After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Chapter 1116 - 1098: A Busy Year

Ting He quietly walked in, lit the lamp, and the room immediately brightened, only then did Zhao Hanzhang realize that the sky had unknowingly begun to darken.

She rubbed her slightly sore eyes, reminding herself not to indulge in entertainment.

Indeed, these interesting letters are really quite entertaining.

Zhao Hanzhang collected the letters, then reached for the official documents, and when she looked up, she saw Fu Tinghan across from her, head down while writing something, having not looked up for a long time, not even the lighting of the lamp disturbed him.

Zhao Hanzhang then couldn’t sit still, like a child with hyperactivity, she got up and walked over there.

She leaned over his shoulder and saw that he was drawing on a large piece of paper.

She was somewhat surprised, "This is..."

Fu Tinghan returned to his senses, put down the pen, and smiled: "This is the Simplified Instrument and Liyun Instrument, since the Armillary Sphere is gone, we have no need to make an identical one, let’s simplify it."

"The Armillary Sphere was originally a multi-structured apparatus, with the Ecliptic Ring, the Horizontal Ring, the Meridian Ring, along with the Six Harmonies Instrument, the Equinoctial Ring, and the Solstitial Ring... Such a multi-ring structure when assembled produces a significant central error, and each ring would obscure a certain celestial section, leading to large observational deviations. Therefore, I thought, why not simplify, those which can be calculated through arithmetic need not be included."

Zhao Hanzhang: "For example?"

"For example, the Lunar Ring can be eliminated, the position of the moon can be accurately calculated using mathematics," Fu Tinghan said, "I discussed with Guo Pu, through such observations, our calendars can be made extremely close to nature."

Zhao Hanzhang was impressed and nodded, "Then let’s build it, I’ll have people prepare the materials."

Fu Tinghan listed the materials for her, noting that it’s not difficult to produce because few people know about it, and even fewer can make it. The installation of so many rings requires numerous calculations, and the production technology of sighting tubes involves a high technical content.

Ah, that sight tube is essentially a telescope, which can determine the equatorial coordinates of stars and celestial bodies at different times, and also measure the ecliptic longitude and altitude coordinates, etc.

Fu Tinghan believed he could slightly improve it to see more clearly and observe more.

This is not difficult to produce because, with the current technology and materials, it can be achieved.

Zhao Hanzhang took the list and readily agreed, "Not hard, I’ll have someone prepare it for you."

Fu Tinghan seeing her so accommodating, said, "Then... can we make another Armillary Sphere? For demonstration purposes."

The Armillary Sphere, it consumes a substantial amount of copper, Zhao Hanzhang was momentarily stunned.

Fu Tinghan seeing her reaction, sought a way to persuade her, "If Guo Pu sees we have an Armillary Sphere, he would be even more reluctant to leave."

Just thinking about it made him a little unwilling too.

Fu Tinghan looked at her eagerly.

Under his gaze, Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t refuse and involuntarily nodded, "Alright."

Fu Tinghan couldn’t help but smile and immediately pulled the list from her hands and added the Armillary Sphere materials, seeing his unabashed addition of the required copper weight to it, she knew he had long calculated the copper needed to make an Armillary Sphere, but hadn’t mentioned it earlier because she was currently strapped for funds.

Zhao Hanzhang sighed as she took the list, "In the past, because our territory was limited, and our currency value was lighter than others, we feared ’Zhao’ coinage would disrupt the market. Every minting needed careful calculation."

"Now there is no such fear, not just because our territory has expanded, but also because of stable authority and the buying power of ’Zhao’ coinage is stable. However, now we find copper in short supply." She sighed deeply, "The copper mines we have discovered so far are still too few."

Only after officially taking over state affairs did Zhao Hanzhang realize that the official currency of the court was inadequate each year, and in places she could not see, money was barely in circulation, so silk, cloth, and grain were used as money.

Not only in the Central Plains to the north, but the situation in Jiangnan and Jiangdong was not much better.

Yuan Li reported that in a small coastal county town, more shell currency was used than Copper Coins.

When she received this intelligence from Yuan Li, delivered as a joke, she almost doubted whether she was in the Wei Jin era or back in the Shang and Zhou periods.

Ultimately, it was due to the scarcity of copper.

But she didn’t dare use other things to replace copper, it was too risky, at least not suitable for now.

Several hundred catties of copper, better to draw it from the Luoyang copper mines nearby.

Zhao Hanzhang decided, folding the list and putting it away. It wouldn’t be worthwhile to go find Chang Ning just for this, better to mention it during the New Year’s Eve palace banquet, so he could prepare in advance.

Zhao Hanzhang was about to go back to approving documents when she noticed the neat stack of a dozen neatly stacked documents by his desk, and paused, "You’ve finished approving them?"

Fu Tinghan nodded, "Finished."

Zhao Hanzhang was envious and immediately said, "Help me calculate something."

Fu Tinghan smiled briefly and came over to help her calculate. Indeed, with the various figures he calculated and the numbers from reports he memorized, she could make judgments more easily and respond to documents faster.

As Zhao Hanzhang finished approving one batch, Fu Tinghan smoothly handed over another.

Zhao Hanzhang pushed the approved documents aside, took the new ones and quickly scanned through them, then started replying.

Fu Tinghan silently waited for the ink to dry on the previous one, closed it, and stacked it aside, then sat opposite her to grind ink.

The two worked overtime till late at night, waiting for Zhao Hanzhang to finish processing all the documents and letters before braving the cold to return to her room.

Fu An and Ting He were sleeping by the fire in the side room, and upon hearing the door open, they immediately woke up and ran out.

Zhao Hanzhang turned her head and saw the marks pressed on their faces, causing her to smile inadvertently, waving her hand, "You don’t need to stay awake in the future, get some rest early."

Fu An was going to light a lantern for them, but Zhao Hanzhang had already taken one from under the eaves and handed it to Fu Tinghan. Fu Tinghan then hung it on a stick, Fu An realized it was the one used in the study for illuminating the map, and occasionally used to scold Zhao Erlang, and he widened his eyes.

Ting He, meanwhile, went back inside and brought out two cloaks.

Zhao Hanzhang took one and told her, "You’re just waking up, keep warm, we’ve put out the fire in the library, and you should also put out the fire in your side room before going back."

Not needing their escort, Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan wrapped themselves in the cloaks and carried their lantern back by themselves.

The cold wind howled, and Fu Tinghan couldn’t help but hold her hand, and said to her, "The main courtyard is quite far from the library, you should’ve arranged it closer at the time."

"Work and living spaces should be separate," Zhao Hanzhang laughed, "Though with the cold now, I indeed don’t want to walk much, perhaps we should let Ting He tidy up the side room in the main courtyard for a small study, so we can have mini night shifts there in the future."

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t know how other officials spent their New Year, but she still had documents and letters to handle every day while waiting for the New Year.

But it wasn’t all documents and letters she would respond to, such as proposals for the court to offer sacrifices, she set those aside for now.

Sacrifice for what, the Little Emperor doesn’t govern personally, nor has money, do they not know the Sacrificial Altar was burned down in a big fire and offerings would mean building a new platform?

If she had the money to build a Sacrificial Altar, would she not spend it on building an Observatory?