The prince's personal bodyguard

As the wine flowed, the banquet slowly came to an end.

At the end of the banquet, the emperor would exchange gifts with the emperors of other countries, envoys, and between the emperor and his subjects. The State of Zhao respected Taoism, and the Taoist bronze mirror became the main gift between the emperor and his subjects during the Qianqiu Festival, and was called the "Qianqiu Mirror."

The ancient bronze mirror is a very precious item. It can not only be used to look at one's face, but also as a ritual object, symbolizing power and status. In ancient China, the craftsmanship of bronze mirrors was very exquisite, and the back of the mirrors were usually engraved with various exquisite patterns and texts.

Among them, there is a bronze mirror called "Shejiweishi". Its original meaning is that the monarch and his subjects remind each other to remember that the people are the foundation and the Shejiweishi is the foundation. The back of this bronze mirror is usually engraved with patterns of mountains, rivers, Shejiweishi and other patterns, as well as words such as "Shejiweishi" and "Peopleweishi". Its meaning is very profound. It reminds the monarch and his subjects to always bear in mind their duties and missions, to put the interests of the country and the people first, and not to damage the interests of the country and the people for personal gain.

However, as time went by, the trend of extravagance grew, and bronze mirrors gradually became luxurious. Some treacherous people, in order to curry favor, made bronze mirrors more and more exquisite, and even inlaid various gems and jade on the back of the mirrors. These luxurious bronze mirrors were no longer a ritual object, but a stepping stone for advancement. This is gossip.

The Emperor of Zhao ascended the Fulin Tower and saw that the celebration was coming to an end. He began to present or reward golden mirrors to the emperors, kings, envoys and officials of the fourth rank and above from various countries who had congratulated and presented him with gifts on the Qianqiu Festival. These mirrors were bronze gilt, bronze inlaid with gold (silver) or bronze mirrors engraved with the words "Qianqiu..."

After the emperor made his gifts, emperors, kings, envoys and ministers from various countries began to reciprocate.

Of course, when gifts were given in return, officials would record them in a book, and the emperor would know exactly who gave what kind of mirror as a return gift.

The Emperor of Zhao was very happy to see the mirrors given back by the emperors and envoys of various countries. These mirrors were not only exquisitely made, but each mirror also represented a friendly friendship.

The mirrors given as gifts by the ministers also promoted the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, and reminded the officials to be fair and honest at all times.

He secretly sighed in his heart that this Qianqiu Festival, both the diplomatic activities and the exchanges between the emperor and his subjects had been a huge success.

"Wow, how come this mirror is so magical? How can it take such clear pictures of people? Quick, bring it to His Majesty to have a look." The palace servant in charge of recording and organizing the items had to count the number and overview of the mirrors one by one. When he saw that there was a special mirror, he immediately took it out and gave it to the emperor.

The emperor took it in his hand and saw that the mirror had a very smooth surface, inlaid in black carved sandalwood, and the whole mirror looked low-key and luxurious. The mirror surface was neither polished copper nor gold, but it looked so clear that he could even count the hairs on his face one by one. He couldn't help but marvel at the craftsmanship of the mirror and was filled with curiosity.

The emperor also wanted to show off, so he passed it to his close ministers to pass around.

"See who sent this?" asked the emperor.

"Your Majesty, this mirror was given by the Marquis of Dongcheng." The palace maid replied.

"Marquis of Xuandong City!" said the emperor.

"The Marquis of Xuandong City is here to see you!"

Bai Xiyin came before the emperor, and the emperor asked him, "This mirror is so magical, where did you get it from?"

"Your Majesty, this mirror was made by me."

"Oh? I didn't expect that besides his extraordinary medical skills, Dongcheng Hou also has such a skill. How did you know how to make this mirror?"

"I saw a record of how to make this kind of mirror in an ancient book, so I thought of giving it a try. Since it is a gift for the emperor, I made it myself, spending 49 days in the making. I sincerely wish the emperor a long life and our country a long and prosperous future."

This flattery was well-placed. The emperor was overjoyed and said, "Great! Reward the Marquis of Dongcheng with ten pieces of Shu brocade and a thousand taels of silver!"

This mirror is actually an ordinary glass mirror, but glass did not exist in that era. Some things seemed extremely precious when they first appeared.

The ministers below were excited. They whispered to each other, "How can you get such a high reward just for making a mirror? What kind of mirror is this?" At this time, a palace servant held a mirror and walked in front of the ministers one by one, so that everyone could see this magical mirror.

The manufacturing process of this mirror is very complicated. It requires mixing soda blocks and quartz sand together, then melting them at high temperature to make glass. Then, the glass is placed in a vacuum to evaporate the aluminum, and the aluminum vapor condenses on the glass surface to form a thin layer of aluminum film. This aluminum-coated mirror can reflect clearer and brighter images.

Bai Xinyin had been interested in making mirrors in her previous life. She searched online for how to make one and actually succeeded.

This time, with the help of Mu Yunxiao, a total of two mirrors were made, one for the princess and the other for the emperor.

The ministers gathered around and looked at the mirror carefully. Looking at the clear figure in the mirror, they were amazed at the exquisite craftsmanship of the mirror and felt the emperor's attention to the mirror. They knew that the mirror was not just an object, but also a symbol, representing the emperor's governance of the country and his care for his subjects.

One minister couldn't help but sigh: "This mirror is so clear and its craftsmanship is so exquisite that one can't help but admire the wisdom of the ancients."

Another minister echoed: "Yes, the appearance of this mirror allows us to see the superb level of ancient craftsmanship. We should learn from the wisdom of the ancients and make greater contributions to our country."

At this time, the emperor came over and looked at the mirror with a hint of emotion in his eyes. The Emperor of Zhao liked this mirror very much. He wanted to put it in his bedroom and look at it for a while every day. He felt that this mirror could not only let him see his appearance, but also let him see his heart to create a prosperous world. He remembered his dream when he was young, which was to make the country more prosperous and let the people live a better life.

The emperor then said in a loud voice: "I hope that you can learn the wisdom of the ancients, continue to innovate, and make greater contributions to our country."

The ministers nodded one after another, indicating that they would follow the emperor's instructions. They knew that this mirror was not just an object, but also a responsibility and a mission.

Bai Xinyin saw that everyone was expressing their opinions and thought that the ancients would be happy to hear that.

The emperor then asked, "Marquis Dongcheng, do you know which ancient book it is from? Can we all make similar mirrors according to that method?"

"I don't remember which book it was, but I remember this recipe, and I can offer it to you."

"That's good! With this mirror, the ruler and his subjects are of one mind, and it also indicates that our Zhao State will usher in a prosperous era with peaceful rivers and clear skies."

"We wish our State of Zhao prosperity for thousands of years!" The ministers shouted "Long live the State of Zhao".

Amid the deafening sounds of blessings, the Emperor of Zhao seemed to see a future where the people would live and work in peace and the country would prosper.

"Oh, the barbarians are so ignorant. Look at this mirror given as a gift. It's so gray and tacky. It's really cheap." A minister looked at the mirrors given as a gift and whispered with disdain on his face. His voice was not loud, but it pierced the ears of the barbarian envoys like a needle.

Many kings and foreign envoys who were nearby also looked over.