Gu Yanshu's housewarming banquet proved an extraordinary success—not only securing numerous newspaper contributions but also significantly boosting goodwill.
Following the event, the ministers' attitudes toward the Prince of Li's household underwent a marked transformation.
Their tones grew noticeably warmer, with particular praise reserved for the Princess Consort whenever mentioned.
Such shifts among senior officials couldn't escape wider court notice.
Most strikingly, Hanlin Academician Wen and Chief Grand Secretary Pei—who had previously ignored Qin Lu—now actively engaged him in conversation.
While Pei maintained surface-level composure, Wen seemed to have abandoned all restraint—
His expression might as well have screamed "I support the Prince of Li!"
Officials close to these ministers yet absent from the banquet naturally sought explanations.
To their frustration, the elders responded with maddening vagueness—
Dropping cryptic hints before assuming smug, inscrutable expressions that invited speculation while revealing nothing.
The calculated ambiguity tormented curious colleagues, amplifying both intrigue and helplessness.
This behavior resulted from private coordination among the veterans.
Why waste energy on lackluster boasting when neither their reading glasses nor glass windows had arrived?
Far better to wait until equipped with both accessories before properly flaunting them.
Yet suppressing their excitement proved impossible—hence the deliberately elusive remarks that left younger officials bewildered.
These conspicuous changes didn't escape Crown Prince Qin Sheng's notice.
His subsequent rage reportedly decimated multiple porcelain sets in the Crown Prince's residence.
Meanwhile, palace walls proved equally porous—
While the elders taunted uninformed colleagues with their secrecy, they dared not withhold details from the emperor.
Soon, His Majesty received full accounts of the banquet's innovations.
That very afternoon, an imperial summons dragged Qin Lu from what should have been a pleasant interlude with his consort to the imperial study.
Without preamble, the emperor hurled a memorial at him, demanding thunderously:
"Prince of Li! Do you confess your crimes?"
"May Your Imperial Majesty clarify this subject's offense?"
Qin Lu's confusion was genuine—
The military remained stable, the Ministry of War tranquil, household affairs impeccably managed by his consort...
As he mentally cataloged possible provocations, the emperor snapped:
"Clarify? You feign ignorance of your own deeds?"
A yellow-bound memorial struck Qin Lu's chest.
Catching it reflexively, he glanced at his father's stormy expression before examining the document—
A report by Minister of Rites Sun detailing the banquet's events, notably favorable toward the Prince's household.
Finding no apparent cause for wrath, Qin Lu's bewilderment deepened.
Then came the damning questions, laced with unmistakable pique:
"What are these 'movable type' and 'underfloor heating' the memorial describes? That 'glass conservatory'? Those 'glass windows'? Why has your father never seen them?"
Even Qin Lu's social obtuseness couldn't miss the jealousy now.
Indeed, the emperor was fuming.
His earlier delight at receiving the Prince's gifts—magnifiers, reading glasses, telescopes—had curdled into resentment.
How proudly he'd flaunted them before his ministers!
Yet mere days after that housewarming banquet, everything changed.
Initially pleased by officials praising his son, the emperor gradually noticed discrepancies—
He could participate in discussions about magnifiers and the newspaper, even basking in compliments about his wisdom for approving the latter.
But mentions of movable type gave him pause.
By underfloor heating, he was completely lost.
The glass conservatory sealed his exclusion—
Left stranded in conversations where everyone assumed his prior knowledge.
Having previously boasted so extensively, the emperor couldn't possibly admit ignorance now.
Instead, he maintained an air of jaded sophistication—
Obviously my son's trivial inventions hardly warrant this fuss—
While internally seething over his sudden irrelevance.
The irony was exquisite:
The very officials he'd once taunted with exclusive access to Qin Lu's innovations now pitied him for being out of the loop.
And the worst part?
He had only himself to blame.
Indeed, no sooner had the elder ministers departed than the emperor summoned Qin Lu for interrogation—his accusatory tone laced with unspoken demands.
Had this occurred before his marriage, Qin Lu might have genuinely misunderstood the imperial ire.
But prolonged exposure to Gu Yanshu's nuanced communication had honed his interpretive skills.
The summons' timing—immediately after the emperor's meeting with banquet attendees—was too deliberate to ignore.
Before Qin Lu's departure, Gu Yanshu had discreetly bribed the summoning eunuch for details.
Learning the emperor had just concluded discussions with those ministers, his consort accurately predicted the confrontation's cause—
A prediction now confirmed by both the memorial's contents and His Majesty's peevish questioning.
Steadying himself, Qin Lu performed a measured bow:
"Imperial Father, these innovations—movable type, underfloor heating, glass windows and conservatories—were all developed by the Princess Consort for eventual presentation. Their unfinished state made them unworthy of Your Majesty's attention."
"Oh?" The emperor's tone softened marginally, though residual pique lingered. "Then why were Chief Grand Secretary Pei and others granted access?"
Qin Lu remained unflustered:
"Your Majesty's wisdom illuminates the truth—Minister Pei's glass panels remain in production at Taoran Kiln, undelivered."
This wasn't dissembling.
The kiln had prioritized glassware for Taoran Residence's reopening; ministerial orders only commenced yesterday.
As for heating systems, among the thirty craftsmen who renovated the Prince's residence, not all had mastered the technique—
Gu Yanshu was currently conducting crash courses.
Recalling the ministers' mentions of delayed deliveries, the emperor's expression eased further.
Qin Lu pressed the advantage:
"The Princess Consort hesitated proposing palace renovations given the kiln's limited output. We awaited sufficient production capacity before seeking Your Majesty's directives."
Such consideration mollified the emperor completely:
*Ahem. Reasonable. Though full palace renovations are unnecessary—the imperial study alone would suffice."
"Your Majesty's insight humbles us. Shall we summon Ministry of Works officials for measurements?"
Qin Lu's seamless acceptance of "oversight" and immediate action plan dissolved remaining tensions.
The emperor's satisfaction crystallized—
With palace renovations prioritized, he'd receive glass windows before those insufferable ministers!
He'd summon them daily just to witness his superior amenities!
Yet having secured windows, greed surfaced anew—
"What of the conservatory? And movable type?"
Qin Lu, now adept at this dance, provided equally gratifying explanations:
The conservatory's specialized glass required separate production, but Taoran Kiln would expedite imperial orders.
Movable type's delayed announcement stemmed from meticulous character carving—
They'd wished to present a fully functional system, now capable of printing Confucian classics.
This revelation nearly propelled the emperor toward the Prince's residence for inspection—
Only Chief Eunuch Wang's frantic dissuasion prevented an imperial field trip.
Instead, the emperor confiscated the movable type model with imperial prerogative:
"The realm is Ours—why shouldn't We claim this toy? If ministers may examine it, shouldn't the Son of Heaven?"
His final edict—delivered while physically ushering Qin Lu out—was succinct:
"Begone."
From the moment Qin Lu entered the imperial study until his abrupt dismissal, he remained thoroughly perplexed.
The emperor's behavior—particularly his covetous confiscation of the movable type model—left Qin Lu with an absurd suspicion:
Had His Majesty summoned him solely to claim that prototype?
Shaking off this improbable notion, Qin Lu departed the palace grounds—
But not before detouring to the Imperial Hospital.
The Prince's residence was running low on medicinal jade again.
By now, Physician Zhou had grown remarkably efficient at handling these visits.
Ignoring colleagues' probing or pitying stares, he proceeded directly to the side chamber.
Even Qin Lu recognized the impropriety of frequent personal visits for such supplies.
He issued new instructions:
"Henceforth, deliver medicinal jade to the Prince's residence every fortnight. While there, conduct routine examinations of the Princess Consort."
Physician Zhou accepted immediately—
Qin Lu's recent generosity (five taels last visit!) far exceeded his official salary.
With the jade secured in an embroidered case, Qin Lu hastened homeward.
When the imperial summons arrived, Gu Yanshu's worried expression had etched itself into his memory—
Reassurance couldn't wait.
Meanwhile, Gu Yanshu had already deduced the emperor's motives when palace eunuchs collected the printing model.
Qin Lu's confirmation upon returning—that His Majesty felt slighted by not receiving innovations first—
Brought both relief and amusement.
The lesson was clear: Future inventions must debut at the palace before anywhere else.
The abrupt summons' publicity made concealment impossible.
Naturally, Crown Prince Qin Sheng's extensive spy network delivered immediate reports.
Initially ecstatic at Qin Lu's summons—
Emergency audiences meant trouble; absent recent crises, this surely signaled imperial displeasure—
The Crown Prince nearly celebrated prematurely.
Until updates arrived:
Not only had Qin Lu emerged unscathed, but the emperor's mood had notably improved afterward.
Another porcelain set met its demise in the Crown Prince's residence.
This impotent fury perfectly embodied his own earlier assessment of Gu Yanshu—
"Incompetent rage."
For all his venom toward the Prince of Li's household, the Crown Prince remained powerless beyond smashing household items.