Chapter 188: The Beautiful Palace Maid...
Qi Chengming returned to his residence full of confidence, and the first thing he did was write a letter to Doctor Bian.
Regardless of whether the person returns or not, he has done his part, and that's his contribution. In the next few days, he will send his old imperial physician to check on the Minister of Justice.
"Your Highness is so happy today?" Gan Tang, who was sewing an undergarment in the main courtyard, looked up and saw the young prince striding over with an uncontainable joy on his face. She asked him curiously.
Xiao Dezi hurriedly poured tea for His Highness, winking as he walked past, saying, "It seems everyone knows that our manor has truly risen to prominence."
Gan Tang, being composed, didn't ask any more questions, and smiled, revealing a sweet dimple.
"Today is a day of rest for the court officials. The hot water room is well prepared. Would Your Highness like to take a bath?" A familiar-looking second-class eunuch asked shrewdly at the door.
Qi Chengming drank two cups of tea in one go before stopping, which quenched his thirst a little. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Then let's wash."
People are in high spirits when they have good news.
Even though the Prince Rui's residence didn't usually follow the rule of bathing only on officials' days off, he bathed very frequently on ordinary days. But now that everything was ready, Qi Chengming was happy.
—It deserves a grand celebration!
Now the entire main courtyard revolves around him.
Gan Tang put away her undergarments and went inside to fetch a new set of underwear without asking anyone to help. Three strong, rough-looking palace maids carried the bath tub to a side room, while a eunuch waited at the door, ready to add water at any time.
Qi Chengming dismissed them and went to wash first. He ultimately lacked the ancients' detached sense of privacy and couldn't treat his servants like inanimate objects.
Ancient wooden bathtubs were heavy and cumbersome, but those used by princes were naturally of the best design, with an inner curve for sitting and a non-slip surface. Qi Chengming tilted his head back, and even when it dangled over the edge, he wasn't uncomfortable; the angle was just right.
He stared at the ceiling, drowsily calculating his next move while soaking in the hot water.
The honeycomb briquette factory is now just a matter of his word; the Vice Minister of Works has already led a team to select a site and begin construction. The craftsmen for firing the furnaces have also been allocated, but the most crucial issue is how to make the honeycomb briquettes…
Bishu is working hard to adjust the proportions for the research. If it succeeds, should we take advantage of this critical moment and give her an official position in the royal palace?
Qi Chengming hesitated, unsure if now was a good time.
Bi Shu had originally been appointed as a female official by him, but this was not recognized by the imperial court before. It was as if Qi Chengming was paying for her to be supported. In Liuzhou, a place where his word was law, the people and officials followed suit and acknowledged this.
I was still thinking about keeping a low profile when I returned to Beijing...
Now that so many official positions are vacant in his palace awaiting conferment, should he take such a risky and radical step? Or would it be more advantageous to wait until he has established himself firmly before bestowing titles upon them?
One approach is to reward merit, and Bi Shu, a rare female scientist in ancient times, deserves her rightful place. However, if the timing of her entry is wrong, it could cause a serious backlash, which would negatively impact the perception and understanding of the future establishment of the female official system.
Another option is to temporarily relegate Bishu to a low-key role that appears simple on the surface but is actually glamorous on the inside... and then introduce her naturally when the time is right. But when will that time be right?
Qi Chengming was weighing the pros and cons. He hadn't filled out and published the appointment list in the past few days because he was struggling with this issue and hadn't come to a conclusion yet.
There was a slight noise at the doorway.
"Your Highness." A respectful voice rang out; it was a familiar second-class eunuch.
"What happened?" Qi Chengming was startled and opened his eyes to ask.
The eunuch lifted the curtain, entered, bowed respectfully, and replied, "This servant is a second-class eunuch from the inner palace, temporarily serving as the head eunuch. His Majesty just bestowed two palace maids upon the residence, and Chief Eunuch Song sent this servant to request His Highness's instructions...?"
Qi Chengming quickly sat up in the water, fully sober, and asked him to repeat, "What did you send?!"
After understanding, Qi Chengming's anxiety subsided.
"Should we have them serve His Highness during his bath?" the eunuch asked obsequiously, his attempt to flatter backfired spectacularly.
Qi Chengming denied it with a blank face: "No, since Father Emperor has given me palace maids, let them serve in the main courtyard. It just so happens that I am short of a first-class palace maid."
"...?" The second-class eunuch looked up in surprise, hesitated, wanted to say something but didn't have the courage to speak, and finally, unable to hold it in any longer, he carefully left.
Qi Chengming lost interest in washing his hair and called for a young eunuch to come in and wash it. He then gave it a quick, haphazard wipe and left.
Sure enough, upon hearing the news, Nanny Liu rushed over and sat listlessly at the table.
Qi Chengming paused, and before he could speak, his eyes fell on the two unfamiliar palace maids diligently serving Liu's wet nurse: "..."
No, these are the two, right?
He couldn't help but silently complain in his mind:
...What's gotten into you, Emperor Hongren?!
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Author's Note: Feeling dizzy and sick again, I collapsed after finishing the word count for the rankings. That's all for this chapter.
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