Chapter 586 Every Loss Has a Gain
Guanghe Hall.
This is a square that you enter through a side gate of the palace. Beyond the square is a huge flower garden, where all the palace's flowers are planted.
At this moment, it was almost evening, and the sun was slowly losing its last rays. Many flowers were in bloom, filling the air with fragrance. Amidst this beautiful floral scene, a threshing machine was unloaded from a horse-drawn cart and placed in the center of the square. At the same time, someone carried over a basket of nearly yellow rice. At this time of year, the rice harvest was just around the corner, and the golden grains were a delightful sight.
Cheng Wanwan walked closer and carefully examined the threshing machine.
Before she came to the capital, she had several nights of meetings with Lord Li and others. The group brainstormed and finally determined the general shape of the threshing machine. She thought it would take these officials several months to figure it out, but she didn't expect it to be completed so quickly and be sent to the capital to show off, which means that there should be no problem with the details.
The threshing machine cannot be fully automatic. It requires one person to step on the pedal and another person to put rice in. Inside, a rotating shaft spins rapidly, causing the rice to collide violently with the iron shaft. The pedal must be stepped on quickly. In a short while, the rice on the ears of rice slowly falls off and enters another container. A basket of rice is threshed in no time.
The Minister of Works' eyes widened: "I should have thought of that sooner... I should have thought of it when I saw the human-powered fan..."
The principle of this threshing machine is actually similar to that of a human-powered fan. How come the person who specializes in researching this kind of machinery couldn't think of it?
You can't call him stupid; you can only say that he never considered how to make farming more convenient from the perspective of ordinary people. If he really had such thoughts, he would have developed a threshing machine long ago.
The Minister of Works immediately turned his head to look towards the area near the flowerbed.
On that open ground, two men from the Ministry of Works, along with a dozen eunuchs, were assembling a huge waterwheel. They installed all the crossbeams, poured a bucket of water on it, and the waterwheel slowly began to turn.
The water it brought up irrigated the flowerbeds, flowing little by little along the ditches to every corner.
The setting sun casts a long shadow on the waterwheel, making it appear even more magnificent and awe-inspiring.
The high-ranking officials, both first and second grade, who were well-versed in the world, were all shocked.
"This is a waterwheel?"
"It really can turn without human intervention."
"The human-powered fan requires pedaling, and the threshing machine also requires human operation. This waterwheel is so easy, it's amazing."
"What's wrong with the people of Sui'an? They've not only invented human-powered fans, but they've also come up with waterwheels. If the water flow were stronger and the rotation speed faster, wouldn't the waterwheel also be able to produce air...?"
"If I was still dissatisfied with the fact that people from Sui'an were promoted too quickly before, now I am completely convinced."
"Yeah, I could never come up with something that amazing."
"..."
The envoys from Asab and Laki were stunned; they had never seen anything like it before, and it was truly astonishing.
No wonder the Great Yu Kingdom is so powerful, no wonder its territory is so vast. If such ingenuity can be applied to agriculture, then it must also be applied to the military. If the two countries were to go to war, their country would undoubtedly lose.
"Good, very good!" The emperor laughed with pleasure. "With these two powerful tools, the farmers of my Great Yu Dynasty will finally no longer have to suffer the hardships of farming. Sui'an people, you truly are Sui'an people of the Great Yu Dynasty. This time, I will reward you handsomely!"
The courtiers, who had just been quite shocked, suddenly became tense.
Last time, the Emperor wanted to confer the title of Fifth-Rank Yiren upon Sui'an people, but many ministers dissuaded him. This time, it's definitely a no-brainer for him to be a Fifth-Rank Yiren.
The fact that a rural woman could rise to the fifth rank within two years was truly enviable, and a sour feeling immediately filled the room. But the achievements of the people of Sui'an were right in front of them, so what could they say?
Cheng Wanwan stepped forward, cupped her hands, and said, “Your Majesty, this waterwheel and threshing machine were jointly developed by seven officials from the Ministry of Works, including Minister Zou, Minister Li, and Minister Yu. This is their achievement, and has nothing to do with me. If Your Majesty wishes to reward them, please do so.”
Although she also wanted to reward others, she hoped that those who had made contributions would also be rewarded.
"If they want to reward you, you should too," the emperor said with a loud laugh. "Without your guidance, those blockheads of theirs would never have come up with such an ingenious thing."
"Your Majesty is absolutely right," the Empress said with a smile. "The people of Sui'an have repeatedly rendered meritorious service. Although it is not a world-shaking achievement, it has saved lives..."
By rescuing the people from suffering and bestowing rewards upon the people of Sui'an, His Majesty demonstrates his concern for the people's livelihood. I believe this reward should not be taken lightly.
Grand Tutor Lin knew little about agriculture and had remained silent until now, when he finally stepped forward and said, "Sui'an is currently a sixth-rank official; shouldn't he be promoted?"
Lord Zhang immediately chimed in: "The people of Sui'an are full of talent and should be given sufficient status so that they can continue to shine for the Great Yu Kingdom."
"You gentlemen might as well ask the people of Sui'an what they want," He Hanhai suddenly said. "Within the entire Huzhou region, the status of the people of Sui'an is already high enough. Is there really a difference between a sixth-rank Anren and a fifth-rank Yiren? The people of Sui'an are not like people in the capital. What rural people need most is not status or position. If we are going to bestow a reward, then we should reward the people of Sui'an with what they need. What does Your Majesty think?"
The emperor found this statement very reasonable. People in the court were obsessed with making meritorious contributions and getting promoted, but for a woman, this might not be her greatest desire.
Moreover, this woman has four sons: the eldest is a farmer, the third is in the army, and a nephew is an official in the Hanlin Academy. She would probably prefer to seek some benefits for her children...
Thinking of this, the emperor said, "Sui'an people, just say what reward you want."
Cheng Wanwan kept her head down, her face expressionless, but in her heart she was cursing He Hanhai to the core.
She had just declined the credit, believing it belonged to the seven officials. If she were to ask for a reward now, what kind of person would she be?
He Hanhai actually set a trap for her in order to prevent her from getting promoted. She already hated He Xiao, her scumbag father, but now she hated him even more.
A fifty-year-old man actually targeting a woman with no real power—this is probably the end for the He family.
Fortunately, she wasn't researching these things for the sake of getting a promotion, otherwise she would be feeling incredibly frustrated right now.
She cupped her hands and said, "Your Majesty, I am a native of Sui'an. From the moment I became a native of Sui'an, I have engraved the character 'Sui' in my heart. Your Majesty has given me your trust and support, granted me status and position, and even my house, servants, and land... all of this is a gift from Your Majesty. I am powerless to repay you, and can only strive to do more and more for the people of the Great Yu Dynasty. May the people live in peace and prosperity, and may the Great Yu Dynasty be stable. This is what I seek and wish for!"
Her words were passionate and inspiring.
The emperor's smile widened: "Our Great Yu Dynasty has people from Sui'an; it is a blessing for the people and a blessing for the country. How fortunate we are..."
He Hanhai gave Cheng Wanwan a cold look. He thought that this woman would take the initiative to ask for some reward. After all, this was a public place with foreign envoys watching. No matter what she asked for, the emperor probably wouldn't refuse. This would confirm the woman's greedy nature...
Unexpectedly, she turned down such a great opportunity for promotion... As the saying goes, every loss has its gain. Although this woman didn't get the promotion, it was clear that the Emperor and Empress seemed to like her more...
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