Wen Yanran had only just spent a short while idling away the time at the Tianfu Palace when she was summoned back by the eunuchs.
Before leaving, she suddenly paused and, turning to Wen Jingmei and the others, said solemnly, “The Tianfu Palace is a sacred place of worship…”
The Taoist officials present felt a subtle tension in their hearts. Typically, when the Emperor spoke in such a manner, it was a form of admonition – a reminder not to meddle in court affairs. Since ascending the throne, the Emperor had always treated the Tianfu Palace generously, but had she finally decided to rein it in today?
While subordinates were overwhelmed with all kinds of thoughts, Wen Jingmei himself waited peacefully for the Emperor’s instructions.
Wen Yanran smiled and said, “So, if anyone from the Taiqi Palace comes around, you should stop them outright. Don’t let them come in and disturb me.”
“…”
The Taoist officials’ emotions surged like waves, but Wen Jingmei, as if entirely accustomed to such situations, gave a slight bow and said, “If the Tianfu Palace were to bar the attendants from the Imperial Household from entering, I fear it would be even harder to maintain tranquility.”
Wen Yanran smiled faintly and, without lingering further, directly ordered the imperial carriage to proceed to Western Yong Palace.
There was indeed reason for the Imperial Household to summon the Emperor for this extra work – most of today’s affairs were related to the Emperor’s birthday celebration.
Last year, due to the personal expedition, Wen Yanran was unable to remain in Jianping for her birthday, leaving the Imperial Household with an unfulfilled desire to demonstrate its loyalty. Determined to make thorough preparations this year, they had already readied most of the ceremonial items more than two months in advance and submitted them to the Emperor for approval.
This was not ordinarily the Emperor’s duty, but Wen Yanran, concerned about incidents like raw fish slices or wild game being served at the banquet, decided to personally oversee the final checks.
Wen Yanran glanced over the section on food in Hou Suo’s memorial and, finding no major issues, closed the document. “Let the Imperial Household handle it as they see fit.” Noticing the troubled expression on the Director’s face, she smiled and then named Cai Qu and Xiu Zhui. “You two may also assist Minister Hou.”
The Imperial Household had indeed been doing its utmost to curry favor with her, arranging numerous entertainment activities. However, by Wen Yanran’s standards, unless they could somehow produce video games, it would be difficult to truly impress her.
The Emperor’s attitude was gentle, yet her words carried an undeniable air of authority. Hou Suo respectfully withdrew and went to confer with Cai Qu and the others.
The entire birthday celebration process was not particularly complicated. The Emperor’s primary duties consisted of receiving congratulations from officials across the realm and accepting various rare treasures and tributes presented by different regions.
Since the Emperor ascended the throne, the borders had remained stable, and local officials naturally wished to seize this opportunity to curry favor with their supreme leader. They had sent people to the capital early on to inquire about the preferences of the sovereign ruler of the world.
Hou Suo also had people approaching him for information, yet after months of racking his brains, he still found himself unable to identify a surefire way to please the Emperor.
The Emperor’s interests were simply too few. She had no fondness for hunting, took little pleasure in music and dance, and even her enthusiasm for fine cuisine was limited. At most, she had once, on a sudden whim, gone to Jingyuan to practice alchemy for a few days, thereby demonstrating her divine mandate. However, after staying there for just a month, she had returned to Jianping, leaving only a group of people behind at Jingyuan to regularly refine elixirs according to the formulas that had been developed.
This matter had also leaked out to some extent. Thus, although the Emperor had not openly summoned extraordinary individuals, certain loyal ministers – such as Wen Hong – had hastened to select well-regarded alchemists from the northern regions and send them to the capital. These individuals were placed by the Emperor at Jingyuan, where they were tasked with striving to produce immortal elixirs of even higher quality as soon as possible.
After much deliberation, Hou Suo finally drew inspiration from the matter of block printing. He decided to print books to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday, redirecting the budget originally intended for songs and dances toward the education of the people – a move that would surely delight the Emperor.
This endeavor was highly feasible. The Imperial Household was an exceedingly vast institution, comprising not only officials within Jianping but also subordinates such as textile officers and copper officials stationed across various regions – a perfectly reasonable arrangement. Given the difficulties of transporting materials over long distances in the Great Zhou, it was far more practical to tailor textiles locally where they were collected, then deliver the finished garments to the capital.
Previously, the task of printing textbooks for various regions had been assigned by Wen Yanran to the Chancellors of Dyeing under the Imperial Household Department – officials responsible for the dyeing of fabrics. Wen Yanran reasoned that whether it was printing or dyeing, both involved working with pigments, so it was essentially a matter of professional relevance.
As officials in charge of dyeing, the Chancellors of Dyeing were not particularly skilled in book printing, but they could adjust their methods according to the sovereign’s wishes.
The first half of the year had kept the Imperial Household, including Hou Suo, exceedingly busy. However, they did not limit the application of printing technology solely to textbooks; they also produced woodblocks for various classical texts. The journey from the inception of an idea to its successful implementation required repeated experimentation and continuous learning from failures. But once the process was perfected, subsequent tasks became much easier. Hou Suo subsequently, under the auspices of the government, dispatched skilled block carvers to various regions to oversee the printing of books.
The Emperor’s days grew increasingly busy, leaving little time to closely monitor the details of her subordinates’ work, thus allowing the proliferation of books to intensify unchecked.
The refinement of papermaking techniques and the advent of block printing effectively drove down the cost of books. In the Jianping region, the prices of various texts had already dropped by ten percent, and this figure would continue to decline in the future. Moreover, the imperial court had begun establishing village schools and government academies, providing underprivileged students with a pathway to advancement.
These changes were, for now, but a flicker of flame – yet a flicker that would one day blaze into an inferno, consuming the old order of the realm entirely. Both within and beyond the court, officials – including Wen Hong – had begun to sense that something fundamental was shifting. After the suppression of the rebellion in the eastern lands, the invisible currents sweeping across this soil showed no sign of abating. Instead, with an irresistible momentum, they surged onward, engulfing the entire world in their wake.
Within Western Yong Palace.
Wen Yanran glanced at the stack of memorials on the desk and, after briefly entertaining the pleasant thought of revealing her true nature as an unworthy sovereign by tossing all the documents into the brazier as fuel, she composed herself and sat down to begin carefully reviewing them.
At the very top were matters concerning the promotion and transfer of officials in charge of the Liubo Canal. The canal had now been completed, and a few days earlier, the system had conveniently displayed a partially redacted notification –
[System:
The construction of the [Liubo Canal] has been completed. [Current content is not available for display.]]
The redacted portions included crucial reminders such as “[Agriculture] +2” and “[Health] +1.” The canal would resolve irrigation issues as well as flood drainage, transforming barren lands and marshes into fertile fields while also reducing the risk of epidemics caused by stagnant water accumulation.
Before construction began, the Ministry of Works had estimated that the Liubo Canal would take around four to five years to complete. However, based on past experience, it was likely that unforeseen issues would cause further delays. To everyone’s surprise, the project was successfully finished in just over a year. Huang Xu, though only moderately talented, possessed a keen eye for such matters. He promptly summarized several key factors in a memorial. Chief among them was, of course, the Emperor’s adept leadership – her sound arrangements and effective planning had spared her ministers many unnecessary detours. Next was the Emperor’s wise and decisive selection of capable supervisors for the project, coupled with the high caliber and strong organizational skills of the workforce, which facilitated smooth coordination. Another crucial factor was the Emperor’s foresight in simultaneously repairing the surrounding roads during the canal’s construction, thereby enhancing the efficiency of material transportation. Finally, Huang Xu attributed the success to the Emperor’s widespread reputation for benevolence, which moved officials like Wen Hong to voluntarily deliver the required stone materials to the capital without needing conscription.
Wen Yanran, reading Huang Xu’s memorial, found herself gradually understanding more and more how he had managed to attain the position of Minister of Works.
Now that the Liubo Canal was completed, the court naturally had to send someone to inspect and accept the project. Once it was confirmed to be in order, the officials involved would also be rewarded.
Wen Yanran proceeded with promotions and transfers for the officials of the Water Management Bureau based on their merits, and selected outstanding individuals to bestow honorary titles upon – these titles being equivalent to a kind of professional status benefit. For instance, Xin Bian, who had rendered meritorious service during the canal’s construction, originally held the lowly ninth-rank position of Supervisor in the Water Management Bureau. Upon the completion of the Liubo Canal, the Ministry of Personnel memorialized, requesting her promotion directly to the sixth-rank position of Vice Director of the Water Management Bureau. Wen Yanran approved this, and because the completion of the Liubo Canal coincided with her birthday, she additionally bestowed upon Xin Bian an honorary title of the fifth rank, granting her the treatment of a mid-level official. Other officials who had performed exceptionally well also received their own rewards.
The approved memorials were gradually set aside, and Wen Yanran estimated the number of remaining documents, realizing that she would inevitably have to work overtime today…
It wasn’t that she was this busy every day, but rather that the recent promotion of village schools had yielded preliminary results. The officials responsible dared not be negligent and promptly submitted reports on the pilot program.
Initially, the court had intended to establish village schools in every township. However, as each township still housed too many people, unit schools were subsequently added under some of the larger townships.
Local officials in charge of relevant affairs publicly commended a poor scholar named Yu Yuan. Her parents had once served as minor clerks, and she herself was literate. However, due to a childhood injury that left her lame, she could not inherit her elders’ clerical positions, as the Great Zhou required its officials to be presentable and free of physical disabilities. Unable to farm because of her weakened legs, she had previously made a living by carving bamboo slips.
When the government sought candidates for the position of unit schoolmaster, Yu Yuan promptly applied. Since ting schools served the common people, physical requirements could be relaxed accordingly, and she was accepted. Given her abilities, teaching basic literacy was well within her capacity.
Having obtained her position with difficulty, Yu Yuan naturally devoted herself to her duties with exceptional diligence.
During her work, she encountered numerous challenges. Many commoner children began helping with household chores from the age of five; as they grew older, they assisted their parents with minor tasks and took care of younger siblings. Yu Yuan therefore allowed students to bring their younger brothers and sisters to school while studying, and hired several people in their forties or fifties to help look after them.
The Great Zhou provided only modest salaries for low-ranking officials: a unit chief received a monthly salary of one thousand coins, while a unit schoolmaster received only five hundred. Yu Yuan paid her hired helpers out of her own pocket, and various miscellaneous expenses amounted to half of her income.
Moreover, even though the unit schools provided a meal, some families were still reluctant to send their children to study. Yu Yuan then suggested that since Jianzhou had never experienced war, there were not many government slaves available. During the busy farming season, the authorities needed to hire commoners to cultivate official fields, and the young laborers finished work early. Why not take this opportunity to gather the youths brought along by their parents and provide them with some basic education?
Yu Yuan submitted numerous suggestions, and while they might not have been applicable elsewhere, they proved effective in her own region.
Wen Yanran approved the memorial with four characters: “Adapt to local conditions”, granting the local officials’ request and promoting Yu Yuan to the position of township schoolmaster.
There were many cases similar to Yu Yuan’s. The promotion of officials in the Great Zhou was monopolized by powerful clans, leaving few good positions for those of humble origins. The establishment of local schools not only created a new set of available posts but also provided an opportunity for those from modest backgrounds to gain recognition and build their reputations.
Wen Yanran had been reviewing memorials since the afternoon and only stopped when the lanterns were lit. Stretching her arms, she reflected that she had truly gone to great lengths to undermine the ruling foundations of the Great Zhou…
As night had already fallen, most of the memorials on the table had been reviewed. The few that remained, Wen Yanran decided to leave for the next day. Casually sorting through them, she picked out Yuan Yanshi’s memorial to examine more closely.
This was a remonstrance memorial. Its content was not particularly urgent, which was why the court heralds had placed it at the very bottom.
Grand Tutor Yuan had never forgotten his duty as a loyal minister. Upon learning that Wen Hong had sent alchemists to Jianping, he specially submitted a memorial to the emperor, hoping that she would not be beguiled by the pursuit of alchemy.
Wen Yanran was momentarily taken aback, then a thoughtful expression crossed her face.
The most intriguing thing she had encountered in this era was the chemical experiments she had previously conducted at Jingyuan. However, concerned about the potential impact on the Great Zhou’s technological development, she had exercised restraint and not devoted too much attention to it.
Yuan Yanshi’s words prompted her to reexamine her own decision.
Wen Yanran realized that she had long been conflating two distinct concepts: creating new objects to improve the people’s livelihoods and creating new objects for her own amusement. The ministers, unaware of the chemical principles behind her experiments, would at most associate her actions with alchemy and the pursuit of immortality, failing to grasp their true significance.
Moreover, as emperor, even if she did manage to develop something useful, she could fully ensure the confidentiality of the technology.
Wen Yanran thought to herself, in that case, she could first attempt to produce glass. However, making glass required quicklime…
Before she could finish pondering this notion, a report from the southern regions was delivered from outside.
Wen Yanran had previously instructed that if any reports arrived from the Rear Camp or the Chongchang Border Camp, they were to be submitted immediately, regardless of the time. The palace attendants had clearly taken the Emperor’s directive to heart and chose to execute it diligently.
Wen Yanran picked up a cup of warm water. Too lazy to read it herself, she had the eunuch read the memorial aloud.
Wen Xun, the commander of the Rear Camp, in addition to the customary inquiries about the Emperor’s well-being, also reported on her work over the past period and the progress made in eliminating the snail-infested waters.
Wen Xun stated that, acting on the Emperor’s orders, they had sought methods from the local population to eradicate the snails and had indeed gained much valuable knowledge.
After the summer harvest, Wen Xun and his men could no longer contain their curiosity and decided to test the “snail elimination by spreading shell lime on the fields” method – originally planned for winter – ahead of schedule. The results proved highly effective. Today, she specially submitted a memorial to report the matter to the Emperor.
Wen Yanran silently set down her cup. “…Give me the memorial. I’ll read it myself.”
The eunuch quickly complied, then stole a glance at the Emperor’s expression – the sovereign had always been inscrutable, and her face showed no great change now. But since the snail eradication efforts in the south were progressing so smoothly, the eunuch assumed the Emperor must be pleased.
Wen Yanran’s fingers tightened slightly around the memorial.
She realized, of course, that shells, like limestone, were primarily composed of calcium carbonate. When subjected to high-temperature calcination, the result was quicklime. Adding water to quicklime produced an exothermic reaction, and high temperatures were precisely the nemesis of oncomelania snails – so the Great Zhou had actually been using quicklime all along?!
Even if it hadn’t been widely popularized, they already understood the application methods of the relevant substance.
Wen Yanran thought to herself: she had underestimated the Great Zhou people’s understanding of chemical phenomena.
What Wen Yanran did not know was that Wen Xun and her people had never even considered seeking snail elimination methods from the indigenous people of the south. It was purely the Emperor’s example of leading by personal conduct that had prompted them to change their mindset in time.
After reading through Yuan Yanshi’s and Wen Xun’s memorials, Wen Yanran set aside the last of her mental reservations. Her area of expertise was “Process Equipment and Control Engineering,” formerly known as “Chemical Machinery.” If there could be a deposed monarch who loved locksmithing, then there could certainly be one who loved chemical engineering. When an ordinary transmigrator conducted experiments, it was advancing technological progress; when an emperor who was a transmigrator became obsessed with such pursuits, it was neglecting her duties.
As a tyrannical emperor, Wen Yanran felt she should learn to indulge her own preferences and engage in more recreational activities unrelated to state affairs.
“If the Director of Imperial Household is still in the palace, summon him here.”
