After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

"It's...it's done!"

Wang Shouren's voice trembled with excitement.

Zhu Houzhao almost jumped up, shouting, "Father, look! It's on fire! It's really on fire!"

The kitchen fell into a deathly silence as everyone stared wide-eyed at the flame in disbelief.

Zhang Sheng's mouth was agape, big enough to fit an egg. His mind raced, wondering if he had just reported the Crown Prince.

And what else could it be... that the Crown Prince was unruly and that you didn't dissuade him in time?

Emperor Hongzhi was stunned at first, then his eyes flashed with disbelief.

Turu and Akunda were completely stunned and at a loss.

"This...how is this possible?"

Tulu muttered to himself, then suddenly rushed forward and leaned over the stove to examine it closely.

But the stove was completely sealed, without even a slot for adding firewood.

The flames seemed to rise from the void, burning silently and radiating heat.

For the first time, terror appeared on Akunda's withered face as he muttered, "Evil...this is evil magic..."

Yang Shen immediately said, "Grand Preceptor, do not be nervous. This is neither an evil spirit nor a miracle. It is simply the principle of the operation of heaven and earth, which His Highness the Crown Prince has discovered and applied."

Zhang Sheng seemed to realize something, stepped forward to Tulu, and said, "Your Highness, now that the fire has been lit, the outcome of the bet should be agreed upon, right?"

Tulu's face turned pale and then red, and he lowered his head unwillingly.

Akunda suddenly spoke up: "This technique... this technique can be taught?"

Yang Shen smiled faintly and said, "The principles of investigating things are a public good. If your country is truly eager to learn, our Great Ming will not keep anything secret. However..."

Akunda hurriedly asked, "What are the conditions?"

Yang Shen shook his head and said meaningfully, "The study of things requires learning from the basics. It cannot be mastered overnight, and it requires sincerity. If you only learn the superficial aspects, I'm afraid you will not gain anything."

Akunda fell silent. Indeed, in terms of scholarship, how could the grassland tribes compare with the Central Plains civilization?

Tulu gritted his teeth and said, "We were ignorant today. We men of the grasslands keep our word. The trade will proceed according to your country's terms."

Zhang Sheng's smile widened: "Your Highness is so generous! How about we formally sign the contract tomorrow at the Court of State Ceremonial?"

"good!"

Turu clasped his hands in a fist salute, and then, along with Akunda and his entourage, slunk away.

The Hongzhi Emperor carefully examined the biogas stove and murmured, "Taming the heavens? Can the heavens be tamed?"

Yang Shen bowed and said, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince just spoke of taming the heavens. Perhaps his words were a little arrogant, but his principle is not wrong. To investigate things and extend knowledge means to explore the principles of how the heavens and the earth and all things operate, to grasp and apply them, and to benefit the people."

"For ordinary people, firewood comes first among the necessities of life. In the harsh winter, the lack of firewood can be a matter of life and death. This biogas digester, which uses waste such as excrement, can be used to start a fire for warmth and cooking. If it could be promoted among the people, it would save countless people from the cold and save a lot of hard work from logging."

The Hongzhi Emperor stared at the quietly burning flames, remaining silent for a long time.

No one else dared to disturb them; the only sound in the kitchen was the soft crackling of the flames.

"Minister Yang!"

"Your subject is here!"

Yang Shen quickly stepped forward.

The Hongzhi Emperor slowly asked, "Why is it called marsh gas?"

Yang Shen then explained, "Your Majesty, the name 'methane' originates from swamps. The Book of Changes has a hexagram that says, 'Fire in the marsh,' indicating that the ancients discovered flammable gases in swamps very early on, but were unable to utilize them. Your Highness, based on this, proposed the idea of ​​methane ponds. This is precisely the principle of 'investigating things to gain knowledge'!"

The Hongzhi Emperor smiled and said, "Don't praise him. I know it's all thanks to you. You are so young, yet so knowledgeable. Your future is limitless!"

Yang Shen was a little embarrassed and said, "I am fortunate to assist His Highness the Crown Prince, but my contributions are insignificant and not worth mentioning."

The Hongzhi Emperor fell silent again, and after a long while, asked, "This thing... can it really be promoted among the common people?"

Yang Shen nodded: "Your Majesty, it is theoretically entirely feasible. However, building a biogas digester requires a certain amount of money, which may be difficult for ordinary people to afford. Furthermore, it requires expert guidance during construction, otherwise, problems are likely to occur."

The Hongzhi Emperor pondered for a moment and looked at Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao stood up straight, his face beaming with praise.

A hint of a smile flashed in the Hongzhi Emperor's eyes, but he deliberately kept a straight face and said, "Even if this thing is useful, you shouldn't gamble with the affairs of state. If you really lose today, what will you do?"

Zhu Houzhao scratched his head and whispered, "Your son... Your subject only gambles when he's confident..."

"You dare talk back?"

"Your subject dares not..."

Watching the father and son talking, Zhang Sheng suddenly stepped forward and knelt down with a thud.

"Your Majesty! I am guilty!"

The Hongzhi Emperor looked at him and asked, "What crime has Minister Zhang committed?"

Zhang Sheng, looking heartbroken, said, "As the Minister of Rites, I assisted the Crown Prince in the negotiations, yet I failed to grasp His Highness's profound intentions! His Highness was not being foolish at all; he clearly had a well-thought-out plan and intended to use these negotiations to demonstrate to the foreign nations the might and ingenuity of our Great Ming Dynasty!"

He turned to Zhu Houzhao, his face full of admiration: "Your Highness, though young, already understands the principle of subduing the enemy without fighting! You used this small biogas stove to intimidate the Northern Yuan envoy, letting them know that our Great Ming not only possesses the advantage of military might, but also the wisdom of investigating things! Such strategy and such vision are beyond my comprehension!"

These words were spoken with sincerity and deep emotion, and were truly moving.

Zhu Houzhao was stunned, thinking to himself, "Did I think that much?"

Yang Shen almost couldn't help but laugh, and quickly lowered his head to cover it up.

The Hongzhi Emperor raised his hand: "Rise!"

"I obey your decree!"

Zhang Sheng then stood up, but still kept his head down.

The Hongzhi Emperor's mind was entirely on the biogas stove. He first circled the stove twice, and even reached out to test the temperature above the flames. Then he exclaimed, "This fire... is truly smokeless."

Zhu Houzhao quickly stepped forward: "Father, I can even use it to cook! Liu Jin, bring me a pot!"

Liu Jin quickly brought over a small pot, placed it on the stove, and added half a pot of water.

Everyone stared at it, and in no time, the water in the pot boiled over.

As the Hongzhi Emperor gazed at the boiling water, the light in his eyes grew ever brighter.

He turned to Yang Shen: "Yang, in your opinion, how should we begin to promote this among the people?"

Yang Shen already had a plan in mind and calmly replied, "Your Majesty, I believe it can be done in three steps. First, we should select sites in the capital for pilot projects, choosing some wealthy households or government offices to build on the sites, verifying the effects and accumulating experience. Second, we should compile construction guidelines and train craftsmen so that people in the community know how to build and maintain them. Third, the court can provide appropriate subsidies or encourage local gentry to contribute funds to help ordinary people build on the sites. When the time is right, we can then promote this method extensively."

"If this matter succeeds, it will not only benefit the country and the people, but also demonstrate His Majesty's benevolence and the Crown Prince's wisdom."

The Hongzhi Emperor nodded repeatedly as he listened, and his gaze toward Zhu Houzhao softened considerably.

"This project will be spearheaded by the Crown Prince's Palace, assisted by the Ministry of Rites, and coordinated by relevant departments. It will first be piloted in the capital. If the results are good, it will then be promoted to other prefectures and counties."

Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed: "Your subject obeys the decree!"

The Hongzhi Emperor then looked at Wang Shouren: "Minister Wang."

Wang Shouren immediately bowed and said, "Your subject is here."

"I have seen your dedication to this matter. Effective immediately, you are hereby transferred to the position of Left Spring Palace Attendant, a sixth-rank official, to assist the Crown Prince in promoting biogas."

Wang Shouren remained expressionless: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor!"

Zhu Houzhao's eyes darted around, and he leaned closer, saying, "Father, Yang, the attendant, deserves the most credit in this matter. Shouldn't he also be given an official position?"

The Hongzhi Emperor glanced at Yang Shen and shook his head: "Minister Yang has great talent. If he were to enter the Eastern Palace as an official now, he would only be a minor clerk and would no longer be able to participate in the imperial examinations. Wouldn't that be burying his potential?"

Although Zhu Houzhao was somewhat disappointed, he still nodded: "Your subject understands."

The Hongzhi Emperor gave a few more instructions before setting off to return to the palace.

With no outsiders left in the Eastern Palace, Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed, dancing with excitement: "We succeeded! We succeeded!"

A hint of joy finally appeared on Wang Shouren's face, but he remained restrained and bowed deeply to Yang Shen: "Thanks to your timely discovery of the problem today, otherwise I would have made a grave mistake."

Yang Shen quickly returned the greeting: "Director Wang, you flatter me. We are both serving the Crown Prince."

Zhu Houzhao leaned closer to the two men, grinning, and said, "Yang, what's next? Father Emperor wants us to conduct a pilot program in the capital!"

Yang Shen smiled and said, "This matter cannot be rushed. The construction of biogas digesters requires certain conditions. Why don't we have Director Wang lead a team to survey the site, find out which houses can be built directly and list them as the first batch, which ones need to be renovated and list them as the second batch, and those that cannot be built will be put on hold. After the statistics are compiled, we can start implementing it in batches."

Wang Shouren nodded repeatedly: "Yang, my companion, has thought things through thoroughly. I will immediately begin the statistics!"

After he left, Zhu Houzhao asked, "Yang, what do you need me to do?"

Yang Shen thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness will need to find a few merchants and prepare a lot of materials."

Zhu Houzhao nodded and said, "I'm going to discuss business with Liu Jin. What will you be doing?"

"I?"

Yang Shen yawned: "I'm going home to catch up on some sleep!"