Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 193, Section 192: Mind Map
With this divine weapon, even though the Qin sword truly made for the king and queen has not yet been completed, everyone in the Ironworks has already received titles and gold, and everyone has received a reward.

The iron official left with a beaming smile, while Qin Shi happily began designing the palace layout for Ganquan Palace.

Modern construction techniques are quite advanced; not only can loess be tamped into a solid block, but stone bricks are also widely used.

Besides using wood, the entire Xianyang Palace also used stone bricks.

Qin Shi wanted to install heating in the palace, but hesitated here—

Is it to use sheet metal pipes as flues for heating, or to imitate old-fashioned heated walls?

Today, fireplaces and chimneys are used for heating in Xianyang Palace.

However, due to its size and design, as well as the palace's height and width, it does not feel particularly warm in winter.

The renovation of Ganquan Palace was based on this foundation and further adjustments.

If she lives alone, a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove) would be perfect.

But Ji Heng was incredibly hot, his body temperature was burning, so he obviously couldn't sleep on such a hot bed even in winter.

Therefore, during the Qin Dynasty, it was only intended to be used in the palaces and pavilions of the maids and servants, not in the main palace...

After much thought, she realized that using iron pipes to disguise a heating system was too ugly, and adding decorations to the outside would affect the temperature.

Therefore, they summoned the craftsmen and asked them first whether the fire wall could be made now.

With only a month or two until the temperature drops, there's no time to experiment with making cement and other materials. So, when laying bricks, we can still use mortar and lime, and it will still work.

The craftsmen listened to her detailed description, even though adding a few fire walls to the room would reduce the size of the palace.

But given the current scale of the Qin Palace, this damage is insignificant.

The firewalls were made of stone bricks, and then polished by craftsmen, painted with gold and silver, and inlaid with pearls and jewels, which made the palace appear even more magnificent.

Regarding this project, the officials of the Imperial Household Department cautiously said, "Although it is only a simple renovation of the fireplace, the flue also needs to be slightly modified. We ask Your Majesty to allow us to test it in the side hall first."

"If it is successful, then come back and report."

Qin Shi nodded.

The application of coal and the success of coke enabled her to accomplish everything she wanted to do quickly, which was a major achievement since she came to Qin.

For example, if the firewall were built too wide, the lighting inside the hall would be affected.

Although candlelight can compensate, it is still different from natural light.

Now, she has commissioned artisans to fire large pieces of glass to be inlaid on the window frames—current technology is not yet capable of making entire panes of glass.

However, small-scale inlay is sufficient for most purposes.

With the initial renovation plan for Ganquan Palace finalized, Qin Shi finally put down his pen and prepared to take a short rest.

But as soon as she stood up, she paused.

Helplessly, I said, "Take me to change." Let's get a simple sanitary napkin! Wood ash is safe, but it's not absorbent enough.

Cotton, oh cotton! When will we finally have some?!

Thinking of this, she really wished she could immediately send people along the Silk Road to sail to the Western Ocean again.

However, Zhang Qian was imprisoned for twelve years after his mission to the Western Regions. Even if she ordered her personal guards to retrace the Silk Road, she would still have to subdue the Western Regions and the Rong and Di tribes.

If we want to sail to the West, we need to conquer the ports and wharves of the Baiyue people, as they are closely connected to us.

In that case, we'll have to wait and see how Ji Heng fares!
Qin Shi took a deep breath; he had learned to endure for a long time.

……

Because the divine soldiers delayed Ji Heng's work progress during the day, he arrived at Lanchi in the evening after a long delay.

After processing the memorials, Qin Shi was seen sitting intently at his desk under the lamplight, filling in mind maps line by line.

The task assigned to her by her superiors after she arrived in Qin was a mission.

For example, brewing, papermaking, sugar refining, coal, iron...

Each task leads to a development path related to commerce and industry. For example, the task of "Sugar Production" connects to "Conquering Baiyue", "Large-scale Planting", and "Establishing Sugar Workshops in the Local Area".

Following this was trade with Qin nobles, Rong and Di tribes in the Western Regions, and overseas, ultimately aiming to [fill the national treasury].

[Coal] is represented by [open-pit mining] on the left, and [iron smelting], [heating], and [increasing and maintaining population] on the right...

[Iron smelting] extends further down to [powerful weapons], [farm implements such as the curved plow], [building and carriage parts], etc...

Ji Heng watched silently for a while.

He knew that the Queen's writing and reading habits were from left to right, not from top to bottom and from right to left.

Although it feels a little awkward now, I can adapt quickly.

While writing these things, Qin Shi was both carefully organizing his thoughts and practicing seal script.

She works diligently every day, and now her seal script, while not exactly beautiful in shape, is still quite neat.

Ji Heng examined it closely, and couldn't help but frown slightly at the handwriting.

But looking at the entire extended line of thought on the paper, he became slightly more focused.

After Qin Shi put down his charcoal pencil, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:

"Good idea."

Although he doesn't need it.

He has a thorough understanding of all the laws enacted since his accession to the throne and the current progress.

However, if some dull-witted officials could organize matters in a concise and clear manner, as the Queen does, it would be a good thing.

"Queen, please organize this method carefully. When the Prime Minister returns from Yongcheng, he can learn and promote it."

Qin Shi nodded: "I was just about to tell Your Majesty that Your Majesty submits a hundred and twenty catties of memorials every day, which contain a lot of nonsense and convoluted language."

"If all the ministers could just get to the point and make it clear at a glance, Your Majesty wouldn't have to go through so much trouble."

Chi Nu and Zhou Ju each brought their own people to carefully tidy up their desks, while other servants helped them back to their sleeping quarters.

After changing his clothes and sitting down, Ji Heng looked at the Queen, whose heart and eyes were completely devoted to him, and his expression relaxed:

"Your Majesty, you've worked hard."

Qin Shi didn't say anything, but she had already put her arm around his waist again.

She is used to this kind of intimate contact, and the hormonal changes during menstruation make her more emotionally sensitive.

Therefore, by holding him like this, he knows how strong and powerful the waist is under the loose robe, and how tall the body is, and he feels even more at ease.

Although the queen had only been in office for a few days, Ji Heng had already become tolerant of her tendency to take advantage of situations to act recklessly.

He gently raised his hand and pressed it against Qin Shi's back. Seeing the other lean obediently against his chest, and recalling the Queen's sincere and devoted service to her lord—

Even the name of a short sword was meant to be closely related to him.

Then think about the important matters written on that mind map that could greatly benefit the Great Qin Dynasty.

Thus, Ji Heng felt a surge of heat in his chest, and a quiet sense of pride and affection welled up within him.

However, he was at the peak of his male life. Although he had not been interested in matters of love and sex before, he met a queen who was exceptionally compatible and bold. He did not hesitate to travel from Zhangtai Palace every day, and it is hard to say that he did not find pleasure in it.

Therefore, seeing the other party's obedient and quiet appearance, he used his arm force to directly wrap his arms around Qin Shi's waist—

The next moment, Qin Shi turned and snuggled closer, completely embedding herself in his embrace.

Then she felt his hot palm and pressed it directly from her clothes to her lower abdomen.

"Your Majesty, wouldn't it be nice to go to bed early?"

Ji Heng frowned slightly, already able to feel the smooth, delicate skin on the Queen's lower abdomen beneath his hot palm, yet it was also slightly cool.

　It's here! Ugh, everyone knows what it's like to be emotionally sensitive and have a cold stomach during your period, right?
　　(End of this chapter)