Chapter 35: Teacher Yuan's Mini-Lecture
"...Thallium, lead, bismuth, polonium, astatine. radon, francium, radium, actinium, thorium. protactinium, uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium; curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium."
Yuan Jiabai rattled it all off in a single breath. Upon finishing, he sucked in a massive gulp of air, looking immensely relieved. "I'm done!"
Everyone: "..."
Are you? Are you really done? Since none of them had ever heard of it, how were they supposed to know if he had finished, let alone if he had recited it correctly?
Consequently, all eyes turned to the Second Prince. After all, he was the one in charge.
Xuan Wen’s face was dark. He hadn't expected Yuan Jiabai to actually pull it off. He had initially suspected the boy was just spouting gibberish, but this contest had been proposed on the spot.
How could Yuan Jiabai have prepared a fake text in advance? Furthermore, the recital was flawless, without a single stutter or pause. Clearly, he had truly memorized something.
Seething with inward rage, Xuan Wen shot Lu Zhongkang a venomous glare.
Lu Zhongkang instantly ducked his head and stammered, "Second Highness, I..."
Panicking, the scholar fell back on his previous tactic. "You claim you didn't just make this up! Then tell us, what book is this from, and who is the author?!"
What a coincidence. he actually knew the answer to that.
Channeling his past life as a high school student, Yuan Jiabai spoke at a leisurely pace, making absolutely sure to enunciate every single syllable so no one would miss a word. "The Periodic Table originates from a tome titled Chemistry. And as for the table itself, it was invented and compiled by a chemist named 'Mendeleev.'"
The crowd was plunged into silence once more.
Why was it that every time Yuan Jiabai offered a detailed explanation, they only ended up more profoundly confused?
What in the world was Chemistry? What was a chemist? And who would have such a bizarrely absurd name as "Mendeleev"?!
Feigning innocence, Yuan Jiabai asked, "Would you like me to elaborate further? I can pick out a few elements to explain to you all. No need to thank me. I just happen to be a very helpful person."
His past life was undeniably real, and the knowledge had genuinely been crammed into his brain. Although he had forgotten a lot over the years, some things were simply etched into his bones.
After all, it was material he had studied to the point of exhaustion. playing the role of a teacher now actually brought him a small thrill of excitement.
"Take 'Carbon,' for instance. It is a non-metallic element, and we typically represent it with this symbol." Yuan Jiabai formed the letter 'C' with his hand, speaking with practiced fluency. "Its atomic number is six. It possesses stable chemical properties, remaining unreactive in the air, and serves as the primary component of organic matter. It's an incredibly common element that exists widely in various forms throughout the atmosphere, the earth's crust, and living organisms..."
"Or let's look at 'Nitrogen' and pay attention here, that's 'Nitrogen' [Dan], not the word for 'Egg' [Dan]. This is also a non-metallic element, represented by the symbol 'N'. Its atomic number is seven, and it makes up roughly four-fifths of the total volume of the air. It is one of the crucial elements forming proteins and nucleic acids in plants and animals. Its chemical properties are largely inactive. Nitrogen gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless; it cannot combust, nor does it support combustion..."
Getting carried away with his lecture, Yuan Jiabai rattled off the properties of four or five more chemical elements.
He talked until his mouth was completely dry.
Right on cue, a water skin was handed to him from the side. Yuan Jiabai flashed a brilliant smile at the Crown Prince, popped the stopper, and took several massive gulps.
Joyous occasions naturally lift the spirits, and successfully slapping the faces of his detractors felt phenomenal. This euphoria was perfectly demonstrated when he downed his last mouthful of water with the dramatic flair of someone slamming a shot of strong liquor.
Wiping his mouth, Yuan Jiabai simply stared at the Second Prince’s group across from him in silence.
The Crown Prince remained silent as well.
With both masters holding their tongues, none of the subordinates dared to utter a single sound without orders.
After a long, heavy pause, Xuan Wen gritted his teeth, his expression incredibly grim. "It seems I have underestimated Young Master Yuan. Very well. I am willing to concede defeat. this black bear belongs to you, Royal Brother. Let's go."
Click-clack, click-clack. The sound of their horses' hooves gradually faded into the distance.
It wasn't until they were quite a distance away that their pace finally slowed. Lu Zhongkang ventured cautiously, "Your Highness, it was my incompetence this time. I beg for your forgiveness."
Xuan Wen didn't spare him a glance. After a long while, he asked, "This 'Chemistry' nonsense... have you truly never heard of it?"
"Your Highness, I swear upon my life, it is entirely unheard of!" Lu Zhongkang replied hastily.
"Then how does Yuan Jiabai know of it?" Xuan Wen retorted coldly. "A useless dandy knows it, yet you, a self-proclaimed well-read scholar, do not?"
Lu Zhongkang broke out in a cold sweat. He had absolutely no way to defend himself, and in his heart, he gnashed his teeth in pure hatred toward Yuan Jiabai.
Aren't you supposed to be an uneducated dandy?! How on earth do you know more than I do?!
Not wanting to hear any more of his excuses, Xuan Wen issued a frigid command. "Investigate this immediately. I must know exactly what this 'Chemistry' is, and who this 'Mendeleev' person is!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
---
Once the opposing party was completely out of sight, Yuan Jiabai turned to Xuan Qiao, his face beaming with exuberance as he threw his hands up and cheered, "I won!"
Seeing the radiant, almost glowing smile on the boy's face, Xuan Qiao couldn't help but laugh as well. "Yes, you won. You were remarkably impressive. you truly left me speechless."
Yuan Jiabai bobbed his head side to side, giggling happily.
As the guards went to retrieve the bear's carcass, Qi Guangde, Xiao Xiangzi, and the others crowded around, showering him with praise.
Curious, Qi Guangde asked, "Young Master, does that book truly exist?"
Because the subject was so utterly alien, it wasn't just the enemy who doubted him. even his own allies were skeptical.
"It really does," Yuan Jiabai said, raising a hand in a solemn vow. "I swear, I didn't make up a single word of it."
"The contents of this text are so obscure and incomprehensible... could it be a divine tome from the heavens?" Qi Guangde marvelled.
"It's not exactly a divine tome, but it sure has stumped a whole lot of people," Yuan Jiabai replied.
Back in his old life, Yuan Jiabai's own grades had been pretty decent, but he had classmates who struggled terribly with the subject, scoring barely twenty-something points on exams.
Furthermore, compared to Chemistry, Yuan Jiabai personally felt that Physics was much closer to a "divine, incomprehensible tome." Learning that had been true torture.
"Might I be permitted to borrow this text for a look?" Xuan Qiao asked. His curiosity had genuinely been piqued.
Yuan Jiabai's face scrunched up in an awkward grimace. "Um... I can't lend it to you. It was lost a long time ago. I have no idea where it went..."
Barring a miracle, it would be utterly impossible to find it in this lifetime.
"If it is not meant to be, then there is nothing to be done," Xuan Qiao noted. He felt a fleeting trace of disappointment, but he quickly moved past it.
Even as the Crown Prince, he couldn't guarantee access to every single book in the world. Certain rare, isolated manuscripts were closely hoarded by ancient noble families.
Since the book couldn't be produced, Xuan Qiao asked Yuan Jiabai to elaborate on the passage he had recited. However, because the conceptual gap was simply too vast, everyone was still left in a state of utter bewilderment.
Only Xuan Qiao appeared deep in thought, as if he had managed to glean some profound insight from it.
As the sky began to dim, the hunting party commenced their journey back to the main camp. Along the way, they spotted quite a few other figures making their return as well.
Upon arriving at the camp, dedicated officials stepped forward to tally the day's catch. The top prize for the day was awarded to a Centurion of the Feathered Forest Guard who had successfully hunted twenty-one prey animals.
Emperor Xiande was so pleased that he promoted the man to Battalion Commander right on the spot.
Hearing this, the soldiers in the military ranks instantly boiled over with excitement. Everyone rubbed their hands together in eager anticipation, secretly vowing to snatch the top prize tomorrow!
Although Xuan Qiao hadn't hunted the largest quantity of animals, bringing down a ferocious beast earned him a handsome reward and commendation.
Xuan Qiao lowered his eyes respectfully. "I thank Imperial Father for the praise. However, bringing down the black bear was not my merit alone. My study companion, Yuan Jiabai, as well as the guards present, all contributed greatly."
These rewards were coming straight out of Emperor Xiande's personal treasury. it would be foolish to refuse free gifts.
Emperor Xiande waved his hand magnanimously. "Reward them all!"
Everyone stepped forward to express their gratitude for the imperial grace.
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