Chapter 142

Chapter 142

It wasn't until his forehead was bruised from repeated kowtows that he finally heard Emperor Qianyou's voice, "Enough. I'll overlook it this time. If there's a next, I trust I needn't elaborate on the consequences?"

The Minister of Works wiped the cold sweat from his brow and hastily replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

But before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, Emperor Qianyou continued, "However, since you have erred, punishment is due. You shall forfeit a year's salary. Do you object?"

The Minister of Works quickly responded, "None whatsoever! Your humble servant willingly accepts the penalty!"

Meng Shuping immediately felt a surge of schadenfreude. [Wow, a whole year's salary! That’s like working for free for a year. That’s what he gets for tripping others up—it came back to bite him! What an idiot! Hahahaha!]

The Minister of Works' face contorted with anger. This brat, just because others couldn't hear his thoughts, he thought he could mock people freely, didn't he?

After withdrawing silver from the private treasury once more, Meng Shuping returned to the Ministry of Works' Glass Workshop. As soon as Meng Shuping and his two companions arrived, Craftsman Li and the others rushed over, "Lord Meng, how did it go? What did the Emperor say?"

Being stared at by so many people, Meng Shuping felt his face flush again. He paused, then said dryly, "The Emperor is very pleased with our progress."

He then turned to Pei Mian, "Pei Mian, distribute the bonuses to everyone."

Pei Mian cheerfully replied, "You got it!"

Upon hearing Meng Shuping and Pei Mian's words, everyone immediately cheered, "Lord Meng is brilliant!"

Although Meng Shuping had previously promised rewards, it wasn't until the money was actually in their hands that everyone truly felt at ease. From then on, they resolved to work even harder. After all, if it happened once, it could happen again. A few more times like this, and they could enjoy a much better year.

Motivated by the rewards, Craftsman Li and the others put even more effort into producing the colorless transparent glass. A few days before Emperor Qianyou's birthday, Meng Shuping visited the workshop again.

After sifting through the many pieces of glass that had been fired, Meng Shuping finally selected one that was reasonably clear. Emperor Qianyou's birthday was fast approaching, and he planned to fashion this piece of glass into a magnifying glass as a birthday gift for the Emperor. It wouldn't cost too much and was still a respectable offering.

Having chosen the glass, Meng Shuping turned to leave. However, after only a few steps, he returned, picked out two more pieces of glass, and then departed again.

Just as Jiang Cihe finished his duties and emerged from the Military Hall Department, he spotted Meng Shuping's carriage parked nearby. A smile involuntarily touched his lips, and he quickly stepped into the carriage, "Are you here for me?"

Meeting Jiang Cihe’s smiling eyes, Meng Shuping couldn’t help but avert his gaze, "Can you help me find a reliable, tight-lipped craftsman?"

He could find a craftsman himself, but the item he intended to make was not something he wanted widely known yet, so he had no choice but to ask Jiang Cihe for help.

Jiang Cihe, however, didn't answer Meng Shuping's question. Instead, he tilted his head and met Meng Shuping's eyes, "Why won't you look at me when you speak?"

Meng Shuping lifted his eyelids, his gaze darting away again, "No, I am looking at you."

[What’s his problem? Does it matter whether I look at him or not? Does he like being stared at that much?]

Jiang Cihe grasped his wrist, pulling Meng Shuping forward so abruptly that he almost stumbled into Jiang Cihe’s arms. Meng Shuping quickly reached out, but his palms landed squarely on Jiang Cihe’s thighs. As if burned, he swiftly withdrew his hand and grumbled, "What are you doing?"

Jiang Cihe’s deep-set eyes fixed on Meng Shuping, "Why do I feel like you've been acting strangely lately? Whenever you talk to me, you always avoid looking directly at me."

Meng Shuping’s heartbeat suddenly quickened. After a moment, he steeled himself and met Jiang Cihe’s eyes, "Where haven't I been looking? Aren't I looking at you now?"

[Look, look, have a good look. It’s just eye contact—do you think I’m really afraid?]

But after a moment, he realized his face was growing even warmer. He tried desperately to pull his wrist back but couldn't break free, "Aren't you going to let go?"

A smile played on Jiang Cihe’s lips, "Why is your face red? Are you feeling unwell?"

Hearing this, Meng Shuping’s face grew even hotter. He couldn't help but recall the scene from that night when Jiang Cihe had held him down and kissed him. But as soon as that thought crossed his mind, he suddenly remembered that Jiang Cihe might have kissed the wrong person. His flush faded slightly, and he lowered his eyelashes, "No, it's just hot."

Then, as if venting his frustration, he yanked his arm back forcefully, trying to shake Jiang Cihe off. Unexpectedly, he used too much strength, and Jiang Cihe, caught off guard, lurched backward, pulling Meng Shuping with him.

Jiang Cihe quickly reached out to protect the back of Meng Shuping’s head, but due to inertia, his face almost touched Meng Shuping’s.

Silence descended around them. Meng Shuping and Jiang Cihe remained frozen in that intimate proximity, the air thick with unspoken tension.

It was unclear how much time passed before Meng Shuping snapped out of it. He quickly pushed Jiang Cihe away and then coughed, "Alright, let's talk business."

Jiang Cihe sat back properly and straightened his clothes, "What kind of craftsman are you looking for?"

Meng Shuping turned and retrieved the transparent glass from a nearby container, "Find a craftsman skilled in polishing. Have them polish the clearest part of this glass into a round shape, thick in the middle and thin at the edges."

Then, he took out a drawing, "And make a frame like this."

Jiang Cihe took the glass and examined it, then looked at Meng Shuping, "What are you planning to make with this?"

Meng Shuping’s gaze lingered on Jiang Cihe’s face for a moment before quickly shifting away, "Even if I tell you, you won't understand. It's something that magnifies what you see. I call it a magnifying glass."

Although Jiang Cihe was curious about how the magnifying glass would work and how Meng Shuping knew about it, he didn't press further. A smile tugged at his lips, "Is this what you plan to give me?"

"No," Meng Shuping shook his head, "The Emperor’s birthday is coming up, right? This is for him."

"For Father?" Jiang Cihe’s smile faded. He set the glass aside, "Choose something else to give him."

Meng Shuping was puzzled, "Why? Can't I give him this?"

Jiang Cihe’s expression remained neutral, "I recall you originally said you were preparing a gift for me. Now, before I've received mine, Father gets one first."

Meng Shuping looked at him incredulously, [Why does his tone sound a bit jealous? That can’t be, right? That’s his own father—is he really going to compete over this?]

Jiang Cihe’s face darkened, his expression growing colder. Why couldn't he? It was promised that the gift was for him. Not only was it being given to his father first, but even if it were the same as what his father received, he would feel deeply uncomfortable.

Meng Shuping had no choice but to reluctantly take out another box, "Here, this is for you."

[I didn’t even want to give it to him anymore after what he did. But since he asked, I might as well give it to him.]

Seeing that Meng Shuping hadn’t forgotten him, Jiang Cihe’s lips curved into a smile, but then he grew puzzled. What had he done? He couldn't recall anything that would have made Meng Shuping angry.

He took the box from Meng Shuping and opened it. Inside were two smaller pieces of transparent glass and another drawing. He unfolded the drawing but couldn't make sense of it, "What is this for?"

He had assumed the two items would be similar, but the one Meng Shuping gave him was even stranger than the other. Jiang Cihe’s mood instantly brightened. It seemed his father’s gift was inferior to his.

Meng Shuping explained, "You have someone polish one piece of the transparent glass into a round lens, thick in the middle and thin at the edges. Polish the other into a round lens, thin in the middle and thick at the edges. Make sure both are the same size. If this works, you’ll be able to see distant objects clearly through it."

Jiang Cihe was astonished, "What did you say? See distant objects clearly?"

If that were true, wouldn't it be incredibly useful in warfare?

Meng Shuping nodded, "Yes, that’s why I asked you to find a trustworthy and tight-lipped craftsman. This thing has great potential!"

Jiang Cihe’s expression turned serious, "Alright."

Two days later, the items Meng Shuping had given Jiang Cihe were completed. Once assembled, they became a magnifying glass and a telescope.

Meng Shuping put the telescope to his eye, adjusted the distance, and then handed it to Jiang Cihe. Jiang Cihe took it and, following Meng Shuping’s example, looked into the distance. To his amazement, distant objects appeared right before his eyes.

Although the glass wasn’t perfectly uniform, making some parts look a tiny bit blurry, achieving this level was already quite impressive.

Receiving such a gift made Jiang Cihe extremely happy. Unable to contain his excitement, he hurried to the palace to show it off. Since he didn’t want others to know about it yet, he could only go to Emperor Qianyou.

Emperor Qianyou was reviewing memorials when he glanced at Jiang Cihe, "Seventh, what brings you here?"

Jiang Cihe made a show of displaying the telescope at his waist, "Nothing, just dropping by for a visit."

"Dropping by for a visit?" Emperor Qianyou was baffled. Why would he suddenly say that? Surely it couldn't be that he missed him?

Jiang Cihe nodded and lowered his head to play with the telescope, "It's mainly because I haven’t seen you in a while, Father, Your Majesty, so I came to check on you."

Emperor Qianyou grew even more confused. Hadn’t they just seen each other the day before? Was Seventh’s memory failing at such a young age? Or did he miss his father so much that a day apart felt like three years?

Was the boy coming down with something?

After this back-and-forth happened a few more times, Emperor Qianyou finally noticed the object at Jiang Cihe’s waist. He asked curiously, "Seventh, what is that thing hanging on your waist?"

Jiang Cihe’s expression remained calm, but his tone perked up, "Oh, this? It’s a gift from Meng Shuping."

Emperor Qianyou grew even more curious, "A gift from Beloved Minister Meng? Let me have a look."

Jiang Cihe handed the telescope to Emperor Qianyou but quickly pulled it back, "You can look, Father, but no funny business about keeping it! This was given to me by Meng Shuping."

Emperor Qianyou scoffed to himself. What was this strange object anyway? As the ruler of a nation, was there anything he hadn’t seen? Would he really snatch something from his own son, after all?

He nodded and said, "Don’t worry, I won’t take it!"