Zhu Youjian was absolutely furious.
In his own mind, he was definitely not a foolish ruler. No, he was a wise emperor, a diligent one even. But what was the use of being wise if all the officials under him were complete trash? Not a single one could actually solve problems. Useless, every last one of them. Fat parasites living off the state treasury, eating rice and doing nothing.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
Then suddenly, a thought struck him.
If there was anyone in the entire court who should be solving problems for him, it had to be the Grand Secretary. Otherwise, what was the point of having a Grand Secretary at all?
He turned his head sharply.
"Where is He Fengsheng? What has he been doing? Why hasn't he helped me deal with this mess?"
Cao Huachun hurried forward, lowering his voice like a man reporting something delicate.
"Your Majesty… Lord He has been… earning money for you."
"Oh?" Zhu Youjian's anger eased just a tiny bit. "Making money, you say? That counts as doing real work. What exactly has he been up to?"
Cao Huachun scratched his head slightly.
"This servant isn't entirely sure… but I heard he's been working on some kind of new facility. Something like… a 'water factory'? They call it… zilai shui chang."
Zhu Youjian blinked.
"Zilai… shui?"
Those two words hit him like nonsense.
"What is that supposed to be? What does it even do?"
Cao Huachun spread his hands helplessly.
"This servant doesn't understand either. Perhaps Your Majesty would like to go see it personally?"
Zhu Youjian immediately shook his head.
"Zhu Yujian and Zhu Yousong are both in open rebellion. I have no mood to look at some 'water factory.' You go instead. Look carefully. Then come back and report everything in detail."
Cao Huachun bowed.
"This servant will make sure to see everything clearly."
Zhu Youjian waved him off and returned to the palace, his mood still foul.
These days, he barely ate or slept. His mind was stuck on two things only.
First, Gao Jie suppressing Zhu Yousong.
Second, Cao Wenzhao crushing Zheng Zhilong at sea and bringing back Zhu Yujian.
Until those two pieces of news came back, he had no interest in anything else.
---
Meanwhile, Cao Huachun set off toward the so-called "zilai shui factory."
The site was located on Wansui Hill, the imperial garden behind the palace, also known as Coal Hill.
Back in the early days of the dynasty, this hill had been used to store coal in case the capital was besieged and cut off from supplies. Over time, as the empire stabilized, the coal stockpiles were removed, and the place became a royal garden instead.
Cao Huachun huffed and puffed his way up the slope.
By the time he reached the top, he found He Fengsheng and Liang Shixian standing beside a massive water reservoir, chatting casually like two men who had nothing better to do.
Cao Huachun frowned.
"Lord He, Lord Liang… what exactly are you doing here? This is Wansui Hill. You can't just build things here as you please."
Liang Shixian smiled calmly.
"Eunuch Cao, while this is indeed a royal garden, do not forget that in the early years of the dynasty, this place was used for military reserves. That makes it a strategic location. What we are building here also has military value."
Cao Huachun paused.
That… actually made sense.
The Ming court loved talking about "ancestral precedent." If something had been done in the founding era, it became almost untouchable logic.
Even the emperor could get scolded for violating precedent.
A eunuch like him definitely wasn't going to argue.
So he changed the topic.
"This large pool… is it just for storing water?"
Liang Shixian shook his head.
"Not just storing water. It can deliver water directly into people's homes. In the future, no one will need to fetch water from wells or rivers anymore. Turn a valve, and water comes out. That's why it's called 'zilai shui'."
Cao Huachun froze.
"…What?"
Liang Shixian grinned.
"Come, I'll show you."
He led Cao Huachun down the hill, stopping halfway.
There, a strange curved pipe was fixed into place, with a peculiar valve mechanism attached.
Liang Shixian reached out and twisted it.
Instantly—
Water burst out with a rushing sound.
Cao Huachun's eyes widened.
Liang Shixian casually washed his hands under the stream, then, without hesitation, wiped them back and forth on Cao Huachun's robes.
"How is it? Convenient, right?"
Cao Huachun stared at him.
"…It is convenient. But why are you wiping your hands on my clothes?"
Liang Shixian replied with perfect sincerity.
"I don't feel like dirtying my own clothes."
Cao Huachun: "..."
For a moment, he almost lost his temper.
Almost.
But he was famous for being mild-tempered. So he endured it.
Silently.
He reached out, washed his own hands… then turned, intending to wipe them on Liang Shixian in revenge—
But Liang Shixian had already darted several steps away.
Cao Huachun could only turn and wipe his hands on a nearby young eunuch.
The poor kid didn't dare move.
Instantly promoted to human towel.
Cao Huachun coughed, pretending nothing happened.
"Where does this water come from? Why does it keep flowing endlessly when you turn that mechanism?"
Liang Shixian pointed upward.
"See that pipe? It connects directly to the reservoir at the top. Water flows downward. As long as a location is lower than the reservoir, the water can reach it through pipes."
Cao Huachun's eyes lit up.
"I see… I see! This is brilliant!"
Now he understood.
Wansui Hill was the highest point within the capital. If the reservoir was built here, then theoretically, water could be delivered anywhere in the city.
Anywhere.
He slapped his thigh.
"This is incredible! If you connect pipes to the palace, His Majesty and the consorts can have water at any time. Turn the valve, and it flows. Washing hands, bathing… everything becomes effortless."
Liang Shixian nodded.
"Exactly. And not just the palace. We can extend it to the Eight Great Alleys, and then to the homes of officials."
Cao Huachun's eyes suddenly gleamed.
"…And then charge them money."
Liang Shixian smiled.
"Correct. Common people won't pay for this. They'd rather fetch water themselves. But officials? If the palace has it, they must have it too. Otherwise, they'll look uncultured."
He paused, then added calmly:
"So we can charge a premium."
Cao Huachun almost clapped.
"Lord Liang… you are truly a capable minister! A true problem-solver for His Majesty's treasury!"
Liang Shixian waved his hand.
"No, no. This is all Lord He's achievement."
He Fengsheng, who had been standing there mostly as decoration, immediately straightened his posture.
In truth, he hadn't done much.
But if someone insisted on handing him the credit, he wasn't about to refuse.
After all, this was the kind of project that pleased the emperor and impressed the officials.
Perfect political capital.
He Fengsheng stroked his beard and spoke with solemn dignity.
"This official will arrange for a main pipeline immediately. We shall first connect water to the imperial harem… and let His Majesty experience it personally."