Chapter 39 (1/2)
Chapter 39
Chapter 39: I’ll weave this dream once more
I am currently on my way to see the Head of the History DepartreeTruthfully, everything has already been finalized,in the form is just a mere formality
I can hear voices co from theas I near the boss’ officeLooks like he has a guestI hesitate, wondering if I should go in or not
The History Department is the poorest depart is quite old, having been built in the 1970’s, so the walls are not very soundproofAlthough I don’t intend to eavesdrop, the voices from the office still travel to my ears
“Old Ji, all the other volunteers have failed, that’s why I have no other choice but to ask youUntil now, only she has successfully crossed, not once but twice”
Why does this voice sound so familiar?
“Stop trying to persuade , what if she loses her life because of this experiment?”
That’s my boss’ voice, but why does it sound so weary!
“Losing her life, you’reit sound so seriousWe have improved the machine-”
“Can you iuarantee that she will not suffer even the tiniest injury? The results of her last crossing, you all have seen itFortunately you guys still have a bit of a conscience in you and hired the best doctors in this country to salvage her arm”
My heart skips a beatSo boss is really talking about meI lean in closer to listen
“Old Ji, it was our fault for not considering the effects of irradiationIf it wasn’t for her injury, we thought it’d be safeBut if she’s et any injuries, then it should not be a problem-”
I finally recognize that voiceIt’s Professor Li’s, the head of the research team for the time-travel project!
“Who said there won’t be any problems?” Boss interrupted Professor Li with a raised voice, “Every tiets affected by radiationThe time travel watch, even the anti-radiation jacket she wore, all of those are sources of irradiation that are constantly da her body”
“If she doesn’t stay too long then there’ll be no issues,” Professor Li quickly clarified, “We won’t ask her to stay too long this ti to see if our newly-invented ti locator worksWe promise to offer her the best medical treatment available upon her return”
“You have tested that function many times and it has always encountered problems before the jump can even occur”
“We have learned from our previous failures, it’ll definitely be successful this timeOld Ji, you are also a historianThink about itThe fact that we can travel to any place in any ti’s unification of China, to see the events of the Xuanwu Gate Incident unfold leading up to Li shi+], or even to attend the founding day of this country andany of that would be?” Professor Li’s voice has taken on a zealous tone
“Old Ji, we just need one tester…”
“No, it’s too dangerous, there are too many unknown variables, I cannot-”
“I accept”
I push the door open and calmly look at the two surprised scholars
“But I must be able to choose the time and place,” I add on
“Sure, no proble as you promise to participate in the test, it’ll be up to you where you want to go”
“Withcan I last there?”
Professor Li is a bit stunned by my sudden question: “It’s hard to say conclusively since we don’t have enough dataBut if you return quickly-”
I interrupt hio to Kucha in 384 CE”
At this, Professor Ji [Boss] jerks his head up and looks at aze
Back at the all-too-familiar research base, I findand having to consus that enhance my immune systemThe research tea every nuust is when in
Back at the all-too-familiar research base, I findand having to consus that enhance my immune systemThe research tea every nuust is when in
Whenever I get any free tiet do, believing that it’ll come handy later on
But there is too etRecords about Rajiva especially are usually too short, auous and even contradictory at times
Case in point: His year of birth and death
There are two accounts on the tiraphies of E Dynasty by Hui Jiao [circa 530 CE] wrote the following: “ku’an on the 20th day of the 8th shi+ in Later Qin, which is also the 5th year of Yixi in Eastern Jin”So that would be Septeraphies of Translators in “Collected Records on the Making of the Tripitaka” (Chu Sanzang jiji), Sengyou (445–518 CE) had written that “kue tee of 70” Guiyou is the 15th year of Hongshi+, so that would be May 28, 413
[T/N: Dates back then use a coanzhiHence why I wrote “8th nal year means: The year was calculated (and renun (aka niánhào or “era nashi+” was the second era na to the years 399–416 CEYixi was the third era na to 405–418 CEGanzhi (or Stems-and-Branches) is a cycle of sixty terms formed by Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches (the Branches’ names correspond to Chinese zodiac)“Guiyou” is the 50th termConfused yet?]
If we follow Sengyou’s account, then kumarajiva’s year of birth and death would be 344 and 413 CE, respectively (if he had indeed live to be 70 years old)But if we follow Hui Jiao’s account, who believed that the translator e of 60, then the years would be 350-409 CEMost acadeyou’s account due to his clai been in the company of someone as a disciple of kumarajiva for over ten years, and this disciple passed away only a year after kumarajiva, so the roo the 5thChinese-japanese Buddhise Conference, academics from both countries had openly discussed kumarajiva’s date of birth and death and concluded them to be 344-413 CE
Personally, I think Hui Jiao’s accountRajiva to break his precepts—this happened in 384 CE, which is the year I requested the research teaet me to—hen Rajiva was 35 years oldThe prophecy spoken by that old ly accurateLooks like even Rajiva cannot escape the invisible hand of fate