I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

After many twists and turns, the prince and Chen Jue joined hands, first defeating the Qin army on the frontier battlefield and enhancing the prestige of Qing, and then worked hard in the capital to catch all the spies and assassins who had sneaked into the imperial city and the ministers who colluded behind them, and completely eliminated the hidden dangers that endangered the court and the safety of the people of Qing. Now, the world is peaceful, the court is stable, and the people can return to a peaceful life. In order to celebrate this hard-won victory, the prince specially set up a grand celebration banquet in the East Palace to reward all the meritorious ministers.

On this day, the East Palace was decorated with lights and filled with a festive atmosphere. Red lanterns were hung high, like ripe fruits, swaying gently in the breeze, casting a warm halo; colorful ribbons fluttered in the wind, like agile dancers, shuttling between pavilions and towers, adding a bit of agility and playfulness to the East Palace. The banquet was filled with delicacies, and the aroma of wine was overflowing, teasing everyone's taste buds. There was fat roasted venison, with golden and crispy skin. When cut with a knife, it was tender and juicy, and fragrant; there was also steamed sea bass, with a complete body and shiny scales, supplemented with shredded green onion and ginger, and steamed fish soy sauce, which melted in the mouth and bloomed on the tip of the tongue; all kinds of exquisite dim sum, with unique shapes, some like blooming flowers, some like smart little animals, which made people pleasing to the eye and reluctant to eat.

The prince was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a nine-dragon golden crown on his head. The gemstones on it were dazzling, which made him look more majestic and kingly. He sat on the main seat, smiling, and raised his glass frequently to toast the meritorious officials present: "My dear ministers, the fact that our Qing Kingdom was able to turn danger into safety this time is all due to your loyalty and bravery. In the battle on the border, Duke Chen charged into battle, was resourceful, and fought side by side with me to repel the Qin army; Madam Chen was as brave as a man and came to help at the critical moment, adding a strong touch to the victory; and all the soldiers risked their lives and fought bloody battles on the battlefield to defend the beautiful land of our Qing Kingdom. Today, let us share the joy of victory here, and we will not leave until we are drunk!" After that, he drank the wine in the glass, his eyes flashing with excitement and relief.

Everyone stood up and raised their glasses in response: "Thank you, Your Highness! We are willing to go through fire and water for Your Highness and for the Qing Kingdom, no matter what it takes!" The loud voices intertwined together, echoing over the East Palace with magnificent momentum.

Chen Jue sat beside the prince, wearing a dark purple brocade robe with delicate cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread, a jade belt tied around his waist, and jade pendants jingling, showing his elegance and nobility. He was in a particularly good mood today, and said to the prince with a smile: "Your Highness, this is our job. Seeing that Qing is now peaceful and prosperous, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, all our efforts are worth it." His words were full of sincerity and responsibility for the country.

Chen Jia sat below Chen Jue. She was wearing a pink silk dress with elegant floral patterns on the hem, just like the flowers blooming in spring, delicate and charming. Her long black hair was tied into an exquisite bun, with a jade hairpin inserted in it, which made her face more beautiful and gentle. She looked at the table full of delicacies, her heart was full of joy, and she smiled and said to Chen Jue: "My husband, today's banquet is really sumptuous. Thinking about all the hardships before, it is really not easy to sit here and enjoy the food so peacefully."

Chen Jue gently held Chen Jia's hand, his eyes full of tenderness: "Yes, my wife, thanks to you for accompanying me all the way and never leaving me. If it weren't for you, how could I fight at the front with peace of mind." The couple smiled at each other, the love in their eyes seemed to overflow, and others couldn't help but feel warm in their hearts.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, everyone's interest became more and more high. Chen Jia's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had thought of something interesting. She put down her chopsticks and said excitedly to Chen Jue and the prince: "Your Highness, my husband, I recently found a new way to make money. Maybe it will contribute to the economic development of our Qing country in the future!"

Upon hearing this, the prince put down his wine glass with great interest, leaned forward, and asked curiously, "Oh? Madam Chen, tell me quickly, what kind of money-making method makes you so excited."

Chen Jia's cheeks flushed slightly, partly because of the alcohol, and partly because she was a little embarrassed by the attention of everyone, but the light in her eyes became brighter and brighter: "Your Highness, husband, do you know about bricks? We can't do without them when we build houses. Now I have found an improved way to make bricks."

Chen Jue also became interested. He looked at Chen Jia and encouraged her, "Madam, please tell us in detail. What is the magic of this improvement method?"

Chen Jia cleared her throat and began to tell the story: "In the past, we used ordinary clay to make bricks. The bricks we fired were not only rough in texture, but also fragile and had poor compressive strength. After many experiments, I found that if you add an appropriate amount of lime and fine sand to the clay, mix them evenly and then fire them, the bricks you fire will not only be hard in texture, but also bright in color, and their compressive strength will be much higher than that of ordinary bricks!" As she spoke, she gestured with her hands, as if the perfect bricks had already appeared before her eyes.

The prince frowned slightly, thought for a moment and then asked, "Madam Chen, this method sounds really ingenious, but have you figured out the proportions of the ingredients? And the temperature and time of the firing, etc., must be very particular."

Chen Jia smiled and nodded, "Your Highness is thoughtful, that's right. After repeated experiments, I found that the most suitable ratio of clay, lime and fine sand is about 7:2:1. When firing, first use a strong fire to quickly raise the kiln temperature to about 800 degrees Celsius. After the bricks are initially formed, use a low fire to slowly bake them for about two hours. In this way, the quality of the bricks fired is the best."

Chen Jue's eyes flashed with admiration, and he added: "Madam, if this method can be implemented on a large scale, it will not only improve the quality of bricks, and make them more durable when used to build city walls, palaces and other large buildings; but also, we can sell these high-quality bricks to neighboring countries and earn huge profits. It is really a move that kills two birds with one stone."

The prince also nodded frequently, with a happy smile on his face: "Madam Chen's move has really found a way to make money for my Qing Kingdom. I have decided that after the banquet, I will immediately arrange for people to conduct a trial firing according to the method Madam Chen mentioned. If the effect is significant, it will be promoted nationwide. By then, Madam Chen will have made an indelible contribution!"

Chen Jia quickly stood up, bowed, and said modestly: "Your Highness, thank you for the compliment. I just discovered this method by accident. I feel honored to be able to do something practical for Qing Kingdom."

At this time, other ministers at the banquet also gathered around, and after hearing about Chen Jia's new method, they all praised it highly.

An old official stroked his beard, nodded and praised: "Madam Chen is very smart. This discovery can solve the problem of building materials for Qing State and open up a source of income. It is really a move that benefits all people!"

Another young general also echoed, "Yes, if the walls of our Qing Kingdom are built with such solid bricks in the future, we will be able to resist foreign invasions with more strength. Madam Chen's heroic demeanor is admirable!"

Chen Jia felt a little embarrassed by the praise. Her cheeks flushed and she said to everyone with a smile: "Thank you for your praise, everyone. This is the result of our joint efforts. I believe that as long as we work together, the future of Qing will be even better."

Upon seeing this, the prince stood up, raised his glass, and said loudly: "Everyone, Madam Chen brought us such good news today, which makes us full of confidence in the future of Qing. Let us raise our glasses again, for the prosperity of Qing and for your great achievements!"

"Cheers!" Everyone responded in unison, and laughter and joy once again echoed over the East Palace.

In this lively celebration banquet, there is not only the joy of victory, but also the new hope for the future development of Qing. The prince, Chen Jue, Chen Jia and others know that the road ahead is long and there are still many challenges waiting for them, but as long as they work together, with wisdom and courage, they will be able to create a more brilliant Qing.