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The transmission tool would be copper wire, but it had to be coated with three layers and buried deep underground.
—Mice, like greedy farmers, were equally annoying. If one wasn't careful, the expensive signal network could be destroyed by them in an instant.
The first line would be laid from Florence to Luka.
If all went well, more workers and mercenaries would be recruited, and the construction of wired communication radio stations connecting Florence-Genoa and Florence-Rome would begin.
At least for now, roads like spider webs were being constructed in these regions, and travel and troop movement would be greatly shortened in the future.
The Queen continued to focus on the development of the economy. After appointing Niccolò Machiavelli as the Minister of Finance, she granted him enough power to build a larger department to balance and encourage the nation's economic exchanges.
In the past, merchants traveling from south to north across the Holy Roman Empire had to pay dozens of taxes to the church and various lords. But now, within Italy, as long as they showed the proper documentation, they only had to pay taxes once.
Moreover, merchant caravans traveling from Florence to other cities were now encouraged by the government to form larger organizations, and permanent trade markets were being established in various cities.
People no longer had to wait for grand festivals to conduct trade; centralized and fixed trade points began to attract many foreign merchants—so much so that the number of immigrants started to steadily rise.
Hedy found some time to inspect the new textile workshops near the West City.
From small family-run workshops to centralized small factories and then to larger handicraft workshops, the evolution and transformation of this industry historically would have taken centuries.
But under her leadership, it took less than six years.
—With enough guidance and momentum, and by setting up reliable regulations and guidelines, many things could develop in a healthy and scientific manner.
Now, West City had seen the rise of many new wealthy merchants, some of whom held orders from several countries, and they were wealthy enough to buy entire sets of precious porcelain worth thousands of gold from Arab traders.
Hedy, surrounded by attendants and officials, walked through the area and saw the beginnings of an industrial district.
Many large machines were already in operation—even without steam engines, they could weave fine and dense fabrics at a much faster pace.
Each workshop had a clearly defined functional area, and everyone knew exactly what they were doing.
This was different from the assembly lines used in car production; instead, it was a breakdown and reorganization of complicated steps.
Large bundles of wool were being transported by carriages, with skilled women spinning cotton and working the spinning wheels. In the distance, the boiler had steam rising from it, and some were stirring the solution used to soften the threads.
As Hedy smelled the strong, pungent odor of wool, she was speaking with Niccolò, but immediately felt something stirring in her stomach. She rushed to the side and uncontrollably vomited.
—Her actions were somewhat inappropriate, but she was doing her best to suppress her abnormal behavior.
Niccolò's face changed, and he quickly rushed to support her, lowering his voice to ask if she needed a doctor.
Hedy seemed to have thought of something. After taking the water and handkerchief, she shook her head, signaling them to continue to inspect the other workshops.
Her period had been absent for forty-five days.
If it didn’t come in another fifteen days... she feared...
Hedy had always been very cautious about her health.
After all, she lived in an ancient time where even a simple cold could be fatal.
Penicillin didn't cure every disease, and the men wearing bird-beak masks, who were supposedly "doctors," seemed more like strange witches from Bohemia than any true healers.
She wasn’t sure if she was pregnant, but there was no way to test it.
Ten days earlier, after finishing a morning work handover, she had asked Dechio in a half-joking tone, “How do people test for pregnancy these days?”
