Yan Yuege eventually bought all the entries, and the water pump was also sent to Youqing.
Youqing was very satisfied. To be honest, if she hadn't seen this thing, she wouldn't have remembered that such a thing existed.
"Chengying, send someone to summon Ma Dongqi. I need to see him."
"Yes, this servant will go right away."
Ma Dongqi was the one who developed the water pump. You Qing definitely valued him highly. Putting aside everything else, the fact that he was able to develop this thing on his own already showed a lot of innovative thinking.
Emperor Kangxi was standing nearby. After Chengying left, Kangxi asked, "Who is that Ma Dongqi?"
It's no wonder that Emperor Kangxi didn't know; he was a man of high status and had a bad memory. Ma Dongqi had only read out his name when he received the award, and Emperor Kangxi had only heard it briefly. There were too many names at the time, so he didn't remember them.
"It's the runner-up in the competition we went to see yesterday afternoon. I really like the water pump he made. I think it can be connected with wells, and it might be a good thing that benefits the people."
When it came to Kangxi, Youqing wasn't so certain, only saying "maybe".
However, based on Kangxi's understanding of Youqing, her "maybe" could be equated with "certainly".
Emperor Kangxi did not ask any further questions, only saying, "Once you have figured it out, I want to be the first to know."
"Yes, yes, you must be the first one."
...
"Master, Master Ma has arrived."
Ma Dongqi was really young, only sixteen years old, and looked exceptionally young, so instead of calling him Master Ma, we added the word "little" before Master.
"Let him in."
"yes"
Ma Dongqi, standing outside the door, was filled with trepidation! The person he was to see was none other than the legendary Empress.
Ma Dongqi was just an ordinary person who learned his craft from his father, a carpenter and bamboo craftsman. He grew up surrounded by piles of wood and bamboo, and his mind was more agile than his father's. The things he made were even more useful.
I never thought about innovation before; I just made some improvements to small items.
This competition was held in Beijing, and both Ma Dongqi and his father participated. Unfortunately, his father did not make it to the finals, but he did.
His father was pleased with this, admitting he had been too conservative, but his son had made it to the finals, which was extremely rare for someone his age in this competition; he had practically never seen another like him.
Although Ma's father had high hopes for Ma Dongqi, he didn't expect him to be able to make it into the top three. But such good fortune just happened to fall into his son's lap.
The entire Ma family was extremely pleased with this.
After the final competition, Ma Dongqi took his prize money and began to study his final work at home. He was engrossed in his study when the people from Yan Yuege arrived. Ma Dongqi then learned that the Empress wanted to see him.
Everyone in the capital knows the Empress. She is the kindest empress ever. She paid for the road repairs for the entire capital out of her own pocket. Last winter, she also ensured that every household in the capital could use heating. Last winter was much better than in previous years.
Through these experiences, Ma Dongqi developed a strong liking for the Empress, filled with admiration, and even felt that the Empress was a legendary figure.
Now the legendary figure wants to see him.
Ma Dongqi felt like he was going to meet his idol, so he took it very seriously. He couldn't help but feel excited several times along the way, and now that he had arrived at the door, he was even more nervous.
The door opened, and Cheng Ying came out, smiling as she said, "Master Ma, please come in! The master has some free time."
Upon hearing this, Ma Dongqi quickly replied, "Yes."
After Ma Dongqi went in, he performed an awkward bow, but Youqing didn't mind; she didn't care about such things anyway.
"Sit down and let's talk!"
Ma Dongqi was a little embarrassed. He was just an ordinary citizen, how could he sit and talk to the Empress? "This humble subject will just stand."
Seeing his nervousness, Youqing smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, just sit down when I tell you to."
Ma Dongqi sat down, but he was still a little nervous. After all, it was the Empress. How could he not be nervous?
Next, Youqing asked a question and Ma Dongqi answered. Youqing didn't get straight to the point, but asked about Ma Dongqi's affairs, such as when he started learning the craft. As they went back and forth, Ma Dongqi talked more and more, and gradually he became less nervous.
Youqing felt it was about time before she revealed her purpose.
"I really like the water pump you made. I wonder if you could make a bigger one, like one that can pump water up from a deep well."
Ma Dongqi was taken aback when he heard this. Although he made the water pump, it was not only because he had many ideas, but also because of many coincidences. He was able to make it because he was good at observing certain phenomena.
He made the water pump, but pumping water up from the deep well would take some effort, though it was worth a try.
"I'm willing to give it a try."
Youqing smiled upon hearing this: "It's wonderful that you have this intention. I will send someone to find whatever you need. If you need any manpower, I will do my best to cooperate with you."
Upon hearing Youqing's words, Ma Dongqi was immediately moved to tears.
"This humble subject will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust."
After seeing off the grateful Ma Dongqi, Youqing breathed a sigh of relief and continued with her work.
The finals in Beijing have ended, but they haven't ended across the country yet, and people haven't arrived yet. The specific time will be determined once everyone has arrived, so there's still a wait.
While they waited, the second princess's wedding day arrived.
Although the Fucha family secretly disliked the marriage, they still had to happily welcome the second princess into their home.
The wedding was truly a grand affair. As the first princess of Emperor Kangxi to get married, the Second Princess's wedding was certainly a grand affair. The dowry was carried in loads to the princess's residence, and the people along the street couldn't help but sigh at how generous the dowry was for the emperor's beloved daughter.
The Fucha family held an even more dignified ceremony, including a wedding ceremony and entering the bridal chamber.
The second princess had heard about her future husband, a very valiant man, who was said to be a good husband candidate for many families. Therefore, the second princess had high expectations for Namuzhu.
Beneath her red veil, the second princess blushed shyly. But after a long while, seeing that Namuzhu had not yet come over, she couldn't help but ask the palace maid beside her.
Why didn't Namuju come?
The palace maid was also anxious. It was indeed getting late, and even if she drank a lot, she should still consider the bride.
However, the palace maid could not voice her thoughts, and only said, "I heard that the prince consort is a heavy drinker. Today is his wedding day, and he may be so happy that he drank a few extra cups."
The second princess thought about it and agreed, so she decided to wait a little longer.
But they waited and waited, and still no one appeared.
The second princess's shyness had long since disappeared, and impatience was beginning to show in her eyes.
"Go and see why Namuju hasn't returned yet."
Palace maid: "Yes, Princess."
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