Qin Qianluo returned home and entered her space for training as usual. Then she began designing the specific decorations for the factory and farmhouse. The farm occupied a large area, and it was thanks to her mother's generosity that she received a considerable monthly allowance. Her older brother and sister also gave her pocket money on a regular basis. Over the past ten years, Qin Qianluo had kept all the red envelopes she received herself. Since acquiring the space, she had been storing her banknotes in it for emergencies; otherwise, she really couldn't afford such a large farm.
With a deft stroke of her pen, Qin Qianluo marked out the locations of the factories. She originally intended to reserve only two factory sites, but considering that since she was going to do business, she couldn't afford to fall behind in production, so she reserved six factory sites. The remaining area was divided into residential and farming areas. After roughly dividing the area, she began designing the specific interior decorations. Time passed slowly as Qin Qianluo wrote and drew.
After having dinner, Qin Qianluo did not continue drawing. Instead, she took a book, leaned against the soft couch, and read for a while, planning to continue tomorrow.
The next morning at court, the Vice Minister of Revenue reported on the use of cotton and wool. Even though the Emperor already knew about this from Qin Qianluo's thoughts, he was overjoyed upon hearing the news. He waved his hand, instructing the Ministry of Revenue to proceed with the plan, with the Ministry of Works providing proper cooperation. Qin Qianluo smiled, thinking that the people's winter warmth was now assured. Just as she was about to sneak a snack, a thought flashed through her mind: warmth. Suddenly, she realized what she had overlooked, and a mixture of excitement and regret welled up inside her: '001, I know what I forgot!'
Upon hearing this, 001 asked curiously, "What has Luo Bao forgotten?"
The people in the meeting listened intently; anything that could excite Lord Qin like this must be something beneficial to the country and its people.
Qin Qianluo spoke sullenly, "My design plans all included spaces for underfloor heating and fireplaces, and the houses in the farmhouses were all designed with heated brick beds. However, I didn't consider iron, and I didn't give these winter heating methods to my father. He should have taken them to the Emperor to implement them, so that the people could have a better winter. And then there's coal mining, charcoal production... Ugh! What was I thinking? I even thought of cotton-padded clothes, why didn't I think of this? It's clearly in the design plans, why did I overlook the people's heating needs?"
Qin Qianluo's voice was filled with self-reproach. It was true that she had forgotten and hadn't thought about the people's housing situation at all. She blamed herself for being slow to react and fell into deep self-reproach. Su Xiang, who was in front of her, turned his head slightly and saw Qin Qianluo's face full of self-reproach. He felt a pang of pain in his heart. These were clearly issues that officials like them should consider. Qianluo had already done a great job and didn't need to blame herself. He wanted to reach out and pat her head to comfort the girl who was caught in self-reproach, but he was also worried about not revealing his true feelings and dared not reach out.
Seeing his youngest daughter's self-reproachful expression, Prime Minister Qin felt a pang of guilt. She didn't need to do these things; it was all his fault for causing her so much trouble. The other officials, hearing this, also felt sorry for the young Prime Minister Qin, who was currently blaming himself. In truth, he had already thought things through quite comprehensively. The methods for catching corrupt officials and rebels, the repeating crossbow, and papermaking—all of these were his ideas, and he hadn't sought credit for them at all, secretly sharing the methods with everyone. Now, he was still blaming himself for overlooking something. The officials blushed with shame.
The emperor at the head of the table also felt somewhat ashamed. These were all his responsibilities, and the girl from the Qin family had shared his burdens, yet he felt so guilty for forgetting some things. He realized that he had indeed been too relaxed as emperor, especially after the girl from the Qin family came to court. He was even more relaxed now that there were no corrupt officials, those who had harmed him had been caught, and all the rebels had been brought to justice. The court officials were now working harder than ever, and all of this was thanks to the girl from the Qin family.
Seeing Qin Qianluo so remorseful, 001 spoke in a soft, childlike voice, soothingly, "Luobao, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. You've just been too busy lately and neglected it. Besides, it's only early spring; there's still time."
Hearing 001's words, Qin Qianluo recovered. "Luckily, I remembered now. 001, you're right, there's still time. Please write this down for me. Since we're building a fire pit, we need red bricks, wire, and cement. We have the cement now, but we're still missing red bricks and wire. Fortunately, we reserved six factory sites when designing the factory location, so we can expedite the construction of the brick kiln and ironworks. It's just that iron is a bit difficult to obtain. There are too few iron mines discovered so far, and even fewer that are usable by the common people. 001, could you check if there are any undiscovered iron mines within Tianxuan territory? There should be quite a few coal mines, since coal hasn't been discovered yet; people generally use wood and charcoal. Please also find the locations of coal mines, mark them, and give them to me. Also, please print out the methods for making underfloor heating, fire walls, and kang beds."
"Okay, my dear, don't worry, I'm here. I won't let you down."
Qin Qianluo smiled upon hearing this, her mind already planning her next move. There were so many things to do that she couldn't quite remember them all; she'd have to write them down when she got home from court, lest she forget something. The officials, seeing that 001 had appeased their young mistress, felt relieved. Thankfully, 001 was there. They were quite excited upon hearing about iron mines, coal mines, and underfloor heating, especially the people from the Ministry of Works. They were already excited about heated brick beds and walls, and now, underfloor heating—why use iron? Everyone pondered silently, not forgetting to multitask and quietly discuss state affairs.
Upon hearing Qin Qianluo's thoughts, the Emperor's breathing became somewhat labored. He didn't understand the rest, but iron ore was extremely rare. How could 001 even know the location of an iron ore mine? The Emperor gripped the dragon throne tightly with both hands, trying to control his excited emotions.
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