[This little brat, how can he be so perceptive? Can't he just hope his teacher will approve?]
Since Yun Qing doesn't usually attend court or go to the palace every day, she usually stays at the Li residence during her special time of the month. She never expected that the little tyrant would notice her the first time she came out.
It's a good thing that an emperor can observe such a small matter so carefully, but it's not a good thing for Yun Qing right now.
Fortunately, Qinglan was with her today, and Yunqing gave her a wink.
When Xie Rang heard what Yun Qing was thinking, he knew that he must have guessed correctly, or at least partially. He wanted to go forward, but was stopped by the guards accompanying Yun Qing.
"Your Majesty, the young master caught a slight cold yesterday, so it would be best if you stayed away from him."
Seeing this, Yun Qing quickly followed Qing Lan's words and covered his face with his sleeve, then coughed twice in a pretentious manner: "...Cough, Qing Lan is right, I am still recovering from my cold, so let's keep this distance for now."
She forgot that the little tyrant's nose was as sensitive as a dog's; he probably caught the scent of medicine from the draft that had just passed through the room.
Xie Rang laughed in exasperation: "Why is it that when I'm sick, the Grand Tutor can take care of me, but when the Grand Tutor is sick, I can't even get close to him?"
The days spent traveling by water on the boat were when Xie Rang showed his most vulnerable side to Yun Qing. Although he was stubborn, Xie Rang still longed for that warmth when Yun Qing held him in her arms many times.
He didn't understand why, now that they were in the same situation, the Grand Tutor had changed his attitude and wouldn't let him get close.
What could Yun Qing say? In the end, she could only sigh softly: "A son of a wealthy family should not sit under a dangerous roof. Qi An is the ruler, and I am the subject. These concepts cannot be confused."
[What's wrong with this little tyrant? Doesn't he know he shouldn't expose his weaknesses? Isn't he supposed to be a ruthless killer? Why is he suddenly showing concern for me? I'm touched, but also a little apprehensive.]
Xie Rang felt somewhat aggrieved and frustrated: "The Grand Tutor still sees me as an outsider!"
"No."
Yun Qing was glad that she had taken the medicine before coming. As the medicine gradually took effect, she felt much better. The main thing was that this matter was inexplicable, otherwise everything would have been fine.
"Don't be angry anymore, Qi'an, come with me, okay?"
How much anger could a child of that age have? Yunqing coaxed him a few times and his awkwardness passed. Qinglan took the initiative to step back, and Xie Rang listened to Yunqing and kept a distance from her.
They went to the pavilion. There was a lack of water here, so there wasn't much beautiful garden scenery. Most of the plants were dryland plants. Yun Qing and Xie Rang each sat on one side and began to examine the policy essays written by Xie Rang.
Although the little tyrant's face was still very sour, his policy essays were quite good. After Yun Qing's guidance, they were no longer empty and pretentious quotations, but rather a true account of the people's conditions.
Yun Qing listened with a smile: "Qi An wrote very well. The foundation of a country lies in its people. If the people know that their monarch also cares about them, they will be grateful and the story will be passed down to future generations."
[They should just make the little tyrant write a thesis; his level is so high he'd be a first-year graduate student. His professor would be ecstatic.]
Yunqing's time as a graduate student was both painful and joyful. She was truly passionate about it, but the constant revisions to her thesis and group meetings drove her crazy. Of course, she also received a lot of loving guidance from her supervisor.
Xie Rang nodded absentmindedly, listening intently, when someone suddenly came to report from outside.
"Your Majesty, Lord Li, the workshop manager requests an audience."
Yun Qing looked up and asked, "What is it?"
The servant replied, "The supervisor said that the improved tool was completed yesterday and he would like to invite His Majesty and the Master to take a look."
Yun Qing looked at Xie Rang: "What are Your Majesty's plans?"
Xie Rang said, "Let's go take a look."
He casually placed the policy essay on the table, but as he turned to walk away, he saw Yun Qing pick it up and carefully put it away, and his feelings became complicated.
Yun Qing, however, was quite frank: "His Majesty's calligraphy is worth a fortune. Please don't throw it away carelessly in the future, lest someone else pick it up."
There were many skilled forgers of handwriting in ancient times; the little tyrant was still not wary enough.
Xie Rang had indeed overlooked this point, but now he remembered it and replied, "Okay."
After that, they went outside and met the supervisor from yesterday. The supervisor was still as cautious as ever, but since he had come to them with a reason this time, he was much bolder.
"I... I'll show you the way..."
The workshop was winding and labyrinthine. Yun Qing and Xie Rang hadn't finished exploring it yesterday, but today there were fewer people, so they were finally able to see the whole thing. There were many semi-finished products on display, and Yun Qing could see the evolution of the tools from them.
What she didn't expect was that Xie Rang had only given a simple description of the curved plow, yet these craftsmen had studied it all night and actually made some progress.
"As the nobleman said, changing the straight shaft to a curved one and adding some small mechanisms will indeed save a lot of effort."
The prototype was made by them overnight last night. Overall, it was a bit rough, but it was not much different from what Yun Qing remembered. With such a farming tool and oxen, the efficiency of farming could be greatly doubled.
Moreover, a curved plow can be made from sturdy wood, and with the addition of ingenious mortise and tenon joints, one can last a long time.
"good."
Xie Rang had only described it briefly based on what the Grand Tutor had said yesterday, but seeing it with his own eyes was still different. He couldn't help but reach out and touch it, and a different feeling instantly surged up from the bottom of his heart.
It was at this moment that the craftsmen seemed to have made a decision. After exchanging glances, they knelt down and said, "We humble people dare to ask if Your Excellency would allow us to promote the making of this plow?"
Food is the most important thing for people, and no one understands better than them how important farming tools are. Although the craftsmen have a low social status, they still hope to pass on the production methods so that not only their relatives can use them, but also more people can use them.
"sure."
Yun Qing felt that she was destined to be a busybody in this life, and that she would have to stand up for things that the little tyrant couldn't handle.
"But you are all generals in the workshop, so you can leave this kind of thing to your subordinates. There's no need to put in too much effort, since the products are made for everyone to use. Also, could you please draw up some blueprints?"
Yun Qing's attitude was quite good, and the craftsmen who were originally trembling with fear were a little confused. Finally, one of them shouted, "Don't worry, sir, we'll draw it for you right away!"
What are mere blueprints compared to this?
In the end, Yun Qing and Xie Rang left with the gratitude of everyone in the workshop and several completed drawings.
It was a very fruitful experience.
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