Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1427 Middle Age
In the Yecheng Palace, on the table in front of Yuan Xi, there was a long copper basin with several miniature models of pumping devices inside.

The model was extremely delicate and was made completely according to the proportions of a normal device. Yuan Xi pressed the button and the device began to move, pumping the water in the copper basin upwards and spraying it out.

Yuan Xi pressed the device with one hand and held a stack of drawings for comparison with the other. As the paper was improved, the craft drawings that were originally drawn on bamboo slips were gradually transferred to more suitable paper.

However, Yuan Xi was quite dissatisfied with the crooked composition of several of the ink drawings. He thought that if he were to hand in an engineering drawing paper in the same way in the future, he would probably be directly marked as failing.

However, he also knew that he couldn't force it. New tools such as three-view drawings and angle rails were still too difficult for these previously illiterate craftsmen, so he could only take it step by step.

After all, these things can be learned, but the craftsmanship experience accumulated over time cannot be acquired overnight.

He put down the drawings, thinking that these drawings and the models were all very cleverly conceived, but a model was only a model after all. If it was enlarged dozens or hundreds of times, the result might not be so ideal. Now he still needed to make the real thing for comparison and testing.

He selected two that looked the best and said to Master Bu Lian at the side, "Send a letter tomorrow morning and ask the two workshops to make the real objects as soon as possible. I will then ask them to conduct a comparative test and select the better one."

After hearing this, Bu Lianshi quickly wrote down the name of the workshop on the drawing. To be on the safe side, she recorded it again on another bamboo slip, even marking the time and place.

Seeing this, Yuan Xi exclaimed, "During the year I was away, you must have visited a lot of workshops."

Master Bu Lian smiled and said, "Your Majesty asked me to copy the Ministry of Works' information. I can't just memorize it with my half-understanding. After all, if I copy it mechanically without understanding it, and if I make a mistake, what I'll leave for future generations is a wrong drawing."

Yuan Xi sighed, "It's hard for you. You and I have been apart for the past few years. It must have been lonely when I was away, right?"

Bu Lianshi smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I don't know that. Madam Xiao Qiao and I are all from Jiangdong. We like to be in a lively environment, so we often get together with the ladies of the noble families in Yecheng. There are many of them who I can talk to, so I don't feel so lonely."

After hearing this, Yuan Xi laughed and said, "Xiao Qiao? It is true that she is the one with the most tricks. Besides, who is so free to hang out with you guys so often?"

Bu Lianshi mentioned several names. When it came to Wu, Yuan Xi thought for a long time before remembering her. He said, "Oh, it's her. She is the widow of Liu Mao who escaped from Xudu with Liu He and his wife."

"I had completely forgotten about her. Madam Liu He was from the Yuan family and she even asked me for help at the time."

"Tomorrow you can ask a eunuch at her house. If there is any shortage, firewood and grain can be taken from her private treasury."

Bu Lianshi misunderstood, "Your Majesty, are you not going to take her into the palace, and are you still letting her live outside?"

Yuan Xi said: "What do you mean by receiving it from the palace? I don't want to have anything to do with Liu Yan's clan."

"I took care of him purely for Madam Liu He's sake. Liu He has had a very hard time these years. When it came to Liu Yu, the Yuan family let him down. I am just paying off my father's debt."

"And I mentioned it to the Queen the day before yesterday. There are already enough wives and concubines in the palace. I have been running back and forth all these years, and even you have been neglected, let alone newcomers. There is no need to take in new wives in the palace in the future."

Bu Lianshi's heart skipped a beat, and she whispered, "Among the nobles, I'm afraid many women still have some ideas. If Your Majesty closes this loophole, I'm afraid the nobles will be less loyal to Your Majesty."

Yuan Xi waved his hand and said, "If state affairs can only be accomplished by winning over the nobles, then big problems will arise sooner or later.

"The nobles want to move up, and there are channels for them to move up. I have not blocked their path, but it is not through women, but through the benefits they bring to the people."

After hearing this, Bu Lianshi thought that the ladies she was familiar with would probably be disappointed, especially Madam Wu, who did have some thoughts about His Majesty. Now that His Majesty has made such a decision, who knows what kind of waves it will cause.

Yuan Xi added: "You reminded me that the atmosphere among the nobles requires me to make a clear statement of my position."

"It's almost the New Year, so I'll take this opportunity to entertain all the officials and summon the heads of the noble families as well. I'll explain the situation to them in public to prevent them from having wild guesses."

"When the time comes, go and discuss with the Queen what to do and how big and grand the event will be. Remember to pay for all the expenses from your private treasury."

But Master Bu Lian said, "Your Majesty, this is inappropriate."

Yuan Xi asked curiously, "Why is this inappropriate?"

Bu Lianshi said, "I know that Your Majesty is trying to show that you are saving money on the national treasury, but Your Majesty, have you forgotten that the most important affairs of the country are sacrifices and wars?"

"The New Year's Eve banquet is for your majesty to entertain officials on behalf of the country and to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth. This is a public matter of state, and the case must be paid by the national treasury."

"If we use the money from your Majesty's private treasury, is your Majesty hinting to all officials that the country is your private property?"

"If this action is misunderstood by the officials, will it have a negative impact?"

After hearing this, Yuan Xi burst out laughing and said, "I really didn't think of this for a while."

"If you hadn't been around for the past few years, I don't know how many mistakes I would have made."

Bu Lianshi said softly, "I will share your worries, but if I die before you one day, will you need other female officials by your side?"

Yuan Xi stretched out his finger and flicked Master Bu Lian's forehead, and said with a smile: "I don't know your little thoughts, but I'm at this age now, and my experience is not as good as before. I can barely cope with state affairs, so how can I spend so much energy on women."

Yuan Xi was telling the truth. Now, looking back, he found that he had too many women in his harem without realizing it. Fortunately, he was separated into two places, otherwise it would be a big headache to find a place to stay every day. Thinking of the rumors in later generations that middle-aged people would go to the toilet before going to bed at night, Yuan Xi felt the same way and lamented that he was not young anymore.

Bu Lianshi also sighed in her heart. His Majesty was so determined. I was afraid that there would be no hope for those women in the future.

Yuan Xi said, "Now that the south has been pacified, Hannan and Wei are no longer a threat for the time being. On the contrary, after the collapse of the Central Xianbei, the Eastern and Western Xianbei have shown a tendency to grow stronger, and some of the tribes are starting to become active again."

"After I meet with Prime Minister Zhuge Liang when he comes back, I will go to Jicheng for a while to find a way to suppress the Eastern and Western Xianbei. It may take a year or so. You should take care of this side and help the Queen deal with some political affairs."

After hearing this, Master Bu Lian agreed quietly, suppressing her laughter and saying, "I remember that in the Jicheng residence, besides Madam Cao's sister, there is another lady who is eagerly waiting for His Majesty to return, right?"

"When will His Majesty issue the decree not to accept wives into the palace?"

Yuan Xi was caught off guard by a boomerang and immediately looked embarrassed. He said, "Then postpone it for half a year until I return to Jicheng."

Bu Lianshi said mischievously: "Then your majesty must remember the date and make sure not to mess up the time for those two to enter the palace."

Yuan Xi looked at Bu Lianshi who was gloating, and said with deep sorrow: "Lianshi, you have changed. You have also learned bad things from Xiao Qiao in the past two years."

He stood up and bolted the study door, "I'm going to teach you a lesson today."

When Zhuge Liang rushed back, it was almost New Year's Day, and he missed even the banquet for officials hosted by Yuan Xi.

The reason for this is that with the arrival of winter, many bandits and horse thieves appeared on the Luoyang-Chang'an Road. Most of them were people from Liangzhou who could not survive and fled to Guanzhong, causing considerable trouble.

Most of the soldiers Zhuge Liang brought back were disabled soldiers. He brought them back to their hometowns to reunite with their families. It was not suitable for them to be sent to deal with horse bandits. So Zhuge Liang had to stay in Luoyang for a while, re-recruiting and training a group of soldiers, and deploying them in the Sanfu area and the Qiaohan Pass to ensure stability in the Guanzhong area.

When he finished these things, it was already winter, so he requisitioned boats and returned to Yecheng by water.

At that time, Yuan Xi went to greet him personally, shook Zhuge Liang's hand and said, "I already know what the Prime Minister did before. Even if I come in person, I will not be as thorough as the Prime Minister."

"Thank you for your hard work over the past two years."

Zhuge Liang was deeply moved and said, "Thanks to your majesty's trust, I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission."

"It's a pity that Wei's defenses are very strict. This year or so is not the best time to attack Hanzhong."

Yuan Xi smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. Let them jump around for two years. They are grasshoppers in autumn anyway."

"In fact, if Wei really waged war in Yizhou, it would accelerate their demise. From top to bottom, there is no ambition to fight in a place like Yizhou."

"But the State of Wei is in a difficult situation and must find a way out. The Prime Minister probably doesn't know that Chengdu is mobilizing troops. According to various intelligence reports, they want to attack Jingzhou."

Zhuge Liang asked, "Hannan Kingdom?"

"This is not unexpected. They want to break the impasse. Obviously, it is much more difficult to attack Chang'an than Jingzhou."

"And if we conquer Hannan and take all of Jingzhou, we will be able to occupy Jiangdong and divide the world into two with Your Majesty."

Yuan Xi smiled and said, "That's right, but Hannan is not a pushover. How can we let them have their way? Besides, I can't just stand by and watch."

"I will ask Boyan to go to Jiangxia and turn the battlefield in Jingzhou into a big quagmire, trapping the State of Wei completely."

"As for the Central Plains, the Prime Minister needs to take charge of the area for me in the next few years. The goal is to farm."

Zhuge Liang asked curiously, "Farming?"

Yuan Xi nodded, "That's right, let's go back and talk about it."

"By the way, I have prepared a family banquet in the palace, and all the guests are acquaintances and their families. I have also asked the Queen to invite Madam Huang to the palace. Let's go together."

When Zhuge Liang arrived at the palace, he found that they were all familiar faces, except Guo Jia, whom he had not seen for a long time, and Yang Xiu, who all brought their families.

Yuan Xi's family members, apart from Empress Zhen, also included Xiao Qiao, Bu Lianshi and several other ladies. They were talking to Guo Jia and Yang Xiu's wives, and when they saw Yuan Xi coming in with Zhuge Liang, they all stood up to greet them.

After greeting Yuan Xi, everyone congratulated Zhuge Liang and talked about his achievement in taking Chang'an.

After Zhuge Liang declined the offer, he and everyone else sat down. Huang Yueying was already sitting there waiting for him.

Seeing that Huang Yueying looked a little thin, Zhuge Liang said softly, "Madam, you have worked hard."

Huang Yueying smiled and said, "My husband is the one who works hard. In the past two years, Madam Xiao Qiao and the others have often come to see me and help me relieve my worries and boredom."

(End of this chapter)