The Lever of Fortune
The Emperor's praise echoed in the grand hall, his voice full of pride. "Simon, you truly are my son. Your strength is commendable."
Simon, basking in the Emperor's approval, smirked at Chance. "It's your turn, Fourth Brother," he taunted, his voice dripping with condescension.
Chance, undeterred by Simon's arrogance, stepped forward with a confident shout, "Bring me a wooden pole and ropes. I'm going to make a lever."
The assembly was puzzled, their whispers filled with confusion. "What is a lever?" they murmured among themselves, casting curious glances at Chance.
Simon, catching sight of the wooden pole, couldn't resist another jab. "You think you can lift 2,000 pounds with that piece of wood? Ridiculous," he sneered, his contempt evident.
An hour passed as the soldiers, meticulously following Chance's precise instructions, constructed a stable triangular frame. The wooden pole was positioned, and ropes were looped around one end. Chance, now focused and determined, positioned himself at the opposite end, his mind channeling the principles of leverage he had studied so thoroughly.
With a calculated push, the 2,000-pound cauldron began to rise. The crowd gasped in unison, their disbelief palpable.
Simon, eyes wide with shock, stammered, "How is this possible?"
A soldier, eyes fixed on the marvel unfolding before him, exclaimed, "Your Majesty, look! The Fourth Prince has really lifted the 2,000-pound cauldron!"
Chance, standing tall, proudly declared, "Give me a fulcrum, and I can lift the Earth." Inwardly, he mused, My knowledge is thousands of years ahead of this place.
Chance explained the principles of the lever to the puzzled assembly. "A lever consists of a rigid bar that pivots around a fixed point called the fulcrum," he said. "By placing the fulcrum closer to the load and applying force at the other end, we can lift heavy objects with minimal effort."
The onlookers watched in awe as Chance illustrated his point using the wooden pole and ropes. "Imagine trying to lift a heavy rock with just your hands," Chance continued, "but place a long stick under the rock, with a small stone as the fulcrum, and you can lift it with ease."
Chapter Two: The Emperor's Praise and the Lever Experiment
The Emperor's praise echoed in the grand hall, his voice full of pride. "Simon, you truly are my son. Your strength is commendable."
Simon, basking in the Emperor's approval, smirked at Chance. "It's your turn, Fourth Brother," he taunted, his voice dripping with condescension.
Chance, undeterred by Simon's arrogance, stepped forward with a confident shout, "Bring me a wooden pole and ropes. I'm going to make a lever."
The assembly was puzzled, their whispers filled with confusion. "What is a lever?" they murmured among themselves, casting curious glances at Chance.
Simon, catching sight of the wooden pole, couldn't resist another jab. "You think you can lift 2,000 pounds with that piece of wood? Ridiculous," he sneered, his contempt evident.
An hour passed as the soldiers, meticulously following Chance's precise instructions, constructed a stable triangular frame. The wooden pole was positioned, and ropes were looped around one end. Chance, now focused and determined, positioned himself at the opposite end, his mind channeling the principles of leverage he had studied so thoroughly.
With a calculated push, the 2,000-pound cauldron began to rise. The crowd gasped in unison, their disbelief palpable.
Simon, eyes wide with shock, stammered, "How is this possible?"
A soldier, eyes fixed on the marvel unfolding before him, exclaimed, "Your Majesty, look! The Fourth Prince has really lifted the 2,000-pound cauldron!"
Chance, standing tall, proudly declared, "Give me a fulcrum, and I can lift the Earth." Inwardly, he mused, My knowledge is thousands of years ahead of this place. These ancient people don't understand the principles of leverage. For the first time, he felt a surge of confidence. After years of being oppressed in the lab, he finally felt like a genius. If I stay here, I can use modern physics to make a fortune and become famous.
The Emperor's eyes gleamed with admiration as he addressed the assembly. "The Fourth Prince has done well. As a reward, you shall receive 200 taels of gold. Additionally, the losing party must face punishment. Simon, you will be confined to the Jinzuo Palace for a month."
Chance returned to his mansion, buoyed by his success. However, his newfound joy was quickly overshadowed by an unexpected problem. Having been neglected for so long, most of his servants had fled. Only one maid remained to cook for him. When she finally served a meal, Chance took one bite and spat it out in disgust; the food was tainted with large grains of coarse salt.
Furious, he demanded, "Why is there coarse salt in my food? Who arranged this?"
The maid knelt, her voice trembling as she explained, "Fourth Prince, we have been out of favor for a long time. The officials in charge of salt distribution give us the leftover coarse salt."
Chance felt a surge of anger but knew that, as a newcomer to this ancient time, it was best to bide his time. He resolved to oust these opportunistic officials once he gained more power. In the meantime, he devised a plan.
Taking the only two remaining servants, he set out with determination. "Refining fine salt is something I learned in high school," he thought. "How can this be a challenge for a physics PhD?"
Chance's Lever Demonstration and Scientific Ingenuity
Chance began by explaining the principles of the lever to the puzzled assembly. "A lever consists of a rigid bar that pivots around a fixed point called the fulcrum," he said. "By placing the fulcrum closer to the load and applying force at the other end, we can lift heavy objects with minimal effort."
The onlookers watched in awe as Chance illustrated his point using the wooden pole and ropes. "Imagine trying to lift a heavy rock with just your hands," Chance continued, "but place a long stick under the rock, with a small stone as the fulcrum, and you can lift it with ease."
Simon, still skeptical, scoffed, "So, you think a piece of wood can perform miracles?"
Ignoring Simon's sarcasm, Chance directed the soldiers to place the wooden pole under the cauldron. "Watch closely," he said. "With this setup, I'm going to lift the 2,000-pound cauldron."
Chance took his position at the end of the pole and, with a steady push, began to apply force. The cauldron, to everyone's astonishment, slowly rose off the ground. Gasps of amazement filled the hall as the seemingly impossible became reality before their eyes.
"Impossible!" Simon shouted, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.
The soldiers, equally stunned, could hardly believe their eyes. "The Fourth Prince has done it!" one exclaimed.
The Emperor, thoroughly impressed, stood up and clapped his hands. "Marvelous, Chance! You have indeed shown great ingenuity."
Chance couldn't help but smile. He had successfully demonstrated the power of scientific principles in a world that had never seen anything like it. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming. Finally, after years of feeling undervalued in his modern life, he had found a place where his knowledge could shine.
The Emperor's Reward and Simon's Punishment
"The Fourth Prince has done well," the Emperor declared. "As a reward, you shall receive 200 taels of gold. Additionally, the losing party must face punishment. Simon, you will be confined to the Jinzuo Palace for a month."
Simon's face turned red with anger and embarrassment. He had not only lost to his younger brother but was also being punished for it. Chance, on the other hand, felt a sense of vindication. For the first time, he was being recognized for his intelligence and abilities.
"The Fourth Prince has done well," the Emperor declared. "As a reward, you shall receive 200 taels of gold. Additionally, the losing party must face punishment. Simon, you will be confined to the Jinzuo Palace for a month."
Simon's face turned red with anger and embarrassment. He had not only lost to his younger brother but was also being punished for it. Chance, on the other hand, felt a sense of vindication. For the first time, he was being recognized for his intelligence and abilities.