diskusbooks Chapter 165 Making a Warm Bed for a Nobleman
Chapter 165 Making a Warm Bed for a Nobleman
Looking at the magnificent and solemn palaces around him, Wang Yong dared not raise his head. His head was lowered so low that he could only see the smooth bluestone slabs on the ground.
"His Majesty has arrived."
As soon as the guard behind him spoke, Wang Yong, who was already very nervous, became even more frightened and dared not move.
Your Majesty?! In the entire Jin Kingdom, only the Emperor can be called Your Majesty!
He was terrified and lowered his head even further, wishing he could stick it to the floor.
"I heard you researched and created a heated kang (traditional Chinese bed) based on stories from folk tales?"
"Your Majesty, this humble subject..."
"Take your time, there's no need to rush. I had someone bring you to the palace precisely for this matter."
After saying this, Wang Yong felt a movement on the floor where he was lying.
It turned out that the emperor had stepped down from his throne.
Seeing this, Wang Yong panicked even more, but fortunately he still had some mental fortitude and forced himself to calm down.
"Your Majesty, I happened to see a storybook that mentioned how a heated kang (a traditional heated bed) is made. I wanted to see if it was as described in the book, so that I could save some coal. So I studied it for a few days before I started making it. I didn't expect to succeed on my first try."
What he said was similar to the facts uncovered by the emperor's men.
At this moment, Wang Yong asked again, trembling with fear, "Your Majesty, is it because this heated kang is not to be built? This humble subject was unaware of the situation and begs Your Majesty to see the truth!"
Wang Yong was afraid that he had broken some taboo, which was why he had been brought before the emperor. However, he couldn't understand why this matter was so important that he was brought directly before His Majesty.
"Don't be impatient, let me finish. I had the skilled craftsmen in the palace make this heated kang before New Year's Day, but none of them were able to make it successfully. Then someone told me that someone in the common people had made it. I was very happy, so I had someone invite you into the palace."
The emperor noticed his nervousness, so he walked up to him and spoke these words to him gently.
As expected, the emperor's seemingly harmless yet dangerous words put him at ease.
"What does Your Majesty wish me to do?"
Before long, he knew what to do. The emperor arranged a room for him and sent several palace craftsmen to learn from him.
These craftsmen seemed very polite, but they didn't take this country bumpkin from outside the palace seriously at all.
They spoke with an arrogant air, which made Wang Yong uncomfortable, but since this was the palace, he naturally couldn't show his dissatisfaction.
In addition, the emperor gave them another task: to build the empress's palace into a warm room for winter.
This really stumped Wang Yong. Of course, a heated kang (a traditional heated bed) could be made, but it was still cold after getting off. How could he make the whole room warm?
Wang Yong couldn't figure it out, but he didn't presume to do so. He truthfully had someone tell His Majesty about the matter.
Coincidentally, His Highness the Crown Prince was also there that day.
He suddenly had a plan.
"Father, why not just have Ye Yuwu, the imperial merchant from the Bianjing Coal Bureau, come to the palace to report on his duties?"
The emperor thought for a moment and then understood what he meant.
So that very day, someone was sent to Ye Yuwu's residence to summon her to the palace.
Unaware that she had already been arranged by someone, her heart immediately tightened upon hearing that she was to enter the palace to report on her duties.
The image of her last time in front of the emperor was still vivid in her mind; how could she not be nervous and afraid!
I didn't even dare to look at the emperor's face properly before. I have to say that the majesty of the ancient emperor was something that ordinary people could not bear.
Even though she was reluctant, she still sorted out the bills for the coal data from the past few days and took a carriage to the palace.
Upon entering the palace, a special eunuch will lead the way.
Unexpectedly, her mindset when entering the palace this time was completely different from the last time.
Moreover, she could also take a good look at the palace architecture and scenery.
A short while later, she followed the young eunuch into the imperial study.
She gradually approached the Imperial Study. Outside the Imperial Study were two stone statues of Qilin. Looking up slightly, she could see that the roof of the palace was covered with white glazed ceramic tiles.
Beneath the eaves is a vermilion lacquered wooden plaque with gold trim around its edges, on which the three characters "Imperial Study" are inscribed with great enthusiasm.
What she didn't know was that many first-rank ministers had inexplicably appeared in the Imperial Study at that moment.
They didn't know where they got the news from, but they learned that Ye Yuwu was going to report to the emperor today, so they immediately found an excuse to go to the imperial study.
Last time they didn't get a good look at what she looked like, so this time they definitely have the chance to take a good look at Wuming.
Even now, they find it hard to believe that Wuming is actually a woman, and a businesswoman whom they despise.
Ye Yuwu is now considered the first female official in Jin Kingdom!
The prime minister and others went to great lengths to stay in the imperial study.
After waiting for quite a while, a eunuch finally reported, "Manager Ye has arrived outside the hall."
They immediately sat up straight and looked toward the door.
The palace doors were opened, and a beam of light shone onto Ye Yuwu's official robes.
This was the first time the Ministry of Internal Affairs had prepared official robes for a woman, and they fit her perfectly. Against the backdrop of green willows by the palace walls, she was graceful and charming, as if they were seeing a different future for the Jin Kingdom.
She suddenly gave them a shock, and gently told them what it was like for a woman to be an official.
The door opened, and the woman slowly walked to the front of the hall, bowing to the emperor at the head of the table. As soon as she raised her head, she noticed the probing gazes from all directions.
Her heart skipped a beat. How could there be so many people!
Then she saw someone sitting next to the emperor. Because the person was covered by a curtain, she couldn't see clearly, but she vaguely knew that this person must be of very high status, otherwise it would be impossible for them to be sitting below the emperor.
Before she could figure these things out, the emperor waved his hand and ordered her to begin her report, interrupting her wandering thoughts.
Ye Yuwu replied seriously, "Nowadays, many places besides Bianjing have also started using honeycomb briquettes, and the coal from the mines can be used for quite some time..."
Ye Yuwu didn't know how other ministers usually reported to the emperor, so she could only speak according to her own ideas. Fortunately, the emperor didn't show any expression.
The ministers beside him were speechless and rubbed their foreheads. What kind of nonsense was this? But since His Majesty hadn't offered any opinion, there was even less reason for them to say anything.
So the group listened in silence for a full hour and a half. In modern times, only academic papers could be so long, but they really listened to the whole thing.
The Grand Tutor had fallen asleep from all the talking, but the Prime Minister patted him on the shoulder, which brought him back to his senses.
At this moment, they had to admire the emperor on the dragon throne. It seemed that not just anyone could be an emperor, and for this reason alone, they admired him wholeheartedly.
After she finished speaking, Ye Yuwu's mouth was dry.
Little did she know that the man behind the curtain, seeing her like this, gave her a knowing, indulgent smile.
"Go and pour Lord Ye a cup of tea."
"It's Your Highness."
Ye Yuwu received a cup of tea shortly afterward.