Chapter 154

Chapter 154

It took Li Ai quite some time to regain his composure from the identity of "companion." He drew a deep breath and asked weakly, "What happened then?"

Hai Guanxing hurriedly highlighted the key points, "During this banquet, Second Lady got acquainted with a member of the Brown family and swiftly set her sights on George Brown."

George Brown was the grandson of the current head of the Brown family. On the surface, it sounded great – he was the beloved grandson and a third-generation heir to wealth. In reality, Old Brown had married four times in total. George's grandmother was Brown's third wife, which meant that George's branch was younger than those born to the first wife. As a result, they held less seniority in the family business, had less influence, and were not as doted on as the children from the fourth marriage who received more resources.

Therefore, George's branch was considered peripheral within the Brown family. Of course, George still enjoyed a luxurious life. If he were a contented person, he would be blissfully happy with such circumstances. Unfortunately, George was an ambitious young man with dreams. Witnessing how the prime positions within the family's glass factories were out of reach for him, while he was destined to inherit one that was about to be abandoned but could still limp along for a year or two, George's spirit was crushed.

He could rebel, he could fight, but with his lack of favor and mediocrity, all it would lead to was his own humiliation, turning him into a laughing stock for his family. Under the relentless blows of misfortune, George had nearly given up on himself. It was at this very moment that Meng Die appeared.

Among all his siblings, it was Meng Die who uniquely expressed her admiration for him. Most importantly, Meng Die was genuinely wealthy. Her gifts to him were always exquisite and invaluable, given generously without a second thought. Now, the looks his brothers gave him at home were no longer ones of mockery or indifference. Their envious gazes made George feel on cloud nine each time.

In a mere month, George came to regard Meng Die as a kindred spirit. However, he also remained cautious, suspecting that Meng Die's proximity to him might be a ploy to learn the secret of his family's technique for crafting large glass panes.

Meng Die, with the glass phoenix hairpin adorning her head, openly confessed, "Indeed, my association with your Brown family was for the purpose of obtaining the technique to create large sheets of glass."

Meng Die left her words hanging, but George, being astute, grasped the subtlety behind them: she was befriending the Brown family for the sake of the large glass manufacturing technique, not him, George.

Meng Die slightly moved her head, causing the tassels of her glass phoenix hairpin to gently sway: "Our Great Yi Dynasty is vast and has produced many talents. Although we do not yet have the method to manufacture large pieces of glass, I believe that one day we will be able to develop it."

George's gaze fell upon the glass phoenix hairpin, and after a moment of contemplation, he inquired, "Does your Great Yi Dynasty also possess glassworks?"

Meng Die nodded, replying, "Indeed, we do have glass in the Great Yi Dynasty. However, our glassworks are currently unable to produce large pieces of glass and are limited to crafting delicate trinkets and ornaments."

George inquired, "What are the glassworks in your Great Yi Dynasty like?"

Meng Die chuckled. "To be honest with you, I've never been there."

George was astonished. "You've never been there?"

Meng Die replied, "Those matters are handled by professionals in their respective fields."

George asked, "Professionals? I heard that Miss Lu Wei was in charge of your weaving factory, not the servants?"

Meng Die laughed delightfully, her body swaying like a blossoming branch. "How can my little weaving workshop be considered a factory? It's just a small-scale operation. Lu Wei is more than capable of managing it."

George drew a sharp breath. "Your factory doesn't have nearly ten thousand workers?" Could it be that the information he'd obtained was incorrect?

Meng Die: "Indeed, there are over ten thousand female workers, but it's not a large number. Please don't laugh at our modesty."

George swallowed hard, "Your Great Yi Dynasty truly has a multitude of people."

Meng Die: "That's true, mainly because we have ample territory there."

As they conversed about Meng Die, she subtly laid out the bait, portraying the Great Yi Dynasty as a land of both abundance and endless opportunities. According to her, once there, with George's abilities, he could swiftly ascend to become the manager of several major glass factories, overseeing tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of employees, truly rising above the masses.

By then, his siblings could only look at him with envy, and he would become the most accomplished member of their entire family.

The vision Meng Die painted was too alluring, and despite a nagging sense of foreboding deep within, George found himself shamefully captivated.

It was then that Hai Guanxing arrived. Observing the fashionable curtains, the envy of the nobles, and the effortless flow of silver into Meng Die's hands, George lost all semblance of reason.

Dora, George's wife, had been getting along well with Xing Huang lately, mainly due to her exceptional culinary skills. "George, did you know that Xing Huang is also Second Madam's servant?" she said with excitement in her eyes.

George nodded. "I knew that."

Dora's eyes sparkled. "Then you must not have seen the jewelry she possesses. Oh my, the bracelets, earrings, rings, that necklace, and hairpins – I bet her collection rivals, if not surpasses, your sister Dela's."

George was taken aback. Della was Old Brown's eldest granddaughter, and she was dearly cherished. Old Brown had bestowed upon her many exquisite and valuable jewels, which had stirred envy in George and his brothers.

Dora continued to subtly manipulate George: "Lu Wei is also a servant, and she has so many jewels."

George's eyes widened. "You mean all the jewelry Lu Wei is wearing belongs to her?"

Dora nodded affirmatively. "Yes, at first, I thought they were borrowed from Second Aunt for Lu Wei. I only learned from Lina that all those jewels actually belonged to Lu Wei herself."

George clutched his chest, acknowledging the incredible wealth of the Great Yi Dynasty. The couple exchanged a glance and promptly gathered all their belongings. Seizing the opportunity when none of the Brown family members were paying attention, they boarded the ship bound for the Great Yi Dynasty under Hai Guanxing's command. Thus, they became the prime victims lured in by Meng Die's promises of a better life.

Li Ai wore a look of surprise. "You mean George and his wife are on your ship?"

Hai Guanxing nodded. "They are currently under my care in the Hai residence. The specifics of their arrangement will depend on Second Master's decision. However, after traveling with him, I've noticed that George has an intense desire to rise above his station."

Li Ai replied, "Very well, I'll inform you after I've given it some thought."

Hai Guanxing rose to his feet. "Second Master, then I shall take my leave."

Li Ai nodded. "Rest well at home."

As Hai Guanxing departed, Li Ai called out, "Yue He, see to it that this letter is delivered to the Meng residence."

"Very well, Leader."

Having dismissed Yue He, Li Ai carefully unfolded the letter Meng Die had given him. The thick stack of paper was divided into two bundles. Li Ai casually selected one and began to read. After only a few lines, a smile escaped his lips. The pages were filled with anecdotes of Meng Die's amusing encounters while abroad.

It was not all amusement; there were also Meng Die's complaints. The hygiene over there was utterly terrible. On one occasion, she was on her way to a banquet in a carriage and, out of curiosity, lifted the curtain to look outside. To her astonishment, she witnessed someone relieving themselves in public right there on the street.

In that moment, Meng Die was utterly devastated. If not for her steadfast commitment to the advancement of technology, she would have desperately wished to instantaneously return to the Great Yi Dynasty at the speed of light.

Reading the letter from beginning to end, Li Ai suppressed the smile on his face, put down the parchment, and unconsciously clenched his fists. They had now become proficient in assembling and disassembling the telescope and microscope that Nas had brought back last year.

They could even replicate the identical frames and cylinders, but the crucial lenses inside were still beyond the skill of even the most adept artisans in the Ministry of Works.

Pushing aside this vexing matter, Li Ai took out another stack of letters, which detailed Meng Die's next plans. After reading them carefully, he committed them to memory and promptly sought an audience with the emperor.

Li Ai: "Your Majesty, Meng Die mentioned that when we abolished the brothels, some individuals could be sent overseas. Is it time to initiate this plan? I've heard that another large sea vessel has been constructed."

The emperor paused: "What is Meng Die's thinking on this?" He didn't believe this was a suggestion that Li Ai would come up with on his own.

Li Ai: "She mentioned her desire to open taverns in every nation, requiring a substantial workforce."

The emperor pondered for a moment. If Hai Guanxing were to depart in autumn, it would indeed be necessary to issue an imperial decree now to give the common folk time to register and prepare for their journey to the capital: "Taverns do indeed provide better access to information."

Li Ai: "Meng Die shares this view. On one hand, she plans to acquire skills directly from the nobility, and on the other, she wishes to discover hidden talents among the common people. With a renowned tavern, she can maintain connections to news from there even after she returns."

The emperor: "This is an excellent plan."

Li Ai: "Your Majesty, Hai Guanxing also brought back a couple, and the husband possesses the skill to create large glassware."

"Oh?" The emperor's eyes immediately sparkled with interest. "Do tell, what exactly happened?"

Li Ai promptly recounted the entire sequence of events.

The Emperor laughed heartily, "Excellent, excellent! Since the raw materials for overseas glass are the same as those for cloisonne, I shall entrust our royal cloisonne factory to those two Yepingese. Let them produce large sheets of glass. If they need more hands, they can requisition from the Ministry of Works, and if they lack funds, they may obtain them from the Ministry of Finance."

Li Ai: "This subject obeys the imperial edict."

On the other side, George was still lost in a pleasant dream. In his mind's eye, the glassworks of the Great Yi Dynasty had taken on a perfect structure, complete with skilled artisans. All he had to do was sit at the helm and offer a couple of pointers, and they would produce large sheets of glass with ease.

Then, as the glass factory manager, all he needed to do was casually stroll around the premises to supervise the work. Naturally, substantial dividends would flow into his account at the end of each month and year.

Until Li Ai brought him to the porcelain glaze factory, where George gazed at the glass and the mines, utterly bewildered. This was nothing like what he had imagined. Could there have been a misunderstanding?

After another painstaking conversation with Li Ai, he confirmed that this was indeed the glass factory Meng Die had mentioned. George rolled his eyes, almost collapsing in frustration.

Li Ai supported George with one hand while casually stroking the saber at his waist, his smile ambiguous. "Mr. George, rest assured. As long as you can produce large sheets of glass, you will be the sole factory manager. Our sovereign will not only confer an official title upon you but also grant you a substantial sum of money. It will surely elevate your social standing," Li Ai emphasized the words "elevate your social standing" with particular weight.

George shuddered, his face twisted into a mournful expression. He had been deceived!!!