Chapter 33. After leaving the weaving room, the roar of the looms...
Even after leaving the weaving room, the roaring looms, the mountains of cloth, and the weavers' orderly work remained in the minds of those who had witnessed such a scene for the first time, leaving them in a state of awe for a long time.
The Confucian scholar Chunyu Yue praised, "When the people have a livelihood, thieves will not arise, and granaries will be full." He had already seen the love for the people advocated by the Confucian sages in Lin Fengzhi's act of recruiting women to work.
The others also had their own insights, but they kept them to themselves, waiting to see how the First Emperor would treat this seemingly mystical woman.
The First Emperor and Lin Fengzhi were mostly silent, neither of them having figured out how to treat the other.
Ying Zheng did so because he had not yet received answers to the core questions from Lin Fengzhi.
He glanced longingly at Lin Fengzhi, who was leading the way, thinking to himself that he had been too rushed last night and overwhelmed by the fireworks and the phantom of the black bird to ask for clarification.
Who are you? What is your relationship with the Black Bird? How can the Black Bird's previous prophecy be resolved? Will I die a violent death? Will my empire last forever or fall apart? The Black Bird flew southwest from my dream and entered your body—is this the will of the gods?
Most importantly, can you offer any prophecies or divine magic?
Lin Fengzhi could clearly feel the First Emperor's gaze lingering on her from time to time. After a moment's thought, she quickly figured out the key to it.
She pondered all night how to openly enter the still-unfinished mausoleum at Mount Li. After much thought, she concluded that apart from officials from the Imperial Household Department, the only other option was to feign matters of ghosts and spirits. Although she didn't know exactly what the Black Bird was, she knew she had to make good use of it and not be complacent.
"Your Majesty, what do you think is the meaning of the black bird entering your dream?" Lin Fengzhi stopped under a large tree, with the sound of students reciting their lessons coming from a school not far away. Sunlight filtered through the trees, leaving dappled patterns of light and shadow, and the sweltering heat seemed to have subsided.
They've arrived.
Ying Zheng thought to himself, "The so-called test of the gods has come at such an abrupt time and place. Whether I can keep Lin Fengzhi depends on my answer at this moment."
Ying Zheng waved his hand, and everyone stopped in their tracks, the majestic emperor standing with his hands behind his back.
From the moment the black bird entered his dream, everything—from the contents of the Langya stone inscription to the events of the next day, and even the clues about the Nine Tripods of Sishui—was irrefutably proven. What remained were the potential dangers of the successor and the experience of death, and the First Emperor himself leaned towards the truth.
For Ying Zheng, the greatest significance of the black bird entering his dream was that it gave him the opportunity to glimpse life and death and defy fate. He longed for the great shaman before him to give a clear answer on the "method of immortality," yet he also feared the pronouncement that "fate is hard to defy."
"I have pacified the six kingdoms, ending four hundred years of chaos and strife; I have abolished feudalism and established prefectures and counties, centralizing power so that the nine provinces are at my beck and call; I have standardized cart tracks, written language, weights and measures, and ethical conduct, so that the common people know to abide by one law; highways connect the world, and the Great Wall guards the northern frontier. This is not merely for the peace of this era, but to establish a foundation for all ages. I have established the empire and laid an unprecedented foundation for all ages. How could I not be favored by the Black Bird?"
The First Emperor's words, which highlighted his achievements, resonated deeply with Lin Fengzhi. People of the time harbored doubts and questions about the First Emperor's decisions, and even some of his ministers and eldest son did not support his political views.
Lin Fengzhi, however, knew very well how valuable the unified empire and the prefecture-county system were.
What does it mean that Qin laws were followed for generations?
After the First Emperor's death, the empire descended into chaos. Hu Hai, the son of a powerful ruler, recklessly squandered his ancestors' legacy, causing the Qin Dynasty to crumble within three years. The Chu-Han Contention then ensued, and it took a long time for this land to recover and once again stand tall among the nations of the world.
If there is any possibility of change, Lin Fengzhi cannot stand idly by and watch such a thing happen again.
"The black bird entering my dream is an auspicious sign from heaven, a blessing upon the Great Qin. I have thought of it day and night, never daring to forget it. I am always vigilant, guarding this great undertaking so that it will not fall. The gods are worried that the foundation of the nation will be unstable after my death, hence their appearance in my dream." The First Emperor suddenly looked directly at Lin Fengzhi, recalling the hint Lin Fengzhi had given him in the weaving room, and said without hesitation, "I only wish for peace and stability for the nation, and for a firm foundation of the country," in order to seek immortality.
Lin Fengzhi was slightly stunned, thinking to herself, this is the First Emperor as recorded in history books. He forged order with iron and blood, defined history with power, and all his merits and demerits are contained in the thunderous weight of the three words "First Emperor".
The First Emperor extended his hand to her as a symbol of acceptance, his eyes blazing: "I beseech the divine messenger to represent the people of Great Qin and to join me in understanding the Way of Heaven."
"I will certainly strive to do so." Lin Fengzhi returned the handshake and spoke frankly: "Your Majesty is wise, but the spirit of the Black Bird is not something an ordinary person can control. Although I have a feeling for it, I am not omniscient or omnipotent. I can answer the questions in Your Majesty's dream, but if there are any changes afterward, I do not know the consequences. In that case, is Your Majesty still willing to change?"
The First Emperor thought to himself, could there be a more tragic way to die than a salted fish? The First Emperor answered her with the words of Shang Yang: "There is no single way to govern the world, and there is no single way to make a country prosperous."
Did the Qin Dynasty, which transformed from a remote border region into the unified Qin Dynasty that now governs six kingdoms, remain unchanged?
"The Imperial Mausoleum at Mount Li is a place where the workings of heaven and earth converge. When I arrived in Xianyang, I had to go to Mount Li to comprehend the workings of heaven and earth."
"Excellent!" The First Emperor praised, supporting himself with his hand. He had originally intended to bring Lin Fengzhi to Xianyang, but fearing she might change her mind, he quickly made arrangements: "Your Excellency is the Divine Envoy of the Black Bird, and you have created the Slanted Loom, the Iron Sword, and other items that benefit the country and its people. You should be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and a thousand bushels of pearls and jade. Since the Divine Envoy was born in Xiangshan, then the Xiangshan area shall be designated as the Divine Envoy's fief. Seeing the Divine Envoy shall be as if I were personally present."
Magistrate Feng suddenly looked up, thinking to himself that he had really climbed onto a super powerful patron.
After unifying China, the First Emperor firmly implemented the prefecture-county system. Unlike during the Warring States period, he no longer bestowed land and people as hereditary fiefs upon meritorious officials or members of the royal family. Instead, rewards for meritorious officials and members of the royal family were mainly reflected in titles, official positions, wealth, and honors, ensuring that power was highly concentrated in the hands of the emperor.
The fiefdoms mentioned at this time were fundamentally different from those before the Warring States period. During the Warring States period, the recipient of a fiefdom enjoyed complete autonomy over the territory; however, the fiefdoms mentioned by the First Emperor meant that the taxes of the territory were paid to the recipient, who had no right to interfere in the administration, judiciary, or military affairs of the territory.
Even so, the fact that the First Emperor designated Xiangshan as the fiefdom of the Great Witch was enough to shock the onlookers.
Especially the following sentence, "as if I were personally present."
Wang Ben was initially displeased with the First Emperor's long journey for some miraculous event, assuming he was no different from the usual so-called immortals and alchemists, at most having created a steel sword that piqued his interest. However, he was unexpectedly captivated by the spectacular fireworks display upon their first meeting. Now, hearing the First Emperor's bestowal of honors, he silently nodded in approval, feeling that the First Emperor was far better than that old man who claimed to be over seventy.
At least they have real, visible skills.
Lin Fengzhi raised an eyebrow slightly, thanked the First Emperor for the reward, turned to look at the curious Keluo children peeking out from the side, and her heart softened. She said, "Money is but an external thing. I am grateful for Your Majesty's kindness and wish to benefit my hometown by using my fiefdom to establish a school here. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."
Qi squeezed out from the group of little kids, tears welling in his eyes: "Great Wizard!"
Lin Fengzhi smiled reassuringly at him and continued, “If Your Majesty intends to establish slanted looms in every prefecture of the Great Qin, Magistrate Feng Yin of Qianling County, our clan leader An, and the weaver Xiao Shui from earlier—all of these people have extensive experience. No one understands weaving, dyeing, and embroidery better than An, and Xiao Shui is most knowledgeable about standardized production and quality control. As for the transportation and sale of the cloth, Your Majesty can have Magistrate Feng submit a report. Without Magistrate Feng's strong support, how could the weaving workshops have reached their current scale?”
Everyone's gaze slowly turned to the back. Magistrate Feng's face was flushed, and he was extremely excited. Although he had promised Lin Fengzhi a bright future, he hadn't actually put in much effort yet, and she had already attracted Meng Yi herself. Now, the Great Shaman was recommending him to the First Emperor, which was surely out of gratitude for his past help.
Magistrate Feng was both grateful and ashamed. He had been cautious and hadn't told the great shaman Xu Fu about his fate. He truly judged a gentleman by the standards of a petty person.
The First Emperor favored practical talents. Since he believed Lin Fengzhi to be a divine messenger, he also trusted her assessment of the contributions made to the weaving workshop. He genuinely had ideas about the slanted loom, and he pondered, "Having mastered the art of commerce and rendered meritorious service to Qin, I hereby promote her rank by five grades, from Grand Master (rank five) to Fifth Grand Master (rank nine). I transfer her to the position of Assistant Minister of Grain Supply, in charge of the Imperial Weaving Workshop, overseeing all the looms in the empire. It is imperative that this Xiangjun cloth spread throughout the land from the Xiang River, ensuring that every person in Qin has clothing to wear."
The Qin Dynasty implemented a twenty-rank system of nobility. Rank was the most important measure of social status, privileges, and wealth. Military merit was the primary means of obtaining a rank, but other significant contributions could also earn one.
Having been promoted in rank and position, Magistrate Feng wished he could kowtow to Lin Fengzhi, and he repeatedly knelt to thank the First Emperor.
The Minister of Agriculture stroked his beard, looked at his future subordinate, and raised his eyebrows.
"As for the clan chief An and the weaver Xiaoshui," the First Emperor remembered the calm and elderly female clan chief and the weaver who had arranged the weaving workshop in an orderly manner. Hearing that An was also the great mother of the great shaman, he could not be negligent: "Commoner women have no titles. Considering An's contributions to weaving, she is granted the title of Bugeng (fourth grade), and given an annual allowance of fifty catties of salt and twenty bolts of silk. Xiaoshui's title is reduced."
The First Emperor paused, hesitant about granting official positions to the two men. Qin law stipulated that women could not serve as officials, but noble titles could be bestowed upon them. But now, Lin Fengzhi watched as Magistrate Feng was promoted, while her closer relatives only received noble titles. Did she truly have no thoughts about this?
Chunyu Yue seemed to sense the First Emperor's hesitation and immediately spoke up: "Your Majesty, how can a woman enter the court? Isn't this a reversal of yin and yang? Haven't you heard that a hen crowing at dawn will surely bring disaster?"
Lin Fengzhi gave a cold laugh. Benefiting from the Confucian ideas of individualized education and benevolent governance, she had a favorable impression of Confucianism. However, this did not mean that she completely agreed with all Confucian ideas.
“This one,” her face turned cold, “First of all, why can’t a woman enter the court? When Empress Dowager Xuan ruled from behind the curtain, she eliminated future troubles for Qin and expanded its territory. Isn’t that an achievement? Everyone has witnessed the development of the Keluo people. Without me, how could they have developed into what they are today? Secondly, if we’re really talking about rewards, I invented the slanted loom, the water-powered millstone couldn’t have been invented without me, the steel sword and the blast furnace were made by me, and there will be a continuous stream of things benefiting Qin from me in the future. With my achievements, shouldn’t I be granted an official position, Your Majesty?”
"Of course." The First Emperor's eyes were deep as he looked at Chunyu Yue: "What merit have you rendered to the Great Qin?"
He was a man of great pragmatism. Although he found it challenging to appoint women to official positions, he was willing to amend the Qin laws for them if the benefits were sufficient.
"Furthermore, if a flock of chickens lacks roosters for a long time, some hens will naturally become roosters to reproduce and propagate the flock. If you don't believe me, try it yourself."
Chunyu Yue's eyes widened: "Absurd!"
I thought this person was a true follower of the Confucian sages, but I never imagined she was also a wicked woman.
His colleague tugged at his sleeve, and he noticed the First Emperor's displeased expression, immediately falling silent.
"His Majesty seems to have already appointed women to official positions." Meng Yi hesitated, then took out a document from his sleeve, which clearly stated that the Great Shaman Guanyue was appointed as the Grand Diviner, and was also stamped with the imperial seal.
Guan Yue herself was taken aback and stepped out from the crowd to examine the document closely. She read it carefully, word by word, and murmured, "It really is true."
Li Si then realized that none of them had verified Guan Yue's gender, assuming she was a man. This led to the creation of such a document.
The First Emperor was furious: "Women who have rendered meritorious service, why can't they be granted official positions? Guanyue presented a good remedy to cure dysentery, and the Great Shaman presented many tools that benefit the country and the people. What's wrong with them wanting official positions? Since there is no precedent, I will make it a precedent today!"
The moment the First Emperor uttered these words, all the controversy seemed to be put on hold. His strong and decisive nature was well-known, and he almost always succeeded in whatever he set his mind to.
"It is a great fortune for Great Qin to have obtained the divine messenger. From now on, anyone who speaks ill of the divine messenger shall be executed."
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Lin Fengzhi felt a little relieved and thought it was great to have the First Emperor as a leader.
She specifically instructed the cook to use all her skills to entertain the First Emperor, whether it was noodles, tofu, or stir-fries.
In short, the main focus is on something that even the First Emperor of Qin had never eaten.
Yes, after the blast furnace was completed, Lin Fengzhi painstakingly managed to make a wok, and finally got to eat stir-fried dishes.
The aroma of the stir-fried dishes is incredibly strong.
The diet of the Qin Dynasty nobles was rich, but the unique aroma of stir-fried dishes and the layered taste of oil and seasonings were indeed beyond the understanding of the First Emperor.
Before long, the cook brought out several plates of fragrant stir-fried dishes: stir-fried deer antler with agastache leaves, stir-fried pheasant with dogwood, stir-fried assorted sunflower and scallion, and stir-fried river clams with ginger and leeks.
After the imperial taster tested the food for poison, the First Emperor began to sample each dish. The excellent color and enticing aroma of the stir-fried dishes reminded him of alchemists concocting elixirs. Given Lin Fengzhi's status, he even suspected that the food was a "miracle drug" or a "product of witchcraft."
He picked up a piece of the broad bean leaf with great interest, the slightly charred edges crackling crisply between his teeth. The people of Qin ate broad beans boiled until soft, and meat either sliced or stewed; they had never heard such a satisfying sound. Then, the juices locked in by the high temperature, mixed with scalding lard, burst forth. The wild umami of the venison was amplified and contained by the fat, no longer the loose, bland taste of boiled meat, but rather condensed into a savory "bullet," striking his tongue hard.
The scalding sensation made him instinctively gasp for air, but the ensuing surge of flavor caused his pupils to constrict slightly.
The spiciness of scallions and ginger is no longer submerged in the soup, but rather, enhanced by the oil, it cuts through all the mediocre flavors with a sharp, clear edge.
Every bite is full of contradictions: crisp and tender, hot and fresh, numbing and spicy... They do not coexist harmoniously, but rather clash and explode fiercely in the mouth, eventually converging into a primal and magnificent torrent of taste, washing over his extremely discerning palate, which had been nurtured by royal delicacies.
The First Emperor exclaimed, "I have tasted all the alchemists' elixirs, but none can compare to the wonder of this stir-fry!"
He ate with great relish.
Lin Fengzhi listened and slowly typed a question mark.
No, what did you eat?
What to taste?
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