Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 314, Section 313: The Craftsman's Worries
Back in Xianyang, Qin Shi still had many things to attend to.

"Your Majesty, a letter has arrived from the Grand Minister of Agriculture of Bohai County. The reorganization of Daochanglu Saltworks has been completed. I wonder what Your Majesty's plans are?"

The Grand Minister of Agriculture of Bohai Commandery was none other than the young Yan Cong.

Qin Shi flipped through the bamboo slips in his hand, talking nonstop: "Prepare more paper and pens to send to Bohai County—I'll send another letter and have the messenger deliver it quickly."

Yan Cong only returned briefly before the New Year to pay homage, and then hurriedly left again. Now that the Changlu Saltworks is on the right track, she should also keep her word from the beginning—

"Alright, let the messenger rest for two days, and I will report to the king tonight."

The salt and iron affairs should not have been in her hands in the first place. All matters concerning the ironworks had already been handed over, and now, as previously mentioned, the salt fields should also be taken over by the King.

The woman made a note of this matter, and without needing to give any instructions, a servant hurriedly went to deliver the message.

Qin Shi pondered: Although Yan Cong is young, he has gained some experience and now leads his own private army. Now that he has been transferred back from the Changlu Saltworks, where should he be sent next?
Ji Heng once praised him as a man of great talent, but even a man of great talent needs more life experience.

But speaking of which—

"Chi Nu, prepare the gifts and have Zhuang prepare for the trip. I will also send a letter to the Commandant of Yan County."

It's a pity that Yiming is no longer here.

She rubbed her forehead again: "Among the many medical classics that Hei Mu has silently preserved, has the Imperial Medical Academy made any breakthroughs? The Baiyue region is plagued by miasma and dampness; are there any medicinal herbs specifically for it? Quickly send a batch of them."

It would be a waste for Zhuang, with all his abilities, to always stay by my side.

She is not like Ji Heng after all.

There may be many people in this world who want him dead, but few people focus their attention on the Queen.

Besides, I've been living in the palace for a long time, and my next trip will probably be six months from now.

It would be a real shame if Zhuang continued to waste his time like this.

The Baiyue region was constantly embroiled in minor conflicts, and although there were no serious battles, it was indeed a good place for people to gain experience.

With such spirit and courage, he should be placed in the army. If he truly achieves merit in the future, it will not have been in vain that he received the opportunity to undergo rigorous training with the Wei elite troops.

After saying that, he crossed out another line from the to-do list.

Seeing the Queen's actions, and looking at the lines of tasks crossed out or left in the notebook she had compiled in imitation of the Queen, the Red Maiden felt that this method was exceptionally practical.

But looking down at the dense list of tasks to be done, I felt a heavy sense of pressure.

At this moment, he had no choice but to muster his spirits and say, "Your Majesty, Lady Chu said: The music you requested has been arranged."

……

outside the palace.

Danpu was ordered to stay by Mo's side.

This wasn't the first time he had followed this person. He knew that although the craftsman in front of him was a man of few words and didn't pay much attention to worldly affairs, whenever he made a contribution, he would surely please the Queen.

Therefore, they also had to put in all sorts of effort.

When the other party said they wanted to come to the glass workshop, he immediately ordered someone to prepare a car and go there.

When the other party made a request to the glass artisan, he stepped forward without hesitation.

No matter what kind of glass the other party wanted to find, he immediately gathered his men to search through the baskets...

The glassmaker, his brows furrowed, glanced at them and asked, "What kind of glass are you looking for? Since the Queen desires it, why not describe it and we'll make it directly?"

Even if it doesn't fully meet the requirements, just make it roughly acceptable, then polish and process it further. Wouldn't that be faster than doing it now?

Mo's eyes lit up.

He only knew that glass was fired like pottery, but he didn't know how it was fired or how it was processed.

Now that the other party had actually used the word "blown," his expression didn't change, but countless images were rapidly flashing through his mind before settling on the two pieces of glass in his hand.

"I want it like this." "I want it this thickness."

The glass craftsman took the glass shard, turned it over to examine it, and then felt its uneven surface with his hand. At this moment, he stood up:
"The skill of firing glass was passed down from the Queen. Since there is demand, we'll make it—what color do you want?"

Mo thought for a moment: "I want one without color."

The craftsman shook his head: "You can't make colorless glass. If you want it, you can slowly polish crystal, but it will have impurities, cracks and fine lines, so it probably won't be as clear as glass."

Mo thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"Then just use the lightest color."

The craftsman nodded in agreement.

Mo sat there obediently, waiting, his mind a jumble of thoughts, so he never paid attention to anything outside.

Danpu followed carefully, while also keeping an eye on the overall condition of the glass workshop.

Strangely enough, the glass artisans I saw today, whose skills were becoming increasingly superb, all seemed somewhat uneasy.

He noted this down and quickly took two steps forward while the craftsman was pushing the bellows:
"With such a secret technique for glassmaking, the craftsmen will never have to worry about food in the future. That's a good thing."

Although they were of lowly status, there were many who were even more lowly than them.

With such a skill, if passed down to future generations, one can always make a living in Xianyang.

It's tiring and tough—oh dear, what isn't tiring and tough these days?

Even for a palace eunuch like him, it was common for his legs and feet to swell and ache after a day's work.

The craftsman glanced at him, still somewhat lost in thought: "I don't know if I'll be able to stay in Xianyang in the future..."

Where does this idea come from?
The craftsman looked at him again: "Everyone says that our queen is rich and loves to reward, and she pities the poor and weak. Is that true?"

Danpu smiled but remained silent.

The queen's personality was a topic of much discussion within the palace, but he couldn't directly comment on it.

The other person was clearly not focused on that; they asked, but didn't press for an answer, only muttering:
"I heard that the secret techniques of our glass workshop are going to be auctioned off. Such secret techniques must be auctioned off together by all the artisans."

"Although I am still working in this workshop now, once other noblemen or merchants buy it, in the future..."

He was worried and anxious: although he worked for the king with great caution and trepidation, he was still able to eat his fill on a daily basis.

Once this secret technique falls into the hands of someone else, that person will definitely want their trusted confidants to learn it.

Once you've learned all of this, you can easily get him to keep the secret forever through any accident.

Even if the master is kind enough to spare his life, the future prospects of becoming a craftsman for the king are vastly different from those of becoming a craftsman for an ordinary merchant.

His worries were the same worries of all the artisans in the entire glass workshop.

Danpu suddenly realized what was going on and then laughed:
"Master craftsman, you are overthinking it."

Regarding the auction, the Queen had already noted down many details and discussed them with the Chief Secretary, who had heard them many times in the palace.

“Our Queen is exceptionally kind. The glassmaking process involves fire or molten glass, and the slightest mistake could be fatal.”

"How can we just casually pass on our knowledge and watch them gain experience by risking their lives?"

These are the Queen's exact words.

Danpu's willingness to speak up and offer comfort shows that he understands what the Queen values.

"...Therefore, even if it's an auction, the best talents selected by each workshop will be sent to our glass workshop. When the time comes, all the skilled craftsmen will bring their apprentices along, so why would they need to worry about being sold off?"

　Thank you for the generous donation, Qianqiu! The Winter Solstice marks the union of Yin and Yang, the passing of the year, and 2026 is here!

　　(End of this chapter)