New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

Tang Qian's answer was firm and his expression was full of sincerity. The stonemason pondered for a moment, then turned around, went home, took out his quarrying tools, and left the city. The crowd of onlookers either found him ridiculous or continued to watch with a glimmer of hope, but no one followed the stonemason into the mountains.

Seeing the growing crowd outside the mansion gate, who only inquired with those who had arrived earlier and dared not step forward to ask what was going on, Tang Qian knew that the success or failure of today's operation depended on whether the stonemason could carry the quartz stone back.

Since no one was interested, there was no need for him to continue sitting in front of the door in the wind. The grain behind him was guarded by the guards, so there was no need to worry. Tang Qian stood up and walked into the princess's mansion, sat down in the side hall, and drank some hot tea to warm himself up.

"Young master, are you truly confident in making that glass?"

After a detailed conversation with Tang Qian yesterday, Wan Yanxi decided to trust him this once, because what Tang Qian said made sense.

"Youzhou is surrounded by mountains, and the land is barren and the climate is cold, so it is not a major grain-producing area. Even if you sow in the spring, you may not be able to harvest much grain in the autumn. However, this place also has a unique advantage, namely a kind of transparent stone in the Yanshan Mountains. If it can be used properly, I am willing to guarantee with my life that this thing will definitely create considerable value for the princess and be enough to improve the lives of the people of Youzhou."

After calming down, Wanyan Xi also became somewhat skeptical.

In Tang Qian's description, glass is thin and transparent. When installed on window frames, it can protect against the cold wind without blocking sunlight, making the room warm and bright. If it could be made, it would surely be sought after by the wealthy and powerful.

Once transported back to Liaoyang City, it will surely fetch an unimaginably high price.

With money, they could buy grain to help the poor people of Youzhou. As long as the princess's mansion provided a way to exchange stones for grain, they could help the people get through the possible famine after the spring and survive until the autumn harvest.

Tang Qian spoke with absolute certainty, but when the time came, Wanyan Xi finally began to have some doubts.

Faced with the princess's questioning, Tang Qian wanted to tell her that the hairpin she treasured in her boudoir was made of the same material, but even if Tang Qian had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to reveal the truth.

"Princess, rest assured, I will never go back on my word since I have made such a bold promise."

However, words are not enough. To completely dispel Wan Yanxi's doubts, all that is needed is for the stonemason who went out of the city to quarry to safely bring the materials back. Then everyone can wait for good news.

Over the next few hours, Wanyan Xi seemed restless, looking anxious and uncertain. If the glass couldn't be made, punishing Tang Qian would be a minor matter; losing the trust of the people would be a major one. The notice posted by the princess's residence would be like a piece of paper, and it would be even more difficult to issue and implement other decrees.

In contrast, Tang Qian seemed completely unconcerned, as if he were in deep meditation.

He was certainly aware of his own limitations. With the knowledge he already possessed, Tang Qian knew he couldn't make a large piece of glass, but he was confident he could make one if it was only two inches square.

The manufacturing process is also very simple. The raw materials are melted by high-temperature calcination, then laid flat in a pre-prepared mold and cooled. With a small piece of glass, the window frame can be made according to the size, and a window that can block wind and rain can also be made.

"Your Highness, the man who went into the mountains to quarry stones has returned."

A report from outside the hall made Tang Qian, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly open them. After waiting for so long, there was finally news.

Since Wanyan Xi was unable to go out, Tang Qian still handled the matter. He stood up, opened the door, and hurried to the gate of the princess's residence. Sure enough, he saw the stonemason taking out the transparent stone he had painstakingly carried back and placing it on the table.

These stones varied in size and even color, but they were undoubtedly the same as the one Tang Qian had taken out. Amid the expectant gazes of the onlookers, Tang Qian immediately ordered the soldiers to come forward and weigh them, and they actually took out the corresponding amount of grain from a bag and handed it to the stonemason.

Witnessing this scene, everyone present stood frozen in place like statues.

"The princess's mansion is a place where a word is law; they can really exchange stones for grain."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go into the mountains to quarry stones. We don't know how many stones we'll need, and if we go too late, we won't have any food to exchange for them."

The stonemason's personal account stirred up a great deal of excitement among the people present. In order to prevent the grain from being exchanged for something else, many people prepared to go out of the city to carry stones.

"Please calm down, everyone. It's getting late, and it would be too dangerous to go into the mountains now. Besides, without this brother who knows the way well to lead the way, I'm afraid you might all get lost in the mountains and lose your lives. That's not what the Princess's Mansion intended."

Seeing the crowd stirring, Tang Qian immediately shouted to stop them, "As for the issue of exchanging grain, you can rest assured. The Princess's residence welcomes all two kinds of minerals and you can exchange them at any time. There is no need for you to rush."

Tang Qian's statement brought a sigh of relief to everyone. He was absolutely right. It was already sunset, and going into the mountains at this time would be tantamount to suicide. As long as the princess's mansion continued to collect stones, they could go in at sunrise and return at sunset. Presumably, the day's harvest would be enough to feed their families.

The smarter ones surrounded the stonemason, since he was the only one who knew where to find the stones the princess needed. To save time, they naturally sought his help.

The stonemason did not refuse the request of the crowd. He would definitely go into the mountains early the next morning, and these people would definitely follow closely behind. He could not avoid them at all. He would have to lead the way for them. These transparent stones were everywhere in the mountains. He could not carry them all by himself. It would be safer to travel with others.

While some people went to collect transparent stones, others went to mine poisonous salt. The people in the princess's residence also said that the salt could be exchanged for food.

With a clear goal in mind, the group quickly dispersed, needing to rest and prepare for their big adventure in the mountains the next day.

Tang Qian ordered the soldiers to move the materials carried back by the stonemasons back to the backyard of the princess's residence, where a blast furnace and molds had been prepared in advance.

Quartz sand and sodium carbonate were ground into powder, then mixed together in a certain proportion, and then calcined at high temperature. To Wanyan Xi’s surprise, after a short while, the original pile of powder actually began to slowly melt into a gel.

Seeing that the time was almost right, Tang Qian used tongs to pick up the lump of gelatinous substance, placed it in the mold, and flattened it. As time went by, the gelatinous substance in the mold began to cool and solidify, and the first small piece of glass, about six centimeters in size, was successfully produced.

Following the pre-reserved gap, Tang Qian removed the glass from the mold and presented it to Wan Yanxi.

Upon seeing the finished product, Wan Yanxi's previously anxious heart finally settled down. Just as Tang Qian had said, the glass he made was crystal clear, and her gaze could meet Tang Qian's through it.

"There is just one thing that I don't understand."

Staring intently at the world's first piece of glass, Wanyan Xi's face was once again filled with confusion. "This is clearly the first time I've seen this, so why does it feel so familiar?"

Upon hearing Wan Yanxi's question, Tang Qian's heart suddenly tightened.

The glass in his hand had a faint green tint due to impurities. If the other party were to take out the hairpin he had given him and compare the two, it would be easy to see that they were too similar, almost indistinguishable except for the color and shape.

To prevent Wanyan Xi from noticing anything amiss, Tang Qian immediately placed the glass in his hand on the laid-out soft cloth and turned to look at the soldiers standing to the side: "Did you all understand the production process just now?"

After receiving affirmative answers from several people, Tang Qian asked them to prepare their own materials and try it out themselves.

"Princess, you still need to arrange a few grinders and porters. Once the people bring in a large quantity of raw materials tomorrow, we can finally put our skills to good use."

“That’s right. We must not only transport the glass to Liaoyang City, but also sell it in any extremely cold place in the north. Only in this way can we exchange it for more grain to relieve the urgent needs of Youzhou.”