mtl008 Chapter 34 King Qin Inspects Cement
Chapter 34 King Qin Inspects Cement
When Ying Wuyou arrived at Zhangtai Palace, he saw King Qin engrossed in a mountain of memorials. Ying Wuyou bowed and said, "Your subject Jiayang greets Your Majesty!" Hearing Ying Wuyou's voice, King Qin put down his pen and paper, and said with a smile, "Jiayang has arrived. Please rise." After Ying Wuyou stood up, King Qin continued, "This paper you invented is truly a wonderful thing. No matter how long I spend reviewing memorials, my hand will not feel as uncomfortable as before."
Ying Wuyou replied with a smile, "Father, you are just overworking yourself. You should rest properly when you need to."
The King of Qin laughed heartily and said, "Hehe, let's not talk about that. You've come today because your cement project is complete?" Ying Wuyou replied, "Father, you truly have discerning eyes. That's exactly why I've come. I have successfully developed several types of cement. I request that Father come to my estate to test their effectiveness." Hearing Ying Wuyou's words, the King of Qin said, "Oh? So quickly? I will definitely go and investigate tomorrow. You must come early tomorrow." Ying Wuyou accepted the order and said, "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's decree." Watching the King of Qin once again immerse himself in the mountain of memorials, Ying Wuyou bowed and took his leave.
After leaving Zhangtai Palace, Ying Wuyou hurried towards Chaohua Palace. Along the way, the autumn wind blew bleakly, fluttering her skirt and hair. Most of the leaves on the trees had fallen, leaving only a few lonely ones swaying in the wind, as if they might fall at any moment. A strange sense of loneliness welled up in Ying Wuyou's heart.
Ying Wuyou couldn't help but think of a phrase: "lamenting spring and grieving autumn." The feeling was like an autumn wind. Although the phrase didn't simply mean feeling sad in spring and sad in autumn, every autumn, looking at the few lonely leaves on the book, Ying Wuyou's heart would be filled with this sad emotion, as if those leaves were a reflection of his inner loneliness.
When she finally arrived at the Chaohua Palace, Cui'er was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing her return, she immediately went to greet her, saying with concern, "Princess, you're back." Ying Wuyou nodded slightly and followed Cui'er into the house. As soon as she entered, she felt the warmth inside, a stark contrast to the cold outside, which gradually relaxed her. After washing up, Ying Wuyou went to bed early.
The next day, Ying Wuyou rushed to Zhangtai Palace after class. King Qin, seeing Ying Wuyou dressed as a man, couldn't help but laugh, "Your attire is exactly like Fusu's when he was a child." Ying Wuyou laughed too, saying, "Your subject hasn't seen Brother Fusu much. Next time I see him, I'll have to take a good look and see who's more handsome, your subject or Brother Fusu." King Qin laughed heartily, "Haha, your Brother Fusu isn't as concerned about looks as you are." Ying Wuyou playfully retorted, "Your subject is a girl, and it's a girl's nature to love beauty!"
The King of Qin smiled and nodded, "Very well, please wait for me a moment." Ying Wuyou obediently responded. After waiting for a while, Ying Wuyou saw the King of Qin, who had changed his clothes. He was wearing a white casual robe with exquisite patterns embroidered with silver thread. His hair was also loose, casually draped over his shoulders, making him look even more approachable and friendly.
Ying Wuyou was somewhat surprised; she had never seen the King of Qin dressed like this before. The King of Qin usually wore a majestic dragon robe and was always serious and unsmiling, but at this moment he seemed like a completely different person.
“Father looks very different today,” Ying Wuyou couldn’t help but say.
The King of Qin smiled and said, "This outfit is one I wore when I was young. I happened to find it today and thought I'd try it on. How does it look? Not bad, right?"
"It looks absolutely stunning," Ying Wuyou exclaimed sincerely. "Father looks good in anything. But why wear clothes from his youth?"
The King of Qin sighed softly and said, "I was just suddenly reminded of some things from the past. Back then, I didn't have so many worries, nor so many responsibilities..."
A faint sadness and longing flickered in his eyes. Ying Wuyou watched him quietly, a pang of sympathy rising in her heart. She knew that as the King of Qin, he bore immense pressure and burdens unimaginable to ordinary people. Afterwards, Ying Wuyou and the King of Qin traveled light, accompanied only by six guards disguised as ordinary servants, towards Ying Wuyou's estate.
Upon arriving at the estate, the King of Qin looked at the busy and well-organized servants and nodded in satisfaction. He then said to Ying Wuyou, "You've managed this estate quite well." Ying Wuyou didn't mince words and replied with a smile, "Thank you for the compliment, Father." Hearing Ying Wuyou call him "Father," the King of Qin paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, you've done a very good job."
Ying Wuyou then led the King of Qin to a secluded courtyard where cement was made. Looking at the neatly arranged cement piles in the courtyard, Ying Wuyou explained to the King of Qin the materials and uses of each type of cement.
Ying Wuyou explained to the King of Qin: "This is wood ash cement, which is made of clay and wood ash. Wood ash is the ash produced after burning straw and other materials."
Then he pointed to another gray powdery substance, “This is lime cement, which is mainly composed of limestone and clay.”
Then, Ying Wuyou pointed to the concentrated cement with added stones and sand, and said eloquently, "This mixture of cement with added stones and sand is far stronger and more durable than the other two types of pure cement. Moreover, its production cost is relatively low. However, the drawback of this cement is that its surface is not smooth enough, making it unsuitable for use on roads. But if used on city walls, I think it would be a perfect match."
At the King of Qin's command, the guards, swords in hand, fiercely hacked at the cement. Seeing their efforts yield only to find the cement as solid as a rock, the King of Qin was overjoyed. He thought to himself, "This cement is truly a rare treasure. If it could be widely used, the walls of my Great Qin would be indestructible, like a fortress of bronze and iron; the supply of provisions would be greatly reduced, as swift as a thunderbolt; and my soldiers would be invincible, unstoppable in their advance!"
Seeing this, Ying Wuyou pressed on, saying, "Father, I have prepared manpower and supplies. We are just waiting for your order to start building the cement road."
The King of Qin laughed heartily and said loudly, "Excellent! I look forward to seeing smooth and solid cement roads running through the territory of my Great Qin!"