dognovel Chapter 296 Consort Fucha
Chapter 296 Consort Fucha
Soon, the Imperial Household Department was busy.
Li Wenqing personally selected a group of highly skilled craftsmen.
They were brought together and secretly put into trial production of textile machines.
This was the first time the Emperor had entrusted the Imperial Household Department with such an important task.
Li Wenqing dared not slack off in the slightest.
He personally oversaw every step, from the procurement of materials to the allocation of craftsmen.
From the implementation of the process, he personally oversaw every detail to ensure that nothing went wrong.
The craftsmen also knew the importance of this mission, and they worked day and night to finish it.
After several days of tireless effort, they finally succeeded under Li Wenqing's strict supervision.
The first textile machine was successfully trial-produced.
The design of this textile machine is truly ingenious; its structure is exquisite, and the various components work together seamlessly.
It runs exceptionally stably without any lag.
Moreover, its production efficiency is astonishing, far exceeding that of traditional looms.
When this good news reached the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Hongchang was overjoyed, his excitement evident in his words.
He couldn't wait to go to the Imperial Household Department in person to see the textile machine in operation.
When Hongchang arrived at the Imperial Household Department, he saw the textile machines running at high speed.
When the yarn is woven into exquisite bolts of cloth as quickly as flowing clouds and water,
A hint of undisguised satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
He smiled and said to Li Wenqing, who was standing to the side:
"Li Wenqing, you have done an excellent job this time, and I am very satisfied with it."
Then, Hongchang paused briefly, and then solemnly instructed Li Wenqing:
"Next, I hope you can continue your efforts and expand production as soon as possible."
This textile machine will be of great use to me.
You did a great job this time, and the craftsmen who participated in the trial production also deserve credit.
Their monthly allowance will be doubled, and I will not forget your contributions; you will be richly rewarded in the future.
Upon hearing this, Li Wenqing was overjoyed and immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.
"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! This servant will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations."
We will definitely urge the craftsmen to speed up the process and expand production as soon as possible.
Hongchang nodded in satisfaction, but this textile machine must not be allowed to circulate.
Hongchang frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Li Wenqing, you understand what I mean."
The formula and manufacturing process of this textile machine must never be leaked, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.
You must personally oversee the process to ensure that every craftsman involved in the trial production and manufacturing understands the stakes involved.
Upon hearing this, Li Wenqing felt a chill run down his spine and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant understands."
The servants would personally supervise to ensure that all craftsmen kept the secret.
If anyone leaks information, this servant will immediately report to the Emperor and deal with them according to the law.
Hongchang nodded in satisfaction and had the finished spinning machine carried away from the Imperial Household Department.
Zhang Hude asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, shall we return to the Qianqing Palace?"
Hongchang said calmly, "Go to the princess's residence."
Zhang Hude was slightly taken aback, but quickly recovered and replied:
"Yes, Your Majesty."
So, the group carried the brand-new spinning machine and headed towards the princess's residence.
Princesses Shuhe and Wenyi, upon receiving news of the Emperor's arrival...
Immediately tidy up your attire and lead your men to greet the Emperor at the entrance of the Princess's residence.
When Hongchang and his party arrived at the princess's residence, several princesses were already waiting at the door to greet them.
Upon seeing Hongchang approach, the princesses bowed in unison.
Hongchang is busy exempting himself from formalities
Princess Shuhe stepped forward first and said, "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"
Hongchang smiled slightly and said:
"I have come today to show you something new and interesting."
He pointed to the textile machine that had been carried in.
"This is a textile machine, which I ordered the Imperial Household Department to trial-produce."
"I want to set up a factory."
Shuhe then said, "Your Majesty, why don't we go inside and sit down to talk?"
Hongchang nodded slightly and said:
"Alright, this spinning machine is a bit bulky and difficult to carry in. Let's go inside and talk slowly."
So, the group carried the spinning machine into the main hall of the princess's residence.
Princess Shuhe personally arranged for the spinning machine to be placed in a prominent position in the hall.
Several princesses gathered around, curiously examining the machine.
Hongchang looked around and saw that the princesses all looked curious, so he spoke up:
"This textile machine was just tested by me from the Imperial Household Department. Its efficiency far exceeds that of traditional looms."
I hope you will take the lead in promoting this textile machine, so that it can flourish throughout the Qing Dynasty.
Princess Wenyi couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, can this machine really weave cloth? It looks so complicated."
Hongchang smiled and said, "Of course."
The manufacturing process of this textile machine is very exquisite. Although it looks complicated, it is actually very simple to operate.
Moreover, it weaves cloth several times faster than traditional looms.
Princess Shuhe and the others were shocked to hear that Hongchang wanted them.
I was both happy and apprehensive about taking the lead in promoting this textile machine.
Hongchang entrusted this matter to the sisters, which shows his trust in them.
This also shows that Hongchang is truly willing to involve these princesses in more affairs.
This is undoubtedly a great opportunity for them to showcase their talents.
However, they also knew it was a difficult task, since they had never had a similar experience before.
Princess Shuhe frowned slightly and said:
"Your Majesty, although we are willing to serve the Qing Dynasty, we have never run a factory and do not know much about the textile industry."
We are worried that we may disappoint you.
Hongchang smiled slightly and said, "Sister Shuhe, you don't need to worry."
I know you are all intelligent and quick-witted, and you will definitely be able to learn it.
Moreover, I will arrange for someone to assist you.
You need to be personally involved in everything from factory site selection and recruitment to fund allocation.
I believe you can do a good job.
Upon hearing this, Princess Shuhe, Princess Wenyi, Princess Shujia, and others exchanged glances.
Looking at Hongchang, she said, "Since the Emperor trusts us sisters, we sisters will definitely do our best."
We will never disappoint the Emperor's expectations.
Princess Shuhe's tone was full of determination.
Princess Wenyi said, "Your Majesty, we are willing to give it a try."
However, this promotion will require considerable manpower and financial resources. I wonder what His Majesty's plans are?
Hongchang had already considered this and said:
"In terms of manpower, we can recruit women from the countryside, which can solve employment problems and provide labor for the textile industry."
In terms of financial resources, I will allocate special funds from the national treasury to support this effort.
You are responsible for organizing and coordinating to let more people know about the benefits of this textile machine.
"As long as you are willing, I will withstand the pressure from my court officials and allow you to fully utilize your talents."
After hearing this, Princess Shuhe nodded slightly and said:
"His Majesty trusts us so much, we sisters will certainly live up to his expectations."
Princess Wenyi said, "Your Majesty, we will study hard and strive to get the factory up and running as soon as possible."
Let this textile machine benefit more people.
Princess Shuhe smiled slightly and said:
"Your Majesty, rest assured, we will familiarize ourselves with the operation of this textile machine as soon as possible."
Hongchang nodded with satisfaction.
That's good. I'll be waiting for your good news.
If this textile machine can be widely adopted, the economy of the Qing Dynasty will surely reach new heights.
Princess Shuhe and the others accepted the order.
Afterwards, Hongchang carefully explained to the princesses some precautions and promotion strategies for the textile machine.
The princesses listened attentively, occasionally asking questions, which Hongchang patiently answered.
Even after Hongchang left the princess's residence, the princesses were still gathered around the weaving machine, studying it.
Shuhe said with satisfaction, "My mother and the emperor are willing to give us sisters a chance."
We cannot let them down.
This is not only a contribution to the Qing Dynasty, but also a great opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities.
Princess Wenyi nodded and said, "Sister is right."
We must study hard and strive to get the factory up and running as soon as possible.
"This textile machine is so efficient; it will surely bring many benefits to the people."
Prince Dun also began his investigation.
This investigation really surprised him!
He had originally thought that the number of children who died young in the various households of the imperial family might only be slightly higher.
But the actual situation far exceeded his expectations.
This shocked and worried him.
His children are not yet betrothed.
What surprised him even more was the children born from the marriages of his cousins.
Almost none of them survive to a healthy age.
This practice of strengthening ties through marriage has been prevalent throughout history, especially among members of the imperial family.
Unexpectedly, such an arranged marriage resulted in so few children.
If things continue like this, how can the Manchus multiply and compete with the Han Chinese?
This made Prince Dun suspicious of this traditional custom.
Moreover, Prince Dun noticed a strange phenomenon:
When people talk about these children who died young, their expressions are filled with deep unease.
This attitude made Prince Dun even more curious, and he felt that there must be some unknown secret hidden in it.
Therefore, Prince Dun decided to investigate further and uncover the truth behind this mystery.
He believes that only by understanding the root causes of these problems can a solution be found.
This will allow their Manchu bloodline to continue and make the future of the Qing Dynasty more secure.
Although he was not the emperor, he was a member of the royal family.
Only when the Qing Dynasty was strong and powerful could the Manchus steadily suppress the Han people.
Only these members of the royal family can enjoy wealth and status forever.
Prince Dun hadn't thought too far ahead at this point; he hadn't considered that no matter how many Manchus there were, they couldn't compare to the Han Chinese.
Since Manchus could not intermarry among themselves, they could only form marriage alliances with Han Chinese.
What will happen if it doesn't work out remains to be seen.
Prince Dun knew that this issue was extremely sensitive, and that the slightest misstep could cause a huge uproar.
Therefore, he decided to conduct the investigation in an extremely cautious manner.
Instead of conducting a public investigation, he secretly arranged for some trusted confidants to investigate.
They went deep into the various residences of the imperial clan to collect relevant information.
Following Prince Dun's in-depth investigation, a series of serious problems arising from incestuous marriages gradually emerged.
He was shocked to discover that children in many royal residences faced extremely high infant mortality rates.
These children often die young, bringing endless grief and loss to their families.
Even more seriously, many children born from consanguineous marriages are deformed.
These children have abnormal physical development and may have various congenital defects and diseases.
Even those children who were lucky enough to survive were mostly weak and sickly, and their physical condition was far worse than that of normal children.
They cannot thrive like other healthy children, and are even less able to shoulder the responsibilities and expectations of their families.
This situation not only affected the reproduction of the imperial family, but also posed a potential threat to the foundation of the Qing Dynasty's rule.
To ensure a safe outcome, Prince Dun decided to conduct in-depth investigations among the common people.
Further investigation is needed into cases of consanguineous marriage.
After conducting research among the public, he discovered that cases of consanguineous marriage were also quite common.
Moreover, there have been cases of children dying young or becoming frail and sickly.
In some villages, families formed by close relatives have even seen a decline in population.
This further convinced Prince Dun that incestuous marriages were extremely harmful.
Only after he had gathered enough data did Prince Dun write a memorial and send it to the palace.
When Prince Dun's memorial was delivered to the palace, Hongchang was reviewing memorials.
Upon seeing Prince Dun, Hongchang immediately guessed that the matter he had asked Prince Dun to investigate must have yielded results.
After having Zhang Hude serve tea to Prince Dun, Hongchang carefully examined the memorial that Prince Dun had handed over.
When he saw the contents of the document, he frowned slightly and then fell into deep thought.
The memorial detailed the various drawbacks of marriages between members of the imperial family and commoners involving close relatives.
In particular, the high mortality rate and health problems among children made Hongchang realize the seriousness of the situation.
After reading the memorial, Hongchang remained silent for a long time before slowly raising his head and looking at it.
Guang looked intently at Prince Dun, Yunqi, and said in a solemn tone:
"Tenth Uncle, is what you wrote in this report true?"
Prince Dun bowed slightly and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, everything I wrote in my memorial is true."
It was I who personally investigated this matter over the past two months.
I am well aware of the great importance of this matter and dare not conceal anything.
Within the imperial family, consanguineous marriages were commonplace.
The drawbacks resulting from this have become so significant that they cannot be ignored.
If this is not taken seriously, it may cause irreparable damage to the foundation of the Qing Dynasty.
Hongchang was silent for a moment, then asked, "In your opinion, Tenth Uncle, how should this matter be resolved?"
Prince Dun pondered for a moment and said, "In my opinion, the most urgent task is to prohibit close-kin marriages among members of the imperial family."
In addition, it is necessary to vigorously publicize the dangers of consanguineous marriage among the general public.
Do not force blood relatives to marry each other simply to strengthen family ties.
Hongchang frowned upon hearing this and said, "There are so few Manchus. If intermarriage between members of the imperial clan is prohibited..."
Wouldn't that make it even harder to find a suitable marriage partner? And...
This involves Manchu traditions and customs, which would likely be difficult for both the court and the public to accept.
Prince Dun said, “Your Majesty, I know this matter is thorny, but if things don’t change, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
This involves the succession of offspring, and I believe they know how to choose.
The Manchus and Hans are one family. Which of the court officials and imperial family members doesn't have a few Han concubines?
If they have objections, it's merely a matter of saving face; what truly concerns life and death is the continuation of their bloodline.
Although we Manchus are few in number, we cannot be complacent and destroy ourselves.
If Your Majesty is determined to implement this, I am willing to fully cooperate, even at the cost of offending my brothers in the imperial clan.”
Prince Dun's words struck a chord with Hongchang, but Hongchang still pretended to be troubled and said...
"What my tenth uncle says makes sense, but this matter is of great importance, and I need to think about it carefully."
"Tenth Uncle, you should go back to your residence and rest."