Chapter 32: Honeycomb Coal

“Your Majesty! Do you want a method for staying warm?” Yuying blurted out without caring about anything else, then furtively studied Kangxi’s expression.

After thinking about it, she decided it was most important to hand over the idea first. As for everything else—whatever. She’d just insist she dreamed it, and no matter how much Kangxi questioned her, he wouldn’t be able to get any more out of her.

Sure enough, Kangxi’s eyes brightened when he heard her words, and he grabbed her hand. “Could it be that A-Ying has a solution?”

Seeing that Kangxi didn’t look suspicious and only cared about the method itself, Yuying breathed a sigh of relief and started explaining what she had in mind. “Your Majesty, do you know about coal?”

Hearing her question, Kangxi felt a flicker of disappointment.

In the Qing dynasty, coal mining was mostly concentrated around Shengjing, but the late Emperor Shizu had once completely banned extraction there because it was the “land where the dragon rose” and for feng shui reasons. However, a few years ago, Kangxi had already relaxed those restrictions and adopted a policy of “allowing the people to extract.”

But after consecutive years of heavy snow, demand for coal had surged. Kangxi had no choice but to ease the policy further, setting up official kilns and even encouraging civilians to open mines by treating coal as firewood and exempting it from taxes.

Yet manpower for extraction was ultimately limited. The amount of coal mined still fell far short of demand. Kangxi assumed Yuying didn’t understand this, so he patiently explained it all to her in detail.

“So, A-Ying, do you see the problem?” Kangxi finished earnestly.

Yuying nodded vaguely, looking at the sorrow in his eyes, then shared what she was thinking. “Your Majesty, I have a way to reduce the consumption of coal and make it burn longer and hotter.”

That’s right—what Yuying was talking about was honeycomb coal.

It was all thanks to being raised by her grandparents, who never liked to use gas or induction stoves, preferring firewood and coal. When she was little, Yuying had even gone with them to haul coal from a yard. Because of this, she had seen how traditional honeycomb coal briquettes were made.

When Kangxi heard this, he said, “A-Ying, if you truly have such a method, please explain it in detail. If it succeeds, I will thank you on behalf of the people of this realm.”

So Yuying began describing the principles of honeycomb coal.

Honeycomb coal was really quite simple, and it didn’t take long for Kangxi to understand. He even personally sketched its shape on paper.

“A-Ying, come look—like this?”

Yuying leaned in and saw that the drawing looked exactly like what she remembered. She looked at Kangxi with wide eyes full of wonder.

As expected of Kangxi—he drew it so quickly?

Hearing the genuine admiration in her heart, Kangxi felt proud. He immediately instructed Liang Jiugong to summon Nalan Mingzhu.

The Forbidden City did have coal. And now, knowing it could be mixed with yellow clay in specific proportions to both save coal and compress coal dust into usable form, Kangxi couldn’t wait to see it in practice.

As for whether honeycomb coal would really work, he had no doubt at all. Through Yuying’s thoughts, he knew this was a fuel widely used in the future. If it could succeed later, there was no reason the Great Qing couldn’t make it now!

When Nalan Mingzhu heard the Emperor had summoned him, he felt puzzled but quickly changed into his court robes, boarded a carriage, and hurried to the palace.

On the way, countless thoughts raced through his mind. He knew well the Emperor had been in a poor mood lately—had he perhaps angered His Majesty somehow?

When Mingzhu arrived at Qianqing Palace, Kangxi was playing Go with Yuying.

“A-Ying, are you trying to cheat again?” Kangxi smiled as he looked at the young woman across from him, whose face was full of frustration.

Yuying was about to die from exasperation!

Whose terrible idea was it to play Go with Kangxi? How could a young modern woman possibly beat the shrewd Emperor of China?

Even with a handicap, she still lost miserably!

She darted a glance at Kangxi and then sneakily reached out her hand. Another glance—

Just as she was about to make a bold move—

“A-Ying, were you thinking of overturning the board?” Kangxi toyed with a Go piece in his hand, speaking idly.

Yuying jumped in fright. Her hand froze in midair before she awkwardly withdrew it and forced a smile at him. But her gaze was drawn irresistibly to his hand.

Yuying had a bit of a hand fixation. Kangxi’s hands were beautiful: long fingers, clear veins, nails neatly trimmed, each fingertip adorned with a little white lunula—said to be a sign of good health.

In modern times, Yuying used to care about whether she had those little moons on her own nails. She once had one or two, but now there were none. Now that she was staring at the “dream hands” of her fantasies, how could she not take a good look? If she didn’t, it would be a waste.

Kangxi noticed where her gaze had landed. He idly rotated the Go piece in his fingers, showing off a little. When he saw her eyes grow more and more transfixed, he finally gave a helpless sigh and held out his other hand to her. “What? Staring until you’re in a daze?”

Yuying seized it as if it were a treasure and nodded vigorously.

His hand was so large that she needed both of hers to barely wrap around it. It was covered in faint calluses—likely from all the writing and archery, since Kangxi was famously skilled in both the civil and martial arts.

She explored it happily, feeling here and pinching there, completely unaware that Kangxi’s gaze had grown darker and deeper.

Just then, Liang Jiugong came in.

“Your Majesty, Minister Mingzhu is already waiting in the study.”

“Ahem—then I shall go meet him.” Kangxi withdrew his hand, clenched it into a fist, and pressed it to his lips in a feigned cough before standing up.

Seeing him rise, Yuying hurriedly got up too, wanting to take her leave.

Kangxi saw this and said, “A-Ying, are you trying to run away? Don’t forget our agreement before we started playing. Do you intend to renege on your promise?”

Yuying glared at him and sat back down.

What the heck! If she’d known, she never would have agreed! Losing meant he could do whatever he wanted to her—wasn’t that just too humiliating?

A flicker of regret passed over her face.

Kangxi actually let out a laugh. “All right, A-Ying, just stay here and don’t go anywhere. Wait for me to come back.”

Yuying didn’t reply, and Kangxi didn’t mind. After all, she was already in his Qianqing Palace—she wasn’t going anywhere. He picked up the diagram he’d drawn and turned to leave for the study.

Mingzhu was waiting anxiously in the middle of the room. When he heard footsteps and saw the Emperor approaching, he immediately knelt to pay respects. “This humble servant greets Your Majesty!”

“Rise—look at this.” Kangxi handed him the paper.

Nalan Mingzhu took it respectfully. When he looked down at the strange diagram, he was completely baffled. “Your Majesty, this servant is dull-witted and doesn’t know what this is.”

Kangxi, in a good mood, patiently explained it all. As he described the purpose of this thing, Mingzhu’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.

“I’m entrusting this matter to you. Do you have any objections?” Kangxi asked.

Of course Nalan Mingzhu had no objections. If this succeeded, it would be an enormous achievement. He wasn’t stupid—who would push such credit away? As expected, he really was the Emperor’s closest minister. Those others—Tong Guowei, Songgotu—they could all step aside!

“Your Majesty, this humble servant is willing to share Your Majesty’s burdens and will present the honeycomb coal as soon as possible!”

“Good. Then go and get started right away.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. This servant takes his leave.”

Nalan Mingzhu departed in a hurry, just as quickly as he had come.

But unlike when he arrived—nervous and uneasy—he now left full of pride and elation, practically striding on air. Anyone who saw him could tell he had just received a very favorable assignment.

At the Hesheri estate, Songgotu had been closely watching palace developments ever since hearing the Emperor had summoned Nalan Mingzhu. When he learned Mingzhu had left Qianqing Palace beaming with joy, he could no longer sit still. He rushed to harness a carriage and set out for Qianqing Palace.

How could the Emperor show such favoritism?

Mingzhu could dream on if he thought he would get all the credit to himself!