in2ebook Chapter 156 Look, this was all done by my uncle.
Chapter 156 Look, this was all done by my uncle.
The following day, April 15th.
It was time for Qin Yizhen to visit the Imperial Study on the 1st and 5th of each month. She wrote a memorial about printing technology and presented it to Empress Dowager Cheng.
Nowadays, books are all handwritten, and ordinary people rarely have the opportunity to see books with pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. If printing technology could be used, perhaps this limitation could be broken.
After sitting down at the desk, Empress Cheng looked at the document and asked her, "Where did you learn all this from?"
"I overheard Miss Fang mention it by chance." Qin Yizhen had no intention of taking credit for Fang Shixin's work, so she naturally didn't hide it.
Movable type printing was proposed by Fang Shixin in his previous life for writing storybooks, but Fang Shixin didn't mention it in this life, so Qin Yizhen couldn't mention it in her memorial.
"Mother, this was just something Miss Fang said when she was drunk. I only remembered the gist of it. Now that I have brought out this method, if she finds out that it was she who said it, but I brought it out, she may hold a grudge against me."
"In that case, Mother, you should assume that you learned about it from some travelogues. It has nothing to do with her or me. As for her contribution, Mother, you can find another reason to compensate her."
Empress Dowager Cheng glanced at Qin Yizhen, her gaze sharp and piercing, as if everything was laid bare.
Qin Yizhen shrank back, not daring to utter a sound.
After a long silence, Empress Dowager Cheng said, "Since that's what you think, then we'll do as you say."
Qin Yizhen breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "Actually, Mother can ask Miss Fang about papermaking. Perhaps she has a better method. Then we can give her the rewards for printing and papermaking at the same time."
"I remember you and she were not on good terms?"
"Private matters are private matters, and public matters are public matters. I can tell the difference. If she has made any contributions, they should be hers."
In her previous life, Fang Shixin and Liang Xize harmed Cheng Yan, and she wished Fang Shixin would die immediately. However, she also knew that Fang Shixin had indeed contributed many things that benefited the country and its people.
She could keep things like the velvet flower business for herself, but she would never dare to do anything that would benefit the people, for fear of shortening her lifespan.
"You don't hold a grudge against her?"
"Of course I hold a grudge." In her previous life, Fang Shixin killed Cheng Yan, so Qin Yizhen naturally hated him.
Fang Shixin's existence itself is very complex. She has many novel and ingenious ideas, such as "smallpox treatment with cowpox" and "movable type printing".
Qin Yi truly hated her and wanted her dead, yet for the sake of these things, she had no choice but to tolerate her living.
If Fang Shixin hadn't been so malicious, Dong Qin would have revered her as a fairy.
It's just a pity.
“It’s just that I hold a grudge. If she doesn’t hurt me or the people I care about anymore, I can tolerate her for now. After all, she’s the most useful person to me. But if she dares to do anything, no matter how much she has, I will make her pay with her life.”
"At worst, we can lock her up and extract all the information she knows bit by bit. Once she's no longer of any use, we can send her to her death."
In their previous life, Empress Dowager Cheng and Emperor Jing'an did just that.
Qin Yizhen considered that Fang Shixin had been kind to the people in her past life, and that she had also received the punishment she deserved, so the matter could be considered a past grievance. However, if Fang Shixin harbored ill intentions again, then both old and new grudges would be settled.
Empress Dowager Cheng's eyes flashed, and she smiled: "Yizhen, although you have made progress, you are still not ruthless enough."
Qin Yizhen replied, "Your subject believes that people should be reasonable."
Empress Dowager Cheng nodded: "I understand your meaning. We will do as you say. If we can acquire the printing and papermaking techniques and cultivate more talents for Eastern Qin, it will be a great blessing for the country."
"I will summon Miss Fang and ask her if she knows about the papermaking technique."
"But today? If it is today, then I will return first."
"There's no rush. Come here and continue with your work."
Qin Yizhen had no choice but to obey.
In the afternoon, a heavy rain fell in Qindu. Qin Yizhen stayed in the study all afternoon. When the rain stopped and the sky became gloomy, she prepared to go home.
Empress Dowager Cheng intended for her to stay in the palace for the night, but she remembered that Cheng Yan had told her that morning that he would wait for her at the palace gate to go home together, so she politely declined Empress Dowager Cheng's offer and left in a hurry.
She had only gone a short distance from the Imperial Study when she ran into Emperor Jing'an and Princess Huizhen.
Princess Huizhen had a pained expression, seemingly on the verge of collapse. But when she saw Qin Yizhen arrive, her eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward.
"Third sister~"
Qin Yizhen shuddered, and goosebumps almost appeared on her skin.
As the group approached, Qin Yizhen bowed to the two of them, saying, "Your Majesty, Imperial Sister."
"Sister Yizhen." Emperor Jing'an touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed. "Did Sister Yizhen come from the Empress Dowager's quarters?"
"Indeed, why doesn't Your Majesty go inside?"
Although Emperor Jing'an is only twelve years old this year and still a young boy, Empress Dowager Cheng has always been very supportive of him in his upbringing, and the Imperial Study is a place he can come and go as he pleases.
"Ahem, I have to go practice martial arts this afternoon, so I won't go in." Why go now, when I'm about to finish dealing with state affairs? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
"It's Sister Huizhen who's looking for you today."
"Oh?" Qin Yizhen blinked and looked at Princess Huizhen. "What does my elder sister want with me?"
She hadn't seen Princess Huizhen since the unpleasant incident at the lantern festival, so why was Princess Huizhen looking for her now?
Princess Huizhen looked distressed, almost bursting into tears. She rolled up her sleeve to show Qin Yizhen the bruises and red marks on it, which were quite glaring.
“Look, look, this was all done by my uncle.”
"How did he hit you?" Qin Yizhen was shocked. How could Cheng Yan have beaten someone up like this?
No, how could he lay a hand on a little girl?
"What else could it be? It's all because I said something I shouldn't have at the lantern festival that day, which angered him." Princess Huizhen was somewhat resentful, but she had had enough of this life and had no choice but to back down.
"He remembered that I was idle and caused trouble all day long, so he arranged for several guards to come to the princess's residence to teach me martial arts every day, and to discipline me like a grandson."
"Look, look! This is all the beatings I took!"
"I see, thank goodness..." Qin Yizhen breathed a sigh of relief, wiping her sweat with her sleeve. She had almost thought Cheng Yan was the type to hit women. Thank goodness, it was just a false alarm.
Princess Huizhen was immediately displeased upon hearing this: "Hey, what's wrong with you? I'm your elder sister. I was beaten, and you're not even interested. You even said it's alright?"
"How could I be unmoved?" Qin Yizhen wasn't going to tolerate her. "You did something wrong, so it's only right that you were punished. Besides, your injuries look pretty bad, but you're still lively and energetic, and you don't seem to be in any danger!"