Su Jinyun received a questioning look from Prime Minister Qin, recalled the report from the secret guards, and saw the Emperor's resentful gaze. She shook her head with amusement, put down her work, walked to Prime Minister Qin's side, and said softly, "Qianluo has put away some of the blueprints she gave us this time, including some gold, silver, and copper mines, as well as blueprints for weapons manufacturing and minerals from other countries. It seems there are also steel blueprints. Qianluo is afraid that giving out too many at once will arouse suspicion and make people investigate their origins. The Emperor is now feeling sorry for those blueprints that he didn't get."
Hearing Su Xiang's explanation, Prime Minister Qin felt a pang of regret, but he would not admit that his daughter was wrong. In any case, the items were in Luo'er's spatial storage and would definitely be taken out in the future, so there was no rush. Prime Minister Qin bowed and said, "Your Majesty need not worry too much. What my daughter has taken out is enough for everyone to study for a while. There is no urgent war at present, so there is no need to rush the weapons. Luo'er will take them out eventually."
Su Jinyun echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty, Lord Qin will bring it out later. There's no need to rush. Let's study the existing items first."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor knew in his heart that the young lady from the Qin family would produce the blueprints sooner or later, and that the existing blueprints were enough for the Ministry of Works to study for some time. He was just a little heartbroken that he knew they existed but couldn't get them now. He waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "I know. You two go and get busy."
After Qin Qianluo finished her training, she took out the blueprints that she hadn't finished yesterday, perfected the design, and carefully designed the brick kiln and smelter. She decided to build these two first so that the houses could be built with red bricks. After all the designs were completed, she went to the slave trader and bought fifty or sixty servants and more than ten maids. She took them to the farm in the suburbs. Most of the servants she bought were literate. After arranging the personnel, the brick kiln and smelter were put into construction. She also sent word to the shops in the capital, asking the scholars to wait until the smelter and brick kiln were completed before continuing the shop decoration.
As time passed, good news finally came from the Ministry of Works: the heated kang (heated brick bed) and heated walls had been successfully constructed. After a trial run, the room was indeed warm and cozy. Moreover, a stove could be built at the fire pit outside, which could be used for cooking and boiling water, so that hot water would be readily available in winter. Upon learning of the successful construction, the Emperor hurried to the site where the Ministry of Works had built the kang and heated walls. He was overjoyed and, with a wave of his hand, bestowed countless amounts of gold and silver upon the workers.
After receiving his reward, Minister of Works Shi Xingbai clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, we have now fully mastered the construction methods of heated kang beds and heated walls, and the firing method of red bricks is also mature. The only thing that has not yet been studied is the iron pipe. Once the iron pipe is studied, we can begin to study underfloor heating."
The Emperor smiled and said, "Minister Shi, you've worked hard. Hurry up and study it, and promote it as soon as possible. Before winter comes, all the people of Tianxuan should be using these heated kang beds and heated walls. As for the underfloor heating..." The Emperor pondered for a moment and continued, "Minister Shi, you can go to the farm of the Qin family girl. She has already manufactured and is using it there."
Upon hearing this, Shi Xingbai's eyes widened. He had been studying these things almost every day for the past month and hadn't paid much attention to Lord Qin's actions. He hadn't expected Lord Qin to act so quickly and already be able to use it. He even said that he should visit the Prime Minister's residence: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your guidance. I will visit the Prime Minister's residence soon to bother Lord Qin."
The Emperor nodded smugly, secretly pleased. Once these were manufactured and widely distributed, the weapons and such would follow. He was truly clever. However, he also needed to remind the generals to play the victim before Lord Qin. Since Lord Qin seemed so fond of beautiful women, he'd send General Mu instead. The Emperor returned to his study, deciding that this would be the plan.
Qin Qianluo was unaware that she was being targeted. She was currently putting the finishing touches on her shop, preparing to open it in the next few days. Looking at the shop's interior decoration, she nodded in satisfaction. A cashier's counter was set up at the entrance on the first floor, and the windows were all made of glass. Yes, that's right, Qin Qianluo had built another glass factory. After giving the formula to Qin Xiang, she was already using it herself. Behind the cashier's counter was a glass door, and the shelves were full of high-quality writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Most of them were not for sale, but just for show. Beyond the cashier's counter were the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for sale, neatly arranged in specially made cabinets, with clearly marked price tags that made it easy to understand at a glance.
Further inside, there are rows of bookshelves with clearly categorized books, making it easy to find what you want. Below the bookshelves, Qin Qianluo has built cabinets with doors, so that the bookshelves on top and the books below can be stored, keeping everything organized. Near the window, there are several glass-enclosed areas. Qin Qianluo designed this area as a place to read inside the store. She built a low platform with a wooden board on top. The wooden board, coated with wood paint from the space, looks incredibly smooth. She also placed a low table and a soft cushion on it, so that people can write at any time. Because this side is by the window, the sunlight shines through the glass, making this place feel warm and cozy. If you are worried about the sun in the summer, you can draw the specially installed curtains. Qin Qianluo used a round wooden rod as the window and hung soft fabric on it, which can block the light and also adds a touch of elegance. The inside and outside of the fabric are painted with bamboo, which Qin Qianluo specially commissioned. When the curtains are drawn, people inside and outside the store can see the green bamboo on the curtains.
The entire shop was covered with carpets specially woven by Qin Qianluo, so walking on them wouldn't make much noise. Turning the corner and going up to the second floor, you'd see a screen painted with lotus flowers. Beyond the screen were rows of bookshelves, arranged in an orderly fashion. Qin Qianluo had converted one side of the shop into small cubicles, each easily accommodating six or seven people. There were nine cubicles in total, each with similar furnishings. Qin Qianluo had also reserved a private room for herself on the second floor. The entire shop had excellent ventilation, so it wouldn't feel stuffy in the summer. During the renovation, Qin Qianluo had secretly taken out a generator and installed LED strip lights throughout the shop. She had discovered this by chance in a spatial dimension. There was also a small refrigeration unit, which Qin Qianluo had quietly placed in the ceiling. With underfloor heating in winter and refrigeration in summer, Qin Qianluo's bookstore could be said to be the best place in the capital. Moreover, the lighting was soft and easy on the eyes, and every corner of the shop was clearly visible when the lights were on at night.
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