A Masterpiece of Craftsmanship
King Qin Ying Ji, seated at the head of the main hall, listened as Ying Zichu attempted to speak. Ying Zichu, however, thought better of it. Out of a protective instinct for his infant son, he decided not to draw any more attention to the matter. The King, satisfied with Ying Zichu's silence, simply waved a hand and ordered the strange farming tools to be replicated and tested. He had no faith in their efficacy but didn't want to discourage his grandson's initiative. Ying Zichu, filled with a mix of hope and apprehension, wondered if his son's creations would truly work.
Time passed quickly. Soon, a large number of Qu Yuan Plows and waterwheels were produced. King Ying Ji ordered their immediate promotion in and around Xianyang. The people were perplexed. The royal family inventing farm tools? It seemed absurd. Scholars and intellectuals, including the famous Confucian scholar Xun Kuang, were equally skeptical.
Xun Kuang, a renowned materialist thinker and the teacher of Han Fei and Li Si, scoffed at the "Heavenly God" rumors. He believed that the world was governed by natural laws, not divine will. To him, the rumors were simply propaganda. His students, including the young Li Si, were curious about the new farm tools, but Xun Kuang dismissed them internally, thinking they were useless. Still, their novelty piqued his interest, and he decided to stay in Qin for a few more days to see for himself.
The Divine Inventor Revealed
A day later, Xun Kuang and his students stood in a field outside Xianyang, watching the new tools in action. They watched in silent astonishment as the waterwheel turned with the stream, automatically irrigating the crops. They watched as the Qu Yuan Plow, with its ingenious design, made plowing faster and easier, saving immense human and animal labor.
"It's a masterpiece of craftsmanship!" Xun Kuang exclaimed, his skepticism replaced with awe. His students, who had been dismissive, now wore looks of shock. Even Lu Ban, the legendary master craftsman, might not have been able to invent such a device. Xun Kuang was consumed by curiosity. "Who is the great master who invented such ingenious items?" he wondered. He was certain it couldn't be Ying Zichu. The inventor had to be an older, more experienced craftsman.
At the same time, Lu Buwei and Ying Zichu were also in a field, filled with astonishment. They looked at each other, and Lu Buwei sighed in relief and disbelief. "As expected of the Heavenly God!" The tools, simple in appearance, were filled with a profound wisdom that an ordinary person couldn't possess. Only the "Little Celestial God" in Huayang Palace could have created them so casually.
Ying Zichu, on the other hand, was ecstatic. "I knew what my son made was extraordinary!" he exclaimed. He knew these tools would revolutionize agriculture in Qin, a feat that would earn him a place in history. However, a new worry crept into his mind. If the truth about his son's divine abilities were to get out, would King Ying Ji see him as a gift or a threat?
Meanwhile, in the royal palace, the Qin ministers and King Ying Ji were listening to reports about the success of the new farm tools. Their shock was palpable as they heard how the seemingly simple tools were making a profound impact on the fields. The King's initial dismissal of the tools and the rumors now seemed foolish.