Chapter 154. The Jenny, the Jenny...
This was the first time Fusu had stepped onto the gates of the Su residence, and also the first time he and Su Zhen had spoken face-to-face without any third person they knew in the presence.
Although he had already passed the age of seven and the taboo against sitting together after the age of seven, Fusu didn't care about avoiding suspicion. The news he had heard was truly shocking. Upon meeting Su Zhen for the first time, there were no formalities or pleasantries; his first question was: "Is what you had Miaowu convey true?"
Su Zhen nodded demurely: "Whether it's true or false, Your Highness will know once you see the actual item."
Unlike her younger brother Su Shi, Su Zhen was not mischievous; she was gentle and dignified. The fact that she dared to speak like that meant it was almost certainly true.
Fusu breathed a sigh of relief, his previously tense shoulders relaxed, and he even had the mood to joke: "Fortunately, fortunately, I didn't let Yelü Chongyuan come along, and I sent him away."
"Your Highness, are you perhaps dealing with the Liao people...?" Su Zhen couldn't hide his surprise. "Then how about we wait until you have some free time?"
Neither Miaowu nor Su Xun had much of a way of knowing the Crown Prince's daily schedule. Su Zhen was even less aware. Only when she heard the name "Yelü" did she realize that Fusu was accompanying the Liao delegation and was afraid that her message would affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“No.” Fusu immediately shook his head vigorously: “Let’s look at yours first, yours is more important.”
If Su Zhen wasn't mistaken, that was a Jenny. What things in the world could be more precious than it? To put it extremely, even if you put the seven prefectures in front of the mountain and it on opposite ends of a scale, Fusu would definitely choose the latter.
With the Jenny in hand, why worry about not being able to reclaim our homeland?
Fusu's heart pounded as he followed Su Zhen into the house. He glanced around casually, a sudden sense of loneliness washing over him. The servants and maids around him, including Su Zhen himself, were all trembling with fear, all because of this distinguished guest.
His only fear stemmed from the possibility of witnessing the birth of something epoch-making. He was probably the only one in the world who truly understood the significance of the Jenny.
But this sudden sadness was quickly replaced by ecstasy. Upon entering Su Zhen's room, Fu Su saw two identical cotton looms.
One of them collapsed to the ground. This is remarkably similar to the rumor that "his efficiency skyrocketed because he knocked over his wife's loom."
Fusu's pounding heart calmed down a bit.
"Please allow me to demonstrate for Your Highness." Su Zhen took the initiative to squat down in front of the collapsed cotton loom, and then gestured for the maid to go to another working loom. She made a gesture, and the pedals of the two looms started working at the same time, but the output of the finished products was completely different.
Fusu watched helplessly as the two looms stood side by side. No matter how hard the maid tried to pedal, her efficiency was visibly inferior to Su Zhen's. The latter even maintained a remarkably calm and unhurried demeanor.
Amidst the intricate wooden structure, silk threads intertwined and coiled to form cloth. Fusu unconsciously moved closer, watching intently, wanting to touch it but daring not to. He didn't actually know the true workings of the Spinning Jenny, but the loom before him had undoubtedly greatly improved efficiency.
But how much has efficiency actually improved?
Su Zhen seemed to understand his thoughts. After weaving for a while longer, she gestured for him to stop. Then, she deftly took down the finished piece of cloth and compared it with the maid's work. The difference was immediately obvious.
First a stack, then another, Su Zhen's finished product was three times that of the maid's. If the difference in the force they used was taken into account, the efficiency difference was more than three times.
More than three times!
Fusu was so excited he almost jumped up.
What does this mean? Even if Fusu accidentally discovered cotton at the Honglu Temple and introduced it to the Jiangnan region for widespread cultivation, and then introduced "government-guided prices," it would be possible to guarantee that each worker would have a cotton-padded coat.
But this doesn't mean that every person had their own cotton-padded coat. There were many poor families who only had one, or even less. Every winter, only the head of the household could wear it out, while the others had to stay at home, shivering.
This is no longer something that policies aimed at equalizing wealth can solve; ultimately, it stems from low productivity. The total output is finite; what else can be done?
With the Song Dynasty successively recovering the Northwest and North China, both of which are important cotton-producing areas in the future, Fusu was preparing to expand cotton production. Su Zhen's invention of the spinning jenny gave him renewed hope: perhaps it wouldn't hurt to take bigger steps and dream a little more?
Aside from the rich, workers, and soldiers, could we ensure that every citizen of the Song Dynasty had a thick cotton-padded coat to wear in winter?
Fusu's gaze suddenly turned heavy. He looked up and met Su Zhen's anxious face. She asked softly, "Your Highness, what do you think of this?"
He then realized that his expression had caused a misunderstanding, patted his cheek, and gave a generous smile of approval: "The whole world should thank you."
Fusu didn't know what a real Spinning Jenny was like, but its efficiency was more than three times that of an ordinary loom. Who cared about whether it could replicate the original shape? This was the real Spinning Jenny!
Su Zhen was taken aback, then a glint of light appeared in his eyes: "Then what about the reward you mentioned before..."
She was about to ask if the promise of "being exempt from marriage" was valid. But the outer door suddenly opened, revealing her father Su Xun's face, which made Su Zhen's heart skip a beat. She almost bit her tongue and swallowed her words in a panic.
Little did Su Zhen know that Su Xun was even more flustered than she was.
The Crown Prince's visit was completely unexpected. There was neither an invitation nor prior notice. The servants of the Su family were utterly bewildered upon seeing him and immediately went to their master's office to report the matter.
"It's terrible! His Highness the Crown Prince has come to our door!"
Su Xun: "...???"
He was utterly bewildered by the stares of his colleagues: "I really envy you for having a son who's on such good terms with the Crown Prince," and "We know you two are close, but it's not very nice of you to flaunt it in front of us." Heaven knows what business the Crown Prince had with visiting his residence!
Is Su Shi not here either? Or is he far away in Yunzhou, where he might cause trouble for himself?
Realizing he had made a mistake, the servant quickly lowered his voice: "His Highness went straight to the young lady's room."
Su Xun was even more confused. He could understand what the eldest princess meant, but if it was the young crown prince… even if he thought of something inappropriate, the age didn't match up!
"Lord Su, you shouldn't stay in the government office. It's more important to go back and entertain our distinguished guests!"
Amidst the envious urging of his colleagues, Su Xun returned home. Then he saw… two people squatting in his daughter's room?
Su Xun was even more confused: "Your Highness, it is an honor for you to grace my humble abode with your presence. This is... this is..."
"Oh." Fusu blushed slightly, then stood up casually and dusted off his hands. "Lord Su, it was your daughter who invited me here today."
His tone was filled with emotion: the Su family was indeed extraordinary. Whether it was the three Su brothers, whose names are etched in history, or the eldest daughter of the Su family, who died young and obscure, none of them were simple figures. In this life, the Su family's glory will surely shine even brighter.
He glanced at Su Zhen, who was biting her lip and gently shaking her head at him pleadingly. Fu Su immediately had a flash of inspiration and avoided all talk about "not getting married": "Your daughter has invented something that can benefit all living beings and specially invited me to come and see it."
To benefit...all living beings?
After becoming a high-ranking official in the capital, Su Xun curbed his arrogant and conceited ways, rarely uttering the boastful words he had in his youth. He was immediately taken aback by the weight of the words and began to suspect that the Crown Prince was exaggerating. But the Crown Prince's expression was clearly extremely serious.
Furthermore, who was the person His Highness the Crown Prince just mentioned? His eldest daughter?
It wasn't that Su Xun looked down on Su Zhen, but rather that common sense told him it was impossible. A young girl saving the world? It sounded like something out of a Powerpuff Girls or Sailor Moon movie. Animated films hadn't even been invented in the Song Dynasty, making Fusu's story seem even more like a fantasy.
But Fusu wouldn't allow anyone to look down on the Spinning Jenny, or even understand what it meant to be "the harbinger of the First Industrial Revolution"! He simply squatted down again and began to explain the differences between the two looms to Su Xun by gesturing with his hands and feet.
During his enthusiastic explanation, and with occasional interjections from the inventor Su Zhen himself, Su Xun heard the phrase "more than three times." Instantly, all his confusion vanished.
"No wonder, no wonder," he murmured in a daze, his gaze toward Jenny becoming strange. When he looked at his daughter again, his eyes held a great deal of relief and a solemn reverence.
No wonder His Highness the Crown Prince dared to use the phrase "benefiting all people" to describe his daughter's achievements.
“I will petition the Emperor to commend your daughter,” Fusu said.
Since Su Zhen didn't want to reveal her "unwillingness to marry" to her father for the time being, he wouldn't bring it up. But Fusu wouldn't neglect anything that needed to be done: "The 'Seeking Knowledge' newspaper will also arrange an interview to introduce this item. However, it will have to wait until after the Liao delegation leaves."
Fusu blinked: "I'm sorry to trouble Miss Su, but such a national treasure is best kept secret."
“I’m not wronged!” Su Xun said. His face was extremely red, because the Song Dynasty did not regard so-called strange and ingenious skills as the right path, and Fusu’s so-called “reporting to the Emperor” was already an over-the-top treatment in his eyes.
Now that the matter has reached the emperor, she'll surely receive praise. His daughter will now be someone the emperor has commended, and her future will be much brighter. At the very least, her in-laws won't mistreat her.
Su Xun was clearly unaware that Fusu's reward was far greater than he had anticipated. As the saying goes, how could the value of the Jenny machine be demonstrated without a generous reward?
Fu Su's eyes were slightly strange. He glanced at Su Xun, then at the silent Su Zhen, and said without a word, "I've been thinking about this thing for a while now, but we haven't given this wonderful object that benefits the country and its people a name yet. Miss Su, do you have any thoughts?"
Su Zhen, who had been unusually silent since his father appeared, paused for a moment, then shook his head: "Please bestow a name upon me, Your Highness."
She knew the inside story best. This item first appeared in His Highness's mind, and was then made by her. It was only natural that His Highness named it.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Fusu pretended to ponder, but actually brought out the name he had already thought of: "How about... Zhenniji?"
"Zhenniji?"
Fusu said, "Ni means cloth. As the inventor of this item, Miss Su should leave her mark. It would be most appropriate to use her name to signify it."
Jenny, Zhenni.
The two women who invented the Spinach in different times and spaces deserve to leave their names behind.
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