for monkey shows?"
Zhang Shou glanced at the furious university scholar and said calmly: "What is a classic? The works written by saints and wise men that explain the principles of the world are classics. However, the principles of all things in the world are not just about teaching people how to behave."
He paused, then pointed at the wooden trough and said with a half-smile, "Just like Confucius, who claims to be well-read in classics and history, just said that small countries 108,000 miles away from our dynasty are nothing to be afraid of because they can't fly over with wings. However, there are actually things in this world that are not inferior to bird wings, you just never discovered them before."
No matter if they were sneering or excited, Zhang Shou's gesture made them all look at the wooden trough. This time, they were shocked to find that the boat that had been motionless just now suddenly had a puff of white smoke coming out of its top, and then it started moving forward in an instant, so fast that most people who were watching had just begun to marvel when the boat crashed into the other end of the wooden trough.
A strong eunuch wearing thick gloves was guarding there. He quickly reached out and caught the boat that had flipped out of the trough due to its rapid movement. Then he couldn't help but take a step back and shouted in a low voice: "This boat is so powerful!"
"Put the spring down, and don't let the small hole on the top face you to avoid getting burned!"
Zhang Shou hurriedly reminded him, and when he saw the eunuch carefully followed his instructions and finally put the boat steadily on the ground, he smiled and said, "Sea ships rely on sails, and river ships rely on sails and oars. If the wind direction is unfavorable, even the most experienced boatmen will not be able to travel quickly. But there was no wind in the hall just now, and there was no one rowing on this boat."
"Although the wooden trough is only a dozen feet wide, the boat can be seen moving forward automatically in it. In this case, Master Kong, can you tell me whether the boat has wings or how it moves?"
Academician Kong was driven crazy by Zhang Shou's questions. But before he could answer in a rage, he heard a stern voice: "Zhang Shou, you still dare to ask! This is clearly your magic, and you are actually showing your magic in this grand Wenhua Hall!"
Hearing the word "demon magic", Zhang Shou didn't even blink, and didn't even bother to look for the person who spoke. Because he remembered that voice so clearly, who else could it be but the self-righteous Second Prince? He laughed and said calmly: "For those who don't understand the principles of the world and only care about gains and losses, when they see this boat that moves by itself, they will naturally think it is a demon magic."