Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang glanced at him, then at the still-glowing tungsten filament. She couldn’t help but smile. “Fine, this lamp is yours to play with first. This small generator can also stay here for now. I’ll come get it in a few days.”
Fu Tinghan was speechless.
He looked at her somewhat disapprovingly but ultimately didn’t expose her. He only said to Guo Pu, “This tungsten filament isn’t a gift for you. I’m only teaching you how electricity is produced, conducted, and makes this tungsten glow.” I won’t give you such unstable prototypes…
But before he could finish, Guo Pu was already unhappy. “You’re too stingy. When I taught you divination, didn’t I give you a set of tortoise shells? I personally selected and fired those. You’re teaching me about electricity—why can’t you give me a generator and some tungsten filament?”
Fu Tinghan said anxiously, “I’m not refusing to give you things—it’s that this lamp is still a prototype. I brought this tungsten filament just to demonstrate…”
“I don’t mind it being a prototype. I think this one is quite good,” Guo Pu said. “I’ll shape it into auspicious clouds and wind it around this building in a circle. I’ll use two foot-pedal generators to power it and keep it lit day and night.”
Fu Tinghan fell silent. So extravagant—forget it, let him hit that wall himself. So like Zhao Hanzhang, he said, “Then you can play with this tungsten lamp first.”
Having just acquired this fun new thing, Guo Pu took people to study it continuously. When night fell and people departed, he spread out a large sheet of paper beside the bright tungsten lamp and began drawing palace renovation plans, thinking about where to wrap tungsten filament and what shapes to form for illumination…
Perhaps the power ran out—the tungsten filament suddenly went dark. Guo Pu didn’t mind, first lighting a lamp, then going to crank the generator. After a good while, the filament slowly brightened. He revealed a smile. Just as he was about to laugh, there was a “pop” sound. The tungsten filament broke, its head drooping down, completely extinguished.
Guo Pu was dumbfounded, forgetting his hand motions for a moment. “This this this, I I I…” Guo Pu paced anxiously in circles, trying to reattach the broken section, but then remembered Fu Tinghan saying not to touch it with hands, so he drew back his hand.
Suddenly, today’s words from Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan flooded his mind. Guo Pu couldn’t help stamping his foot. “Damn you, Zhao Hanzhang—making fun of me!”
Tinghan too—why couldn’t he be more forceful and say a few more words?
Guo Pu was so angry he couldn’t sleep all night. The next day he went to the great court assembly full of fighting spirit, determined to settle accounts with Zhao Hanzhang. But this court session was very unsettled.
Overnight, news of Xun Fan’s serious injury had spread throughout court and commoner circles. Even among the common people there were voices.
Xun Zu wept openly at court. “If the Great General wants to kill my elder brother, just issue the order. How can you frame Yu Hong? Everyone knows Yu Hong is my brother’s closest friend. You want to kill them both yet still make them bear the stigma of turning against each other…”
The young emperor was extremely nervous and quickly rebuked him. “Imperial Censor Xun, watch your words. The Great General is not that kind of person.”
The Zhao faction officials also glared furiously at Xun Zu. Ji Yuan’s eyes held fire as he rebuked, “Imperial Censor Xun hears the wind and assumes rain. As an Imperial Censor, making judgments without investigation—do you presume the Great General is magnanimous and won’t bother arguing with you, thus you can slander at will?”
Xun Zu asked, “I’m slandering? Then tell me why Yu Hong would want to kill my brother when they’re the closest of friends!”
Ji Yuan replied, “Right and wrong, once they return to the capital all will be clear. Why is Imperial Censor Xun so anxious?”
Xun Zu was filled with despair and dejection. “I fear I won’t see my brother return.”
The old ministers in the hall showed either anger or fear on their faces, all staring intently at Zhao Hanzhang.
The young emperor was also somewhat afraid. He kept looking at Zhao Hanzhang, wanting to persuade her not to be angry.
He heard Zhao Hanzhang say leisurely, “Grand Tutor Xun’s injuries are severe. I’ve already dispatched an imperial physician to treat him and will ensure his safe return. If Imperial Censor Xun is worried, why not go welcome the Grand Tutor? You can also inquire about the Yu Hong matter.”
Xun Zu smiled bitterly in self-mockery. “If the Great General orders it, this subordinate dares not disobey. But going on this trip, I fear I won’t return.”
“I wasn’t present, so I dare not guarantee Grand Tutor Xun’s safe return. But if Imperial Censor Xun goes from here, I can guarantee you will definitely return alive,” Zhao Hanzhang said quietly. “Imperial Censor Xun, rest assured. I am not Emperor Gaozu. I am Zhao Hanzhang of the Zhao clan. I have always kept my promises. The promises I make at court—my word is my bond!”
Not just the young emperor and Xun Zu—the entire court, even Ji Yuan, couldn’t help but change expression.
This was practically ripping off the Dajin imperial family’s face and trampling it.
Zhao Hanzhang abruptly stood. “Zeng Yue!”
Zeng Yue stepped forward from the side and bowed. “This subordinate is here.”
“You personally escort Imperial Censor Xun to welcome Grand Tutor Xun. You must safely deliver Imperial Censor Xun there and safely bring him back!”
Zeng Yue responded loudly, “Yes!”
Zhao Hanzhang swept her sleeves and departed. No one else dared say another word. The young emperor also stood to see her off.
After she had gone far, he tremulously extended his hand. His close attendant Eunuch Dong carefully took his hand, only then discovering it was trembling. He quickly and unobtrusively supported him while loudly announcing to the assembled ministers, “Court is dismissed—”
Only then did the hundred officials hastily kneel to see off the emperor.
Supporting himself on Eunuch Dong’s hand, the young emperor walked out of the great hall. His face had turned pale. He asked Eunuch Dong anxiously, “Is the Great General angry?”
Eunuch Dong consoled him. “The Great General’s anger isn’t directed at Your Majesty. This servant thinks the Great General is angry that Yu Hong injured the Grand Tutor.”
The young emperor was still uneasy, repeatedly insisting, “I truly didn’t know Third Uncle would say such things. I’ve never doubted the Great General would harm Second Uncle.”
The young emperor nearly shed tears at this point.
In his view, his power before Zhao Hanzhang was truly insignificant. If Zhao Hanzhang wanted to kill him and his two uncles, she had countless opportunities and excuses—no need for such elaborate schemes.
He didn’t know whether Third Uncle genuinely suspected Zhao Hanzhang or was using such speculation to achieve certain goals.
Whether it was the former or the latter, the one most harmed was actually him. The young emperor felt he was now a suckling pig roasted over a fire. And it wasn’t that he wanted to be roasted—he’d been put there by others.
The more he thought, the more grieved he became. He had only enjoyed half a year of good days. This half year, Zhao Hanzhang hadn’t managed him much and had relaxed considerably. Xun Fan had also gone out for disaster relief. His coursework had directly decreased by half. Except for being caught in their arguments about no money here, no money there during court sessions, his days couldn’t have been happier.
Now a thunderbolt from heaven—were the good days over already?
The young emperor felt full of resentment toward Xun Zu. “What exactly does Third Uncle want to do?”
He also worried about Xun Fan. “Second Uncle should be alright, shouldn’t he? I hope he can return safely.”
Though Xun Fan was strict with him and always assigned him much coursework, he was also the most cherishing relative. And if something really happened to him, the young emperor couldn’t control Xun Zu. If Xun Zu grasped all the old minister faction, trouble would be even more likely.
Just thinking about it made the young emperor’s vision darken, his entire life gray and lightless.
Eunuch Dong didn’t know how to console him. He could only help him back to the rear hall. After thinking, he still quietly went to seek audience with Zhao Hanzhang, kneeling to tell her everything about the young emperor’s words and actions, pleading, “His Majesty’s thoughts are simple. He knew nothing of Imperial Censor Xun’s actions and is currently extremely fearful.”
Zhao Hanzhang looked down at him. After a while she said, “Making His Majesty fearful shows the ministers’ failure.”
Eunuch Dong felt a chill and kowtowed repeatedly. “This servant misspoke. I beg the Great General’s mercy. His Majesty, His Majesty understands everything in his heart. This is Imperial Censor Xun’s divisive scheme. But after all, he’s His Majesty’s uncle, and His Majesty is still young and cannot command the old ministers left by the late emperor…”
Seeing his forehead bleeding from kowtowing, Zhao Hanzhang frowned impatiently. “Enough. I understand this matter. Go properly attend to His Majesty.”
After a pause, Zhao Hanzhang added, “This matter has nothing to do with him. You may withdraw.”
Eunuch Dong breathed a sigh of relief, quietly responding “Yes” before backing away.
After his figure disappeared, Zhao Yunxin said with some displeasure, “Great General, should we replace him?”
“No. Let him stay by the emperor’s side.”
Zhao Yunxin asked, “Since he’s pledged loyalty to the Great General, how can he plead for him?”
Zhao Hanzhang actually felt somewhat pleased. She said to Zhao Yunxin, “Isn’t it good that a child of only ten-some years shows benevolence?”
“Someone like Eunuch Dong who has seen the worst of human nature yet still pleads for a young emperor with a grim future—this shows the young emperor is not cruel or tyrannical, that he at least has redeeming qualities toward those around him,” Zhao Hanzhang said. “I’m very glad. This means in the future he won’t anger me over such matters or make me reluctantly protect him.”
If one day the abdicated young emperor engaged in something like torturing people to death, should she kill him or not?
Kill him—betray her own oath. Don’t kill him—betray her conscience and righteousness, and destroy the law.
So wasn’t this actually good?
Zhao Hanzhang never feared someone being a good person. She detested dancing with villains far more.
Like Xun Zu.
This person, borrowing the name of “loyalty and righteousness,” bound everyone together with a single rope. If before she had held two parts respect for him, two years had been enough to let her see through many disguises.
Compared to his brother, Xun Zu fell short by far more than a little bit.
Yet it was precisely such a person she couldn’t kill for now, couldn’t dismiss, could only endure.
Zhao Hanzhang was in a bad mood. The entire court was in a bad mood. They were afraid, yet also obscurely expectant.
Whether Zhao faction ministers or the old minister faction—all were afraid and expectant.
They both feared Xun Zu would be harmed and anticipated his harm; both feared he wouldn’t be harmed and anticipated he wouldn’t be harmed…
Various thoughts mixed together made their hearts extremely complicated.
Xiahou Ren quietly told Tao Wu, “If Xun Zu returns safely, I’m willing to set aside everything and follow the Great General.”
Tao Wu was silent for a moment before saying, “I’m willing too!”
Yes, their requirements were just this simple. Many old ministers quietly thought the same.
It wasn’t that their standards for Zhao Hanzhang were low, but because ritual and music had collapsed and moral standards had been infinitely lowered by Sima Yi. Everyone’s moral requirements for those in power had repeatedly fallen.
This expectation of theirs caused even Guo Pu, who had wanted to confront her about the matter, to temporarily quiet down. Only Fu Tinghan didn’t understand. He planned to go back and ask Zhao Hanzhang.
Guo Pu glanced at him. “Why bother asking him? Ask me instead. If I tell you, you must tell me about this tungsten filament—how it burned for only half a night before breaking. I want it to shine permanently, not half a night. That’s not even as good as lamp oil.”
Fu Tinghan nodded. “You speak.” Originally he was going to tell him anyway, but yesterday Guo Pu hadn’t given him a chance to speak, so he’d had to hold it back.
Guo Pu just wanted to give him an excuse. Actually he himself had the urge to talk—a bellyful of words to say, but no one dared listen.
“The principles of this world—many people understand them. It’s just most people don’t dare say them openly, because even if they said them, people wouldn’t believe. To make people believe requires demonstrating through actions.” Guo Pu said, “Confucians speak of five constant virtues in human conduct: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. This trustworthiness is extremely important.”
“We later generations looking back at pre-Qin people all feel the kings of the Spring and Autumn period were foolish. Whatever enemy state ministers said, they believed. We think them stupid, yet don’t understand the grief and indignation in their hearts. Who could have imagined a state’s minister making a court promise wouldn’t honor it? Later generations carved this into clever stratagems, but to speak plainly, they were just liars.”
“Sima Yi was also a liar,” Guo Pu said. “He was one of the regent ministers, a pillar of the state. When he swore by the Luo River, who among the people of the realm, all the court officials, didn’t trust him?”
“Know that the previous person to swear by the Luo River was Emperor Guangwu. He vowed to treat Zhu Mi well, and the Zhu clan indeed endured with Han until the end. Zhu Mi had killed Emperor Guangwu’s elder brother, yet Emperor Guangwu kept his word,” Guo Pu said, then sneered and shook his head. “Sima Yi swore by the Luo River. All the court officials believed him. For this, they rushed to persuade Cao Shuang. Cao Shuang also believed him, which is why he stepped back.”
“Who could have predicted that the moment Cao Shuang stepped back, Sima Yi would exterminate his three clans?” This was also one reason Guo Pu disliked the Sima imperial clan. “For this, Jiang Ji who vouched for Sima Yi was angered to death. Because the Sima clan later became the imperial family, even though people felt disdain in their hearts, they couldn’t speak it aloud.”
“Breaking faith and abandoning righteousness was glorified as strategy. From then on, the realm’s morals declined. Starting from this dynasty, rulers aren’t rulers, ministers aren’t ministers,” Guo Pu winked at him and said quietly, “Precisely because of this, though she is a woman wielding power, no one openly opposes. Because power is everything. Even if she immediately pulled the young emperor down and sat in that position herself, the world wouldn’t be surprised.”
Guo Pu sighed deeply. “But if things continue this way, the realm’s morals will remain thus—not an image of long-term peace and stability. Today when she brought up this matter at court, she not only slapped the Sima imperial clan’s face twice, but also slapped her own and the ministers’ faces.”
Fu Tinghan wasn’t stupid. He simply didn’t know this history. So he quickly reacted. “She wants to reverse this situation of moral decline.”
Guo Pu shook his head slightly. “This will be difficult—a long and arduous road. Being a wise ruler is hard. Being a wise ruler with virtue—that’s even harder than ascending to heaven.”
Guo Pu cleared everything from his mind and pulled at Fu Tinghan. “Let’s not think about it anymore. Let’s ponder this electricity and tungsten filament instead. How did you make this tungsten filament? It’s so intolerant of electricity—broke after just half a night.”
Fu Tinghan came back to his senses. “I just made that for experimental demonstration. For long-term use, you’d need to put a glass cover over it and fill it with halogen gas. But currently the tungsten filament manufacturing technique is too costly. Tungsten lamps have no practical application environment, so I haven’t researched it deeply.”
He said, “This tungsten filament—it was only because some materials for forging the hand-crank generator reached the right force and temperature that I made it on the side.”
Bluntly put, his and Zhao Hanzhang’s attention was focused on more refined generator materials. The tungsten filament was just done in passing.
The craftsmen of this era were truly remarkable. Many techniques were things he’d never heard of. He himself hadn’t expected they could forge so many precision items.
Some of these materials were just small pieces, yet they were extraordinarily significant. They indicated many machines could now begin development.
Just that mass production was difficult. Like tungsten filament—currently very hard to produce in volume. Especially for stable use, the technique needed further advancement. What Fu Tinghan had produced now was just simplified, shown to Guo Pu for entertainment.
Zhao Hanzhang also hadn’t expected to use electric lights to replace oil lamps now, so she had no expectations and thus no disappointments.