Huangfu Yuchen secretly took note of Jiang Gan’s response and looked at Yan Ge. “Yan Caiqing, what do you think?”
Yan Ge pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, “This couplet was something I accidentally heard during my trip south. It is said that no one has been able to come up with a response to it. At that time, I also tried to come up with a response but couldn’t. However, being provoked by Prime Minister Wen like this, I actually have a response. I must thank Prime Minister Wen. Bring me a pen.”
A palace maid opened a sheet of paper, and Yan Ge swiftly wrote down a line of characters before sealing the paper.
The Empress suggested, “Your Majesty, since Yan Caiqing, Prime Minister Wen, and the other scholars are so interested, why don’t we offer a reward? The ladies might as well give it a try too.”
Huangfu Yuchen nodded. “Alright. The best performer among the men will be rewarded with a golden pen, and the best performer among the women will be rewarded with a golden flower. How about that?”
Yan Ge smiled. “If others win, they can be rewarded accordingly. But if I win, I would like Prime Minister Wen to do something for me. I wonder if Prime Minister Wen dares to accept the challenge.”
Huangfu Yuchen chuckled. “What do you think, Prime Minister Wen?”
Jiang Gan confidently said, “I accept the challenge.”
“It seems that both Yan Caiqing and Prime Minister Wen are very confident,” Huangfu Yuchen said. “So be it. Have the other scholars come up with their responses?”
One scholar stood up, bowed to the higher-ups, and said, “This scholar is not talented. Gazing at the imperial city, gazing at Your Majesty; gazing at the imperial city, gazing at Your Majesty. Long live the imperial city, long live Your Majesty.”
Some nodded, but most shook their heads.
Huangfu Yuchen commented, “This couplet is not bad, but the repetition of ‘gazing at’ in both ‘gazing at the river tower’ and ‘gazing at the imperial city’ is not suitable for a response.”
The ministers concurred.
Several other scholars presented their responses, but they fell short.
Huangfu Yuchen said, “Prime Minister Wen, reveal your response.”
Jiang Gan handed the paper to a young eunuch to display it to everyone. At the same time, he recited, “Competing poetic stage, competing poetic talent; on the competing poetic stage, competing poetic talent. The poetic stage is unmatched, the poetic talent is unmatched.”
Some couldn’t help but nod repeatedly.
“Very good, very good!”
“It is not only well-structured but also fitting.”
However, some shook their heads. “The phrase ‘gazing at the flowing river’ can be interpreted as ‘gazing at-flowing river’ or ‘gazing-flowing river.’ It doesn’t match well with ‘competing poetic talent.’”
“I wonder what Yan Caiqing’s response is?” Everyone was very curious.
Yan Ge handed the paper to the young eunuch, who held it up with both hands to display it.
Yan Ge said, “Poetry contest, talent’s race, on the poetry stage, talent’s grace. Unparalleled contest, unmatched art, unmatched art, unparalleled contest.
As soon as he finished speaking, someone couldn’t help but loudly praise it.
“Good! Good!”
Huangfu Yuchen looked approvingly. “To avoid accusations of bias, I won’t give my comment. Let all the esteemed ministers share their thoughts. Who, between Prime Minister Wen and Yan Caiqing, has a better response?”
Most people agreed that Yan Caiqing had a better response.
Jiang Gan also bowed to Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge, saying, “This humble officials concedes. ‘gazing at the imperial city’ is just like ‘gazing at the river tower’ in that it can be understood as ‘gazing at’ or ‘gazing below.’ It is indeed less ingenious than ‘competing poetic talent.’ I humbly acknowledge it.”
Yan Ge waved his hand. “It was just a coincidence.”
A smile appeared on Huangfu Yuchen’s lips. “Although Yan Caiqing came out on top, both Prime Minister Wen and the other scholars have great talent. They will all be rewarded with a golden pen.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Huangfu Yuchen said, “I am not feeling well after drinking too much. I will leave it to the Empress and Prime Minister Wen to handle the rest. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves.”
Everyone stood up. “We bid farewell to Your Majesty—”
Huangfu Yuhu saw Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen leaving together. Taking advantage of the distraction, he quietly left his seat and caught up with them.
“Brother.”
“Yuhu?” Huangfu Yuchen stopped in his tracks.
Huangfu Yuhu glanced at Yan Ge.
Yan Ge said, “Yuchen, I’m feeling a bit tired. I’ll go back first.”
“Alright.”
Back at the Tenglong Palace, Yan Ge completed his cultivation tasks and was preparing to take a bath when Huangfu Yuchen returned.
“What were you talking about for so long? I was about to take a bath.” Yan Ge walked over and embraced him by the waist.
“We can go together.” Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge walked toward the bathroom. “Yuhu wants me to give Song Guiren to him.”
“What? He is interested in Song Ruhao?” Yan Ge was surprised. “When did this happen?”
Huangfu Yuchen said, “He told me today, and that’s when I found out. He has liked Song Guiren for a long time, but because of his identity as a flower bodied man, he followed the selection criteria and Yuhu never pursued it. Later, when Song Guiren was sent to the cold palace, he secretly went to see him twice, and past feelings reignited. He hopes that I can use the opportunity of dismissing the consorts to send Song Guiren out of the palace and make him a side concubine.”
“You agreed?” Yan Ge stroked the water temperature and began to undo his belt.
Before he could finish undoing his belt, Huangfu Yuchen lifted him up and lightly leaped into the pool. “I only told him that it would be feasible if he can obtain the approval of Grand Tutor Song. He said he could. Having just lost an arm, I don’t want to disappoint him again. If Grand Tutor Song agrees, I will issue the decree.”
“Can Song Ruhao agree?” Yan Ge asked.
Huangfu Yuchen shrugged. “His opinion probably won’t matter to anyone. As long as Grand Tutor Song agrees, even if he is unwilling, his father will find a way to persuade him.”
Over the next two days, Huangfu Yuchen held marriage ceremonies for the newlyweds. Although a few consorts did not have a suitor at the banquet, their families believed it would be beneficial for their reputation to have their marriages arranged during this grand occasion, and they quickly searched for suitable candidates.
For several consecutive days, the sound of firecrackers and festive trumpets could be heard throughout the capital.
Only Yan Ge, the Empress, the four consorts, and Tian Guiren remained in the harem, along with Song Ruhao in the cold palace.
Huangfu Yuchen persuaded Song Chaobang to have Song Ruhao leave the palace. However, Song Ruhao was unwilling and put up fierce resistance, even resorting to threats of suicide. In the end, Song Chaobang had no choice but to let him be.
Two days later, Du Changzai “passed away” in the cold palace.
With that, the harem affairs came to an end, and Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen could focus on the next stage of their work without worries.
After completing the plan for the renovation of the capital, Yan Ge entrusted the task to Gao Jingwei, the Minister of Works. Yan Ge would only assist as an advisor.
While waiting for an adequate supply of limestone, Yan Ge found a suitable location in the capital and began preparations to build a simple football field. He provided Gao Feng and Gao Yun with specifications for the field, including the turf, spectator stands, and other details, allowing them to take charge of the project.
A large amount of limestone and clay was quickly transported into the capital, forming small mountains. Most of the limestone came from the Cangcui Mountain on the outskirts of the capital, while some was sourced from other regions.
The people of the capital immediately sensed that something big was about to happen in the city when they saw the arrival of the limestone. Huangfu Yuchen then issued a public announcement regarding the upcoming renovation of the capital.
In areas of the main city where the streets were less than eight meters wide and occupied by buildings, they would be demolished unless they were designated as special scenic areas. In summary, the width of the streets had to be at least eight meters.
Furthermore, the construction of new roads would consider elements such as landscaping, drainage ditches, and public toilets. The government would assess and compensate the value of the demolished houses or shops and grant priority purchasing rights to the owners in future residential and commercial areas. However, the new residential and commercial areas would be planned and sold by the government, while the actual construction would be carried out by developers.
The news of the Impending renovation of the capital caused a sensation throughout the city.
Wen Xian didn’t know if it was because of his confidence in Yan Ge or because of his keen insight. As soon as he learned the news from the imperial list, he immediately took one million taels of silver and registered with Yan Ge, securing his qualification to choose a plot of land. Many wealthy merchants in the capital followed suit. The court then used this money to compensate the displaced residents and carry out infrastructure construction.
“Yuchen, I want to show you something.” Yan Ge had a eunuch place a tray on the table and stepped back.
The tray contained several bowls, some filled with powdered clay, some with powdered limestone, and some with powdered sand…
Yan Ge mixed all the materials together, added water, and handed the chopsticks to Huangfu Yuchen. “Stir it.”
Huangfu Yuchen took the chopsticks and stirred the mixture a few times. “So?”
Yan Ge held a cup, conjured a Fire Gathering technique, and the water in the bowl quickly evaporated. The mixture dried up and changed color.
He handed the chopsticks to Huangfu Yuchen again. “Poke it.”
Huangfu Yuchen understood without needing to try. He stood up abruptly, picked up the bowl, and exclaimed, “This is what you call cement.”
“Yes,” Yan Ge said, “using cement to pave the roads guarantees that they will be smooth and solid. Unlike the current stone-paved roads that crack and become uneven with the weight of heavy carts passing over them, requiring frequent repairs, which is quite costly.”
Huangfu Yuchen hugged him tightly and said emotionally, “Baby, it’s too cheap for Great Han to have you.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Yan Ge was puzzled.
Huangfu Yuchen hugged him even tighter. “I mean everyone in Great Han doesn’t deserve you except me. You belong to me alone!”
Yan Ge couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Your jealousy knows no bounds. You’re even jealous of your own country now.”
Deng Mande kept his head low, pretending not to exist.
Huangfu Yuchen said, “We must safeguard the cement formula. It will be our exclusive secret, not only for the next year or two, but even for the next ten or eight years. We will not only use cement to transform Great Han but also use it to earn wealth from other countries.”
Yan Ge gave him a thumbs-up. Truly worthy of an emperor. In less than half a minute, he already had such far-reaching plans.
Soon, a large number of laborers were employed by the court to produce various materials according to Yan Ge’s requirements, such as burning limestone and grinding clay into powder. However, the final formula was kept by the court.
The invention of cement would be a significant breakthrough in architectural history.
In the initial stage of mastering this technology, Great Han would not allow it to fall into foreign hands. Therefore, the workers only had a general understanding that cement was made from limestone and clay, but they had no knowledge of the specific proportions required for the most durable cement.
Yan Caiqing was the guiding star for the merchants in the capital. When the First Company contacted several transport companies to deliver limestone to the court, they immediately saw the business opportunity and quickly hired people to transport limestone and clay from other places to the capital, selling them to the court. This greatly facilitated the work of the Ministry of Works. As a result, the capital became livelier than ever before.
“Master Gao, when do you plan to start the construction?” Yan Ge asked Gao Jingwei.
Gao Jingwei replied, “We already have about a hundred thousand catties of cement in the warehouse, and the limestone and clay are continuously being transported. We can ensure a consistent supply of cement for the near future. So, I think we can start tomorrow.”
Yan Ge nodded. “ Baorong Street runs from the West City Gate to the palace. It is the main street, and the most important and bustling street in the entire capital. Let’s start with that street. As long as we follow my planning diagram, there shouldn’t be any issues.”
