49 Chapter 49
◎Show off. ◎
Ying Zheng looked at the four bowls shimmering in the candlelight, nodded, and smiled, "Not bad, just not in the best shape."
Fusu said embarrassedly, "This is my first time making it, so I'm not very skilled yet. Once the craftsmen become more skilled, my father will be able to use better porcelain."
Ying Zheng rubbed his head and said with a smile, "This thing is indeed good. I only thought it was flashy and impractical before, but now it seems that it is indeed useful."
Making porcelain was just a sudden idea that came to Fusu. Although porcelain does have value in both appreciation and use, Fusu had never thought of its other uses.
Fusu asked curiously, "Father, what is the use of this?"
Ying Zheng smiled but said nothing, "I remember what kind of clay this porcelain must be made of. Where can I find it?"
This meant setting up a special place for porcelain production. Although Fusu did not understand his father's meaning, he still told him about several places he knew that could produce porcelain within the Qin State.
Ying Zheng took note of it, then rubbed Fusu's head and said with a smile, "I'll record your achievement again."
"Father, you don't have to record my merit this time. I have something I want to ask you." Fusu continued with a smile.
"Tell me about it." Ying Zheng took the small bowl and handed it to the eunuch. "Go wash it. I need it tomorrow."
"Ah?" Fusu suddenly forgot about his own affairs and hurriedly stopped him, "No, Father, this is too embarrassing!"
Ying Zheng raised his hand and held Fusu in his arms, saying, "I use it, not for you. Why are you embarrassing yourself?"
Fusu struggled and said, "My father is the King of Qin! I cannot lose face!"
Ying Zheng smiled calmly and said, "I don't feel ashamed."
Fusu: “…”
Fusu looked at his father helplessly: "Father, I will make you two more good ones, okay?"
"You can make two more," Ying Zheng said generously, "but I also need these four."
Fusu: “…”
Fusu wiped his face and said, "Forget it. Life is full of shame."
Ying Zheng laughed heartily: "Don't be afraid, whoever dares to laugh at my eldest son, I will punish him."
Fusu was helpless and said, "Please, father, give Fusu some face."
"You're not very old, but you're so particular." Ying Zheng pinched his eldest son's face and said, "Tell me about your problem. Perhaps I can help you."
Fusu was lying in his father's arms. Hearing this, he jumped up so that he could rest his head comfortably on his father's shoulder. Then he said, "I want two things. I also want a caravan. It would be best if we could trade with the Xiongnu."
Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's talk about it separately."
Fusu said: "There is a tree with a kind of insect attached to it. This insect can secrete something that can be used to make candles."
"Candle?" Ying Zheng turned his head and looked at the honey candles in his palace.
Honey candles are a rare commodity nowadays. No one can afford them except the top nobles. This is why the ancients worked from sunrise to sunset and rested from sunset to sunrise.
"Well, this secretion is easy to obtain and can be used to make a lot of very cheap candles." Fusu said, "Then the other tree is actually the tea tree. There are many in the Bashu region. I would like to ask my father to send people there to teach them more about tea making methods, and then have caravans sell it to the Xiongnu."
Putting the candle issue aside for now, Ying Zheng couldn't figure out the logic behind the following sentence, so he asked: "Why sell tea to the Huns?"
Tea is no longer a drink, but is circulated as medicine. In Ying Zheng's view, there must be a purpose for giving this medicine to the Huns.
Fusu brought up the all-powerful ancient kings: "Father, the ancient kings said that the Xiongnu people graze year-round and have no fixed place to live. Normally, they eat mostly meat and milk. They eat very little grain and fruits, and they are not easy to carry. But tea is different. It is easy to carry with you. So they need tea to remove greasiness and make up for the health that meat and milk cannot provide."
Ying Zheng seemed to be thinking about something. The Huns had been a major concern for the Central Plains for many years. The northern vassal states such as Qin and Zhao were often harassed by the Huns, but because the fighting between the vassal states could never be stopped, no one could do their best to deal with the Huns, and they could only watch them jump around.
In Ying Zheng's plan, dealing with the Huns should be done after conquering the six kingdoms, but if he can plan to do so now without having to spend any soldiers for the time being, he would still be happy to give it a try.
Thinking of this, Ying Zheng nodded and said, "Okay, didn't you mention Bashu? There is a person in Bashu who has a caravan."
Upon hearing this, Fusu knew who his father was talking about. Among the merchants in Ba, there was no other one except Ba Qing.
"Ba Qing, is she the one who gave your father the mercury and the one your father was rumored to be having an affair with?"
While watching a video on candle making, Fusu told Li Ying about his recent plans when asked by her. Unexpectedly, this was the first thing Li Ying said after hearing him.
Fusu said, "My father has no scandals with anyone. Ba Qing is older than..." He didn't know how to address Zhao Ji for a moment. After a pause, he continued, "She's older than the Queen Mother Zhao. What a scandal!"
"Wow." Li Ying successfully missed the point. "Young Master, you're so angry that it's easy for people to think you're guilty."
Fusu rolled his eyes: "It was you who framed my father first, and you're turning the tables and saying I'm guilty."
"They, they... I'm just relaying the information," Li Ying corrected. "Young Master, there are so many unreliable rumors out there. Let's just treat them with a normal attitude."
"It's easy to talk without any pain in the back. I'm sure you're not talking about your father." Fusu waved his hands irritably. "If you feel too idle, go and copy some information about tea planting and production. I can use it."
Li Ying felt a little guilty. He had indeed spoken so brazenly despite knowing it was a rumor. He reflected on it for a moment and then actually went to his phone to copy it down.
By the time he realized that he had been tricked by Fusu into working for nothing, it was too late.
…
The ministers of Qin State have been very busy lately.
Let’s not talk about the new iron furnace, papermaking, printing, horse harness, and crossbow carriage, which are still top secret, and just talk about other things.
In addition to the daily affairs, the agricultural tools and artificial incubation introduced before the New Year are still in progress, and the breeding manual is about to be promoted. These have not been completed yet, and the king plans to set up schools in various counties, and the selection of teachers has to be put on the agenda.
The court officials wished they could split each person in half, and even more so they wished they could have twenty-four hours in a day without eating or sleeping, otherwise they really would not be able to finish all these tasks.
Because the ministers were too busy, no one asked about the cup made by Fusu that Ying Zheng specially displayed for two days.
So, during the banquet that day, Ying Zheng deliberately picked up the cup and put it down, and then picked it up and put it down again. After repeating the action more than twice, someone finally came to ask.
Ying Zheng said calmly, "It was presented to me by the eldest son."
A familiar feeling came over them, and the courtiers put down their chopsticks stiffly and looked at each other.
Your Majesty... He is showing off his son again.
Now that the words have been delivered, even the most clueless person would know what to say next.
Therefore, everyone had to praise the young master for his filial piety first, then praise the king for his good teaching, and then combine the first two points to praise the good father for having a good son.
When this round of flattery was over and they were about to sit down, one person accidentally glanced at the porcelain cup in the king's hand, and then he couldn't move his eyes away.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, how was this cup... this cup made?" the man stepped out and asked.
Um?
The others were stunned, then angrily thought, "Isn't it over already? What else do you want? Find another angle to praise me? You're such a flatterer!"
Ying Zheng straightened his sleeves and said with a faint smile, "As for this, I didn't ask in detail."
The man sighed regretfully, thanked the king respectfully, and returned to his original position.
No... The others thought, you are exaggerating too much, it's just a cup... huh?
Everyone who looked at the porcelain cup critically was stunned. This cup... this cup...
Ying Zheng had already signaled to all the ministers to return to their seats. They dared not disobey, but their eyes kept darting around uncontrollably, trying to take a few more glances at the cup in the king's hand.
However, this was not the end. After a few days, not only the cup used by the king, but also his bowls and chopsticks, plates and dishes, the vases in his palace, his incense burners, and the pen holders where he placed his pens, all turned into utensils with a warm, smooth and translucent texture.
Although the shape was not perfect, the unprecedented luster still aroused the greed of the court officials - they wanted it too.
Finally, when a second person couldn't help but ask the king how these special instruments were made, all the court officials present pricked up their ears.
"Ah, this." Ying Zheng smiled, but said helplessly, "These were all made by the children for fun. My eldest son was the first to do it, and the children below followed his example, making these awful little things and insisting on presenting them to me. If I don't use them, those children's cries will shake the roof down and their tears will flood the Xianyang Palace."
Court officials: "..."
Knowing that you, my king, have a group of good children, they are not envious at all!
Not at all!
Ying Zheng looked at the expressions of his ministers below and nodded with satisfaction.
My eldest son is so good, and my other sons and daughters are so good. Whose children can compare with my children?
It was actually Fusu's idea to have the children make different utensils to present to their father.
Since his work was going to be taken by his father to be embarrassed in front of the court officials, he might as well expand the scope.
When everyone is embarrassed, then I won’t be embarrassed, Fusu thought.
However, the final result was not what Fusu wished. The children showed great enthusiasm and pride in being able to present their father with gifts made by themselves.
It's a disgrace to give it to your own father! They don't know what shame is.
As for Ying Zheng, he felt very happy and pleased that his eldest son led his brothers and sisters to be filial to their father. He had no other thoughts about it, and immediately ordered all the utensils in his palace to be replaced with those made by the children.
As for Fusu...
We are a harmonious family, so why should I be embarrassed? Fusu thought contentedly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com