Chapter 62 Chapter 62 I'm Not Stingy
Qianlong saw his son's expression change again and again, sometimes his eyes wide with shock, sometimes his brows furrowed so tightly that they could kill a mosquito. So he guessed, "Why? Is the steam engine you're talking about difficult?"
Yonglian came back to his senses and nodded.
Qianlong touched his son's little head and said to Khan Ama, "Don't worry. If it really doesn't work, let Yonglian write down what you said and go back to have the people in the Imperial Household Department draw the picture."
Yongzheng couldn't help but sigh, "Your Khan Ama is so good to you."
Yonglian nodded, smiled up at Khan Ama, and said, "No need, my son can draw it."
Soon, the eunuch brought paper and charcoal pencils. In order to let his son concentrate on drawing, Qianlong cleared out a space on the altar and put two cushions on it so that he could sit more comfortably.
He himself sat cross-legged on another cushion, watching Yonglian paint.
As Yonglian drew the picture, Yongzheng's spirit watched closely. "This steam engine really can replace horses! But the carriage would have to carry a lot of coal, and the weight wouldn't be comparable to an ordinary horse-drawn carriage."
Yonglian: "You mean, laying a single rail on the ground?"
Yongzheng's spirit: "...So that's how it's used. It's really suitable for transporting goods over long distances. With a vehicle like this, we won't have to worry about food being delivered in time for disaster relief. It'll be even more useful during wartime."
Since ancient times, food and fodder have been a major concern during wars. This was especially true during the Qing Dynasty's war with the Dzungar Khanate, where supplies had to be prepared six months or even a year in advance. Passing through various provinces along the way, troops might even be robbed or taken hostage. A faster train that could deliver everything in one stop would be incredibly convenient.
"It's just that laying the track takes a lot of work, doesn't it? Do you know how to lay the track?"
"Wow! So the West already has rails. I'll go back and ask." It was difficult to answer the Emperor's questions without arousing the Khan's suspicion. Yonglian's little brain was racing.
In order to transport coal, Europe first had tracks for horse-drawn carriages, and then trains.
Yongzheng became anxious when he heard this, "Do foreigners already have this kind of car?"
Yonglian: "So it's a horse-drawn carriage!"
Yongzheng breathed a sigh of relief. "Then we must hurry. We can try to repair a shorter one first."
Qianlong was completely bewildered as he listened. It was not until he emerged from the Imperial Ancestral Temple that he took a look at the blueprint and asked Yonglian, "Can this steam engine really replace horses?"
Yonglian said, "The Emperor said it is possible. It can also be installed on a ship, or used as a waterwheel to drive a loom."
But Yonglian now hoped it could be used to pump water in coal mines. He had never even left the capital, so naturally he had never seen a coal mine. He could only say it was the emperor's request, "The emperor heard that there are many industries in the court that need coal, so the main purpose of designing this steam engine is to use it in coal mines."
After returning to the palace, Qianlong personally summoned Haiwang, and the father and son handed him the drawings.
All they could say to the outside world was that it was designed by Yonglian, and they asked the Imperial Household Department to give it a try and see if it could be made.
Hai Wang had discussed the use of steam power with the craftsmen of the Imperial Household Department before and had already grasped some of the key points. Now, after seeing this blueprint, it was as if he had suddenly realized something.
He praised the Second Prince for his intelligence and then hurried to the Imperial Household Department.
Qianlong thought that the Imperial Household Department would be able to produce a steam engine quickly, but after waiting for three months, he had completely forgotten about it.
In February, Qianlong caught a cold and the empress took care of him personally.
Fortunately, he had a good health and after a little recuperation, he recovered by early March.
Qianlong was very happy and awarded the fifth-rank salary to several imperial doctors who helped him recover.
The imperial doctors hadn't expected to be promoted simply by curing a cold, and they were so grateful. They were so lucky to have such a generous master.
The imperial physicians served even more attentively. Most of the masters in the palace were in good health, except for Concubine Chun and the third prince Yongzhang, who had always been weak.
Although Yongzhang no longer had difficulty getting food, he still fell ill three to five times a year. Emperor Qianlong and Concubine Chun were always worried about the smallpox vaccination.
Yongzhang would be entering the Shangshufang next year, so vaccination could not be delayed any longer. Qianlong chose an auspicious day in March to vaccinate Yongzhang.
When Yonglian traveled back in time, Yonghuang, he and Niu Lun had already been vaccinated, so he had forgotten about the smallpox.
The technology of vaccinating against human smallpox is relatively mature these days, but it cannot be compared with cowpox because there are many children with weak constitutions who cannot withstand vaccination.
Moreover, generally children have to be at least three years old before they can be vaccinated against smallpox, but many children die from smallpox before the age of three.
This was the case with E'niang's second son, Yongcong. Yonglian did not want his father Khan and E'niang to experience the pain of losing a son.
Isn't it just cowpox? He has a Mongolian friend who can herd sheep, so it's not difficult to get rid of cowpox.
Because Yongzhang was now isolated for vaccination, it was not at all strange for Yonglian to talk about vaccination with the three young Mongolian boys.
Both Balzhuer and Dadu knew that many herders would be infected with cowpox, especially when milking cows.
"Will those who have been infected with cowpox get smallpox in the future?" Yonglian was curious.
Balzhuer and Dadu were stunned and thought carefully.
"Don't mention it, it seems that no one has ever had it." Dadu said, "But there are not many people in the Tumed tribe who are infected with smallpox." He previously thought that there was only a small population movement and no source of infection.
Balzhuer was a careless person and hadn't paid attention to this question. "Are you saying that cowpox and smallpox are related?"
Yonglian nodded. "From your description, isn't cowpox the same as smallpox that cows get?"
"No, no, no, cowpox doesn't have any symptoms, just a few blisters. It won't be fatal." Balzhuer said.
Alawangbu, who was standing nearby, thought for a moment and said, "What Grandpa is saying is that people who have been infected with cowpox will not get smallpox. Having cowpox is like having been vaccinated against human pox."
Yonglian looked at him with a smile, "You are really smart."
"How did you know, sir?" Dadu asked curiously.
Yonglian said, "I guessed it. You said that people who have been infected with cowpox rarely get smallpox."
Balzhuer said: "If cowpox can really replace human smallpox, it will be a great thing that benefits all people." They have all been vaccinated against human smallpox, and they feel uncomfortable for several days after the vaccination. Some of their brothers and sisters in the family have even had their brains damaged by high fever.
"Qingfengsi raises a large number of dairy cows. Second Prince might as well send someone to ask there." Alawangbu suggested.
Yonglian nodded and asked Balzhuer and Dadu to go with him to see Qianlong after school.
When Emperor Qianlong heard that people who had contracted cowpox were less likely to get smallpox, his first reaction was that it was a coincidence. The herders were strong and healthy, so perhaps their smallpox symptoms were milder.
But Yonglian kept asking her to send someone to Qingfengsi to inquire.
Qianlong was so pestered that he had no choice but to agree.
Yonglian also wrote a survey method, saying that it would be meaningful to investigate milkers who had not been infected with smallpox.
Two days later, the Imperial Household Department sent back the results, which showed that the milkmaid who had had cowpox had indeed not been infected with smallpox.
Many milkers were not sure whether they had cowpox. After the people from the Imperial Household Department checked them, they realized that the inexplicable blisters on their hands were caused by cowpox.
"Could it be that people who have had cowpox will not be infected with smallpox again?" Qianlong pondered for a moment and asked the Qingfeng Division to find a few milkers who had made mistakes and had been infected with cowpox.
After testing the princes' homework in the afternoon, Qianlong asked Yonglian to stay.
"If it is true as you say, then a milkmaid who has had cowpox will never get smallpox again."
Seeing that Khan Ama couldn't hold back his smile, as if he was about to pop a bottle of champagne at halftime, Yonglian quickly said, "We need to do further experiments. Let's try vaccinating them with smallpox."
Qianlong smiled and said, "I have already thought about it. We cannot take risks on such a big matter."
The father and son called the imperial physician over and discussed the experimental steps. First, they wanted to determine whether cowpox could make people immune to smallpox. Then they would find a few people who had never had cowpox or human pox, vaccinate them with cowpox, and then vaccinate them with human pox after a while.
There were also issues such as the method of vaccinating against cowpox, which the imperial doctors needed to explore themselves.
Because Emperor Qianlong was very generous to the imperial physicians, they were now very motivated and took this matter very seriously. They even wrote a complete protocol for the cowpox experiment.
Qianlong specifically told them not to spread the news before the experimental results came out.
Although it seems to be 60% to 70% certain at the moment, what if it fails?
The cowpox experiment was carried out here, and Yongzhang came out safely from the smallpox clinic.
The little guy had lost weight again, and Concubine Chun was so distressed that she asked the kitchen to make different kinds of delicious food for him. However, Yongzhang would get indigestion if he ate a little more, and he had no interest in chicken soup or fish soup.
For breakfast that day, the small kitchen prepared sweet potato porridge. Yonglian remembered that sweet potato porridge could help digestion and was also very nutritious, so he asked someone to send the porridge to Yongzhang.
He knew that Xiao Yongzhang was a bit picky about food, so he specifically told Ma Rui, "Let your third brother try it and see if he likes it. If he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to eat it."
In Zhongcui Palace, the nanny was coaxing Yongzhang to drink chicken soup. After saying a few nice words, the little guy reluctantly took a sip.
Concubine Chun was watching Dezhi worriedly, and when they heard that the eunuchs around the Second Prince were coming, everyone was stunned.
Ma Rui smiled and said, "This is the sweet potato porridge that the Second Prince asked me to bring. The Second Prince said that drinking sweet potato porridge helps the spleen and stomach digest food, so let the Third Prince try it."
Concubine Chun quickly thanked him, "It's hard for Second Prince to think about our Yongzhang. I will go and thank you in person later."
As she spoke, she ordered the palace maid to grab a handful of money and give it to Ma Rui.
After Ma Rui left, Concubine Chun asked Yongzhang's wet nurse, Madam Zhao, to feed him sweet potato porridge. Madam Zhao couldn't help but curl her lips and said, "Second Prince is too stingy. He even had someone bring him a bowl of sweet potato porridge. Our Third Prince doesn't even want to drink chicken soup, so why would he be interested in sweet potato porridge?"
When little Yongzhang heard that this was some delicious food sent by his second brother, he was just waiting to be fed. But when he heard this, his face suddenly puffed up and he glared at Zhao Ma: "Don't you dare say that about my second brother!"
"My Lord, I am speaking on your side. Do you know who eats these sweet potatoes?" Madam Zhao said, "They are eaten by the hungry people."
Yong Zhang didn’t understand what starving people meant, he only knew that what his second brother gave him must be a good thing.
Concubine Chun also felt that sweet potato porridge was not a good thing, at least not something that a young prince of the royal family should eat. Therefore, when Zhao Ma said this just now, she did not stop him. She did not expect her son to be so protective of the Second Prince.
Concubine Chun then said, "Madam Zhao, please stop talking. After all, it's Second Prince's good intention. He's just a child, and it's rare for him to know how to take care of his younger brother."
Only then did Zhao Ma realize that she had said something wrong. She responded and when she saw that Yongzhang wanted to eat by himself, she handed him the spoon.
I don’t know if the little guy was deliberately spiteful to the nanny or really liked the sweet potato porridge, but he ate it spoonful after spoonful and it was so delicious.
"This is really strange. He doesn't want to drink such nutritious chicken soup, but prefers to drink sweet potato porridge." said Zhao Ma.
Concubine Chun even wondered if she would tell her son that the chicken soup was also sent by the Second Prince, would he eat it faster?
Yong Zhang said, "Sweet potatoes are sweet and delicious."
Concubine Chun smiled and said, "But you said yesterday that the cream puff rolls were too sweet and you didn't want to eat them. You said yes to everything your second brother gave you."
"What my second brother sends is delicious." Yong Zhang hugged his mother's arm and said coquettishly, "I want to eat this again tomorrow."
It was rare for her son to want to eat something, so Concubine Chun had no choice but to agree.
In the evening, Qianlong came to see Yongzhang. Since the little guy had been in poor health recently, he came to see him every few days.
Yong Zhang happily said to Khan Ama: "Sweet potato porridge is delicious!"
"Who told you to eat sweet potato porridge?" Qianlong couldn't help but frown when he heard this. His first reaction was that this thing had no nutrition.
Zhao Ma, who was standing by, was afraid that the emperor would blame her, so she explained, "Your Majesty, this sweet potato porridge was sent to you by the Second Prince this morning. The Third Prince loved it and ate a full bowl."
When Qianlong heard that it was sent by Yonglian, his brows relaxed, "That kid is really worried."
Zhao Ma said, "Yes, I think the Second Prince doesn't need to worry about feeding the Third Prince."
Yong Zhang curiously pulled at Han Ama's sleeve and said, "Mammy said sweet potato porridge is for the hungry. What are the hungry?"
Qianlong answered subconsciously: "It is the people who have no food to eat during the disaster years. Sweet potatoes are a good thing and they feed many people." After he finished explaining, he seemed to suddenly remember something and his expression turned cold.
"Come on, Khan Ama will teach you to recite the Three Character Classic." He stood up and pulled Yongzhang to Yongzhang's room.
Only the father and son were in the room, and Qianlong whispered to Yongzhang, "What was everyone's reaction when your second brother's eunuch brought the sweet potato porridge?"
Yong Zhang told Han Ama everything that Zhao Mama had said. Thinking of Zhao Mama saying that his second brother was stingy, the little guy was still angry, "My second brother is not stingy. The food he gave me was obviously delicious!"
"What did your mother say?" Qianlong asked, suppressing his anger.
Yong Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Mother told Nanny to be quiet and said it was great that Second Prince remembered to take care of his younger brother."
Qianlong held Yongzhang on his lap and said, "That Zhao Ma is trying to sow discord between you and your second brother. She harbors evil intentions. If she keeps you company, you'll be harmed by her sooner or later."
Little Yongzhang was frightened by Khan Ama's expression and asked blankly, "What should we do then?"
"Khan Ama will find you a better nanny." Qianlong said.
Yong Zhang said politely, "My son doesn't want to drink milk anymore, so it doesn't matter if we lose a wet nurse. There's no need to send a new one."
Qianlong touched his son's face and said, "Good boy, remember, if you encounter someone like Zhao Ma who speaks ill of your second brother in front of you, tell Khan Ama. They are all bad people."
Yong Zhang nodded his head and said, "Son, I'll remember it."
Qianlong picked up the Three Character Classic and taught his son to read it sentence by sentence. Yongzhang's education started late because of his poor health. Qianlong did not have high expectations for the child, as long as he could grow up safely.
Qianlong taught a few sentences, but when he saw that little Yongzhang was beginning to lose focus, he stopped reading.
After leaving Zhongcui Palace, Qianlong ordered Li Yu, "Go and check the situation at Zhao Ma's home."
The next day, Li Yu investigated the situation of Zhao Ma's parents' family and her husband's family thoroughly. Only when Qianlong was sure that they had no connection with the Fucha, Jin, and Gao families did he feel relieved.
Only then did he order someone to go to Zhongcui Palace to pass on the message that Zhao Ma should go to the Ministry of Punishment to receive ten strokes of the board and that she would not be allowed to serve in the inner court from now on.
When Concubine Chun learned about this, she immediately understood why Nanny Zhao had angered the Emperor. She felt a little scared, but was glad that she had not said anything bad about the Second Prince.
She was worried that Yongzhang would be sad, but the little guy told her seriously, "Khan Ama said that Aunt Zhao is trying to sow discord between me and my second brother. She is a bad person. Mother, you must be careful when you meet such people in the future."
Concubine Chun: "..."
The Empress only learned of the incident after Zhao Ma was sent to the Ministry of Punishment. She quickly went to ask the Emperor what was going on. Wet nurses held a high status, and the palace was relatively tolerant of them.
Qianlong learned from the incident, "Yonglian had good intentions, but in the mouth of this servant, he became stingy. And Concubine Chun was listening right beside. If it weren't for the fact that she is Yongzhang's mother, I would punish her as well."
The Queen quickly spoke up for Concubine Chun, "Chicken soup is more nutritious than sweet potato porridge. They are not targeting Yonglian, they just think sweet potato porridge is not good."
In the early Qing Dynasty, sweet potatoes were uncommon in the imperial palace. People at the time believed they were eaten only when food was scarce. During the reign of the previous emperor, who was a vegetarian and advocated frugality, sweet potatoes occasionally became available in the palace. Since they were easy to grow, they quickly became popular among the people, leading to various cooking methods. The palace would occasionally use sweet potatoes to create new dishes for the emperor's guests to try.
The old concubines in Ningshou Palace had bad teeth and poor digestion, so eating plain porridge every day was tasteless. That's why the kitchen made sweet potato porridge. As for the prince's kitchen, it was because Yonglian liked sweet potatoes that they made sweet potato porridge, candied sweet potatoes, etc.
"Don't speak for them," Qianlong snorted. "No matter how good the chicken soup is, Yongzhang can't drink it. Yonglian knew that sweet potato porridge is easy to digest, so he sent it to his brother. Even for the child's kindness, they can't say such things, and say it in front of Yongzhang. What's their intention? Fortunately, Yongzhang and Yonglian have a deep relationship, otherwise they would definitely think Yonglian was stingy."
"Don't underestimate the child's young age. He knows who treats him well and who doesn't." The Queen had no choice but to say, "The princes are brothers and they are in harmony. I can't sow discord with a single word."
"It's not a cold day. One sentence won't do. Three or five sentences, or three or five years?" Qianlong said, "That Madam Zhao may have said other things before. We must be on guard against this kind of thing."
Although the queen felt that the emperor was making a big deal out of nothing, she was still touched.
Qianlong added, "There's no need to let Yonglian know about this. That child is as soft-hearted as you are. If he knew, he would probably plead for that servant."
Queen: “…”
Although Qianlong forbade Yonglian to tell him, Yonglian still found out not long after.
He often went to play with Yongzhang and noticed that there was no nanny by his side, so he casually asked about it. Little Yongzhang repeated the story to him.
Yonglian: “…”
Yonghuang was also there, and he frowned as he heard this, "This slave deserves to be punished."
Yonglian wasn't really angry, he just smiled and said, "Madam's fault is mainly..."
Yonghuang and Yongzhang were waiting for him to criticize Madam Zhao.
Yonglian said, "...judging something's value by price isn't always accurate. Sweet potatoes are cheap, but they have their benefits. The same goes for cabbage and tofu. Mutton or even fish may not be a good substitute for cheaper ingredients like cabbage and tofu."
Yonghuang: "..." My brother's focus is really special.
Yong Zhang agreed, "Second brother is right! I like sweet potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and eggs made into cakes!"
"Wow, you're amazing! You only like nutritious food!" Yonglian rubbed his brother's cheek. "Just tell your mother what you want to eat in the future. If you don't tell her, she won't be able to guess, because her preferences are different from yours."
Yong Zhang nodded obediently, "I remember it."
The three brothers said they wanted to go see little Yongcheng. Yongzhang didn't have to study, so he would see Yongcheng occasionally. Yongcheng was learning to speak recently, which was very interesting.
Yonglian originally wanted to teach his fourth brother to call him brother, but Yongcheng already knew how to call him brother, and even called him "big brother" and "second brother". It was all taught by little Yongzhang.
Yonghuang and Yonglian were so moved that Yonglian couldn't help but kiss Yongzhang's little face.
Yongcheng came over and wanted a kiss too.
Yonglian also kissed this little boy and taught him how to play the hand-slapping game.
Jiapin was also very happy listening to the four children's laughter. The emperor was already good enough to his brothers, and the second prince was even better. As long as her own Yongsheng didn't make any big mistakes, it wouldn't be a problem for him to become a prince.
As for the palace servants' previous flattery of Yongsheng, saying that he was the first child after the emperor ascended the throne and ranked fourth like the late emperor and the emperor, as long as the second prince was still alive, these words would not do Yongsheng any good.
The four brothers were having a great time when the imperial eunuch came to Yonglian and said, "Second brother, the emperor said that Lord Haiwang has arrived and wants to discuss something with you."
When Yonglian heard Haiwang's name, he guessed that it was related to the steam engine, so he asked his elder brother to take his younger brother to play, and they trotted all the way to Jiuzhou Qingyan.
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