The weather had not yet warmed up, and Xiao Chuchu could not help but yearn for theforts of modern living.


    Especially when she saw themoners inquiring about loans, many of whom wore old cotton jackets, some even patched, she could not help but feel cold on their behalf.


    [s, Jing Country is still poor. Although the national strength has improved considerably recently, with the country''s ranking rising three ces.]


    [But the per capita wealth is still not abundant enough, and fewmoners have attained a moderately prosperous life.]


    Seeing it with her own eyes, Xiao Chuchu felt even more distressed.


    While she herself wore a down jacket, down jackets had not yet be widespread among every household.


    Xiao Chuchu increasingly felt that in modern society, where most people could dress warmly, eat their fill, and enjoy theforts of electric heating and air conditioning, how fortunate and hard-won that was.


    [If only Jing Country were wealthier, and everyone could have hot water bottles, vacuum sks, hand warmers, and central heating, how wonderful that would be.]


    Xiao Chuchu sighed wistfully, her thoughts drifting far away.


    [Hmm, electric central heating is probably quite difficult, as the current technological tree hasn''t even reached electricity yet.]


    [But I wonder if we could try making hot water bottles and vacuum sks.]


    Liu Wenchang, who was about to speak to Liu Chaniang inside the carriage, froze momentarily.


    Liu Chaniang also coughed lightly with a strange expression, stopping herself from speaking.


    [Woof woof, Grandpa is here! It''s been so long since I''ve seen Grandpa!]


    Xiao Chuchu cooed and babbled, reaching out her short little arms from the wet nurse''s embrace, eager to be carried by the old man.


    [How is Grandma doing? And my Uncle, how is he? Has he found an Aunt yet... My Uncle is also quite old, yet still single, heh heh.]


    The more Liu Wenchang listened, the moreplex his expression became.


    The little Princess was even concerned about marriage arrangements?


    A transcendent being reborn, truly extraordinary.


    It was all her Uncle''s fault, the good-for-nothing, still unmarried to this day, causing the little Princess to worry.


    Liu Wenchang decided that as soon as he returned home, he would immediately have a matchmaker visit, as his eldest son Liu Runnian had now obtained an official position in the Ministry of Works after failing the imperial examinations.


    "Father,e up and talk. It''s windy outside,e up and warm yourself."


    Liu Chaniang spoke, having the carriage curtain opened.


    Liu Wenchang shook his head, "It''s nothing important, I won''te up. Your mother is still waiting for me at home for dinner."


    Saying this, he rubbed his hands, exhaling a puff of white mist on the street, "Moving around will keep me from getting cold."


    [Awoo, look how cold my Grandpa is! I wonder if current technology could make vacuum sks and hot water bottles.]


    [If I could exchange for them, I would quickly get a set for Grandpa!]


    Xiao Chuchu was suddenly brought back to her earlier beautiful imaginings of how technology could improve life by the word ''cold''.


    [If I remember correctly, old-fashioned hot water bottles had an inner and outeryer of bottles.]


    "!" Liu Wenchang and Liu Chaniang immediately pricked up their ears, no longer exchanging pleasantries.


    [The inner bottle chamber was coated with mercury.]


    [I remember when I was little, I broke a hot water bottle and saw what it looked like inside...]


    [If I''m not mistaken, this kind of bottle chamber could somewhat prevent heat radiation from escaping.]


    [The space between the inner and outeryers prevented heat convection.]


    A series of strange and unfamiliar terms made Liu Wenchang and Liu Chaniang''s eyes widen in bewilderment.


    But Liu Wenchang quickly bit his tongue, forcing himself to remember these iprehensible words!


    These must surely be celestial words from the immortal realm!


    It was normal for him not to understand them.


    By forciblymitting them to memory, perhaps he could decipher themter.


    Liu Wenchang gritted his teeth and tried to memorize them.


    [Ummm, but that''s about the extent of my shallow theoretical knowledge.]


    Xiao Chuchu pondered deeply, finally furrowing her brows.


    [What can I do, since I''m just an arts student? My scientific knowledge is limited to high school physics and chemistry, I can''t practically invent anything.]


    What did she mean by ''invent anything''?


    Liu Wenchang found it perplexing.


    What was an ''arts student''?


    And ''scientific knowledge''?


    In Jing Country''s imperial examinations, there were civil and military categories.


    Could it be that in the immortal realm, the categorization was arts and sciences?


    His transcendent granddaughter, in the immortal realm, was she in charge of the arts?


    Liu Wenchang strained to keep up with his granddaughter''s rapidly scattering thoughts, believing them to be precious, if Xiao Chuchu knew, she would probablyugh out loud at midnight.


    After Xiao Chuchu irresponsibly indulged in her imaginings, she ended with a sigh, [I don''t know if the researchers and talents in our Jing Country, my Uncle, would be able to create vacuum sks.]


    [Tsk, this lousy system, I can''t count on it, whatever you ask for, it doesn''t have. My Uncle is much more reliable than the system.]


    Liu Wenchang: "...!"


    "Ahem," he quickly nced at his daughter Liu Chaniang, "I heard you''re now acting as the Regent of the Rear Pce?"


    "Then hurry back to the pce. I''ll return home too, I need to keep an eye on that good-for-nothing eldest son of mine."


    Liu Chaniang''s expression changed, but she quickly understood, nodding, "Father, the next time you and my brother visit the pce, I''ll bring the little Princess to see you both."


    Having said that, she asked Qiu Li to hand over ink and paper from the carriage.


    [Oh, why is Mother giving Grandpa pen and paper?]


    Xiao Chuchu wondered.


    Liu Wenchang and Liu Chaniang both fell silent.


    But soon after Liu Wenchang left the carriage, he quickly walked to a deserted area and hastily wrote with the brush.


    ''Inner and outeryers'', ''mercury'', ''double-walled vacuum''...


    Afterward, he silently recited them once more to deepen his memory, then burned the paper with a tinder stick and hurried home.


    "Elder Son," Liu Wenchang burst into his eldest son Liu Runnian''s room, pushing open the door and shouting, "We have a task!"


    "Your old man wants a portable bottle that can keep water warm in winter, so hurry up and make one."


    Liu Runnian: "...?"


    He lifted his head from the high pile of silk and textile books.


    "What are you looking at? You can''t do it, can you?" Liu Wenchang snorted, puffing out his chest. "No matter, your old man has already figured out how to make it, I''ll teach you a few true words."


    "...Father, did you go see the little Princess today?"


    "Don''t talk nonsense, I didn''t, I didn''t..."


    "What did the little Princess say?"


    "..."


    *


    The ''Who is the Richest'' card game was being sold with great fervor in various sundry shops across the capital city.


    The shops offered two versions: a simple paper version, and an borate wooden one.


    The simple version, with a wooden box, cost half a tael of silver.


    The borate version cost five taels of silver.


    For a time, the sundry shops sold out of both the simple and borate versions, as people eager for novelties snatched them up.


    "I heard even the Minister of Revenue ys this card game."


    "Not just him, the boratecquered box version says it''s the same as the one yed by the Emperor himself!"


    "Card games are too vulgar. Haven''t you heard? The great schr Shen Mian, The Vice Minister, evenposed a poem about this board game. The miniature board represents the entire world, understanding all principles. Thus, the Emperor bestowed upon it the name ''The Board Game''."


    "Indeed!"


    "The Emperor and the Ministry of Revenue came up with the new lending policies for Jing Country Bank from studying this ''Grand Financier'' game, also known as ''Whose Money is Greater than Jing Country''."


    The schrs and literati of the capital, along with curious merchants with some spare cash andmoners, were eager to purchase either the simple orvish edition. Whether in teahouses or at home, they began studying the game intently.


    Once they delved into it, they became entranced!


    Moreover, they deeply realized the necessity of borrowing from Jing Country Bank.


    —To buynd, start businesses, and be grand financiers, borrowing from the bank is truly tempting!


    Within just three days, the counters of the four Jing Country Banks in the capital were swarmed with merchants seeking loans.


    "Your Majesty, a rough estimate shows that the interest we''ll earn from loans next month will amount to tens of thousands of taels."


    Jiang Li from the Ministry of Revenue could barely contain his glee.


    Xiao Yunzhou remainedposed.


    The methods from the celestial realm were naturally effective. "Jiang Li, you must keep the risks under control. Don''t let merchants with poor credentials exploit loopholes, ultimately leading to bad debts."


    Jiang Li hurriedly acknowledged.


    "Mm, you may leave if there''s nothing else." Xiao Yunzhou was already pondering how toplete the task from the Jade Emperor.


    "Ah, We have been troubled by many matters recently. Your Ministry must put in more effort and use your minds."


    Jiang Li: "!" With the bank earning so much, how could the Emperor still have troubles?


    Jiang Li truly admired Xiao Yunzhou.


    Even his current ''ignorant subject'' expression was sincere.


    He simply could notprehend the Emperor''s lofty perspective.


    "Wei Zheng, instruct the Ministry of Rites to prepare for Sanda to enter the pce."


    "On Ourst day, We must fulfill Our promise to them. Also, summon the Imperial Cab Lord Fu Cha and Minister Shen to the pce urgently to discuss establishing militarymunications with Wu Yun Country."


    "???"


    Xiao Yunzhou ignored Wei Zheng''s puzzled expression of astonishment.


    He pondered while sipping his tea.


    He had to remain here toplete the celestial task from the Jade Emperor!


    Just as Xiao Yunzhou was thinking, a guard reported from outside.


    "Your Majesty, trouble! The Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and the Minister of the Ministry of Works were fighting at Zhengyang Gate!"


    Xiao Yunzhou: "? Hmm?"


    "It seems they were arguing over the credit for some insted sk, with both ministries iming it as their achievement!"


    "!?"


    "The Minister of the Ministry of War also arrived, saying he wanted to take it to the military camps—ah, now the Minister of War has also been beaten!"


    "The Minister of Revenue, Jiang Li, who had just left the pce, heard about this and wouldn''t let the Ministry of War take it away, saying he wanted to bring it to the Ministry of Revenue to sell... ah, the Ministry of Revenue has been beaten by the Ministry of War."


    "..."


    What item was this?


    Xiao Yunzhou listened in bewilderment.