Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

Chapter 302 Refining Salt

Within the majestic palace of Cangling Kingdom, the Imperial Study was quiet and solemn.

Amidst the carved beams and painted rafters, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Shen Yuxi, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat leisurely on the couch, sipping tea.

Inadvertently, his gaze swept towards Shi Wanxia, ​​who was kneeling on the ground.

Shi Wanxia was slender and delicate, wearing a light blue silk dress and her hair styled in a snake bun, making her appear gentle and dignified.

She lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet Shen Yuxi's gaze, and said softly, "Your Majesty, I implore you not to bestow a marriage upon Cui Zhihao. He is a rare and outstanding talent. Your Majesty is a wise ruler and should not be bound by trivial matters when employing people."

Her voice was like a spring breeze, gentle yet firm: "Although my words may offend Your Majesty's grace, they are my true thoughts."

Shen Yuxi's lips curled up slightly, and he immediately became interested. As the emperor, how could he not know about the rumors circulating in the capital?

It was late summer, and for an unmarried woman to so openly discuss this matter in the imperial study, disregarding all propriety, must have been a significant event.

His eyes were deep, and he said with a half-smile, "What, Miss Shi, do you have feelings for Cui Zhihao? Then how about I go along with it and bestow a marriage upon the two of you?"

Shi Wanxia was startled and quickly bowed, saying urgently, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I cannot accept personal feelings between men and women at the moment. I only wish to do something beneficial for the people of Cangling."

She knew in her heart that even if she truly loved Brother Cui, it was unwise to discuss marriage at this time given the complex court situation.

Shen Yuxi raised an eyebrow, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes. He glanced at her seemingly casually and said slowly, "Miss Shi, I have heard that you are very knowledgeable and know many things that we do not know. You even know the mysterious production method of refined salt."

He paused, his gaze falling on Shi Wanxia. "How about this? As long as you can refine the salt, I will not bestow a marriage upon Cui Zhihao. What do you say?"

Shi Wanxia was stunned upon hearing this, and countless questions arose in her mind. She really didn't understand how His Majesty knew that she knew the method of making refined salt.

After a brief moment of surprise, Shi Wanxia took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, refining salt is no easy task. It requires a great deal of manpower and resources, and it will take a certain amount of time. But I will do my utmost to live up to Your Majesty's expectations."

Shen Yuxi nodded and said, "I will give you one month. If you succeed, not only will the marriage arrangement with Cui Zhihao be dropped, but I will also reward you handsomely. If you fail..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Shi Wanxia already understood the implied threat.

Shi Wanxia accepted the order and withdrew, returning to her residence where she immediately fell into deep thought.

She knew this was a gamble; if she succeeded, she could save Choi Ji-ho and perhaps even secure a future for herself and Choi Ji-ho; if she failed, she could face utter ruin.

Shi Wanxia began to search for the materials needed to refine refined salt. At the same time, she secretly summoned some trusted craftsmen in her mansion and revealed to them the general method of refining refined salt.

Although these craftsmen were skeptical, seeing Shi Wanxia's determination, they all began to take action.

However, things were not all smooth sailing.

The news somehow leaked out, and some court officials, upon hearing of it, advised Shen Yuxi that Shi Wanxia was merely a woman and could not possibly have extracted refined salt; this was clearly a crime of deceiving the emperor.

In the ancient courtyard of Cangling Kingdom, a tense atmosphere permeated Shi Wanxia's room.

Since receiving the imperial order to refine salt, life has been like a taut string, with every moment filled with invisible pressure.

She paced back and forth in the room, her eyes filled with anxiety. The table in front of her was piled with the remnants of failed experiments. Each failed attempt was like a heavy hammer pounding on her confidence.

"Why doesn't it work? I followed the steps in the video exactly..."

Shi Wanxia murmured softly, her voice filled with weariness and resentment.

She remembered the videos of refining salt that she had saved on her computer. She had only saved and downloaded them out of curiosity, but now they had become her lifeline.

But now, the computer's battery is completely depleted, and in this Cangling Kingdom without modern technology, restoring the computer's power is no easy task.

Shi Wanxia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, and sat down at her desk.

As the vague concept of the principle of power generation gradually became clearer in her mind, she quickly picked up a pen and paper and began to write as she thought.

"Friction generates electricity... electromagnetic induction..."

Her handwriting was somewhat messy, but her thoughts were racing, trying to dig out more useful information from the depths of her memory.

In the courtyard, Cui Zhihao, Shuyun, and the others stood quietly, looking at Shi Wanxia's tightly closed door, none of them having the heart to disturb her.

Cui Zhihao frowned slightly, his eyes full of worry. He turned to Shuyun and said, "Miss Shuyun, tell the kitchen to make more delicious food for Miss Shi. She likes osmanthus cake and candied hawthorn. You go to the kitchen and keep an eye on things in a bit."

Shuyun nodded in agreement and hurried towards the kitchen.

Cui Zhihao glanced at Shi Wanxia's room again, silently praying that she could get through this difficult time.

Then he turned around and prepared to go to the shop to take a look.

"I'm going to the shop. No one has bothered her these past few days. I hope everything goes smoothly."

Inside the shop, Cui Zhihao was busy taking inventory of the goods, but his mind was always on Shi Wanxia.

He recalled every moment he had known her, that intelligent, brave woman with a heart for all living beings, who was now facing enormous challenges alone, and he was unable to share her burden.

"Miss Shi, you must succeed..." he murmured to himself.

At this moment, Shi Wanxia had filled several sheets of paper in the room with writing. Her thoughts were gradually becoming clearer, and a bold power generation plan was taking shape in her mind.

She decided to try making a simple hand-cranked generator to generate electricity using the principle of electromagnetic induction.

Without further ado, Shi Wanxia got up and rummaged through the room, finding materials such as copper wire, magnets, and wooden boards.

Relying on her memory, she began to assemble the generator. She was extremely careful with every part installed and every wire connected, afraid of making even the slightest mistake.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the busy preparations, and the sky gradually darkened. From the kitchen, Shuyun carried a plate of steaming osmanthus cakes and several strings of candied hawthorns into the courtyard.

"Young Master Cui, has Miss Wanxia not come out yet? These snacks will get cold if we don't eat them soon."

Cui Zhihao shook his head, looking at the faint candlelight coming from Shi Wanxia's room, and said, "She must still be busy. Let's not disturb her for now. Let's put the snacks at the door."

The two quietly placed the snacks at the door and then slipped away.

Shi Wanxia was completely unaware of the situation outside; all her attention was focused on the generator in her hands.

After several hours of hard work, the hand-cranked generator was finally completed. She took a deep breath, gripped the handle tightly, and began to turn it.