Chapter 251: Extra
In the year of Grandpa Ling’s eightieth birthday, many significant events occurred in Great Xia.
In terms of industry, the Military Industry Department, under the leadership of the Empress, successfully developed the steam engine. However, it has not yet been applied to large machinery, but is currently used to power spinning machines and water pumps.
The former greatly increased the speed of textile production, changing from one person weaving one bolt of cloth in seven days to one person operating one machine and weaving seven bolts of cloth in one day. This not only alleviated the shortage of domestic workers but also led to a tenfold increase in cloth exports.
Although the Imperial Court has been undertaking a major project in recent years, which is the construction of water conservancy systems across the land to address the frequent floods in the rainy south and the drought in the north.
This is essentially the South-to-North Water Diversion of this era, but our project cannot be as grand; we can only improve it through manual repair of river channels.
The advent of water pumps has alleviated the water supply issues in areas far from water sources, for both daily life and agricultural use in the Northwest.
JinSui knew very well that considerable military industry funds had been spent on steam engines in recent years, which had already caused dissatisfaction among many.
Therefore, after achieving results, she immediately introduced the spinning machine, which promotes industry and generates profit, and the water pump, which benefits agriculture and the people.
This allowed everyone in the land to see the results, after which the Military Industry Department began building more costly steamships and steam trains.
These are all major projects that cannot be completed within three to five years, but everyone is very confident.
Even those who understand little about technology realize that the emergence of the steam engine, much like gunpowder on the battlefield in the past, will completely change the course of history.
In these years, Gu Changxiao has not been negligent, continuously working on land reform and tax reform. Additionally, public hospitals have been established in every prefecture, and the government provides compensation for childbirth and household registration at hospitals.
The phenomenon of abandoned baby girls has ceased to exist, and the population has grown tenfold. This year’s national census shows a total population of two hundred million, with an estimated five hundred million in ten years.
It is worth noting that the population during the prosperous Tang Dynasty was only over eighty million, while the current dynasty’s population has reached two hundred million, setting a historical record. There is nothing that better reflects political achievements than population growth.
Those who previously called Gu Changxiao a tyrant have now all changed their tune, referring to His Majesty as a wise ruler for all ages. The officials have once again proposed that he perform the Mount Tai Fengshan ceremony.
And Gu Changxiao refused once again, because he felt he had not done enough. JinSui’s goal of cultivating rubber in the southern gardens has only been half-achieved, and some territories are still not incorporated into the Great Xia territory.
If he cannot even fulfill his wife’s wish for a garden, what kind of emperor for all ages is he? Although grain production has doubled in recent years, it is still insufficient to achieve universal agricultural tax.
The Northern Frontier is also not peaceful. Although Batel has moved the capital to a more northern location, his troops have crossed the extremely cold Northern Border and reached the European continent.
How can this be? Our Great Xia soldiers have not even reached Europe, yet Batel has beaten us to it!
Therefore, when the officials mention the Mount Tai Fengshan ceremony, it sounds like a mockery to Gu Changxiao! What great achievements do I have to report to the gods? I still have so much to do!
However, there is also good news. Hei Hu launched a military campaign from Nanyang County, successfully conquering Baekje, and annihilating Silla and Goguryeo. Like Nanyang County, these three small countries have completely disappeared from historical records, becoming three prefectures of Great Xia.
This year, the Ling Clan also had a joyous occasion: JinAn passed the Imperial Examination and became a Jinshi. In the same year, he sought to marry Wei Yingniang, who was serving as a Female Official.
Everyone was very pleased with this marriage, especially Grandpa Ling. With both a son and daughter, and now a granddaughter-in-law, he could close his eyes tomorrow and meet his son and daughter-in-law in the Yellow Springs with peace of mind.
Coincidentally, this year is also his eightieth birthday. Since the Royal Family relocated the capital, Gu Changxiao, who was once portrayed as a tyrant, no longer needed to maintain filial piety, and did not bring the elder Imperial Relatives into the Capital City at all.
Now, Grandpa Ling has become the oldest among the Imperial Relatives. He enjoys extremely high prestige among the populace, especially in some regions of the Central Plains, where Taoist Master Ling’s reputation is even greater than the Emperor’s.
Therefore, his birthday banquet was held with great grandeur by Gu Changxiao. Since Grandpa Ling did not wish to hold it in the palace, it was held at the Taoist Temple, with enough space for ten thousand people to attend his birthday banquet.
JinSui’s grand gift to Grandpa was a celebration for all long-lived individuals in the land. Any elder aged sixty or older could visit their local Female Official institution, hospital, academy, post office, or bank on this day to receive a lucky bag.
That’s right, JinSui has also increased her workload in recent years, establishing post offices in towns and above nationwide that can mail items across the land. She also established state-owned banks in county-level cities and above.
Grandpa Ling greatly liked this gift. He always said that by blessing the world, good fortune would be reflected upon his children. He accumulated merit for JinSui and JinAn, and JinSui accumulated merit for Shuo’er and Tiantian.
Grandpa Ling was so happy that day that he drank quite a bit. Although JinSui replaced his wine with low-alcohol grape wine midway, Grandpa still got drunk.
Strangely, this time when Grandpa got drunk, he didn’t let JinAn take care of him. Instead, he held JinSui’s hand tightly and mumbled, “SuiSui, don’t go, Grandpa has something to tell you.”
JinSui’s heart stirred, and she personally escorted Grandpa back to his room. However, Grandpa did not return to his room but instead took her to the graves of Father Ling and Mother Ling.
The accompanying servants stood far away; he wanted to speak with JinSui alone.
When offering the tribute, JinSui noticed something amiss because the tribute was clearly meant for three people.
And there were only two people in this grave. JinSui was startled at first. Did Grandpa have some terminal illness? No, she had taken his pulse a few days ago, and the old man was very healthy.
Then she heard Grandpa say emotionally, “SuiSui, you’ve worked hard all these years.”
JinSui smiled, “Grandpa, you’re truly drunk. Your granddaughter is the Empress, enjoying wealth and status. How could I be working hard?”
Grandpa wiped the corners of his eyes and poured more wine before the grave, “There are some things Grandpa has wanted to ask you for a long time, but I was afraid…”
He paused, and JinSui was taken aback, “What is Grandpa afraid of? What can’t we say between grandfather and granddaughter? Please ask anything!”
“Heh heh, Grandpa is afraid that some destinies, if left unsaid, will remain. But once spoken, they will be broken.”
“SuiSui, you have done very well. Whether as a granddaughter, an elder sister, a wife, a mother, a teacher, or an Empress, you have done excellently.
His Majesty often says that having you is Great Xia’s fortune, and his fortune. Grandpa strongly agrees with this; having you is also Grandpa’s and JinAn’s fortune.”
JinSui’s heart gradually tightened. She instinctively felt that Grandpa was about to say something.
These were words Grandpa had kept in his heart for a very, very long time, so long that when she rescued him from the bandits in the ruined temple, he had already been harboring something in his heart.
“You are truly wonderful! So wonderful that sometimes I even think you are an immortal descended to save the world.”
JinSui chuckled, “Grandpa, you flatter me. I’m not that great; I’ve come this far step by step.”
Suddenly, Grandpa turned to look at her, his eyes red. Tears streamed down his face, which was flushed from drinking, and were filled with wrinkles. The tears squeezed into the crevices of the wrinkles, making his face streaked with tears.
“You have done very well. Having a granddaughter like you is a blessing Grandpa has cultivated over several lifetimes.
But SuiSui, can you tell Grandpa, where is my SuiSui, who was sickly, timid, and prone to crying?”
JinSui felt a numbness spread through her body. As expected, Grandpa had noticed long ago.
Perhaps out of fear, or for survival, or for JinAn, he had hidden this doubt in his heart for many years.
Indeed, if the grandfather who raised her since childhood didn’t realize she had died and her soul had been replaced, then Ling JinSui’s life would have been too pathetic.
Fortunately, there was still one person who remembered you.
JinSui had no intention of hiding it. The old man was already eighty, and she had occupied his granddaughter’s body. If she were to deceive him further, it would be too much.
JinSui took a handkerchief to wipe Grandpa’s tears and said softly, “She died from the torment inflicted by the Jiang family. However, before her death, she had lingering concerns, thinking of you, Mother, and her youngest brother, and her soul could not rest, so she called me.”
Grandpa’s tears seemed endless. He cried and asked, “And then? Did she find peace?”
JinSui’s tears also fell like rain, “When Mother Ling passed away, she left with Mother Ling.”
“Now she should have reincarnated and become an ordinary little girl, living happily somewhere in Great Xia.”
These words brought great comfort to Grandpa Ling, because in the current Great Xia, no child lived a life of hunger and cold.
Grandpa Ling and JinSui sat before the grave and talked for a long time, “It is truly retribution! When the Central Plains experienced floods, I inquired, and the entire Jiang family suffered disaster and died in the flood.”
Soon, others found them, and the two quickly wiped away their tears.
Tiantian came to help Grandpa rise. Looking at her face, which greatly resembled JinSui’s when she was young, Grandpa Ling’s heart knot was completely untangled.
He said he was still capable and wanted to work hard to make the lives of all children better, because one of those little girls was his SuiSui.
A gentle breeze blew, caressing JinSui’s hair and the hem of her clothes. She seemed to feel the original owner’s presence again.
It was gentle.
