I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 174 Hand-cranked Silk Reeling Machine

Xu Fu smiled and nodded, then gently raised his hand, gesturing for Ying Wuyou to follow him. The two walked side by side, and soon stopped in front of a house. Xu Fu slowly reached out and pushed open the slightly old but charmingly rustic door.

The room was dimly lit, but several maids dressed in plain clothes could still be clearly seen sitting around a strangely shaped machine. Their hands skillfully cranked the handles, producing soft, rhythmic sounds. Xu Fu walked over to the machine and carefully showed it to Ying Wuyou.

At this moment, a Taoist priest put down his work and introduced in a low voice: "This is our latest twisting machine."

Ying Wuyou stared intently, a surge of surprise welling up within her. The machine before her resembled the hand-cranked silk reeling machine she was familiar with, yet it possessed subtle differences. She quickly inquired of the system: "System, how can there be a hand-cranked silk reeling machine in this era?"

The system quickly responded: [Host, according to my data, the prototype of the hand-cranked silk reeling machine only gradually appeared in the late Han Dynasty. Since we are currently in the Qin Dynasty, the commonly used material should still be the silk reeling quilt (kuang).]

Ying Wuyou nodded thoughtfully, muttering to himself, "So that's how it is... So these alchemists were actually able to improve the traditional silk reeling spool, evolving it into such an advanced hand-cranked reeling machine!"

The system chimed in, "[Yes, it seems these alchemists do indeed possess extraordinary creativity.]"

At this moment, Xu Fu took out a ball of freshly made yarn from inside the house and presented it to Ying Wuyou. Ying Wuyou first took the ball of yarn, brought it close to his nose and sniffed it gently, but did not detect any strange smell.

Next, she pinched the end of the thread with her fingers and pulled it slightly, feeling that the yarn was tough and elastic. Ying Wuyou was clearly very satisfied with the result. She smiled and said to Xu Fu and the hardworking maids, "Yes, you have done a very good job! I hope you will keep up the good work."

Ying Wuyou gently and solemnly handed the ball of yarn she held tightly in her palm to a guard standing not far behind her. Only after the guard had steadily received the yarn did she speak again, her voice clear and melodious, like a nightingale's song: "The hand-cranked reeling machine you have made is truly exquisite! Such a clever design and practical function deserve vigorous promotion. If this promotion yields significant results in the future, I, the princess, will certainly petition for rewards and rewards for you all."

As soon as she finished speaking, the once quiet courtyard instantly became bustling with activity. Everyone present was filled with uncontrollable excitement and joy, and they all raised their arms and shouted, "Thank you, Your Highness!" The deafening shouts echoed through the sky, as if they were about to break through the roof of the small courtyard and reach the heavens.

Ying Wuyou nodded slightly, signaling everyone to quiet down. Her gaze swept around the crowd, finally settling on the somewhat uneasy figure in the center, being pushed and shoved forward by those around him. A gentle smile played on her lips as she asked softly, "I wonder which skilled craftsman created this amazing machine?"

Under the expectant gazes of everyone, the chosen sorcerer blushed, scratched his head shyly, and stammered for a while before finally mustering the courage to answer softly, "Your Highness, my name is Wu Lingfeng."

Ying Wuyou nodded with interest and praised, "Hmm, Wu Lingfeng, that's a very good name. Since you conceived and built this hand-cranked reeling machine, it's clear you're very talented. Just keep working hard and confidently. When it's done, I, the princess, will not treat you unfairly and will personally recommend you to my father for credit."

Upon hearing this, Wu Lingfeng was deeply moved and nodded emphatically, replying, "Your subordinate will follow Your Highness's teachings and will do his utmost to live up to Your Highness's expectations."

Ying Wuyou smiled with satisfaction, then turned to the others and said loudly, "Alright, you may all continue with your work, lest you delay important matters. This princess has many matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now. I will return to check on your progress when I have some free time." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving behind only a graceful and elegant figure as she walked further and further away until she finally disappeared from everyone's sight.

Ying Wuyou returned to the courtyard and said, "Go and call Zhao Ran over."

A moment later, Zhao Ran walked over quickly. When she arrived in front of Ying Wuyou, Zhao Ran bowed and said, "Miss, you wanted to see me?"

Ying Wuyou waved his hand gently and said slowly, "I went to the wool washing site today to check the situation, and I found that there were too many impurities on the wool! This has brought great difficulties to the washing work and consumed a lot of manpower and time. So, after careful consideration, I thought that when we buy wool in the future, we can let our own people be responsible for shearing the wool."

Ying Wuyou took a sip of water and continued, "Of course, before we start shearing, we have to carefully comb the wool to make it smooth. This will make the subsequent shearing work much more efficient. If some people don't want us to shear them, or if they have already sheared it themselves, then we have to lower the purchase price accordingly. In addition, the price of wool should be divided into different grades according to its quality and the cleanliness of its surface. The whiter, cleaner, and tidier the wool, the higher the price will naturally be."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ran's face immediately showed panic, and she hurriedly explained, "Miss, I'm so sorry! I really didn't consider these details thoroughly, I..."

Before Zhao Ran could finish speaking, Ying Wuyou interrupted her, saying, "You don't need to blame yourself so much. After all, there are many complicated matters related to wool, and it's understandable that you can't handle everything on your own. If you feel overwhelmed by the work at hand, you can always recruit a group of people to help share the burden. As the person in charge of this business, you need to control the overall situation and not just focus on the acquisition process. Look at those alchemists; they've actually managed to develop a hand-cranked reeling machine on their own. It looks quite impressive! You should pay more attention to and learn from them in this area in the future."

Zhao Ran was overjoyed, his face beaming with undisguised gratitude. He said excitedly, "Thank you so much for your careful guidance, Miss, and even more so for giving me this rare opportunity again! Please rest assured, from now on, I will definitely correct my mistakes and never repeat them." With that, he bowed deeply to express his determination.

Ying Wuyou nodded slightly, a faint smile on her lips, and said softly, "Hmm, very good. Then I'll wait and see how you perform next. If there's nothing else, you may leave."

Zhao Ran quickly replied, "Yes." Then, he slowly turned around and left the courtyard with slightly heavy steps. Although his steps were slow, each step seemed exceptionally firm. When he finally stepped out of the courtyard, he reached out and touched his still pounding heart, as if to forever remember the intensely beating rhythm.

Looking back on this period, Zhao Ran was filled with remorse. He had been so focused on discussing the purchase of wool from the Xiongnu with the merchants that he had completely neglected the proper handling of the wool already acquired. If it weren't for his young mistress's magnanimity in giving him another chance to reform, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Thinking of this, Zhao Ran silently warned himself: [I must remember this painful lesson and never be so careless in the future, or I will surely regret it!]