Chapter Eighty-Five: The Telescope

As May arrived, the four-wheeled carriage had also begun to take shape. The frame was finished, though much adjustment still remained.

Li Yuechen went over every few days to see the progress, asking about any problems and having them solved on the spot whenever possible, for time was pressing.

At the same time, the workshop at the Prince Consort’s Market was expanded to twice its former size. The craftsmen who had been in charge of producing magnifying glasses in the glass workshop were moved there, and work had already begun on making the production equipment.

The concave lenses were finished as well. Li Yuechen had already asked the Directorate of Craftsmanship to fashion a copper sleeve, and in a few days the first telescope would be born in the eastern capital of Tang.

Of the two shops in the South Market, Wang Xiang now managed only the canned goods business, while Chun Mei had become the shopkeeper of the household goods store.

A few days earlier, her mother, Wu Zetian, held a banquet and invited the women of many noble households.

Each year the empress held several such gatherings, and the wives of the great families would also bring their daughters along.

Such banquets also carried the implication that the empress was, in effect, selecting a bride for her son.

Only this year, there were far fewer young girls in attendance than in years past.

That was because the newly revised Tang Code made it explicit that marriage was forbidden between collateral blood relatives within three generations, so those connected to the imperial family by kinship had no need to come.

Li Yuechen and her two elder sisters also attended as women of the royal household, partly to see whether they might make friends with girls their own age.

The banquet was held in the Tao Guang Garden. By May, most of the flowers there were in full bloom. Wherever one looked, brilliant colors met the eye, with every blossom vying for attention in dazzling beauty.

Because there were so many flowers, bees, butterflies, and dragonflies could almost always be seen drifting past from time to time.

Li Yuechen, dressed in an exquisitely inconvenient formal court gown, took tiny steps as she chatted with a group of girls her own age.

With the mind of an adult, she moved with ease among the women of the inner courts, and many noble ladies went out of their way to praise her.

How adorable she was, how naturally clever, how she must be a blessing to Tang, and so on.

Though it was a little awkward to be praised so directly, what they said was, after all, true, and it put more smiles on Li Yuechen’s face.

Their daughter being praised reflected well on Wu Zetian as well, and as the empress she naturally smiled while chatting with the ladies.

Of course, she also did not forget her role as an unofficial promoter. In passing, she revealed that a new tribute item had recently appeared in the palace, one with the effect of protecting the skin and enhancing beauty.

Women were extremely sensitive to such matters. They immediately asked in detail about it.

And Wu Zetian, as befitted someone who had risen to the throne of empress, never once mentioned Li Yuechen’s shop directly, yet somehow ensured that every one of them remembered the matter.

So only a few days after the banquet, many people came calling, specifically asking to buy that moisturizing cream.

Chun Mei had lived in Tang for a long time and spoke fluent Tang speech. She was also quite capable in dealing with people, and on the very first day she created sales of one hundred guan.

That was only the beginning. Once they saw the effects for themselves, the number of buyers would surely keep growing.

When Wu Zetian received the news, however, she was clearly not pleased. She felt as though she had been conned by her own daughter.

On the very first day, sales had already reached one hundred guan, yet she had only asked for eighty guan in endorsement fees. She had suffered a huge loss.

The next day, when Li Yuechen came to pay her respects, Wu Zetian wore a long face and her displeasure was plain to see.

Li Yuechen took her hand and shook it gently. “Mother, don’t be upset. It’s only a little endorsement money. In the future, if I come up with anything good again, I’ll think of Mother first, for sure!”

Of course Wu Zetian was not truly bothered by such a small sum. It was only that, ever since returning from Ganye Temple, she had risen all the way back up, overturning every setback. For so many years, she had always been the one to swindle others.

Yet this time she had actually been swindled by her own daughter, and she could not help feeling a bit unhappy.

“Hmph, so you know it is only a little money!” Wu Zetian said, turning her face away. “And yet you still haggle with your mother over it!”

Li Yuechen quickly sat down cross-legged and began gently pounding her legs. “I’m not being petty. It’s just that we’re still in the stage of development, and I really can’t take out too much money right now. I need to keep it to expand production!”

Li Zhi, reclining in a rocking chair, asked, “What, is the current output not enough?”

“Right now, it’s hard to even cover the eastern capital,” Li Yuechen said. “I want to make this business big. If we can do business across all Tang, then you and Mother will never need to worry about money again. Whether it’s famine relief or war, you won’t have to fear a thing.”

Of course, those words were pure persuasion. No country as vast as this could possibly be sustained by commerce alone.

Yet Li Zhi seemed to take it seriously and began thinking it over in earnest. “But your workshop is so small. How could you ever do business across all Tang?”

“Well…” Li Yuechen said with a smile, “allow me to think about it.”

In truth, it was simple enough: either sell the patent, or keep investing money and hire more people.

Selling the patent would be easier, but Li Yuechen still preferred the second method.

It was a little more troublesome, but at least it would let her ensure the workers had enough to eat and were paid properly.

Unlike the other merchants of this age, who wished they could use people as if they were beasts of burden.

Her foremost aim was not to make money, but to develop the economy. Only when the economy grew could the state have wealth.

The greatest flaw in such a method, however, was that the formula could not be kept forever. Leaks were inevitable; it was only a question of time.

Li Yuechen hoped to wait until the price of glass had fallen to a certain level before letting it out.

That was the plan in her mind, but for now it was still difficult. The little workshop district at the Prince Consort’s Market was certainly nowhere near enough.

So the best choice would be to move the future factories outside the city, build a large industrial complex there, and ideally station heavy troops around it. Only then could the risk of the formula leaking be minimized.

Still, that could wait until some future opportunity arose. Even Li Zhi could not possibly produce so much money all at once.

...

Back at Anfu Hall, Li Yuechen crouched down to look at the lush green rice seedlings.

Though the outcome was not yet known, it seemed the fertilizer experiment had likely succeeded.

The rice ears were plump and full, and one could already imagine a substantial harvest after reaping. The only question was how much that would amount to per mu.

For Li Yuechen, the experiment would count as a success if the yield per mu exceeded two hundred jin.

Seeing her crouched in silence beside the field, Shangguan Wan’er put on wooden clogs and came out of the hall, then crouched down beside her.

“Why is Your Highness staring at the field in a daze?” Her large eyes were filled with a trace of confusion.

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand,” Li Yuechen said, patting her head. “If I had to put it simply, it’s that I hope the people of Tang will all be able to eat their fill someday!”

Shangguan Wan’er still seemed puzzled. “Why does Your Highness wish to do this?”

“Why… I simply hope it can be so,” Li Yuechen said with a smile.

She did not know how to explain it either. Could she call it a dream? That did not quite seem right.

Her dream, perhaps, was to eat, sleep, and coast through life, with nothing at all to bother her, so she could play to her heart’s content and pursue the breadth and limit of existence.

But having been born into history, she found herself instinctively wanting to alter certain regrets.

Perhaps it was because she came from a civilized age, and could not bear to see so many people starve to death.

This land would undergo more than a thousand years of dynastic change. From the perspective of the future, that was a brilliant history.

But from the present, the future still held countless wars, famines, and more.

So if she had the ability, she still hoped to avert as many disasters as possible, so that the lives upon this land might live in peace.

“Only hoping for it?” Shangguan Wan’er tilted her head. “Is that what Your Highness wants to do?”

“Yes.” Li Yuechen nodded. “Does Wan’er have something she wants to do? You can tell me.”

Shangguan Wan’er bit her lower lip and thought for a moment. “This servant wants to do what Your Highness wants to do!”

Li Yuechen broke into a grin. She took it only as deliberate flattery, given the gulf in status between them.

But she said no more, only took the girl’s hand and stood up. “If one day you truly find something you want to do, remember to tell me.”

With that, she lifted her leg and walked toward the hall. “Come on. Let’s have some yogurt first, and then go to the Clothing Bureau to have a swimsuit made for you. We’ll need it in a few days.”

“Your Highness, what is a swimsuit?”

“Clothes for swimming in water!”

...

Two days later, the Directorate of Craftsmanship sent word to Li Yuechen that the telescope she had requested was finished.

Li Yuechen immediately went to the directorate and took the sample from the craftsman.

It was made of a copper tube, less than ten centimeters long. Pulled out on both ends, it could extend to twenty-five centimeters.

She lifted it to look around, and the effect was excellent. For this age, it was an astonishingly advanced object.

When Li Yuechen smiled and waved him off, Fu Lai understood and stepped forward with a tiny golden bean, handing it to the craftsman.

The craftsman accepted it and thanked Li Yuechen profusely. She waved him off, told him there was no need for ceremony, and hurried off to the Hall of Benevolent Longevity to present her treasure.

As soon as she entered the hall, Li Zhi saw the thing in her hand and knew at once that she had made something new again.

“Chen’er, what is this?”

“Just a derivative of transparent glass,” Li Yuechen explained. Then she extended the telescope. “Father, use this to look out the window.”

Li Zhi took it, examined it, and then raised it to his eye to look at a tree outside the window.

At once he was astonished. “Oh? It has such an effect?”

Seeing his reaction, Wu Zetian asked from the side, “What sort of effect could make Your Majesty react thus?”

“Hahaha… Consort Mei, come and look!” Li Zhi waved her over. “This will surely surprise you as well!”

Hearing this, Wu Zetian rose with a suspicious look and came over. She took the telescope and looked out the window.

When she saw that the branch, which had seemed so distant, now appeared almost within reach, even her usually composed face could not help but show surprise.

“Chen’er, this thing…”

“Heh heh, it was also made from transparent glass. Very simple, really,” Li Yuechen explained with a grin.

Li Zhi nodded. “This is immensely useful! Someone, summon Liu Ren’gui, Qixin Heli, Pei Xingjian…”

One could truly say that a wise person thinks quickly. Li Zhi immediately grasped how it might be used and summoned a group of renowned generals who had won countless battles.

Li Yuechen had actually wanted to stay and see how Li Zhi would introduce the thing to them.

But after thinking it over, she decided to leave. After all, it was only such a small object, and Li Zhi could explain it well enough. Most importantly, she ought to give her father a chance to show off.

Hearing that Li Yuechen wished to take her leave, Li Zhi smiled. “What, are you afraid of stealing my thunder?”

“How could that be…” Li Yuechen said with a slight smile. “I just still want to go see how the carriage is progressing.”

Hearing that, Li Zhi smiled and nodded. “Very well, Chen’er, do as you like!”

Li Yuechen gave the couple each a big hug, then turned and left.

Watching her bouncing, skipping figure disappear into the distance, Li Zhi turned his head and said, “Chen’er is becoming more thoughtful now.”

“She is thinking of Your Majesty’s interests,” Wu Zetian said with a look of quiet satisfaction.

“Even if she were here, I would still be very happy,” Li Zhi said suddenly, with a hint of melancholy.

Wu Zetian rose and came to sit beside him. “That may be so, but it is always good to have that sort of heart. To achieve merit without becoming arrogant…”

Li Zhi nodded in agreement. The more he looked at this daughter, the more pleasing she became.

After drinking some tea and estimating that the time was about right, the couple rose and went to the entrance of the Hall of Benevolent Longevity, standing side by side.

They had not waited long before Liu Ren’gui and the other veteran battlefield commanders entered the palace one after another, and each came forward to pay respects to the emperor and empress.

Li Zhi smiled and lifted a hand. “No need for ceremony. Today I have summoned you all because Chen’er has studied yet another curious object, and I would like you to take a look!”

“May I ask Your Majesty, what is it?” Qixin Heli asked in his plainspoken manner.

Beside him, Pei Xingjian turned his head. “The princess is General Liu’s disciple, so I imagine General Liu must know a thing or two, yes?”

“Alas!” Liu Ren’gui shook his head. “I truly do not!”

Li Zhi did not keep them in suspense. He took the telescope in his hand and extended it. “This object, Chen’er has named a telescope. Its effect is remarkable!”

As he spoke, he also held it before his eye and looked around, then handed it to Liu Ren’gui. “You gentlemen may all have a look.”

Liu Ren’gui respectfully took it with both hands. Learning from Li Zhi, he raised it to his eye and looked through it, immediately breaking into astonishment.

After carefully examining the surroundings, he lowered it and said, “Your Majesty, this thing is of great use!”

As he spoke, he passed it to Pei Xingjian.

Pei Xingjian, too, was a man of immense battlefield experience. After only a glance or two, he could not help but lower it and gently stroke the copper tube twice. “Truly a divine instrument!”

“Let me see, let me see!”

Qixin Heli snatched it away at once, and after copying their manner to look around, he too exclaimed, “Good heavens, extraordinary indeed!”

The group of veteran generals took turns eagerly examining it, each wearing the same astonished expression.

Those who had already looked through it excitedly discussed its many military uses, and for a time the room buzzed with conversation.

Seeing the astonished expressions on each of them, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian exchanged a glance, both wearing a trace of proud satisfaction.

As for Liu Ren’gui, he merely nodded with a face full of gratification, making no attempt to join in their discussion.