She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 546 - 544 The Legend

Chapter 546: Chapter 544 The Legend

To express his dissatisfaction, Jinrong did not bother to manage the trial use of the hand-pulled gourd. He did not even attend the demonstration or make a supporting appearance.

Without His Highness Prince Yu’s active participation, others naturally lacked enthusiasm and did not take it seriously. Only Yan Zhixing, an advisor from Prince Yu’s Mansion, accompanied by two artisans reeking of earth, lifted three different weights of iron ingots at the site prepared by the Ministry of Works.

Although the preparation for demonstrating the hand-pulled gourd’s function was low-key, the actual demonstration caused a sensation.

His Highness Prince Yu appeared indifferent, and His Majesty the Emperor also thought it was a trivial matter. He merely sent a eunuch who attended him personally to have a look, as a courtesy to Prince Yu.

The trial was conducted in the Courtyard outside the office halls of the Six Ministries. The location was extremely convenient for onlookers, and though not a single high-ranking official attended, it was easy for the minor ranking clerks and secretaries to take a glance.

The dullness of the office was enlivened by the crowd; therefore, more people happened to pass through the Courtyard on that particular day.

As Du Dazhong, leading a young attendant, succeeded in the first hoist under the indifferent gaze of the few onlookers and hung a thousand-catty iron ingot steadily on a temporarily erected gantry frame, those who were mere placeholders at the scene, as well as the clerks who chanced to pass by, all fell silent for a moment.

Then, someone let out the first exclamation, and the scene became somewhat chaotic. The placeholders couldn’t care less about the dirt coming off the artisans; they crowded forward to take a closer look and ask questions, while Yan Zhixing and his attendant hurriedly advised them to step back. The clerks who watched the iron lump rise were also astonished, gathering in groups to discuss animatedly.

The officials working in the rooms around the Courtyard only heard the rowdy commotion outside.

An official about to step out and chide the lower-ranking officials for the noise hadn’t even spoken when someone approached, gesticulating as they explained what had just happened. These officials then saw the iron lump suspended in mid-air, clicked their tongues in amazement, and went back to report to their superiors.

Afterward, the ministers and officials from various departments, with attitudes of disbelief, put aside their work to have a look at the odd contraption. They wanted to see if it truly could lift heavy weights, or if it was just a spectacle to entertain the crowd.

It was said that in teahouses and on theater stages, there were plenty of strongmen and heroes who could lift a thousand-catty boulder, but no one had truly encountered such extraordinary people. After all, it was nothing more than a wondrous tale, a lovely fantasy. If such an event were really to happen just outside their rooms, it would indeed be a groundbreaking event, worthy of being talked about for some time.

Especially Wang Xian, who found it hard to believe. This item was produced by a workshop in which His Highness Prince Yu held a share. Even His Highness himself showed no interest in the matter, suggesting there was nothing extraordinary about it. Otherwise, wouldn’t His Highness have come to magnify its importance?

Then, amid the densely packed crowd in the expanded Courtyard, Wang Xian saw several artisans from the Ministry of Works strain to push an iron ingot over with a small cart.

Wang Xian frowned and called the artisans to halt. Looking at the iron ingot, he asked in a grave tone, "Didn’t you say a thousand-catty iron ingot has already been lifted? What is this for now?"

The leading artisan bowed quickly and replied, "We are just following orders to do this, sir. They said to use three different weights of iron ingots. The one before was a thousand catties, this one is one thousand five hundred catties, and later we have to join two thousand-catty ingots together for use."

Wang Xian intended to reprimand them but was uncertain about the situation with the hand-pulled gourd. Perhaps it really could lift the weight?

Impatiently, he waved them off to continue their work. Then he stood thinking for a while and, deciding not to squeeze into the crowd, he merely stood on the steps under the veranda, looking over the heads of the people toward the center of the expanded Courtyard.

In the center of the Courtyard stood Yan Zhixing’s attendant and the two earthy artisans from Prince Yu’s Mansion. In front of them was a solid and tall frame, nine feet high, with a small object hanging on it, presumably the hand-pulled gourd. Just by the name, it sounded like nothing sophisticated.

The Minister of Revenue Yu Shiqing saw Wang Xian and sauntered over. After saluting Wang Xian, he pointed towards the crowd and said with a smile, "It seems to be a magical item indeed. The youngsters claim that the thing really lifted a thousand-catty weight just now."

Wang Xian returned the gesture with a smile, "I’ve just heard about it. So here I am, coming to see it as well."

Yu Shiqing inquired, "His Majesty assigned the trial to the Ministry of Works. May I ask how the sir has arranged it? What is this... Are they going to lift it again?"

Wang Xian hesitated momentarily. How would he know these tedious details? Such small matters were to be handled by his subordinates. If he had to personally attend to every trifling issue, what would he need his staff for?

"Of course, we must test it several times to see if the device is stable," Wang Xian diverted the topic with a smile, careful not to admit that it was a trifling matter not worthy of his personal arrangement.

In truth, it was no small matter. The small yet significant number of officials from various departments who witnessed the iron lump being lifted again saw two earthy, unsophisticated artisans—one pulling the chain unhurriedly, the other watching on—lift, stabilize, and then lower iron ingots weighing one thousand five hundred and two thousand catties in succession, effortlessly and indeed with just one person doing the lifting.

It goes without saying how astonished and excited the crowd was, and how Yan Zhixing and the onlookers exchanged pleasantries and responded is not of consequence here. What mattered was that several leading figures from the departments were taken aback, nearly dropping their jaws in disbelief. There really were such marvels in the world, such ingenious devices!

The Emperor arrived a bit later and was promptly informed of the hand-pulled gourd’s trial outcomes by the eunuch who had hurried back.

After listening to the eunuch’s vivid account, His Majesty the Emperor pondered for a moment and immediately summoned Han Yanhui, Jinrong, Prince Fu, and Wang Xian. He first inquired of Wang Xian about the usability of the screw thread structure.

Wang Xian glanced at Prince Fu before answering, "This official had craftsmen try it out. The screw thread is indeed useful as a fastener, and it’s convenient for disassembly, making maintenance easier. However, to determine its suitability for widespread use and to guarantee its durability, we would need to apply it in actual construction work before we can make a conclusive judgment."