"I don't know what the immortals' dwelling place is like, but this glass is really good. With this, we no longer need to light those choking candles day and night!"
"Have Han Zhongyu send over more later, so we can replace all the windows in the palaces!"
Emperor Qingyuan listened and spoke frankly
"My son has already written to urge them! Another batch will be delivered soon!"
Some were also sent to the Eighteenth Prince's residence.
"Okay, with you thinking of me, I'm relieved about his situation!"
Mentioning the eighteenth prince, the Empress couldn't help but smile.
"There might be even more people on the Eighteenth Brother's side than in the palace! Don't forget, the Eighteenth Brother is still Han Zhongyu's student!"
When a teacher finds something good, they might forget about their students!
"That's not necessarily true. Perhaps it's precisely because of this relationship that Han Zhongyu deliberately didn't give it to him! After all, during the year he taught the eighteenth brother, Han Zhongyu didn't go a single day without carrying a ruler and searching the entire palace for him!"
"So what? In the end, Uncle Eighteen was still obediently dragged back by Lord Han!"
Lord Han is probably the only teacher who can keep Uncle Eighteen in check!
The Fifth Prince, who had been bullied the most by Xuan Yuanche, couldn't help but interject. Only after speaking did he realize he was in the Empress Dowager's palace, and he had actually spoken ill of someone's son in front of a mother. He secretly stuck out his tongue!
The Empress Dowager didn't blame her; instead, she smiled.
"Although Han Zhongyu is a bit mature for his age, he is serious about his work! His handwriting is also quite good. It's thanks to his serious teaching that your eighteenth uncle didn't end up with a terrible handwriting!"
Otherwise, even my old bones wouldn't be able to bear the shame!
It's said that one's handwriting reflects their character. Even if he doesn't enjoy learning, he can at least write decent characters; otherwise, he'll embarrass the royal family!
Emperor Qingyuan laughed upon hearing this.
"My eighteenth brother is very intelligent, he's just a bit playful!"
Whether it's the truth or a lie, once it's said enough, no one can tell the difference. As long as the atmosphere is harmonious, that's fine. With children running around playing, and a group of people chatting about this and that, time flies by. They eat, set off fireworks, and the princes and princesses take turns writing calligraphy and composing poems. The princesses also paint pictures and play musical instruments. New Year's Eve passes by quickly.
Before they knew it, it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, the time for noblewomen and court officials to enter the palace to pay their respects.
Every year, the palace's rewards attract special attention. Whether it's imperial relatives or court officials, whoever receives a reward symbolizes their status in the capital!
The news spread among the nobility yesterday that the glass was bestowed from the palace. This year, besides the gifts themselves, people are especially envious of the items that have been given as gifts!
Those who came back from gathering information told incredibly incredible stories.
"The Emperor has bestowed upon the XX family six enormous pieces of crystal, so clear and bright! This servant has never seen anything so clear before! They might not even be from this world!"
Some reported to their masters
"The reward the X family received was a huge, smooth piece of icy jadeite; its head could be used to make a table!"
Some said directly
"This is a gift from the Emperor this year that I don't recognize! Anyway, it's quite large, even more beautiful than jade, smooth and lustrous! Like water, translucent!"
The ministers who didn't receive a reward were itching with curiosity, wondering what exactly they had been rewarded with!
Every family that received the reward was amazed. Upon hearing that it was to replace the paper windows, they hurriedly had their servants replace them and then stood at the windows, touching them again and again!
The next day, when he went to the palace to pay his respects, he heard someone asking about the reward. The person who had received the reward was incredibly proud, raising his chin and boasting to the person.
"You don't know this, do you? That's called glass. It lets in light and makes the room brighter than it is outside! If you put it on a window, the room will be brighter than the room outside!"
"Absolutely! You can see an ant clearly even through the glass!"
"Really! If you come to our house again, I can see you coming as soon as you enter the gate! No one needs to report to me!"
Hesitantly asked, "I haven't seen it before."
"Is it really that transparent?"
"You'll see when we get to the palace!"
As a result, shock, envy, and admiration were repeated in each palace!
The ministers entered the familiar Chengqian Palace. Gone was the gloom of the past; the entire hall was spacious and bright, with sunlight streaming through the glass, making everyone feel warm and comfortable. There was also no longer the pungent smell of oil lamps!
Everyone looked at each other, taking in even the subtlest expressions on each other's faces!
He could see his own memorials very clearly!
At first glance, everyone fell in love with the glass and inquired about its origin! They wondered if they could get a piece to replace the window in their study!
The ladies and young women in the inner palace were much more direct. First, they flattered the Empress Dowager and the Empress, then they praised the glass, mirrors, tea sets, and other items to the skies, saying that the noble lady's complexion had improved a lot after using these things, and that if they had one or two of those items, they would be laughing in their dreams!
The Emperor had already stated that this stuff was intended to replenish the national treasury, and he planned to sell it off in large quantities. The Empress didn't hide anything and said directly...
"It's not anything precious, just something new to have! It's something that Lord Jingde just researched, and Han Zhongyu only sent it over before the New Year, around the 28th or 29th of the lunar calendar!"
The Emperor saw the potential and invested, even granting it the title of Imperial Merchant. However, it's said that production is low and it will take several months before it can be sold!
"Wow! Such a rare item is being sold in such large quantities? That's great! We'll buy a few pieces to replace the paper on our windows!"
Having received confirmation, the ladies and young women exchanged auspicious words for a while before taking their leave of the palace.
Although they knew it would be available in a few months, the ladies and young women in the capital had no patience to wait for months. They had to have what others had immediately!
Especially that glass mirror!
So anyone who could get a foothold in the Han family would practically skip their own family home and go straight to the Han family, subtly begging Madam Han to help them get mirrors, glass, or tea sets from inside.
As a result, glass and glass products became incredibly popular in Beijing within just a few days, and everyone was scrambling to find connections to buy them!
Of course, this does not include Chu Mingzhu!
Is it that Chu Mingzhu doesn't like it? Of course not, in fact, she likes it more than anyone else!
From the first day of the Lunar New Year, when she went to the palace to see Consort Chu, she immediately took a liking to Consort Chu's mirror. Consort Chu's bright and clean glass room and clear tea set made her envious.
When she enviously asked where she could find these things and begged Consort Chu to buy her a set as well, Consort Chu casually replied...
"This is something that Lord Jingde has just researched. Although it's rare, it's not particularly valuable. I'll reserve a set for you when the next batch arrives."
She felt like she'd been struck by lightning, her ears were ringing, and she asked in disbelief...
"Big sister! Who do you think sent this?"
"Jingde Township Lady, I think her name is Xie something? A village girl newly appointed by the Emperor, what, you've heard of her too!"
What a pity! The Emperor took a special liking to this glass and directly invested in it. Now that country girl is actually a royal merchant!
Otherwise, I would definitely want to get my hands on this glass recipe. With this glass, it's like holding a money bag. Would your two nephews still have to worry about not having anyone to help them?
What a pity!
Consort Chu said "what a pity" twice, which showed that she was unwilling to accept it.
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