After leaving the palace, Zhu Tao went home and changed his clothes before going out again.

Charlie lived in a hutong in Beijing. His house was neither too big nor too small, a quiet place amidst the hustle and bustle. The surrounding residents were mostly scholars, not very wealthy, but of refined taste.

Although people were curious about Charlie and Carl, no one gossiped about them, and Charlie and Carl were quite comfortable with their stay.

"Sir, a distinguished person has arrived at the door, saying he has come to pay a visit."

Charlie found this very strange. Although he held an official position, he did not participate in the official life of the Qing Dynasty. He usually spent most of his time studying books related to architecture.

Ancient texts are inherently difficult to understand, so it would naturally be challenging for a foreigner to read them. After reading the books, he still needed to go out and conduct field research. As with any discipline like architecture, one must see it with their own eyes to truly understand it.

He would occasionally be summoned by the Emperor to discuss matters related to architecture. Although Yinzhen did not understand architecture, he had gained a lot of experience and knowledge, so he naturally understood a little bit about everything.

Sometimes, when Charlie listened to Yinzhen's words, he would feel as if he had been enlightened, and Charlie gradually began to admire Yinzhen very much.

Charlie doesn't usually associate with outsiders. Since there's no mutual benefit involved, no one comes to him. He also doesn't interact much with his neighbors because of their different skin and hair colors.

So he really had to figure out who would come looking for him, and what their purpose would be?

"Please come in!"

Zhu Tao entered shortly afterward. He was dressed in casual clothes and looked much like one of the scholars living in the area. Charlie heard from the servant that he was an adult, but he couldn't help but think that he didn't look like one at all!

Zhu Tao spoke first: "My name is Zhu Tao, and I have come to pay my respects to you, sir."

Charlie also became accustomed to some of the Qing Dynasty's colloquialisms.

"Lord Zhu, hello. Please sit down and let's talk. I wonder why you've come to see me?"

Zhu Tao smiled and said, "I have accepted a job, and the Emperor recommended you to me, saying that you can help me."

Charlie looked puzzled, but he greatly admired Yinzhen, so he said, "Your Majesty is very intelligent. I wonder why Your Majesty sent Zhu Tao to see me?"

Zhu Tao knew that foreigners were more straightforward than the reserved Chinese, so he didn't beat around the bush with him.

"Here's the thing, His Majesty plans to select a location in the capital to build a bookstore. This bookstore will not restrict entry, but it will not sell books. Visitors can read books there, and if they have a school card, they can also borrow books to take home, but they must return them within a specified time. Building such a place will certainly require a considerable amount of space. His Majesty heard you mention Western architecture, which might solve this problem. Of course, His Majesty said that we shouldn't be too particular about materials, as cement is very suitable as a building material. If you could design a new building using cement, that would certainly be excellent. What do you think, sir?"

What does Charlie think?

Charlie naturally thought the idea was fantastic.

Regardless of the state of the bookstore, the idea of ​​using new building materials to design a building in one's own style is incredibly tempting for someone who loves architecture.

Charlie couldn't deny that he was attracted to her.

Charlie was tempted, but he still needed to ask about the specifics of how to proceed. As a designer, he naturally wanted more say and didn't like others interfering in his field. Of course, he wouldn't mind if the person was talented.

"What are your thoughts, Lord Zhu? What are your ideas about this bookstore? Tell me, and if possible, let's discuss it first, and then see how to proceed."

Zhu Tao: "That's natural."

“Here’s what I’m thinking: most buildings these days are made of wood, and restaurants in the capital are at most three stories high. If possible, I hope this bookstore can be built five stories. His Majesty has already given me permission to decide on the land area, because the bookstore can’t be built in a remote place. However, most prosperous areas are densely populated, and a large-scale relocation would certainly not be an easy task. If it can be built five stories high, the land area will be greatly reduced. Let’s put the location aside for now and talk about how to use cement to build a large building…”

Zhu Tao doesn't understand architecture, but he lives in the modern world and is very familiar with modern architecture. He knows roughly what a modern young master needs.

Zhu Tao then put forward many ideas about architecture. Because his ideas were ahead of their time, Charlie was deeply moved and began to think of Zhu Tao as being on par with Emperor Yinzhen.

In Charlie's mind, architecture is a large part of life.

Charlie: "You're absolutely right. I've made up my mind. I want to work with you. I want to build this bookstore. Just thinking about how I designed this towering bookstore in the future is such a wonderful feeling."

Charlie was exaggerating a bit, but Zhu Tao could tell that Charlie genuinely wanted to do this well.

Zhu Tao smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Mr. Charlie."

Charlie: "Oh, don't mention it. I should be the one asking for these. What a brilliant idea!"

Zhu Tao: "It wasn't all my idea. The reason for building the bookstore was the Emperor's idea, and the use of new materials was also mentioned by the Emperor."

When Charlie heard Zhu Tao mention Yinzhen, he smiled and said, "His Majesty is a very talented person, and he is an admirable emperor."

Zhu Tao also felt a sense of identification with Emperor Yinzhen. Although he was a modern man and not servile at heart, he was a pragmatist!

He knew that the emperor was a capable and virtuous man, and having lived in this era for some time, he also knew the wisdom and hardships of the ancients, so naturally he would not have any arrogant thoughts.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!