"Something even more precious than the seed?"
After Meton's demonstration, the people of Chang 'an had clearly heard the effects of the various seeds. As long as it was true, any one of them would be enough to benefit the Tang dynasty greatly.
No one could think of anything that could compare to these seeds, which were more precious than gold.
For a moment, everyone looked at the barbarians.
The barbarians were also confused. They really couldn't think of anything more precious on them.
"Brilliant! Do you want to know what else Meton wants? "Li Shimin felt as if his heart was being scratched by tens of thousands of cat claws.
"Father, I don't know. I only know that Meton once said that there was something the School of Mo needed in the Western Regions Conference." A few days ago, Meton had casually mentioned this, but Li Chengqian had not pursued the matter.
"Are the diamonds and seeds not enough to satisfy Mo Jiazi?" Li Tai said sourly.
In his eyes, every single item was extremely precious. However, Mo Jiazi actually said that they were not what he needed. This made everyone feel ashamed.
Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Diamonds are a luxury item. The School of Mo advocates frugality and frugality. This item is not in line with the School of Mo's philosophy. The seeds are indeed a farmer's item and are not something the School of Mo would do."
Li Shimin couldn't help but nod. According to this analysis, it did make some sense.
Li Chengqian thought for a moment and said with some difficulty, "In my opinion, Meton's diamonds and seeds are very likely to be 'throwing a brick to attract jade'."
Li Shimin and the group of princes immediately felt that this was simply absurd to the extreme. 'Throwing a brick to attract jade', this brick thrown by the Mohists was more precious than any jade in the world. Then what kind of jade was he trying to attract by throwing out the most expensive brick in the world?
Meton did not beat around the bush and directly said, "What the School of Mo wants is knowledge."
"Knowledge?"
Immediately, many people's hearts skipped a beat. They seemed to have vaguely grasped Meton's intentions.
A barbarian merchant shook his head and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint Marquis Merton. I'm just a merchant. What kind of knowledge do I have?"
The other barbarians also shook their heads, looking regretful.
"The knowledge here is not your knowledge. The sages of the School of Mo once traveled to your countries and saw the splendid civilizations and countless classic books. However, the journey was long, and they could only bring back a few words and some unique knowledge. Even so, the School of Mo benefited greatly," Meton explained...
The barbarians suddenly. The citizens of Chang 'an City also understood what Master Mo was trying to express. The ordinary citizens suddenly felt a little bored. How could those books and books be more beautiful than the shining diamonds?
But in the ears of some scholars, it was like a clap of thunder, and they trembled all over.
"Mo Jiazi has great ambitions. Everyone knows that Mo Jiazi is vainly trying to cultivate a hundred schools of thought. Who would have thought that Mo Jiazi is actually preparing to cultivate both foreign and domestic?"
Below the stage, a Confucian scholar muttered to himself.
In the private room upstairs, Wei Sian suddenly looked like he had lost his soul. Chen Sheng once said, "How can a sparrow or a swallow know the ambitions of a swan?" At this moment, even without a comparison, Wei Sian already felt ashamed of his inferiority. In comparison, Meton was that lofty swan, and he probably couldn't even compare to a sparrow.
"Cultivate both foreign and domestic!"
Li Shimin's eyes also suddenly lit up.
"Isn't learning some knowledge from a barbarian land neglecting the essentials?" Li Tai shook his head and said. The knowledge of the Tang dynasty was already extensive and profound. There was no need to learn the knowledge of a barbarian land.
Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "Third Brother, you don't know. The School of Mo has been silent for a thousand years. For it to be able to rise so quickly, it is not only because of the Mo skills, but also because of the foreign knowledge. The numbers we learned came from India and other places."
As expected, Merton said, "The sages of the School of Mo once traveled to India and other places and brought Indian numbers from there. Now, they are widely spread in the Tang dynasty."
The joy of the merchants from India turned to sorrow. Since Indian numbers had already spread to the Tang dynasty, the School of Mo naturally didn't need them anymore.
Meton turned to a group of barbarian merchants wearing headscarves and said loudly, "But don't be sad, Indian friends. After the Western Regions Conference, the School of Mo will give each friend from India a bottle of Xie Qianchou."
These Indian merchants immediately beamed with joy. In the Tang dynasty, Xie Qianchou was always worth a bottle. One bottle for each person. It was an unexpected windfall.
Only then did the barbarian merchants become serious. If Mo Jiazi had spent so much on the knowledge that had already spread to the Tang dynasty, then wouldn't the value of the precious books in their own country be even greater?
"The sages of the School of Mo also traveled to the land of Persia. There, they were fortunate enough to read the classics of the foreign legalists, the Code of Hammurabi, and heard of the magnificence of the Hanging Gardens."
The Persian merchants immediately puffed out their chests. That was the greatest pride of Persia.
"I've also traveled to Egypt. I've seen the tall pyramids and the Sphinx. I was also saved by a skilled healer there."
One or two Egyptian merchants quickly stood up and saluted.
"The sages of the School of Mo also traveled to the far west. There, they were fortunate enough to read the works of Archimedes, who said that his achievements were comparable to Mozi."
A barbarian merchant about 50 years old stood up and saluted Mo Jiazi.
"Comparable to Mozi."
Immediately, the scholars present were in an uproar. After all, with Meton's vigorous promotion, Mo Jiazi's reputation in the Tang dynasty had soared. Yet, Mo Jiazi actually said that there was someone comparable to Mozi in the far west.
"Archimedes is indeed a sage of my Great Qin, but I don't have his books. However, I do have a book about someone who is as famous as Archimedes. That person's name is Socrates," the barbarian merchant said.
This person was also a fallen noble. The Silk Road was a long journey, and this person relied on this book to pass the time.
Meton nodded and said, "The sages of the School of Mo once mentioned that this person was indeed a sage who was as famous as Archimedes."
Everyone was in an uproar. The School of Mo actually claimed that Archimedes was comparable to Mozi. Wouldn't that mean that Socrates, who was as famous as Archimedes, was also comparable to the other Hundred Schools of Thought?
The Hundred Schools of Thought represented the culmination of knowledge in the Tang dynasty. Each of them had reached the peak of their respective fields. Now, in the barbarian lands of the west, two people who were comparable to the Hundred Schools of Thought had appeared one after another. How could this not cause an uproar?
The barbarian merchant of Great Qin quickly sent someone to bring a thick sheepskin scroll and handed it to Meton. He said, "How much is this book worth?"
Meton looked at the worn and old book. It was obvious that this book had been read countless times. He couldn't help but reveal a trace of excitement and said, "If this book is real, then it is a priceless treasure.
"Priceless treasure?" Everyone was confused.
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