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

Chapter 124 The Gamble

When Ying Wuyou received Mo Li's invitation, she couldn't help but feel a surge of surprise. She never expected that Mo Li could complete the task so quickly. After a slight pause, Ying Wuyou smiled faintly, carefully tidied her clothes, and headed towards Mo Li's house.

Mo Li's house was a three-courtyard complex, with lush bamboo groves throughout, giving it an exceptionally elegant feel. Following Mo Li's directions, Ying Wuyou arrived at the living room. There sat two men, Mo Li's friends—Su Yi and Lü Chen. Upon seeing Ying Wuyou, the two immediately rose to greet her, but Ying Wuyou smiled and stopped them, saying softly, "No need for such formalities. You are both friends of Mr. Mo; there's no need to be so reserved."

Ying Wuyou turned to look at Mo Li and continued, "Mr. Mo, why don't you take a look at how your curved plow is made? I've been looking forward to it for a long time!" Mo Li smiled slightly, then turned and went into the inner room. A moment later, he brought out a brand-new curved plow, placed it in front of Ying Wuyou, and said, "Princess, please look. This is the curved plow I made. Please give me some pointers."

Ying Wuyou stared intently; its appearance was exactly the same as the curved-shaft plow he had seen before. As for its actual effect, how could he know without trying it? He would find a time to let the farmers try it out first. Ying Wuyou said with a smile, "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Mo. After the trial, if it is truly effective, I will certainly ask my father to record your merit."

Mo Li humbly replied, "It is my lifelong wish to be able to do something practical for the people. I am grateful to the princess for giving us such a good opportunity."

Ying Wuyou smiled and said, "Mr. Mo, you are too modest. May I ask how the water mill and stone mill are progressing?"

Mo Li was overjoyed and said, "The water mill and stone mill are now complete. The reason I invited the princess here is to let her see the results of the water mill and stone mill."

Ying Wuyou said with a charming smile, "Mr. Mo is truly decisive and efficient."

Mo Li quickly said, "This is not my achievement; it is all thanks to my two close friends."

Ying Wuyou looked surprised and asked, "Oh? Is that so?"

Mo Li quickly introduced, "This is Lü Chen, and the stone mill was made by him." After speaking, Lü Chen bowed to Ying Wuyou.

Ying Wuyou nodded slightly and said, "Mr. Lü, you've worked hard." Lü Chen quickly replied, "Your Highness is too kind."

Mo Li then added, "This is Su Yi; the watermill is his masterpiece." Su Yi also bowed in greeting.

Ying Wuyou said, "Mr. Su, you've worked hard too." Su Yi smiled broadly and said, "It's not hard at all, Princess. You're the one who's worked hard." Ying Wuyou chuckled and said, "I'm not tired."

Su Yi smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "To be honest, Your Highness, the reason I came here today is to ask Your Highness to help me and Lü Chen judge whether his stone mill or my water mill is better."

Ying Wuyou was quite surprised to hear this. Her eyes widened, and she asked curiously, "Oh? You actually made a bet?"

At this moment, Mo Li, who was standing to the side, smiled and explained, "That's right, I was the one who made this suggestion."

Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou smiled broadly and said, "Haha, that's perfect. I'd like to see who loses in the end."

Ying Wuyou first went to inspect the stone mill. She had her guards put some wheat into the mill and arranged for a donkey to pull it. After waiting for a while, watching the wheat gradually being ground into powder, Ying Wuyou stepped forward to examine it closely.

She noticed that the powder was slightly coarse, but believed that with a few more grindings, the quality would be significantly improved. Ying Wuyou nodded in satisfaction and smiled, saying, "Not bad, not bad! This stone mill is really useful! Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Lü."

Lu Chen smiled modestly and said, "I haven't actually used it since it was completed. This first attempt has revealed many shortcomings. I will improve and perfect it next."

Ying Wuyou smiled happily and said, "Then I'll leave it to Mr. Lü." Lü Chen replied, "It is my duty."

Next, Ying Wuyou went to see the water mill. The water mill was placed not far from a stream. Ying Wuyou still had people put wheat into the millstone. As the water flowed, the millstone began to turn, and gradually the wheat was ground into flour. Ying Wuyou held the flour in her hand and looked at it carefully. She found that the water mill did indeed grind the flour finer than the stone mill.

Lu Chen and Mo Li also noticed this. Lu Chen said, "The flour that Su Yi grinded with water is indeed much finer than the flour that I grinded with stone mill. I admit defeat."

Su Yi said, "My watermill also has many areas that need improvement."

Ying Wuyou smiled and said, "Then let's declare the water mill the winner this time. But Mr. Lü, don't be discouraged. Whether it's a water mill or a stone mill, it's made for the common people. You two should make some improvements and find some people to try it out in a few days. Then let the people decide who wins and who loses. How about that?"

Upon hearing this, their eyes lit up, and they quickly replied, "Yes."

Lu Chen thought to himself, "Although I lost, this competition allowed him to find areas where the stone mill needed improvement. It was truly invaluable! Moreover, Princess Jiayang was right. Regardless of winning or losing, these things were made to benefit the people. If they can benefit the people, that is the most important thing." Thinking of this, Lu Chen's sense of loss dissipated considerably.

Su Yi looked at Ying Wuyou with excitement. He hadn't expected the Jiayang Palace to come up with such an idea. It not only avoided an embarrassing outcome for the competition but also allowed them to continue improving their inventions. More importantly, this method involved the common people, truly putting the people first. He secretly resolved to improve the watermill and strive for better results in the next competition.

Ying Wuyou observed the starkly different expressions on their faces and nodded inwardly. She knew that only through continuous competition and innovation could technological progress be driven forward. And involving ordinary people would allow technology to better serve them. She looked forward to seeing more new technologies emerge, making people's lives better.

Ying Wuyou looked at Mo Li with a smile and asked in a relaxed tone, "Mr. Mo, your curved plow hasn't been tested yet. I wonder how it's going? How about you join this interesting bet with me?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Li gave a wry smile and shook his head helplessly, replying, "Your Highness, I will find some farmers to test the curved plow themselves to determine if it is indeed as good as we expect. As for this gamble, I have decided not to participate."

Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou smiled slightly and nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Very good. Then you should all work hard these next few days to improve the areas that need improvement. In a few days, I will invite my father and all the civil and military officials to come and witness your achievements."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy, and they all responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"