When Emperor Yongzheng heard the news of Daiyu's great victory at Qingfeng Teahouse, he was first surprised, then clapped his hands and laughed: "I originally thought this girl was only good at mathematics, but I didn't expect that she could not even stump the classics and historical texts!"

He turned to Su Peisheng beside him and said, "Go to the storeroom and fetch that set of white jade writing implements, and give it to Miss Lin as a reward."

Su Peisheng bowed and agreed.

After the news spread, it sparked heated discussions both in and out of government.

Daiyu's talent was unparalleled, which led to a re-evaluation of Lin Yun's learning.

"If the students personally taught by the Imperial Concubine are so outstanding, then how unfathomable must the Imperial Concubine herself be?"

"No wonder the Emperor values ​​the Consort so highly; she is truly an exceptionally talented woman!"

When these remarks reached Yongzheng's ears, he smiled slightly, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes.

---

As Daiyu's fame spread far and wide, the reputation of Mingde Girls' Academy also rose day by day.

Because of Daiyu's solid academic foundation, she was entrusted with the daily teaching at Mingde Academy.

Every morning, Daiyu would arrive at the academy early to teach the students mathematics and physics.

Her lectures are insightful yet easy to understand, and she is very popular with her students.

In the courtyard of the academy, one can often hear the girls reading aloud and having cheerful discussions.

One day, Daiyu was organizing her lesson plans when she suddenly heard footsteps outside the door.

Looking up, one could see a young scholar in a blue robe standing at the door; it was none other than Yan Tingzhi, a talented student from the Imperial Academy.

He had clear, bright eyes, held a book in his hands, and looked at Daiyu with gentle eyes.

"Miss Lin, I apologize for disturbing you." Yan Tingzhi bowed, his voice clear and melodious.

Daiyu was slightly taken aback, then returned the greeting: "What advice do you have for me, sir?"

Yan Tingzhi took a few steps closer and handed over the scroll in his hand: "I am Yan Tingzhi from the Imperial Academy. This is a collection of poems that I have been reading recently. Some of the annotations are not very clear. I have heard that Miss Lin is very learned and talented, so I have come to ask for your guidance."

Daiyu took the scroll, opened it, and found it to be a collection of Li Bai's works. There were indeed several annotations in the book, written in neat handwriting, clearly written by Yan Tingzhi himself.

After a moment's thought, she answered his questions one by one.

Yan Tingzhi listened attentively, his eyes occasionally flashing with approval.

After answering the questions, Yan Tingzhi did not immediately take his leave, but smiled and said, "Miss Lin's insights are unique and admirable. I wonder if you have any other hobbies besides teaching?"

Daiyu sensed his intention, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly closed the book and handed it back to him: "I'm busy with academy affairs and have no time for anything else. If Young Master Yan has nothing else to do, I'll go prepare my lessons first." After saying that, she nodded slightly, turned around and left quickly.

Yan Tingzhi watched her departing figure, a faint smile playing on his lips, and murmured to himself, "You can escape for a while, but can you escape forever?"

---

Meanwhile, with the successful improvement of the steam engine and the breakthrough in naval gun casting technology, the construction of the Qing Dynasty Navy entered a critical stage.

On this day, Yunxiang brought several key craftsmen from the Ministry of Works to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to request an audience with the Emperor.

Lin Yun was organizing the revised manuscript of "Introduction to Chemistry" in her study when she heard that the Emperor had summoned her. She immediately put down her pen and got up to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

As soon as she entered the hall, Yunxiang cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, although the problem of the naval cannons has been solved, there are still many difficulties in the overall design of the warship, especially the coordination between steam power and naval cannons. The craftsmen of the Ministry of Works are at a loss, so we have come to ask Your Majesty for advice."

Lin Yun smiled slightly and raised her hand to indicate, "Uncle Thirteen, there's no need to be so polite. This matter concerns the country's coastal defense, and I will do my best."

She took the design drawings from Yunxiang, examined them carefully, and then frowned slightly.

The warships on the drawings were still based on traditional sailing ships, with only a simple steam engine added, making the overall structure appear bulky and inefficient.

She pondered for a moment, then picked up her pen and sketched on the paper: "If designed this way, the advantages of the steam engine will be difficult to realize."

Warships require a completely new structure, centered on steam power, while also considering speed, firepower, and protection.

Her pen glided swiftly across the paper, the lines smooth and precise, quickly sketching the outline of a sleek warship.

Yunxiang and the craftsmen took a closer look, and their eyes immediately flashed with amazement.

Lin Yun completely broke the shackles of traditional sailing ships. The hull was long and slender, the deck layout was compact, the gun positions were scientifically distributed, and space was reserved for steam engines and transmission systems.

As she drew, she explained, "The warship's propulsion system needs to work in conjunction with the ship's guns. The steam engine drives the propeller, which can greatly increase the speed; while the design of the gun positions must take into account recoil and firing arc to avoid mutual interference."

The craftsmen nodded in agreement, but one of the older craftsmen couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, what is this propeller? We have never seen one before."

Lin Yun smiled slightly and drew a diagram of a propeller: "This thing is similar to a fan. When it rotates, it can drive water flow. It is more efficient than the traditional paddle wheel and is not easily damaged."

Everyone suddenly realized what was going on and exclaimed in admiration.

When Yongzheng saw Yunxiang and Lin Yun discussing the blueprints head to head, with the craftsmen also gathered around, a dark and ambiguous emotion flashed in his eyes.

He coughed lightly and suddenly said, "Yun'er, it's getting late. We can discuss these details tomorrow."

The group then realized something was amiss and wisely offered to leave.

Only Emperor Yongzheng and Lin Yun remained in the hall.

Yongzheng took Lin Yun's hand, his fingertips tracing the redness on her fingertips from holding a pen for a long time, and said in a low voice, "Yun'er is quite devoted to the thirteenth brother."

Lin Yun sensed the sourness in his words and smiled gently: "Does Your Majesty even get jealous of your thirteenth uncle?"

Yongzheng gave a soft snort and pulled her into his arms: "My Consort is exceptionally talented, yet others always come to bother her. How can I be at ease?"

Lin Yun leaned against his chest and said softly, "Everything I have done is for Your Majesty and for the Qing Dynasty."

Emperor Yongzheng lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, then sighed, "I know."

But the bitterness in my heart had not dissipated.

He suddenly picked Lin Yun up and carried her towards the inner hall, saying, "Yun'er has been working hard all day; she should rest well."

Lin Yun's cheeks flushed slightly as she lightly punched his shoulder: "Your Majesty!"

Yongzheng smiled, his eyes filled with the satisfaction of possessing the object.

The flickering candlelight cast long shadows of the two figures, which gradually disappeared behind the curtains.