Volume One, Chapter Two: The Water Windmill

Prince Pingyang left.

The servants in the laundry room breathed a sigh of relief, their gazes toward Song Chenfei filled with mockery and disdain.

Just now, there had been so many opportunities. If only Song Chenfei had lowered his head and begged for mercy, he could have returned to a life of luxury and honor.

Yet, for the sake of so-called pride and dignity, he dared to defy Prince Pingyang recklessly.

Now, it was all over. He had nothing left but to continue enduring hardship and toil here, doomed to a miserable life.

“Song Chenfei is truly an idiot. No wonder he’s doing so poorly!”

“He deserves it. He’ll be washing clothes in this laundry forever.”

“What a waste of an opportunity—turning down a life of wealth and comfort.”

“Song Chenfei must have lost his mind to give up such a good life.”

Song Chenfei paid no mind to their words.

But his only friend in the laundry, Li Hao, grew anxious. “Hey, Song Chenfei, what’s wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?”

“I’m not sick,” Song Chenfei replied calmly.

He trusted Li Hao as a friend. They often suffered bullying together and had a close bond. Li Hao had helped Song Chenfei many times; without him, Song Chenfei wouldn’t have lasted this long.

“Then why didn’t you seize the chance earlier? Weren’t you always hoping Prince Pingyang would come for you? Now that he has, why turn it down?”

Li Hao was puzzled.

“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to go back,” Song Chenfei said plainly.

“Are you crazy? If you don’t go back, do you plan to wash clothes here for the rest of your life?”

“Compared to Prince Pingyang’s estate, I think this place suits me better.”

Li Hao snapped, “You really are insane. The Pingyang estate is the residence of a prince! I wouldn’t even dare dream of going there. And now that you have the chance, you throw it away? Sigh!”

Li Hao truly felt sorry for Song Chenfei.

Then he worried aloud, “This place is a hell for us lowly laborers. We wash clothes until we die. Just last month, two people died from overwork. It could be us next.”

“I was sold here by my parents. There’s still hope I can leave this hell when the time comes. But you’re different—this is the emperor’s decree. You’re sentenced to labor here for life. Only Prince Pingyang can help you escape.”

Yet Song Chenfei’s eyes gleamed with determination. “Don’t worry. Even without Prince Pingyang, I will still find a way to leave.”

“Song Chenfei, you’re out of your mind today, spouting nonsense.”

Li Hao thought Song Chenfei must have been impulsive and regretted it, now talking wildly.

“I’m not crazy. Follow me, and I guarantee you’ll be out of here within three days.”

“Three days?”

Li Hao shook his head. “You’re seriously ill, Song Chenfei.”

Still, as comrades in the laundry’s misery, Li Hao was willing to help.

During the day, they worked hard washing clothes.

At night, they chopped bamboo and felled trees.

It must be remembered that Song Chenfei was the director of the Secret Service, having risen through the ranks from a field agent.

As a spy, his skills surpassed ordinary men.

After two days and nights of toil, Song Chenfei finally constructed a waterwheel.

The huge wheel stood in the river, its blades turning slowly with the current, creaking softly.

Song Chenfei added simple mechanisms to the waterwheel so that the force of the flowing water, transmitted through clever devices, powered the washing area.

One by one, clothes were automatically fed into the washing zone. As the waterwheel turned, the impact of the water and the specialized rubbing mechanisms gradually cleaned the garments.

The whole process flowed smoothly, saving time and effort, leaving everyone amazed.

“How is this possible?” Li Hao stared in disbelief. “There’s really something that can wash clothes automatically? Song Chenfei, how did you make this?”

Song Chenfei said calmly, “This is called a waterwheel. I enhanced it with a clothes-washing function, so I prefer to call it a waterwheel washing machine.”

“Amazing. When everyone wakes up and sees this, they’ll be stunned. With this, washing clothes will be so much easier.”

Li Hao’s eyes sparkled.

As a laundry worker, he knew the steps all too well.

First, fetching water from the river; then lugging heavy buckets back; soaking clothes; repeated rubbing; scrubbing with brushes; pounding with mallets; and finally wringing them out by hand.

But with the waterwheel washing machine, two of those steps were eliminated—only heavy scrubbing and wringing remained manual. The rest was handled automatically.

This waterwheel was incredibly convenient. It fetched water automatically, saving time and effort, and it washed clothes automatically, saving even more.

Washing palace laundry, especially heavy bedding, was an enormous task.

Sure enough, at dawn when the servants began their work, they saw the waterwheel washing machine in the river and gasped in disbelief.

“What on earth is that?”

“It can wash clothes automatically.”

“This is so convenient.”

They were overjoyed.

With this device, their workload would be reduced by at least seventy-five percent.

The laundry was so exhausting that many had died from overwork.

But with the waterwheel, surely far fewer would perish in the future.

Each day, palace eunuchs came to collect the washed and dried clothes, and today a senior eunuch arrived.

Upon seeing the new contraption, he gasped in amazement.

His work in the palace made his eyesight sharper than the common laborers’.

Seeing the waterwheel, he immediately recognized its uniqueness and hurried back to report to the emperor.

“Your Majesty, I have seen a marvelous device outside the palace laundry. It is installed in the river, automatically drawing water and washing clothes,” the senior eunuch knelt solemnly.

“Automatic water-fetching and washing? I’ve never seen such a thing. Does such a thing even exist in the world?” the emperor frowned.

“Your Majesty, every word is true. If even one is false, I am willing to accept punishment.”

“Very well, I will go see it myself.”

The emperor immediately ordered his attendants to change his clothes into plain attire. Accompanied by guards, he left the palace for the laundry outside.

The laundry was not far from the palace, just a few miles. Before long, the emperor and his entourage arrived.

“Greetings, eunuch!”

“Greetings, sir!”

The crowd bowed hastily.

Though they did not know exactly who was before them, they sensed the visitor was an important dignitary.

In the palace, eunuchs like Zhao Gonggong were powerful figures.

For one to personally lead a delegation and be treated with utmost respect meant this was a man of the highest rank.

The middle-aged man’s demeanor confirmed this to Song Chenfei.

Nearby, the laundry manager threatened harshly, “Song Chenfei, whatever credit there is for the waterwheel belongs to me, understand?”

He clearly sensed an opportunity and was not about to let it slip.

Song Chenfei smiled. Li Hao protested, “Manager Wu, this was made by Song Chenfei and me. How can you say otherwise? It’s mostly Song Chenfei’s work; you didn’t do anything.”

Wu the manager scowled fiercely. “If you don’t listen to me, I’ll find a way to get rid of both of you. Believe it or not?”

Li Hao was furious but dared not argue further.

He knew Wu was ruthless and vicious.

Someone had defied him before and was found dead in the river the next day—bloated and unrecognizable. Since then, no one dared cross Wu.

Song Chenfei laughed. “Fair enough. Though Wu didn’t make the waterwheel, as manager, he keeps order in the laundry and provides a stable environment for our work. Without him, we wouldn’t have these results. I’m willing to follow Wu’s lead.”

“Good. You’re sensible, Song Chenfei. As long as I’m around, no one will dare bully you,” Wu said, pleased.

“How shall I cooperate with you, Manager Wu?” Song Chenfei asked.

“When they ask, just say I made the waterwheel. When I receive the reward, you’ll benefit too,” Wu had already thought it through.

“Fine,” Song Chenfei nodded.

After Wu left, Li Hao anxiously said, “This is your achievement—maybe your only chance. Why let Wu steal it?”

“It’s fine. If he wants it, he’ll have to earn it. He’s welcome to try. But he’d better not expect me to be gentle if he steals my credit.”

A cold gleam flashed in Song Chenfei’s eyes.

Zhao Gonggong, accompanied by the middle-aged man, approached the riverbank and saw the waterwheel washing machine.

In this era, in the Great Qian Kingdom, waterwheels were unheard of. This was the first time anyone had seen one.

They watched the machine in operation, garments being fed in orderly fashion, the wheel turning slowly under the current, driving internal mechanisms.

Clothes were fully soaked in specially designed troughs, gently pressed and rubbed by rollers to remove surface stains.

The river water repeatedly rinsed the laundry.

Step by step, the clothes grew cleaner.

All they needed to do was scoop them out, wring them dry, and hang them up. For heavy stains, special manual treatment was applied.

The middle-aged man watched in amazement. “To think such a thing exists—it’s incredibly convenient.”