Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Long-Awaited Three Kingdoms

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"Uncle Song, I suppose you are also aware of the naming conventions that Emperor Taizu established for his descendants," Zhang Bo began.

Song Yingsheng nodded slightly, clearly familiar with the matter.

When discussing the Old Zhu’s method of naming his descendants, Zhang Bo felt a surge of frustration.

Old Zhu not only prescribed the generational character for the second character in the names of his descendants but also restricted the final character according to the Five Elements theory.

For example, his sons’ names all contained the wood element—Zhu Biao, Zhu Shuang, Zhu Di, and so forth.

The grandsons’ names were unified under the fire element—Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yuntong, Zhu Gaochi.

The great-grandsons’ names corresponded to earth—Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Wenqiu.

This follows the Five Elements principle: wood generates fire, fire generates earth.

All of this was straightforward.

However, due to Old Zhu’s prolific lineage expansion, after a hundred years, the number of Ming imperial clan members had grown to an alarming number. Correspondingly, the common characters available for their names became insufficient.

The surname was fixed, the second character immutable, leaving only the third character, which could only be partially varied.

Even with the vast number of Chinese characters, the sheer volume of clan members stretched the available options thin.

Thus, the Ming imperial family embarked on a new path.

They began creating new characters.

Names like Zhu Gongxi, Zhu Shenlei, Zhu Tongge, Zhu Chenggu, Zhu Zaina were all newly coined for members of the Ming imperial clan.

And the connection between these names and the periodic table of elements could not be separated from one individual.

Chemist Xu Shou.

"Uncle Song, the one who linked the names of the Ming imperial family to the periodic table was a chemist named Xu Shou, from a later dynasty after the Ming.

Since the periodic table was originally created abroad, to successfully translate it back home, Xu Shou sought single Chinese characters that sounded similar to the foreign pronunciations and contained specific radicals.

He chose the 'metal' radical (钅) to represent metals, allowing one to immediately distinguish metals from non-metals.

But meeting these two criteria was no easy task.

By chance, he saw the names of the Ming princes and felt their names perfectly matched his needs.

From then on, the periodic table became intimately connected with the Ming imperial family."

So that was the origin of the Ming clan’s association with the periodic table.

Subsequently, Song Yingsheng refocused his gaze on the periodic table laid out on the table.

"Shopkeeper, if I understand correctly, aren’t all the elements with the 'metal' radical metals?"

"Exactly."

"And what about those with the 'gas' character? Are they all gases?"

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"Yes."

"Why are there so many elements with the 'gas' character on the periodic table? Aren’t there only two kinds of yin and yang qi?"

Yin and yang qi—that seemed rather mystical.

"Here’s what you can do, Uncle Song: you just need to perform a simple experiment to prove the existence of these gases in the periodic table."

Song Yingsheng’s eyes lit up with interest.

"Oh? What should I do?"

"Take hydrogen, the first element. Prepare some iron filings and vinegar, place the filings in the vinegar, seal it for a while, and hydrogen gas will be produced—colorless, odorless, and flammable."

"Shopkeeper, you mean by putting iron filings in vinegar, I can obtain hydrogen gas from the periodic table?"

"Exactly."

"That simple?"

"Just that simple."

Without a doubt, Zhang Bo’s words stirred in Song Yingsheng a strong urge to experiment. He was eager to try it out, perhaps even here.

But he had one more question for the shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper, you mentioned a country after the Ming. How much longer does the Ming dynasty last?"

Seeing Song Yingsheng’s worried expression, Zhang Bo sighed helplessly.

Though Song Yingsheng would only ever reach a fifth-rank official status, he was a staunch Ming loyalist with a rare integrity.

In his later years, he refused further service and set strict rules forbidding his descendants from participating in the imperial exams or seeking office.

"Uncle Song, the Ming has nine years left."

"Nine years!"

Upon hearing that the Ming had only nine years remaining, Song Yingsheng’s face fell.

The Ming, which had been his world for most of his life, was about to fall in nine years?

This...

Seeing Song Yingsheng’s downcast mood, Zhang Bo hesitated and ultimately did not disclose the news about Old Zhu.

It was still too early. If Old Zhu failed to save the dynasty, the blow of dashed hope would be even harder to bear.

As silence fell over the room, several people entered through the door.

"Shopkeeper, long time no see! Quickly bring out the best wine and food; I intend to drink my fill tonight."

Upon hearing the loud voice, Zhang Bo recognized them immediately.

He looked toward the courtyard gate and sure enough, it was the familiar group from the Eastern Han era.

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"Lord Xuande, Master Kongming, Yun Chang, Yi De, what brings you here?"

"Greetings, shopkeeper."

Zhang Bo’s greeting prompted Song Yingsheng to look up.

Xuande, Kongming, Yun Chang, Yi De—weren’t these the characters from the popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms? Could it be a troupe of actors?

Song Yingsheng turned to face the newcomers.

Even without Zhang Bo’s introduction, these well-known figures were instantly recognizable.

"Shopkeeper, isn’t this a troupe of actors?" Song Yingsheng whispered to Zhang Bo.

"Uncle Song, I forgot to tell you. Actually, my future connects not only to the eighth year of Chongzhen but also to the twelfth year of Jian’an."

"Hmm?"

Song Yingsheng’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Liu Bei and his companions noticed Song Yingsheng speaking with Zhang Bo.

"Strategist, that man appears older than me. I wonder which era he is from."

"My lord, judging by his attire, he does not seem to be from the Qin or Han periods. He must be from a later time, perhaps even the legendary Ming dynasty."

While the two whispered, Zhang Bo led Song Yingsheng before them.

"Lord Xuande, Master Kongming, Yun Chang, Yi De, allow me to introduce this gentleman—Song Yingsheng, courtesy name Chang Geng, from the Ming dynasty over a thousand years in the future."

The Ming dynasty!

The name was familiar even to Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang.

Immediately, the room fell into a very polite exchange of bows.

"Uncle Song, I suppose you already know Lord Xuande and the others well."

Indeed.

Song Yingsheng’s eyes scanned the Eastern Han quartet, astonishment impossible to conceal.

Their clothing, movements, and demeanor truly seemed those of men from the late Eastern Han.

Fifteen minutes later, the group sat around a table inside, with a few plates of appetizers and a small hotpot bubbling gently.

"Lord Xuande, Master Kongming, may I ask the purpose of your visit?"

"Shopkeeper, we have come for three matters."