Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 218, Section 217: The Language of the Glass Mirror
As September drew to a close, Xianyang Palace became unusually busy.

Even in the inner palace during the Qin Dynasty, one could clearly sense that everyone from top to bottom, from servants to the ladies of the harem, was extremely busy.

Everything is in preparation for the New Year in October.

Fu Cai was so exhausted that his eyes were bloodshot, determined to make the Queen shine brightly in the New Year's sacrifice.

During the Qin Dynasty, the number of official documents that needed to be signed each day was exceptionally high. Xin even apologized in advance and brought along the newly arrived Danpu to work overtime at the Taipusi (Imperial Stud).

The stirrups and horseshoes he was in charge of were made with the Queen's drawings and written instructions, and it only took the blacksmith a day or two to familiarize himself with them.

The remaining month or two will be used entirely for practice.

How deep should the horseshoes be driven to feel right? Will there be any discomfort during the 800-li express journey, and will the horses fall off midway?
Approximately how often do you need to re-shod the horses?
And although saddles and bridles are now available, they are clearly not perfect when paired with stirrups.

He simply asked the craftsmen to modify it to the correct position, so that it was fully equipped. He also asked the general for several new recruits to come and experiment with it.

Xin is very good at seizing opportunities.

The queen only mentioned stirrups and horseshoes, but he recorded and explained every single detail. Now, he's taking full initiative and has started thinking about how well the cavalry will adapt to having stirrups.

He serves under the Queen and will make sure she shines brightly during the New Year!
Danpu rose from a lowly servant to serve under the Chief Secretary of Xianyang Palace. Before he could fully master the art of flattery, he was pulled in by Xin and forced to work day and night.

Even though he was a vigorous teenager, he was now so tired that his eyes were glazed over.

They no longer cared about being cute or using sweet words to study.

My mind was filled with the countless seal characters that I couldn't possibly remember, and all the data that Master Xin had meticulously recorded...

He suddenly woke up in the dead of night, thinking: those eunuchs who were promoted and given raises in the palace before, they had never heard of such a life!
But a moment later, a heavy drowsiness quickly overwhelmed him, and he fell into a deep sleep once again.

This busyness extends from top to bottom, and no one can escape it.

Hei Mu had already silently read through the two medical classics. Qin Shi had dictated them to Qin Shi, and a scribe had written them down in seal script. One copy of the medical classics was taken away, and the other was taken by the Imperial Physician.

Now everyone, from top to bottom, is studying the Kunlun medical books brought by the Queen, determined to explore their mysteries and verify their efficacy...

Although Yi Ming didn't say it, just by looking at her bloodshot eyes, one could tell that she must have been studying late into the night.

To this, Qin Shi could only say, "If you are greedy for an hour or two at night today, what will you do if, ten years later, your eyesight deteriorates like those embroiderers and you can no longer see? And what if I have new books here by then?"

Yi Ming pursed his lips. After all, he came from a family of doctors and had great self-control, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.

She then asked, "Your Majesty, when will Mo return? I have some tools and would like to ask him for his advice."

Mo, a boy who was brought over by Xin, was young and spoke little, but he often had wonderful ideas in his mind.

Although he appeared low-key and unknown in Lanchi Palace, in reality, every achievement he made was rewarded by the Queen.

In this way, even those who don't understand those things will know that he is very talented and will surely be valued by the Queen.

Now that Yiming has heard some of the Queen's words, he also has some things he wants to create, but he doesn't know if it will be in vain, so he wants to discuss it with Mo Xian.

Qin Shi thought for a moment and said, "He is currently by Prince Qian's side, but that mission is not difficult, so he should be back soon."

Wang Ziqian was unaware of his research and development capabilities.

He only knew that those who were treated well by the Queen and kept in Lanchi Palace must be capable. He was afraid that he would mess up his first task because of his blank mind, so he asked the Queen to take Mo away.

Now, he only needs to carefully instruct the craftsman to polish the copper sheet according to the blueprints, and he doesn't need this person for anything else, which is really a waste.

Mo, however, did not feel there was anything wrong with it.

His mind is filled with all sorts of random and wildly imaginative ideas every day; some are connected, while others are completely unrelated.

It's the same for him no matter where he is.

As the eldest prince of Qin, Prince Qian enjoyed many advantages in his work within the palace. For instance, all the materials he needed, from copper sheets to gold leaf to glass, were readily available here.

For Mo, observing these different things one by one was more interesting than daydreaming.

He squatted on the ground, carefully handling the glass shard. Seeing an ant somehow get there, he reached out and pressed the glass shard onto the ant.

The ants below noticed this and started spinning around in circles, completely at a loss.

Mo wanted to pick up the glass shard, but looking through the faint colors, he was surprised to find that the ants underneath seemed to be larger than he could see with his naked eye.

He stared at the glass shard, picked it up and covered it again, finally confirming that this was not an illusion.

Meanwhile, Wang Ziqian's simple signal device failed to edit once again.

To be precise, with blueprints and principles, it's very easy to find craftsmen to polish it; you could even just use a high-definition bronze mirror from the palace.

It doesn't involve any technical skill at all.

However, if Prince Qian wants to make it more effective, he needs to create a set of passwords.

But he overestimated his intelligence, and after struggling with this for many days, he still has no clue.

Looking at the three sets that had been compiled and then discarded, he sighed deeply!
Why were the three sets abandoned?

Even after compiling it, he couldn't memorize it even after three days.

Now I can only sadly admit that my writing was poor.

Fortunately, I cooperated with the Queen's ideas and collected a lot of actual test records. Although it didn't require much technical skill, it still took a lot of hard work!

When it is presented to the king in time for the New Year, the king will surely realize that his eldest son also has considerable talent!
Looking at Mo beside him, he was still staring at the shards of glass on the ground, remaining silent for a long time.

He was unaware that the other person was already brainstorming, but he felt a sense of sympathy and sat down as well, without any airs of a prince.

Then he sighed and said:
"Work that requires a lot of brainpower to complete is really not easy."

"I heard from the palace servants at Lanchi Palace that the Queen praised you as a great talent. Since you have nothing to do, why don't you help me compose a set of mirror sayings?"

Mo looked up at him.

He was still young and not overly afraid of the young prince; at this moment, he simply shook his head and obediently said:
“Xin once told me that I can do anything new, but I absolutely cannot give it words.”

This simple signal mirror was merely a small tool used by the Queen to appease the prince, something Xin naturally knew.

However, this little tool can be very useful at crucial moments. For example, the mirror language that the prince devised after much contemplation is like flag signals and secret orders in the army, which cannot be easily known to others.

Mo is still young, so what merit or ability does he have to participate in this matter?

It is only right that the selection of talent should be left to the King.

The prince pondered for a moment, then looked at him with pity:
"The Xin you mentioned, is he the junior official in the Queen's entourage? I heard he went to the Imperial Stud to feed the horses—I also want to go feed the horses there, there are many fine steeds there, but unfortunately my father still refuses to grant me one..."

Even a little prince has big troubles.

"I heard that my father once owned a magnificent steed from Hequ, tall, handsome, and valiant, a perfect match for a heroic young man like me!"

"But when I asked for it, my father refused, saying that I was not yet an adult and could not ride such a tall and strong warhorse..."

His eyes were filled with regret and anticipation, and now he was about to make a move.

Mo stared at the ants on the ground, then picked up the glass shards, examined them from all angles, and stroked them with his hands.

Behind the colorful glass shards, the lines on his fingertips became even clearer.

I haven't quite got the hang of it...