Chapter 226: Chapter 138: I’m Determined to Show Off in Front of the Emperor

Gu Gaoxu said, "Brother Lu, don’t tell me you’ve come up with another great idea?"

After a moment’s thought, Lu Yuan said, "When people shell corn by hand, they can probably only get through a few hundred pounds of kernels a day at most."

Gu Gaoxu, who knew nothing about such things, said, "I suppose so."

Lu Yuan said, "Actually, I can create a device to help people shell corn."

Gu Gaochi, who was beside them, chimed in, "And what method might Lord Lu have to help people shell corn?"

Lu Yuan continued, "Crown Prince, you may not be aware, but shelling corn by hand is not only time-consuming and laborious, it’s especially hard on the hands."

"These hired farmhands have been farming for years, and their hands are already chapped and cracked. I’m afraid even washing clothes and touching water must be agonizingly painful, especially in the biting cold of winter."

Su Liyan’s mother nodded in agreement with her son-in-law. Back in Changliu Village, Su Liyan’s mother had been a proper farmer. Though not a hired hand, she had her own small plot of land.

Because she was a Half-Demon, Su Liyan’s father sometimes felt it was a bit disgraceful to be with her in the village.

So, Su Liyan’s father would drag Su Liyan’s mother along for all the dirty, tiring work.

As a grown man, he couldn’t even work independently and had to have a partner for every single task.

Of course, now that Su Liyan had married a good man, Su Liyan’s mother had also escaped her previously mundane and tedious life.

Su Liyan’s close relatives could also share in some of her good fortune.

Lu Yuan said, "I can create a manual corn sheller and an automatic corn sheller. The only difference between the two is whether a Spirit Stone is available to provide energy to power the device."

"Even the manual corn sheller would be more than ten times as efficient as shelling corn by hand."

Everyone thought Lu Yuan was a true genius, able to come up with all sorts of novel ideas.

Gu Gaoxu said expectantly, "Brother Lu, can you really build this thing? When could you have it made?"

Lu Yuan replied, "I’m afraid it won’t be possible in the next few days. We’re about to reach the Imperial Capital, and it’s not convenient to build such things on the road. When I have time in the future, I’ll make one for everyone to see."

"Awesome! As expected of Brother Lu!"

Gu Gaoxu punched Lu Yuan in the chest. This was probably one of the ways martial artists greeted each other.

THUMP! A dull thud rang out.

Gu Gaoxu felt a faint, numb pain in his right hand. Lu Yuan’s chest was solid as a rock.

He thought to himself, ’With a build like that, it’s a real shame he wasn’t recruited into the army!’

After they finished chatting, Lu Yuan paid for the tea.

Then, everyone continued on their journey.

A few days later, Lu Yuan and his party entered through the Imperial Capital City Gate and began looking for a place to stay.

As Crown Princes of Yan, Gu Gaochi and Gu Gaoxu were naturally received by officials from the Court.

Lu Yuan, as a Seventh Grade County Magistrate, held an official post but still needed to find his own reception point.

A Seventh Grade official could be considered a high-ranking figure in a local region, someone a Xingzi couldn’t even get close to.

But in the Imperial Capital... how should I put it?

If you dropped a brick from the walls of the Imperial Capital, you’d hit a whole crowd of Seventh Grade officials, and one of them would probably be Sixth Grade or higher.

Inside the carriage, Su Liyan watched the pedestrians on both sides of the street through the window.

Su Liyan had never left Changliu Village in her entire life, let alone dared to dream that she would one day come to the Imperial Capital!

She was ecstatic!

People came and went in a bustling crowd.

She could even see a long caravan with a few old horses and a few donkeys, all heavily laden with goods.

The groom at the front guided the lead horse toward an arched bridge at the bend, while the drovers behind used their whips to urge the other horses and donkeys to follow closely.

From the lead drover’s skillful handling and calm, natural expression, you could tell they were a merchant caravan that had been traveling for many years.

Caravans like this were a common sight on the streets. They weren’t large, just merchant groups that traveled between the major cities, dealing in all sorts of goods.

The most common sight on the streets were people carrying shoulder poles.

They hawked their wares, which were balanced on either end.

These peddlers worked in small groups, transporting their goods purely by manpower.

It was so lively!

The bicycles and tricycles manufactured in Yandu hadn’t made their way to the Imperial Capital yet.

This was the sense of distance in this era of the Divine Ling Empire; products made in Yandu had yet to reach the Imperial Capital.

In this era, being in a different place meant you might not see someone again for years after parting.

Sending a letter took a very long time, and meeting in person required crossing mountains and rivers. If you encountered a snowstorm, your journey could be delayed for days.

In an age where "a long road tests a horse’s strength," people paid more attention to the subtleties of emotion.

"I live at the head of the Yangtze, you live at its tail; day after day I think of you but cannot see you, though we both drink from the same river’s water."

That was the sense of long-distance separation in ancient times!

Fortunately, Lu Yuan had invented some means of transportation and a telephone, making things much more convenient for him.

Compared to this era in the Divine Ling Empire, in our era, if a couple gets into a fight and the wife is mistreated by her husband...

...her father can’t get to his son-in-law in half a day to give him a good slap. (This kind of behavior is strongly discouraged!)

Even that distance is called "marrying far away"! That is what long-distance means!

Of course, distance isn’t the problem. A harmonious and happy marriage is what’s most important.

And that’s when some wise guy would say, "Damn right!"

「The next morning.」

In their capacity as Crown Princes of Yan, Gu Gaochi and Gu Gaoxu attended the Court’s morning assembly, standing in a corner behind the ranks of officials.

They were only there to observe; they had no right to speak.

Gu Gaoxu hid off to one side, yawning.

A provincial minister stepped forward. "This subject has a matter to report to the throne!"