Chapter 115

That one glance instantly transformed Qi Jian from a quiet, pragmatic court official into a completely unrestrained, over-excited man.

"This... this... this glass is truly perfectly clear and flawless! If we make windows out of it, won't it let all the sunlight stream right in?!"

"And this cement, it has such incredible hydraulic properties and fast-setting ability! If we can actually produce it, the construction industry across Yan Chi will see earth-shaking changes!"

"The Chengkan salt-drying method... it cuts the labor by half, yet yields dozens of times more salt. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

"And this spinning wheel... even though a few parts are missing, you can still tell how ingenious its design is. Once I find the most skilled craftsman who knows this craft, I will definitely have it built!"

"..."

Qi Jian held the thick stack of rice paper in his hands so tightly that tears glistened in his eyes, before a drop fell onto his calloused palm.

Through the sheets of rice paper covered in dense notes, he could see nothing less than a future of prosperity and stability for the entire Yan Chi kingdom.

A country where the people thrived and lived in peace, that was everything he had ever wished for.

And to have a wise, virtuous emperor on the throne was an even greater blessing.

Qi Jian's heart felt warm, and just then, the usually stern and dignified emperor before him suddenly gave him a kind, approving look.

"Minister Qi, I have always trusted you to get things done. This matter is of great importance, it concerns the livelihood of the entire nation. If you pull this off, your name will certainly be recorded in the history books for generations to come, and that will be a wonderful honor."

These words made Qi Jian's heart burn with even more fervor. He carefully tucked the stack of rice paper into his robes, his face full of emotion, then lifted the hem of his official gown and dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for the trust!"

"Your Majesty is both virtuous and talented, your kindness extends to every common person. You are truly a wise ruler of the nation, and a worthy master for your subjects. I admire you with every fiber of my being, and I will spare no effort to fulfill the task Your Majesty has entrusted to me, I will never let you down!!"

Yun Yaoyao nodded in relief. Pragmatic officials like this were so easy to win over. You didn't even have to put much effort into persuading them, before they were already totally devoted to you.

She helped Qi Jian to his feet, and continued to win his loyalty with gentle words, "I have long admired your dedication, I know exactly how much you..." and trailed off into more earnest, encouraging chatter.

Qi Jian's voice cracked with emotion as he met her gaze, "Your Majesty..."

How had he been so blind all this time, he thought? He had no idea the Emperor trusted him so deeply, and had put so much careful thought into the wellbeing of the people. He must have been a total fool before!

After that whole heartfelt, rousing pep talk full of grand visions for the future, Qi Jian left the Qianqing Palace brimming with energy and purpose.

Halfway back to his office, it suddenly dawned on him that the stack of rice paper tucked in his robes didn't just represent the bright future of Yan Chi, it also meant the entire Ministry of Works would have to pour every last bit of their blood, sweat and tears into this work for ages.

From himself, the Minister of Works, all the way down to the guard dog at the ministry gate, everyone was going to be run ragged for a very long time.

Thinking of that, Qi Jian let out a long sigh, "All officials must die one day. Some get executed for false accusations, some die from overworking on official duties. Sooner or later, we all go. I might as well die working myself to the bone for the good of the kingdom."

With that, he hurried off out of the imperial palace.

Not long after Qi Jian left the Qianqing Palace, another figure showed up at the hall.

It ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‍was none other than the Emperor's Number-One Fan, Liao Zhihan, a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Works. He had come from a poor commoner family, was known for being uncorrupted and upright. His first wife had even cut off her own life-saving medicine to make sure he would stick to his principles of clean governance, and that sacrifice had cost her her life.

Nowadays, Liao Zhihan loved nothing more than filling his memorials with well wishes for the Emperor's health and mood, and kept trying to send Yun Yaoyao little local specialties from his hometown as gifts. His loyalty was so earnest and over-the-top that Yun Yaoyao sometimes found it a little overwhelming.

"Your Majesty!!" The moment he saw Yun Yaoyao, Liao Zhihan's eyes welled up, and he immediately started chattering nonstop like a gossiper, "Have you eaten today? How is Your Majesty's mood? Is anything troubling you?..."

Hearing him about to ramble his way from her daily meals all the way to asking about the hypothetical routines of her unborn children, Yun Yaoyao quickly cut him off, "I called you here today to assign you a very important task."

"I noticed that the kapok cotton plant is only grown in a few small areas on the border. It's an excellent material for making warm winter clothes, so we must promote planting it across the whole of Yan Chi. Within three years, I want to see the people no longer stuffing their winter garments with useless catkins, but with actual cotton. And Concubine Sha has recently presented several new crafts, including cotton weaving technology. Promoting cotton farming will also create new jobs for many women in the future. This whole matter is entirely in your charge."

"All the surveys, field tests, and promotion work will be overseen by you alone. If you need more staff, you can recruit anyone you want from the Ministry of Works."

"If you don't have any other questions, Minister Liao, you may go get started on this."

Before he knew it, Liao Zhihan had been gently "ushered out" of the Qianqing Palace, but he felt like he was walking on clouds the whole way.

The Emperor had handed this important cotton project to him, that meant His Majesty wanted to promote him!

Liao Zhihan bowed respectfully toward the direction of the Qianqing Palace, "Your subject will do everything in my power to make this a success, I will not let Your Majesty down!"

After that, the entire imperial court was swept up in a wave of busy work.

Meanwhile, the fierce competition for the position of Empress was also heating up in the capital.

The entire Du family was pouring every resource they had into this race for the Empress title. In the past, the Du family had always gone out of their way to squeeze as much money and grain out of the common people as they could. Now, they were forced to spend their own money and dole out resources to help the poor get through the harsh winter, and every member of the Du family felt bitter and resentful about it.

The Du family fumed and raged for a while, then gritted their teeth and obediently kept setting up porridge stands and handing out winter clothes to the homeless.

Du Guanliu even sent a large number of hidden scouts to keep a close watch on Concubine Sha's side.

He had assumed that Concubine Sha would never stand a chance against the Du family in this contest. After all, the Du family was the most powerful noble clan in the kingdom, with centuries of accumulated wealth and influence to cover the enormous costs of fighting for the Empress position.

But the reports coming back from his scouts kept slapping him in the face one after another!

"Report, sir! The refugees over at Concubine Sha's side are unbelievably well-behaved. They don't cause any trouble at all, and they even pitch in to help build the shelters and serve porridge. Almost all the refugees under her care have a proper place to stay now!"

Du Guanliu squeezed his teacup so tight his knuckles whitened, then slammed it hard on the table! He knew very well that the refugees at his own porridge stands were all crafty, greedy, and rowdy. They kept coming up with every trick to get extra bowls of porridge and extra winter clothes, even stealing supplies from weaker, more vulnerable refugees. The outbreaks of chaos never stopped, and they had been giving him endless headaches.

The scout continued, "The ordinary people living near Concubine Sha's camps are all pitching in too. Some open their homes to take in refugees, some donate winter clothes and charcoal, and many wealthy merchants have donated huge sums of money to help everyone get through the winter. There are even some families who were so afraid their crops and livestock would not survive the coming cold and get in the way of Concubine Sha's plans, that they dug up their own crops early and slaughtered their livestock to contribute to the relief efforts!"

Du Guanliu's face twisted with rage, and he threw his teacup hard onto the floor, smashing it to pieces. "These idiotic, ungrateful fools!"

The contrast was impossible to ignore, and it only made his situation look worse. The common people around his own relief camps were all cold and indifferent. They took the food and clothes the Du family gave them, but never showed any gratitude, and even kept spreading nasty rumors about the Du family.

Du Guanliu slowly calmed his anger, his expression turning grim and heavy. He could not let this go on, otherwise the position of Empress would really end up in Concubine Sha's hands.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, a servant's voice came from outside the study door, "Sir, the Fourth Young Master is here to see you."

Du Guanliu's train of thought was interrupted. He frowned and said, "Send him in."

Fourth Young Master Du walked respectfully into the study and said, "Father."

"What is it?" Du Guanliu flipped through the documents on his desk, not even bothering to glance up at his son. He had never thought much of this fourth son of his, who had no outstanding talents, so he had only put him in charge of managing some of the family's shops. Especially after the Spirit Purification Lake incident not long ago, when the whole Du family was cursed and shamed by the common people, and the Emperor himself had overseen the divorce between this fourth son and his wife, he had grown even more displeased with him.

Fourth Young Master Du lowered his eyes, and said in a solemn, steady voice, "Father, I have a plan to offer you regarding the race for the Empress position!"

Du Guanliu finally lifted his gaze, and said with a faint, surprised tone, "Oh? What sort of plan is that?"

"As the harsh winter descends, my son has found out that some people in the capital have already contracted the plague, and they are now being quarantined on the outskirts of the city. What if we move these people to the area under Consort Miao's jurisdiction..." A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Fourth Young Master Du's lips.

If these plague-stricken people were moved to the district where Consort Miao resided with their conditions slightly concealed, a full-blown plague would break out, killing countless people and livestock.

Meanwhile, the Du family's territory would have taken all precautionary measures in advance. In this way, the Du family would be able to seize the position of empress smoothly!

"Excellent!" Du Guanliu clapped his hands and laughed heartily, "This is a matter of utmost importance. I will assign a reliable person to handle it. You must remember to bury this matter deep in your heart and never mention it to anyone!"