Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 64, Section 63: Nearsighted Glasses
You haven't replied to me yet!

Prince Qian insisted, "Since you are at odds with my brother and me, why are you willing to speak frankly before the King?"

His face was slightly ruddy, and his eyes burned brightly like small torches, giving him the healthy look of a newborn calf.

Qin Shi couldn't help but smile again: "They're all still young."

what?
Prince Qian and Princess Wen were both taken aback.

But Qin Shi then said, "Even though you don't get along, you're all still very young."

Princess Wen is fourteen years old and a junior high school student.

Is Prince Qian twelve years old old enough to be in the first year of junior high school?
Although this is not modern times, but the Qin Dynasty.

They are almost adults, precocious and knowledgeable, and easily take on the responsibility of others' lives and deaths.

However, she has even begun to experience birth, aging, and illness, and is constantly on the verge of death.

Although Prince Qian was offensive, he was undeniably endearingly foolish. Like a reckless, chubby-faced boy with a bandage on his head that you might encounter in a hospital.

She just bumped into you by accident, not too hard, why is she holding a grudge?

Although Princess Wen spoke tactfully yet with barbs, the teenage girl had already been severely hurt by her own father. Not only had he hurt her, but he had also crushed her.

It's like a girl being rude to you, and you turn around and tell your parents. Although your parents don't make her apologize, they still slap her across the face in front of you.

Even if Qin Shi wasn't a saint, he would still have to say, "Never mind, never mind..."

That's just human nature.

She then said in a gentle voice, "Besides, you two are of noble status. Even if I were to make a fuss about it, would I be allowed to beat you up in court?"

One against two, and against the most lethal young men, she couldn't possibly win.

Wang Ziqian raised his chin: "You dare! My elder sister and I both command guards!"

The "commanding of guards" he referred to was not about having control over military power. Rather, it meant that, as a prince or princess, she naturally had the right to manage her personal guards within the Xianyang Palace.

But it didn't exist during the Qin Dynasty.

All the guards of Lanchi Palace are under the control of the King.

Although he did not command troops, it did not prevent him from borrowing the power of the Qin dynasty:
"You may have guards, but I have the King!"

Her smile deepened: "Your Majesty is tolerant and loving towards me, and I rely entirely on Your Majesty for my well-being. If I have been wronged, Your Majesty will naturally help me vent my anger."

Then, feigning concern, he sighed, "How could I possibly accept this?"

Everyone:...

The Red-Haired Healer lowered her head, not daring to let the princes and princesses see the smile on her face.

The Red Maiden thought to herself: In the past, when I was by the King's side, I saw the ladies of the harem showing off their favor, and I just thought they were adorably stupid.

But why is it that when Qin Jun boasts, it makes people laugh?
Prince Qian's eyes were red!

He shouted, "My father didn't stand up for you!"

"Impossible." Qin Shi said confidently, "If His Majesty hadn't been trying to avenge me, why would he have spoken so harshly to you?"

Prince Qian was even angrier. He shook off Princess Wen's hand that was pulling at his sleeve and said again, "Father speaks harshly to us because we are stupid and do not do well!"

"It has absolutely nothing to do with you!"

His chest heaved violently, clearly indicating that he was extremely agitated.

Princess Wen, standing to the side, lowered her hands, overwhelmed with sorrow: her father disapproved of her lack of resolve and decisiveness. And yet, her own brother was like this…

It's impossible to carry! Absolutely impossible to carry!
The palace servants behind him all lowered their heads, their bodies tense. Qin Shi also tugged at the corners of his lips, then suddenly gripped his wrist.

She took a few deep breaths before sighing, "You're right, perhaps I was just being presumptuous." She only wanted to tease the clueless girl, not to provoke her into anger or enmity. She quickly turned around with her maids.
"There's still some tofu left in the orchid pond that hasn't been made yet, so I'll be going now."

As she hurried past Princess Wen, she suddenly stopped in her tracks:
"Princess, power is earned through striving, not waited for."

It's a pity she wasn't born a princess; otherwise, despite countless difficulties, she would have wanted to experience the taste of power.

……

As the carriage rumbled away into the distance, leaving only a small shadow, one could still faintly hear laughter.

Wang Ziqian frowned: "Elder sister, I feel like I've done something wrong."

Princess Wen withdrew her gaze from the distance and her agitated emotions, her expression now calm: "What did you do wrong? The only mistake was your mind."

She turned and walked gracefully forward, leaving only one sentence in the wind:

"Elder sister knows that you have accumulated quite a lot in your private treasury. Now that you have received such a great favor from Lord Qin, you have no way to repay it. So, I will trouble you to send me an extra two hundred gold coins."

Prince Qian froze instantly: "Why me?!"

"Because you are so stupid!"

……

Back at Lanchi, after another round of washing, changing, and tidying up, Fu Cai led the people to make new clothes while bringing out a small box:

"The King of Qin ordered me to pack all my belongings. There were two pieces of glass in the box, but I didn't know what they were for. I looked at them in the light, but they were blurry and I felt a little dizzy."

Qin Shi subconsciously touched the bridge of his nose with his middle finger before realizing what was happening:
"I forgot about this after my vision recovered—it's my glasses."

She took the box from Fu Cai's hand, opened it gently, and then pinched the two temples of the glasses and put them behind her ears.

However, even with my exceptionally clear vision, the presence of myopia lenses (400-500 degrees) still causes a moment of dizziness and blurred vision.

So I quickly took it off again:
"Those who cannot see far due to insufficient liver qi and weakened essence can wear such glasses."

"It's just that the eyes are delicate, and the degree of decline in one's vital energy varies, so one's eyesight also varies. Therefore, one must be just right to avoid damaging one's vision."

Fu Cai understood: "This ailment is common among embroiderers and weavers. We servants all must have developed it from exhausting our eyesight..."

Even so, Qin Shi could not bestow the glasses upon such a nearsighted female worker, otherwise she would likely face execution.

She then suddenly realized:
"Now that we have colored glaze, we should be able to try making glass as well."

Only by making it widely available to the general public can ordinary people use it safely.

However, the firing temperature of glass is three to four hundred degrees higher than that of crystal. If we want to increase the firing temperature, we need to study the coke blast furnace in detail.

She then asked, "Where is the ironworks in Xianyang now?"

Chi Nu thought for a moment: "This is a forbidden area, and no one may enter without the king's order. Moreover, the journey is long. If the King of Qin wishes to go, he must petition the king for permission."

Knowing that Qin Shi was not familiar with Xianyang City, she tried her best to help her recall: "Does Your Majesty still remember the Shahe Bridge we crossed before entering Xianyang Palace?"

"Several miles east of Shahe Bridge, the Ironworks is located on the banks of the Wei River—it will still take an hour and a half for the carriage to get there."

Qin Shi: ...

She couldn't help but recall that bumpy ride again.

Six hours round trip, is it really necessary to test-make this glass?
But Fu Cai replied excitedly, "Don't panic, Lord Qin. I knew you couldn't stand being jostled, so I sewed many soft cushions made of reeds!"

She said confidently, "A mere hour and a half will surely be fine."

[Birth, aging, illness, and death: "Aging" here refers to the gradual decline of the body, the decrease in energy, and changes in mental state. It doesn't mean that one is old when young.]

[Liver Qi Deficiency Leading to Myopia: A Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Various Diseases from the Sui Dynasty]