Chapter 381 Renting a Stargazing Mirror
The officials kneeling on the ground were somewhat guilty. With so many of them combined, the cost per person should have been quite meager, but the Emperor still insisted that it wouldn't be cheap. This time, they were likely to suffer a huge financial loss.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for making this decision for me. This star-gazing mirror is not easy to make. I'm afraid it will be a year or two before we can observe the stars. I'm afraid the celestial phenomena predicted the day before yesterday will be inaccurate during this period..." Qian Jianzheng said with a mournful face, about to cry again.
"It's not your fault," the Emperor said, glancing at the officials kneeling on the ground. "The celestial predictions from the Imperial Observatory have always been related to the fate of the nation. If the celestial predictions are inaccurate, I'm afraid I'll have to proceed blindly from now on. If any wrong decisions are made, my beloved ministers, please don't curse me behind my back."
The official kneeling on the ground was cursing inwardly. It was one thing for the Imperial Observatory to shirk responsibility, but for the Emperor himself to do the same? How could he have the nerve to do that?
What do you mean by "national destiny follows the stars"? When did we start using that to handle government affairs?
Your Majesty, you truly lack martial virtue.
However, they did break the star-gazing mirror. Arguing with the emperor at this point would be like walking into the line of fire.
Therefore, the ministers wisely refrained from speaking.
"Your Majesty, since this star-gazing mirror was originally obtained from Princess Jiangzhu's residence, I wonder if Princess Lin has any extra star-gazing mirror? We are willing to raise funds to purchase one so as not to delay the Imperial Observatory's observation of celestial phenomena."
The Grand Tutor gritted his teeth and said that no matter how expensive it was, they had to buy it so that the Emperor wouldn't blame it on anything that happened in the future.
"Does the princess's household still have a star-gazing mirror?" The emperor asked Daiyu with a smile.
“I do have a star-gazing telescope, and I enjoy stargazing in my spare time. However, it’s similar to the ones that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau used to discard, so it’s not very useful.” Daiyu naturally wouldn’t mention that she had a star-gazing telescope at home that was larger and had a farther observation range than the one at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.
That was a birthday gift from Granny Yuan, a genuine astronomical telescope, the only one of its kind in the world. How could the replicas from the Imperial Observatory compare!
Daiyu usually treasured the stargazing mirror. Ever since she was able to freely enter and exit her space, she would put the stargazing mirror back into her space after each stargazing session and then place a replica outside.
However, even if it's a counterfeit, she can't let these people get their hands on it so easily.
When the Empress saw Daiyu's eyes flicker after she finished speaking, she knew that there was something fishy about what she said.
Many adults witnessed this scene and were wondering how to get the princess to bring out the star-gazing mirror when they heard the headmaster of the Imperial Academy speak.
"Why don't we ask Princess Jiangzhu to lend the astronomical mirror to the Imperial Observatory for trial use? Once the new astronomical mirror is made, the old one can be returned to the princess."
This is Li Jijiu, Li Wan's father. He felt that he was somewhat related to Princess Jiangzhu, and that the princess should be willing to give him face.
Daiyu chuckled twice. "Why don't you ask Supervisor Qian where he got this astronomical telescope?"
Upon hearing this, Qian Jianzheng's old face flushed red.
Li Jijiu looked at Qian Jianzheng with suspicion.
"This one... was also borrowed from Princess Lin a few years ago..." Qian Jianzheng felt embarrassed by being stared at, so he could only stammer out the reason.
"Lord Qian, you're quite adept at this scheme of getting something for nothing!" The Emperor paused for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands.
"Lord Qian, there's no need to be embarrassed. I initially said I borrowed this star-gazing mirror, but later I told you it was a gift from me to the Imperial Observatory." Daiyu smiled like a little fox, and the pent-up frustration from years ago finally vanished at this moment.
"Lord Li, do you still need to borrow the astronomical telescope for the Imperial Observatory? This time, you must write an IOU and specify the return date. I was young and ignorant before, and thought it was just an ordinary item. I never knew it was so rare. Just the crystal lenses used on it alone require hundreds of pieces to make one usable one, not to mention the nine different crystal lenses of various sizes inside..."
Daiyu explained the craftsmanship and difficulty of making the star-gazing mirror in detail, leaving the officials completely bewildered, except for one thing:
Stargazing telescopes are difficult to make and very expensive!
Li Jijiu never expected that Daiyu would be so meticulous, seemingly refusing but leaving room for maneuver; seemingly not refusing but revealing her reluctance.
Are young girls these days all this cunning?
He had been trying to break up the fight during the brawl, but upon hearing Daiyu's words, he decided to stop being a peacemaker and keep quiet to minimize his presence.
"We'll borrow it!" The Grand Tutor certainly took responsibility.
"Then let's write an IOU. I'll be the middleman. But you can't skimp on the rent for Princess Jiangzhu. You're all her grandfathers now. If I find out you've cheated this young lady, I won't let you off easily."
"We dare not."
The ministers discussed the rent in detail and finally decided to rent Princess Jiangzhu's star-gazing mirror for a year. The rent was for the Furong Garden near the Lin family's residence, which was a villa of one of the wealthy families and a large garden.
They didn't know how much gold and silver Princess Jiangzhu would need to be given to satisfy the Emperor and prevent him from finding fault with them. The price of the Hibiscus Garden was much more arbitrary; it was easy to say whether it was high or low.
Daiyu had also been to the Hibiscus Garden to attend a poetry gathering. It was a nice place, but this man's family had very few women, and they didn't usually hold many events. The last poetry gathering was held when someone else borrowed his courtyard to host it.
Since his family didn't seem to care much about the courtyard, Daiyu didn't feel guilty about taking it from them.
This place is not far from his home. A waterway has been built from his family's Koi Lake, and it only takes about fifteen minutes to get there by boat.
Therefore, Daiyu was very satisfied with the rent.
“Since you gentlemen are so generous, and Princess Lin is not a stingy person, making the Star Gazing Mirror is no easy feat. Its high price is partly due to the difficult craftsmanship. Let’s include the cost of the Star Gazing Mirror in the rent for the Hibiscus Garden, not just the rent itself! Once you gentlemen have purchased the materials for the Star Gazing Mirror from the palace, please deliver them to the Lin residence as soon as possible. A year should be just enough.” Yuan Hongqu said this after seeing that some of the gentlemen’s eyes were practically red with envy when they learned that they would have to share the rent.
Her words softened the expressions of the officials.
If Daiyu really treats Furong Garden as a year's rent, it won't be long before someone finds fault with her father, Lin Ruhai.
Let's not drag Lin Ruhai down!
After the IOU was written, Daiyu immediately ordered someone to go home and bring over the star-gazing mirror from the Star-Gazing Pavilion.
The matter is considered closed, but there is still no decision regarding the participation of the girls' academy students in the provincial examination.
If this matter cannot be properly resolved, there's likely to be more trouble.
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