Chapter Thirty-Eight

Yinreng temporarily ignored Jialuo's thoughts, only hearing the words, "Your Highness, let's study the Western mirrors and clocks ourselves, instead of making money for those Westerners," and his eyes widened slightly.

The current Yinreng is no longer the man who regarded money as dirt; he now understands its importance.

"This is a bit difficult..." Who doesn't know that peep shows and clocks are profitable? With so many powerful families in the capital, isn't there one who's not envious? Everyone has thought about researching them.

But what happened in the end?

None of them have been able to find out. Those Western merchants are also very tight-lipped, probably because they know that these are their roots. If someone digs them out, how can they make big money?

"Your Highness, do you really think that our Great Qing Dynasty, with its vast territory and abundant resources, is inferior to the West?" Jialuo stared at him with wide eyes, just like Yinreng, her eyes filled with disbelief.

So, it was from this point that the Qing Dynasty already felt it was inferior to the West?

"Nonsense! The Qing Dynasty is full of talented people and has abundant resources. How could it possibly be inferior to the West?" Yinreng immediately refuted Jialuo's words. What did she mean by feeling inferior to the West? Impossible!!!

The Qing Dynasty was truly the superior nation, wasn't it?

"If that's the case, why can't we figure it out?" Jia Luo blinked her innocent, beautiful eyes at him, her long eyelashes brushing against his heart like feathers, making it tickle.

Why can't we figure it out...? This, this, this is of course...

"It's because of them. They have the secret recipe, and we don't know if they stole it from our Great Qing." Yinreng thought for a long time and found such an excuse, his expression serious and solemn.

When the Qing army entered the pass, the Ming Dynasty was in such chaos, and there were also Japanese pirates. Perhaps some aristocratic families of the Ming Dynasty fled overseas with secret recipes.

That's outrageous.

Furthermore, what is the Industrial Revolution? Revolution... is it a rebellion?

Yinreng assumed that Jialuo had heard Westerners talk about the revolution, but he didn't take it seriously. He was more concerned about how to make Western mirrors and clocks.

When Jialuo heard the Crown Prince trying to save face by saying that the mirror's secret formula was stolen from the Qing Dynasty, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Really? So our Qing Dynasty is that powerful? That's right, we are a great nation, but they just took advantage of us."

[Hehe, His Highness the Crown Prince is so cute trying to save face. His slightly puffed-up cheeks are adorable! I just want to pick him up and kiss him like crazy.]

[If aristocratic families in previous dynasties possessed such items, why weren't these mirrors available on the market before? Instead, they were introduced from overseas and called "Western mirrors"?]

Yinreng was still itching to compete with the Crown Princess to see who could kiss whom more. However, the next sentence made the Crown Prince's face darken slightly.

The Crown Princess is not so easily fooled after all?

Why!

That shouldn't be the case. Didn't the Crown Princess believe everything I said before?

It's all the fault of those useless good-for-nothings. They can't even figure out how to use a magic mirror, making him lose face in front of the Crown Princess.

Seeing that Bao Cheng's expression seemed a little unpleasant, Jia Luo knew she shouldn't continue, and quickly spoke up, "Your Highness, where there's a will, there's a way. Why is it that the raw materials for Western magic mirrors are so cheap, yet they can sell them for such a high price? That's because they've spent a lot of effort researching and developing them. If others can do it, why can't our great nation?"

The words "Heaven! Dynasty! Above! Country!" were drawn out and emphasized, as if deliberately trying to elevate His Highness the Crown Prince.

How could Yinreng not understand the hidden meaning in Jialuo's words? It's just that his expression was slightly reluctant and embarrassed.

He then quickly suppressed his reluctance and embarrassment, adopting a nonchalant demeanor, "Of course, no problem, I will have someone study it carefully."

"Your Highness is the best." Jialuo knew this was a highly profitable industry, so how could she only offer suggestions without investing? Excitedly, Jialuo grabbed Yinreng's hand, "Your Highness, please let me invest. I know the raw material is sand, and I even offered suggestions. I can't be forgotten for my hard work."

Jialuo held tightly to the large, well-defined hand, while the soft, warm hand made Yinreng unable to utter a word of refusal.

Instead, I'm feeling a bit restless. I've been so busy lately, running around doing all sorts of things... I haven't had any sex yet.

However, these wandering thoughts eventually came to an abrupt halt when they were focused on Jia Luo's big belly. He should focus on earning money to support the Crown Princess and the baby in her womb.

Yinreng pondered Jialuo's earlier words, "Do you know how to make a mirror? What raw materials are used? Are the raw materials cheap? How do you know that?"

Jialuo: Oh no, how did I know?

"I don't know which book I read it from. I thought it wasn't important at the time, so I skipped it. Oh dear, if I had known it would come in handy, I would have memorized the recipe."

As she spoke, Jialuo slapped her little head in frustration. "Now that I can't find the book, I can only try my best to think with my clever little brain... but how can I think? It's so hard..."

Jialu sighed with regret. There's no such thing as "if only I had known earlier." Knowing that there was sand in the raw materials was already quite remarkable.

"Isn't sand pretty cheap? Right? But I wonder what else we need to add. How about we let the craftsmen figure it out slowly?"

Jialuo's eyes sparkled as she took out ten thousand taels of dowry money. "Your Highness, this is my investment capital. As for the remaining craftsmen, you'll have to take care of them."

"No need, take it back. Don't worry, if the results are good, we'll split it 50/50." If it weren't for the Crown Princess, Yinreng wouldn't have thought of this. He never expected that the raw material for the peephole was just sand.

However, how can we obtain the other formulas? Experimenting with them one by one would cost a lot of money.

Yinreng thought about the money he had previously confiscated from the homes of the bondservant slaves, and realized that it was all money he had swindled from his father, the Emperor.

There must be another batch, but unfortunately, I can't do that anymore recently.

Seeing the Crown Prince's domineering side, Jialuo was filled with admiration. She was just a useless little girl, but she could take off thanks to the Crown Prince...

The Crown Prince, admired by the Crown Princess, stood tall and proud, determined to make a name for his daughter, and left with a triumphant air.

I'm going out to find someone to study this.

Only after leaving the main courtyard where the Crown Princess resided did a hint of worry appear on Yinreng's face.

Sigh, who should I contact?

When he returned to his study in the front yard, he pondered which person would be the most suitable to be around him, and then he saw the letter from Suo'etu.

Upon opening the letter, one finds that Songgotu expresses his guilt and concern for him, and sincerely conveys his concern for him at home, saying that if there is anything he can do, he can ask him to do it, and that he would not hesitate to die for His Highness the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince, who was still feeling worried, had his eyes light up when he saw Songgotu's letter. That's right, how could he have forgotten about Songgotu?

Suo'etu must have been very unhappy about retiring from the court. He couldn't stay idle, so we had to find something for him to do.

The recipe...

It would be great if I could buy it. I wonder where the Crown Princess got the book from. I can't find it. Maybe it was thrown away somewhere or destroyed.

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "If the sand melts, it can be turned into a mirror? Let Suo'etu worry about that."

The silver notes in his hand... well, it seems he can't give too many to the Crown Princess. He'll have to wait until this period is over.

Besides the peep show, the clocks are also a big expense. Well, let's take them one by one, otherwise we'll lose the sesame seeds and lose the watermelon.

At the Hesheli residence.

With his hands behind his back, Suo'etu looked quite worried and troubled, feeling that it was all the fault of his wife, otherwise why would the emperor really dismiss him from his post?

His Highness the Crown Prince would surely forgive himself.

He paced back and forth in the study, hoping to get a response from the Crown Prince, but after waiting for a long time, there was nothing, and he sighed.

I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince has recently focused his attention on the Fucha and Wuya families. This made Suo'etu sigh and realize that the power of pillow talk is something that must be taken seriously.

Thinking of his own princess, Suo'etu considered whether he should find a way to send her to Yuqing Palace.

To be honest, this whole thing is the fault of the Fujin (principal wife). If she hadn't spoken out of turn, the Emperor wouldn't have issued a special decree to reprimand her. Adding to that her previous actions, it's no wonder the Emperor dismissed Mingzhu from his post.

Clearly, it would be difficult for him to return to the imperial court.

Finally, two days after Suo'etu delivered the letter to Yuqing Palace, he received a reply from Yuqing Palace. Suo'etu was so excited that he couldn't wait to open it.

Since His Highness the Crown Prince was willing to reply to him, Suo'etu guessed that His Highness must not have been offended by his previous behavior, which was a good omen.

Then, this good mood vanished upon seeing the contents of the letter. A peculiar illusion? A recipe? ???

Isn't Your Highness putting people in a difficult position?

Let him investigate? The raw material is sand? There's only one copy? Isn't that a bit unreasonable?

Soetu almost coughed up blood, but he also knew that this was a test from His Highness the Crown Prince. If he failed the test, he would never have the chance to work for the Crown Prince again.

Think about the Fucha family. They were just the Crown Princess's maternal family, but because of a small problem they made, they stepped on their heads.

How can we tolerate this?

Westerners, right?

Having come to their Qing Dynasty's territory, how dare they act so arrogantly?

This is the Qing Dynasty!

I didn't want to pay attention to it before because Songgotu didn't focus his attention on those things, plus those Westerners were using their letters of dukedom and earldom to seek patronage from their relatives.

They were only being so polite out of respect for the 'land of etiquette,' rubbing their hands together as they pondered how to complete His Highness the Crown Prince's task.

As the saying goes, "One mouth from above, legs worn out below," and in order to please the crown prince, Suo'etu immediately began to take action.

At the same time, he also sent 50,000 taels as capital, summoned the craftsmen, and told them not to mistreat them. It can be said that he had accurately predicted what kind of person Suo'etu was.

He added a sentence at the bottom: "When you're doing things for me, don't tarnish my reputation."

This deeply moved Suo'etu; His Highness the Crown Prince had grown up and now knew how to teach him how to do things.

no problem.

It's just money, Suo'etu has plenty!

He was to set off immediately, determined to make sure everything went perfectly this time. If anything went wrong again, Suo'etu would never again even consider entering the imperial court!

At this time, Emperor Kangxi, who was leading a large army on an expedition, was not completely unaware of what was happening in the capital.

On the contrary, he was very controlling, and because he was away from the capital on a military expedition, he was even more worried that important political affairs might get out of his control, so many of his trusted ministers stayed in the capital.

Upon learning that the Crown Prince had Suo'etu tinkering with the Western-style peep show, they all felt a bit helpless. Was Bao Cheng short of money lately? That shouldn't be the case; when he was sent to confiscate property before, didn't he take some with him?

He's been pretending to turn a blind eye.

However, the Crown Princess is not wrong. If the Western barbarians can make Western mirrors, why can't the vast and resource-rich Qing Dynasty do the same?

How much worse was his Qing Dynasty than the Western barbarian lands? Absolutely no worse!

Study it thoroughly, give it to me.

We need to send someone to help Suo'etu. Anyway, he's working for the Crown Prince. As the heir apparent, having to worry about such mundane things reminds Kangxi of the impoverished Crown Prince from before...

Full of tender care, we must get those Westerners to open their mouths, otherwise wouldn't it make them think that our Great Qing is inferior to the Western barbarians in the eyes of women?

Besides the Crown Princess, there must have been many other people who thought the same thing. Just thinking about this possibility made Kangxi feel rather uncomfortable.

As if he had been provoked, he quickly regained his senses after putting aside his reports on affairs in the capital. The weather had been fine lately, with bright sunshine, and it was time to focus all his efforts on the personal expedition.

Two weeks later.

Soetu's eyes lit up as he looked at the mirrors being made in the workshop. Although they weren't very big and were a bit brittle, they were all results!

"Reward, reward!!" He patted the craftsman on the shoulder. Every time they were stuck, he could offer some different suggestions, and his inspiration would soar. Although there were a few mistakes, his contributions were undeniable.

The craftsman who was patted on the shoulder looked honest and simple, and quickly bowed to Lord Suo'etu, saying, "It's all thanks to your good leadership, sir. If it weren't for your support, even if I had thought of it, I wouldn't have been able to verify it."

Seeing the nervous and unsure expression on his face as he spoke to the distinguished person, Suo'etu burst into laughter.

There was no doubt about the old farmer's identity; it had been thoroughly investigated, and he was indeed a craftsman from the capital, with his neighbors able to corroborate his identity.

The old farmer chuckled and scratched his head, his smile widening especially when he saw the small box of silver behind Suo'etu, which was specifically used to reward them.

The other craftsmen also breathed a sigh of relief. They had been staying in the workshop day and night, eating, drinking, relieving themselves, and sleeping there. If they hadn't succeeded, their wives and children at home would have had nothing to eat or drink.

Based on their merits, some received one or two taels, some received ten taels, and the most outstanding old farmer, who was always full of inspiration and could always point out the latest directions, received a full one hundred taels.

"Go back and rest for two days. We'll resume work in two days. Now, focus on polishing the frame of this mirror, and then we can finish." Soetu wasn't a devil. Knowing they might be robbed on the way, he kindly sent guards to escort them home.

"yes."

"good."

"We'll definitely finish polishing it quickly, thank you, sir." This esteemed person is truly kind, generous, and easy to talk to.

Standing there, nodding happily, Suo'etu waited for the finished mirror to be completed so he could send it to Yuqing Palace for His Highness the Crown Prince to see as soon as possible.

As for the secret guard who had been working behind the scenes, he also sent a message to his master. The matter was completed successfully, with only one or two Westerners lost, but there were no problems at all.

Soetu happily delivered the polished mirror to Yuqing Palace. Of course, he still had to come and see His Highness the Crown Prince, as it had been a long time since he had seen him.

I wonder if His Highness the Crown Prince still remembers him, Suo'etu.

In Yuqing Palace, Jialuo, seven months pregnant, was having the imperial physician take her pulse. At this stage of pregnancy, the physician could use his medical skills to determine the sex of the fetus in the Crown Princess's womb.

Jia Luo doesn't matter, it doesn't matter if she's male or female, they're all her bloodline continuation.

The Crown Prince was more worried. He hoped to have a son so that he could humiliate Yinti in the future.

"Your Highness, Lord Suo'etu is requesting an audience outside Yuqing Palace." A young eunuch hurriedly came to report this. Although Lord Suo'etu was no longer in court, his status still commanded great respect from the eunuchs.

As soon as he saw that it was Suo'etu, he hurriedly came over to report to His Highness the Crown Prince.

When Yinreng heard that it was Suo'etu who had arrived, he put his hands behind his back and subconsciously asked, "Why is he here?"

This tone suggests that he doesn't particularly like Suo'etu.

The eunuch listened to His Highness the Crown Prince's words and remained silent for a few seconds, as if expressing his doubt through his own attitude: How could this servant know?

"Well, Lord Suo said they've come to deliver a gift to Your Highness the Crown Prince," the young eunuch replied quickly, realizing what was happening.

Oh... a gift, huh?

Yinreng was puzzled. Why did Suo'etu come to Yuqing Palace in person when he had sent him gifts?

"Then let him wait a little longer." Yinreng waved his hand indifferently. The most important thing now was the Crown Princess. He kept his eyes fixed on the imperial physician, hoping to get the answer he wanted from him.

It's impossible for the imperial physician not to feel any psychological pressure when being watched by both the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. He was focused and absorbed, and it took him a long time before he slowly lowered his hand.

Seeing the imperial physician lower his hand, Yinreng couldn't wait to ask, "How is it?"

Although the imperial physician was quite confident, he was still very conservative in his words: "In my opinion, based on the Crown Princess's pulse, there is an 80% chance that it is a young prince."

I dare not say too much about the pros and cons. If something goes wrong and there are any unexpected results at birth, then it will be my fault.

"Really?" The Crown Prince was immediately overjoyed, a bright smile spreading across his face as he addressed the Crown Princess, "Crown Princess, did you hear that? The imperial physician said it's a little prince!!"

"I heard that." Jia Luo touched her protruding belly in a daze. Was it a son?

Seeing that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were both very happy, the imperial physician remained silent for two seconds before he had to pour cold water on their joy, "Your Highness, as I just said, there is an 80% chance that it is a prince, but there is also a 20% chance of something unexpected. Perhaps I made a mistake in taking the pulse, so it is not certain."

If things get all prepared and the news spreads like wildfire, and then a princess is born, His Highness the Crown Prince might actually give me a good beating.

Well, beating him up is easy, but I'm afraid His Highness the Crown Prince will trip him up behind his back.

"I know, I heard you." Yinreng wasn't deaf. Honestly, the imperial physician's words were just unpleasant to hear. What's wrong with making him happy for a little while longer?

Oh dear, back then, the eldest son's pulse indicated he was destined to be a princess, and he really did give birth to a princess.

The eldest grandson is his.

The Crown Princess is truly remarkable.

"Imperial Physician, I hope you will keep this a secret." Jialuo was still being cautious. She knew that with the Emperor not in the palace, the concubines had no one to compete for his favor. So, their eyes were either on the other concubines or on Yuqing Palace.

"Yes, Your Highness." The imperial physician assured me that my mouth was sealed and I would never tell anyone.

Yinreng initially thought it wasn't going to work out, and he even considered showing off to Yinti.

"Your Highness, safety comes first. Have you forgotten what happened to Consort Bu not long ago?" Jialuo held the Crown Prince's hand, speaking earnestly. No matter what, the safety of the child in her womb must be taken first.

It's not that Jialuo is being overly worried; it's true that childbirth is already a life-threatening situation for women, and if something goes wrong because of someone else's plot...

Yinreng, who had originally wanted to show off to Yinti and put that simpleton to a bad end, immediately abandoned that idea upon hearing this.

"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you." Yinreng thought of his mother, the Empress Dowager, who also died from postpartum hemorrhage due to difficult childbirth. He didn't want the Crown Princess to suffer the same fate.

"Do not mention again whether the Crown Princess is carrying a boy or a girl. If word gets out, you will all be held accountable." Yinreng's cold gaze swept over the servants serving there, especially the little eunuch who came to report Suo'etu's arrival at the door.

The young eunuch quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "Your Highness, Your Highness, this servant didn't hear anything, I don't know anything."

"How about we spread the word that the Crown Princess is pregnant with a princess?" Jia Luo thought of a little idea. What do you think of this? It would keep others from focusing on Yuqing Palace and let things settle down for a while.

Yinreng thought for a moment and nodded, "That's fine too."

It's not a big deal. The real issue is that the news is that the Crown Princess is pregnant with a prince. If the imperial physician's pulse diagnosis is inaccurate, people will definitely laugh at them.

However, if word gets out that it's a princess, it can reduce public attention to Yuqing Palace and greatly improve the safety of the Crown Princess giving birth.

"Imperial Physician, do you know what to do?" With that, the Crown Princess slipped a silver note into the imperial physician's hand with a smile, a blatant bribe.

"This old minister knows, this old minister knows." Could the imperial physician possibly say he didn't know? He'd be in for a world of trouble; his wife and son might be coming to the mass grave to find him tonight.

After arranging this matter, he instructed the servants in the main courtyard to take good care of the Crown Princess before leaving.

"Have Suo'etu come to my study in the front courtyard." Yinreng instructed the young eunuch, and headed towards the front courtyard. The young eunuch followed closely behind the Crown Prince, and they quickly walked out of Yuqing Palace at the fork in the road.

Suo'etu waited outside Yuqing Palace for a while. He was initially angry that this lackey was so bold as to make him wait at the gate, but in the end he suppressed his urge to scold him.

At least he did something wrong; he came to deliver a gift, not to fight.

Finally, the lackey came running over. "Lord Suo, His Highness the Crown Prince invites you to the study in the front courtyard."

She was still a little upset when she said this, but she didn't dare to show it. She could only lower her voice and barely manage to say the sentence.

Soetu snorted coldly at the lackey; if he were in his Hesheli residence, he would have kicked him long ago.

Then, regaining his composure, he took his mirror and went to the study in the front yard.

He had been to Yuqing Palace many times, so he knew the way well. When he arrived at the door of the study, he smiled again, looking quite bright, friendly and a little ingratiating.

"Your Highness, Lord Suo has arrived." A voice announced from the doorway. A voice inside said, "Come in." Suo'etu, carrying his large mirror, slowly entered.

Yes, she was especially careful and wouldn't let anyone else touch it, as if she was afraid that someone else would steal her credit.

Seeing the tightly wrapped package in Suo'etu's hands, Yinreng gave Suo'etu a subtle look. "Uncle, you failed to harm me last time. What big gift have you brought this time?"

"Your Highness, you flatter me. I didn't investigate the matter thoroughly last time, and I've already dealt them a severe blow. This is the peep show that Your Highness asked me to make for you."

Soetu quickly explained, and the next second he hurriedly opened the wrapping and presented the mirror to His Highness the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, look, this is glass, very similar to crystal, with black adhesive applied to the back." After opening the cloth covering, two pieces were revealed: a piece of glass and a mirror.

It looked quite clear, but Yinreng, standing in front of the desk, couldn't see it very clearly, so he came out to take a closer look.

He stepped forward and touched it; indeed, it didn't seem to be much different from the Western full-length mirror that had been given to the Crown Princess.

"Uncle, thank you for your hard work." A smile spread across his face. "But how did you finish it so quickly?"

"Your Highness, you don't know, but some of the craftsmen in our workshop have mistakenly suggested several directions. You are right, our Great Qing is vast and rich in resources and full of talented people, how could we possibly lose to those Western barbarians?"

Soetu didn't take all the blame upon himself, but praised the craftsmen, saying, "This servant has already given them a reward. If Your Highness approves, our workshop can begin work."

It would be a real loss to leave such a highly profitable thing as a peep show to Westerners.

"Uncle, there's no rush. Let me tell Father Emperor about this first. However, you deserve credit for this." Yinreng knew what Suo'etu wanted, and words of praise flowed out like they were free.

Soetu's face was filled with joy and emotion, and he hoped that His Highness the Crown Prince would plead for the Emperor and allow him to return to court.

Recalling the foolish things his uncle had done, and the factional struggles with Mingzhu, Yinreng pretended to ignore Suo'etu's request.

However, in order to appease Suo'etu, Yinreng allowed him to stay in the front courtyard for lunch before sending him away.

Immediately afterwards, Yinreng took the mirror and glass that Suo'etu had sent to the main courtyard, wanting to show off to the Crown Princess and see how capable he was.

What credit did Songgotu get? What does Songgotu have to do with this?

Jialuo was still having lunch, eating small meals at a leisurely pace. When she saw the Crown Prince arrive, she didn't put down her chopsticks to greet him. Instead, she asked directly, "Has Your Highness eaten? Would you like to have some with us?"

"No need. I came to tell you that I have already had the mirror made." When Yinreng said this, there was a hint of pride in his expression, as he proudly showed off to the Crown Princess.

"Really? That's amazing? It's only been a month...nearly a month, hasn't it?" Jia Luo didn't remember the exact time, but she did remember that her belly wasn't this big back then.

"If the Western barbarians can make it, how could our Great Qing not be able to?" The proud Prince Yinreng loved the Great Qing deeply and would not allow himself to lose to others. The Ming Dynasty was a powerful and influential country, but their Great Qing could shine just as brightly.

"Let me see?" This time, Jialuo was willing to put down her chopsticks and bowl and walked over with great interest.

With a wave of his hand, the prince opened the two mirrors and glass and presented them to the crown princess.

Jialuo stepped forward in surprise, looked at it again, and found that it was really the same. Her bright eyes turned to look at Yinreng, "Your Highness, how did you think of that? You're amazing."

"I have my own brilliant plan, and I am not as useless as the Crown Princess thinks." Yinreng raised his chin arrogantly, determined to make the Crown Princess clear her head. The Qing Dynasty is the most powerful, and other barbaric lands are not worthy of being compared with the Qing Dynasty.

"Nonsense! When has His Highness ever been useless? In my heart, His Highness is a celestial being, exceptionally intelligent, quick-witted and eager to learn, gentle and refined, and extremely caring... He is the best man I have ever met." Jia Luo righteously refuted the Crown Prince's words and gave him the highest praise.

Upon hearing what the Crown Princess said, Yinreng found her words to be sincere and heartfelt. His already proud and smug demeanor was enhanced by an even happier smile, and his elegant appearance was softened by a gentle touch. He was so beautiful that Jialuo couldn't help but step forward and hug Yinreng.

Yinreng: ...

"Your Highness, be a little more reserved." Although Yinreng was used to the Crown Princess's straightforward and enthusiastic desire to cuddle and hug him, he was still a little unaccustomed to her behavior.

The key issue is that with so many people around, it would affect his noble and elegant demeanor as the crown prince, which would be quite disgraceful.

"Oh." Jialuo, who had been told to be more reserved, obediently released her hand, her eyes returning to the mirror. It was still so beautiful; the glass...

“Your Highness, glass has many uses.” Jialuo clapped her hands. If it were just for decoration, not many pieces would sell. Not everyone could afford it, and some families wouldn’t even want to buy it.

However, once their uses were developed, things changed; later generations used them for bowls, chopsticks, cups, windows...

“Your Highness, we can use them as windows. You see, winter is here, the cold wind is howling, and if we close the (wooden) windows, the room is dark. But if we install glass windows, it will be different. We can look out at the scenery, enjoy the snow, and stay warm.” Jialuo felt that there was great potential in this.

Yinreng noticed a word: "future generations"? What "future generations"?

He squinted at Jialuo for a long time. Jialuo thought that there was something on her face because Yinreng had been staring at her for so long. She reached out and touched her face. There were rice grains on her face when she was eating.

"Your Highness, is my face smudged?" That shouldn't be the case. She hadn't worn makeup since becoming pregnant. Her delicate face was always stared at by the Empress Dowager for a long time when she went to pay her respects.

Is there a reason why the Empress Dowager told me not to go and pay my respects when I was pregnant, that she didn't want to see my face?

Seeing that the Crown Princess's thoughts had drifted off to somewhere else, Yinreng slowly spoke up, "No, I've noticed that the Crown Princess is getting more and more beautiful."

Jialuo paused, her hand touching her face. She then pinched her round cheek. She hadn't noticed it until she looked in the mirror... Holy crap, how did my face get so chubby?!

Now, upon hearing His Highness the Crown Prince say that her face was becoming more and more beautiful, Jialuo's expression became somewhat strange. Was His Highness's aesthetic sense... a little strange?

No wonder he didn't like the beautiful, charming, and uniquely styled princesses in the backyard of Yuqing Palace. So he liked someone like me?

Hahahaha...

Yinreng: The Crown Princess needs to be disciplined again.

However, seeing the Crown Princess's huge belly, Yinreng remembered the imperial physician's advice that they could not have intercourse, otherwise it would be easy to miscarry.

Just wait, after the Crown Princess gives birth, he will definitely show her by example what kind of woman he likes!

"Your Highness, what do you think of my proposal? I'm sure many of my ministers will like it. As for the price, we can even offer a discount if people buy in bulk." Jia Luo excitedly brought up the matter of making money.

Yinreng nodded slightly, "That's acceptable."

Jialuo grinned, secretly thinking, "By the way, Your Highness, I just heard from this servant that Suo'etu has come. Is Your Highness here to ask him for a favor?"

"Hmm." There's no need to hide this; the Crown Princess will find out soon enough.

“I see… Your Highness, shouldn’t we share 10% of the profits with Lord Suo’etu? After all, he’s worked so hard; a shared interest is the best long-term solution.” Jia Luo did have a bit of business sense; if you want a horse to run, you can’t not feed it.

"By the way, since you've already given 10% of the profits to Suo'etu, shouldn't you give 50% to Father Emperor? This is Your Highness's first time doing business, shouldn't you share it with Father Emperor?" Having a superior is not a good thing, and it's easy to get blocked and rejected.

At this moment, Yinreng could not see the booming business of glass and mirrors; he only knew about exorbitant profits, but...

From the time his father sent him hundreds of thousands of taels of silver when he was penniless to the large sum of money he made when his family's property was confiscated, Yinreng felt guilty and said, "Yes, this is what we gave to our father."

After discussing it with Jialuo, Yinreng wrote a letter to his father, the Emperor. Ever since his father's army left the capital for a personal expedition, Yinreng had been writing to his father almost every day. Each letter was long and cloying, so much so that even Liang Jiugong couldn't bear to read it.

However, Liang Jiugong panicked at this moment. The emperor had suddenly contracted a serious illness. The imperial physician diagnosed it as malaria, and the emperor had a persistent high fever.

While Emperor Kangxi could remain in the rear camp without going to the battlefield, his serious illness could shake the morale of the army.

Kangxi didn't send a message back at first, but after several days of persistent high fever and occasional coma, he began to panic.

Perhaps, my life was meant to end on the road to personally lead the campaign against Galdan.

"Urgent message! Summon the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince!" The eldest son has always been at odds with the Crown Prince, the fourth son follows the Crown Prince, and the third son doesn't side with either. But now, it's time, it's time to pass the throne to the Crown Prince.

Yinreng has been well-educated by himself. When he went down to the capital and met his father, the Emperor, he could rest assured that the Qing Dynasty was well-governed by him...

The letter arrived in the capital by express courier and was delivered to the Crown Prince. Upon reading the message, Yinreng's expression suddenly changed.

Without saying a word, he ordered someone to summon the Third Prince, Yin Zhi, and without any preparation, he rode at full speed towards Ulan Butong.

The Third Prince only heard the Crown Prince say, "Father is seriously ill and has summoned us." Before he could ask anything, the Crown Prince had already left. The Third Prince quickly followed, mounted his horse, and galloped away.

The guards followed closely behind, and when a great battle was about to break out, they sent a message to them to go to Ulan Butong, which shows that the illness was very serious.

When they arrived after three days and three nights, Yinreng's clothes were covered in dust, his hair was disheveled from galloping on horseback, and his lips were chapped.

When his father, the Emperor, fell seriously ill, Yinreng wanted to visit him as soon as possible, but he also kept in mind his father's teachings that as the crown prince, he must never lose his dignity as the crown prince.

In the military camp, the Emperor's serious illness shook the morale of the army. As the Crown Prince, he needed to calmly demonstrate that he was capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of being the future ruler.

His eyes were red. He had to shoulder the responsibility of being the crown prince and could not allow the soldiers' morale to waver during wartime.

Just as she was about to take a bath and change her clothes before going to see her father, the Emperor, she remembered the words that the Fourth Prince's wife, Lady Guarjia, had once spoken loudly in her ears.

[Speaking of which, next year, when the Emperor personally leads his first campaign against Galdan, he falls seriously ill en route, yet the Crown Prince shows no concern whatsoever. This leaves a thorn in the Emperor's side and is the first charge against him for deposing the Crown Prince.]

[That's true. If one's elderly father is sick, wouldn't the son be the first to visit his ailing father? Instead, would he make sure he looks presentable before going to see him?]

[It would be strange if the Crown Prince wasn't deposed; he's not even as good as the Third Prince.]

If the crown prince isn't deposed, how will anyone else have a chance to rise to power?

Feeling a chill in his heart, the Third Prince Yinzhi was also in a sorry state. He dismounted, his eyes red, and asked where the Emperor's tent was. After getting the location, he quickly ran in that direction.

Yinreng could no longer hold back and ran after the third prince, his eyes red and brimming with worry and grievance. He truly had not let his father down...

(End of this chapter)