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

Chapter 129 Rewards

Finally, Ying Wuyou, accompanied by his civil and military officials, slowly approached the stone mill. The stone mill stood quietly in place, appearing quite ordinary on the surface.

Ying Wuyou tilted her head slightly, her obsidian-like eyes sparkling with a brilliant and confident light, as if stars were dancing within them. She slowly spoke, "Gentlemen, this object before us is another outstanding achievement of ours—a stone mill! It was meticulously invented by Mr. Lü Chen." With that, she gently beckoned Lü Chen over. Lü Chen then moved with steady steps, step by step, to Ying Wuyou's side, his posture as upright as a pine tree.

Ying Wuyou continued, "This is Mr. Lü Chen. Since he received the blueprints, he has devoted himself to the research of the stone mill day and night."

Upon seeing this, Lü Chen quickly bowed and said humbly, "Your Highness is too kind. This is all I should do. It is my honor to bring such a practical tool to everyone." His eyes revealed a hint of determination and persistence, as if expressing his love and determination for the research of stone mills.

Ying Wuyou smiled and waved his hand, continuing, "The function of a stone mill is almost the same as that of a water mill, both of which can grind grain into fine powder. However, there are also obvious differences between the two. A water mill can only be used properly when there is flowing water, and it will be helpless once the power of the water flow is lost; while this stone mill does not need to rely on water flow at all, and it can turn no matter where it is."

At this moment, Xu Xing, full of doubt, couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, how exactly does this stone mill work?" Ying Wuyou's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile, and she said softly, "It's actually very simple. This stone mill can be pushed by human power." As soon as she finished speaking, Lü Chen stepped forward quickly, gripped the edge of the stone mill tightly with both hands, and pushed hard, and the stone mill began to slowly turn.

Ying Wuyou continued, "Besides using people to push, we can also use the power of animals to make the millstone turn. We can lasso docile animals such as donkeys, horses, and oxen with ropes, and then gently call out to them. They will obediently move their feet and drive the millstone to rotate round and round. In this way, we can not only save manpower, but also be more efficient."

Xu Xing remained suspicious and continued to ask, "The powder produced by water milling and stone milling is indeed very fine, but I still feel that they are not particularly useful, are they?"

Looking at Xu Xing's slightly questioning expression, Ying Wuyou said, "My lord, do you know that most of the food in your lunch today was ground by this stone mill? Don't underestimate this stone mill; it will become an essential item in every household of the people of Qin."

Xu Xing asked in surprise, "We ate food ground by this stone mill for lunch? What kind of grain is that? Why have we never eaten it before?"

Ying Wuyou said, "Lunch is made with wheat flour."

"Wheat? Wheat can become so delicious after being ground into flour?" Meng Tian asked loudly, his face full of surprise and his eyes flashing with doubt.

Ying Wuyou slowly said, "There are many ways to cook wheat. Today I have only selected a few for you to try. The rest of the methods need to be discovered by the people themselves."

Then Ying Wuyou continued, "Now that we have these stone mills and water mills, processing wheat has become much easier. In this way, our Great Qin can cultivate wheat on a large scale."

Li Si stepped forward quickly with a solemn expression and respectfully said to the King of Qin, "Your Majesty, if the taste of wheat flour is indeed as wonderful as what we tasted at noon, then we should indeed vigorously promote the large-scale planting of wheat. After all, grain is the foundation of the country, and only by ensuring a sufficient supply of grain can our Qin become stronger and stronger."

Wang Wan nodded in agreement, saying, "I second that! I still feel full after lunch and have no hunger at all. If it were millet, I would probably be starving by now. This shows that wheat is indeed very effective at relieving hunger."

Chunyu Yue stroked his beard and said after careful consideration, "Indeed, judging from today's meal, wheat is clearly more satiating than millet and other grains. It can keep people feeling full for a long time, making it a rare delicacy."

Xu Xing solemnly advised the king: "Your Majesty, the yield of wheat is much higher than that of millet and other crops. If it were truly ground into flour, with such a delicious taste, large-scale cultivation and promotion would surely benefit the people greatly, freeing them from the suffering of hunger."

Ying Wuyou said firmly, "Wheat does indeed have a higher yield than millet and other grains, and it is not picky about the soil, making it extremely easy to grow. Therefore, it is imperative to promote wheat on a large scale. I implore you, Father, to order the people to plant wheat vigorously, and at the same time, to promote the use of curved plows, water mills, and stone mills."

The King of Qin nodded slightly, his face showing approval, and slowly said, "Good, Wang Wan and Li Si, you should make the arrangements as soon as possible. This year, we must increase the wheat planting yield. As for the promotion of the curved plow and stone mill, you should carefully draft a detailed plan after you return."

Upon hearing this, Wang Wan and Li Si bowed in unison and replied, "Your Majesty, we will certainly obey your command and do our utmost to accomplish this task."

At this moment, Xu Xing, who was standing to the side, was also very excited. He said loudly, "The small millstone that the princess has carefully invented has made a great contribution, no less than the curved plow! It will surely become an important force in the development of agriculture in our Great Qin. Therefore, I beg Your Majesty to reward the princess and others to commend their outstanding achievements."

The King of Qin nodded again, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, and solemnly said, "Lu Chen and Su Yi have made outstanding contributions to the Qin Dynasty by inventing the stone mill and water mill. This is a great achievement. Both of them can be granted the title of Grand Master and rewarded with a thousand taels of silver."

Upon hearing this, Lü Chen and Su Yi quickly stepped forward and thanked the King of Qin with gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. We will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations and continue to contribute to the Great Qin."

The King of Qin nodded slightly, then slowly continued, "Jiayang's achievements are truly worthy of reward. After these agricultural tools are widely adopted, I will consider the matter of bestowing rewards based on the actual situation. Jiayang, do you have any objections?"

Ying Wuyou respectfully replied, "Your subject has no objection."

The King of Qin nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, and said, "Very good, that's good. My dear ministers, do you have any other matters to report?"

The ministers exchanged glances, then bowed in unison and said, "We have nothing else to say; we leave everything to Your Majesty's decision."

The King of Qin slightly raised his hand, signaling everyone to stand up, and then said, "In that case, everyone may disperse and return to their residences to rest."

Everyone readily agreed, and then the King of Qin led a large entourage of civil and military officials towards the palace. Ying Wuyou, without making a sound, nodded slightly to Mo Li, Lü Chen, and Su Yi beside him, and then followed the King of Qin back to the palace.