She had looked into some materials, and found that mercury was extremely rare and precious during this era, whereas although aluminum ore was also not abundant, it was more plentiful and cheaper than mercury.
A few days ago, when Big Brother Luo was leaving, she mentioned the matter of making mirrors to him, so that no one would suspect it had anything to do with her.
Indeed, everyone had not the slightest doubt, since Apricot Forest Hall had branches all over the world, so it was very normal for Young Master Luo to know about it.
As for the true state of affairs, Long Xuanmo was crystal clear in his mind, but he did not publicly reveal it, merely looking at his Ah Jiu with eyes full of pride and tenderness.
"Dad, you and the workers need to increase production and make more ceramic glaze mirrors. I’ll go find Uncle and have the mirrors inlaid into the new dressing tables," Yang Mengchen instructed her father, "Hai Tang, Qing Qing, notify all workers and servants that, after work at noon, every household should go to Second Brother’s place to collect a bottle of aluminum water for their home’s dressing table to be coated, and let the servants coat their room’s dressing tables as well."
Yang Mengchen well knew that generosity and authority must go hand in hand to ensure the loyalty of one’s employees, which is why she distributed new products to them every time. Moreover, Big Brother Luo had sent no small amount of aluminum water, so she would later also send some to her three maternal families and the workers over there.
Hai Tang and Qing Qing immediately took their orders and went.
"Thank you, Miss!" Whether they were workers or servants, all were grateful toward Yang Mengchen.
With a smile and a wave of her hand, Yang Mengchen, along with Long Xuanmo and Sister Jin among others, went to the furniture factory, Mo Yun carrying that small mirror.
Long Xuanmo asked Yang Mengchen who was beside him, "Ah Jiu, shall we keep with the usual rules?"
"Sure," Yang Mengchen had a stake in the sale of ceramic glaze outside of Qinghe Prefecture, so of course she had no objection, "However, the furniture factory will create some small, exquisite, and portable dressing mirrors, and these I will not sell exclusively to the Prince."
"Rest assured, Ah Jiu, I won’t block your path to riches, and I will also order them to only create larger dressing tables," Long Xuanmo indulgently promised.
Yang Mengchen was very pleased with Long Xuanmo’s accommodating approach.
Upon reaching the furniture factory, and hearing the news, everyone was still extremely surprised to see the mirrors, and also very grateful that Yang Mengchen always remembered to share good things with them.
Calling Yang Chaowen and several servants who were stewards to the office, Yang Mengchen took out the blueprints she had drawn up long ago and discussed with them at length, waiting until everyone felt there were no issues before she and Long Xuanmo, taking Sister Jin and the others, returned home.
The next morning after breakfast, Yang Mengchen and her seven servants arrived at the separate residence where Long Xuanmo and his wife Long Jingxi were already waiting in the living room.
Upon seeing Yang Mengchen and her party arrive, Long Jingxi greeted them with a smile on her face, "Ms. Yang has arrived."
Yesterday, when the Third Imperial Younger Brother returned, he had ordered the ceramic glaze of every room’s dressing table to be turned into mirrors, saying it was Ms. Yang’s ingenious idea. She and the prince consort were amazed and beyond praise. Ms. Yang was indeed intelligent and capable; it was no wonder the Third Imperial Younger Brother was so smitten, and she herself also genuinely liked her.
"Greetings to the Eldest Princess and greetings to the prince consort," Yang Mengchen said, bowing.
Just in time, Long Jingxi helped Yang Mengchen up, feigning displeasure as she said, "Ms. Yang need not be so formal in the future; otherwise, we will also feel uncomfortable, right?"
Beside her, Min Luozhan smiled and nodded, exactly in harmony with his wife’s sentiment.
Ms. Yang Mengchen did not put on airs; she stood up naturally and cast a meaningful glance at Long Jingxi. Long Jingxi immediately made an excuse to send Sister Lu away. Yang Mengchen glanced at Hai Tang, who quickly left.
Sister Jin led all the servants and guards out of the living room and closed the doors before standing guard outside.
Yang Mengchen got straight to the point, "I should declare first that the Eldest Princess’s condition is unique and long-standing. The acupuncture will be extraordinarily painful, though not as unbearable as being cut by a thousand knives, it will feel like being scorched by blazing fire, making life worse than death. I wonder if the Eldest Princess still wishes to continue the treatment?"
The three people were shocked upon hearing this; they had never imagined it would be so difficult.
"Doesn’t Ah Jiu have a way to make people not feel pain?" Long Xuanmo looked at Yang Mengchen.
Yang Mengchen replied with a calm demeanor, "The Eldest Princess’s illness requires stimulating acupoints to allow the evil qi inside her body to disperse from the needle’s core. If I block the acupoints, the treatment will not be effective."
Long Xuanmo said nothing more, just looked at Long Jingxi with concern.
"Continue!" Long Jingxi, slightly dazed, said firmly after a moment.
Min Luozhan, upon hearing this, urgently called out, "Ah Jing..." freewebnoveℓ.com
As if she knew what her husband was about to say, Long Jingxi looked at him, her eyebrows and eyes filled with worry and urgency. Her beautiful face revealed a tender yet resolute smile, "Ah Luo, I really want to have a baby with you. No matter how bitter, how painful, I can bear it, I can persevere! Please don’t stop me, alright?"
"Rest assured, Ah Jing, whatever you wish to do, I will support you with all my might!" Min Luozhan knew his wife loved children very much, so despite the heart-wrenching pain he felt at this moment, he still promised her with a smile.
Seeing the couple’s deep love for each other, Yang Mengchen said warmly, "If the prince consort is worried, you may accompany the Eldest Princess throughout. After all, she’s striving for the child that belongs to both of you."
"Even if Ms. Yang didn’t say it, I would stay with Ah Jing," said Min Luozhan, looking affectionately at his wife.
Long Xuanmo continued to wait in the living room while Yang Mengchen and the couple Long Jingxi and Min Luozhan went to the inner chamber in the back.
Instructing Long Jingxi to strip down to only her undergarment and lie flat on the bed, Yang Mengchen gave her a pill to swallow. Then, she took a clean white cloth and placed it in her mouth to prevent her from biting her tongue due to the pain later on. Afterward, she took out a deer leather bag from her satchel and chose an appropriate Black Needle.
"Eldest Princess, no matter how painful it gets later, you must endure and not faint, or there’s a great risk you’ll never wake up. You must hold on until the end, understand?" Yang Mengchen said.
Long Jingxi nodded firmly.
Min Luozhan sat by the bed, his left hand clasping his wife’s right hand. His eyes, filled with intense pity and guilt, were veiled behind a warm, fervent gaze.
Yang Mengchen inserted the Black Needles into the acupoints on Long Jingxi’s body one by one. Twirling the needles with her left hand and placing her right hand over Long Jingxi’s heart, she channeled her robust Inner Strength continuously into her body. This directed the evil qi within her towards each needle until, after a considerable time, a faint black trace of blood slowly emerged from the core of the needles.
Feeling the pain that was akin to being cut by knives and growing more intense by the moment, Long Jingxi clenched the white cloth tightly in her mouth and kept her eyes open, enduring the agony.
Watching his wife endure such severe pain, Min Luozhan wished he could take her place. His wife’s fingernails were embedded deep into his flesh, but as if he felt no pain at all, he gently wiped the cold sweat from his wife’s forehead and comforted her with a gentle tone.
Two hours passed, and when Yang Mengchen saw a light red trace of blood appearing from the core of the needles, she withdrew her Inner Strength, pulled out the Black Needles, and placed them back in the deer leather bag.
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