Chapter One Hundred Eleven: The Concept of Industry

Li Zhi was so taken aback by the roller skates on Li Yuechen’s feet that he failed to acknowledge her greeting. It was impossible not to be—they were simply too conspicuous.

It wasn't just the Emperor; the ministers and foreign envoys were equally stunned. How could a few wheels attached to one's feet create such a magical effect?

Empress Wu Zetian was the first to recover, offering a gentle cough. Li Zhi finally snapped out of his daze, smiling as he nodded. "Very well, since Chen’er has such filial intentions, let us see it!"

Li Yuechen smiled, shifted her feet, and began to glide around the grand hall. As she spread her arms and wove through the ranks of ministers like a bird in flight, they realized what was happening and quickly stepped aside to give her space.

Noting their quick-wittedness, Li Yuechen chuckled and came to a stop in the center of the hall. She leaned forward, lifted one leg behind her, and began to spin in place, her body forming a perfect "T" shape. The veils draped over her arms danced with her, making her silhouette appear even more ethereal. She spun like a top in the center of the hall before coming to a sudden halt and gliding backward around the floor.

Every time the rhythm of the musicians changed, her movements adapted perfectly, her limbs moving with impeccable grace. The dance style was vastly different from anything popular at the time, yet it felt remarkably harmonious. Combined with her effortless gliding—as if she were catching the musical notes themselves—it drew the undivided attention of everyone present.

As the music reached its climax, her movements shifted once more. She executed two consecutive mid-air rotations, landing on one foot. The moment she touched down, she kicked her legs out into a horizontal split, her body dropping low until she was nearly skimming the floor. In this posture, she slid effortlessly beneath a desk that stood a foot off the ground.

Many of the onlookers couldn't help but shout, "Bravo!"

Just as the five-minute piece drew to a close, she accelerated into a backflip, landed, and slid to a halt right in front of the Emperor and Empress with her legs extended.

Li Yuechen bowed. "Your child wishes Mother and Father a peaceful and healthy New Year!"

"Wonderful!" Li Zhi laughed aloud. He stood up, walked down from behind his desk, and patted her head. "As expected of Chen’er. Who would have thought that attaching wooden wheels to one's feet could make the body so light!"

Wu Zetian nodded as well. "Though it is quite strange, the dance itself is truly magnificent."

The other ministers chimed in with praise, expressing their shared astonishment. Li Yuechen was already thinking of having more pairs made for her family to enjoy; the stone-paved square in front of the hall was perfectly smooth and ideal for skating. This dance, she figured, served as an excellent advertisement.

***

After the banquet ended, the New Year’s holiday began, and the next court session was not until the eighth day of the first lunar month. Li Yuechen didn't even change her shoes; she skated alongside her parents all the way to Renshou Hall.

Once Li Zhi had removed his crown and was letting his maids help him out of his ceremonial robes, he asked curiously, "Chen’er, can anyone master these roller skates?"

"It does require some practice," Li Yuechen replied with a smile. "But since both Mother and Father are skilled in horsemanship and archery, you should be able to pick it up quite quickly."

Li Zhi was clearly interested. "Good. Have the craftsmen make several more pairs. When the time comes, Empress, Xian’er, and the others will all learn with you!"

"Of course!" Li Yuechen agreed. "However, there is a small component on the shoes that is quite tedious to make, so it might take some time."

"No matter, go ahead and do it!" Li Zhi waved his hand cheerfully. "I shall wait."

Li Yuechen nodded. "Very well, I will have them start after the New Year."

***

After taking her leave, Li Yuechen skated all the way back to Anfu Hall, leaving Fulai far behind. At first, he had been able to keep up, but as she picked up speed, he was quickly distanced.

After lunch, Shangguan Wan'er had been playing chess with Princess Yiyang in the Linbo Pavilion, occasionally glancing at the door in anticipation of Li Yuechen’s return. Suddenly, a flash of bright red darted through the gate and headed straight for the pavilion. The two playing chess and Princess Xuancheng, who was watching, looked up to see Li Yuechen skating toward them with her back turned.

They couldn't help but stare at the roller skates on her feet. They had been curious about how the device worked for days, and now they were finally seeing it in action.

***

As she reached them, Li Yuechen lifted her heels, using the stoppers at the toes to bring herself to a smooth halt. She turned and smiled, "Well? Did I look light on my feet?"

Princess Yiyang nodded. "Light? You looked like a celestial being!"

"Indeed, I was completely mesmerized!" Princess Xuancheng added, looking equally amazed.

Shangguan Wan'er, sitting nearby, curiously crouched down to examine the skates. "Your Highness, I want to try, too..."

"Well, I suspect this pair is the only one that will fit you," Li Yuechen said, nodding. "Go ahead and try. I’ll teach you!"

Shangguan Wan'er shook her head. "The two Princesses haven't tried yet; how could I go first? I should wait until you make new ones..."

"It’s fine, go ahead. We’ll just watch from the side," Princess Yiyang said, patting her head.

Princess Xuancheng agreed. "Yes, and these shoes are so small, we couldn't fit into them anyway."

After the three princesses gave their blessing, Shangguan Wan'er demurred once more before finally nodding in anticipation. Li Yuechen changed into her regular shoes and had Shangguan Wan'er sit down to put on the skates.

Lady Zheng looked on with concern. "May I ask, Your Highness, will she be able to control them as skillfully as you do?"

"She’ll be unfamiliar at first, but with a little teaching, she’ll be fine," Li Yuechen smiled. It really wasn't that difficult as long as someone was there to support her so she wouldn't fall hard. With a bit of talent, someone could usually find their balance and start gliding within half an hour.

Shangguan Wan'er sat in the chair, put on the skates, and slid them back and forth. Because of the bearings, the wheels were very responsive, lacking the clunky resistance of a carriage. She felt a bit intimidated and hesitated to stand up.

Li Yuechen walked over and took her hands. "Come, stand up!"

Shangguan Wan'er held her hands and slowly stood, but she was still nervous, gripping Li Yuechen tightly.

"Good, now step!" Li Yuechen instructed.

Shangguan Wan'er lifted a leg. "Your Highness, these shoes are very heavy..."

"Don't worry, you'll adapt soon enough."

Under Li Yuechen's guidance, Shangguan Wan'er began to march in place, but she nearly tripped after two steps. Li Yuechen was quick to catch her by the waist, steadying her. "It’s alright, try again."

Shangguan Wan'er nodded and continued to step, holding onto Li Yuechen’s hands. Once she found her center of gravity, Li Yuechen let go of one hand, allowing her to adjust. Eventually, she let go of the other. After a few near-falls that were caught by Li Yuechen, her confidence grew, and she began to lift her legs with more purpose.

Seeing that she had found her balance, Li Yuechen began to teach her how to glide. It was all about finding that single point of balance, much like riding a bicycle.

"Point your toes outward, like this."

Following Li Yuechen's lead, Shangguan Wan'er turned her feet into a slight "V" shape and pushed outward with her legs, managing to glide forward slowly.

"Yes, just like that!"

Li Yuechen stayed by her side to prevent any falls. At this point, it was just a matter of practice. With an expert like Li Yuechen teaching her, Shangguan Wan'er was able to circle the courtyard within half an hour. The fear on her face was replaced by a smile of excitement as she felt the wind against her face.

Eager for more, Shangguan Wan'er looked at her with anticipation. "Your Highness, how do I glide backward?"

"Simple. Gliding forward requires pointing your toes outward; for backward, you just point your heels outward," Li Yuechen explained, guiding her through the motion.

As she taught, Li Yuechen pondered the idea of making single-row (inline) skates in the future. For tricks, inline skates were much cooler—especially being able to stand on the front two wheels after a spin. But for dancing, double-row skates were superior. She remembered when she first learned, seeing someone perform a backward speed-skate stop on double-row skates—it had looked incredibly cool.

By dusk, Shangguan Wan'er had finally learned to skate backward. Though she was still clumsy, she at least wouldn't fall easily.

After taking off the skates, Shangguan Wan'er stood there, stunned.

"What's wrong?" asked Princess Yiyang.

"It's nothing, just a normal reaction for the first time," Li Yuechen smiled. She remembered how she felt like she didn't know how to walk properly the first time she took them off, too.

After a moment of adjustment, Shangguan Wan'er ran over to Li Yuechen. "Your Highness, I want to play again later..."

"Of course, there will be plenty of opportunities," Li Yuechen said, patting her head and taking her hand. "Come, let's go have dinner."

The two sisters also expressed their desire to try once more pairs were made.

***

The New Year passed quickly. Every morning, after her training, Li Yuechen would go to Renshou Hall to dine with her parents. Li Zhi would frequently ask about the roller skates, clearly impatient to try them out. Li Yuechen told him not to worry; he would get his turn soon.

On the eighth day of the first lunar month, the Great Tang Empire officially returned to work. Li Yuechen immediately ran to the gold and silver workshop to find Wang Gangdan.

"How fast can you make one bearing?"

"Your Highness, I can make one every five days," Wang Gangdan replied.

Li Yuechen’s eyes widened. "Five days? How?"

Wang Gangdan explained. Because the demand was high, he had been pondering the process and had come up with a new method. He had a friend at the Directorate of Crafts who shared his technical interests. After seeing the pedal-operated stirrer Li Yuechen had designed, he used it as inspiration to create a pedal-operated grinder.

In essence, he used a foot-pedal gear transmission to spin a grinding stone at high speed. This allowed him to cast the outer shell of the bearing as a thick ring and then grind a groove into the interior. At the same time, he used a small iron rod with a semi-circular notch to press small, heated iron rods into semi-circular molds on a base. This allowed him to create irregular iron balls that only needed a bit of polishing to be ready. By using a wooden board with a hole to test the size, he ensured consistency. With an apprentice’s help, he could now make three or four of these small balls a day.

Listening to Wang Gangdan, Li Yuechen was amazed. She hadn't expected an illiterate old craftsman to hit upon the simplest form of an industrial process. While it was still manual labor, it possessed the core concept of industrialization: mass production!

"Good!" Li Yuechen nodded. "This method has great potential. Keep refining it, and for every improvement, I will reward you handsomely!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Wang Gangdan was thrilled. He had always loved tinkering, but his work was rarely valued beyond a casual "not bad." Now that the Princess supported him, he felt that his efforts were truly appreciated.

***

Walking out of the workshop, Li Yuechen thought to herself, *Not bad at all!* Even the concept of industrialization had emerged. The wisdom of the ancients was not to be underestimated. At this rate, with one bearing every five days, she could have eight finished in forty days—enough for a pair of skates. If all went well, her father would be skating by the second month.

She headed to the Directorate of Crafts to order the construction of the boots, ensuring they were sized for Li Zhi. Once that was done, she returned to Anfu Hall. As she sat down to rest, Fulai ran over with a grin. "Your Highness, I hear that many people went home and had their own craftsmen try to make those skates, only for them to fall quite heavily!"

He wore a look of schadenfreude. Li Yuechen laughed. "That's normal. That's what happens when you don't know how to use them. But one day, I'll teach them—and then they can buy them from me!"