Zheng Qiao Zhang was still deep in thought when Yun Shu rested her chin in one hand and, eyes sparkling with curiosity, mused aloud.
"If the kettle were large enough, do you think the white mist it releases could pull a ship?"
Pull a ship?
A flicker passed through Zheng Qiao Zhang's mind.
"If that were possible, then... would we not be able to build a ship that sails on its own?"
"Perhaps," Yun Shu replied casually. "But it would likely take a long time. And naturally, a ship that can sail by itself would cost far more than an ordinary one.
The Ministry of Revenue will not approve any further funds for this project. So for now, we should focus on building the ships already drawn in the plans.
After all, even if one day we truly do manage to create self-propelled ships, we would not be able to build them en masse immediately. These ships we're making now will still be useful in the long run."
"Your Highness speaks wisely," said Tang Yuanlin with a respectful nod.
"This old subject shall refine the designs for a few more days. Once the blueprint is finalized, we will create a small model to test it. If all goes smoothly, we shall begin full-scale production."
"Grandfather, handle it as you see fit."
Yun Shu had always understood one simple truth: leave specialized tasks to those with the expertise. There was no need to micromanage.
With that, she rose from her seat unhurriedly.
"It is getting late. I shall return to the palace."
"We respectfully see Your Highness off."
Upon hearing Yun Shu was about to leave, Zheng Qiao Zhang quickly followed suit, hands clasped as he bowed.
Yet his thoughts remained on the idea of ships that could sail on their own.
What Princess Sheng An had just said made one thing clear—she believed it was possible to build such vessels. And the more he considered it, the more Zheng Qiao Zhang thought it might indeed be feasible.
The problem now was... how exactly could one harness that white mist?
Surely they could not just build a giant kettle at the bow of the ship and keep it boiling?
—
Over at the Ministry of Works, the entire department was abuzz, working tirelessly day and night to meet Emperor Xuanwu's shipbuilding decree. Word had it that many of the capital's shipyards had been summoned to join the effort.
But as for Yun Shu, after returning to the palace that day, she had not concerned herself with it again.
She did not even spare much thought for Zheng Qiao Zhang's progress on the steam engine.
Not because she lacked interest, but simply because she had no time.
Whether it was due to the fact that she had emptied the national treasury in one fell swoop, or because Emperor Xuanwu had suddenly changed his mind, the very same Emperor who once said she could delay her court duties for a year or two had now insisted she begin attending morning court every single day.
Every morning before dawn, she had to drag herself out of bed just to listen to a room full of old men bicker.
Yun Shu could hardly imagine the pain she would have endured if she had been forced to attend court back when she had no interest in the heir's position at all.
Though, frankly... it was not much better now.
It felt like the plight of students who desperately wished to excel, who swore to themselves they would pay attention in every lesson, only to find their minds wandering the moment the lecture began.
Yun Shu had resolved to understand the workings of Tian Sheng's court. She truly had.
But the major factions in court could start arguing over practically anything. At first, it had been somewhat amusing.
But after hearing the same old disputes over and over again... how was she supposed to stay focused?
These old officials had no sense of propriety. In the heat of their arguments, they would even resort to personal attacks—like accusing one another of not bathing properly.
Yun Shu was getting close to mastering the art of sleeping while standing upright.
"Sheng An. Sheng An? Sheng An!"
"Your daughter is here!"
It took three calls before Yun Shu snapped out of her daze. Looking down from the dais, Emperor Xuanwu caught the vacant expression still lingering on her face. The corners of his mouth twitched imperceptibly as he said with stern formality:
"At the Spring Plowing Ceremony, you proposed that the seedlings be cultivated in advance and transplanted once ready. This method was trialed at the imperial farms outside the capital.
This harvest is complete. The rice stalks grown there yielded over four hundred jin per mu—more than one hundred jin above the usual yield."
"You have rendered great service. Speak. What reward would you ask for?"
Four hundred jin per mu?
That was after the yield had been increased?
Yun Shu, having been raised on modern figures like two thousand jin per mu—three thousand, even, in experimental fields—silently honored Grandpa Yuan's legacy in her heart.
Then she looked up with a bright, obedient smile.
"May I ask if any reward would be permitted?"
Emperor Xuanwu's gaze sharpened.
Technically, he should have responded with generosity, telling her that she could ask for anything.
But knowing this rascal of a daughter—
If he said yes, she would surely dream up something outrageous enough to shake the heavens.
He glanced at her coolly and replied with composure, "So long as it is not excessive, you may ask."
Ah...
So asking to delay morning court until eight would not be allowed then.
Yun Shu tucked away her hopeful expression.
"Your daughter has not decided yet. May I set the reward aside for now and ask for it at a later time?"
Indeed. She had clearly been scheming again.
Good thing he had anticipated it.
Emperor Xuanwu gave a slight nod, pleased with himself. "Granted."
—
After another morning court session, Yun Shu returned to Fengyang Palace. As she passed through the front courtyard, a thought struck her.
Since the rice had already been harvested, perhaps her potatoes were ready too.
She veered off the path and went to the corner where Yun Chuhuan had given her several pots of potato flowers.
As she expected, after more than a month, the flowers had long since wilted and disappeared. The stems and leaves atop the plants had turned yellow and begun to wither.
"These flowers have all dried up."
Seeing Yun Shu crouched before the pots, inspecting them carefully, Tingxue approached while holding Fufu in her arms. With a soft exclamation, she said, "What a pity. Not a single pot survived."
"Who says they didn't?"
Yun Shu blinked, then said, "Go fetch me a small spade. I want to dig into the soil and see if the roots have rotted or not."
"…Yes, Your Highness."
In any other royal household, a prince or princess asking to dig through dirt would be considered utterly absurd.
But for their princess? It was perfectly ordinary.
Ting Xue hesitated for only a moment. Her expression did not even change before she set Fufu down and went off to find a small iron spade.
Yun Shu wasted no time. She casually pushed up her sleeve and drove the spade into the soil.
After all, this was just a flowerpot.
Even if it was larger than the typical kind, it was still a pot.
With a single scoop, she unearthed several potatoes, each about the size of a baby's fist.
Of course, the moment she picked them up, Yun Shu could not help but light up with childlike wonder and delight.
"Ting Xue, do you think this thing is edible?"
===
My 2 project already finished the book vetting and it can be found on my profile: The Villainess isStealing the Male Lead's Script! and The Cube Queen's Apocalypse Feast
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Jing Shu has seen the end of the world, and it's literally a storm of epic proportions, and she's been given the ultimate do-over: a ten-year rewind. Thrown back in time to just two months before everything goes to hell, she has one mission: to make her apocalypse as comfortable as possible.
Forget just surviving. While others are scrambling for canned beans, Jing Shu is building a fortified sanctuary, raising soon-to-be-extinct poultry for gourmet meals, and cultivating a garden of forgotten veggies. Armed with a mysterious evolving rubik cube that grants her a private pocket dimension and a magical spirit spring water, she's set to ride out the disaster in style.
But what's the point of living like a queen if you can't enjoy a little revenge? The apocalypse is about to get a serious upgrade in style, and Jing Shu can't wait for her enemies to see what they're missing. Let them hear the sizzle of her steak and smell the aroma of her barbecue. Their despair is just the seasoning she needs.
In a world where humanity itself is changing, mutating into powerful "New Humans" fused with the chaos, Jing Shu is ready to evolve right along with them. She's got her cube, her spring, and a plan. The storm is coming, and she has a front-row seat.