CHAPTER 902: CHAPTER 900: THE DRAGON’S GREAT DELIGHT

"Indeed, it is this person—a remarkably skilled craftsman." Jinrong nodded.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor raised his eyebrows slightly and said in surprise, "Increase smelting efficiency? Ye Xinyan is quite a woman with inventive ideas, and Wong Qiao is a capable craftsman. But iron smelting isn’t an ordinary matter. Throughout the ages, there’s never been a better method to increase output. Can a woman and a craftsman accomplish such a thing?"

"This..." Jinrong hesitated. Ye Xinyan was only fifty percent confident about this matter, so he dared not make more promises, "I think, since Ye Xinyan has this idea, let her have a look. It isn’t any secret, and it would be best if it is useful to her. The items produced would be for smelting only, and ultimately, the court would benefit. If it proves useless, the court won’t spend a penny. Why not give it a try?"

The Emperor thought for a moment and decided to give it a try.

Iron materials have many uses for both the court and civilians. The current restrictions are due to the difficulty of smelting iron, resulting in low output.

It’s said that improving efficiency is not a simple matter, but if it’s Ye Xinyan proposing it, one can’t be sure. That girl is quite talented, and the few things she’s handled have turned out well. Even if the final efficiency increase in smelting isn’t significant, any small benefits would be welcome.

The Emperor nodded, agreeing: "Merely observing the smelting process is no major affair. Shortly, just go directly to Wang Xian and have him assign a junior official. Arrange a time, and take the two of them there."

"Thank you, Imperial Father." Jinrong quickly got up to express gratitude. Could he boast a little in front of Ye Xinyan?

The Emperor waved his hand and said, "It’s nothing. If they succeed, it would solve a big problem for the court. Forget Wong Qiao; that girl Ye Xinyan is indeed a person of integrity and righteousness, coming from Duke An’s Mansion; she’s reliable."

Speaking of Wong Qiao, the Emperor suddenly asked Jinrong, "What is up with Wong Qiao? Since he was brought by the Head of the Qi Family, why did he quickly turn to another house upon settling in the capital, even attaching himself to Prince Fu’s Mansion? If his character is poor, yet he has exceptional talent, one must keep a close watch on him and exert strict control."

The Emperor has always been meticulous. If Ye Xinyan’s plan succeeds this time, it would be significant, so naturally, it must be firmly controlled.

Upon hearing this, Jinrong hurriedly said, "There’s no problem with Wong Qiao’s character. Having interacted with him for several years in Clear Water Village, his character is good. It’s just his widowed mother’s stubborn nature; she insists that the Qi family oppressed and mistreated them. Just at the right time, she heard someone mention that Prince Fu’s Mansion was looking for a skilled craftsman, and she forced Wong Qiao to turn to the Iron Workshop. Although Wong Qiao was unwilling, he is a filial son and could only follow his mother’s wishes."

The Emperor frowned upon hearing this. But when it’s a widowed mother... it is indeed a difficult situation.

"You instruct Ye Xinyan to come up with a solution, so Wong Qiao’s mother doesn’t impact his work. If Wong Qiao is truly a craftsman prodigy, he should focus on his work, benefiting both the nation and the people, and shouldn’t be thwarted by an ignorant woman."

At this point, a hint of hope arose in the Emperor’s heart. Ye Xinyan handled affairs with great prudence. For instance, the wooden tracks, over a kilometer long and sabotaged, were repaired in just two months. Had it been constructed by others, this railway might have been rendered useless.

"Also, you tell Ye Xinyan, if she manages to increase smelting efficiency, regardless of whether patent laws have passed, I will grant her patent rights in advance. Allow her to set her own prices, either sell the equipment to the court or operate it exclusively without letting others infringe on her rights."

The Emperor spoke with grandeur, intending to show artisans with ingenious ideas that as long as the tools they create are useful, their interests would be safeguarded by the court.

Jinrong was overjoyed; if so, the drafting of patent laws, which was progressing slowly, could surely be promoted.

"I preemptively thank Imperial Father on behalf of Ye Xinyan and Wong Qiao. Based on my interactions with Ye Xinyan, whenever she has an idea, it typically succeeds at least eighty to ninety percent of the time. I hereby preemptively congratulate Your Majesty on the flourishing iron smelting techniques under your reign."

This fellow, in his delight, disregarded caution in his speaking. If it can be accomplished, any extra efforts would be worthwhile; at most, he would allocate some more silver to the Mechanical Workshop, letting Shi Yin and Wong Qiao collaborate to realize Ye Xinyan’s envisioned apparatus.

"Hahaha, that would be the best." The Emperor, who had been in a somber mood for some days, felt somewhat relieved, "I’ve heard your garden has been completed. Those who have visited say the scenery is stunning. Is it true? How does it compare to your Chang Garden?"

Jinrong’s mind stirred; these words from His Majesty indeed had strong practical feasibility. Ye Xinyan had just entrusted him, wishing for the Imperial Father to visit Creekview Garden and admire the views. He was unsure and turned her down.

Yet now, it seems feasible.

"It’s not necessarily better than Chang Garden, but rather, the area is slightly larger. It was intended for business, so each place has been arranged with more effort."

Jinrong paused and tentatively said, "Recently, court affairs have been hectic, and Imperial Father has been worried. How about Imperial Father taking a stroll in Creekview Garden, unwinding, exercising, and also inspecting on behalf of me? What do you think?"

Unexpectedly, the Emperor seriously considered it for a moment and nodded, "Then let’s have a look, while it’s not yet opened, and the garden hasn’t been stained with your messy commercial aura. Let me see if it’s really as impressive as claimed."

The Emperor’s words were a decree, and Emperor Qianqing isn’t a ruler easily swayed by court officials and eunuchs; naturally, he acts on his word.

The arrangements for Ye Xinyan and Wong Qiao’s visit to the smelting site were yet undone, but the Emperor had already changed into informal attire, counted the accompanying personnel and guards, preparing to head to Creekview Garden in the suburbs of the capital with light and simple travel.

Since it was an impromptu decision by the Emperor, it left no time for Jinrong and Creekview Garden to prepare.

Hongzhi, waiting outside the palace, nearly stumbled on his way as he received the message from the eunuchs, mounted a horse, instructed the accompanying servants to send word to Grandma Jiang of Guangsha Construction Firm. He himself led the men, rode swiftly to Creekview Garden to arrange the details of the Emperor’s private tour.

Although the journey was light and simple, by the time everything was prepared and the Emperor left the palace, it was already past noon.

As the Emperor decided to venture, Jinrong also received some unexpected pleasures, happily accompanying the Emperor to see what kind of appearance his garden, built with his silver, had once completed.

The Emperor’s trip was extremely successful. Creekview Garden was already preparing for opening and very efficiently managed reception affairs. Even the guide servants gathered in the garden reviewing explanation scripts, from which two bold, meticulous, and tidy ones were chosen to accompany the Emperor closely, ready to offer explanations when needed.

The group arrived at Creekview Garden and dismounted outside without entering directly. The Emperor casually walked over to view the legendary wall frescoes.

As he looked, he inwardly cursed Jinrong. This boy has such a good sense but doesn’t apply it to upright paths, instead using it entirely on such opportunistic ventures, and using it very adeptly.