**Chapter 13: The Reformation of Natural Studies**

Spring sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the Palace of Heavenly Purity—no longer imported Western luxuries, but the first batch of flat glass produced by the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Youjian stood by the window, flipping through a strangely bound book titled *Basic Physics*, its cover still bearing the National Library label. 

"Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary awaits outside," Wang Cheng'en reported softly. 

"Let him wait. Has the Crown Prince arrived?" 

"Just now." Zhu Cilang entered briskly, arms laden with manuscripts. "Father, I've completed the translation of *Elements of Geometry*, Volumes 1 through 3." 

Zhu Youjian accepted the papers, a faint smile touching his lips. In the single month since the temporal crisis, this once bookish prince had mastered basic geometry and algebra—and could articulate these concepts in classical Chinese. 

"Excellent." He patted his son's shoulder. "When Meichuo returns, you two shall jointly oversee the Academy of Natural Studies." 

At the mention of his sister, Zhu Cilang's eyes brightened. "I wonder what marvels she's witnessed in the future..." 

Before he could finish, commotion erupted outside. Wang Cheng'en's shrill cry followed: "The immortal maiden—she's returned!" 

Father and son rushed out to see a glowing portal forming in the courtyard. A sneaker-clad foot stepped through, followed by denim-clad legs—Zhu Meichuo emerged, her short hair fluttering, a backpack slung over her shoulder. 

"Your daughter pays respects to Father!" She performed a flawless *wanfu* bow, though her movements were now strikingly efficient. 

Zhu Youjian froze. This bright-eyed, fair-skinned girl bore little resemblance to his meek, demure daughter. Even more astonishing were the two large crates the portal was now "spitting" out behind her. 

"These are..." 

"Gifts from Sister Su." Zhu Meichuo patted the crates. "Medical equipment and drugs in one, agricultural texts and tools in the other." A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "Plus some personal items." 

When Xu Qing arrived, Zhu Meichuo was demonstrating a laptop. Zhu Youjian and his son crowded around the screen, gaping at the Windows desktop. 

"This is a 'computer,' storing millions of books." She clicked open a folder. "Here's the offline Wikipedia Sister Su downloaded..." 

"Wi... Wikipedia?" Zhu Youjian mangled the foreign word. 

"An encyclopedia from the future," Xu Qing explained, marveling at Zhu Meichuo's transformation—her speech was no longer soft but confident and precise. 

Next, she played a surgical video: "Modern doctors can cut open bodies without killing patients!" 

As the coronary bypass procedure unfolded, Zhu Youjian watched raptly while Zhu Cilang turned green and gagged. 

"Pathetic," Zhu Youjian chided without malice. "Summon the court tomorrow. We have announcements." 

--- 

At the next dawn assembly, uproar ensued when Zhu Meichuo appeared in simplified palace attire—standing openly below the throne dais rather than hidden behind screens. 

"Your Majesty!" Minister of Rites Lin Yuqi protested. "A woman in court defies ancestral customs!" 

Zhu Youjian sneered. "Our daughter brings salvation from the future—shall we discard it over gender?" His gaze swept the hall. "Henceforth, the Academy of Natural Studies is established, overseen jointly by Crown Prince Cilang and Princess Changping Meichuo, dedicated to researching and disseminating these... technologies." 

Grand Secretary Chen Yan frowned deeply. "Your Majesty, these strange crafts—" 

"Grand Secretary." Zhu Meichuo's clear voice cut in. "You have diabetes, yes?" 

Chen Yan startled. "How would Your Highness know?" 

"Your flushed complexion, dry skin, and constant tea drinking." She produced a glucometer. "This detects diabetes with one drop of blood." 

Before he could react, she pricked his finger. The device read *18.7 mmol/L*. 

"Critically high." Her tone turned grave. "Untreated, you'll go blind, lose limbs, and die in agony." 

As Chen Yan turned ashen, she offered metformin tablets. "This can help, combined with dietary changes." 

The court fell silent. Zhu Youjian seized the moment: "Still think these 'strange crafts' worthless, Grand Secretary?" 

The old man clutched the medicine, kowtowing. "This unworthy servant... thanks Your Majesty's grace! Thanks the princess's gift!" 

--- 

That assembly reshaped Ming politics. The Academy received 500,000 taels in initial funding. Later, in a private garden banquet with only Xu Qing and his children, Zhu Youjian set up a chessboard. 

"Meichuo, tell us of the future." He moved a piece. 

Her eyes sparkled. "So much! Women study and govern alongside men. Farmers harvest tenfold yields with machines. Doctors cure smallpox and malaria—people live to eighty!" 

Zhu Cilang leaned in. "Did you see their emperor?" 

"They have none." Her words froze the gathering. "The people elect leaders, with a 'Chairman' serving five-year terms." 

Zhu Youjian's chess piece clattered onto the board. Xu Qing tensed, expecting imperial wrath. 

Instead, the emperor sighed deeply. "I suspected as much when reading *Ming History*. Hereditary rule cannot last." 

Xu Qing gaped. "Your Majesty isn't angered?" 

"To what end?" Zhu Youjian smiled wryly. "Minister Xu, I've realized: technology can be imported, but systems must evolve gradually." 

Zhu Meichuo nodded. "Sister Su showed me many failed reforms—all too rushed." 

As they discussed plans—sanitation education from Meichuo, high-yield crops from Cilang, road reforms from Xu Qing—Zhu Youjian approved each, cautioning: "But avoid oppressing the people. We once sought perfection too fiercely—now We understand: *water too clear breeds no fish*." 

Xu Qing's heart clenched. Historically, Chongzhen's downfall stemmed partly from his impatience and harshness. This emperor was evolving. 

--- 

After the banquet, Zhu Meichuo pulled Xu Qing aside. "A private matter." 

In a side chamber, she produced a photograph. "From Sister Su." 

The image showed an elderly man before a university lab—*an aged Lin Lan*! 

"Sister Su said Temporal Bureau captured him in 2157—Temporal Fugitive T-001." Zhu Meichuo whispered. "He's been searching timelines for 'the Sovereign'—another himself." 

Xu Qing's spine chilled. "Meaning...?" 

"The 'Sovereign' we faced was just an avatar." Fear flickered in her eyes. "The true mastermind remains... somewhere." 

Urgent knocking interrupted. Luo Yangxing reported: "Master Xu! A cult in Tongzhou worships the 'Crimson Moon'—thousands gathered!" 

--- 

Outside Tongzhou, Xu Qing and Luo Yangxing witnessed hundreds kneeling before a moon-emblazoned banner. At the center altar, "priests" in purple robes used a device to project a phantom double moon. 

"That instrument..." Xu Qing squinted. "*A fragment of the quantum anchor!*" 

Worse, the lead priest turned—revealing the traitor Li Mingrui, who'd escaped Imperial Guards! 

"Capture him alive!" Xu Qing ordered. 

As guards stormed in, Li Mingrui smashed a metal orb. Blinding light erupted—when vision returned, only drops of *purple liquid* remained. 

"Not blood..." Luo Yangxing sniffed. "Like mercury, but foul." 

En route back, Xu Qing's system pinged with an encrypted message: 

**"Beware the moon in the palace."** 

Zhu Youjian's face darkened at the report. "Li Mingrui must be caught. As for the cultists..." 

"Most are ignorant commoners," Xu Qing urged. "Let the Academy educate them—dispel superstition with science." 

"Approved." Rubbing his temples, Zhu Youjian added, "This isn't over. What does 'beware the moon' mean?" 

Xu Qing checked the system. "Temporal stability is at 94.7%—a 5.3% uncertainty remains. Like a healing wound still at infection risk." 

--- 

Next morning, eerier news came: maids claimed to see "another moon" in the palace well. Zhu Youjian found only normal reflections—until Zhu Meichuo's laptop detected *cesium-137* in the water. 

"Temporal residue," Xu Qing explained. "When worlds overlapped, some materials blended." 

Zhu Youjian sealed the well, ordering all water sources inspected. 

For a week, all seemed well. The Academy thrived—Zhu Cilang compiled a *Scientific Lexicon*, Zhu Meichuo trained female physicians, and Xu Qing coordinated projects. 

Then, on the seventh night, frantic knocking woke Xu Qing. A terrified Wang Cheng'en gasped: 

"Master Xu! Come quickly! His Majesty is... *dreaming*!" 

In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Youjian thrashed in bed, drenched in sweat—his body emitting *faint violet light*! 

"Your Majesty!" Xu Qing reached out, only to be *repelled by an unseen force*! 

Zhu Meichuo rushed in with her laptop. The EEG readings spiked wildly. "Someone's remotely influencing Father's mind!" 

"Li Mingrui?" 

"Someone stronger." Her voice shook. "Father's consciousness may be trapped between timelines!" 

Suddenly, Xu Qing's system activated autonomously, projecting a blurred figure in dragon robes standing before a quantum anchor—only *glowing purple eyes* visible in the shadows. 

Beneath pulsed a crimson warning: 

**"The Sovereign Awakens. Countdown: 48h."**