TPITWOHEF

Chapter 142

"Liu Runnian has invented a vacuum flask that can keep water warm for several hours," the Minister of Works cried to Xiao Yunzhou in the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, is this vacuum flask the major contribution to the state that you mentioned before?"

"Did Liu Runnian contribute significantly?"

"Is Liu Runnian from the Ministry of Works?"

"This is a project of my Ministry!"

Xiao Yunzhou was rendered speechless by the Minister of Works' barrage of four questions. He hadn't even processed it yet. "Vacuum flask? Where is it? Let me take a look."

[Ah, the vacuum flask, is it what I was thinking of?]

Liu Chuchu was delighted in the side chamber.

But soon, the angry voice of the Minister of Personnel echoed through the imperial study, immediately distracting Liu Chuchu's thoughts.

"Minister Chen, why didn't you explain how Liu Runnian invented this vacuum flask?"

"The Ministry of Works is really shameless, trying to take credit for the Ministry of Personnel's achievement."

Not only was Xiao Yunzhou surprised, but Liu Chuchu was also curious.

Did the Ministry of Personnel have any talented individuals researching technology?

It didn't seem like she had heard of any.

"Your Majesty, Liu Runnian invented this object entirely because of my Wen Chang Brother from the Ministry of Personnel. A few days ago, he told his son that he felt the cold water was freezing to the bone, and he was too lazy to get up at night to heat it up," the Minister of Personnel said, looking at Xiao Yunzhou.

Xiao Yunzhou: "...Ah."

Liu Wenchang, Concubine Liu's father, was so lazy - no, this provided the inspiration for Liu Runnian.

"Pah! Just by saying a sentence, you claim it's the Ministry of Personnel's achievement? Your Ministry is really shameless!"

The Minister of Works was furious, his chest heaving.

"But it's the Emperor who assigns us administrative duties. Does that mean every policy under heaven is the Emperor's achievement?"

"I spit on that - how thick-skinned can you be?"

Xiao Yunzhou: "...?"

[...]

Liu Chuchu was stunned.

After a while, she heard giggles rising from within her heart.

"Ahem, ahem, Your Majesty, I didn't mean you - I was referring to the people of the Ministry of Personnel!" The Minister of Works realized in his agitation that he had misspoken.

The corner of Xiao Yunzhou's brow twitched. "Just state the facts, without bringing up irrelevant matters."

"Your Majesty, we in the Ministry of Personnel are certainly not as reckless as the Ministry of Works," the Minister of Personnel protested loudly. "If it weren't for Wen Chang Brother in the Ministry of Personnel, who was inspecting the capital officials a few days ago and heard a Ministry of Justice official talking about imprisoning an alchemist fraud, Liu Runnian would never have thought of using mercury to coat the inside of the flask to keep it warm!"

[Oh my god!]

Liu Chuchu was delighted. [He really did use mercury!]

"That alchemist fraud had a flask that was accidentally contaminated with mercury. He discovered that the elixir pills placed inside remained warm for a long time, so he always used this elixir flask to keep his pills warm, deceiving people out of their money," the Minister of Personnel explained, wiping away tears.