Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

Despite it being summer, the entire Bingzhou Road was bustling with activity as never before.

"Ta-da..."

“Dangdangdang~~~”

When the clock tower of Taiyuan Imperial University rang at 12 o'clock, a pendulum in front of Li Chengqian and his companions in the Taiyuan Royal Clock Factory also immediately started to chime.

Looking at the ingenious internal mechanical structure, Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction.

“Excellent, excellent. The craftsmen who invented the foot-operated lathe should be richly rewarded. They should be provided with houses, official positions, and money in Taiyuan Prefecture. In addition, the newspapers should give it a prominent report.”

"I want the whole world to know that Bingzhou Dao values ​​talent and does not discriminate based on background!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Rui, who was currently the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Bingzhou Province, equivalent to one of the six ministers of the Bingzhou Province Grand Secretariat, and several engineers from the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Imperial University were present.

They all nodded excitedly.

"This pendulum, from now on, will be a high-end product in Bingzhou, just like perfume and glass, which need to be kept secret and produced in large quantities. It will surely bring more commercial tax revenue to Bingzhou."

"What's the cost of one of these nowadays?"

Before Li Chengqian stood a pendulum clock, over three meters tall, adorned with painted designs and landscape reliefs.

The exterior is made of mahogany, and the internal structure is even more intricate.

Since it's for sale, given the current level of productivity, it's certain that only prominent families and wealthy merchants can afford to buy it.

"Your Highness, under your orders, we have enough treadle lathes to support large-scale production at our watch factory. Raw materials are also plentiful. Based on the current workforce and the efficiency of parts production... we can probably produce about two hundred lathes per month."

"As for the cost, this pendulum costs about three hundred guan. Even if better wood is used and the design is more refined, it wouldn't exceed five hundred guan..."

The Ministry of Industry official in charge of the watch factory spoke cautiously yet excitedly.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian nodded in satisfaction once again.

"That's right. In the future, we could outsource the carving of the wooden frames for the clockwork to some private carpentry workshops. As long as we control the quality, the clockwork factory can free up more manpower to produce these internal parts..."

"Oh, and remember, these watches should also have their own brand, just like our perfumes and ready-to-wear clothing..."

In fact, Li Chengqian didn't need to remind him of any of this.

The ancients weren't fools; they understood the intense competition in Bingzhou Road today, a place rife with commercial activity.

The concepts of business names and brands have almost taken shape.

Recently, newspapers have seen the emergence of commercial advertisements that incorporate specific concepts and promotional strategies.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I guarantee there will be no mistakes..."

On the way out of the Taiyuan Clock Factory, Li Chengqian gave a reminder to the officials from the Ministry of Works who were following him, as well as to Xiao Rui.

"At Imperial University, we need to find a way to design a foot-operated grinding machine, following the same approach as the foot-operated lathe, with the highest possible precision."

"Over in Liulichang, the glassblowing technology is quite advanced now, but the production efficiency for telescopes and concave-convex mirrors, which will be needed in many fields in the future, is still too low..."

At the entrance of the clock factory, Li Chengqian boarded a carriage.

Several factory officials and instructors from the Imperial University hurriedly bowed.

"Your Highness, rest assured, we will do our utmost..."

Li Chengqian nodded and instructed Wang De, "Go to Liulichang."

The carriage, escorted by a cavalry unit led by the Crown Prince Liu and a musketeer unit from the Bingzhou New Army, headed towards Liulichang in Taiyuan Prefecture.

In the carriage.

"Your Highness, the Royal Bank headquarters will be fully completed in at least half a month. Governor Wang inquired whether we should start advertising it in the newspapers. Currently, the wealthy merchants of Taiyuan Prefecture are still not entirely clear about the bank's role..."

Wang Yuyan handed a document to Li Chengqian.

Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Chengqian's profile as he was examining another document, staring intently at him.

Li Chengqian nodded.

He took it casually.

I noticed the other person's gaze, which was almost completely undisguised.

A slight smile played at the corners of her lips.

"What? Miss Wang, are you looking at me like that, trying to devour me?"

Wang Yuyan blushed. There happened to be something going on at the Taiyuan Prefecture military factory that Qian Yingying was in charge of today, which gave her a rare opportunity to be alone with Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

Needless to say, this was all happening inside a carriage.

Upon hearing Li Chengqian's question, which seemed to carry a hint of flirtation, Wang Yuyan pursed her red lips.

"...Now, how many people in the entire secretariat wouldn't want to gain the favor of Your Highness, a person who is destined to become a wise and benevolent ruler for all time?"

"Although I am confident that I am not an ordinary, foolish woman, what way can a young hero like Your Highness refuse?"

As she spoke, Wang Yuyan's cheeks were already flushed.

"hehe......"

Li Chengqian chuckled noncommittally, quickly flipping through the documents in his hand. After confirming that there were no problems, he directly approved the document.

Setting down the documents, Li Chengqian looked at Wang Yuyan, who was clearly tense and whose body was visibly strained.

This was the first time he had seriously looked at the other person.

With her graceful figure, she wore a long, light green dress from the Eastern Palace Secretariat, showcasing the elegant beauty of an Eastern woman.

Coupled with the other person's outstanding temperament.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but smile and nod.

"Miss Wang truly lives up to her reputation as the apple of Governor Wang's eye. As the eldest daughter of the Wang family of Taiyuan, she is indeed a beauty rarely seen in this world..."

Such praise, even in ancient times, would have been considered somewhat teasing; in any other era, it would have been even more offensive.

If Li Chengqian had said it, Wang Yuyan would have been overjoyed and jumped for joy.

however.

When Wang Yuyan met Li Chengqian's bright and clear eyes, her heart skipped a beat.

Appreciation, attentiveness, praise... and beyond that, absolute calmness.

"Miss Wang's beauty is unparalleled in this world; it would not be an exaggeration to say that clouds yearn for her clothes and flowers for her face. But alas... I am a man who does not understand romance, and have failed to appreciate your beauty, Miss Wang."

Wang Yuyan opened her mouth slightly in surprise.

If someone else had said those words to her, she would have undoubtedly thought that the other person was just playing hard to get.

however.

Looking into Li Chengqian's eyes, which were so calm they sent chills down one's spine.

Wang Yuyan's heart, which had been fluttering with excitement at finally being alone with the two of them in the carriage, trembled instantly.

"Hehe... So Your Highness is the kind of person who loves the country more than beautiful women... I've made a fool of myself..."

Such forced composure and self-deprecating humor, coupled with her tearful appearance, might have been enough to crush the hearts of other men to dust.

however.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian sighed softly, picked up a handkerchief from the side, and handed it to the other person.

He then picked up a report document about the Yanmenguan breeding area and the newly established Jiuyuan breeding area and opened it.

"Miss Wang, and these women in the secretariat, I have indeed paid attention to you all. You are all very capable, from prestigious families or official households, and you are all stunningly beautiful women."

"Since last year, I have been following you from Chang'an to Bingzhou, and it has been more than half a year now."

"Whether it's accounting, document organization, or the overall reporting of local miscellaneous matters, you've arranged everything in an orderly manner, including the regular court assemblies held by the officials."

"But there's one thing I've never understood..."

Li Chengqian looked up and stared intently at Wang Yuyan sitting in front of him.

"Your Highness, please speak."

Li Chengqian took a deep breath.

"Logically speaking, all of you only need two or three years of experience to achieve remarkable success, whether in the business world or in literature. As women, it's not impossible to make a name for yourselves in history."

"Why did you choose to fight tooth and nail to be imprisoned in that deep palace?"

"Could it be that the magpies flying outside are not as good as the canaries in the cage in your eyes?"

Wang Yuyan: "......"

Li Chengqian looked serious; he wasn't feigning doubt.

Although the Tang Dynasty still emphasizes etiquette and law, if we were to say which era in Chinese history had the highest status for women, it would undoubtedly be the glorious Tang Dynasty.

In his view, he had brought these daughters of officials, these proud daughters of heaven, to the newly established Bingzhou, a land overflowing with gold.

These people should be instantly captivated by this vast and novel world.

However, by fully igniting the other person's desire to prove themselves, he could then conveniently push for the women's academy out of the way.

But now, the daughters of these high-ranking officials in the secretariat are all just like Wang Yuyan in front of us.

They were still desperately trying to become Li Chengqian's kept woman.

You seem quite happy to do this.

But I have no interest in keeping canaries as pets!

There were only the two of them in the carriage.

Li Chengqian, without any hesitation, shrugged and looked utterly bewildered.

"Miss Wang, have you ever even for a moment thought of fighting for your own family fortune, just like men? Have you ever thought of establishing your own reputation in this world through your own abilities?"

Wang Yuyan never expected that this Crown Prince had such thoughts all along.

For a moment, looking at the other person's serious yet puzzled expression, I didn't know how to answer.

Seeing that the other party was speechless, Li Chengqian could only sigh.

shook his head.

"I will definitely seek a Crown Princess in the future, after all, I am the heir apparent. However, my Crown Princess will certainly not be a canary kept in a cage, nor will she be merely an accessory to be brought along by me only for grand ceremonies and banquets..."

Li Chengqian looked out the window at the blazing sun and the bustling traffic.

A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"My Crown Princess will surely be a virtuous, kind, and reasonable woman like my mother, and also a remarkable woman with the courage and spirit of my Aunt Pingyang!"

"If it weren't for a woman like this, I might have chosen a concubine to ensure the continuation of the nation's lineage. However, the position of Crown Princess would forever remain vacant!"

Wang Yuyan: "......"

She seemed to have overheard something that was destined to cause His Majesty and the Empress a great deal of trouble.

Outside, Wang De, driving the car, was covered in sweat: "..."

Could there really be such a woman in this world?!