Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 558: You Came to the Right Place (asking for monthly ticket)
Zhu Youtang was so absorbed in reading that he did not feel hungry even at noon.

Finally, Qin Ji couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward to remind him quietly: "Your Majesty, it's time for lunch."

"Oh."

Zhu Youtang nodded, looked up at the sky outside, and asked, "What time is it now?"

"It's past noon."

Tan Ji replied respectfully.

"It's past noon?"

Zhu Youtang was shocked and stood up suddenly, looking extremely flustered. He said anxiously, "I promised the Queen that I would accompany her to see the loom. How come no one reminded me when the time came? It's bad, it's bad!"

"Your Majesty, don't worry."

Tan Ji couldn't help but shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Our Emperor really dotes on his wife too much. He is so panicked just because a small matter was delayed?

Zhu Youtang said, "Oh, my dear, you don't know that today's matter is of great importance. I have to go there in person. Yanling should have entered the palace a long time ago... Look, I have been delayed by reading... Let's read it when I come back."

"Your Majesty, the lunch..."

"No, no, I won't eat anymore. I'll talk about it later."

Zhu Youtang didn't have time to pack up, and hurried out of the Qianqing Palace and ran towards the East Palace where a large number of textile machines were installed.

……

……

When Zhu Youtang arrived at the Eastern Palace, Zhang Yanling had already left, but the textile machines were already running in full swing under the command of Zhang Yu. After a brief training, hundreds of palace maids were already learning textile techniques. Spinning machines and looms were placed on both sides, with fifty or sixty people in charge of each.

"Queen..."

When Zhu Youtang arrived, he was so anxious that he almost fell down when crossing the threshold.

Zhang Yu was slightly displeased when she heard her husband's voice. She pouted and snorted, "Why did you come so late?"

Zhu Youtang looked around and asked, "Has it started yet? Where's Yanling?"

"He's been gone for quite a while..."

Zhang Yu frowned and said, "Even if he is my biological brother, he is still an outsider after all...You were the one who let him into the palace, and now you are not here, how can he have the nerve to stay in the East Palace for a long time? He arranged everything and then left the palace on his own."

Zhu Youtang said helplessly: "Look at me, I was so busy reading that I forgot the promise we made. Then... Hey, are these looms?"

Chen Gui, the eunuch in charge of the furnishings, smiled and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, the machines have been set up. This is the first batch of palace maids, all of whom are skillful people in the palace. Arrange them here to learn while getting familiar with them. Later, they can teach more people."

"Oh."

Zhu Youtang held Zhang Yu's hand and begged, "Yu'er, don't be angry with me. I'm wrong this time, okay?"

"Humph!"

Zhang Yu broke free and continued to throw tantrums like a little girl.

Chen Gui, who was standing next to him, was stunned when he saw this scene.

My heart is broken.

Look at my talkative character. When I saw the emperor coming, I had to come forward and try to take credit for it.

By the way, is this what I can hear?
The emperor and his wife are arguing?
It’s broken, it’s broken, you can’t see me, you can’t see me…

Chen Gui restrained his expression and took small steps back, trying to retreat to a relatively safe social distance so that the emperor and empress would think that he saw and heard nothing.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yu called out, "Eunuch Chen, tell His Majesty how the preparations are going... I don't want to talk about it anymore, it's so disappointing!"

"Cough! Cough!"

Chen Gui couldn't catch his breath and almost passed out.

I thought to myself, what does this have to do with me?
Zhu Youtang smiled and said in a flattering manner, "Yes, Chen Banban, tell me, how are your preparations going now?"

Chen Gui thought, it seems that I will have to let others handle this kind of troublesome things in the future. I'd better stay away from it as much as possible to avoid accidental injuries.

"Your Majesty, the situation is like this... The machine over here is used for spinning, and the machine over there is used for weaving." Chen Gui introduced with a smile.

"What is spinning and what is weaving? Aren't they both weaving? Why are they... divided into two parts?"

Zhu Youtang obviously had little experience, common sense, or experience, but he was the kind of person who was humble and eager to learn. When he encountered something he didn't understand, he would ask questions without hesitation.

Chen Gui patiently explained: "Your Majesty, to weave cloth, you first have to turn cotton, linen, silk, etc. into threads, and then use the threads to weave the cloth... Your Majesty, you can see from the clothes you are wearing that the threads are interwoven one by one, and then become cloth..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youtang couldn't help but look at his sleeves carefully. After a while, he said with a look of surprise, "It is indeed like this. I thought it was made in one piece... Why didn't I pay close attention to these things before?"

Zhang Yu snorted, "As an emperor, you don't even know this common sense. It's embarrassing to tell others about it."

"Okay, okay, Queen, I'm learning right now, right?"

Zhu Youtang was very excited, and his relaxed eyebrows seemed to say, I learned something new today, that's great! He immediately looked at Chen Gui and ordered, "Go on."

Chen Gui said: "In the past, weavers spun the yarn manually, which was very slow. This time, after the improvement made by Uncle Zhang, the spinning efficiency has been greatly improved. Eight spindles can be spun at a time, and it can be done by hand. Ordinary women can do it easily. After the spinning is completed, the loom is used for weaving... It is very efficient!"

"This... is there something special about it?" Zhu Youtang became very interested after hearing this. He walked over and personally watched a palace maid spinning.

Chen Gui pointed to the side and said, "There is an old-fashioned spinning machine there. Your Majesty, you will know after you compare it."

"Oh?"

Zhu Youtang then followed Chen Gui to the old-fashioned spinning machine.

Chen Gui shouted, "Come here and demonstrate to His Majesty."

"Yes."

Immediately, a palace maid came over and started spinning yarn on an old-fashioned spinning machine with ease.

Because it is not hand-cranked, many parts need to be twisted manually, which is time-consuming and laborious. Even Zhu Youtang, who is not familiar with the industry, can see the trick. "Just... this?"

Zhu Youtang asked in confusion.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this is actually the best spinning tool on the market. Some families don't even use machines, but pure manpower... This is already considered good." Chen Gui said, "There are many similar machines on the market, but none is better than what you saw before."

Zhu Youtang looked back at the new spinning machine that spun yarn at a lightning speed and seemed effortless, and asked in surprise, "Is there such a big difference?"

Zhang Yu pursed his lips and said, "I asked you to come and watch but you didn't. Do you know what the palace maids' reactions were when Yanling demonstrated it to them? They seemed to have seen the most magical thing in the world. Otherwise, why would they open spinning and weaving workshops in the palace? Is it just for formality?"

Zhu Youtang hurried over and put his arms around Zhang Yu's slender waist, saying sincerely, "Queen, I was wrong. Please forgive me, okay?"

"Humph! All right! If Yanling comes again next time, you make it up to him."

Zhang Yu leaned her head on her husband's arm and said in a soft voice.

"Good good."

When Zhu Youtang heard this, he realized that he was forgiven so easily because his wife was just taking advantage of his brother-in-law's contribution. "Next time Yanling comes, I will definitely reward him well. Continue the demonstration."

When Chen Gui saw that the young couple had reconciled, he seemed to be cheered up instantly, and said with a smile: "Yes, Your Majesty. This side is for spinning, and that side is for weaving... In order for you to see clearly, we have also prepared an old-fashioned loom, you will know when you see it..."

After Zhu Youtang walked a few steps, Qin Ji and his men came to the palace gate, panting.

"My dear, what are you doing?"

Zhu Youtang saw Qin Ji panting and asked curiously.

Qin Ji thought to himself, you kid, you used to be in poor health and would gasp for breath after walking a few steps. Now that you’re married and become the emperor, you seem to be much stronger after recuperation, and your legs and feet seem to be more agile.

I couldn't catch up with you no matter how hard I tried, and now you are making fun of me here?
"I'm old and can't walk."

Qin Ji smiled and joked to himself, then explained, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was afraid that you would be hungry, so I brought some food here, which was freshly heated."

Zhu Youtang turned around and looked at Zhang Yu, and asked, "Queen, have you had your meal?"

"How can I care about this?"

Zhang Yu was a little unhappy again, "Originally, I said that after the decoration here is completed, I will invite Yanling to the palace for dinner...How can I invite him to stay if you don't come?"

Zhu Youtang said with regret: "Alas, whether I come or not, I can't neglect Yanling, after all, he is a guest. Oh, by the way, my dear, come and have a look, those are new spinning and loom machines, can you take a look?"

"Yes Yes."

Tan Ji smiled and nodded.

he was thinking.

Does a little kid really understand these things?

Chen Gui smiled and said, "Eunuch Qin, you are an experienced person. I think you have seen looms and spinning machines. Do you think the machines in front of you are much more efficient?"

Qin Ji said in embarrassment: "I have come across some before, but it has been so many years that I can hardly remember what they looked like."

Although Qin Ji is a good guy, he is not stupid.

What he was thinking was, if the machine improved by that young uncle Zhang was not very efficient, wouldn’t it be very hurtful if I spoke frankly about it?
This is a joint project between the Queen and Uncle Zhang. If I come out to sabotage it, I will only be asking for trouble... but if I don't tell the truth, that would be deceiving the King.

So I just said I didn't remember, and I didn't know what the efficiency of the original textile machines was, so I didn't have to make my own evaluation.

This is my golden mean in dealing with people.

Chen Gui saw through Qin Ji's trick at a glance and said with a smile: "Even if it has been many years, you should still have an impression of it... Come and take a look at this hand-cranked spinning machine with eight spindles..."

"what!?"

When Qin Ji heard this, he asked, eight?

They don't play by the rules right from the start. How many people are needed to drive a spinning machine with eight spindles?

When he went forward and took a closer look, he was even more dumbfounded.

Because there was only a weak little palace maid there, shaking it with her hands, which caused the eight gears to rotate rapidly, and the thread was obediently put into an ingot.

Chen Gui's face lit up, and he asked with a smile, "When weaving, the thread is pulled from the inside, Eunuch Tan, you should know this, right?"

“Some are not…”

Qin Ji said seriously, "But internal draws usually cause problems such as tangling of the wires. This... is quite magical."

Zhu Youtang said excitedly: "My dear, although I have never woven cloth, I think this thing is amazing...isn't it?"

"Where is the loom?"

Tan Ji put away his disrespect and asked again hurriedly.

Chen Gui pointed: "Over there."

Qin Ji said, "Your Majesty, may I let this servant take a look first and give you my evaluation after I have finished reading it?"

"Row."

Zhu Youtang nodded.

Chen Gui was leading the way in front, his heart already beaming with joy, thinking, it seems I have come to the right place after all.

Joining the Zhang family was the wisest and most correct decision I have ever made in my life. Not only did I avoid Liang Fang's conspiracy, but I also ensured a bright future. I was really smart.

"This……"

Originally, Qin Ji did not take spinning and weaving seriously. He thought it was just a symbolic face-saving project to promote the queen's good name.

After he personally inspected the scene like the emperor, he could not help walking around and observing carefully, just like a young boy who was ignorant of the world and found everything he saw and heard extremely new.

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(End of this chapter)