Epilogue 03: The Industrial Revolution – A Small Matter

Epilogue 03: The Industrial Revolution – A Small Matter

It was a year and a half later that Fusu invented the steam engine with a separate condenser.

Even his childhood friends could tinker with lighters, and Fusu felt he couldn't fall behind. After all, he was a modern man. He knew how a steam engine worked. It was better than knowing how but not why, like a headless fly running around aimlessly.

For this matter, Fusu even specifically asked the Emperor, or rather, the now retired Emperor Renzong, to handle some of the government affairs so that he could free up time to lock himself in the laboratory.

"Is your steam engine that important?"

Emperor Renzong, now in his retired form, asked curiously.

After peacefully stepping down from the throne, he spent his remaining years in the palace. Historically, Emperor Renzong was plagued by illness. In the later years of his reign, his health deteriorated significantly, and he was suspected of suffering from dizziness and diabetes, which are equivalent to stroke and diabetes in modern terms.

In Fusu's timeline, Emperor Renzong, who retired in his early forties, was still in good health and showed no signs of failing. After receiving the posthumous title "Ren," which perfectly suited his character, he completely relaxed. At his son's urging, he began to take care of his health and exercise early on.

How can you bear witness if you don't strive to live longer?

Therefore, Emperor Renzong was quite surprised when his eldest son personally entrusted the matter to him. What important thing could make Su'er feel that he had broken his own vows and was willing to disrupt the health plan he had personally prepared for his father, just to ask him for help?

Emperor Renzong: "Could it be that it's more important than potatoes and cotton?"

Fusu nodded sadly.

Potatoes, cotton, and now even sweet potatoes, corn, and peppers in the Americas… could certainly solve the problem of food and clothing for the people, and multiply the population and national strength several times over. But ultimately, it was still within the framework of an agricultural society. However, the steam engine could pull agricultural society into an industrial society ahead of time, which was a qualitative leap.

Emperor Renzong: "Then, what about the sixteen prefectures?"

Fusu paused awkwardly for a moment: "...These two things can't be compared, can they?"

Emperor Renzong immediately replied, "I will help."

What kind of divine weapon could be comparable to the Sixteen Provinces, and be able to awe the entire land?

Emperor Renzong felt that even with all his imagination, he couldn't come up with the slightest clue. His face, which had become even more rounded and amiable after his abdication, once again displayed that smile that Fusu found so familiar. As always, no matter how outlandish his ideas, Emperor Renzong would only ever give one answer.

"Su'er, just go ahead and do it."

Although he was no longer the emperor, how could he not clear away any worries for his son when the fate of the nation was at stake?

"I will handle all the trivial matters in the court and will not let them bother you in the slightest," Emperor Renzong said.

Fusu pursed his lips and blinked lightly.

All the effort he had put into imitating the emperor's authority these past few days was useless at this moment. And rightly so, what was the point of putting on an act in front of his father?

"I will certainly live up to Father's expectations." He raised his hand, grinned, and made a fist-and-palm gesture.

The Emperor Emeritus has returned.

The following day, Emperor Renzong himself appeared in court and announced this fact to all the officials and the whole country.

Wait, if the Emperor Emeritus returns, what about the Crown Prince, or rather, the minor official's family?!

The officials were all dumbfounded, exchanging glances. Some of them had already changed their expressions, clearly thinking the worst. They were almost ready to say in public, "I no longer believe in the bond between father and son in the imperial family."

Emperor Renzong cleared his throat: "Su'er has important matters to attend to, so I will temporarily take over the affairs of state. My beloved ministers may now present their reports."

He offered no further explanation, not even mentioning the existence of the steam engine. Yet, the court fell eerily silent. After their initial shock, the officials calmed down somewhat. After all, this minor official was the Emperor Emeritus's only son; how could he possibly cut off his own path to power? Besides, couldn't they see that the other high-ranking officials were all remarkably calm?

Especially Fan Zhongyan, who was the emperor's teacher. Even he didn't say anything, remaining as steady as Mount Tai. How could the minor official possibly have any problems?

Fan Zhongyan: Hehe.

He appeared calm on the surface, but that was a facade to reassure people. In reality, the moment he heard "I have important business to attend to," a high alert had already been raised in his mind.

"Your Highness/Crown Prince/Your Majesty has important business to attend to recently." Doesn't this line sound familiar to you?

Recalling the grueling workdays and nights that followed the breakthroughs in cotton, potatoes, gunpowder balls, and the spinning wheel, Fan Zhongyan peacefully closed his eyes. He glanced at his bewildered colleagues and sighed softly.

These may be the most leisurely days for you in the coming period.

To everyone's surprise, the first problem to arise was not in the court after the Emperor Emeritus's return to power, but rather on Fusu's side.

If it weren't for the fact that his character, personality, and achievements far exceeded the average level of emperors, and that he wasn't too young, so that the courtiers couldn't bear to pressure him, he should have personally issued an "Edict of Self-Reproach," reflecting on his moral failings and announcing it to the world.

What did Fusu do?

No, but I did it anyway.

No, meaning he didn't do anything unethical. If he did, it means that while tinkering with Watt's version of the steam engine, he accidentally exploded the boiler containing the steam.

On that day, a loud noise suddenly erupted somewhere in Bianjing, and many people claimed to have heard it. The combined voices of their testimonies all pointed in one direction.

Could it be an earth dragon turning over? But there were no casualties elsewhere in Bianjing. Where did this indiscriminate earth dragon come from, only turning over in the imperial palace?

"It could also be an auspicious omen that His Highness once used to subdue Liaoxia, or perhaps not."

The legend of Fusu conjuring auspicious thunderbolts and drawing them into the ground was quite popular among both officials and common people in the Song Dynasty. After all, a large number of officials attended the military parade and witnessed the collapse of the drill ground firsthand. As for the common people, they preferred this mythical tale, which circulated widely.

No one could be sure which possibility it was. The emperor hurriedly went to search for it himself, only to find a roof with a hole punched through it, and Fusu staring at the hole with a look of utter disbelief.

"Su'er, are you injured? This..." The Emperor stared blankly at the roof with a hole torn open, and immediately realized the source of the strange noise from earlier: "What exactly happened?!"

"Pressure cooker..." Fusu murmured.

"What?"

Fusu covered his face, both amused and exasperated: "I never thought I'd invent a pressure cooker before inventing a steam engine..."

Who could have imagined that while he was heating the cylinder, he accidentally misjudged the heat, and the sealed cylinder, without a pressure relief valve, was ejected under pressure, flying several meters into the air and punching a hole in the room.

This phenomenon reminded Fusu that as long as the pressure in the cylinder is increased and a valve to release the pressure is added to the lid, wouldn't it be a ready-made pressure cooker?

He turned to look at the official: "Father, do you particularly like boiled cabbage in clear broth, no, you like it so much that you don't dare to eat too much because you think it's too expensive to make the broth? No problem, I'll cook it for you from now on. I guarantee it will save you time and effort."

The emperor looked hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't: "...Su'er, are you really alright?"

He was quite certain that what Su'er was trying to invent was definitely not just for making him broth. The gleaming hole in the roof seemed to be a sign of his rare failure.

Despite the shadow of failure, Su'er remained eerily calm, speaking to him with an air of seriousness. Could it be that the pressure building up inside her was causing her mental instability?

He carefully considered his options and said, "How about you go to court for two days first, Su'er?"

Fusu: "..."

Fusu: "…………"

He understood the unspoken meaning in Emperor Renzong's words. But even if we assume the worst, to stabilize the situation, surely sending people to court shouldn't be the solution?

"Father, I'm really alright."

Really?

"Absolutely true!" Fusu nodded earnestly: "It will be soon, I really only need to be one step away."

"I trust you," the Emperor said.

But before Fusu could even catch his breath, he added, "Whether you ministers believe it or not is not up to me alone. I came here after hearing their reports that there was an earthquake in the palace, which may be related to you, Su'er."

The earth seemed to turn over... Fusu swallowed hard.

According to the Confucian concept of the interaction between Heaven and humanity, all natural disasters are warnings sent by Heaven due to the ruler's moral failings. In other words, Fusu should publicly write a self-criticism.

"At this point, is it still useful to explain what a steam engine is and why it caused the explosion..."

The official smiled without saying a word: "What do you think?"

Fusu: "..."

To Fusu's surprise, he ultimately did not complete the edict of self-reproach or the public apology. The entire court believed his explanation that it was "just a minor accident during the invention," but they also put forward corresponding conditions.

All those words conveyed the same message: You'd better stop messing around and just come back to court obediently.

Xiao Fusu: "...How about I issue an edict of self-reproach?"

He preferred the Song Dynasty to maintain its current status quo rather than risk Fusu's safety and the fate of the nation. After all, besides being an emperor, Renzong was also a father and always had a selfish desire to protect his son.

Having deduced this, Fusu felt both guilty and somewhat helpless. Logically speaking, the likelihood of a cylinder exploding was even less than being burned by burning coal, yet it just so happened to Fusu. He caused a huge commotion and was caught red-handed by Emperor Renzong.

How can he explain that this kind of danger is not the norm, but is actually just an accident with a probability comparable to the tail of a comet?

Fusu chose not to explain.

He simply shut the door and ignored everyone who called him, then spent several days tinkering and invented Watt's version of the steam engine.

The next morning at the imperial court, Fusu reappeared after a long absence, causing another wave of astonishment. He greeted everyone with a smile and then displayed the engine, which gleamed with a metallic sheen.

Here we go again, here we go again.

Some of the more senior officials were intimately familiar with this scene. How many times had the young emperor stood in the court, enthusiastically demonstrating his "accidental" new inventions?

The only difference was that the person's position changed from a low-ranking official to the Crown Prince, and then to the throne.

And each time, as if programmed, they would ask the same question: "May I ask, Your Excellency, what is the use of this?"

The more experienced Fan Zhongyan had already closed his eyes from the moment he realized that Fusu had come excitedly to present his treasures.

Alright, alright, the good days are coming to an end. The Privy Council is going to be working overtime again, much to their dismay. Wait, why did he say "again"? Of course, it's because the shifts for the charioteer and the flying shuttle aren't finished yet.

What a miserable life.

When Fan Zhongyan sighed this, he touched the corner of his mouth, a stark contrast to his usual bitter complaint. A smile, which he himself couldn't suppress, had appeared on his face.

He looked at Fusu, who was beaming with joy on the steps of the throne, and thought to himself.

Author's Note: There are 3 more chapters in the epilogue, approximately (。).

Once I finish writing, I'll write the side stories and bonus side stories [doge head with a rose in its mouth]